ARC Review: "A Summer to Surrender" by Collette Perri (Tempting the Tycoons #1) ★★★★★

ARC Review: A Summer to Surrender by Collette Perri

This steamy witty historical romance was excellent, a perfect read after I finished watching Bridgerton season 3. I was pleasantly surprised to find this is the author Collette’s debut novel, for this has to be one of the best historical romances I’ve read in a good while! Ideal for fans of Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë.

What an unconventional pair they would be, the businessman earl and the novelist countess. It was so wrong, it was right.

[Contains some spoilers]

PLOT SUMMARY
22-year-old Miss Phoebe Beaumont was orphaned, taken in by her aunt Isobel, and raised to be a companion of her cousin Catherine who is recently engaged to Richard, Duke of Clifton. Pheobe is a wallflower, with no desire to marry, and aspires to be a writer.

After Phoebe has a near collision with a carriage, she meets its rather grumpy occupant, 27-year-old Lord Alexander “Alex” Stanton, the Earl of Westmore. He is a businessman invested in the upcoming building of the railway – and a man who is rather displeased that she nearly killed herself over retrieving a book she dropped. But he is rather enchanted by her and believes she owes him a dance at the Chesterfield Ball that evening. Bearing in mind he himself seldom goes to balls, and she has always refused men’s requests to dance, this is rather big for both of them.

Unfortunately, this dance is not to be. Catherine was assaulted by the horrid Lord Dewberry in the gardens and was seen, and if word were to get out, Richard will call off the engagement. Phoebe convinces everyone that she was the woman seen with Lord Dewberry, thus saving her cousin’s reputation but tarnishing her own even further.

Two years later, 24-year-old Phoebe has been living with Catherine and Richard who have had a son, and she has published two books under the name “Miss B”, as the publisher will not let her use her own name for the sake of her ruined reputation. An unexpected invitation arrives from 29-year-old Alex, inviting all of them to his country estate Bramley Park for a house party. His motive for this is to get Richard invested in the railway scheme, but the rest of the company of ladies believe he is searching for a wife. And what better candidate can there be but Lady Elizabeth, accomplished at everything?

They cannot keep their eyes off each other, and after a risqué walk decide to have an affair for the week until Phoebe leaves. The longer they spend together, the deeper they fall for each other. But what will Phoebe do when Lord Dewberry appears, threatening to expose what really happened the night of the ball if she does not pay him?

This is told from the third-person past-tense dual POV of Phoebe and Alex.

“I never knew that it would be like this.” It’s not like this with others, you little fool.

OVERALL OPINIONS
There was so much I loved about this novel. How Alex and Phoebe met when he nearly ran her over was both hilarious and rather different as usually a lot of these stories have the gentleman save the lady, so this made a change. The amount of spice was perfect.

This story covers the issues and mistreatment of women in a patriarchal society (as it should), social status, the importance of honesty, honour, freedom, and love. It contained the tropes of grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, slowburn and forbidden romance with, of course, some miscommunication.

Collette Perri spun a romance that made me want to swoon. She knows what she is doing, and I cannot wait for book 2, The Viscount’s Wicked Wager, coming out this December! This is to be about Phoebe and Catherine’s friend Olivia Whitby, and Alex’s friend Lord Lucian Grey, the Viscount Montgomery. They are betrothed to marry, and Olivia is not looking forward to it. They are introduced in this book, Lucian rather briefly but I loved the description of him:

Phoebe’s first thought was that he looked like a fallen angel, with bronzed skin, golden hair, pale blue eyes and a face that looked like it was carved by a master sculptor. Her second thought was that this man was not to be trifled with.

I loved the reference to Jane Austen as Phoebe first desired to write for herself after reading Emma. I was reminded greatly of the stories of Jane Eyre and Beauty and the Beast, with a touch of Northanger Abbey and Pride and Prejudice. Let me break this down as to why:
🠚Jane Eyre as Lady Elizabeth is a very accomplished woman and the most ideal to become Alex’s countess, making Phoebe believe she does not stand a chance especially when she is reminded of her position and reputation. This is much like how Jane Eyre feels when Miss Blanche Ingram is invited to Thornfield Hall and everyone believes she will make the perfect wife for Mr. Edward Rochester and that it will only be a matter of time before he asks.
🠚Beauty and the Beast as Alex grants Phoebe access to his library
🠚Northanger Abbey as Phoebe’s love of gothic romance is very akin to Catherine Morland’s.
🠚Pride and Prejudice due to the grumpy x sunshine trope, and specifically when Alex mentions that he used to swim across the lake. This gave 1995 P&P Colin Firth’s Darcy vibes.

