Just One Season in London

This was a very interesting, good book. It focuses on three couples, not just one, and while you would think it would be confusing or wouldn’t work, Leigh Michaels somehow made it work! The story centers around the Ryecroft family and their need for money to keep the estate afloat. Viscount Ryecroft knows it is his duty to find a wealthy heiress so that he may provide for his mother and give his sister a season in London. When an unexpected opportunity falls into his lap, he is able to travel to London with his mother and his sister, Sophie, each with their own hope that this one season in London will provide them with the chance to provide for the family and the future.

Sophie is the belle of the ton and seems to have her pick of suitors. But will she choose for money or will she follow her heart? Rye know his duty but when circumstances force him to choose between protecting his family or protecting a woman, what will he do? And Ryes mother, Miranda, will do anything to provide for her children but when her offer is tossed back in her face, how will she overcome this obstacle and keep her heart intact?

Each of our three couples get the time they need to develop together though I did feel a bit confused at times as to who the end couples would be. Especially with Sophie. I did feel like her pairing was the most confusing because it was not totally clarified until right at the end and I would have liked to have seen a bit more of her with her man together. But overall, this is a wonderful story of family and love and passion all wove together in a way that keeps you flipping the pages to see what turn will happen next. I am looking forward to more novels from Ms Michaels who seems to have a knack for weaving together three happily-ever-afters into one. 4 solid stars!

As usual, another fantastic historical romance from Leigh Michaels!

Just One Season in London is totally captivating and grabbed my attention from the first moment I began to read. Ms. Michaels gives us a bounty of romance, but will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering how everything will play out. The characters are such a delight and you’ll feel like you’re a part of their world. Ms. Michaels has absolutely awesome writing skills and each and every word just belongs exactly where she puts it to make her romance books ignite.

I love the fact that there’s always so much going on at once and you’re never quite sure what’s going to happen next…or just who will end up with whom. I’ve read multiple books from Leigh Michaels and I’m always looking for more. In my opinion, Just One Season in London is awesome and you really should put it at the top of your To Be Read list!

Rated 5 Delightful Divas and a Recommended Read by Shelly!

Viscount Rycroft has a title, but no money to maintain his family estate or to launch his beautiful sister Sophia into society. His mother, Lady Ryecroft contacts an old love from her youth seeking help to launch Sophie, but is rebuffed. Luckily Rye is able to rent the estate and take his family to London to see how the season treats them.

This story was told from many points of view revolving around the three main characters, Rye, Sophia, and Miranda. It was interesting having so many main characters and seeing events from all of their points of views. I enjoyed the romance, and especially loved that the “old” mother (almost forty) is the one who has the steamiest scenes.

Just One Season in London is a very enjoyable regency romance novel, with Michael’s great ability to weave many threads together for one fantastic story.


My Review:

I read this book in one sitting. It’s very rare that I do that because my attention span is not the greatest.

This one focuses on three couples Lady Miranda and Marcus, her childhood sweetheart; her son, Rye and Prudence, the companion of a woman he employs to help find him a rich wife; and Sophie and Robert. The well-being of the whole family hinges on finding Sophie a rich husband. I loved all of these couples. Each of their stories were so entertaining. I also liked all of the characters except maybe Sophie at times because she was so uppity. Each couple had their own unique feel to them.

This one reminded me so much of Georgette Heyer. I don’t know why. It just seems like something she would write. Maybe a little less spicy but with the same vibe. Now, admittedly, if I compare something to Georgette Heyer, I must like it quite a bit. And I did. I do, however, wish that this was organized more like Michaels’ The Mistress House was with each couple getting a different chapter. I just felt a bit disjointed at times jumping between couples.

If you like the Georgette Heyer-type regencies, this one is definitely for you.

Review: I just can’t say it enough...Ms Michaels, I love you :)

This book is just another fantastically written, laugh-out-loud, emotional journey that will satisfy. With a team of characters that just leap from the pages and suck you into their world this 375 page novel is the perfect escape that will make you want to return again and again. Without a doubt one of the best books that I have wrapped my fingers around in a long time.

