DARING IN A BLUE DRESS - Katie MacAlister
Matchmaker in Wonderland , Book 3
Signet
ISBN: 978-1101990667
June 2016
Contemporary Romance

England - Present Day

Alden Ainslie's sister-in-law fancies herself a matchmaker. So when she tells Alden she's sending him a potential girlfriend to the house he's renovating, he's suitably nervous. Incredibly shy, Alden always finds himself either being completely tongue-tied, or saying the wrong thing whenever he's around women. So when a surprise new arrival, Mercy, shows up as part of a medieval reenactors group taking over his lawn for the month, he's amazed at how easily she finds a way to get him to open up.

Mercy was supposed to be a nanny for the summer, but when the job falls through at last notice, she takes up the offer to work as a general assistant for the Hard Days Knights as they host a medieval weapons training camp in the middle of nowhere. After sharing a room with Alden, since her own room in the run-down house had mice, she finds he's not only attractive, but fun to talk to . . . at least when he isn't getting tongue-tied. He may say all the wrong things in person, but he writes the sweetest notes, and she can't make herself stay away from him. And when the house he's renovating seems like it's trying to kill Alden, Mercy thinks there's something a little more sinister going on. So if Alden is too shy to figure it out on his own, it's up to her to discover what's really happening.

Katie MacAlister is always a treat to read, with her quirky sense of humor and comfortable writing style. I always find myself chuckling through her books, devouring them in one sitting, and DARING IN A BLUE DRESS is no different. MacAlister knows how to create genuine characters that feel true-to-life despite the odd circumstances they might get thrown into. And as wild and fun as the book seems in the beginning, the plot always thickens.

This book is a perfect mix of humor and romance, with a little mystery thrown in to keep readers on their toes. Long time readers of Katie MacAlister might recognize some of the character names from one of her older titles, which was a cute and unexpected throwback. If you like quirky and fun, look no further than DARING IN A BLUE DRESS.

This book can easily be read as a standalone, though Alden's siblings have been featured in the previous two novels, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ALICE (JAN 2015) and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S ROMP (MAY 2015). Interested readers might want to make note that the series title has changed from Ainslie Brothers to Matchmaker in Wonderland . Expect THE PERILS OF PAULIE to release in January 2017.

Amanda Toth