A Lady Would Know Better
Historical Romance
Entangled
January 28th, 2025
Paperback, Ebook, Audiobook
352
Get ready to swoon for this dreamy, forget-me-not romance that’s filled with the delightful tartness of Jane Austen and the sweeping, unputdownable drama of Bridgerton. There are many things an English lord might encounter on the grounds of his wintry estate. Trees. Birds. Perhaps a wandering gamekeeper. Instead, the Earl of Belhaven finds a woman in the snow, unconscious and nearly frozen to death. Then her luminous gray eyes open just long enough for her to plead, “Don’t let them get me.” Now Jasper Maycott has his hands full with a woman who has absolutely no memory of who she is or where she came from―to say nothing of her name! Just a gold ring, some fine clothes, and a penchant for pert conversation. But while “Jane” dresses and speaks quite like a lady, Jasper can’t make any assumptions. After all, she could be a crafty fortune hunter...albeit a charming and unutterably beautiful one. Only there’s no room for romantic love in the Earl of Belhaven’s world. There is just grim duty, a lingering sense of loss, and the knowledge that love―in any form―can only bring heartbreak in its wake. But while a lady should know better, the heart heeds no rules...even if its every beat portends the danger she was running from.
Oh dear, oh dear!
“A Lady Would Know Better” started off with quite an interesting premise. Finding a woman with slight amnesia in the snow, without a horse or any other person around, is a mysterious and near thrilling start to a story. Jasper Maycott finds “Jane” on his estate with a visible head injury, and she whispers “don’t let them get me” before losing consciousness in his arms. This leads to an honor-bound hosting of Jane in his home while he and his sisters work to help Jane remember who she is, and where she came from.
It was a promising premise that fell a little flat.
I appreciated Jasper and his sisters being a little progressive in their ideals throughout the story. It was clear that they respected Jane, and a woman’s right to be more than a doll on the arm of a worthy man. Even so, I didn’t believe in the love story that transpired between Jasper and Jane. It wasn’t built on much more than physical attraction, which they both felt pretty much immediately upon her waking up in Jasper’s house.
Perhaps a little more conversation, and less misunderstandings.
There are two instances where Jasper makes almost the same exact mistake, leading to Jane being hurt, but ultimately forgiving Jasper. When they’re together with others in the room, it feels like Jasper is too grumpy and she’s more than willing to poke at him. This is fine, but when they’re alone they don’t explore their commonalities enough. It didn’t feel like they knew enough about each other to declare love between them.
Final Thoughts
Jane’s whispered secret of “don’t let them get me” led me to believe there would be a little bit more danger surrounding Jane. The reveal of what she was initially running away from did not carry enough suspense, and Jane really could have shined a little stronger in those moments. Jane dismissed her gut instincts that things were going wrong, which was out of character for how she’s portrayed while living with Jasper.
“A Lady Would Know Better” was a light read, and enjoyable, but slightly off the mark for my personal preference.
Kristin lives in the PNW with her husband, and three kids. She loves to read YA fiction, fantasy, and romance. She enjoys a few side-hustles, including creating bookreels/booktoks for authors. The only shows she watches are re-runs, and if she’s not reading a book, she’s listening to one.
