I found this to be a very fun, and different take on a historical romance. While this is the 6th book in the Penhallow Dynasty, it can definitely be read as a standalone. Lisa Berne has crafted a refreshing and unique historical romance based around a "groundhog day" scenario. I think Berne does a wonderful job of keeping the novel fresh and new as we watch Philip relive the same day over and over for the vast majority of the novel. Berne crafts the beginning with the feeling of monotony and annoyance, then moves through various tomfoolery, until a better and deeper understanding of the situation happens. This creates the perfect parallel for the hero's growth through out the novel. I definitely found that this romance story was really a story about the hero learning to be a better man, to see how he could be beneficial to the world around him and take responsibility for his past and future.
Philip Thane is a rogue and a scoundrel who finds himself roped into giving a speech in a small dumpy provincial town, and to make matters worse he finds himself caught in a never ending loop of reliving the same day over and over again. Margaret, the heroine, is delectable and brainy and when Philip does not seem to immediately make her fall under his spell, he uses his relived days to cozy up to her.
I really enjoyed that this felt like a different style of a small town, opposites attract type of novel. Because this novel revolves around the fact that the hero is stuck in a loop, he has to do the heavy lifting of change and understanding, and I think Berne does a really lovely job with this. Philip must learn a lesson, he must discover something about himself and his journey has many ups and downs in the beginning as he vents his frustration with the situation, and learns how far he can push things. I love that Philip has a slow journey to better understanding the situation and as we move into the latter half of his journey he starts to make small inner changes that will help him grow into a stronger, more aware human. The romance is this novel is very sweet, I found the heroine to be very compelling and interesting, she is able to provide a foil for the hero at times, to make him question things and look deeper, and while he journey might not be as broad as Philip's she does hold her own. The steam level of this novel is very low, there is only kissing, because the heroine believes her relationship with the hero to be only a day in length we were never going to move into a more intimate physical relationship. I think this works well for the story and characters and I would definitely have questioned things if the relationship took a very steamy turn.
Overall, this is an enjoyable and fresh feeling historical romance. If you are looking for a low angst, sweet love story that really focuses on the hero's journey this is a great option to check out.
Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for an eARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own.