Review: Winning Winnie's Hand by Deborah M. Hathaway

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

About the Book

She’s no damsel, but dang…this knight in shining armor kinda makes her want to be.

Born into a driven and successful family, Winnie Knox tries—and fails—to impress her parents and siblings as she bounces from career to career, year to year. In a last-ditch effort, Winnie takes on consulting work at a stately home in England, hoping to gain a nice bit of prestige as she improves the massive British estate.

In true Knox Fashion, Winnie dives headfirst into her new position. In true Winnie Fashion, she ends up with her car headfirst...in the mud. But what does she see coming to her rescue? Nothing short of a knight in shining armor.

Literally. A knight in shining armor. On a horse. What century is this again? Well, whatever it is, Winnie doesn’t mind lingering in it if she gets to stare at a man like him all day. This job is going to be a walk in the park.

Of course, nothing is ever as easy as it should be with Winnie as she puts her foot in her mouth and straightaway offends the knight—who just so happens to be someone far more important than the simple thespian he appears to be.

But Winnie Knox is a professional. She can charm anyone.

Can't she?

My Review

This book was so fun! I wasn't too sure about Winnie at first- she was overly confident with her business strategy... but the author showed us the complicated family dynamics that shaped her personality and influenced her choices, and I loved her character arc as she developed passion for the project and connection with the people involved. Matthew is like the captain that will go down with his sinking ship. He knows that changes need to be made but he fights against all of Winnie's ideas without the type of communication she needs for them both to be successful. These two have quite a delightful journey from stubborn pride to acceptance and embracing alternate possibilities. The setting is a character in itself as Winnie discovers the history of England and why Matthew feels so strongly about bringing it to life. There are so many humorous moments woven into their growth journey, especially references to the movie A Knight's Tale. Reading this book totally made me want to watch it again! I loved how Winnie and Matthew's experiences together and the romance that develops between them opens their eyes to unexpected hopes for the future. I'm so excited for more in this series!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Winning Winnie's Hand is the first book in the clean and sweet rom-com Men of the Isles series by Deborah M. Hathaway. Although this enemies-to-lovers, boss/employee romance is a stand-alone novel, the books are best enjoyed when read in order.

Book 2