Falling For Mr. Townsbridge, by Sophie Barnes, is available at booksellers on 7-21-2020. Falling is book three in Ms. Barnes series The Townsbridges.

Falling is a novella featuring The third Townsbridge son William, who has been away in Lisbon working for the British ambassador. He's lucky that his father doesn't uphold the tradition of younger sons going into the army or clergy. Will is allowed to work and live on his own. He's lucky and knows it, he enjoys being self-reliant.. Nice guy with a nice family makes his a good catch even without a title. The new family cook is French and pretty and wants to keep her job. So it's stay away from Will, impossible, and do not fall for him, impossible. It's lovely how Wills family wants him to be happy above all else. An interesting story of love conquers all.

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I received an ARC of this novella to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Falling For Mr. Townsbridge is the 3rd book in Sophie Barne’s The Townsbridges series. It can be read as a stand-alone. William Townsbridge, the third son of Viscount Rexley recently returned home from Lisbon encounters Eloise Lamont his family’s fantastic cook in their kitchen late one night and is enchanted by the beautiful and bold young woman, and this is where it gets uncomfortable for me because he comes across as smarmy not heroic. It’s a delicate process to write a story where the power differential is such, and a novella with its short format makes it even more difficult as there is little space for the hero to grow and change. In this case, I never really got what she saw in him as they had little time to interact. He considers himself above her and never once imagines offering marriage until his mother intervenes. I have to say I was quite disappointed in this story. Steam Level: Mostly Kissing. Publishing Date: July 21, 2020. #FallingForMrTownsbridge #SophieBarnes #NetGalley #HistoricalRomance #bookstagram ( )

Series: The Townsbridges #3
Publication Date: 7/21/20
Number of Pages: 105

This was a lovely, quick, short (a couple of hours) read that is entertaining and cheerful. I loved the characters, but because it is a novella, I didn’t get to know them as well as I would have liked – nor was the plot as well developed for that same reason

William Townsbridge, the third son of a Viscount, has just returned home after working in Lisbon for the last year. He’s delighted to return to his wonderful, loving family, but isn’t looking forward to his mother’s matchmaking. What he doesn’t expect is to be served the most delicious meal he’s ever tasted. Each bite melts on his tongue and bursts into the most amazing flavors. His mother’s new cook must be a culinary genius.

Eloise Lamont learned her chef skills at her grandfather’s knee – beginning when she was just a very young child. She absolutely loved every minute of it and voraciously acquired more and more knowledge. When she was ready to make her own way in the world, she had a really hard time getting anybody to take such a young person seriously in her native France, so she headed to England and landed a job cooking for the Townsbridge family. She has come to love them all and they have made her feel really welcome since she’s been there.

When William sneaks down to the kitchen one night for a snack, he is shocked to see a beautiful young woman already there. It turns out that the cook he expected to be older and plump is actually young and very beautiful. OOPS!

William and Eloise are attracted to each other, but they know neither of them can act on that attraction. So, what can they do when they come to like each other more and more? You’ll just have to read this lovely novella to if they manage to have their HEA – and if they do – how?

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )