Though I know author Jenni Fletcher better for her medieval romances, I’m absolutely loving this first Regency series of hers. Shying away from the aristocracy for the most part, Fletcher has introduced a series of heroines who work at Belles Biscuit Shop in Bath. This second book focuses on Henrietta, now the shop manager, and Sebastian Fortini, brother of Anna who was the heroine of the first book - but don’t worry if you haven’t read that one, everything is perfectly clear here and you’ll have no problems figuring out who is who.
Returning from years away at sea with the Navy, Sebastian and Henrietta get off to an inauspicious start when she assumes him an intruder, hits him in the face with a door and almost attacks him with a pair of tongs. Henrietta has had some very poor past experiences with men, being afflicted with too much beauty to be unmemorable. She’s erected defensive walls, and she has a lot more on her plate besides, with her grieving brother descending into drunkenness and leaving her to manage his three motherless sons. To his credit, Sebastian steps up to help without any expectations in return, and it’s easy to see how Henrietta falls for him.
This is such a good series, and I’m really enjoying the clever way the next heroine in the series gets introduced (although with the reveal that she’s a duchess, Fletcher is obviously going back to the aristocracy for the next one). A genuinely delightful read and I’m happy to give this five stars.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via the author.