Review: Nine Ladies Dancing by Deborah M. Hathaway

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Twelve days, nine women, and the challenge to not fall in love. He’d have nothing to worry about, if his best friend weren’t one of the nine.

Matthew Pratt wouldn’t change a thing about his life—especially when he learns his childhood friend, Meg, will be joining him and his family for the holiday season. To make matters even better, his mother promises to no longer push him to marry, so long as Matthew meets with nine ladies of her choosing between Christmas and Twelfth Night. For an added prize from his father, Matthew must also keep from falling in love with any of the ladies. Unable to say no to a challenge, Matthew agrees, but that is before he realizes that Meg is numbered with the nine.

Meg Baker has always loved Matthew as a friend, but only recently has she discovered that her feelings are growing beyond that of simple camaraderie. Anxious to discover Matthew’s own feelings, Meg decides to draw as much attention to herself as possible during Christmastide, all before he returns to school.

As the holiday festivities begin, however, and Matthew takes an interest in other women—a great deal of other women—Meg fears she is too late to win his affection. But when a change comes in their relationship, Matthew must decide if he will remain comfortably single forever—or if Meg is worth the risk of a happily ever after.

My Review

Oh what fun! A Regency Christmas story with all the traditions! Matthew's meddling mother puts him in a situation that has him looking like a bit of a player, while Meg is stuck in the friend zone harboring an unrequited love. He just wants to spend his holidays with his friends, but now he is stuck humoring the local ladies, and Meg is losing patience. I was losing patience with him too, and Meg was starting to come off as a bit pathetic, until he begins to think of more than himself and his perspective matures. It's funny that he doesn't suspect his mother of craftiness and his father of just trying to mix things up a bit, but everyone gets the ending they want after enduring some good holiday angst.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

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Don't miss the other books in the Belles of Christmas series . . .