This is our book review for A Fair Affair – the first book in the Love in London series by Elodie Hart (formerly published under her real name of Sara Madderson).
At the time of publishing this guide, this story is available on Kindle Unlimited.
Star rating
Pepper rating (find our Pepper scale here)
Book Review:
I picked up A Fair Affair by Elodie Hart because I wanted to read A Very London Christmas (#2 in the Love in London series) last holiday season, but I love to read a series in order – even when they can, technically, work as standalone books within the same universe.
I’d never read Elodie Hart’s work before, even when her works were released under Sara Madderson. I wasn’t disappointed. I enjoyed both and will give my thoughts on A Very London Christmas soon. But back to why we’re all here – A Fair Affair – that makes monogamy look mediocre when you’re faced with our MMC, Noah the palliative care doctor and our FMC and his patient’s daughter, Honor. Honor is in an open-marriage (at least on her husband’s side) with a Hollywood superstar. But, when her heart draws her to Noah, can she walk away from a life of fame, fortune, and a billion-dollar brand deal built on her “happy family” image?
I loved the writing. It was well written, had a good storyline, and built sufficient sexual tension without making us wait the whole book for things to heat up. Having the story set around the hospice care of Honor’s mother was a whole different experience from most modern romances that I’ve read. Then add in the taboo of the doctor/patient’s family relationship, as well as an affair when the expectation for Honor is monogamy, and it twists up your socially constructed moral compass on more than one occasion.
Personally, even though I knew it going into it, I don’t love an affair storyline – even if she deserved it (you get yours, sister!) and I found it more troubling to navigate than the doctor/patient’s family storyline, which is saying something since my greatest fear is dying. Speaking of which, I LOVED Noah’s take on death, dying, and palliative care. Some might find it lacking in gravitas, but I found it refreshing. It made the whole process much less scary and full of magic, joy, and – ultimately – life, which is what Honor’s mother was still experiencing until the very end. Elodie Hart did a fantastic job of sharing that tragic loss in such a way that it felt peaceful and right when the time finally came to say goodbye.
I’ve rated this book two peppers (for being a proper open door romance) and three stars because I did like it. It’s not one I loved and would read again and again, but it was a great introduction to the work of Elodie Hart and I’ll definitely keep reading more of her books. Overall, I found the book satisfying, if a little predictable in the epilogue, but that’s what makes me come back to romance novels again and again, I want a little satisfying predictability – just not in the bedroom – which is where Dr. Noah can come and take my temperature any time and it’s sure to be hot.
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