ARC Review: The Importance of Being Alice by Katie MacAlister

I have been a fan of Katie MacAlister’s books for years but I’m finding her new books for me are hit or miss. This is the first book in a new series Ainslie Brothers (or according to Amazon and Barnes & Noble A Matchmaker in Wonderland Romance) and as a first book it’s just ok. I loved, LOVED, the characters. Alice is open and eccentric a typical MacAlister heroine, Elliot is at first aloof and cold but quickly warms up due to Alice; and because of a joke at the beginning of the book I kept thinking of how E.T. said Elliot in the movie. The overall plot of the book kind of fell flat for me, it really is just about two opposites finding themselves in an awkward situation and falling in love.

Elliot is a Baron, impoverished almost, due to his parent’s frivolous ways the castle has gone to ruin. To make ends meet he became an author of spy novels. An old school acquaintance, Patrick, offers Elliot his spot on a river cruise so Elliot can write in peace and quiet. Elliot has a very large and rambunctious family. Patrick has just ended a relationship and has no need for the pre-wedding trip. Alice is stuck in limbo, she was in a relationship with her boss and when he dumped her she lost her job and her home, but as one last hurrah before moving on she decides to take the pre-wedding trip she half paid for only to find her cabin already occupied. Alice and Elliot agree to share the cabin and just stay out of each other’s way but their attraction to one another has Elliot in knot of sexual frustration and Alice realizes she wasn’t so in love with Patrick that the end of the relationship hurt it was more like it hurt her pride more. After they become intimate things progress quickly for them to the point they get “married”. Now the conflict, along with Alice’s insecurities, is that Alice believes Elliot is really a spy, and being an author is just a convenient cover. I wish that aspect could have been played with more especially with how the book ends. **No Spoilers don’t worry**

Overall yes I would recommend this it is funny as hell and I am curious about the ones to follow, but I wouldn’t expect it to be as good as some of her older contemporary titles like The Corset Diaries or A Hard Days Knight; I always liked her Dark Ones series more.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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