<< Setting (Location/Year) >>
The locations are London and Yorkshire:
• London is where the story begins, then there is the Chesterfield ball in Derbyshire. Alex’s home in London is at the end of the novel, which allows the story to come full circle.
• Two years later, Pheobe and Catherine are at her estate Granger Hall in Yorkshire
• Then they are invited to Alex’s estate in Leeds, West Yorkshire, where most of the story takes place.
The novel is set in 1835, then mostly set two years later in 1837, with the epilogue in 1841.

<< Accuracy? >>
For me, inaccuracies don’t usually matter. However, I am pleased to inform you that this book is accurate concerning the York to London railway running in 1840. The book’s epilogue is set in 1841, a year after this.
Milton, Alex’s butler, was a former Bow Street Runner. Considering the Bow Street Runners were slowly but surely taken over by the Metropolitan Police from their formation around the early 1830s to finally 1839, I feel this would make perfect sense. I liked this idea personally.
In terms of locations, Granger Hall does not exist and while there is a Bramley Park in West Yorkshire, it is only a community park and there is no estate.

<< Positives >>
🠚The romance itself was delectable! I was desperate for more of them every time they saw each other or sensed the other’s presence. I love all aspects of it, all the things that Alex does for her.
🠚I love that despite Phoebe’s fall in society, she is able to find friends in the sisters Olivia and Suzanna Whitby. The fact that they treat her “no differently than they spoke to Catherine, a duchess” and did not seem to be bothered about ranks is lovely – but they use their ranks and influence, along with Catherine, to help Phoebe become accepted when she finally publishes her books under her own name.
🠚There were so many funny scenes, mostly between Catherine and Phoebe (from Catherine threatening to withhold chocolate from Phoebe to “This conversation isn’t over, cousin.” “You sound like Alex,” Phoebe muttered churlishly under her breath. Catherine’s lips quirked at that. “Good I knew I liked him.”) but also Alex and his brother Benedict and at times between them and Richard. (from Alex saying “Sorry to tell you this, brother,” said Alex, leaning back in his chair in an identical position to Benedict. “But you are really just a shorter, slightly stupider version of me.” to Benedict saying “We won’t even need to worry about the fact that you are unlikeable, he’ll be so appreciative.” Alex shot him a glare).
🠚I like how accepting Alex’s mother is about his love for Phoebe. I expected that she would instead dislike the idea and then later on approve as most stories I have read are like that – so that was a nice change.
🠚Catherine and Richard. They are the healthiest couple ever. I like that Catherine wanted to tell him the truth about what happened that night, how much he loves Catherine that he would have married her regardless – and that he later on could punch Lord Dewberry over it (as he absolutely should!). His fierce loyalty is commendable. I actually would love a prequel about the two of them!

<< Negatives >>
🠚The setting of the book was limited to Bramley Park. Now, this is something that did not bother me since most historical romances are set in a few places at most. This includes novels like Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre – why, Mansfield Park, funnily enough, is majorly set in Mansfield Park. One needs to remember most people, particularly before the railway, would have only journeyed 5-20 miles at the most from their own home, so constantly visited other people’s houses or were invited to them. I can see why others might dislike this, but it is what to expect when reading historical romance.

CHARACTERS
-ˋˏ ꒰ Phoebe꒱ ˎˊ-
↳ I adore her so much! Probably one of my favourite historical heroines I’ve read in a while. She is the kindest, selfless soul ever. I love that she decides to help Catherine as she is like a sister to her, and the only one who ever treated Phoebe as an equal (except for Alex when she meets him).
🠚She is so brave to go back out into society, all things considering. I adored the description of “her gowns hung in a neat row like soldiers” – it captures the essence of her sees this as a duty, the gown is like armour protecting what is left of her reputation.
🠚She believes she does not deserve the world (thanks to a certain aunt always putting her in her place) but this is not true, she really does! I love that Alex and Catherine eventually help her to see this.
🠚I relate to her a lot, particularly given we are both the same age (not for long, as I turn 25 on the 20th June), and my own kindness can be mistaken for flirting just like she has with her friend Mr. James Hardy. Don’t get me wrong, I do feel sorry that James has constantly been attracted to her but she only sees him as a friend and turns his proposal down. He really should have read the room and left her alone though haha, especially with the amount of fair warning Alex gives him.

“When I got everything I thought I wanted, I realized none of it meant anything without you.”

