Hampshire, 1818
To her family, Olivia Middleton is a problem of the most vexing sort. With her eldest two sisters married off, Olivia is now the target of her mother’s matrimonial scheming. Shy and somewhat plain, Olivia prefers the thrill of a gothic novel to the hunt for a husband. And as far as her family is concerned, something must be done… But Olivia has no interest in the men paraded before her.
Only the charming and infuriating Mr. William Cross (a rake in the making, and certainly not a suitable husband) holds the slightest fascination for her…
After watching his father die of a broken heart, William has sworn never to wed for a love match. Yet he’s intrigued by the bookish Olivia. And though he tried, staying away from her turns out to be impossible. But a scandalous liaison lands them both on the marriage block, William is shocked when Olivia refuses to wed for anything less than love – propriety be damned.
Now William must do the unthinkable… learn to love his reluctant fiancee.
"Engaging, funny, sweet, and so so readable...I adored (William and Olivia's) flirtation, their rich, unexpected dialogue, and every moment spent with them from page one until the end." --Night Owl Reviews, Top Pick
"I loved the story! Olivia was charming and William was a great match for here. I thoroughly enjoyed this little gem." --XxTainaxX Curvy and Nerdy, Goodreads
"Ms. Maxton can spin a Scandal of NAUGHTINESS with the best of them & made me laugh so hard I cried, so she earns my top score of 5 fingers up & 10 toes for her twisted tale of lovers of the written word!" --Patty McKenna Van Hulle, Goodreads
A splendid novella tracing the romancing between Miss Olivia Middleton and the rather dashing Mr. William Cross. Olivia is the youngest unmarried daughter her mother is determined to marry off, preferably to a Baron or beyond. The problem is Olivia would prefer to read than ride horses or flirt (not ...more
4.5 stars Loved it!!
To pass the time, she turned to the mantel and examined the figurines placed there. The one nearest was a porcelain cow. Rather ugly, she thought, as she lifted it and turned it over in her hands....more
“Searching for ghosts?”
She jumped, and the cow flew out of her hand.
Mr. Cross
Olivia Middleton is the happiest crawled up with a good book (I love her already), but she is the last unmarried daughter of her family & her scheming mom wants to go to house party STALK her next prey aka son-in-law. Mr. William cross is there with his glorious hair, dazzling eyes & he is a walking ...more
If you have just a couple of hours to immerse yourself in a regency romance, Lily Maxton’s A Love Match is a great choice that just hit the market. This novella is the third one in Maxton’s Sisters of Scandal series, and it features a delightful bookworm named Olivia Middleton who catches the attent ...more
Short stories are not very popular with me. I tend to feel rushed or unfulfilled. Sometimes the character development suffers. This was definitely not the case here. I loved the story! Olivia was charming and William was a great match for here. I thoroughly enjoyed this little gem. ...more
3.5 ★★★★ rounded up to four. Very sweet short story about the misfit sister who finds true love with the man who never intends to marry. ...more
Only thought i have is that this was short and sweet. Nothing amazing but read and enjoyed in one sitting. Characters are decent but nothing special.
arc from NetGalley ...more
Olivia is the third sister in her family. Her elder sisters are happily married to men they love. Her mother wants Olivia to make a good match. Only a title will do.
William is known as a women charmer. He is personable and handsome and he has vowed he will only marry when he finds a love match. In h ...more
Olivia and William. Four to five chapters to resolve their differences. A happy ending. I felt satisfied. ...more
If you want a nice short story with all the good romance troupes, you're in luck! ...more
I don't like the insta-love (but hey, it's a novella! What do you expect), but other than that, I like it. ...more
The Love Match (A Sisters of Scandal Novella) by Lily Maxton
Overview by Amazon:
Hampshire, 1818
To her family, Olivia Middleton is a problem of the most vexing sort. With her eldest two sisters married off, Olivia is now the target of her mother's matrimonial scheming. Shy and somewhat plain, Olivia p ...more
Oooh, what a yummy book! Olivia is the last unmarried daughter of three in her family and her mother is scheming any way she can to get her married and she wants him to carry a title. But Olivia isn't interested in any of the men her mother has brought her way. She would much rather curl up with a g ...more
A bookworm and a writer? A match made in heaven--with an absolutely sigh-worthy proposal. Why don't more proposals involve books? An oversight, surely...
Olivia's the last remaining Middleton sister--we saw her two elder siblings marry in The Affair and The Wager , and though she's happy for t ...more
3.5 stars.
After one well-behaved sister went from a countess to a bookseller’s wife and the other went from an outspoken, unmarriageable prospect to a countess, Olivia is the only unmarried Middleton left – and she has quite a lot to live up to. The trouble is that unlike her sisters, Olivia is nei ...more
3 1/2 stars - also posted @ Girl meets Books
Why did I want to read this book?
I absolutely adored The Wager, book 2 in the Sisters of Scandal novella series by Lily Maxton. That was my first book from this author so I’m really excited to read another one of hers.
What worked for me?
The chemistry be ...more
This delightful historical romance novella is the story of Olivia and William. Having had two sisters end up in marriages tainted by scandal, Olivia knows she is expected to make a proper match, preferably with a gentleman of high society. When she meets William, a writer and book lover himself, she ...more
This is book 3 in the Sisters of Scandal series.
Since her two older sister have gotten married, Olivia Middleton is the sole focus of her mother who is trying to get her married to a man with a title. Going to a house party where she can mingle with eligible men, Olivia would much rather be in the l ...more
A young woman ruined by choice by a man who frustrates and intrigues her. Olivia was an interesting female protagonist. She has no desire to marry the men her mother presents to her. They're men of society but they don't catch her eye like Mr. William Cross does. According to her mother, William is ...more
One of the most important events for a young woman of marriageable age to attend is a country house party. Even though the last thing Olivia wants to do is find a man, she is forced to put herself on the market. When she meets the handsome and unentitled William, she never suspects she might have me ...more
Our heroine Olivia is a stand-offish wallflower interested in very little beyond wiling away her time reading. She assumes that—unlike her older sisters—she’ll eventually become a spinster, a label that does not concern her in the least. Which is unfortunate, as she is also cursed with a title-hungr ...more
A perfectly sweet and lovely historical romance novella, The Love Match was a nice and quick read that I really liked.
Both characters in this book were good. Olivia was quiet, shy, and somewhat socially awkward. But, she had a quiet brand of strength and it kept her determined to do what made her h ...more
I'm seeing consistently good stories out of this author...she's on my favorites list for sure. This story involves the third Middleton sister, Olivia, who is bookish. All these years, her way of dealing with her mother was to remain out of sight and to hide who she is. But now that her two older sis ...more
William and Olivia see thru each other pretty much right away. She knows that beneath the charming and flirtatious mask that he shows the work, William is hiding the real man. And he quickly realizes that while everyone else sees a dull and unusual woman, there is something quite engaging about Oliv ...more