Philippa Holds Court By Jennie Goutet

Philippa Holds Court

by Jennie Goutet

Publisher: Independent

Series: Claverling Chronicles

ASIN: B08KY795DX

I was so surprised when Jennie's team reached out to me to see if I'd be willing to review her newest release. It's book 2 in the Claverling Chronicles. Of course, I said, "yes," and then I grabbed book 1 on sale in the audiobook version.

Summary:

At the start of their London Season, Philippa Clavering discovers her friend, Susan, is being pursued by the wrong gentleman and decides to turn Susan’s head to a worthier suitor. Not one to shrink from what she views as her duty and gift, Philippa sets plans in motion to bring about the happy ending her friend deserves. What she does not expect is to have Susan’s older brother watching—and criticizing—her every move.

After a respectable number of years on the town, Jack Blythefield is at last contemplating the idea of settling down. What he seeks is a compliant wife to provide him an heir or two and make his home comfortable while he spends his evenings at the club, where a man can get some peace. What he does not need is a termagant who sets his life on end with madcap schemes, which invariably involve his unwilling assistance.

However, when the reputation of Jack’s family is threatened, Philippa is the one he turns to. And as her most determined suitor grows assured of his conquest, Jack must decide if a comfortable and docile wife is truly what he seeks, or if he should throw down the gauntlet of his heart before Philippa closes court.

Philippa Holds Court is the second in the Clavering Chronicles series, after A Fall from Grace, and it is a clean & wholesome Regency romance, written in the traditional style. ♥

My Review:

I think Jennie has lured me in to clean, Regency fiction! With Philippa Holds Court I was introduced to a new family and fell in love with them.

I think if I were to ever embody a character from the Regency era it would be as someone like Philippa. She has her own mind and isn't afraid to use it. I just wish the people around her appreciated it more. I mean, her brothers do, but they're practically no help for much of the story. Ugh, MEN! And of course, the one man who is after her makes all of us shudder.

And then there's Jack. I wanted to poke him in the eye when we first meet him in this story. The way he sums up what he's looking for in a wife is probably exactly how men of his station were eyeing women in that day. I love that Philippa is thrown into his path and he has zero chance of avoiding her. hahaha See what I mean about Jack:

Philippa is such a wonderful friend to Jack's sister, Susan. I love how Philippa overlooks their family's quirky ways and helps them out however she can. She inadvertently displays all of her abilities of running a household with all of the help she gives Susan and their family. Philippa does this all while trying to avoid the schemes of her sister, Maria. I say we call her Maria the pariah. She and her husband are quite the pieces of work. After book one and not being able to keep Lucius from marrying Serena, why does she think she can control Philippa?

I really liked Jack's transformation throughout the story. Philippa's take on him made me laugh. At one point she thinks, "The man needed to unbend. Philippa would help him along." With no one doing a great job at protecting Phillipa from the advances of other men, I appreciate how he begins to see her discomfort... to an extent. lol When it comes to Mr. Thackery, (shiver) Jack seems to not be able to see the forest through the trees. Of course he's also incredibly focused on the making changes to the Corn Laws, which I had no clue about.

This was a wonderful book. It also helped that I was listening to A Fall From Grace at the same time so I was taking in both books in the series at once. I'll have to be sure to do a review of that book as well since I enjoyed it so much.

*I know that some of my readers want to be given a heads up on certain things, so I want you to know there is one use of "Oh my G**." in the story. As I'm not a fan of that phrase I wanted to be sure that it was pointed out to those who might take offense to the use.

About the Author:

Jennie Goutet is an American-born Anglophile, who lives with her French husband and their three children in a small town outside Paris. Her imagination resides in Regency England, where her Clavering Chronicles and Memorable Proposals series are set. Jennie is author of the award-winning memoir, Stars Upside Down, and the modern romances, A Sweetheart in Paris and A Noble Affair. A Christian, a cook, and an inveterate klutz, Jennie writes about faith, food, and life—even the clumsy moments—on her blog, A Lady in France. You can learn more about Jennie and her books on her author website, jenniegoutet.com.