It Takes Two to Tumble

It Takes Two to Tumble (2017) Cat Sebastian (Seducing the Sedgwicks)

Set in England in 1817.

Imagine the sound of music, except with three kids, Maria is a local vicar, and the sea captain is hiding his reading disability.

The children of Barton Hall have been running wild since their mother died. Their father is coming home, but until he arrives, someone needs to take them in hand. Since Ben all but raised his four brothers, it seems to fall to him to attempt it.

During his two weeks at the hall, he had contrived to keep them safe and fed. He had amused them, mainly with the goal of limiting their sprees of destruction.

Ben, is marvelous.

“You have no right—”

“No, I don’t. I don’t care, though. I’m not leaving your children alone with a virtual stranger who doesn’t seem kindly disposed to them.”

Phillip sucked in a breath. “I have no intention of harming my children.”

“Oh, I’m certain you don’t. You’d likely call it discipline. But I’m not interested in semantics. I won’t leave your children alone with someone who seems determined to make enemies of them. They’ve had precious few allies these past few years.”

Here’s where things get complicated. Ben has a fiancee–the young woman who has been his best friend for years.

“I think that after two weeks with the young Dacres, I hardly know how to conduct myself in civilized company. I’m waiting for turnips to be launched at me. Honestly, Alice, I’m a little hurt that you didn’t greet me with a volley of French profanity and by setting something on fire.”

“How churlish of me not to have thought of that,” she said, her eyes sparkling. “Next time, send word and we’ll come up with some suitable display of affection for you.”

“Please do.” He smiled back. She really was beautiful, both in the sense that anyone in their right mind would agree that she was lovely to look at, and in the sense that she was dear to him and therefore he found her countenance pleasing.

And although he seems like a jerk initially, Phillip is actually a decent human.

Suddenly he resented Caroline for having died, which he realized was a ridiculous thing to do, but he did so anyway. He missed his boys in their matching short pants and his daughter with her neat plaits. And it was all Caroline’s fault. Bloody scarlet fever.

Phillip wanted to beat his hands on the paneling of the wall. This was all wrong. This was not what he wanted. He was angry with Caroline for having died, he was angry with himself for not having returned sooner and not knowing what to do now that he was here, and he was angry with the bloody vicar for simply existing even though he knew none of this was the man’s fault. God, he had never missed Caroline so much in his life. Or, which was worse, in her own life. He could add taking her for granted to his list of sins.

He might not have loved his wife as she deserved to be loved, but he did care for her.

This is an adorable romance. I highly recommend it.

Publisher: Avon Impulse

Rating: 8/10

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