A Foolish Flirtation by Alice Coldbreath is a second-chance romance set against a Victorian backdrop. Ten years ago, Emmeline Ballentine was a wide-eyed debutante, dazzled by the charm of Jeremy Vance during her single London season. Her dreams were crushed when, after a flurry of stolen attentions, he announced his engagement to another. Now at twenty-eight, Emmeline is older, wiser, and engaged to a respectable man when fate throws Jeremy back into her life in Bath, this time as a divorced father with a rather shocking proposal.

Jeremy is not the rake-hell villain of her youthful memories but a man shaped by his own disappointments and a surprising sweetness beneath it all. His single-minded interest in Emmeline, even after a decade apart hints at the depth of his fascination. Emmeline though cautious, finds herself drawn to the man who once broke her heart and the story leans heavily into the will-they-won’t-they tension as they navigate old wounds and present realities.

There is humor threaded through the narrative, several moments which made me burst out in laughter, especially in Jeremy’s interactions with both Emmeline and his son Teddy. The story also offers insightful glimpses into their shared past, particularly through the eyes of Jeremy’s friend, which adds dimension to his feelings and motivations. However, the romance’s momentum often feels bogged down by extended conversations, whether it be between the leads or with side characters and that diluted the tension and urgency of their journey toward each other.

While Emmeline’s innocence and Jeremy’s sly charm create some wonderfully funny and even erotic moments, the pacing left me wishing for sharper focus. The leads have chemistry, but it’s buried under so much verbal back-and-forth that the story loses its spark and momentum every now and then. Teddy though, was a delight, adding warmth to Jeremy’s character.

What worked best for me was the mix of humor and tenderness in key scenes, especially when Emmeline takes the reins in seducing Jeremy; a reversal that was both entertaining and telling of how far she has come since their first meeting. Still, I never fully fell in love with either character, and I found myself wishing for a stronger emotional pull for me to be wholly invested in the story.

Recommended for: readers who enjoy Victorian settings, marriage-of-convenience plots, and romances with more dialogue than drama.

Final Verdict: Charming in parts but overlong, A Foolish Flirtation offers humor and warmth yet struggles to sustain the romantic tension.

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