*SNAPS* Ms Michaels. You just earned a fan for life :)

Thoughts:

Author Leigh Michaels is well known in the publishing world for her immensely popular historical romances. Her latest foray into the fascinating world of Regency England, Just One Season in London, is action packed and filled with not one romantic interlude, but three. Michaels’ ability to intertwine all three stories into one satisfying and decadent novel is unparalleled. Love and romance versus duty and sacrifice and it all culminates in one fated season in London!

Viscount Ryecroft is in dire straits. His family has suffered grave financial ruin and there is little to be done. His father left them with an estate in disrepair and no money to speak of. He has to think of some way to protect his mother, Lady Miranda and his sister Sophie. There seems to be only one choice. They must join the Ton for a season in London in order to find or capture the right man for Sophie to marry, who can bail them out with their problems. But Rye finds himself willing to sacrifice his own happiness to keep Sophie or his mother from giving up their own. Meanwhile Lady Miranda has a plan of her own to keep her children’s hearts from being broken. She intends to offer herself to an old lover as his mistress, all the while each family member is vying for their own solutions. But life has a way of working things out in most unexpected ways.

There are so many things about this book for historical romance fans to fall in love with. Author Leigh Michaels is an expert when it comes to Regency England. She has done such extensive research that her books give off a very authentic and real feel to them. Just One Season in London is no exception to the rule. Michaels describes the nuances and subtle mores of the Ton with grace and elegance, leaving readers feeling as if they’ve read a very decadent and satisfying book. Like a fine wine or an exquisite chocolate, the romance in this one is to be savored and enjoyed.

One of the things that I find particularly interesting about Michaels’ books of late, is the weaving of several stories into one. Readers saw her use this technique in her very popular book, The Mistress’ House and will find her employing it yet again in Just One Season in London. Some would probably speculate that having so many heroes and heroines would leave the reader feeling confused and unable to truly connect with the characters. But in my opinion Michaels pulls it off with style and finesse. She spends enough time with each set of characters to pull the reader in and give them something to identify with. With each character there is a hook.

With Sophie the hook is obviously her youth and innocence. The reader is given a character that they can understand and see a bit of themselves in. Let’s face it... many romance readers are young women and these woman have had to sacrifice in their own lives and I think they appreciate the fact that Michaels shows Sophie as an intelligent young woman who is loyal to her family and willing to do what it takes to solve their problems. But they are also rooting for her to find her own Prince Charming so to speak. To have her cake and eat it too...

With Lady Miranda the hook is a little less apparent. She is a beautiful woman who has known love in her life and is willing to do whatever it takes to protect her children. Many readers will identify with that and understand the links to which she is willing to go. I think they will find themselves asking the question... just how far would I go for my family? What would I be willing to sacrifice in my own life? Michaels does a fantastic job of allowing the reader to question her logic and her story.

The hook for Rye is obviously his loyalty to those he loves. He is the epitome of a Regency hero. Good looking, passionate and not about to let his mother and sister take the fall for something he could prevent. He is honorable and will appeal to that sense of justice that readers have. But, no one character in this book is left feeling distant or flimsy. Michaels gives the reader the right balance of information and pulls it all together by shifting the point of view throughout the book to show the story as one continuing tale. It is smooth and effortless and Michaels proves why she is so highly regarded in historical romance circles. This is certainly not something that is easy to pull off without it seeming jerky and disjointed.

I don’t usually mention little things like cover art and character name choices in my reviews but I feel like i must comment on a couple of things with this book. The cover art is absolutely gorgeous! Now I don’t usually judge a book by it’s cover, but it has to be interesting enough to make me want to turn it over and read the blurb. This cover is rich and deep and full of passion. I think it really reflects the essence of the novel. I also found myself liking the names that the author chose for her characters. She stayed within the realm of what was considered fashionable for Regency England yet she continued the theme of richness with her names. Rye was an especially interesting name and Miranda is one of my all time favorites. Michels just seemed to have a plan with this book and she executed it very well.

