Book Smart Kate

by Alexandra Vasti—Regency isn’t my go-to for romance (although I’ve read a number I enjoy), so I was cautious when my local bookshop picked this for our in-person romance book club November read. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it, but I enjoyed this smart, fun, passionate book about pushing the boundaries of society and gender roles.

Peter Kent’s world has been upended. Not only has he moved to England from New Orleans, but he’s also inherited the Duke of Stanhope title and discovered that his late father left Peter with two young half-siblings without any means to care for themselves. Because Peter has a poor reputation, his odds of securing guardianship are slim, which is where Lady Selina comes in. She’s proper, well-respected, and an excellent matchmaker. She believes that if she can find Peter a respectable wife before the guardianship hearing, he might have a chance of winning. There are just two problems. First, the more time they spend together, the more they fall for each other, and second, Lady Selina is hiding a secret. She not only has the audacity to secretly run a business, but that business is an underground erotic circulating library for women – something so scandalous that if Peter married her and it was discovered, all hope for his siblings would be lost. But maybe Peter deserves more credit and a chance at love.

I loved all of the storylines in this one! Selina and Peter are characters that run counter to the norms of the time and end up being a perfect match. Peter’s quest to care for his siblings is grounded in a great story about his New Orleans upbringing. Selina’s erotic circulating library storyline is an excellent one of female empowerment and informed control of their bodies. All of this while also being a story of whacky misadventures, stolen glances, and spicy reenactments of things learned from the circulating library.

The audiobook is narrated solo by Mhairi Morrison, who absolutely crushes it. Peter’s New Orleans accent and a host of British characters are all done to perfection.