Book Review: Frosted (Regency Retold #2) by M.C. Frank

This is an engaging, rich romance.

Frosted (Regency Retold #2)
by M.C. Frank

ASIN : B08L5PMRMY
Publication date : February 20, 2021
File size : 1508 KB
Print length : 362 pages
Genre: Fairy Tale, Romance
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.

Can two people hate each other more than these two?
She has a heart of stone. He is the notorious pirate every lady swoons for.
They have vowed never to meet again.
Captain Timothée Vaughn
Heart: Broken
Face: Gorgeous
Tone: Acidic
Pirate: Yes, he is
Marital Status: Forced into an engagement
Willing to: Break his own arm to escape his wedding tomorrow.

Lady Stella DeWinter:
Heart: Frosted
Face: Angelic but sad
Tone: Silent
Secrets: Many, but one in particular. A very dark one indeed.
Marital Status: Jilted Captain Vaughn right before their wedding, five years ago.
Willing to: Do anything to meet Timothée one last time.

Question: Why? (on earth)
Meeting place: The Frosted Ball.
What follows: Chaos. Noisy ballrooms. Starry skies. White flurries. Hungry kisses. Haughty stares. Frozen lakes. Shaking breaths. The truth. Finally.

Frosted is a heart-wrenching romance about a pirate and an ice-cold lady who seem to have hated each other for years, inspired by winter-themed fairytales like The Snow Queen and The Steadfast Tin Soldier. It is set in a witty, glittering Regency world made up of a little bit of Jane Austen, a little bit of Georgette Heyer, and a lot of a modern heart yearning for romance, passion and a tall gentleman with a smoldering gaze. This is a broken tale of beauty, dark secrets and love lost.
Frosted is the new enemies-to-lovers Regency novel that will melt your heart.

Review:
Timothée Vaughn had a difficult childhood growing up and losing his parents during the French revolution. He is sent to live with his English uncle who sends him off to boarding school. Like many young men at Eton, the moody man is more interested in play, drink and women, then in his studies. Then he travels to the countryside to spend Christmas with a classmate. There he meets a young woman, Stella, who changes his life.

Stella is a young woman who was taking care of her ailing father and enjoying her days of youthful independence. Unlike other young ladies her age, she isn’t focused on finding the right man for marriage. While out riding, Stella and a handful of friends meet a group of young men. One young man, Vaughn, is the most handsome man she has ever met but that doesn’t turn her head.

When Stella is thrown from her horse, Vaughn carries her home and waits to make sure she is alive. As the days pass, he falls head over heels and Stella warms to his attentions. After more time together during the summer, the pair are deep in a whirlwind romance. Vaughn returns to school and tries to focus seriously on his studies as he counts the days till they are to be married. Then he gets a letter from Stella terminating their engagement with little understandable explanation. She hides and refuses to see him. After repeated attempts, a devastated Vaughn heads off to the sea, maybe to drown. He learns that Stella marries a wealthy neighbor who dies on their honeymoon, leaving her the ‘icy’ widow, Lady DeWinter.

Five years later, Captain Vaughn, aka L’Ange Noir, injured during his privateering adventures, has become a wealthy, sought after bachelor. He has been trapped into an engagement and wants his friend to break his arm so he can avoid the wedding day. He is shocked when he discovers Stella in the shadows eavesdropping on his conversation. She begs him to help her with a task, but he refuses. Yet, now his overwhelming feelings – love despair, anger, hate – have been awakened. He is only more confused when Stella interrupts and stops his wedding. Why has she taken that action when she still refuses to see him?

Stella has a secret that she holds tight. She never meant to cause such pain to Vaughn (or herself), but she thinks it is necessary. She has worked hard to control her emotions and show a certain face to the world. Vaughn thought he had buried his emotions too, but his sensitive nature keeps surfacing when it comes to Stella.

This is a very emotionally rich romance (with a stunning cover too). The author takes some interesting liberties on grammar rules, but I felt they fit the story. I did get a bit frustrated by Stella's stubbornness, but I loved the quiet touches of faith that help these characters move forward. In addition to the lush emotions, the author shares some poignant observations regarding the growth struggles of the characters. She makes a particular statement about swimming and faith that is awesome: ‘Going past where your feet can touch… Swimming takes faith.” And what requires the greatest faith??? Read this luscious story to see what the characters discover.

Source: PDF Arc Received from author. This qualifies for 2019Author reading goal.