Review: The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allain

 

The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allain

Publication Date: January 9th 2024 by Berkley

Pages: 272

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Diana Boyle has discovered her name on a directory of rich, eligible women for “second sons” or other men who need to marry a woman with money, and she’s outraged! She was married at 18 to a man three times her age, so she and her mother wouldn’t go homeless, and the union wasn’t a happy one. Diana is not keen on marrying again. As a widow, why should she give over the wealth and independence she now enjoys? Instead, she writes to the other women on the directory to let them know so they wouldn’t be taken advantage of by fortune hunters.

However, the ladies decide to turn this directory around to their advantage, by letting these men know that they will be deciding the rules of courtship since they are the ones with the advantage. They were able to flout some of the ridiculous rules, like sitting out all the dances if they refused one man’s request.

The Ladies Rewrite the Rules was utterly charming! There were two delightful romances. Both low on drama, which I appreciated. I enjoyed seeing these women turn the tables on men and society where the advantages were usually in the male’s favor and grab up some happiness!

4 Stars

Book Description:

From the author of Mr. Malcolm's List comes a delightful romantic comedy set in Regency England about a widow who takes high society by storm.

Diana Boyle, a wealthy young widow, has no desire to ever marry again. Particularly not to someone who merely wants her for her fortune. 

So when she discovers that she’s listed in a directory of rich, single women she is furious, and rightly so. She confronts Maxwell Dean, the man who published the Bachelor’s Directory , and is horrified to find he is far more attractive than his actions have led her to expect. However, Diana is unmoved by Max’s explanation that he authored the list to assist younger sons like himself who cannot afford to marry unless it’s to a woman of means. 

She gathers the ladies in the directory together to inform them of its existence, so they may circumvent fortune hunters’ efforts to trick them into marriage. Though outraged, the women decide to embrace their unique position of power and reverse the usual gender roles by making the men dance to their tune. And together… the ladies rewrite the rules.