The Gentleman's Confession by Anneka R. Walker

The Gentleman's Confession
by Anneka R. Walker

ISBN-13: 9781639933020
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Released: October 22, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Brookeside, England, 1822. Jemma Fielding has always considered herself an independent woman, but to honor her beloved grandmother’s dying wish, she makes a promise that she will marry and fall in love. To fulfill her promise, she turns to the Matchmaking Mamas Society for assistance and is paired with the charming Mr. Bentley. Though he is everything Jemma could hope for in a match, she is clueless about how to win his heart. Desperate to make a good impression, she seeks guidance from her dearest friend, Miles Jackson, a humble rector.

However, Miles’s secret affection for Jemma has spanned years, and teaching her to love someone else threatens to betray his own heart. Even as he gives Jemma lessons in love, Miles grapples with the challenge of convincing her that Mr. Bentley may be a perfect gentleman but he is not the perfect match for her. Will Miles’s advice in romance reveal the attraction that has quietly blossomed between them, proving that this time, the Matchmaking Mamas may have made a mistake? Miles must decide if he’s brave enough to confess his feelings to Jemma before she is whisked away forever.


My Review:
The Gentleman's Confession is a romance set in 1822 in England. Some aspects of the story were so absurd that it didn't feel realistic. I know it's supposed to be humorous, but one scene had several women cornering Miles in public, and one of those women repeatedly ran her hands through his hair while demanding a lock of his hair. His stepfather or some of his congregation surely would have taken them all to task for behaving so badly, but everyone just excused it as Miles is so perfect that the women couldn't help themselves. Hmm.

When Miles was young, he saved Jemma's cousin from dying. The cousin understandably was half in love with him afterward. Jemma started the rumor that Miles was going to marry her cousin, and now she and his friends all believe this even though Miles has refused to marry her. The cousin has even resigned herself that he isn't going to marry her. I just kept thinking "Gee, what friends--they don't really know him and care more about pressuring him to marry the cousin than about his happiness."

For the first half of the story, I also kept thinking that none of this would happen if he'd just get a backbone. He'd tell people "no" but was "too kind" to firmly convince people that he really meant it. But he did finally realize this and started to change, which redeemed him in my estimation. As Jemma was the cause of her own misery and refused to even consider changing her stance until her cousin took things in hand, I had a little more trouble feeling pity for her.

However, all of the characters were generally likable. Historical details served more as a backdrop than as necessary to the story. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this humorous story.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.