As historical romances go, I truly loved this one.
Rating: 5/5
A London heiress rides out to the wilds of the English countryside to honor a marriage of convenience with a mysterious and reclusive stranger.
Tall, dark, and dour, the notorious Captain Jasper Blunt was once hailed a military hero, but tales abound of his bastard children and his haunted estate in Yorkshire. What he requires now is a rich wife to ornament his isolated ruin, and he has his sights set on the enchanting Julia Wychwood.
For Julia, an incurable romantic cursed with a crippling social anxiety, navigating a London ballroom is absolute torture. The only time Julia feels any degree of confidence is when she’s on her horse. Unfortunately, a young lady can’t spend the whole of her life in the saddle, so Julia makes an impetuous decision to take her future by the reins—she proposes to Captain Blunt.
In exchange for her dowry and her hand, Jasper must promise to grant her freedom to do as she pleases. To ride—and to read—as much as she likes without masculine interference. He readily agrees to her conditions, with one provision of his own: Julia is forbidden from going into the tower rooms of his estate and snooping around his affairs. But the more she learns of the beastly former hero, the more intrigued she becomes…
Release Date: October 11th, 2022
Content Warning: Sexual Assault
I received a free copy of The Belle of Belgrave Square through Austenprose PR for a book tour. Thank you so much for this opportunity!
Even before starting this, I just knew I was going to love it. And it did not disappoint. From start to finish this had me enchanted. The Belle of Belgrave Square is a historical romance with a slight hint of Beauty and the Beast vibes. I say slight because it’s only small minor details that give it that BATB vibe, but for the most part it’s very unique.
The Belle of Belgrave Square is a historical romance with a slight hint of Beauty and the Beast vibes.
I will say, we do get a bit of a drawn-out plot. We don’t get to the details we see from the synopsis until well into the book. So yeah, we know what’s going to happen up until we do get there. But I honestly loved every moment. I appreciated seeing the backstory that led us to Julia marrying Jasper. I especially adored seeing Jasper care for Julia despite being known as this cruel and callous military hero, proving to her he wasn’t marrying her for her dowry. He’s very much just like the Beast in BATB, secretly being so kind and caring. And being around Julia, Jasper can’t help but want to protect her. Oh… I want a Jasper.
He’s very much just like the Beast in BATB, secretly being so kind and caring.
And I loved Julia’s character, especially seeing her confidence grow. We first meet her as a socially anxious person, willing to fake an illness just to get out of going to a social outing. Just so she can read a book in solitude. I think all of us readers can relate! I felt for Julia as we see how controlling her parents are, and the expectations they had of her. Another thing I was able to deeply relate to. I simply loved seeing her confidence grow and find who she wanted to be.
Though I will say, I did in a way find the plot a bit predictable. However, there were definitely moments that surprised me. And a few that I truly didn’t see coming. But even with being able to predict the overall plot, it didn’t make me love this any less. I loved seeing Jasper court Julia. The way he doted on and cherished her. Ah! Just made my heart swell.
As historical romances go, I truly loved this one. I especially loved that had some Beauty and the Beast elements incorporated into it, while still being uniquely its own story. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical romances, Beauty and the Beast retellings, and books about books!
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