Just One Season in London is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I’m giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag! One of my favorites of the year so far!


Just One Season in London is a fantastic Regency historical that balances three concurrent romances without it becoming confusing (or boring). Although there are three stories going on, each story is seamlessly interwoven with the others to present a single, overall, pleasing story. However, I did find at times that I wanted to dig deeper into each of the romances but overall the affect was effective and each story is developed.

The Ryecroft family has been through a lot of suffering and all they need is the one season in London. During that Season, they need the beautiful, willful and loyal Sophie to make an advantageous and wealthy match. What follows is clever and witty banter, humorous antics and a large dose of a slightly offbeat but loving family’s efforts to each protect the other. I often laughed at their antics and other characters efforts to “aid” them in making the proper and correct society decisions. Lady Stone was one of my favorite characters and she brought life and humor to the story and was a wonderful secondary character.

Just One Season in London is highly recommended for those that love Regency romances, second chances at love, clever dialogue or heartwarming love stories.

I love historical romances and whenever someone asks for suggestions or who my favorite authors are I always mention Julie Garwood, Julia Quinn or Johanna Lindsey. If all of Leigh Michaels’ books are as good as this one then I have a feeling her name will quickly join my list of favorite authors. She captures the perfect balance between humor, romance and sexiness in this story.

The Characters

I can’t think of a single character I disliked in this story. I really enjoyed Ryecroft and the fact that physically he wasn’t an Adonis but he still had London’s ladies flocking around him due to his humor, kindness and ok I’m sure his title had a little to do with it. Sophie was spunky, kind and naive and you can’t help but love her. Unlike many heroines who do stupid things despite being made out to be strong, smart women she isn’t painted to be the perfect woman. Yes she makes some bad decisions due to naiveness but they aren’t out of character with your typical young woman who has never been to London. Everything she does is so realistic that you can’t help but put yourself in her shoes and relate to her situation and feelings. Miranda, the man Sophie falls for and the woman Rye falls for were all wonderful characters as well. They were all perfectly flawed and perfectly endearing. I did find it funny that Miranda appears to be around her late 30s and there are constant references to her being past her prime and with the way her son refers to her you would think she was an old woman. I know people didn’t have as long of life span as we do now but it still made me laugh on how the young view their parents sometimes. For those of you who are fans of Lady Danbury in Julia Quinn’s books you will meet her equivalent, Lady Stone, who is just as crochety, plain speaking and soft hearted.

The Story

I’m always a little leery about books that centralize around several romances instead of focusing on just one couple with maybe a minor couple thrown into the mix. Leigh Michaels wove all three love stories in so well together that it never felt disjointed to me and all the couples wormed their way into my heart. It was hilarious watching the characters interact with each other and there was never a dull moment in the book for me. I stayed up way too late reading this book because I couldn’t stop until I got to the end. Even though with most romances you know there will be a happy ending it was one of those stories you get immersed in and the journey to the end is just as satisfying as the happily ever after.

I find it hard to be coherent as I just want to gush about this book. If you are a fan of Julie Garwood, Julia Quinn or Johanna Lindsey and are looking for a new book I highly suggest picking this one up. I know I will be adding the rest of Leigh Michaels books to my to be read list.

I really enjoyed Leigh’s first Regency, THE MISTRESS’ HOUSE, which came out earlier this year, and I admit to being worried about whether or not her second release with Sourcebooks would be as good! I mean, how could she top it? Well, she did. I love how Ms. Michaels can take us into the heads of several different characters without losing us. I like getting the perspective of so many, it really does show you how differently people can think and how differently one person might react to a situation, or how they may feel about it versus another. This is one of the reasons I like Ms. Michaels work so much. Her books are truly character driven, and by characters who leap off the page. We want to be their friends. We want to join them at the ball, or for tea to talk about what fascinating things they are going to do that day. They are larger than life. We laugh with them, gasp with them, worry over them, cry with them.

