Spotlight & Giveaway: The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allain

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Suzanne Allain to HJ!

Hi Suzanne and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Ladies Rewrite the Rules!

 
Thanks for the invite!
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

It’s 1817 and fortune-hunting men are showing up on wealthy widow Diana Boyle’s doorstep, leading her to discover that she’s been listed in a directory of rich single women. She contacts the other ladies on the list and together they decide to turn the tables on the men. If the men want to marry a fortune, they’re going to have to work for it!
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

Here are two, you’re welcome to pick your favorite:
1. It’s an indisputable fact that when a woman no longer seeks acceptance, she suddenly becomes irresistible.
2. “If you were raised as I was, an heiress to a large fortune, you have been pursued since you put up your hair, if not earlier. And even though that was the case, you were still taught you had to be agreeable to them; dance with them, but not too close; flirt with them, but not too much; smile at them, but not too often. Well, this is our chance to hold a position of power. Let them dance to our tune is what I say.”

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

The idea for this book was inspired by a document I found while doing research. The Rich Ladies’ Treasury or the Batchelor’s Directory was published in 1742 by a “younger son” and listed rich women’s names, locations, and even the amount of their fortunes. It was like being doxed in the 18th century, and it made me think: what if you were one of the women listed? And why would the author of that booklet think publishing those women’s personal information was a good idea?

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

It’s a mutual, unwanted physical attraction as she tracks him down merely to tell him off for his audacity in publishing the despicable directory. But sparks fly as they argue over his colossal mistake, and he realizes that she’ll never want anything more to do with him. Which, of course, makes her all the more desirable in his eyes.

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

Quite a few!

The opening scene made me laugh. Two gentlemen call on Diana, one after the other, because she’s listed in the directory as the wealthy widow Mrs. Boyle. But they’ve never met Diana before and upon entering the drawing room they mistake Diana’s much older, unattractive sister-in-law Mildred for the rich Mrs. Boyle. They are quite dismayed but can’t admit why without revealing themselves for the fortune hunters they are.

And there’s a funny side character, Jim, a young cockney porter who works at the building where Maxwell lives. When Diana calls on Max unchaperoned, Jim becomes very intrigued by Max’s love life. Here’s a snippet of one scene with Jim:

“Do not allow any other ladies into the building without my express permission,” Maxwell said.
“Must be a nice problem to have, Mister,” Jim replied, looking Max up and down with a critical eye, as if trying to figure out what the attraction could be.

Readers should read this book….

If they liked the Barbie movie, Jane Austen’s books, or reading about supportive and heartwarming friendships between women.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

I have another Regency rom-com coming out December 2024: The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right. I think it’s my funniest book yet and I hope readers agree!
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: One copy of THE LADIES REWRITE THE RULES for a U.S. only winner.

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Do you have to be in a good mood when you read a funny book, or do you read a comedic novel to put you in a better mood?

 
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Excerpt from The Ladies Rewrite the Rules:

You have a caller, madam,” Godfrey said, in a tone of voice that implied Diana was at fault for this circumstance.

Diana looked up from her needlework in surprise, as it was past visiting hours and so close to dinner that it could only be assumed whoever was calling was angling for an invitation. She turned to look at her companion in confusion and inquiry, but “companion” was an exaggerated description of Mildred, her late husband’s sister, who was asleep on the sofa. Mildred was the one thing Diana’s wealthy husband had left to her upon his death that she could have happily done without.

“Mildred!” Diana said loudly.

Mildred’s head snapped up. “I beg your pardon, but I slept poorly last night. The moon was waxing. Or waning. I always get the terms confused.” She blinked a few times, before shaking her head. “Whichever it was, it had quite an effect on the river, and it was roaring ferociously. But I’m sure you heard it yourself . . .”

“I enjoy the sound of the river,” Diana said.

“Yes, I know,” Mildred said. “Your constitution is unnaturally robust for a widow.” She looked reproachfully at Diana, as she often did, as if she knew Diana didn’t mourn Mr. Boyle’s death sufficiently. Diana found herself almost pleased at the news of an intrusion that she’d previously found annoying, as it gave her an excuse to change the subject.

“We have a caller, Mildred.”

“A caller? At this late hour?” Mildred turned to Godfrey, who had stood watching this byplay and was now directing his disgruntled look at her. “Who is it, Godfrey?”

Ignoring Mildred, Godfrey walked over to his mistress, presenting her with the card he held. “Mr. Raymond Pryce,” Diana read aloud.

“Never heard of him. Send him away,” Mildred said.

Diana had considered doing exactly that, as she had grown so unused to going about in society since her husband’s death (not that she had been what one would call gregarious before that), and she was anxious at the thought of entertaining a perfect stranger. Still, she was the mistress of Whitley House, little though Mildred might like it, and she had very few opportunities to exert her authority. So she nervously patted her hair and her dress, took a deep breath, and told Godfrey, “I am at home.”

Mildred looked at her as if she had gone mad but said nothing in reply, though she made a clicking sound that signified her disapproval and caused Diana to feel even more pleased with her small act of rebellion.

Godfrey sighed, as if wondering how he’d sunk to serving such a troublesome pair of females, but left to do Diana’s bidding. She spent the time while he was gone considering whether it was worth her while to look for a new butler, or if she should continue to employ her late husband’s choice. It seemed cruel to reward Godfrey for his many years of service by giving him the sack, but neither did she think that the lady of the house should be intimidated by her own staff, and Diana had always been made to feel as if Godfrey were doing her a favor when he performed even the simplest of his duties.

Her musings were cut short by the entrance into the drawing room of their mysterious caller.

