Julie Wright’s AN INCONVENIENT LETTER features Marietta “Etta” Stone and Gerard Hartwell. Etta has fancied herself in love with Gerard’s cousin for years and writes letters confessing this love that she never intends to send. Unfortunately, her sister does just that. Upon finding the letters, Gerard promptly blackmails Etta into helping him win her sister in exchange for his help in getting his cousin’s attention.
The premise of this title is a lot of fun even if similar to others and very contrived. For instance, why would someone address secret love letters they never intend to send to the recipient? Still, I love the “let’s make someone jealous” trope and thought it was done relatively well here.
I really could not reconcile myself to the fact that Etta is only seventeen during the events of the book, even if it is a clean romance (normally this would be points off but I was totally okay with it here). Even Gerard thinks she’s still just a girl at the beginning. This aspect really bothered me. Other than that, I did like both main characters and was happy to see their happily ever after.
There is a lot of telling and not showing throughout the title and that makes for a very slow read for me. I need to see things happening instead of just being told about them.
AN INCONVENIENT LETTER has decent characters and a fun premise but too much telling and not enough showing slows it down too much to be enjoyable personally.
Complications arise when Marietta's secret love letters are accidentally found by the wrong man.
1828, the London countryside
For years, Marietta Stone has harbored a secret infatuation for the handsome Frederick Finch and has poured out her deepest feelings in a series of passionate love letters that she keeps in a locked drawer. But when Marietta's private letters are accidentally delivered to Frederick's house, she must retrieve them immediately before they fall into the wrong hands. If the letters were read by anyone else, the resulting scandal could jeopardize her reputation.
Gerard Hartwell has no time for infatuations, courtship, or even love. He must find a wife with a substantial inheritance if he wishes to save his late father's bankrupt estate. When he accidentally discovers Marietta's love letters at his cousin Frederick's estate, he strikes a bargain with her. If she helps him court her older sister, Anne, he will return the letters and help Marietta win Frederick's heart.
Marietta agrees, and the two quickly pretend to be courting in order to spend time with their individual love interests. Yet, what appeared to be a straightforward bargain becomes complicated when Gerard realizes that the more time he spends with Marietta, the more he wishes he could court her for real. But can he persuade Marietta to give him a chance when her heart might belong to another man?
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