YotH: Love is Blind by Lynsay Sands

Blurb via lynsaysands.net: THERE’S MANY A SLIP…

He’d been warned that Lady Clarissa Crambray was dangerous. Stomping on toes and burning piffles, the chestnut haired beauty was clearly a force with which to be reckoned. But for Adrian Montfort, Earl of Mowbray, veteran of the Napoleonic wars, this was just the challenge he needed. He could handle one woman and her “unfortunate past”. Could any woman handle him?

‘TWIXT THE CHIT & HIS LIPS

Lady Clarissa Crambray wanted a husband, but maybe not as much as her mother wanted tone for her. Really! Doffing her spectacles might make a girl prettier, but how would she see? She’d already caused enough mayhem to earn a rather horrible nickname. Yet, as all other suitors seemed to shy away in terror, there came a man to lead her to the dance floor. A dark, handsome blur of a man.

Clumsy Clarissa was about to stumble onto true love. 
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I can't believe I'm actually making a contribution to this challenge this month. Yay!!! I've been reading historicals every month, but just haven't gotten up the oomph to post a real review.

I adored both the hero and heroine in this romance. They were sweet and totally adorable together and complemented each other perfectly. Just when it seemed the wicked stepmother got too over the top, she showed some vulnerability, so that went well for me, too.

Clarissa is practically blind without her spectacles, which her stepmother refused to let her wear (and in fact broke intentionally). She is afraid that if Adrian sees her with her glasses on, he'll think she's ugly. A notion brought on by her stepmother. Adrian, in turn, is scarred from the war, and is afraid that if Clarissa sees him with her glasses on, she'll be horrified and think he's ugly. So he does what he can to delay the return of a new pair of glasses. Each of them thinking that it's just until the other falls in love with them.

Of course, Adrian thinks she's funny, and honest, and refreshing, and sweet, and yes, beautiful. And Clarissa thinks he's wonderful, open, supportive, and handsome (hey - she's not completely blind, just very near-sighted!). For all the talking these two do, and they do a lot of it, they didn't share the fact that they loved each other. Grrrrr. But still, it worked.

I guessed the whodunnit in the very light secondary mystery plot very early on, but the fact that I had to open the book back up to refresh my memory on it tells me that it in no way overshadowed the romance. And the fact that I remember almost every detail about Clarissa and Adrian's courtship tells me it was a good romance.

I loved Adrian's family and Clarissa's father. He definitely wasn't perfect, but I thought his marriage showed some of the realities of the times. And Adrian's family was supportive, nice, and fun.

I laughed out loud at Clarissa's stepmother's wedding night description (seriously, you have to read it to believe it, but it ended with "enjoy your wedding night" after a horrific description - HA!), but thought that Clarissa's reaction to it was a little much once she and Adrian were actually together on their wedding night. Especially given how far they'd gone together before then. But I also know how little that girls knew back then, so was able to overlook it.

Sweet, wonderful romance. It's not often that I adore both the hero and the heroine. I believe it was Dev who first made a note about this book and made me want to read it, so thanks, Dev!

And I've also learned: I should not be posting reviews from my iPhone. Seriously, the typos in the original post over at Goodreads was disgusting. Even after I proofed it. Not good. So if you happen to read any of my reviews there, please know they are all done on my phone, and apparently, I suck at proofing entries there.