Philippa Holds Court (Clavering Chronicles, # 2)
By: Jennie Goutet
Publication: March 1, 2021 by KDP Select
232 pages
Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction
Source: YouTube Audiobook
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Goodreads description--She’s capable of many things—including driving him mad.At the start of their London Season, Philippa Clavering discovers her friend, Susan, is being pursued by the wrong gentleman and decides to turn Susan’s head to a worthier suitor. Not one to shrink from what she views as her duty and gift, Philippa sets in motion plans to bring about the happy ending her friend deserves. What she does not expect is to have Susan’s older brother watching—and criticizing—her every move.
After a respectable number of years on the town, Jack Blythefield is at last contemplating the idea of settling down. What he seeks is a compliant wife to provide him an heir or two and make his home comfortable, while he spends his evenings at the club where a man can get some peace. What he does not need is a termagant who sets his life on end with madcap schemes, which invariably involve his unwilling assistance.
However, when the reputation of Jack’s family is threatened, Philippa is the one he turns to. And as her most determined suitor grows assured of his conquest, Jack must decide if a comfortable and docile wife is truly what he seeks, or if he should throw down the gauntlet of his heart before Philippa closes court. Philippa Holds Court is the second in the Clavering Chronicles series, after A Fall from Grace, and it is a clean & wholesome Regency romance, written in the traditional style.
Philippa was a side character from A Fall from Grace. It is not her turn to debut into society. Miranda is handling most of her social calendar, and it seems like she is pushing Philippa towards people who will better her own status or her husband's political agendas. Philippa seeks to be in control of her own destiny, or at the very least, she hopes her brothers will step up and help her to get out from under Miranda's thumb. One of the bright spots for Philippa is a friend she's come to be close to. Her friend is meek and I was a little disappointed to see Philippa criticize her friend's intelligence, but I suppose not everyone is on the same intellectual level, and not acknowledging this doesn't make it untrue. Thankfully, she never said anything to her friend about this which would have been inexcusable. As a matter of fact, Philippa does everything she can to help Susan come out of her reserved shell.
Jack is Susan's brother. At first, he is completely annoyed by Philippa. She seems to be turning up everywhere, and she's infiltrated his house to the point where he can't even use his home as a sanctuary. But he learns that Philippa has an interest in politics, and she's very good at reading people and hosting.
I don't remember Philippa Holds Court as being too filled with drama. The biggest thing I remember is Miranda directing Philippa toward a man that Philippa refuses to entertain, she seeks refuge in Lucius's home and her relationship with Selena grows. Jack is seeking a wife but in the wrong place. He's searching for who he thinks he should need by his side to help him politically, but the woman he's interested in doesn't have the guts he needs to stand by his side.
Philippa Holds Court is even better than A Fall from Grace in my opinion. I liked the overall characters and their paths a little bit better. I felt so bad for Philippa being bandied about as a tool for her sister. And I enjoyed the journey. Stevie Zimmerman does a great job as she did before. I've added her to my favorite audiobook narrators. Philippa Holds Court gets 4 Stars. Have you read (or listened to) Philippa Holds Court? What did you think? Let me know!
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