This is the third book in Lerner's Lively St. Lemeston, and it's the first one that focuses mostly on what happens in a couple's relationship after they get married. Sukey Grimes and John Toogood are both servants whose livelihoods are affected when Phoebe, Sukey's former mistress, and Nick Dymond, John's former master, get married and no longer have the means to keep them on. John had been happy with his life as a valet, but when a position as a butler for a local vicar is suddenly available for only a married man, he decides to take a chance on their chemistry and asks Sukey to marry him.
I enjoyed a lot of aspects of this book, especially the focus on the working class (although it suffered a bit through no fault of its own in comparison with KJ Charles's excellent book featuring a valet finding love). I especially liked seeing how John and Sukey grew to love each other in a marriage borne out of necessity and a desire for a good living rather than an immediate love match. A bit too much of the conflict or tension in the book could have been resolved much faster if either one of them were actually able to communication with (or listen) to the other; I know that development is part of how their relationship is supposed to grow, but I didn't see enough change, and by the end of the book I felt like they were rehashing the same arguments over and over again, even with the happy ending. I liked both of them, but I wanted to feel more confident in their marriage than I did.
Grade: B
I enjoyed a lot of aspects of this book, especially the focus on the working class (although it suffered a bit through no fault of its own in comparison with KJ Charles's excellent book featuring a valet finding love). I especially liked seeing how John and Sukey grew to love each other in a marriage borne out of necessity and a desire for a good living rather than an immediate love match. A bit too much of the conflict or tension in the book could have been resolved much faster if either one of them were actually able to communication with (or listen) to the other; I know that development is part of how their relationship is supposed to grow, but I didn't see enough change, and by the end of the book I felt like they were rehashing the same arguments over and over again, even with the happy ending. I liked both of them, but I wanted to feel more confident in their marriage than I did.
Grade: B
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