About the Book:

Lady Amelia Ashford has a problem. As a wealthy heiress, she can’t help but are the men pursuing her drawn to her heart—or her fortune?

To uncover the truth, Amelia and her spirited best friend, Seraphina, devise a clever ruse. They’ll host a house party, invite a group of eligible gentlemen, and swap identities. As “Miss Seraphina Moore,” Amelia hopes to find a love that sees beyond her wealth.

But their scheme takes an unexpected turn when Julian Lockwood, a charming and uninvited Viscount, crashes the party. With his quick wit and undeniable allure, Julian threatens to unravel her ruse—and her heart.

Can Amelia stick to her plan—or will love rewrite the rules?

| Goodreads |

My Review:

A Ruse for Romance by Maisie Finley
Rating: 4/5
Pages: 235
Published: February 4, 2025
Series: ?

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher/author. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

I was so excited for this one, and it didn’t disappoint! This was such a sweet and intriguing story. While not as detailed or intricate as some stories I’ve enjoyed, this one has a light and timeless feel that I loved. A quick read that can be enjoyed again and again.

It did mention ‘mother e*rth’ and ‘A mid summer night’s dre*m*’ which yeah…I would have preferred not referenced, but I was very grateful that while it was mentioned we weren’t asked to sit through an entire scene or detailed descriptions of the story. *shudders* (I was traumatized by the story in school, but as mythology I have even more reason to cringe now. I used to love mythology and the story still bothered me, so I’m doubly-grateful in this case, haha. I know others love it, but… I just can’t.)

I loved Julian and Amelia though, and hope this is part of a series. (I’d at least love to see Seraphina’s story, if not the perhaps stories about the rest of Julian and Nathaniel’s friends, (and of course Nathaniel himself :D), and Antony. I admit Daniel kind of gets on my nerves…but I also imagine him meeting his match (who I think might have been hinted at in this one, and has me excited and intrigued) definitely makes me thing theirs would be a fun story. Even if he ends up with someone else, I’m interested to see how he ends up handling it, haha!

Overall, it’s a clean regency story, not a Christian Fiction, so I tried to rate it fairly with that in mind. I enjoyed it and proved to be an enjoyable story. I loved meeting these characters, and seeing their story unfold. This was a delightful debut and I’m excited to see if there will be more stories to follow that include some of the side characters, since the title seems to hint at that possibility?

Other books in the series:
(Below is a list of the other books I’ve read & reviewed for this series)

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