One Week to Wed — a review

REVIEW

It’s been a while since I’ve read historical romance. This is mostly because I get frustrated with the anachronisms. Fashion is wrong, decorum is wrong, etiquette is wrong. It seems like new historical romance authors don’t feel that research is important. This is not the case with Laurie Benson’s One Week to Wed. You can tell that she truly put effort into learning about the subject she was writing. Something else that I appreciated was that descriptions of clothing and surroundings are kept to a minimum. While they do occur, it’s less as an info dump on how much she knows and more just a part of the story. A description in Andrew’s voice of Charlotte’s wedding dress, a mention of clothing as she’s getting dressed, an artist’s name dropped when discussing Andrew’s likes. It all flows together beautifully to create a world that is rich in texture without being overbearing. Her story follows her characters and their emotions more than their position in society and the world in which they move.

Her research into the political climate of Britain in the early 1800s is also prevalent and plays a large part of the story. There is a sideline tension throughout that helps move the story through the slower parts and adds that little bit of “what’s going on?” that many stories seem to be lacking.

Benson also manages to work a very real issue into her story in a way that is both appropriate and respectful to modern readers. Her portrayal of PTSD is to be commended. Obviously, they didn’t have the diagnosis then, and people with it suffered mostly in silence, but she treated the issue with respect and care and showed how truly isolating it was and can be. There was no fanfare, and sadly, in keeping with the era she was writing in, no real solution. However, it also wasn’t just brushed aside. My heart broke in reading the scene where it became apparent that Andrew suffered from it.

Overall, this book was an easy and enjoyable read. Her afterword mentions that she wrote it about hope…and that is what the story is. Her characters constantly hope, even if they won’t admit it to themselves or seem resigned, that the situation will improve and they will get something more. It’s a sweet story of love with a bit of action, some family drama, and a touch of political intrigue. One Week to Wed is a great summer read, and I look forward to more about the Sommersby sisters.

BLURB

One Stolen Night…leads to unexpected wedding vows!

Widowed Lady Charlotte Gregory believes she’ll never love again after losing her husband, until meeting dashing Lord Andrew Pearce brings her respectable, lonely world back to vibrant life! Left alone one night, they give in to their desires only to find their secret passion leads to shock, scandal…and a sudden marriage of convenience.

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Laurie Benson is an award-winning author who writes flirty and frisky Regency romance novels. She began her writing career as an advertising copywriter, where she learned more than you could ever want to know about hot dogs and credit score reports. Her novel An Unexpected Countess was voted Harlequin’s 2017 Hero of the Year by readers.
When she isn’t at her laptop avoiding laundry, Laurie can be found browsing antique shops, going on ridiculously long hikes, or sitting in her car on the school pickup line. She lives with her husband and two sons in a house filled with testosterone—even her bunny is a boy.

To learn about her upcoming books, visit her historical blog, and to sign up for her newsletter go to www.lauriebenson.net.

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