Newton Hughes is getting pressured by his parents to find a suitable match and settle down as a gentleman of leisure. Ellie is getting pressure from her parents to make a match with Charlie Jonquil, since her older sister was unable to ensnare him the previous season. Neither Ellie nor Newton want to do what their parents have planned for them so they, with the help of Artemis Lancaster, plan to thwart their parent's plans by pretending to form an interest in each other. As they spend time in each other's company, they discover that they actually like each other. Newton likes Ellie's intelligent (though reserved) wit, and Ellie likes Newtons' quiet loyalty. As their pretend romance becomes real, it attracts the attention and ire of their families, one member of which goes to great lengths to squash their growing attachment.
This is a cute short novel in the world of the Lancaster and Jonquil families. It follows the romance of secondary characters to the main novels, but gives the readers a healthy dose of characters they love from the original series. I especially liked watching Artemis and Charlie interact, knowing what was going to befall them in Charming Artemis. I recently watched the Netflix series based on Seeking Persephone and love love loved it! I was happy to dive back into Ms Eden's delightful dynasties once again. (134 p. 2021)
