When Tansy comes to Sussex she wants to settle down, preferably with a duke. Ian Eversea wants to leave Sussex and travel the world. Their story of coming together and falling in love is beautifully written and executed by Julie Anne Long. I actually cried when they were sure to be parted and laughed many more times throughout the book. Of course there is a shocking development with Olivia Eversea and I can't wait to see how Julie unravels that story. Definitely another spectacular addition to the Pennyroyal Green series.

Absolutely loved this book, and part of what made me love it so much was getting to see Genevieve and the Duke again. Tansy being the duke's ward, and Ian having done what he did with the duke's former fiancee just made the story have that much more potential for hilarity.

This had all the loveliness, angst and comedy of What I Did For a Duke, and is probably second only to that one in my favorites of Julie Anne Long's books.

I skimmed a lot of this because I was bored. For me this book wasnt necessary to the series at all. Just because Ian is an Eversea sibling doesn't mean he needs a book. Both he and Tansy were awful and selfish people. I honestly couldn't care less about their relationship. Others have reviewed it better but good lord. What a mess.

Look, was this my favorite JAL or my favorite Pennyroyal Green? It was not. I found myself oddly disengaged from the romance aspect of this novel and not caring hugely about Ian or Tansy. I did really like the way this novel explores the way loneliness can look different than expected and how it dealt with Ian and Tansy's respective grief, but I wish we'd gotten a stronger sense of them as a couple. I just didn't believe they were deeply in love, which is a bummer!

That being said...this is JAL. And even her most middling books are so enjoyable to read. This is more of a 3.5 star read for me, but dragging it up from a three is the presence of so many beloved other characters. This is where Pennyroyal Green as a whole really shines--we have such a sense of how these characters fit together and seeing Colin, Chase, Adam, and even Polly and their partners, as well as my beloved Genevieve and the Duke made this so much richer as a novel. Also, I love how it sets up our final few Pennyroyal books (insert crying emojis here, I don't want this series to ever end) and Olivia's big build up to the final book especially. Something tells me some nonsense is going to go down...

I've read all but two of the Pennyroyal Green books, and I'd have to place this one near the bottom of the pack for me. Maybe my expectations are too formulaic: I want my hero and heroine to either kiss or have sex around the 50% mark so that there's plenty of time for them to make googly eyes at each other before they get separated, and then to be reunited.
This book just didn't fit the pattern enough for my taste. Tansy and Ian had barely had a conversation with each other halfway through the book. Sure, they spent most of their waking moments thinking about each other, but it was all guessing games based upon observations and third-party information.
I also had a a little trouble understanding what made each character tick. You know there's always some big clue or a past experience that motivates them, but the characters themselves didn't reveal them during narration. They hinted, and perhaps if I was smarter I would have figured things out, but I wasn't hit over the head with "this is why I act this way." It wasn't until Tansy and Ian explained themselves to each other that I really understood them, but that happened too late in the book for me. They had great dialogue, so I would have loved to see them spend more time together as a happy couple. As it is, I felt that there was a lot of buildup and a quick resolution.
I still love this author and the series, but these weren't my favorite characters.

Really liked this one! Ian was great & the banter between him and Tansy was fun.

Originally published at Rookie Romance.

Immediately these characters immerse you in the world of Pennyroyal Green, home of the Everseas.
Tansy arrives in Sussex after losing both her parents and her brother. The Duke of Falconbridge is now her guardian and she arrives determined to reclaim her place as Queen Bee after reigning supreme at the New York social scene. Tansy has a mask in place that hides all her vulnerability and shows the world a carefree, happy woman who charms all men....except Ian Eversea. Really though, Tansy is lonely and wants to find her own love and place in the world. She's smart and kind, even if she is quite the most determined flirt! I enjoyed seeing her mask slip and more of the real Tansy come through as the story proceeds.
Ian has a rather scandalous past with a reputation as a rake. He is devoted to his family and was decorated as a war hero, so there's clearly more to him then good times and women. When faced with Tansy he initially dismisses her as an insipid debutante, but soon he sees the real Tansy- the one that no one else sees and he's drawn to her against his better judgement. Ian is restless and really just trying to find his place in the world as well.
Tansy and Ian are great together. They made me laugh and I loved how they came together in the end!

This is a really great read, and I am ashamed to admit that this is only the first book I've read by Julie Anne Long because her writing is engaging and had the perfect blend of humour and emotion. I loved that Tansy and Ian's characters weren't perfect, they were flawed but you also get to see them grow and they were interesting and lively.
I'd happily recommend this to any romance reader and I am definitely going to start making my way through the rest of the Pennyroyal series!

*I received a review copy from the publisher for my honest opinion. Thank you!