Chasing Her London Season Goals

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Source: Review Copy from Publisher

Marianne Mowbry, the eldest daughter of a family of ten, desperately yearns for a different life for herself. Life at the rectory is challenging and chaotic – funds are always in short supply, her siblings are unruly, and her mother depends solely on Marianne to assist with domestic duties and childcare. But luckily for Marianne, she receives the opportunity to spend a London season with her wealthy aunt. And Marianne hopes it will change her future…

Marianne dreams of becoming a smashing London success – known for her wit, charm, and originality. She wishes to have lots of admiring suitors, make a smart match, and live all her days enjoying the excitement and elegance of London society. In short, she wants to embody all the traits, talents, and experiences of a quintessential romantic heroine, and this season is Marianne’s one chance to make her London dreams come true! Will they come true? Or will the reality of London society cause Marianne to rethink her ambitious desires?

Flirtations, follies, false friends, and foolishness – Marianne experiences it all in this novel! Even though she is at the mature age of twenty-five, Marianne is a bit naive and clueless. I really enjoyed how Elizabeth Rasche sympathetically and sensitively illustrated Marianne’s growth and journey throughout her season – all her dreamy notions, her comparisons to literary heroines, and her reflective discoveries. In the beginning I did find Marianne to be a little bit unreasonable with some of her expectations and a little too heavily focused on her own self-interest. But we all have flaws and I greatly appreciated witnessing the progress Marianne made with becoming aware of her own character failings and improving herself.

One aspect I especially enjoyed about Flirtation and Folly was seeing characters and situations that felt a bit familiar. It is clear that Elizabeth Rasche is a devoted Jane Austen fan! Marianne’s experience of traveling away from her crowded home for the first time reminded me of Catherine Morland, her mother’s situation of being the poorest of three sisters felt reminiscent of Mrs. Price, and Marianne’s supposedly invalid aunt who adores her apothecary put me in mind of Mr. Woodhouse! And this is just a small sampling. I love the clever and understated way Ms. Rasche inserted echoes and nods to Jane Austen’s characters throughout he story – her subtlety is very Jane Austen-like.

This Regency romance perceptively portrays what happens when realities don’t align with expectations. Marianne isn’t the only character with ambitions and ideals. There is more than one unmarried woman who is seeking to improve her situation, more than one unmarried man hoping to secure either beauty, companionship, or wealth, and one character striving to restore what he lost. It was interesting to observe the successes and failures of everyones’ goals, and be reminded of the importance of knowing and remaining true to oneself.

Although this story focuses on and thoughtfully illustrates individual personal growth, I personally wouldn’t have minded seeing some more relationship development – especially between Marianne and Mr. Hearn, and Marianne and her Aunt Harriet. I thought all these characters were well-drawn and would have loved for more interactions between them.  Again similar to Jane Austen, there is romance, but it is subtle. 

Flirtation and Folly is a captivating and compelling debut that is sure to delight fans of traditional Regency romances and Jane Austen. I found much to admire in Elizabeth Rasche’s engaging characters, eloquent prose, and timeless themes. I am so happy to learn that this is book one of a series and that there will be more from Elizabeth Rasche in the future!

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