If you love a proper historical romance in the style of Jane Austen/Georgette Heyer, then you will loved the book I just finished! Flirtation and Folly follows Marianne Mowbrey, a country girl who may have read a romance novel too many before enjoying her only season in London.

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The summary:

Flirtation and Folly
by Elizabeth Rasche

Publication Date: November 10, 2020
Quills and Quartos Publishing

Series: A Season in London, Book One
Genre: Historical Romance

Marianne Mowbrey is a responsible country rector’s daughter who longs for the novelty and excitement she reads about in novels. When her crusty Aunt Harriet agrees to give her a Season in London, Marianne vows to dazzle the world, win a husband, and never go home again. But the Londoners who determine social success are inclined to pass over plain Marianne in favor of her beautiful, reckless younger sister.

In a world of ambition, fashion, flattery, and deceit, how can Marianne stay true to her real self—when she is not even sure what that real self is?

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Buy Flirtation and Folly here!

Marianne Mowbry is such a fun narrator, even though I wanted to shake her for being so naïve throughout the first half of the book. She has spent her entire life in the country, shadowed by her beautiful sister. When she gets the opportunity to visit London for a season, she knows she must marry. However, Marianne also wants to take the opportunity to show off her unique style. She imagines she will be just like the heroines in the book she reads. However, over the course of the season, Marianne realizes that not all gentleman are honorable and not all friends are sincere.

While there is quite the full cast of characters, I was able to keep them straight easily enough after a few chapters. Everyone is distinct in their personality, motivations, or description. From the cover, I expected this to be more of a romance than it is, but the blurb is on point. This novel is about Marianne’s season, and while there is plenty of flirtation, she does struggle to find her HEA – but rest assured, she does!

Marianne is such a great character because she can see the truth about everyone, but she wants to believe the best about them anyway. She is able to befriend even her worst enemy. I also loved that while she can decode others’ motivations and personalities remarkably well, she struggles throughout this novel to discover herself and finally falls for someone who is not only able to see her for who she is, but calls her out for it just like she calls him out.

This was a really fun read that reminded me of a classic romance. Lovers of the genre who prefer proper romances to steamy ones (or, like me, enjoy proper romance too) will adore this one. As the romance is more of a subplot to story of Marianne really discovering herself, I think even non-romance readers will like Flirtation and Folly. My thanks to the publisher, author, and Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest 5 star review.

About the Author

After acquiring a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Arkansas, Elizabeth Rasche taught philosophy in the U.S. and co-taught English in Japan. Now she and her husband live in northwest Arkansas, the ‘garden of America.’ (At least, she has only ever heard Arkansas called so.) She dreams of visiting Surrey (if only to look for Mrs. Elton’s Maple Grove), Bath, and of course, London. When she has a Jane Austen novel in one hand, a cup of tea in the other, and a cat on her lap, her day is pretty much perfect.

Elizabeth Rasche is the author of The Birthday Parties of Dragons and her poetry has appeared in Scifaikuest. Flirtation & Folly is her first historical fiction novel.

Find out more about how I rate books here.

Flirtation & Folly by Elizabeth Rasche
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a lovely story about Marianne, a country girl who has grown up in the shadow of her pretty sister. She gets to spend a season in London with her aunt and has some really fanciful ideas from all the romance novels she’s read. As sweet and relatable of a character as she is, for the first half of the novel there were times I wanted to shake her for being so naïve!

There are a lot of characters in this one, but it was easy to keep track of them after a few chapters. Their personalities, motivations, or descriptions are all strong.

I expected this to be more of a romance from the cover, but the blurb is an accurate description. We get a HEA, but the story is told entirely from Marianne’s POV and shows her journey to get to know herself and understand that society life is not all just imagined it would be.

Look out for my full review at https://bitchbookshelf.com tomorrow. My thanks to the author, publisher, and HFVBT for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Book Club Questions

1. Marianne is able to see other characters for what they are, yet chooses to see the best in them and befriend them anyway. She is slightly more discerning towards the end of the book, but this aspect of her personality largely remains the same. Why do you think she is like this? Is this a good thing?
2. Why do you think Marianne falls for (and marries) who she does?
3. If Marianne had returned home at the end of the season, do you think her life would have gone back to how it was before, or is she changed? How so?

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, November 10
Review at WTF Are You Reading?
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Wednesday, November 11
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Thursday, November 12
Review at Bitch Bookshelf
Review at Books In Their Natural Habitat

Friday, November 13
Excerpt at Coffee and Ink
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews

Monday, November 16
Feature at I’m Into Books
Review at Probably at the Library

Tuesday, November 17
Review at Bookworlder

Wednesday, November 18
Feature at Reading is My Remedy

Thursday, November 19
Guest Post at Novels Alive

Friday, November 20
Review at Library of Clean Reads
Review at View from the Birdhouse

Saturday, November 21
Excerpt at Passages to the Past

Sunday, November 22
Review at Robin Loves Reading

Monday, November 23
Review at Jessica Belmont

Tuesday, November 24
Review at Novels Alive
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a copy of Flirtation and Folly by Elizabeth Rasche! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on November 24th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Flirtation and Folly

P. S. Flirtation and Folly is free to read with Kindle Unlimited. Check out Kindle Unlimited Membership Plans to score this and other great reads for free. You can thank me later.

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Interested? Buy Flirtation & Folly.
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