An Amiable Foe - Review

An Amiable Foe (Castles and Courtship, # 1)

By: Jennie Goutet

Publication: March 24, 2023 by Millefeuille Press

322 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Clean Romance

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--She wants to be left alone with her family’s castle. He wants to show off the home he has just inherited. Neither of them can win.

Marianne Edgewood is perfectly capable of running Brindale Castle, if only the task would be left to her. A centuries-old house of stone is solid, unchanging, whereas people are not to be relied upon. It little matters that a stranger inherited the castle. She simply must find a way to stay.

At last, fate has been kind to Peregrine Osborne, and he has won the approval of his baron uncle, his London friends, and the deed to a castle in Kent. He certainly deserves his success after suffering a series of setbacks through no fault of his own. If only the castle’s pretty resident, Miss Edgewood, didn’t stand in the way of his urgent attempts to bring the castle to its proper glory.

When Perry embarks on a whirlwind renovation of Brindale, Marianne proves to be confoundingly resistant to his efforts. As Perry finds it increasingly difficult to force her to his will, he begins to question whether having his way at all costs is worth forcing Marianne from everything she has ever known. And Marianne must decide whether a cold pile of stones is truly a replacement for a warm, beating heart.

Jennie Goutet is a new author for me, and I have already added several of her books to my TBR list. The audiobook version is narrated by Stevie Zimmerman, who does a marvelous job and will be added to my list of favorite audio narrators.

The description covers a lot of the story. Marianne's parents passed away in short succession. Her uncle inherited Brindale Castle, but he has also passed away. Since her uncle's passing, Marianne has waited on pins and needles for the next inheritor to seek her out and kick her out of her home. Marianne is truly secluded. Her companion is no help at all and actually hinders her. She is only friends with the servants and one local family. I can't remember their last name, but the son's name is Robert. Marianne and Robert have grown up together. Robert does expect there to be a marital alliance between them eventually, but he hasn't done anything as of yet to try to work towards that goal.

Perry inherited Brindale Castle from his uncle, who already owns an estate. For Perry, Brindale Castle is a test from his uncle to see if he is worthy or ready to be his successor. Perry arrives at Brindale very cold and aloof, with all kinds of ideas on how to renovate. What he doesn't expect is an inhabitant that is tied to the castle. Thankfully, Marianne has inherited the cottage on the property from her uncle before he died, so it isn't like she has nowhere to go.

Perry is so excited to finally have an estate of his own that he invites 3 of his friends from London. He doesn't trust these friends, and to be honest, two of them aren't really friends so much as acquaintances, and acquaintances he isn't even sure he wants to keep up with after the house party is over.

Perry can't explain why he feels so protective over Marianne, but that feeling only grows into more overtime as he learns more about Marianne, her resilience, and her character. Marianne isn't used to relying on others. She hasn't been well taken care of and has had to look out for herself. I related to her search for a true friend. The mystery in this book wasn't a surprise for me at all. But I think Jennie Goutet handled it well enough.

An Amiable Foe was a wholesome, quick listen with a happy ending. I wasn't completely blown away by it or surprised by any twists or mysteries, but sometimes that is what I'm looking for in a book. I find I appreciate these types of stories in audiobook format even more. An Amiable Foe gets 3.5 Stars. I have already listened to another by Jennie Goutet and have added even more to my TBR list. Have you read (or listened to) An Amiable Foe? What did you think? Let me know!