AN UNLIKELY PROPOSITION (Unexpected Seasons, 2), by Rosalyn Eves, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), March 5, 2024, Hardcover, $20.99 (young adult)
Two young women set out to define their places in society in An Unlikely Proposition, a sweet YA Regency romance by Rosalyn Eves.
Eleanor did not come to London to be proper and boring. After the death of her husband and a year of mourning, the 17-year-old wants nothing more than her independence and to have a little fun. She’s hardly looking to remarry, despite pressures from her late husband’s nephew, who is keen on obtaining her inheritance. Eleanor quickly devises a plan that includes a fake engagement. What’s not a part of the plan? Falling for a dashing, quiet man outside of her social circle – a man who is not her betrothed. Can she survive the Season with her heart and her fortune intact?
Thalia is determined to begin afresh after a disastrous first Season in London. No romantic distractions, but only her work as a poet and newfound companion to Eleanor. Determined to get her poems published, she struggles to be taken seriously as a female writer. As the spring progresses, Thalia does not expect to take interest in a man from her past (a man who is engaged to her employer, no less!), but some feelings demand to be felt even if the timing isn’t quite right. —Synopsis provided by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
An Unlikely Proposition is the second book in Rosalyn Eves’ Unexpected Seasons series. Although it features a character (Thalia) from the first book in the series, An Improbable Season, An Unlikely Proposition is a standalone novel.
An Unlikely Proposition is told from the alternating viewpoints of Eleanor and Thalia.
While Eleanor comes from a questionable background, she was still able to marry “up.” That gives her some standing in society as a widow, but it’s a tenuous grasp with her late husband’s nephew pushing back at every turn.
Thalia comes from an upstanding family and has the “right” relations, but last season’s faux pas continue to weigh heavily. She’s determined to make a name for herself as a poetess, if only the men in her life would get out of the way.
With themes of social class, gender inequality and romance, An Unlikely Proposition has a lot to offer. It was easier for me to connect with the main characters than with An Improbable Season. Eleanor is strong and determined. And Thalia is much more likeable this time around. She’s matured and it shows.
Eves utilizes two romantic tropes in An Unlikely Proposition — a fake courtship and a love triangle. She does so with ease and they make for some good twists and turns. Her pacing is strong, and the use of alternating narratives keeps things fresh.
An Unlikely Proposition is a chaste romance that should appeal to fans of the genre, young adult and older.
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