Historical Romance Book Review: Daphne and Her Daffodils by Jessa H Casey

Family feuds, impulsive decisions, and a marriage arrangement that no one expected—Daphne and Her Daffodils by Jessa H. Casey delivers a delightful historical romance filled with tension, charm, and a dash of unexpected sportsmanship.

When a beloved heirloom becomes the prize in a family marriage race, Daphne Lloyd makes a scandalous decision that shocks everyone around her. What begins as an act of rebellion quickly turns into something far more complicated when the man she chooses—Luke Rushton—turns out to be the one person her family would least approve of.

If you enjoy clever heroines, slow-burning attraction hidden beneath a marriage of convenience, and stories where family secrets add layers of intrigue, this one brings all of those elements together in a truly unique way.

Title: Daphne and Her Daffodils

Author: Jessa H Casey

Series: Victorian Valentines

Genre: Historical Romance

Rating: 5 out of 5 ⭐

Disclaimer

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I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

My Thoughts:

Daphne and Luke were a stunning couple that goes from family feuding enemies to lovers in a flash after Daphne is faced with a difficult situation. Her Aunt Ada is not well and has brought the entire family together to read her will before she goes. To Daphne’s surprise, the daffodil painted platter that she had her heart set on will only be given to the next person to get married. She’s absolutely devastated and angry.

The only thing she knows to do is spite her family for putting her into this situation and propose a marriage of convenience to the very last person they would want her marrying. Luke Rushton is the son of their long time enemy and Daphne has her eyes set on him. This was one of those situations that had me nervous for her – a woman proposing at this time was quite scandalous – but her situation really did call for it. Thankfully, he was actually in need of a similar proposition and so it’s a very quick agreement.

Little does Daphne know, Luke has admired her from afar for a very long time. They are secretly both attracted to the other, but try to stick with their arrangement as much as possible. Quickly married, Daphne receives the platter, but with a warning. Her Aunt warns her that she’s perpetuating the family curse – all of which is related to how that particular platter ended up with the Lloyd family and used to belong to the Rushton’s.

I really enjoyed how much this story incorporated of different elements. Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes and was done so well in this story. The incorporation of family lore and the feud between the two families adds this layer of tension. There are individuals in both families trying to tear Daphne and Luke apart for the sake of their own selfish entanglements. Then there is the incorporation of hockey. Luke is a Victorian hockey player – which is incredibly unique to this genre. I love hockey as a sport and am quite familiar with it, so I loved that this was part of the story as well. The scenes where Daphne is watching Luke play created a modern-esque feel to the setting and allowed these characters to really be themselves in their own story.

Publisher’s Blurb:

He’s untouchable. She’s untamable. Her fiery spirit is the only thing that can melt his heart of ice.

When her relatives turn the treasured Lloyd family heirloom into a prize for whichever cousin marries first, Daphne Lloyd is desperate to keep the daffodil-painted platter that inspired her own art, out of the hands of those who don’t care about it the way she does. She’ll play their game, but on her own terms, and with the man they least expect.

Luke Rushton wants to play hockey, not the part of a dutiful grandson in a feuding family. However, when they threaten his inheritance and the safety of his younger sister, he has no choice but to settle for a suitable match. But when Daphne approaches him with a simple marriage agreement, he resists. He can’t form an alliance with a Lloyd, or can he?

With their families trying to control them, they retaliate by marrying the enemy.

When Daphne mocks his lack of romance, and Luke makes a silent vow to prove her wrong, it leads to what is far too much like love for both of them. Suddenly, her marriage no longer feels like revenge, and he finds his frozen heart melting for his wife.