The Social Tutor

Last Updated: August 23, 2023Tags: Clean & Wholesome, Sally Britton, Traditional Regency romance

3.75 / 5

Voice & Style

Pleasing, fluent author style. Well written.

Characters & Plot

Believable, dimensional MCs and well-differentiated supporting characters. The plot sagged at times, which made for an uneven pace.

Period Authenticity

The author strikes a good balance, with enough setting detail to feel authentic, without weighing down the simple, charming story.

Merit in Sub-genre

It’s not the author’s best work, but rates comfortably in the top 25% of the sub-genre.

Editing

Editing problems in the 2018 edition were corrected in the 2023 re-release.

Book Description

Her social graces are lacking, his finances are in ruin, but together they can solve both their problems. As long as they don’t fall in love.

After years of escaping etiquette lessons in favor of the stables, Christine Devon’s grand debut in London is only weeks away. However, her deportment lacks the sophisticated polish she needs to achieve her father’s demands for a lofty marriage. Desperate to take her place in society, she needs someone to instruct her in proper behavior.
Thomas Gilbert, newly returned from Italy, has long dreamed of founding a horse farm. But during his time away, his estate’s finances have dwindled to almost nothing. Unless he finds a way to save his family from ruin, he will be forced to sell his horses and give up his dreams entirely.

A chance meeting between them may solve both their problems. Christine gains a tutor in the finer arts of polite behavior, while Thomas is given access to the finest equine bloodlines in England. But as time passes, the arrangement is less about their mutual need, and more about love. Will they see it in time, or will Christine leave Thomas behind for the splendor of London’s ballrooms?

The Social Tutor is the first novel in a sweet Regency romance series.

Pam’s Take

The Social Tutor (3.75 stars from Regency Chronicle, rounded up to 4 on Goodreads) is a short, heartwarming very clean romance, charmingly told, with some fresh elements that set it apart from other similar stories. It’s not the author’s best work, which has earned higher scores from us, but it’s an enjoyable series debut from a prolific writer. This review is for the updated edition, in which the more glaring errors and typos in the earlier version have been cleaned up.

Christine Devon’s mother passed away several years ago and her father has done little to prepare her and her supportive sisters to enter Society. A selfish bully, he expects his daughters to make the most of their one and only London Season to secure connections that will advantage him.

As Christine’s turn looms, she worries she will disappoint him. She is outspoken, mentions controversial topics, and has no interest in small talk about fashion and the weather. Feeling ill-prepared for polite society, she reaches out to neighbor and long-term acquaintance, Thomas Gilbert, for etiquette lessons and they strike a deal to help each other.

There’s no looking back. Granted the freedom to get to know each other they recognize kindred spirits in each other, and a slow burn romance develops. Christine is a spirited, likeable heroine, who grows as the story progresses. Thomas is a gentlemanlike suitor who accepts Christine as she is and loves her for her qualities.

Author Sally Britton has a fluent, pleasant voice that’s well pitched for this sub-genre. She sows enough doubt about their prospects that an HEA seems uncertain at times. Their families are not on the same page when it comes to love and marriage. Christine’s father views marriage as a commercial transaction. Thomas’s family can see the advantage of marrying for money, but love matters more, and they want happiness for Thomas and Christine.

The story has something of a slow start but it is told with charm and humor, and fans of friends-to-lovers romances will appreciate it.