Miss Wonderful by Loretta Chase

Let me spill the tea on Alistair and Mirabel, because I am absolutely obsessed with them as a couple. Alistair, bearing the physical and emotional scars of war, conceals his limp beneath dapper attire, using it as a shield of sorts. Mirabel's botany-obsessed father, quick to notice Alistair's stylish armor, amusingly likens him to a cactus. Get it? Meanwhile, Mirabel, a self-proclaimed spinster, has forsaken her looks and clothing after being overlooked and disregarded for so long. She's not some young thing, she is pretty much a grandma at 31 years of age. She is not your typical leading lady, and that's why I love her so much. LC made it work, making her relatable and fitting the time period perfectly. She's content with her situation, running the estate after her mom passed away and her dad went plant-crazy with grief.

Their paths cross when Alistair's dad gives him an ultimatum: marry a rich girl or say goodbye to your inheritance, and your brothers lose theirs, too! So he goes to Mirabel's hood, trying to convince the locals to let him build a canal through their properties to transport coal from his friend's estate to other locales. Mirabel is having none of it though, because canals are gross and noisy. Alistair has a tendency to "fall in love at the drop of a hat", so he wasn't surprised when he developed an attraction towards her. Due to everything at stake, he tries to fight it! And as they clash and get to know each other, you can practically see the sparks flying.

I really liked Mirabel, and LC did a great job making her sympathetic. Even though I'm usually all for progress and change, I found myself siding with her as she argues against the canal based on well-reasoned objections. She's so well-spoken and level-headed despite some initial underhanded tactics to thwart Alistair.

And Alistair, I was rooting for him even when I didn't agree with his plans to tear up the countryside. He's two years younger than Mirabel, which is not the norm in HR, but it works so well. They're a perfect match, and honestly, life experience matters more than age when it comes to maturity and compatibility.

One thing that felt tacked on was the the villain. Totally unnecessary, and over the top, imo. We didn't need a psychopath in this story (or any story, really). And getting sections from his perspective? No, thank you, next.

Overall, though, the genuine connection between the characters, the nuanced portrayal of their emotions, and the exploration of societal challenges made for a compelling read.

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Story: 4/5

Steam: She began unbuttoning her pelisse. "I am one and thirty years old," she said. “I should like to gather my rosebuds before the petals shrivel up and fall off." 3/5

Thank you kind redditor & fellow HR enthusiast for the award