Cloudy With A Chance Of Marriage (The Impossible Bachelors, #3) by Kieran Kramer
Historical Romance
April 26, 2011
Paperback
St. Martin’s

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “ She wouldn’t have appreciated Pride and Prejudice…. I’m saving it for someone who has spirit, style, and good looks.”

Cloudy With A Chance Of Marriage is a fun quirky historical romance who’s rambunctious characters and exasperated situations only add to the over all appeal. Smoothly written with a predictable plot line, I found myself nether less captivated by the protagonist’s, Jilly and Stephan. Their delightful flirtatious banter sets the tone of the story as we are introduced to the residents of Dreare street.

Jilly Jones is a bookstore owner who has the misfortune to live next store to Captain Stephan Arrow. Fresh out of the Royal Navy, Stephan is mixing it up with friends as he prepares his home for sale. Jilly and Stephan mix together like oil and water in the beginning. His loud parties just won’t do as Jilly is trying to make her book shop successful.

When Stephan’s obnoxious relatives arrive unannounced to stay with him for the season and try to push off their unwed daughter on him, he knows he must act fast. He proposes a deal with Jilly. Allow him to pretend court her and he will owe her a favor. Jilly isn’t happy about this as she is trying very hard to keep a low profile on Dreare street. But she agrees and soon Stephan and Jilly are beyond acting and the feelings between them deepen.

When the residents of Dreare street are informed that the “dirt beneath them” is owned by someone else (Ok, I laughed hard at that one) and they have just a few weeks to come up with the money or lose the land under their homes, Jilly decides they will hold a street fair. She wants the street and her friends to be happy. This brings much unwanted attention to Jilly and her secret becomes known.

The plot revolves mainly around Jilly and Stephan but the underlying storyline deals with a serious subject-the mistreatment of women by men in that era. In here we see many examples of the double standards that woman endured back then. We see Stephan pursuing Jilly not thinking (at first) beyond his own gratification. His attentions could ruin her yet all he thinks about is the next kiss. I like that Ms. Kramer finds away to engage this subject without breaking the overall jovial feel of the book.

I found Jilly and Stephan to be quite likable with their witty yet seductive bantering. They are both fun, handsome and strong willed characters. The chemistry between them sizzles off the pages. Stephan wants Jilly and tries his best to shock her into having a dalliance with him. Jilly has had a hard life and just wants a safe place to live with family and friends around her. Jilly knows right off the bat what Stephan wants and it’s quite funny as she flirts with him one minute but puts him down the next. I’ll admit I found Stephan boorish at times. Especially when he blames Jilly for keeping the secret from him-claiming it was all too sordid and wrong. I couldn’t help but feel his whole reason for anger was he was more embarrassed then anything. I loved that Jilly’s best friend Otis stands up for her and reminds Stephan that- A. He doesn’t know the whole story and B. He started all of this after repeated warnings it was not what Jilly wanted.

The secondary characters are just as lovable as Jilly and Stephan. The round out the storyline quite well. Otis, Jilly’s flamboyant fashionista provides much comical drama and theatrics throughout this book. Yet his love for Jilly is forever constant. The curmudgeon Lady Dumchamp who’s talks of doom and gloom can’t help but make you laugh. Stephan’s relatives, The Hartley’s, are so deliciously annoying with their bad manners and nosiness. We, of course, see Prinny in here as he was the one who named Stephan and his cohorts the impossible Bachelors. Our villain was a bit confusing to me. He just didn’t seem scary or dastardly. He comes across rather pathetic. There are some scenes between him and Jilly that were out there in left field and made me feel like I was missing something.

The ending is pretty predictable for our lovers and the street but most romances are. That’s what makes them so popular. Not the HEA itself, but the journey there. All in all Stephan’s journey to matrimony was a delightful addition to the Impossible Bachelors series.

Rating: C

Recent Reviews:
The Book Girl – 5/5
Romancing Rakes – 4/5
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