Hardly a Gentleman by Eloisa James
Hardly a Gentleman is a beautiful, slow-burn romance wrapped in some of my favorite tropes: forced marriage, hidden identity, and a broody widower who absolutely loses his heart while trying not to acknowledge it. Eloisa James delivers a love story that feels both sweeping and deeply intimate — and it’s a journey that is so worth taking.
After an embarrassingly public incident (that wasn’t even her fault), Clara Vetry finds herself banished from London society and sent to the wilds of Scotland. Her fall from grace is sharp, unfair, and painful — and you can’t help but ache for her. On her way north, Clara meets the unfortunately named Mr. Cobbledick (and yes, I absolutely laughed), who mistakes her for the new housekeeper bound for MacCrae’s crumbling castle.
Enter Caelan MacCrae — a man who at first seems almost feral, though not cruel. He simply has no patience for society’s expectations anymore. Having mourned his wife, Caelan has built a life where he answers to no one, including the judgment of others. He immediately recognizes Clara’s deception for what it is but allows it, sensing something different — something alive — in her that he desperately needs.
The slow, simmering connection between Clara and Caelan is the heart of this novel. They fall hard, but it’s anything but easy. Clara must wrestle with the shadow of Caelan’s first wife, believing she’ll never measure up. She also struggles with her own eccentricities — qualities that make her wholly charming to readers, but which she fears make her unfit for the role of “proper lady” she was once groomed for. But yet at the same time, embraces her quirks at the same tme. Watching Clara come to realize she’s exactly who Caelan needs — not in spite of her uniqueness, but because of it — is so deeply satisfying.
Caelan is a hero brimming with unspoken tenderness. His love is fierce but not always articulated, and James does an exquisite job of letting his actions — often gruff, sometimes clumsy — speak louder than his words.
This is a romance about two bruised people who, in finding each other, discover that love doesn’t require perfection — only acceptance. Their road is messy, emotional, and often funny (seriously, Cobbledick!), but every moment of their slow-burn fall into forever is earned. There is a great supporting cast of characters with Caelan’s sister, brother-in-law, nephew, and Wilhelmina (the silkie chicken).If you love hidden identities (that arent’ really hidden), moody Scottish settings, flawed characters who love ferociously, and heroines who embrace their glorious weirdness, Hardly a Gentleman is a must-read. Eloisa James once again proves that love stories are never about fitting into molds — they’re about breaking them wide open.
POV: 3rd Person
3rd ACT BREAK-UP: Yes
SUB-GENRE: Historical
TROPES: Widower; Slow Burn; Forced Marriage; Hidden Identity
SERIES: Accidental Brides book 2
TYPE OF SERIES: Series of Standalones
RELEASE DATE: April 29, 2025
PoP: 82%
Thanks to Avon Books for the ARC! And thanks to Eloisa James for stopping by the Podcast to chat in this Author Spotlight.
