A Match to Fool Society
Grade : B

Laura Martin’s A Match to Fool Society is the third in her Matchmade Marriages series. It features Jane Ashworth, an aspiring author, and Tom Stewart, a rake who has just become guardian to his young nephew. They form an alliance: Jane will assist Tom in caring for his nephew and in exchange he will help her try to get her work published.

Jane Ashworth was selected by Lady Mountjoy in a contest to see which young ladies Lady Mountjoy would sponsor for a season in London. Jane has no interest in finding a husband, however; instead, she is in London to find a publisher for her self-illustrated children’s books.   She quite literally falls into Tom Stewart’s arms at a ball, and Lady Mountjoy uses this to finagle Tom into dancing with Jane. The next day, Tom is saddened to find out his sister is dead and horrified at the prospect that he is now the guardian of his young nephew. Knowing nothing about children and panicking slightly, Tom goes for a walk, during which he sees Jane, and is intrigued and concerned at her being in a not particularly nice part of town. He follows her and in doing so, discovers she is looking for a publisher. He makes a deal with her: he will pretend to court her so Lady Mountjoy will stop pressuring her to find a husband if she will teach him how to take care of his nephew.

As they get to know each other, Tom explains why he lives as a rake and never intends to get married: after accidentally being trampled by horses in battle, he was bed-bound for nine months. After his recovery, which involved learning to walk again, Tom promised himself he’d live every day to the fullest. As for Jane, she chooses to remain unmarried so she can pursue her writing career unhindered by a husband. This is the central point of contention between the two.

A Match Made to Fool Society is a cozy read with very little to no angst, which worked well for me, as I’m not really into angsty stories. The slow build romance keeps the story moving along in the absence of a lot of action.

I’m a sucker for a bluestocking heroine, especially one who does not turn into a moron as soon as she meets the hero. While her attraction to Tom slowly grows, Jane still manages to keep her wits about her, and I appreciated that she stays true to herself throughout the story. Tom is very sweet, even when he tries not to be, and I loved him from the very start as he finds Jane going about town by herself and appoints himself her protector.

With great characters but not a lot of action or tension this book will not wow anyone looking to be on the edge of their seat while reading but it is a very warm and easy read.

Reviewed by Jessica Grogan
Grade : B

Sensuality: Warm

Review Date : January 9, 2023

Publication Date: 12/2022

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Jessica Grogan

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