A Touch of Romance by Paullett Golden (Blog Tour Review)

I am so pleased to be included on the blog tour for the newest addition to the Romantic Encounters anthologies! Without a doubt, Paullett Golden never fails to have me swooning over her sweet heroes. From the short and sweet bits of flash fiction (The Enigmatic Earl and The Governess were my favorites) to the short novel nestled inside this anthology.

A Touch of Romance follows the romance of another member of the literary society from |A Dash of Romance|. I was a little worried going in, as it took me a little while to warm up to Leila and Jules. Once I did, I had the hardest time putting the book down. Leila’s family has an understanding with Mr. Trowbridge, a man whose family is influential within the East India Company that Mr. Owen (Leila’s father) works for. Always the ambitious man, Mr. Owen has spent years away from home in India working his way up the ladder. Leila’s betrothal is another step towards achieving his goal.

A loyal and devoted daughter, Leila has a matter-of-fact perspective regarding her future. She comes across as an odd mixture of resigned with a thread of tension and underlying passion and hopes for a love match. These flashes of passion flare noticeably after she meets Jules and develops a tendre for him. These complex emotions made Leila and the romance feel authentic and compelling.  She seemed a bit silly but I was cheering on the pairing from the start. Leila’s schemes to fight for her love and future made the second half of the story hard to put down. This had me cringing a fair amount, saying “Oh, that’s a terrible idea” and then cheering when Jules agreed with me. 

Jules, a newly appointed Regius Professor, enchants Leila during a writing retreat. The only two poets in attendance, the two are forced to partner during a clever game of charades. After sharing their poetry, Leila and Jules begin to fall for each other. While weaving a sweet, heart-warming romance together over the course of the writing retreat the stakes are even higher when it comes time for Leila to return home to her obligation.

I need to mention how much I loved all the little bits of Persian culture and language that Golden wove into the story. Not only was it incredibly interesting, but it gave Leila and her family depth that is sometimes lacking in shorter novels. 

Now, I love Percy (you can |read my review| from A Dash of Romance but just take it from me that I adore him) but that man has his lady love. Cameo or not, my absolute favorites of the supporting cast had to be Anik and Anil! I sincerely hope to see these delightful mischief makers again because I haven’t giggled so much while reading a HR in ages. That isn’t to say the rest of the supporting cast weren’t brilliant in their own ways! I did struggle a bit with Mr. and Mrs. Owens but I admit they were doing what they thought was best for their daughter.

Overall, A Touch of Romance was a heartwarming romance that had me swooning and appreciating poetry even if I didn’t catch all the metaphors and themes. By the end, I even took a chance and kept reading while running (on a treadmill) because I had to see how Golden was going to save their HEA. It was absolutely worth the risk, and I closed the book with a happy sigh and heart. Jules and Leila are a delightful couple and I can hardly wait to see Isobel and the rest of the society lady’s HEAs.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.