ARC Review: Mr. Malcolm's List by Suzanne Allain
10:00
Series: None
Author: Suzanne Allain
Published July 28th 2020 by Berkley/Piatkus
Goodreads Synopsis
It is a truth universally acknowledged that an arrogant bachelor insistent on a wife who meets the strictest of requirements--deserves his comeuppance.
The Honorable Jeremy Malcolm is searching for a wife, but not just any wife. He's determined to elude the fortune hunters and find a near-perfect woman, one who will meet the qualifications on his well-crafted list. But after years of searching, he's beginning to despair of finding this paragon. And then Selina Dalton arrives in town…
Selina, a vicar's daughter of limited means and a stranger to high society, is thrilled when her friend Julia invites her to London. Until she learns it's part of a plot to exact revenge on Mr. Malcolm. Selina is reluctant to participate in Julia's scheme, especially after meeting the irresistible Mr. Malcolm, who seems very different from the arrogant scoundrel of Julia's description.
But when Mr. Malcolm begins judging Selina against his unattainable standards, Selina decides that she has qualifications of her own. And if he is to meet them he must reveal the real man behind...Mr. Malcolm's List.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
I hadn't really heard much about this book until the announcement came through about the upcoming film, and that's when I knew I needed to read it. Mr Malcolm's List follows Selina Dalton, as she finds herself wound up in a plot against the proud and picky Honourable Jeremy Malcolm, who had snubbed Selina's friend, Julia Thistlewaith, and was out for revenge. The issue was a list that Mr Malcolm had, of all the requirements he had for his bride. Julia's idea was for Selina to pique Malcolm's interest, and then snub him with her own list of requirements that he didn't meet. Selina was always reluctant to take part in the scheme, especially as she met Mr Malcolm, who appeared nothing like the haughty and arrogant man Julia portrayed him to be. As they both fall for each other, will the scheme come to light, and how with Mr Malcolm react?
This was a quick read, definitely, with some very funny and enjoyable moments. I loved Selina as a character. She was from a modest family, and had worked as a companion to an elderly woman to help her family, and hopefully find herself a husband to sponsor her younger siblings as they came of age. Julia was someone she had known while at school, and when the scheme was first announced, she was against it, and grew more and more so because of her growing affection for Mr Malcolm. I loved how her feelings came easily and naturally, but she still had reservations due to his position in society as the wealthy son of an Earl, and his list of requirements that showed a sense of arrogance. Julia, as her friend, wasn't a very good one, and a lot of her actions made me hate her. She was offended easily, and expected to be loved universally, and didn't really care who she hurt in the process. One key scene in the book made me really hate her, but she did somewhat redeem herself towards the end.
The romance and chemistry between Mr Malcolm and Selina was sweet, and had a sort of Darcy/Lizzie feel to it. Underneath his tough and arrogant exterior, Mr Malcolm was a softy at heart, and was really vulnerable with Selina. His character growth was immense, and I loved seeing where both he and Selina were in the final pages. I definitely will be going to see the film when it's released!
Dates Read:
July 17-18, 2020
Rating
4 Stars
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