Talk Sweetly to Me by Courtney Milan

The Basics:
Talk Sweetly to Me by Courtney Milan
Self-pubbed
Book 4.5 in the Brothers Sinister series
Historical Romance
Published August 19, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

I love Courtney Milan's books. 


Blurb:

Nobody knows who Miss Rose Sweetly is, and she prefers it that way. She’s a shy, mathematically-minded shopkeeper’s daughter who dreams of the stars. Women like her only ever come to attention through scandal. She’ll take obscurity, thank you very much. 

All of England knows who Stephen Shaughnessy is. He’s an infamous advice columnist and a known rake. When he moves into the house next door to Rose, she discovers that he’s also wickedly funny, devilishly flirtatious, and heart-stoppingly handsome. But when he takes an interest in her mathematical work, she realizes that Mr. Shaughnessy isn’t just a scandal waiting to happen. He’s waiting to happen to her…and if she’s not careful, she’ll give in to certain ruination. 

My thoughts:

Talk Sweetly to Me is an utterly charming, adorable novella featuring mathematics genius Rose Sweetly and the charmingly outrageous Stephen Shaunnesy who featured in The Suffragette Scandal as well.

Put bluntly, the conflict here is one of race and social expectations. It was entirely enough to entertain and delight for this novella-length story. Racial tensions being what they are in the world, I always find it difficult territory for novels to tread. Milan's book handles the topic deftly, not minimizing the issue but also not making it an insurmountable problem.

I loved Stephen's courtship of Rose; his easy, friendly, fun nature was a welcome contrast to all the dark, brooding, arrogant jerks that I've read in historical romances. Truly, there's something appealing about the latter as well, but Stephen was simply so enjoyable to read. For her part, Rose was a delight - brilliant and shy. I was cheering her on, grinning whenever she let her guard down a little.

I'm sad that this series is coming to an end, but I know that whatever Milan is working on next, I'll be on board.

Bottom line:

Talk Sweetly to Me is a delightful way to spend an evening. Read it, love it, tell me about it!

5 stars
For fans of Courtney Milan, smart heroines, cheeky heroes, historical romance