Edward and Amelia - Review

Edward and Amelia

By: Karen Thornell

Expected Publication: June 6th 2022 by Covenant Communications

320 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction, Adult

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

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Goodreads description--The last thing Amelia Kennington wants is to participate in the London Season. But the daughter of a duke is not afforded such opinions. She must put forth a subdued facade, but beneath it is a well-hidden fire that surfaces only when provoked—such as when an overly familiar gentleman startles her and she falls into the Serpentine.

Edward Drayton, the Earl of Norwich, has gained a reputation as Society’s most decorated rake. And while there are benefits to such a reputation, it no longer gives him the satisfaction it once did. This Season, he plans to find a wife—except she seems to find him instead. And she is nothing like he expected.

Scandal is inevitable following Edward and Amelia’s ill-conceived meeting, forcing them to marry. Amelia’s disdain for this man she hardly knows is more than clear, and Edward’s pride is wounded before their marriage has even truly begun. Yet, against all odds, the two slowly let their guard down, discovering the truth of who they married. But when Society gossip, a sister’s jealousy, and long-held secrets threaten their budding relationship, the unlikely couple must determine if their unconventional love is strong enough to withstand the opposition they face.

I cannot get enough of forced marriages, arranged marriages, or marriages of convenience. The relationship-building in these stories draws me in every time. And well, Edward and Amelia was no different.

Edward has a terrible reputation of being a rake without care to how many women he has ruined. Despite being caught in multiple situations that would normally warrant him getting married, he has never agreed to do the "honorable" thing. Yet this year, he is actually looking to get married. So when a similar situation arises he decides that he's just saved himself some time bothering to court a lady this Season.

Amelia is the youngest of three sisters. Her older two sisters are twins. She feels as if she can do nothing to please her family. She's constantly being berated and put down. In an attempt to escape and get some air, she leaves the house for some solitude and gets lost without her lady's maid. Amelia's mother passed away and her father doesn't seem to know what to do with his daughters. But when Edward and Amelia are found in a compromising position, her father doesn't hesitate to force Amelia to marry Edward. She's furious at being forced to marry without her input but also for being forced to marry someone with a terrible reputation.

Since Edward was planning to marry this season, he's more willing to try to make his marriage with Amelia work. His attempts were quite awkward and hilarious, and I often found myself wondering where his skills at becoming entangled with so many women were and how he could be so blind to Amelia's reaction to his attempts. The harder he tried the more Amelia retreated from him.

I loved all of the conflicts within this story. Edward needed to learn to open himself up and be vulnerable. Edward and Amelia both had trauma concerning the losses of their respective mothers. Edward's reputation. Amelia's relationship with each member of her family. It's hard to believe that there can be people who will focus all of their energy and attention on harming someone else. But just take a look at Amber Heard and you'll know that these people definitely exist.

Favorite quotes:

-Anger was an easy shield. It was hard to pierce through anger but not hard to pierce through sadness.

-Anger, it would seem, did not invite contentment when freed.

-But love, unfortunately, turns bitter when not properly cared for.

-She'd learned she had a propensity to speak without regard for another's feelings when untethered. And she'd learned she did not like how she felt any time she did so.

-"The world may not deserve all of you, but you deserve to show all of your to the world."

Overall, I didn't want to put Edward and Amelia down. I was squeezing in pages whenever I possibly could. I loved the slow-building relationship between Edward and Amelia. And if you love forced marriages as much as I do, then you won't want to skip this book. Edward and Amelia gets 4.5 Stars. Have you read Edward and Amelia? What did you think? Let me know!