I recently finished reading Mr. Avington’s Game of Hearts by Iris Lim. This Regency book, which comes out on April 2nd, is about Alfred Avington, who is a bit of a flirt. He knows he’s attractive, and he likes female company, but when it comes time to commit to a relationship, he’s gone. Alfred doesn’t plan to marry. He’s willing to admit that.
Quick Plot Details
Alfred Avington is getting up in age (according to Regency standards). Two of his younger brothers are already married, and he’s facing pressure to follow their example. Yet, Alfred never plans to settle down. As long as he just flirts a bit and then lets the woman go, he never has to commit to a real relationship. This season, though, women are starting to drop him instead of him dropping them. Sometimes, it starts before that first dance even. Other times, they refuse to see him after a day or two of flirting.
Alfred can’t figure out what’s going wrong. One woman dropping him is odd, but multiple dropping him is unimaginable. Slowly, Alfred finds a connection between the women dropping him, and this connection is named Tiffany Fletcher. He’s determined to figure out what she has against him and why she’s so set on ruining things for him.
My Thoughts
This was an enjoyable book. While Alfred was presented as a bit of a flirt and jerk with women’s emotions, I never felt like he was unredeemable. I’ve read other Regency novels where there’s the guy who plays with women’s emotions, and you kind of feel like the guy deserves what he gets when he’s put in his place. With Alfred, I was rooting for him to realize the error of his ways and become a good, respectable guy. Even early on, there’s something likable about him.
Series Warning
I have not read the other books in the series. It made sense without having to read the previous books. Generally, I either wish that I’d read the previous books, or I’m neutral about reading them. With this one, I’m glad I didn’t read the previous books. I’m sure those book are great, but some of them deal with Alfred’s brothers. I’m pretty sure he would play a part in those books. I don’t think I’d like him as much if I’d met him in the previous books.
No Need for a Flirt Warning
This is a clean book. There’s no swearing, violence, or sexual content. While Alfred does flirt a lot, he does not get any of the women into compromising positions. Kissing is as far as things go for any of the characters (including those in relationships), and even that’s not described in much detail.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I read the ebook version, but the print version will be 166 pages. That’s a fairly fast read. Because it’s short, though, you don’t get to know the characters really well. That lack of connection with even some of the main characters would be my only real complaint.
