Review--Listen to the Moon (Lively St. Lemeston)

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Listen to the Moon (Lively St. Lemeston)Listen to the Moon by Rose Lerner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes you get tired of dukes and billionaires and vampires and you want to read a story about people who lead ordinary lives, but can still have extraordinary love stories. If so, you'll enjoy Listen to the Moon as much as I did.

This is another "Lively St. Lemeston" Regency by Rose Lerner, set in a small town in the English countryside rather than an exotic locale (like London[g]). John Toogood is a "gentleman's gentleman", a valet laid off and unable to find a new employer after he annoyed a powerful woman. Sukey Grimes is a maid-of-all-work, who catches John's eye with her plucky attitude and saucy smile, but he knows they could never make a go of it, because even in the servants hierarchy they're at opposite poles.

But then an opportunity comes along which could benefit both Sukey and John, and suddenly they're seeing each other in a different light.

Fans of Bate and Anna from Downton Abbey will appreciate this tale of belowstairs love. The author's sensual writing and deep insight into the characters made the novel a book I couldn't put down. I wanted to give it five stars, but head-hopping between protagonists in the middle of scenes kept me from fully enjoying this delightful tale. However, it's definitely one of the best books I've read this month, and is likely to be one of the best romances I'll read this year.


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