The Last Lady B was pitched to me as Jane Austen meets The White Lotus. Julia Quinn of Bridgerton fame blurbed the book, and it promised a witty historical romance with a Gothic twist.
Brace yourself, Tartlets: these are all rather lofty comparisons.
This book isn’t nearly as exciting as The White Lotus. And, it’s not nearly as “I burn for you” as season one of Bridgerton.
And, nothing about The Last Lady B is similar to Jane Austen except the time period in which it’s set.
Le Sigh.
What’s The Last Lady B about?
Genevieve Burnsby – later nicknamed Evie — agrees to become septuagenarian Lord Burnsby’s 4th wife. It’s purely for his money; she needs it to secure a dowry for her little sister.
Evie’s loveless marriage isn’t wonderful, but it isn’t awful, either. At least, not until the couple arrives at his abbey estate in the remote Scottish Highlands. There, Evie finds numerous surprises:
- her husband’s illegitimate daughter, Opehlia
- her husband’s (legit) son, Lance, and his French wife, Collette (now her stepson- and daughter-in-law.)
- a dottering old aunt named Mima
- a rakishly handsome family friend named Sir Godric Everly
- and, the real kicker… HER HUSBAND’S LONGTIME SECRET MISTRESS!!!!!!!!!
Yes, all of these people are under one roof. Oh, and possibly the ghosts of her husband’s previous three wives.
As this motley crew spends a snowy December at the abbey, ghosts roam freely, friendships form, and marriages rearrange themselves as Evie learns about the family she’s married into – and quickly wants to marry out of, now that steamy Sir Godric has entered the picture.
What I didn’t like about The Last Lady B
The Last Lady B isn’t pointless, but it’s also not completely full of point.
Yes, it’s a romance. First and foremost, I would say. There’s also plenty of family drama and intrigue. And there’s action of various kinds that moves the story forward.
But, for the most part, the story just kind of… meanders.
In one way, it’s kind of nice to read something that I’m not emotionally invested in. On the other hand…I wanted so much more from this story that held so much promise.
The first half The Last Lady B follows the daily happenings of Evie and her new family. She learns what a shitshow her husband is, but she makes fast friendships with Lance, Collette, and Ophelia. She also contemplates how much she shouldn’t commit adultery with Godric — even though she really, really wants to.
The Gothic elements weave in and out of the story, but there’s not much focus on them. Same goes for the suspense elements. I wanted a bit more of both of those aspects.
My favorite part of The Last Lady B came near the end. It made me glad I powered through the entire novel. The last few chapters and their Big Reveal were fantastic.
What I didn’t like about The Last Lady B
Evie’s a character who constantly inner monologues. However, these “asides” felt more like interruptions rather than wry, witty comments to the reader. Yes, some of them were funny. But most of them just got in the way of the narrative.
I guess I got used to it, though. After awhile, I didn’t notice the asides as much, especially once more characters appeared and Evie was no longer talking to herself.
However, the monologue-ing reared up again near the end of the novel — right when the romance between Evie and Godric turned more intimate. And, Evie’s comments were complete mood killers for me.
Caught in a bad romance…
You know what was also a mood killer? I felt zero chemistry between Evie and Godric.
Godric, being of similar age to Evie, is the only male character in The Last Lady B on whom Evie could crush. (Since, y’know, her mistress-keeping husband isn’t a viable option.) Their love story reminded me of the romance in The Alchemy of Flowers – contrived. By default, they seem to gravitate toward each other. Godric mumbles stereotypical romance compliments (“wow, brains and beauty and humor!”) that somehow manage to make Evie swoon.
I know she’s starved for affection, but damn, girl. Make him work for it a little bit.
Yes, I’m aware this is a romance. Expectations aren’t necessarily realistic. But I don’t think it’s ridiculous to want some sort of chemistry between them before they vow to marry one another, even while Evie is still married to Lord Burnsby.
Should you read The Last Lady B?
At best, I’d describe The Last Lady B is a mildly entertaining romance novel with Gothic –ish elements. It’s a decent way to pass a few mindless hours.
But, you know what? Sometimes that’s all you really need from a book.
If you’re a regular reader of romance, give The Last Lady B a try. It’s a more contemporary version of historical romance that’s not all bodice ripper covers and Fabio hair.
However, keep in mind that this is a rather chaste romance, compared to novels like The Kiss Quotient and The Cottage on Pumpkin and Vine. There are some (unsatisfyingly brief) open-door sexy scenes toward the end, but most of the book is just a lot of kissing.
And side comments to the reader about said kissing. **deflated sigh**
What’s the book-inspired recipe?
Check back in for the book-inspired recipe: Almond Apple Tart
Although I received a complimentary advance copy of The Last Lady B from Kaye Publicity, all opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I was not compensated in any way for this review or for any other promotion/publicity I’ve done related to this book.
