New review is now up.

*****

A Perennial Wallflower… When Mira Fitzhenry’s guardian arranges her engagement to one of the most scandalous lords to ever grace the peerage, all of society is abuzz.  After all, the man has left a trio of dead young women in his wake, including his first fiancée.  But Mira doesn’t see a killer in Nicholas’s moonlight eyes, and she resolves to find the real murderer before the wedding. 

A Gothic Villain… Expecting to scare the chit away within five minutes of meeting him, scarred and brooding Nicholas, the Viscount Ashfield, is intrigued by Mira’s tenacious resolve to prove his innocence.  She’s not put off by his imposing appearance, but his family’s dark secrets mean he cannot let her get close.  As the wedding approaches, Nicholas and Mira grow ever closer, yet so does the danger.  Will the truth bring Nicholas and Mira together or tear their love apart?

Once Upon a Wallflower delivers a delicious mix of romance and intrigue.  It’s a fun send up to the gothic romances of the past – with a brooding, dangerous hero and his sacrificial bride – but Mira isn’t going to sit quietly and let herself (and Nicholas) get railroaded into a relationship.

I think she’s one of may favorite heroines.  She sees something more in Nicholas than how society has portrayed him and it is something that she feels is worth pursuing.  Her logical mind and rampant curiosity demands that she help him clear his name and the journey to prove his innocence is an interesting mystery, one that plays out well.  I was very satisfied with how everything was tied together.

My only complaint is that we didn’t get a clear picture of what happened to Nicholas – why he is scarred and has a limp.  He does have a recurring dream that involves an accident with his leg, but we’re given one glimpse of it and it isn’t very clear how much of it really happened.  With all the stories about him that floated around and with Mira’s inquisitive nature, something should have been said.  But overall it doesn’t detract from the rest of the story.

I loved the fact that Nicholas and Mira are able to see more in each other than others do, looking below the surface and past the rumors to find someone worth loving.  And Watson does a great job of mixing their growing relationship with the mystery, giving readers a good balance of both romance and suspense.  Once Upon a Wallflower is a fantastic read and perfect for those that like their historical romances with that little extra bit of drama.