Just as You Are by Mindy Burbidge Strunk: Book Review

Details

• Genre: Historical fiction
• Series: No
• Length: 118 pages (Kindle edition)
• Publication Date: April 21, 2023

Tropes

• Retelling

My Rating

Book Description

“A London Season might be more than she can handle unless she doesn’t have to handle it alone.

Honora Pemberton’s life has changed, and not for the better. Over the six months, nearly all her hair has fallen out, forcing her to hide beneath bonnets and wigs. The last place she wants to be is under the scrutinizing gaze of London Society. When her father surprises her with a London Season, Nora is less than enthusiastic. If her secret is to be discovered, surely London is where it will happen.

Jeremy Fagan has been promoted to Rear-Admiral in the British Navy. But it comes at a price. He must assume a post in the far reaches of the world and take a wife with him. As a man who has rarely lived in England, the latter requirement is daunting. What kind of woman willingly leaves her homeland to take up residence in a primitive land? A special kind of woman. But how is Jeremy to find such a lady in his limited time frame? 

As Jeremy and Nora spend more time together, he realizes she may just be the woman he is looking for. But she knows her secret will surely change his mind. Can Jeremy convince her there is more to her than what she sees in the mirror? Or will her insecurities allow the man she loves to sail out of her life forever?”

— from Goodreads

My Review

Honora Pemberton would like nothing more than to hide away from Society’s probing eyes. Can an unexpected chance at love change that? 

Rear-Admiral Jeremy Fagan has one objective: find a resilient wife to accompany him to New Zealand. Surely, the timid Miss Pemberton wouldn’t be the right choice. Or could she?

I can only imagine how difficult losing her hair must have been for Nora, especially given the time period and her relatively high social class. Though, she thankfully had her family’s support.

Jeremy was adorably awkward and oblivious to his own feelings, but he got there in the end.

And despite their brief acquaintance, his and Nora’s bond was believable.

However, the ending felt a bit abrupt. I would have liked one more chapter or at least an epilogue, to see how they were faring in New Zealand (since Nora was understandably nervous about the move).

This story also reminded me how self-consciousness can often lead us to mistaken conclusions. 

There were quite a few times where Nora was sure that Jeremy noticed her wig and was put off by it. But the chapters from his POV showed that he didn’t notice at all.

Favorite Moments

👒 Lady Derby’s garden
👒 Onions
👒 Gardening lessons
👒 “Daphne”

Favorite Quotes

“But he was pleased to see her smiling fondly at both of her parents. Indeed, the look of utter joy on her face nearly took his breath away. It was so different from her normally reserved demeanor. Who could have known that look lay just beneath the surface? The knowledge made Jeremy want to scratch a little deeper and perhaps see what else Miss Pemberton was hiding.“

Mindy Burbidge Strunk

“Marlowe’s head shook. ‘It’s not the garden itself, sir, but rather what it represents.’

‘The garden represented something?’ Jeremy looked skeptically across the couch.

‘Yes. In the garden she’s knowledgeable. It is a place where she feels safe acting in a way society might not accept. There is peace in that.’“

Mindy Burbidge Strunk

“Perhaps he should look elsewhere for a wife….Did he wish to look someplace else? It made sense in his head to search elsewhere, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. His inclination was to see Miss Pemberton again.

She reminded him of an onion. Every time he peeled away a layer, there was another one beneath that was more interesting that the last. Just how many layers she had, he didn’t know. But perhaps that was why he was standing there.“

Mindy Burbidge Strunk

“Did Jeremy even like onions? He shrugged. They did enhance a meal that might otherwise be dull. That certainly seemed to describe Miss Pemberton. He thought for a moment. Yes, he could say with surety that he liked onions.“

Mindy Burbidge Strunk

“Jeremy looked over at her and studied her profile. Was she someone he could marry? Was she someone who could survive and even thrive in a place like New Zealand? Women capable of such a task were rare. But the more he came to know her, the more he believed she just might be the onion he was looking for.“

Mindy Burbidge Strunk

“‘I discovered a lady with grace and intelligence and a depth of character but bearing a carefree spirit about her.’ He ran his hands down his thighs. ‘I envied that carefree spirit. But I realized when I was with her, she helped free that part of me I didn’t know existed.’“

Mindy Burbidge Strunk

“Miss Pemberton tilted her head to the side, an amused look on her face. ‘Is there something funny, Miss Pemberton?’

The color heightened in her cheeks, but she shook her head. ‘No, sir. I simply enjoy seeing you smile.’

He didn’t know how to respond, so he simply grinned wider and enjoyed the warmth spreading through his chest.“

Mindy Burbidge Strunk

“He placed his palm atop hers and slowly dragged his from bottom of her hand to the tip of her thumb. Back and forth he swept and with every sweep her felt her give a tiny shudder. But was it a good shudder or a bad one? He had to admit; he was not well-versed in shudders.“

Mindy Burbidge Strunk

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