The Wallflower Wager
⭐⭐⭐⭐
First book of 2021 - a nice fluffy romance to read while recovering from the NYE hangover. Pair with a non-alcoholic negroni for all the fun with none of the regret.
*****Mild spoilers ahead*****
The Wallflower Wager is a very fun read overall; the two main characters are wholesome with a light but engaging courtship. Tessa Dare did a good job flipping the traditional regency romance script on its head by having the woman pursue the man, and letting the characters have sex before marriage. (Gasp!) I particularly appreciated the book's constant focus on the importance of consent, and the woman's personal growth of accepting herself/learning to love herself despite shitty events in her past. I honestly cheered when she was the one to send the villain packing at the end instead of being rescued by her man.
That being said, the ending felt slightly abrupt to me. I suspect this book will make more sense once the 4th book in the series has been published, but at the moment there are a couple different 'tie ins' that don't actually connect to anything yet, so they a little jarring to the narrative. Not annoying enough to drop a star though, and I'll still be coming back to reread it at some point.
Non-Alcoholic Negroni -
1oz Lyre's Dry London Spirit
1oz Lyre's Apéritif Rosso
1oz Lyre's Italian Orange
Stir briefly over fresh cubed ice. Serve in a lowball for cocktail accuracy or in a coupe glass to feel extra fancy. For extra credit add an orange peel garnish.
Note - I’m new to the mocktail game so Lyre’s is the first brand I’ve tried. Drop a note in the comments if there’s a different version I should check out!
