Genre: Historical Romance
Setting: Regency England
POV: 3rd Person
Sensuality: Warm
Violence: Mild
Format: Print (this book is sadly out-of-print but you can get affordable used copies)
Why I Read It: I adore Jo Goodman’s writing & I’ve been hoarding my used copies of her Compass Club series
My Grade: B+
This review was written for Keishon’s monthly TBR Challenge.
Let Me Be the One is the first book in Jo Goodman’s Compass Club series. The premise of the series is as follows: four friends attending an elite English boarding school form their own club to defend themselves from the bullies. They call themselves The Compass Club and are known by their nicknames North, South, East and West. Their bond lasts into adulthood. This is North’s story.
Brendan David Hampton, Earl of Northam, promises his mentor, Colonel Blackwood, that he’ll check up the welfare of his niece, Elizabeth Penrose. Blackwood is concerned at his niece’s unusual living arrangements, and suspects that she’s hiding something from him.
When North is invited to a house party hosted by the Battenburn’s, the married couple with whom Libby lives, it provides him with the ideal opportunity to fulfil his promise to the Colonel, plus continue his covert investigation into a serious of thefts carried out by the so-called Gentleman Thief.
Libby Penrose is reserved to the point of rudeness. She’s unnerved by North’s apparent interest in her, yet cannot deny her attraction to him. Libby harbours too many secrets to risk intimacy with anyone, least of all the handsome, charismatic Earl of Northam. However, he contrives to spend as much time with her as possible, and she’s sorely tempted to succumb to temptation.
When North is wrongly accused of being the Gentleman Thief, Libby saves him by claiming he spent the previous night with her. This scandal obliges them to marry as soon as possible. Although they are physically attracted to one another, and soon grow to love one another, Libby’s secrets are an impediment to their future happiness.
The premise of Let Me Be the One contains several elements I try to avoid when choosing an historical romance: friends who form a club; spies; jewellery thieves. In the hands of a lesser writer, this could have been just another run-of-the-mill Regency-set historical. Through deft characterization and excellent pacing, Jo Goodman makes this a compelling read.
Jo Goodman’s style is not for everyone, but I love her slow reveals. This story unfolds gradually, but by the end, the reader has all the information they need about the characters’ backstory and motivations.
I almost gave Let Me the One an ‘A’ grade but a couple of things Libby did towards the end of the book irritated me. However, it is still a very enjoyable book and one which kept me up well past my bedtime.
Other Reviews of Let Me Be the One:
Romance Rookie – A
The Romance Reader – 4 out of 5 hearts
Mrs Giggles – 50 out of 100
{ 8 comments }
I am working my way through the Compass Club books on audio. I loved “All I ever Needed” (East’s book), and am now halfway through “All I Ever Wanted” (South’s book), which is actually very similar (passive heroine who keeps secrets). I think this one will be next!
@RRRJessica: I’ve been keeping an eye out for affordable used copies of this series for the past couple of years, and I’ve finally got all four. My next goal is the Dennehy series. I just love her writing!
@Sarah: I know. She does dialogue like nobody’s business. I find the discussions between her heroes and heroines as exciting and suspenseful as car chases and vampire stakings in other subgenres.
I am soo in love with her dialogue!
Which reminds me, I need to chase up some more of her books.
As much as I dislike historicals, I have loved the few I have managed to get my hands on of Goodmans.
Well you already know what I think, I gave it an A. I just love Jo Goodman’s writing. I will give you a piece of advice. I recommend not reading all four compass club books back to back because they start to seem a little formulatic. (I hope that’s a word and I am too lazy to check the dictionary) It’s just that they all start to blend together.
Maybe try the Dennehy sisters series in between. I love, love loved the last in the series (the sister that’s the nun). Such an incredible book.
I adore Jo Goodman’s writing and her stories. I came to her rather late and am slowly reading through her backlist. I haven’t read her Compass Club books yet.
“The premise of the series is as follows: four friends attending an elite English boarding school form their own club to defend themselves from the bullies. … Their bond lasts into adulthood.”
This series description is exactly the same premise of Jo Beverley’s Rogue series, the first of which pre-dates this book by a decade.
@RRRJessica: @Edie: The interesting thing about Jo Goodman’s style is that it is remarkably light on dialogue in comparison to most romance novels. However, the dialogue she does include in her stories is wonderful.
@Jill D.: Jo Goodman is one of my favourite historical romance authors. I’ve enjoyed all of her books that I’ve read so far.
@Keira Soleore: Confession: I’ve read several of Jo Beverly’s Medievals, but none of her other books. Where should I start?
Sarah, I’d start with her Georgian Malloren series with MY LADY NOTORIOUS. The crowning glory of this series is DEVILISH but the hero Rothgar needs a build-up to truly appreciate his story.
{ 1 trackback }