[Review] The Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley
As a master of disguise, Thomasina Wynchester can be a polite young lady--or a bawdy old man. She'll do whatever it takes to solve the cases her family takes on. But when Tommy's beautiful new client turns out to be the highborn lady she's secretly smitten with, more than her mission is at stake . . .
Bluestocking Miss Philippa York doesn't believe in love. Her heart didn't pitter-patter when she was betrothed to a duke, nor did it break when he married someone else. All Philippa desires is to decode a centuries-old manuscript to keep a modern-day villain from claiming credit for work that wasn't his. She hates that she needs a man's help to do it--so she's delighted to discover the clever, charming baron at her side is in fact a woman. But as she and Tommy grow closer and the stakes of their discovery higher, more than just their hearts are at risk.
My thoughts: Oh, how I love the Wynchesters. Chloe and Faircliffe were so fun to read about in The Duke Heist, but I absolutely adored the Sapphic direction Ridley took her Wynchesters in this second book.
Tommy and Philippa were everything. They had immediate attraction and tension, even when Philippa didn't know who she was actually falling for. And that aspect of the plot is truly what made me love this love story: Philippa falling for Tommy was such a beautiful example of love knowing no bounds or genders. Philippa was able to fall for Tommy when she portrayed Baron Vanderbean, the elderly Great Aunt Wynchester, or was just simply Tommy. For Philippa, the issues with falling for Tommy revolved around the fact that Tommy wasn't titled (and would therefore hurt her parents and her charitable standings), rather than the fact that she was a she. Their ups and downs while finding true love were heartfelt and beautiful, and I definitely want to see more Sapphic romances like this one.
Just like Chloe trying to find her place in the first book, Tommy, too, just wants to be herself and be loved for who she is. I loved Tommy's journey throughout The Perks of Loving a Wallflower. The bulk of the plot might revolve around Philippa and her reading circle's plans to bring justice to two overlooked women in history, but it was Tommy's character arc - from her willingness to be Baron Vanderbean in order to be closer to Phillipa, to her decision to either be Tommy for Philippa or be no one at all - that truly made me love this Wynchester sibling.
Of course, this is a Wild Wynchester book, and not just a Tommy Wynchester book. Ridley brings back all of our favorite Wynchesters (and all their Wynchester antics) and features them beautifully throughout the book. After seeing them all again in The Perks of Loving a Wallflower, I absolutely need every single Wynchester to get their own story. They are, hands down, one of my favorite historical romance families.
From crazy ideas and foiling the patriarchy to finding love and following the less-traveled path, The Perks of Loving a Wallflower was a delight from start to finish. If you are looking for a zany yet lovable family, look no further than the Wynchesters and pick up the Sapphic second book in the series today!
A huge thank you to Forever for gifting me a finished copy of The Perks of Loving a Wallflower, and to Erica Ridley for letting me be on her review crew! All opinions expressed in this review are my own; gifted books are provided in exchange for a purely honest review.
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Release date: 10/26/21
Format: paperback
Paperback provided via: the publisher
Format: paperback
Paperback provided via: the publisher
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