Series: Misfits of the Ton #4
Author: Emily Royal
Published April 27th 2024 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Goodreads Synopsis
An unlikely pairing becomes the perfect match.
Eleanor Howard has never fitted in. To her, Society is an unfathomable world where success is measured by the number of suitors’ names on her dance card. And her card is always empty. Constantly outshone by her younger sister, and continually criticized by her ambitious mother, Eleanor yearns to be loved for herself, not what others expect her to be. Her secret infatuation with the Duke of Whitcombe—who’d never deign to notice, much less court her—would, if revealed, make her the laughingstock of the ton.
Until he strides across a crowded ballroom and offers his hand.
Montague FitzRoy, fifth Duke of Whitcombe, is unwilling to surrender the pleasures of bachelorhood. When his mother, insistent on finding him a duchess of the right pedigree, forces his hand, he decides on impulse to punish her by kneeling before the least desirable woman in the room.
Only Miss Howard believes his proposal to be genuine.
The solution? A false betrothal that keeps Monty’s mother in check, and lifts Miss Howard’s prospects. Monty can weather a few weeks’ ridicule over an engagement to a woman whose eccentricities are gossiped about. And a betrothal—even short-lived—to a duke will ensure that Miss Howard’s dance card is never empty again.
But beneath Eleanor’s awkward exterior lies a passionate, intelligent woman, misunderstood and unappreciated, who challenges Monty’s notions of duty, life, and love—and with whom he’s falling in love himself.
As the end of the Season, and their inevitable parting, approaches, Monty is faced with a choice—surrender to duty, or follow his heart.
Oddity of the Ton is an own voices romance with an autistic heroine.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
For Eleanor Howard, the season is more of a chore than a joy. She's always on the outskirts of a ballroom, where her younger sister Juliette grabs all of the attention. However, she does enjoy ton events when she gets to see Montague FitzRoy, fifth Duke of Whitcombe. He doesn't know she even exists, but Eleanor is drawn to him like none else. So when Monty walks up to her in a ballroom, and proposes, Eleanor doesn't know what to think. And the fact that he did it only to spire his own mother makes the situation even more complicated. They are complete opposites, but somehow they might just be made for each other.
I don't actually think I've read a book, and especially not a historical romance, which has portrayed an autistic FMC so well. I'm autistic, and I felt seen so much in Eleanor - to the point I wanted to cry. Emily, thank you so much for this book! I wasn't overly keen on the fact that Monty proposed as a joke to Eleanor. Okay, he didn't know just how important that would be to Eleanor, but it was still a crappy thing to do. He did make up for it though, and the fact that he saw Eleanor, rather than being taken in by her mother or sister, and recognised when she struggled, and when she was enjoying herself, was perfect for the couple. I thought book 3 was my favourite, but I was wrong. This one is definitely the best of the whole series!
Dates Read:
November 14, 2024
Rating
3 Stars