So did she top THE MISTRESS’ HOUSE with JUST ONE SEASON IN LONDON? I wouldn’t say she topped it—I can’t because I loved them both so much. Once again Ms. Michaels put out a fabulous book! A witty, tantalizing, addictive confection for the reader’s mind, which I highly recommend!

AND I am super excited to have just received the ARC to her next Regency release, THE WEDDING AFFAIR. Looks like another fabo book! Will let you know :)

Just One Season in London by Leigh Michaels is a wonderfully unique romance. As the blurb says, this is a three romance for the price of one story! Before we talk about the story – just look at that cover! As you all know, I’m a sucker for a great cover and this one is outstanding! Doesn’t it just make you want to find out who the characters are on the cover?? The Ryecrofts are a comfortably poor family from the aristocracy in Regency England. Rye, or Viscount Ryecroft, is the head of the family, having taken over the title at a young age upon the death of his father. Now that he has hit his majority and has taken over the estate he is now looking at ways to support his family. He wants to give his sister the advantage of a season in London so that she can find a man worthy of her. In order to do that, he needs to in essence become a “fortune hunter.” Rye’s mother, Miranda, is also trying to figure out a way to give her daughter a season in London. Her method involves offering herself up as mistress to an old love. Marcus Winston has always loved Miranda. He left for America when she married the man her father wanted her to marry. She is now a widow, and he is back from America and it’s just a matter of time until their chemistry burst into flames! Sophia, the beautiful daughter of Miranda – the one they are trying to get a season in London for, is also trying to save the family in her own way. She figures that she can find her way to London she can earn money on the stage.

This book has the reader laughing right from the start. The shenanigans of Sophia are hysterical. So typical of a young woman trying in her naive way to help her family. Rye meets Lady Stone, and older woman who helps with accommodations in London. Rye rents out the family home and manages to get his family to London as well as pay for a few dresses for his mother and sister. He then tries to figure out which heiress he can stand to deal with for the rest of his life. Of course, the descriptions of the various heiress are not particularly flattering! Miranda’s escapades are equally entertaining! Her encounters with Marcus are at times hysterical and at other times heart wrenching.

I found the characters in this book to be outstanding! The author manages to make the reader feel completely filled in on the background of this family right from the start. The reader becomes totally invested in the success of this family. This story at times feels like it meanders through the action, and at other times rushes the reader along with the tide. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical romances!

Viscount Ryecroft is determined to save his family from financial ruin, a situation left by his late father. Rye is willing to sacrifice his own happiness for his mother and sister, certain that he could grow to love his viscountess, whoever she may be. The only problem comes in finding the funds to send his sister Sophie to London for a Season. It seems his hopes of finding her a suitable husband are futile until Lady Stone makes him an offer he cannot resist. Rye is determined to find an heiress and save the family though his heart is not in agreement.

Sophie would give anything to have her Season in London. She is well aware her only chance to marry well and save the family lies in London’s Season. How she will get there remains a mystery but she’s more determined than ever to capture a wealthy husband in hopes of saving her family. Even if that means she won’t finish the Season.

Lady Miranda wants nothing but true happiness for her children and is willing to do anything for it, even if it means becoming a mistress to a man she loved long ago….

With three determined members and only one Season in London, the story boast unleashed potential, entanglements and edge as Rye, Sophie and Miranda attempt to save their family in one Seasons time. Their individual happiness being an added bonus.

You may wonder, with the amount of romances we review, if it ever gets old? Do all the books become predictable or feel the same? While its never old, there are those books that don’t stand out among the crowd. However, in every crowd there is a shining star, a gem so to speak. Just One Season in London is that gem.

