Single Sundays: Dangerous Alliance: An Austentacious Romance by Jennieke Cohen

Single Sundays: While this blog may be focused on reviewing book series as a whole, we can’t forget about the good ole’ standalone novel! On Sundays, I will review a novel that is considered to be a standalone novel. Here is this week’s offering:

Synopsis for Dangerous Alliance: An Austentacious Romance (from Goodreads):
Lady Victoria Aston has always been just as comfortable in a pair of breeches stolen from her father as she has in satin ballgowns decked in lace. And though she is perfectly capable of minding her manners in polite society, she doesn’t much see the point. With an older sister happily wed and the future of her family estate secure, she is quite content to while her time away in the fields around her home.

However, Vicky’s comfortable, idyllic life is overturned in the course of one night. Her sister’s husband is a terrible cad and now Vicky must marry, or find herself and her family destitute. Armed only with the wisdom she has gained from her beloved novels by Jane Austen, she enters society’s season in a flutter of silks, dances, and pretty words.

But Miss Austen has little to say about Vicky’s particular circumstances: whether the gorgeous and roguish Mr. Carmichael is indeed a scoundrel, if her former best friend—the much-grown and very handsome Tom Sherborne—is out for her dowry or for her heart, or even how to fend off the attentions of the foppish Mr. Silby, he of the bright-orange waistcoat.

Most unfortunately of all, Vicky’s books are silent on the topic of the mysterious accidents cropping up around her. Accidents that have her wondering if there’s someone trying to prevent a match from being made…or prevent her from surviving until her wedding day.

Author: Jennieke Cohen
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Suspense, Romance
Heat Rating: cool
Point of View: Third Person, Alternating
Publication Date: December 2019
Source & Format: Public Library–Audiobook

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

I love a good Regency Romance and I don’t often come across a lot of Young Adult ones. So when I saw this in the YA audiobook section of my library, I wanted to check it out!

The Concept / The World:

I am by no means a big Jane Austen fan. I’ve read Pride and Prejudice and of course have seen a few movie adaptations of it; but when it comes to her other works, I think I’ve only finished Northanger Abbey and got a few chapters into Emma before giving up. So while I think it would help add a little more appreciation for the world and story flow, you can go in only knowing the basics of Jane Austen’s works and still enjoy this story.

The Plot:

One thing I truly adored about this book was the perfect blend between melodrama and realism. Vicky’s family and their reactions to the situation closely reflects what would have actually happened in that era. It makes the characters deeper as a result and rounds out the story nicely.

Meanwhile the “accidents” happening to Vicky add to the drama and give the plot an edge that keeps your attention throughout. I had most of the pieces of that puzzle figured out but not perfectly so I liked that.

The Characters:

As I said above, I like that the character found themselves in realistic situations and their reactions reflect the era of the book. The story is set in a time where societal norms are changing and I like that the characters mirrored that. It added to their character development in a great way. It did remind me a lot of Austen’s works in that regard.

The Romance:

This was the biggest disappoint for me. I liked the suspense that came from trying to figure out the true intentions of Vicky’s suitors. But at the same time, I didn’t really see any great sparks between any of them.

My Audiobook Experience:

I thought the audiobook was a lot of fun. My only complaint is that I sometimes missed when the POV changed because it was in the third person and you didn’t have a page break visual to show me when the POV swapped.

My Rating: 3/5

This was a fun, suspenseful and heartfelt historical romance read. I think Austen fans will love this story for its blend of Austen tropes and insights but non-Austen fans will enjoy it as well.

Read if You Like: Historical romances, Jane Austen
Avoid if You: like more romance focused historical reads