How to Win a Wallflower

by Samara Parish

Overview

A wallflower will put everything on the line . . .
When John Barnesworth inherits unexpectedly, he abandons his solitude and returns to London to settle his brother's affairs, only to discover his estates are crumbling and he is now betrothed to his brother’s unpleasant fiancée. Her dowry might save him from ruin, but at what cost? His only hope lies with the vivacious, charming Lady Charlotte Stirling, whose audacious solution to John's troubles might actually work. If only he can keep his feelings for her out of the equation . . .

Lady Charlotte Stirling knows she can’t fall for John. He’s her brother’s best friend, he’s engaged to her mortal enemy, and he wants to return to America. Not to mention he’d never survive in her bustling social life. She can, however, try to solve his money problem. But the closer she gets to ensuring his freedom, the harder it is to let him go . . .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538704509
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	12/13/2022
Series:	Rebels with a Cause , #3
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	626,133
Product dimensions:	4.10(w) x 6.70(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Samara Parish has been escaping into fictional worlds since she was a child. When she picked up her first historical romance book, she found a fantasy universe she never wanted to leave and the inspiration to write her own stories. She lives in Australia with her own hero and their many fur-babies in a house with an obscenely large garden, despite historically being unable to keep a cactus alive. How to Survive a Scandal is her debut novel.

You can follow her writing, gardening, and life adventures on social media or by signing up for her newsletter at SamaraParish.com/newsletter-sign-up.

Editorial Reviews

★ 10/10/2022

A British ex-pat seeks help navigating the machinations of London society when he’s abruptly called home in Parish’s bewitching third Rebels with a Cause Regency romance (after How to Deceive a Duke). After Americanized John Barnesworth’s brother dies, John inherits the title of Viscount Harrow, all his brother’s debts—and even his surly fiancée, Luella, whose marriage contract states that she is to wed the viscount. John has no desire to yolk himself to a woman who despises him, but Luella’s dowry is his best bet to save his estate—until his best friend’s sister, the spirited Lady Charlotte Stirling, steps in. Charlotte’s had feelings for John since they were children, and her brother, knowing this, forbids her from solving John’s financial crisis by entering a marriage of convenience with him. Instead, Charlotte must devise another scheme to keep Luella, her long-established nemesis, from marrying the hapless man she loves. It’s easy to crush on bookish John, whose speech impediment keeps him more comfortable on the sidelines, and root for his convivial leading lady. Their opposites-attract dynamic works so well because of the things they do share, most notably a mutual love of science. The thoughtful romance is buoyed by drama, with threats from the seedier sides of London, the appearance of lost relations, and passionate rendezvous in abundance. This is sure to win the heart of any hopeless romantic. Agent: Rebecca Strauss, DeFiore & Co. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

"Parish wields a deft hand with dialogue, characterization, and plotting."—Library Journal

“This is sure to win the heart of any hopeless romantic.”—Publishers Weekly

"Readers will be eager for more.” —Publishers Weekly on How to Deceive a Duke

“Dazzling.”—Booklist on How to Deceive a Duke

“With the perfect combination of drama, sensuality, and emotion, this refreshing story is sure to make a splash.”—Publishers Weekly on How to Survive a Scandal, starred review

"A sparkling new voice in historical romance delivers a satisfying story of love on the edges of the beau monde."—Kirkus Reviews on How to Deceive a Duke

"A breath of fresh air in historical romance."—Anna Campbell, award-winning author, on How to Survive a Scandal

"Amelia and Benedict are an appealing pair, and watching them become their better selves—the heartbeat of all satisfying romances—is delicious and thoroughly gratifying.”—BookPage on How to Survive a Scandal

"In this dazzling debut, Parish gives historical romance readers everything they could ever desire in a novel... [A]n extraordinary romance that succeeds on every level."—Booklist on How to Survive a Scandal, starred review

“Historical romance fans will be happy to find another strong-willed, science-minded heroine and the duke who loves her, and they’ll look forward to the next story in the series.”—Library Journal on How to Deceive a Duke

From the Publisher

10/01/2022

Lady Charlotte Stirling is sister to a duke, close cousin to the King of England, and a very busy woman about town. She has longed for solitary inventor John Barnesworth for ages and turned down the most proposals any debutante has received in two decades because his was not among them. When he inherits his brother's title, he not only becomes Lord Harrow but the holder of a vast amount of debt. Good thing Charlotte's house is just on the other side of his garden wall as he will need a woman who can plan her way out of most problems. As befits Charlotte's whirlwind ways, their story is plot-full and buzzes along as the two fall deeply in love and navigate her family's concerns, his vulnerabilities, and a host of issues and roadblocks, some treated with too little cognizance of their real-world harm. VERDICT In her third "Rebels with a Cause" Regency romance (following How To Deceive a Duke), Parish wields a deft hand with dialogue, characterization, and plotting. Readers will quickly fall into the love story of this extrovert/introvert pair and become emotionally caught up in their personal struggles. The novel assumes familiarity with the series, so start readers with the first installment, How To Survive a Scandal.—Neal Wyatt

Library Journal