About the Book:
Title: One Night in Beniton Hall
Author: Iris Lim
Series: Avinton-Nottingham series #1
Page Length: 162
Publication Date: April 5, 2022
Synopsis: When an arranged compromise goes awry, whom can Heather count upon to come to her rescue?
Heather Nottingham, the eldest of four daughters, has everything and nothing when it comes to making a match. When London is packed to the brim with heiresses and beauties, most gentlemen don’t bat an eye for a lady who is adequate and average in almost every single way, even if she is a viscount’s daughter.
As her second Season plods on with nary a suitor in sight, Heather’s anxious mother and overbearing aunt persuade her to set her cap for the wealthy, if untitled, young Mr. Avington. But is the flirtatious heir to the Avington fortune even ready to settle down? And what is Heather supposed to do about the quiet, searing stares of Mr. Avington’s younger brother, a man she has actually come to admire?
Iris Lim’s first formal foray into original fiction explores the fates and loves of the Nottingham sisters and the people they hold dear. Book 1 in the Avington-Nottingham Series.
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My Review:
Heather Nottingham is the eldest of four daughters and is eager to marry. In her second season with no prospects in sight, Heather knows not just her future but her younger sisters’ futures are at stake. So, with prodding from her meddlesome mother and aunt, Heather is persuaded to attract Mr. Avington, the eldest in a very wealthy family. However, Heather is drawn more to the second Avington son, a quiet and kind man she connects with. Will Heather follow her heart, or will she succumb to family and social pressures?
One Night in Beniton Hall is a lovely historical romance, and I enjoyed Heather’s story. She is kind and gentle and someone her family can count on. She is such a wonderful big sister, and her patience and love for her sisters shine through. In fact, she’s often more worried about them and their futures than she is of her own. She is a wonderful match for Edgar, the second Avington son, who is also very kind, unassuming, and genteel.
Heather and Edgar have a sweet love story that stems from the societal pressure to marry. When Heather is purposely put in a compromising situation by her awful aunt, Edgar is the one who comes to her rescue. They have a lot in common, and their growing affection for each other, even though their relationship began under dubious circumstances, is lovely.
Several of the characters in the novella remind me of characters in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Heather’s mother, for example, is much like Mrs. Bennett, especially in her singular goal to marry her daughters, her blunt observations, and the way she embarrasses her family with her uncouth behavior and conversations. Heather’s father is a lot like Mr. Bennett, and her sisters have the same effervescence and inquisitiveness as the younger Bennett sisters as well. The subtle nods to Austen’s classic are great!
The story also includes some strong messages about gender, equality, and society at the time. It’s interesting because many of the women in the story know the difficulties for their gender and the safety that comes with marrying. However, they are also so obsessive In their goals to marry off their daughters that they actually fall victim to the standards of society. They are not strong women, and they exemplify some of the issues that permeated upper-class society.
A sweet, quick, and charming novella with strong messages and a romantic love story, One Night in Beniton Hall will definitely appeal to lovers of historical and regency romance.
Rating:
Favorite Parts:
- The romance.
- The messages.
Favorite Lines:
“Sincerity is hardly the same as unpersuadable melancholy,”
“What does one’s words matter, after all, when weighed against the reality of one’s actions?”
Beautifully reviewed the story is interesting thanks for sharing 😊👍👍
Thanks so much! 🙂
It’s pleasure of mine stay blessed ❣️💕