Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to really enjoy this novel since i am partial to intelligent, determined heroines but i had a difficult time connecting to both protagonists. Rebecca while brilliant and determined to speak her mind is convinced her unappealing physic and inquisitive mind will turn off suitors. She hatches this plan to propose marriage to an older peer who has 7 children because she believes he would no longer want heirs. But John is intrigued by her mind and after he marries her falls in love with the rest of her. 

While its sweet that they become friends and she becomes an invaluable member of his family there truly isn't that passion that i often crave in my romance novels. We have to wait till the end for a decent love scene. Just wish there was more to their love story.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Miss Rebecca Peabody has never had any real intention to marry, and the whole idea of what occurs in the bedroom is abhorrent to her, but after living with her married sister, and her children, Rebecca wants a family. The widowed Earl of Aynsley is in his forties, and has seven children, and to Rebecca he seems perfect. He should be old enough that he doesn't care for bed sport any longer, is in no need for children, and had proposed marriage to her sister a few years ago, who she looks remarkably like. Initially, John's against the marriage, what with him being 23 years her senior, but when he learns she's actually the intelligence essayist P. Corpus, and she may be perfect to help parent his tearaway children, he agrees. Will they be happy in their marriage, or will their differences be too much to overcome?

I read this book in just a few hours, so it is a quick read. I liked aspects of it, such as the family dynamic at Dunton, and how much both John and Rebecca cared about the children - even with Emily causing mayhem in her jealousy. However, there was a lot of scenes that just had me shaking my head. Personally, I'm not a fan of big age differences like that between 20 year old Rebecca and 43 year old John - especially when his eldest son was only a few months younger than Rebecca herself. Secondly, Rebecca was all about her maturity, and that she was older than she seemed, but within pages of the book starting, she was stomping her feet when she didn't get her way, and acted like a petulant child at times. Her jealousy over John's previous marriage was ridiculous too. She was actually jealous that John had shared Dorothy's bed, even when she herself refused to sleep with him, and knew that with seven children from the marriage, obviously they'd been together at least as many times. It picked up towards the end, but all in all, I found it a read I was glad to be done with. Just 2 stars from me for A Proposal of Marriage.

Historical romance with all the usual ingredients plus a splash of humour. Good characters and a few surprises.

Rebecca Peabody is basically looking for a marriage of convenience so she can continue to write political essays under a pen name.  She proposes an arrangement to John Compton, Earl of Aynsley.  John is a reform politician and 23 years older than Rebecca.  That is the part of this book that I couldn't get around.  I thought the age gap was too huge.  I also wish the book had a little more steam to it.  

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.  Thank you.

Rebecca and John were a wonderful story top read. Though they come together in an unusual way they son find out they are perfect for one another. Their age difference soon seems like no factor at all. Readers will enjoy reading this wonderful couples story.

Cheryl Bolen never disappoints!  The story of Rebecca and John has it's ups and downs, including 23 year age difference and lots of kids. They are woven together in a very sweet story.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖
Feels: 🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔
Sensuality: 🔥
Sexual Tension: ⚡️
Romance: 💞
Sex Scene Length: 🍑
Number of Sex Scenes: 🍆

Safety warning attached at end.

Rebecca is our heroine. She’s young, bookish, intelligent. She loves writing essays under a fake name. She hates disgusting bedchamber activities. But she must marry, so she decides to find an old fogey not interested in those horrendous thoughts anymore. She decides to propose to her older sister’s refusal from years before, the very elderly (he IS 43) Earl of Aynsley.

John needs a wife to help oversee his 7 children, run his house, get his servants in order. He isn’t interested in robbing the cradle with Rebecca, but finds himself drawn to her anyway.

Give this book a try if you are in the mood for
- Age difference – I believe its about 23 years difference with the hero being older (hero 43, heroine 20)
- Marriage of convenience
- Secret identity/secret writer – heroine pens essays under a pseudonym, though this isn’t a large part of the story
- You like a large rambunctious family. Rebecca marries and becomes stepmother to 7 children of various ages
- Low steam – a handful of kisses and 1 love scene, all very very short and not descriptive. (kisses are about 1 sentence, the love scene is a few paragraphs then fades to black for the act. (Actually, just looking back through the book I realized the hero had an after the fact sex scene with a mistress too)
- You prefer a religious, Christian inspired story. Forgiveness abounds, mention of God and church briefly. The overall feel of the book is Christian fiction.

