title: Look Before You Leap
author: Virginia Heath
publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
publication date: June 24, 2025
pages: 320
peppers: 3 (on this scale)
warnings: none
summary: Lottie, a farmer's daughter from Kent, was raised by her father and four brothers. Rather than work as a farmer, she's brought into London to train as a governess. When she can't control her urges to ride horses, even after crashing into a Viscount and knocking him off his horse, or to defend her honor from her employer's jerky son, she gets fired...and then hired as a lady's companion to a grumpy older woman who actually appreciates Lottie's honesty and sass. Her new employer, who turns out to be the aunt of the viscount from her riding accident, ends up bringing Lottie with her to Kent to arrange an over-the-top house party to try to marry off her nephew, who, having been burned by love before, wants no part of the match-making scheme of his mother and aunt.
tropes:
- grumpy-sunshine
- grumpy older woman with a heart of gold
- don't marry the wrong girl
- mixed-level love
- vapid suitors
what I liked: her sassiness and humor
what I didn’t like: none of it
overall rating: 5 (of 5 stars)