The Counterfeit Attachment

by Holli Jo Monroe

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The plan was to avoid marriage, not fall in love with her pretend suitor.

Miss Charity Radforde prefers museums to balls, lectures to dinner parties, and spinsterhood to matrimony. Her overbearing mother disagrees. An obedient daughter, she spends her time in London with insufferable suitors, not in intellectual pursuits. Desperate, she proposes a simple subterfuge to the one man with no interest in marrying her.

Mr. Edmund Glenhaven is a third son determined to prove his worth. Counter to his family’s hopes, he’s in London not to find a wife but to gain sponsors for a scientific expedition. After a chance meeting and a revealing conversation, he finds himself in an unlikely arrangement with the beguiling Miss Radforde. What starts as a diversion before he departs England soon becomes a reason to stay.

The longer their false courtship lasts, the stronger their real feelings grow. As Charity learns to fight for the life she wants, Edmund begins to question what he truly needs. Could they possibly find true love through a counterfeit attachment?

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Book Details

Genre

Historical Romance

Subgenre

Regency (1811–1820)

Series

The Bath Schoolmates • Book 2

Audience

Adult

Bell Peppers

🫑

Profanity

2 Mild

Violence

1 None

Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco

2 Mild

Publication Date

February 28, 2023

Language Versions

English

Fiction Form

Novel

Representation

BIPOC main character / cast

To be or not to be?

A little slow at first, but as the relationship between Charity and Edmund develops the complications that beset them become engrossing. It is not a Gothic tale, but the story of two people striving to be true to themselves and their dreams. It is well written, the dialogue is good, and the insight into the scientific passions of the age is interesting. But I did look for a wider sense of context. What was happening with the wars with Napoleon, and how could Charity’s father be living “across the Channel” in the midst of the hostilities in Europe? A small detail perhaps but one that adds verisimilitude. Likewise the expedition to North America? The American war of independence also happened during the Regency, and how likely would it be that travel would be safe? Despite. These quibbles, I recommend this novel and look forward to Mary and Penelope’s stories.

delightful!! funny! real depth!

I loved this book! Keep ‘em coming Holli Jo! You kept me entertained the whole time!! I loved the characters and the fun storyline!

Great read!

I appreciate the author’s effort to stick to what was life in Regency Era as much as possible. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

great writing and unique characters

Read it for the:-Nerds in love trope-Fake courtship-Supportive family themes-Complex friendships-Character growthIn a popular genre, The counterfeit attachment stood out to me for its great writing and unique characters.While the plot started slow for me, once the pace picked up, I could not stop reading. While this is a fake courtship trope, I found the interactions between Edmund and Charity to be refreshing. I loved the initial meet-cute, and the progression of their friendship. I was pleased to receive the classic “faking dating but real feelings” theme. But what I enjoyed the most was that this story explored so much more than that. The author added realistic personal conflicts which added to plot.Edmund and Charity were ambitious people, intelligent and uncomfortable with the idea of marriage. Edmund was determined to make a name for himself in the scientific world, while Charity wanted independence and the freedom to study what she pleased. These themes played really well into their romance, and I loved that they slowly began to realize they were perfect for each other.I also enjoyed the secondary characters, most notably the members of Edmund's family. Kit was my favorite and I hope to see more of him in future works.This is a story that grows on you. The more that I think about it, the better it gets.Romance/Spice: Sweet, Kissing onlyFinal Rating: 4 / 5*I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Wonderful!

This book was so difficult to put down! From beginning to end it kept my interest, and there were times I paused to do my own research on the topic mentioned because the author did an amazing job of piquing my interest (botanical names, locations, etc) what a wonderful read! Looking forward to the next books from this author!