Fluently Speaking Baron by Ava Devlin: A Book Review by The Editing Sweetheart

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Let me start by saying that Ava Devlin is a longtime client of mine. She writes swoony, tasteful Regency Romances with adult scenes that are more sensual than outright explicit. However, I did not edit Fluently Speaking Baron, because she went traditional! Fluently Speaking Baron was published by Dragonblade Publishing. From their About Us page:

Dragonblade Publishing is woman-owned, woman-run boutique publisher specializing in Historical Romance.

I think they're the perfect fit for Ava Devlin and her books, and you can be sure I'll contact them soon to apply to join their freelancer team! Check out her author profile over at Dragonblade Publishing's website.

Fluently Speaking Baron

First of all, join me in appreciating the absolutely beautiful cover by award-winning cover designer Dar Albert from Wicked Smart Designs:

Isn't it incredible?! Ava also shared the covers of the rest of the books in the series with me, and I truthfully told her I couldn't pick a favorite. The covers are all stunning, gorgeous, on brand with the genre and the characters—pure perfection. Based on these, I would not hesitate to recommend Dar Albert for historical romance covers, so reach out to her on her website if you're interested in learning more about her pricing and availability.

But back to the book. The first in the Starling Legacy series, the book centers around the love story of Harriet, a renowned polyglot who is sought after by czars and other royalty for her talent with languages, and Baron Selwyn, now a handsome cavalry officer. It features a large, diverse cast of characters, and the books tell the love stories of the wayward fledglings who were taken under the wing of the Dowager Baroness Selwyn as wards and whose talents were honed until they became prodigies in their respective fields.

What's the premise of this book? The Dowager Baroness Selwyn is declared legally dead after missing for seven years, so her adopted wards and Baron Selwyn, all grown up now, gather at Starling's Rest, the manor where they were raised, for the reading of the will. Harriet is left the manor itself, but the land it stands on is left to Baron Selwyn, and the late baroness's solution is for the two to marry so as to keep the land and manor together, else they forfeit their inheritance.

The will has a lot of other stipulations, too, and each ward must meet them in order to keep their respective inheritances. Also, they must all participate in a performance showcasing their unique talents as a farewell funeral for the dowager baroness. The fun part is reading about how this scheme by the late Willa Selwyn brings them all together and helps heal their insecurities as they form bonds of love and friendship after being apart for so many years.

Fluently Speaking Baron contains so many good tropes:

• Forced marriage

• Childhood crush

• Grumpy/Sunshine

• Inheritance scheme

• Found family

• Class difference

• Enemies to lovers

• Regency Brighton

• Neuro-divergent heroine

• Demi-monde

What did I think of the book? I really liked it because each of the wards was so perfectly developed into a unique character. Their interactions with each other oftentimes brought a smile to my face, and I was so in awe of Harriet and her amazing talent at picking up languages, even from when she was a young girl working in the kitchens of the previous Baron Selwyn and where Willa first discovered her. Meanwhile, Elias Selwyn was absolutely swoonworthy. He starts out as a pudgy boy who felt inadequate among his talented adopted family, but then he turns into a respectable, handsome cavalry officer and we learn that he had been crushing on Hattie all this time. He seems reserved and quiet, but Hattie/Harriet brings out the best of him, and her sunny personality shines a light in his darkness.

I'm still not sure who my favorite character is, but I'm leaning toward Monica, an expert seamstress who can basically turn anything into a wearable piece of art. After you read Fluently Speaking Baron, please share your thoughts—who's your favorite of the wards, and why?

You can get Fluently Speaking Baron on Amazon in ebook and paperback format. Book 2 of the Starling Legacy series, Little Miss Nobody, is already available on Amazon as ebook and paperback, and you can read both books for free with your Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Make sure to give Ava Devlin a follow on her Facebook page. You can also find her on Instagram. She publishes several books a year, so if you're a voracious reader of Regency Romance, she's sure to become one of your favorite authors. And if you're in need of professional line editing or copyediting, proofreading, or beta reading, reach out to book your spot for September or beyond.