Molly Graham doesn’t believe in love at first sight or fairy tales. She’s been burned too many times before. But when she stumbles across a very handsome British professor, Albert George, seeking refuge in her office during the Museum of Literature’s Valentine’s Day gala for the opening of their Austen exhibit, she can’t help but be drawn to the fellow introverted academic. Together, they ghost out of the event and embark upon a monthlong love affair. Just as she’s rethinking her stance on happily ever afters, he disappears.

Afraid something bad has happened, she searches for him only to discover there is no Albert George affiliated with the university. She’s been played for a fool. But when she travels to England to return the Jane Austen exhibition materials on loan from the Whitmore Estate, Molly is introduced to Earl Whitmore and his grandson Lord Insley – or, as she knows him, Albert George. She is shocked and dismayed to discover she’s fallen in love with a viscount in line to be an earl.

Although he had to leave her unexpectedly, he hasn’t been able to forget her, and he wants to win her back. But she refuses to be taken in twice. He’ll have to channel his inner Fitzwilliam Darcy to prove to her that love conquers all.

This was my first time reading this author, and while the story was sweet and clean with minor language and no spice, it ultimately felt pretty average. Nothing truly stood out. The premise read like a cardboard cutout of a familiar hidden identity royal romance, hitting all the expected beats without adding anything fresh to the mix.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was perfectly fine. Since this is a novella, it was a quick listen at a little over three hours, easy to finish in a day or even one sitting. I was engaged enough to keep going and did care about the characters on a surface level, but I never felt deeply invested in them or emotionally connected. The banter was decent, and there were a few moments that made me smile or laugh, but again, nothing particularly memorable.

For a story framed around Valentine’s Day, the holiday itself felt underused. The story begins around the holiday, then jumps ahead a few months, and from there, the Valentine’s theme all but disappears. That shift made the premise feel a bit hollow. The overall plot leaned heavily into familiar romcom tropes and felt very predictable. Because it is a novella, the story never fully develops, and the ending in particular felt rushed and incomplete. With more space to breathe and more time spent with the characters, this could have been a stronger and more emotionally satisfying story.

Overall, it was cute, light, and mildly entertaining, but ultimately forgettable. If you are in the mood for a quick, predictable, closed-door romance with moderately likable characters, this will probably work for you. That said, I am still open to trying one of this author’s full-length novels to see if her longer work offers more depth and impact.