This book was a pleasure to read. The romance lives up to its title offering everything one can expect with a London Season. Half way through the novel, I was still not quite certain who would end up with whom among the many charming characters that enchanted the main characters with their charm. Though I had my suspicions, I was left to wonder how the matches would be made and what would happen to make way for the characters happiness. I ended up being emotionally entangled with the flair and competition of the Season. I rooted for my pick of companions for Lady Miranda, Rye and Sophie. The novel displays the Season in its truest form, helping me to understand the pressures and pleasures the Season brings to its debuts and hopefuls. Just One Season in London has one of the best portrayals of a London Season that I have read thus far.

This title was an intoxicating story that kept me turning the pages in anxious wonderment of the outcome. Complete with charming characters and witty dialogue, Just One Season in London was fun and highly unique. This book is most definitely different from the normal expectations of a romance novel. I enjoyed every bit of it.

In addition to wonderful characters and unique dialogue, the book boast the amazing writing skills of Leigh Michaels. The story has plenty to offer with many different storylines going on throughout the book. Through it all, Leigh guides the reader with her easy and addictive flow of words. I was never lost or confused with any aspect of the story. I couldn’t wait to discover who would end up with whom. The story was definitely enchanting, making me wish for my own London Season.

If I did judge a book solely by its cover, this one would have achieved an A+ right away. Luckily, the cover isn’t the only magnificent aspect of this romance. Aside from the absence of extreme heat in the novel, the story offers plenty of enjoyment and satisfaction, making Just One Season in London a top pick for me. I highly recommend it.

JUST ONE SEASON IN LONDON by Leigh Michaels is an exciting historical romance set in Regency England. It is written with depth and details.The characters will capture your heart. This is a tale of a family of three,whom need money,love and happiness. It is about a son,his sister and his mother,each would sacrifice their happiness to save the others. Viscount Ryecroft’s father left them with a fine estate but little to no finances.His sister,Sophie,needs a season in London,but how with little to know money.Their widowed mother,Lady Miranda,will do anything,including offering herself to her childhood love,as his mistress,for her children. This story is beautifully woven with humor,love,mayhem,romance,a few secrets,family that will capture your heart.Their sparks of passion,attraction will keep your turning pages from the first page to the last with a few twists and turns. This is an unusual story with three heroes and three heroines.It proves that a family that courts together can find love and happiness together as well.What an entertaining story Just One Season In London is. A must read.A keeper. This book was received for the purpose of review from the publisher.Details can be found at Sourcebooks Casablanca,an imprint of Sourcebooks,Inc.
RATING: 4.5

Charming characters, sparkling conversation and exuberant humor abound in Leigh Michaels’s Regency historical, Just One Season in London, an exhilarating story of love found while trying to make others happy.

Young Viscount Ryecroft has no money. How can he keep up his estate, give his little sister, Sophie, a London Season so she can find a mate she wants, and also provide for his widowed mother, Miranda? He has to get them all to London for the Season. He will do anything he has to, including wedding an heiress for her money. Unbeknownst to him, Sophie and Miranda each set into motion their own plans to sacrifice themselves for the other two’s welfare.

Just One Season in London is exactly the kind of book I like. With not one, but three of my favorite type of hero, the decent man, and heroines to match them.

In her previous book, The Mistress’ House, Ms. Michaels wrote three separate but related novellas. Here, she has interwoven the three tales. In this era of straight-line stories, Just One Season in London is unusual in using multiple heroes and heroines, all of whose stories are of equal importance. In Ms. Michaels’s deft hands, this means three times the fun. I like the way she intertwines scenes, showing each first from one main character’s perspective, and then another’s and another’s. She keeps us in suspense until the final triple HEA.

I loved this book. In a world where everyone is out for him-or-herself, how refreshing to find characters so willing to sacrifice themselves for others.

There’s probably a moral here about how you can make yourself happy when you make others happy, but we’ll leave any possible preaching aside. Go and read Just One Season in London and have a good time.

Format: Paperback

Dimensions
Length: 6.875 in
Width: 4.1875 in
Weight: 6.72 oz
Page Count: 384 pages