Even though Diana had been married for five very long years and widowed for more than one, she had just recently turned five-and-twenty. However, Mr. Pryce looked even younger than she was, though Diana might have been misled by the fact that his ears were slightly oversized and gave him the appearance of a child who had not yet grown into them. Or it could have been that she had grown so accustomed to Mr. Boyle, who had been fifty-eight years old when he died, that a man of her own age appeared infantile in comparison. But it was not only Mr. Pryce’s appearance but also his demeanor that gave the impression of a shy young boy, as he entered the room as if he was afraid of them, darting a quick nervous glance at Mildred before performing a jerky bow.

Diana and Mildred rose at his entrance and bobbed their heads in response to his bow, before Diana gave him permission to sit. His reaction to her command was also very bizarre, as he looked at Diana in surprise, which quickly transformed into delight.

“You are Mrs. Boyle?” he asked, smiling tentatively at Diana and looking her up and down-a little too obviously, Diana felt. Mildred must have shared Diana’s opinion, as she cleared her throat angrily.

“I am,” Diana replied. “Allow me to present you to my sister-in-law, Miss Boyle.”

Mr. Pryce looked as if he’d just been informed he’d won a lottery. “Miss Boyle, a pleasure,” he said, and he smiled so happily at her that Mildred’s own expression lightened reflexively.

They all sat in silence while Mr. Pryce stared at Diana, a grin on his face, and Diana wondered if she was not as socially inept as she had heretofore thought herself because she could never imagine behaving as awkwardly as he was. And while she believed she presented a neat and pleasant appearance, she did not think her charms so great as to cause him to be stricken mute at the sight of her. Diana knew he was most likely comparing her to her older, formidably plain sister-in-law, and so the comparison would inevitably be in her favor.

However, Diana was doing herself an injustice. Having been married at eighteen to a man thirty-five years her senior, she had never had a suitor and so did not realize how attractive she was. Her silky black hair had fallen out of its confines and was in wisps around her face, framing a countenance that was sweet rather than striking. Shy by nature, she frequently cast her eyes downward, so that when she did meet a person’s gaze one was struck by the beauty of her large amber-colored eyes with their long dark eyelashes. Certainly, Mr. Pryce had noticed that his hostess was a very lovely young woman.

The silence was growing more and more awkward, their guest apparently having forgotten that he should offer a reason for his call, and so Mildred finally prodded him to do so. “I do not believe we’ve previously made your acquaintance,” she said, her expression having hardened again into its usual rigid lines.

“No, not exactly,” Mr. Pryce said. As Diana and Mildred continued staring at him in silent inquiry, he must have finally become conscious of the strained atmosphere, because he stopped grinning and said to Diana: “That is, I am acquainted with a distant relation of your late husband’s, and since I was in the vicinity-”

“A relation of mine? Who, pray tell?” Mildred interrupted him to ask.

Mr. Pryce turned to her, a disconcerted expression on his face, as if it had just occurred to him that a relation of Mr. Boyle’s would also be related to Mr. Boyle’s sister. “Mr. Cartwright,” he finally said, before correcting himself. “That is, Mr. Carter. Or perhaps it was Carnes? Started with a ‘Cah’ sound, at any rate. It was a brief acquaintance,” he mumbled sheepishly, before looking again at Diana, fear writ large in his brown eyes.

Mildred took a deep breath, her bosom expanding impressively, and Diana closed her eyes, as she had begun to pity poor Mr. Pryce, perhaps because of his youthful appearance and his obvious inability to lie. Before the volcano could erupt, however, they were again interrupted by Godfrey.

“Lord Jerome Vincent,” he announced, and Mr. Pryce, who had at first seemed to view the butler’s appearance in the nature of a deus ex machina, saw who was with him and frowned.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Boyle,” Lord Jerome said, approaching Mildred with a charming smile, though it faltered just a bit when he saw her.

“I am Mrs. Boyle,” Diana said, wondering what in the world was happening.

Lord Jerome turned to Diana, and though his countenance gave little away, Diana thought she detected a hint of relief in his sardonic gaze. “I see,” he said, and somehow the way he drew out those two words, along with the look that accompanied them, made them seem very suggestive, indeed.

Mr. Pryce pokered up even more at this interchange and said to Lord Jerome, “I might have expected to find you here.”

“And why was that?” Lord Jerome asked. Diana and Mildred looked at Mr. Pryce inquiringly as well.

Mr. Pryce flushed a dark red. “No reason,” he finally said, and Mildred rolled her eyes and said something under her breath, though the words “half-wit” could be faintly heard.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

From the author of Mr. Malcolm’s List comes a delightful romantic comedy set in Regency England about a widow who takes high society by storm.

Diana Boyle, a wealthy young widow, has no desire to ever marry again. Particularly not to someone who merely wants her for her fortune.

So when she discovers that she’s listed in a directory of rich, single women she is furious, and rightly so. She confronts Maxwell Dean, the man who published the Bachelor’s Directory, and is horrified to find he is far more attractive than his actions have led her to expect. However, Diana is unmoved by Max’s explanation that he authored the list to assist younger sons like himself who cannot afford to marry unless it’s to a woman of means.

She gathers the ladies in the directory together to inform them of its existence, so they may circumvent fortune hunters’ efforts to trick them into marriage. Though outraged, the women decide to embrace their unique position of power and reverse the usual gender roles by making the men dance to their tune. And together…the ladies rewrite the rules.
Book Links:  Amazon |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Suzanne Allain is a screenwriter who lived in New York and Beijing before returning to her hometown of Tallahassee, Florida, where she lives with her husband.
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