This book was not for me for a variety of reasons. Of course I love my steam, but a really engaging story can make it up to me. I didn’t find that here. I didn’t have a lot from John’s perspective and unfortunately I didn’t really like Rebecca. However I am happy to have read it and be able to recommend it for those that would enjoy this story.

Safety warning: hero is sexually with his mistress after meeting Rebecca (one time and there is no understanding between them at this point)

Rebecca is weary of the strictures of a debutante's life. She longs for the freedoms granted to married woman. Yet she has no interest in intimate relations, so she seeks an older widower with as many heirs as he could reasonably desire.

Lord Aynsely—with six unruly sons, and an eighteen-year-old daughter running his household—needs a wife to help him manage. He isn't willing to enter into a passionless marriage, but tells Rebecca that he will wait until she is ready to come willingly to his bed. 

This book is well written with a plot that held my interest. The characters were fun, although I wish their emotions had been explored more deeply. It's a light, angst-free read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received.

A proposal of marriage by Cheryl Boleyn  

Rebecca Peabody a bookish well educated woman who writes political articles under the name of P Corpus. She approaches Lord Aynsley a 43 year old widower with 7 children who is in need of a wife so she proposed to him as she feels he will not want intimacy in a relationship due to his advancing years which will suit her as she has no time for such things. The story follows their journey together and the ups and downs of their new life and a ready made family .

A beautifully written book.  A very enjoyable read with all the endearing characters in the story.

Amazing well written storyline and captivating characters. Bookish Miss Rebecca Peabody who write  essay under a different name  P Corpus. Must marry but she has no desire for that bedroom stuff so she picks a older man in his early fourty Lord Aynsely thinking  he is not interested in that any more. But that is not true. Another man enter the picture who needs a wife to help raise his seven motherless children. He is even more interested in Rebecca after he discovers she is  the author of essays P. Corpus.   Whom will Rebecca choose will she find what she wants or will she find more.

A Proposal of Marriage by Cheryl Bolen. A young woman of 20, Rebecca, arrives at the home of an older man of 43, John, to propose marriage. She does this for several reasons: he is very attractive; he is too old, she believes, to care about bedchamber activities, about which she is uninterested: and he has seven children who need a mother so he has no need for another heir. Being a married woman would insure an independence she is not privy to as an unmarried woman, not matter what the age. He, of course, turns her politely down. Then he begins to think about it. He visits her home, speaks to her brother, who is her guardian, and visits with her. She is, of course, too young, but she is very attractive, and very intelligent. He is able to carry on a conversation the likes of which he has never been able with any other woman. She agrees with him politically! After thinking on it, the age difference doesn't seem as important as it had, and her views on bedchamber activities can be changed. He determines to ask for her hand and she accepts. Introducing her to his children is the next hurdle, so they are off to his country home. 

There are a great many obstacles to overcome before this can be a successful marriage. Bolen lays them before the reader and goes about solving them, one by one. John, Lord Aynsley is a good man as well as a patient one. He watches Rebecca solve the problems in his home and gets to know each of his children. He is kind, intelligent, and patient. Rebecca loves children and finds the Compton children much to her liking. She respects her husband and is astounded when that turns to more. They both of plenty to adjust to. This is a lovely story, original and romantic. Bolen deserves kudos, not only for the trope, but also for the handling of it. Wonderful story. I recommend it highly!

I was invited to read a free ARC of A Proposal of Marriage by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #aproposalofmarriage

Miss Rebecca Peabody is a very independent and opinionated young woman who anonymously writes a column on civil reform. The Earl of Aynsley is an intelligent man, a widower and the father of seven children. When Rebecca decides to confront him and brazenly suggests a marriage of convenience, he soon agrees. His estate is quite large and his children need guidance. As Rebecca seems so sensible, he realizes this is a good thing to do.

When they arrive at his home, Dunton Hall, Rebecca soon begins to take over the reins of running the house. Her biggest roadblock is Emily, the Earl's daughter who has considered herself to be the lady of the house since her mother's death. In addition, the sight of a portrait of the Earl's deceased wife in the dining room and her ostentacious decorating tastes in the house tend to make Rebecca feel uncomfortable. The reception by the children is fairly good yet Emily does not encourage them to accept Rebecca as their mother. Rebecca wants to gain the children's trust and love and does what she can to try and make friends with Emily. 

Rebecca and the Earl choose to sleep in separate bedrooms and while he knows of the anonymous column she wrote, he is chagrined to find that she has not told him about it.

Will Rebecca be able to be accepted into the family and will the Earl learn to trust her? Will theirs finally become a marriage of more than in name only?

This was what I term a very "clean" novel and I liked that. Hope other readers will enjoy it as I did.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Miss Rebecca Peabody was unlike most girls of her age. She had a great interest in politics and the reforms of the day. Rebecca decided to marry so she would be able have the freedom to continue with her writing. Rebecca chose John Compton, Earl of Aynsley, a man involved in reform and also 23 years older than her. Rebecca was mature in some ways but very naive in the relationship between a man and a woman. At Lord Aynsley’s home, not everything is easy, there are a number of problems with his children, particularly his daughter and will Rebecca get over her reluctance to have a complete marriage. This was as a very enjoyable read with likeable characters. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Proposal of Marriage calls to mind a more traditional regency romance of years past through its dialogue and story. When Rebecca Peabody, beautiful bluestocking, ends up married to the much older Earl of Aynsley, she not only must navigate their age difference, but also her new stepchildren, responsibilities as a countess, and her continued role as a silent social warrior. The story is how two very different people fall in love over the course of their marriage through mutual respect. While the relationship could’ve used a little more sizzle, it was an endearing read.

3.5 Stars
The bespectacled, very bookish Miss Rebecca Peabody, who pens enlightening essays under the name P. Corpus, simply must marry. Since she abhors that disgusting “bedchamber business,” she decides Lord Aynsley is the perfect man to become her husband after all his is forty three & already has some children. John Compton, the Earl of Aynsley, needs a wife to see to his brood of seven motherless children, a wastrel ward, and an uncle with a most peculiar habit. But he’s not interested in the way-too-young Miss Rebecca Peabody . . . until he discovers she is the brilliant P. Corpus who writes political essays with such passion, a passion he vows to unleash. 
I really like the author’s books but this one just didn’t captivate me. I'm not keen on such a wide age gap, his eldest child was only a year younger than Rebecca. However the characters had depth & were very likeable. The story flowed well & I did enjoy the slow burn romance, it was Rebecca who saved it for me & I finished it so that iI could complete her HEA with her
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I loved the heroine, Rebecca.  She is very strong, opinionated but not in a bad way, loving, and dedicated to her family. The hero, John, was okay.  I felt the story was a little more about Rebecca and her trials and tribulations then about him or them.  I am not saying there was no romance.  It was definitely there and it was a slow, again in a good way, romance.  Many romance books feel like the relationship is rushed and it’s boom they love each other.  Not this book, which is refreshing.  There is a small sexual scene were they consummated the marriage.  It is a sweet and clean romance novel. 

Rebecca is living off the generosity of her sister and her sister’s husband. The problem is Rebecca’s brother-in-law is on the opposite side of her political views. She can no longer live that way.  She goes to John to propose marriage which he laughs at her for even thinking a marriage would work.  The problem for John is the age difference.   He then realizes that she is P. Corpus.  His views align to her views and he likes that she an intellect.  One thing I did not like is John finding out about Rebecca’s secret identity very quickly and before they married.  John finding out Rebecca is P. Corpus is one reason he married her.  It was a great read. I have always loved this authoress. 

I received a copy of this book for an honest review.

If you love historical romance with great characters and a fun family dynamic, then this is the book for you! I really enjoyed this story. The characters were well-written and had great personalities. Their romance was sweet and clean and endearing. The author does a great job with this marriage-of-convenience trope and really gives the main characters great chemistry. The family Rebecca is marrying into is so much fun as well as a bit of a handful sometimes. They were so great though! I was impressed and love this author. I would definitely recommend this story and can't wait for more this author!

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary copy of A Proposal of Marriage by Cheryl Bolen. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this delightful novel prior to publication. My opinions are mine alone, and no one has influenced them.

A Proposal of Marriage is a lovely Regency romance with engaging characters and a traditional plot for this genre. I thoroughly enjoy the marriage of convenience troupe, and Ms. Bolen is a master at making them work. The pacing of the story kept me enmeshed from the beginning to the end, making it a pleasure to read.

Rebecca Peabody is an endearing heroine. She has lived in the shadow of her beautiful sister unable to see her own beauty. She has several facets to her character because she goes from bold to retiring throughout the book. Her boldness has her proposing to the hero, a man who is much older than she. When it doesn’t reap what she expects, she returns to retiring persona.

John Compton, the Earl of Ainsley, is an honorable hero, my personal favorite. He has a large family, and his children are the most important responsibility he has, and one he relishes. Although a widow, he is not looking for a wife. I loved his determination to do right by his six boys and a daughter ready for her first London season. 

When he comes to the realization his younger sons need a woman’s love and his daughter needs guidance, he goes to Rebecca and proposes to her. Even though, she believed he is too old to be interested in the physical side of marriage, he is confident he can change her mind. I love how he gets her to understand her sexuality exists, and it’s something she desires.

The romance between Rebecca and John is a slow build as they learn more about each other once they wed. I’ve never been a fan of spring and autumn relationships, because for me, I could never find a man so much older than I attractive, so it’s hard for me to accept other women do. Rebecca is an old soul, mature beyond her years while John has remained young at heart, so their marriage works beautifully. I could see Rebecca and John as soul mates and wanted them to find their happy ending.

If you enjoy Regency romances with the signature aspect of building sexual attraction, and one with characters you’ll grow to love, then you will find A Proposal of Marriage an engaging reading experience as much as I did. I have read Ms. Bolen’s novels for years, and this one is an excellent example of why I enjoy her books. I’m glad I found this while searching titles on Net-Galley. Happy reading!

Will she gain more than she expected...

I thought this story would turn a certain way when in fact it was very much more than I expected.
Rebecca is young, why her proposal is rejected. A youth Aynsley sees more like an impediment than an advantage because of their difference in years. Yet something drives him to her, and this spark ignited, he is seduced by her way of thinking and her ideas.
And once he overcame his feeling to be too old for her, he will have to reform her view of the marital bed, as she believes it is a disgusting business.

While their marriage began as a convenience, they rapidly realize they have more in commun than they expected.
Yet a new challenge await them as Rebecca must be accepted by his already made family. And winning everyone’s heart is not easy task when jealousy, doubt, fear, lies enter the game.

Rebecca is a kind and caring person, while she threw her attention to others’ plight, wishing she could do more to improve their life. But she also hopes for more from life. And Aynsley offers her his brood of children to love.
The banters between the siblings is source of a lot of fun, I just loved little Chuckie.
Aynsley is different of the usual rogue/cad/rake/scoundrel, he is older, quite contented with his actual life. Yet when a slip of a girl crash into his life, his first gesture is to reject her before he is intrigued by this unusual female.
Their story is a tale of seduction but also love in all its forms.
4.5 stars

My only complain is by the end, Rebecca surrendered to society’s rules and dictates.

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

This is the story of Rebecca Peabody and John Compton, Earl of Aynsley.  Rebecca decides that the best way for her to gain the independence she wants is a marriage of convenience.  She chooses John because he is older (beyond that repulsive bedchamber business), and has seven children who need a mother.   John has no intention of accepting her proposal, but she fascinates him.  A May-December couple, both intelligent, politically minded, and opinionated (both write political essays under pseudonyms), seven children (sometimes unruly), a nephew who needs guidance, and an eccentric naturalist uncle must come together to form a family.  How will it work?  Will the family accept Rebecca?  What kind of wife, mother, and lady of the house will Rebecca be? 

This is a sweet fun romance.  Rebecca is smart, but a little naïve.  John is tough, but cares very much for his odd family group.  I loved the way the children accepted Rebecca, cautiously and slowly.  Rebecca takes things, including Uncle, in stride.  The relationship between John and Rebecca develops slowly.  This is another lovely story in the Brazen Brides series.  I recommend it.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.  My review is voluntary.