Review: To Catch A Spinster (The Reluctant Bride Collection #1) by Megan Bryce

From Goodreads.com 

Olivia Blakesley, self-proclaimed spinster extraordinaire, is quite happy with her life. She has her studies and her duties, what need does she have of a husband? With five sisters married she knows the reality does not live up to the promise, and does not need to personally experiment with the state to know she would be ill-suited to it. However, she finds herself envious of at least one aspect of marriage. But to experience the physical side of marriage, one doesn't need a husband, all one needs is the right man...

Nathaniel Jenkins knows his duty. Marry a young girl from a respectable family and father an heir, no matter how cold the endless parade of suitable girls leaves him. But a shocking proposal from a scholarly spinster leaves him wondering if unsuitable is just what he's looking for. Can he convince his spinster that marriage is the greatest experiment of all?                                            

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 My Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

Let me start off by saying that I liked this book. It was a fun and quick read (I finished it in a day), and some of the scenes made me laugh out loud. 

However, the character of Olivia was tiresome. I get that she considers herself a spinster at the ripe old age of 27 (although that was considered old back then), and I understand her desire to never marry. However, when it becomes obvious that she has feelings for Nathaniel, and he for her, and she still continues to act haughty (and spoiled), it gets old. I can't honestly say if I were Nathaniel that I would have kept perusing her. Then, for a moment let us consider the whole "proposition" that she gives Nathaniel. She doesn't want to marry him, but she wants him to court her. She wants that much at least. Oh, and she wants him to have sex with her. The no strings attached kind that you know.. didn't happen in Regency England between people of respectable families.

Another thing that bothered me about this book is the way the dialog would suddenly switch to a more "modern" way of speaking, and the way the actions of the characters were completely inappropriate given the time period. While some actions were considered "appropriate" for the main character, they were not for the time period, and regardless of her antics, she would not have been allowed by her family to get away with them. 

Aside from being a stubborn pain in the arse, Olivia has an abysmal fashion sense, which I only bring up because her "hideous" fashion choices were more a topic in the book that her supposed love for astronomy. 

The one started off strong, but lost momentum about half way through. I think if more attention had been paid to the pair building a friendship and their resulting courtship, it would have made for a more sustainable book.

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To Catch A Spinster (The Reluctant Bride Collection #1 is available from Amazon.com