An absolutely heart-warming romance about two people dreaming of different lives, that somehow find each other. John might be no Dread Pirate Roberts...er, Captain L'Amour (iykyk), but he'll absolutely steal your heart. Allegra is a wonderful character, and I love how vivid her imagination is. Together, they make for an unforgettable duo. In a time when things are ruled by expectations, these two are definitely aiming to break the mold. The perfect romance to take with you to the beach this summer! ( )

THE REVIEW
John Sharp is a London renowned solicitor, but secretly has always wanted to be a chef. So he has recently left his steady job, took over a tea room in London and subsequently burned it to the ground! Shamed and embarrassed, he ended up in the seaside town, hoping to open his own tea room where he could control and plan for everything, so there would be no disasters. John realized early on that he was praised for doing things correctly and as an orphan he craved that praise, so he developed an compulsive need for perfection and control in everything he does.

Allegra Brown lives with her uncle and two cousins who she basically raised since they were infants. Her parents died when she was young and she was sent to live with her uncle. Almost like a Cinderella story, her uncle made her basically an unpaid servant. She became a governess and chaperone for her two cousins, just biding her time until her 30th birthday when she will receive an inheritance and she can afford be on her own!

Allegra has made up this gentleman pirate who is madly in love with her and someday he will return to her and they will live happily ever after! You can imagine her shock when, on an outing with her cousins, they almost run over a man fitting the exact description of her pirate!

John haphazardly agrees to go along with the charade and slowly they start to develop feelings for each other. It is the sweetest thing to watch them both open themselves up to the possibility of love and find solace in each other. I really enjoyed this book and I like that this series is standalone; it is refreshing to read a book and not have to focus too much on what I am already supposed to know and flag things I'll need to know for future books!

TROPES
Historical Romance, Regency Era, Seaside, Country Life, Beta/Cinnamon Roll Hero, Disabled/Wounded/Scared Hero, Lawyer/Barrister Hero, Self-Made Hero, Starchy Hero, Abused Heroine, Governess/Nanny Heroine, Musician Heroine, Orphan Heroine, Spinster Heroine, Virgin Heroine, Fake Relationship, Cinderella Trope, Runaway/Jilted Groom, Four Star, Two Steam ( )

When John Sharpe, solicitor, is mistaken for pirate Captain L'Amour, his life takes a turn. John wants to change careers and while he's putting his plan together, he finds himself willing to go along with Allegra Brown's subterfuge, a story she's been telling her young cousins. Allegra is shocked to find her false betrothed on the street at Siren's Retreat, but she's close to freedom, and a small interlude before she escapes her uncle's despotic hand is desirable.
This is a very fun novella. It's different from a lot of historical romances, free from society's constraints: John wants to be a chef and Allegra just wants to play her own compositions. It's a quick and very enjoyable story. ( )

I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy of this story.

A rare 5 stars! I'm judicious with my stars, not everything is excellent, so a 5 means I loved every moment of it. We start with a Banbury tale from our heroine, told for the best of reasons, a nursery tale for inquisitive children. Unfortunately, or is it fortunately, the tales take on a life of their own, growing to outrageous proportions. Our hero is afraid of his own shadow, he's learned that plans are guaranteed to succeed and winging it is a recipe for disaster. When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, it leads to a whole lot of fun and plenty of laughs, especially for the reader. I'm not giving away any fun filled moment in this review, you'll want to explore the story for yourself. Here's hoping that book 3 is as enjoyable as #2.

#AnAffairByTheSea #Siren's Retreat Quartet Book 2 #Netgalley #WebMotion #EricaRidley #romance #historicalromance ( )

An Affair by the Sea by Erica Ridley
Siren’s Retreat #2

Smiling as I think about Allegra and John…and have to say I smiled and chuckled throughout the book…really enjoyed this story!

What I liked:
* Allegra Brown: orphan, taken in by an uncle, mothered her younger nieces, treated poorly by her uncle, spinster, creative, looking forward to her freedom…but what *is* freedom, really?
* John Sharp: orphan, solicitor, prefers order and rules, dreams of being a chef, takes a step on the wild side, and is perfect with and for Allegra
* Captain Hamish L’Amour: fictious character Allegra created for her nieces…did he come to life in the form of John sharp?
* Dorcas and Portia: Allegra’s nieces were charming young women filled with life and love for their cousin
* The setting
* The way the book made me feel and care and smile so many times
* That Allegra and John brought out the best in one another
* The Game – the game that saw Allegra creating songs based on a few notes and a word
* All of it really…

What I didn’t like:
* Allegra’s Uncle Townsend: a user and abuser of Allegra…and even at times of his daughters. Even when a reason was given for his behavior…it wasn’t strong enough to overcome my dislike of him.

Did I like this story? Yes
Would I read more in this series/by this author? Definitely

Thank you to the Author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )