"A Snowstorm hath no fury like a spinster scorned."Miss Elinora Browning grew up yearning for the handsome, intelligent lord next door...but he left England without a word of farewell. One night, inspired by a bit too much sherry, Nora poured out her heartbreak on paper. Lord Dashwood Missed Out was a love letter to every your lady who'd been overlooked by gentlemen - and an instant best seller. Now she's on her way to speak in Spindle Cove when snowy weather delays her coach. She's forced to wait out the storm with the worst possible companion: Lord Dashwood himself.
"And he finally seems to have noticed her.
"George Travers, Lord Dashwood, has traveled the globe as a cartographer. He returned to England with the goal of marrying and creating an heir - only to find his reputation shredded by an audacious, vexingly attractive bluestocking and her poison pen. Lord Dashwood Missed Out, his arse. Since Nora Browning seems to believe he overlooked the passion of a lifetime, Dash challenges her to prove it.
"She has one night."
Another little gem by Tessa Dare. She has a knack for these short, sweet little novellas. I always tend to approach these less-lengthy works with some reservations: How could an author possibly make her readers care enough about her characters in such a finite expanse of time, all while developing the story in a way that makes sense and, as a whole, fits in well with the series? It is no secret that I wasn't the biggest fan of the first novella in the series (there are currently three, counting Lord Dashwood), but this one was quite good - leaps and bounds better. I can see how it worked out so well with the rest of the series. Nora is intelligent, self-sufficient, and longs to show women that they should not lose themselves, nor should they apologize for their accomplishments - not to anyone. I thought that suited Spindle Cove quite well. I like how she's carved out a life for herself in the "real world" outside of Spindle Cove. It's nice to see a "spinster" doing so well without claiming a spot as one of the residents of the relative "bubble" of the seaside retreat. She is proof that Dare believes -- while there is a safe place for everyone -- that everyone can find their niche. The backstory was understandably and necessarily brief, but Dare did manage to cram enough into this short story to make me care about her characters. I feel like there could have been so much more to the death of Nora's brother and her acquired fear of riding, but I can understand why she omitted the information. As far as male leads go, I found George extremely likable. He started out gruff and overconfident. I thought I would find this overdone or obnoxious, but I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't. His Dare-trademarked "quirk" was definitely a new one (see my other reviews of Tessa Dare for an explanation of these oft-endearing quirks) and one about which I'm feeling just okay. I think it's more believable only because George is a cartographer and spent so much time traveling. I understood the logical explanations with which he provided Nora, but I'm a bit on the fence. It didn't keep me from liking George or the plot in general, I just think it's worth mentioning.
By far, one of my favorite parts of the book is the fact that we see SO many characters from her other books! I grinned from ear-to-ear when I realized that Dare was incorporating so many plot threads and amazing personalities. I liked the framework of the novella, how it jumped around between different points of view. It certainly made for a well-paced read.
Overall, I read this book very, very quickly. It was a fun, light-hearted read with mild drama, relatively steamy romance, and fun twists. This was the definition of short and sweet.
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