#ARCBookReview and #Giveaway: CHASING LADY AMELIA (Keeping Up with the Cavendishes #2) by Maya Rodale

ARC Book Review:

Chasing Lady Amelia is the second book in Keeping Up with the Cavendishes series by Maya Rodale. This is the story of Amelia, the youngest of the Cavendish siblings who have just arrived from America to England after learning that they are heir to a Dukedom.

I had read and thoroughly enjoyed the first book, LADY BRIDGET’S DIARY which narrates the romantic adventures of Bridget, Amelia’s elder sister and which had me remembering the famous classic, Pride and Prejudice. Chasing Lady Amelia also happens at the same time as the previous book but despite this can be read as a standalone story. However, I would recommend that you read the series in order so you can understand the characters and the overlapping events better.

Amelia had come across as reckless, self centered and a fickle but a comic character in the first book but in this book, the author successfully shows the other side to her character. I hadn’t liked Amelia much in the previous book but in this one I truly got to know the reasoning behind her seemingly self-centered acts and could relate with her yearning for freedom. She loves her family and despite her relapses and judgement errors at times, was able to connect with me through this book. Kudos to the author for transforming a character so much. She truly shows her writing prowess here.

I enjoyed meeting the Cavendish family again and felt like I was meeting old friends. I am eager to read their own romances and hope the author gives them to us soon.

The hero, Alistair got an introduction in the first book and I had been intrigued by him then and enjoyed following him in this book. He is a likable character stuck in a sticky situation and had me intrigued throughout.

The romance between Alistair and Amelia takes place in a short time but still the feelings, emotions and the scenes are realistically and vividly described. I was entertained by their scandalous outings and enjoyed watching them break society rules. Rooting for a happy ending for them, the author threw ample twists and turns to keep me engaged and anticipating what happened next throughout.

The downside to the story is the time span. The whole romance happens in a matter of days with it starting as friendship between the protagonists and then turning to lust in just one day.  

Then, at some places the events that overlapped from the previous book had me a bit confused because LADY BRIDGET’S DIARY happens in a longer time span unlike this one which mainly fills in the time gap when Amelia went missing in the first book and I had trouble connecting the events. 

All in all, Chasing Lady Amelia is an engaging and a quick historical romance suitable for a lazy afternoon. Not as good as LADY BRIDGET’S DIARY but still with ample entertainment quota, I give it 3.5 out of 5 and recommend it all lovers of historical romance above eighteen years of age.

I received an ARC from the publishers and the tour organizers through Edelweiss and I am very thankful to them. The above is my honest and unbiased opinion and in no way influenced.