Audio Review: Must Love Breeches by Angela Quarles

She's finally met the man of her dreams - too bad he lives in a different century!

A devoted history buff finds the re-enactment of a pre-Victorian ball in London a bit boring...until a mysterious artifact sweeps her back in time to the real event, and into the arms of a compelling British lord.

Isabelle Rochon can't believe it when she finds herself in the reality of 1830's London high society. She's thrilled to witness events and people she's studied. But she may also have to survive without modern tools or career - unless she can find a way to return to her time. And then there's Viscount Lord Montagu, a man whose embrace curls her toes, but who has a dangerous agenda of his own.

Lord Phineas Montagu is on a mission to avenge his sister, and he'll stop at nothing, including convincing an alluring stranger to pose as his respectable fiancé. He's happy to repay her by helping her search for her stolen calling card case that brought her back in time. But he doesn't bargain for the lady being his intellectual match - or for the irresistible attraction that flames between them.

They're both certain they know what they want, but as passion flares, Phineas must keep both himself and Isabella safe from unseen opponents, and she must choose when and where her heart belongs. Can they ever be together for good?

Series: Must Love #1 | Publisher: Unsealed Room Press | Narrator: Mary Jane Wells  | Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins | Genre: Time-Travel Romance| Source: Author | Ratings: 4 Cups

The last thing Isabelle Rochon expected was to be transported back in time during a re-enactment ball. Although that’s exactly what happens and she finds herself swept off her feet by a handsome Viscount. As a historian, she’s pleased to be able to have firsthand experience of the past, but as an independent woman, she’s not so sure she’ll be able to survive in this era. She knows she needs to go back to her own time, but when the calling card case that transported her back in time is stolen, she decides to take the handsome Viscount up on his offer.

 

Wanting to avenge the wrong done to his sister, Phineas Montagu concocted a scheme and went about earning the self-imposed moniker, ‘the Vicious Viscount’. Now he needs to marry a respectable wife to undo the damage so he can finally get his revenge. So, he comes up with an arrangement Isabelle can’t refuse: if she pretends to be his fake fiancée, he will help her search for her missing case. As the two spend more time together, they start to develop feelings that run much deeper than they expected. Although what will Phineas do when he discovers his fake fiancée is from the future.

 

Phineas and Isabelle were so great together. Of course, being from the present, she’s more liberal in speech and more forward than the women in his day so he’s confused, amused, and delighted by her.

 

I really enjoyed Isabelle. She may be a historian, but she’s still confused about how to act in this era and I really enjoyed watching her figure out things. Phineas was great. He’s charming and loyal and eager to protect those he holds dear.

 

So, there’s a few different threads in this story and I found I enjoyed each of them but the ones that intrigued me the most were Phineas’ mission to avenge his sister—I was eager to find out what was going on and how it would be resolved—and Isabelle’s friendship with Ada Byron.

 

I was also eager to see whether Isabelle would stay or would she go back to her own time.

 

Going in, I assumed this book started in the present day, but the timeframe of the book isn’t what it seems and I’m thinking that it’s because, by going back in time, Isabelle sped up the digital age. Maybe? It was just a theory I have. Also, I noticed that the description of her mobile was a bit different from today’s cell phones.

 

Overall, I loved this one. It was such fun. And of course, I was waiting to see how the whole will she stay or will she go…back to her own time thing played out.

 

Must Love Series

1-Must Love Breeches

2-Mucst Love Chainmail

3-Must Love Kilts