-ˋˏ ꒰ Alex꒱ ˎˊ-
↳ I love him, I absolutely love him. He secretly does so many things to help her feel more comfortable in society. Literally all the things he does for her made me smile: from the jasmine soap (her favourite scent), to reading a book she loves (not knowing that she wrote it), telling Hardy to back off (“Phoebe is mine. You are not to touch her.”), and dealing with the Dewberry situation. The way he knows her enough that he realises when she is debating telling him something is adorable.
🠚I love how supportive he is of her desire to write and becomes a publisher so that she can print future books with her own name on them – all because her usual publisher refused to do it. Like oh my goodness, girl please please PLEASE marry him already!
🠚Ladies, we have a “good girl” moment – I repeat, a “good girl” moment! The “mermaid” nickname was sweet.
🠚As a short woman myself, I appreciated the idea of Alex adopting “a slower pace, accommodating her shorter stride – that is kingly behaviour!

“Phoebe,” he murmured, pulling her close. He pressed his cheek against her hair. “Just let me take care of you.”

FAV QUOTES
• I’ll write like this someday, Phoebe promised herself, running her finger along the book’s perfect binding. Someday, my name will be printed inside of a book just like this.
• “You ran out into the road and nearly died, for a novel? That novel?”
• He was so tall, much taller than her, and he had dark, thick brown hair that curled a little over his collar. The fit of his clothing revealed him to be remarkably muscular, especially for a gentleman of the ton. His eyes were guarded and intelligent; his nose was prominent, but instead of detracting from his appeal, it added to his overwhelming impression of masculinity.
• So handsome, she thought. How irritating.
• She was intriguing. He was rarely intrigued.
• The woman was always blamed for these things. They would say she caused him to act as he did. There would be a scandal.
• She had not heard that name in years, and yet, the memory of Westmore still affected her. He appeared in her mind’s eye as he was the night of the Chesterfield ball – dark, intimidating, fascinating.
• Fantasies were what she had left. They were better than her reality, so she felt no shame in indulging them.
• She didn’t say the word businessman like others did, with judgement and ridicule in her tone. She said it as if it were perfectly respectable, even desirable, and it made him like her even more.
• She shared his perspective, he realized, even though he was an earl, and she was an orphaned, ruined spinster. There could not have been a wider gulf between them, and yet he felt more understood by Miss Beaumont than any other woman of his acquaintance.
• She smiled at that. “You are kind.” | “No one has ever accused me of being kind.” | “Perhaps that’s because you don’t give others a chance to know you.” | “Perhaps I haven’t met many people that are worth getting to know.”
• He wanted her. And he was beginning to come to terms with the fact that he would have to have her, or she would continue to haunt him.
• What was Hardy thinking, coming into *his* house and looking at Miss Beaumont like that? If anyone were going to have her, it would be him, and only him.
• “You have freckles,” he said, with the tone of someone who just realized something very important… | “Freckles are not in fashion.” | “I like them,” he said quietly. “I like them very much.”
• “Promise me you won’t mess things up over a woman.” Alex nodded to signal his understanding, but he made no promises.
• Allowing her the use of [the Whitby sisters’] first names was a small thing, and yet it meant so much to Phoebe, who had so few friends.
• That smile. He would gift her every book in the whole damn library, if she would just keep smiling at him like that.
• “That sounds like a mistake. But I’d like it very much.”
• She was so beautiful, like a goddess from a Renaissance painting.
• “It’s going to be alright, Phoebe,” he said in a soothing, low voice. “I’ve got you. You can stop worrying now.”
• He respected her intelligence, her spirit, but also her vulnerability. He liked the thoughtful, honest way she spoke; he liked that she didn’t put on airs like all the other women of his acquaintance did. He admired how loyal she was towards her cousin. He adored her freckles, her natural beauty, her sparkling ocean eyes. He cared for her deeply.
• The thought of never seeing Alex again – never touching him, laughing with him, talking to him – felt unnatural. It was like her world had become a kaleidoscope of color, and she was mere hours away from everything returning to black and white.
• Short of throwing herself at his feet and begging him to take her back, she didn’t have many ideas as to how to go about doing this.
• “My book. Tell me, was it really just an investment? Or did you do it for me?” | He pulled back to look at her, the corners of his mouth lifting. “I did it for you. Even if I never got to see you again, I needed to know that all your dreams had come true.”

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I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and I’d like to thank Collette Perri and BookSirens for the opportunity. This has not affected my opinion in any way.

“A Summer to Surrender” is out June 15th