Alcott Hall by Emily Rath
I’ve only watched 1 episode of Bridgerton, but if it’s anything like Alcott Hall, I need to watch more stat! I recently had the pleasure of reading a review copy of the deluxe edition of Alcott Hall by Emily Rath, and it was so fun. It was a charming historical romp that kept me entertained for quite some time.
It is 500 pages, after all.
But don’t worry. Once you start reading, you’ll be completely engrossed in Lady Madeleine’s search for a husband. You won’t want to set it down. So make sure you keep reading my book review of Alcott Hall by Emily Rath, where I’ll be sharing all my opinions on this fun and fiery story.
And if you’re looking for more Why Choose romance novels, you can read more of my book reviews here.
What is Alcott Hall by Emily Rath About?
The Lady has an offer. The Vicar has a confession. The Game Warden has a secret.
When her late aunt leaves her a generous fortune, socially awkward Lady Madeline Blaire believes she’s finally found a way out of the high society husband hunt. There’s only one problem. To claim it, Madeline must marry by New Year’s Eve . . . which is now only 3 weeks away!
Determined to claim her financial freedom, Madeline slips away from her overbearing family and races off to Alcott Hall. Madeline needs a husband. Now. She’ll be generous, providing him with a comfortable living. She doesn’t even care if he takes other lovers. All he must do is agree never to claim his rights as her husband.
3 years ago, vicar Charles Bray left the town of Finchley and never looked back. When duty calls him home, he returns heavy hearted, desperate to avoid one man—John Warren, game warden of Alcott Hall. As Charles does his best to evade Warren’s snare, he starts an unlikely friendship with Lady Madeline, who soon makes him an offer too good to refuse. Charles and Madeline could have everything they want . . . if only Warren will stay out of the way.
But Warren holds a secret that could up-end all their careful plans. Does Madeline want a comfortable life married to a kind vicar? Or will she dare to risk it all on the penniless warden? Perhaps there’s a third option none of them dreamed possible. An option where no one has to choose . . . (from Amazon.com)
My Initial Thoughts on Alcott Hall
I felt very bad for Lady Madelene. I know how hard it is to have social anxiety and her mother was not making it easy on her during the opening scene. Then when I found out that her father was trying to run out the clock on her inheritance, I was so mad!
I liked that Madeline knew what she wanted and wasn’t going to let her family walk all over her. It seemed odd to me at first that she would run off to Alcott Hall to try to marry a random man, but what else was she supposed to do? All the guys her parents were setting her up with were duds.
This is the 3rd book in the Second Sons series. I haven’t read the first two books in the series so it did take me some time to catch up on who all of the characters were. But once I figured it out, I was golden.
After reading so much about Rosalie and James and the others, I feel like I definitely want to go back and read the beginning of the series. I found those characters very charming and funny so if they have their own stories, I definitely want to check them out.
Madeline is a Very Likable Protagonist
In the beginning, she’s painted as a spoiled rich girl who runs away from home. Why would she do that, when everything is handed to her? But when she explains her situation with the inheritance, her friend Rosalie is quick to want to help her.
Madeline may be used to a lavish lifestyle but she’s actually very sweet. I enjoyed her personality when she learned to open up more. And I really loved her friendship with the Duchess. It was so funny how every time Madeline turned to her for advice or information, Rosalie was like, “Oh, your mother is going to kill me!”
I thought that was really cute. If Madeline’s mother isn’t going to tell her about life, then it’s good that she has Rosalie!
This Book is Very Spicy
Madeline is very new to a lot of things, but she’s very lucky to have Bray and Warren to help her. Lol. I really enjoyed the scenes where all of them were together and figuring out their mess of a relationship. It was very humorous at times, and also sweet.
And spicy! But that’s what happens when a lady doesn’t have to choose. If you know, you know!
If I Had to Make a Critique…
I would say that there is a LOT of pandering and indecision. I have no idea how they worked things out in the end because al three of them were afraid to admit that they loved each other and wanted to build a future together. Lol. So I think that’s why this book is 500 pages. It probably could have been condensed a little bit, to be honest.
The Worldbuilding
Although I couldn’t fully visualize the towns in my head, I liked the descriptions of Alcott Hall and Finchley. If you’re interested in reading this book, I think it would be best to start with the first book in the series. That way you are more familiar with Finchley as well as the backstories of all the characters.
In Conclusion
I don’t read a lot of historical or regency romance, so this was a little new to me. But I was captivated by Madeline’s dilemma right away and was rooting for her the whole time. If you enjoy regency or why choose romance novels, I think you’ll enjoy this story a lot!
It’s spicy, sweet, and the characters are very funny and relatable. There are so many moments that made me smile. I hope that there’s another book in the series so that we can find out about the fate of Madeline, Bray, and Warren in the future. That would make me very happy!
