‘His smile was pure wicked delight, spurring the irrepressible thought that Lizzie didn’t have to marry a man in order to enjoy him. She was a widow, after all.’

What fun! A Gentleman Never Tells was a quick but absolutely enjoyable novella in the Essex Sisters series that can be read as a standalone. In it, we had a country house party where they played croquet *inside* the house, a virginal widow who’s sworn off men, and a second son who wore his heart on his sleeve. Sounds pretty interesting, right?

Whether this is your first time reading Eloisa James or if you’re already a fan, it will be obvious upon reading this short story how wonderful an author she is. No one can craft a historical romance quite like she can. The bits of humor, the witty bantering, and the heartfelt scenes as our protagonists fell in love all balanced out together to create a story that had me laughing as well as sighing happily.

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