FIVE STARS
I loved this book. It’s a friends-to-lovers/brother’s best friend trope, neither of which are my favorite, but this was more than I expected.
Pippa has been designing and making her own gowns for years and sometimes makes them for friends. She’s accomplished and creative, so when a modiste shop comes up for sale, she wants it badly. The problem is that her brother won’t let her have her money without her being married first.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. She never had her sights set on marriage, but if that’s what it takes to get her shop, then so be it. She sends letters to five different men, asking to meet them at different times to discuss the possibility of marriage.
What she wasn’t counting on is all of the letters being delivered to the Marquess of Ravenscroft—Hugh—her friend but her brother’s best friend.
Hugh knew he should go to Pelham with the letters, so Pelham would know what his sister is up to, but he wanted to get his mother and great aunt back into society and what better way than to have them act a chaperones for Pippa? They strike a deal where she will help him with his mother and great aunt and he will introduce her to these men. Everybody wins.
As they spent time together, they began to see another side to each other and it was fire! The chemistry between Hugh and Pippa was off-the-charts. The quips and clever remarks by both made me laugh. Their clandestine meetings were smoking hot. There were even a few instances where I got teary eyed.
It was so obvious that they belonged together. Everybody knew it. Even they knew it, but why they held back was sad and it seemed neither of them could let go.
An amazing story.
Hanging out with Kristi 