A Season of Flirtation is the first book in Julia Justiss’ Least Likely to Wed series. It features Lady Laura Pomeroy, a woman who has just offered to give her friend lessons in society etiquette, and is shocked when her friend’s brother wants to join in! He is at first convinced Laura is nothing more than a silly debutante, but slowly learns otherwise as they spend more time together.

While on a visit with her friend, Susanna, Laura trips and is caught by Susanna’s brother Miles Rochford, a banker. Miles automatically assumes Laura is a typical society female after he comes to her rescue and she smiles at him in a way that reminds him of the woman who once broke his heart. After Miles is rather rude to Laura, she pretends to be as dumb as he clearly believes her to be in order to get a rise out of him. Susanna suggests that Miles should also benefit from the etiquette lessons Laura is going to give her,, as he needs to learn how to properly woo his almost-fiancée. Wanting to help shield his sister from what has to be an aristocratic lady just playing at being friends with a mere banker’s daughter to entertain herself for a short time, Miles agrees,

Miles realizes quickly that Laura is an intelligent and kind young woman and finds himself intrigued by her while Laura comes to see that Miles is a sweet man who only wants what’s best for his sister. Despite their attraction to each other, Miles’ position lesser position in society as someone who works for a living and his past heartache threaten to keep them apart.

This is an easy, sweet, and cozy read. I would’ve liked for Miles and Laura to be at odds with each other a little bit longer before they began getting along, but I was still entertained by their very slow burn romance, even if the plot drags a bit at times. The main contentions between the two are the fact that Miles’ social status is beneath Laura’s and that he had a previous bad experience with a society lady that left him bitter towards all ladies of rank. The flip to the hero being a commoner while the heroine is an aristocrat is very refreshing. Miles’ reasons for wanting to keep his distance from Laura have been used over and over in historical romance, but he does not think about it often enough for it to become irritating. The issue of his nearly being betrothed is tied up rather neatly, almost as if it is a bit of an afterthought, but this doesn’t take away from the story.

If you’re wanting lots of action and steamy scenes, this is probably not the book for you, but with its lovable hero and sweet heroine A Season of Flirtation is well worth the read.