The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Manda Collins

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Series: Ugly Ducklings Series Book #3.5
on June 1, 2013
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency
Pages: 125
Goodreads

The beautiful Miss Amelia Snow is not accustomed to being snubbed by the gentlemen of the ton. But when her mother dies unexpectedly, forcing Amelia to take employment as companion to a wealthy cit’s daughter, she quickly learns to play down her looks or risk losing her position. When her employers, the Smithsons, decide to throw a country house party, she is determined to fade into the background. But how can she when the Smithson’s guest of honor is Lord Quentin Fortescue, the childhood friend who stole her heart?

Younger son, Lord Quentin Fortescue, is far more interested in his host’s cotton mills in the north than he is in courting the man’s dim-witted daughter. But it’s the girl’s companion who makes him look twice. Years ago, Miss Amelia Snowe rejected his proposal without a backward glance. Quentin has molded himself into just the sort of man she’d have wanted back then, but is Amelia still the smug beauty who broke his heart? And can either of them risk their newfound positions to indulge the fiery attraction that burns between them?

The Perks of Being a Beauty by Manda Collins is a sequel to her Ugly Ducklings Trilogy. I really enjoyed this novella. Collins does a beautiful job of telling Amelia Snowe’s story. I do feel like the length of the novella hurt the plotline somewhat. Perhaps the characters’ relationship with one another would have fared better with a longer story. The heroine Amelia was the horrible villain in the previous books. But now after her mother’s death, Amelia is reduced in circumstances and must serve as a companion for a wealthy merchant’s family. When she is attending a house party, Amelia is confronted by the presence of her lost love Quentin Fortescue. After rejecting him years ago, her hopes are once again reignited. But can Quentin put Amelia’s ugly past behind? So beautifully written, this novella can be read in one afternoon.