Lord Seeks Wife

By Heather Barnett

By Serpentine Books

What it’s about?

Take 1,000 women, add one earl and whip into a media frenzy.

Reclusive academic Lord Noblet de Beeble doesn’t want to get married but his overbearing mother, Lady Caroline, is insisting he must. When he places an advert for a wife in the Situations Vacant section of his local newspaper, the national press pick up the story. A desperate Noblet calls on his handsome younger brother, Henry, to help him navigate the subsequent media frenzy.

Among the hordes of hopeful candidates to descend on the village of Gently Rising is the beautiful and mysterious Mia Wild, who befriends local primary school teacher, Alice Brand. Alice has been looking for something to spice up her life, but getting embroiled in a very public wife-hunt wasn’t what she had in mind.

In a summer packed with suspicious exes, snobbery, social climbers and sausage rolls, Gently Rising will bear witness to a public courtship like no other. But who will come out on top?

What I think:

This is such a fun book that will put a genuine smile on your face.

Noblet, “Nobby” de Beeble is saddled with a ridiculous family name and running the country estate when all he really wants to do is study Wilkie Collins and be left in peace. Instead he responds to relentless pressure from his mother by advertising for a wife.

A national newspaper picks up the story and applications come flooding in. Nobby’s brother Henry steps in to help him devise a way to whittle down the candidate and come up with some challenges to help Nobby choose.

Some of the local women enter the contest, ambitious social climber Sinead, lovely school teacher Alice and village newcomer, glamorous Mia.

Add to the mix the village of Gentle Rising, full of eccentric neighbours and busy bodies.

Alice is my favourite character. Warm-hearted and friendly, she loves her life in Gentle Rising but is longing for a bit of excitement. Mia steps in an gives her a makeover, throws her a birthday party and gives her a much needed confidence boost. I was rooting for Alice all the way through the book.

I also loved Henry’s scheming ex-girlfriend, Saskia, who gets herself into all sorts of trouble as she tries to win Henry back. She manages to upset pretty much everyone in Gentle Rising.

There are some great set pieces that are genuinely funny and some characters who are both completely bonkers and utterly endearing. This is the kind of book that 2021 definitely needs more of!

Heather Barnett has a real gift for comedy – I read her debut novel, Acts of Kindness, earlier this year which was also a great read full of warmth and humour. I definitely recommend adding these books to your reading piles.

About the author:

Heather Barnett has been making things up and writing them down ever since she could hold a pen. She studied English and French at the University of Leeds and has written at every opportunity since, from copywriting to stand-up comedy and sketches. Her influences span Jane Austen and Douglas Adams at one end of the alphabet through to PG Wodehouse at the other.

Her debut novel, Acts of Kindness, was kick-started with the help of sessions at the Faber Academy and Arvon Foundation, and then regularly impeded by her two attention-seeking cats. She is head of marketing at an agency in Oxfordshire.
Heather’s debut novel, Acts of Kindness was published in March 2021.

Lord Seeks Wife is a hilarious romantic comedy and is her follow-up book.
Please visit Heather’s website (https://www.heatherbarnettauthor.com) to read more.

Follow Heather on: Twitter @WritesHeather Facebook & Instagram @WritesHeather

Thank you to Serpentine Books for my gifted copy of Lord Seeks Wife and for inviting me to be a part of this hilarious of tour.