The Discarded Duke - Nancy Butler

Nearly destitute, Ursula Roarke agrees to sell her late husband's bloodstock to the Duke of Ardsley. But the wily widow has an ulterior motive in visiting the peer's property in Devon: She hopes to entice him into marriage. Never does she imagine that a handsome sheepherder will jeopardize her plan--and win her heart.

William Ridd has spent years breeding the best woolbearing sheep in England for Ardsley. And he blames Ursula alone for the duke's decision to replace the flocks with horses. Still, Ridd cannot long deny the redhead's tempting charms. But the love of a beautiful woman may not be enough to conquer his fear that a secret from long ago will destroy any future happiness.

When I started reading this book I got the feeling that it was going to be a real keeper. The beginning was really promising with our nearly destitute widowed heroine, Ursula, Lady Roarke, trying to sell some of her horses to the Duke of Ardsley, who also happens to be young, good-looking, rich, and a nice guy. All in all very eligible, and Ursula, feels quite confident she can get him to offer for her. They visit together Myrmion, his property in Devon to see if it will be suitable for the horses the Duke will buy from Ursula. William Ridd is the Duke’s bailiff at Myrmion and he has been breeding and raising sheep there, which also produce a superior quality of wool, and the people in the area depend in the wool industry, which in turn depends on William’s sheep. The competing plans of Ursula and the Ardsley (horses), and William’s (sheep) for Myrmion make them adversaries. However Ursula, soon comes to see the advantages to the people of the area in keeping the sheep, so she proposes to have the horses in a nearby unused property. However the Duke is unconvinced.

All characters are very nicely fleshed out, William, Ursula, Ardsley as well as a neighbour, Miss Coltrane who provides a romantic interest for Ardsley (because obviously our heroine is going to end up with William). However parts of the plot where somewhat unrealistic and far-fetched. William seems to have had a troubled childhood, of which he does not remember much. From the hints and clues we are given early on in the book, the reader knows that William is the real Duke of Ardsley, the older brother of the ‘current’ Duke. This is not a spoiler. Even if the reader was not 100% sure, the title of the book “The Discarded Duke” gives it away. How William lost his rightful place as a Duke was a bit far-fetched for me, and the resolution was not realistic either, featuring a very eeevil grandmother. This is my only complaint about the book. All the characters are delightful (apart from the grandmother obviously), William and Ursula are a really great couple, and Ardsley and Miss Coltrane were also very likeable and their romance quite enjoyable.

If I did not find the story of William’s childhood unconvincing, its resolution far-fetched and the grandmother way too evil, this would have been absolutely perfect. As it is, I am deducting 1 mark for this aspect of the plot. Everything else was spot on, and I can highly recommend this book. I really enjoyed it, and if you have no problem suspending disbelief here and there in a romance, you will absolutely love it.

Grade 4/5.

Mistress of the Hunt - Amanda Scott

Lady Philippa's Pursuit

Proud and beautiful Lady Philippa Raynard-Wakefield did all she could to make one thing clear to elegant suitors seeking to capture her hand. Her brief youthful marriage to an elderly lord had left the young widow with a deep distaste for wedlock, and she would never fall into that snare again.

The Viscount Rochford got her message instantly. He did not hesitate to in turning his attention elsewhere, which should have made Philippa happy indeed.

Instead, as Philippa watched this handsome, hard-riding lord head for other quarry, this lady fleeing a pack of fortune hunters turned into a most unladylike huntress ... in as breakneck a chase as was ever run on the wild, wild fields of love...

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This was another winner from Amanda Scott, who has provided me over time with many good reads. As usual the main characters are likeable (no ninny hammer or TSTL heroine, no bitter, harsh or idiot hero), the book has an authentic regency feel to it (people are addressed properly, and behave according to the manners and morals of the time) and the plot is believable and very enjoyable. What more could one ask ? Well here Ms Scott goes one step further: the book has a lot to do with fox hunting [as the title would suggest], and I have learned more about hunting from this book than from all the other books I have ever read combined. So on top of everything else, the book is also educational!

(By the way, disregard the book summary on the back page, is totally wrong and misleading. It is as if a different book is described there by mistake).

Our widowed heroine, Lady Philippa Raynard-Wakefield (and there is an explanation why she called is Lady Philippa rather than Lady Wakefield), is young, beautiful and very well endowed, courtesy of the will of her late husband. Lady Philippa is certainly aware of her desirability as a wife and is used to being chased by prospective suitors, so she goes to the country to avoid them. While she is there, she would like to hunt. After all she has done so before, with her husband’s hunt and also with the Duke of Rutland’s one.

Her stepdaughter Jessalyn gets into a scrape by leaving her Ladies seminary in Bath with a fellow pupil, Lady Lucinda Drake, without permission. This is how Lady Philippa gets to meet Lady Lucinda’s brother and guardian, Viscount Rochford, who happens to be a neighbour. Philippa quickly becomes aware of Rochford admiration of her charming self (and sizeable fortune, she assumes), and although she has no plans to remarry and generally discourages potential suitors, she is not averse into cultivating Rochford acquaintance, and even subtly flirt with him. After all he is very handsome, charming and good company, plus he might agree to allow her to join his hunt if he has taken a liking to her.

In this book we have the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Mr Assheton-Smith (his is the famous Quorn Hunt) and Lord Lonsdale (Cottesmore Hunt). I had heard of these gentlemen before, but now I got to meet them, as Lady Philippa visits each one to ask permission to join their hunt. Both refuse though, since according to Mr Assheton-Smith the right place for a woman is a sofa not a saddle, and Lonsdale firmly believes that Melton men are not fit company for a lady. So Philippa has to turn to her third and final candidate Rochford. Surely since he is quite evidently taken with her, he will not refuse to oblige her ? To her surprise and dismay though he flatly refuses to allow her to join his hunt. Here is where a battle of wills between these two starts, and it was a very enjoyable one. (Of course I was on Philippa side!)

At one point, Philippa goes as far as posting ‘no trespassing’ signs on her property, which ruins most of the hunts in the area (including Rochford’s who was the main target of this tactical manouvre). But this has the whole countryside (gentry, other hunters, the farmers as well) in uproar, and casts Philippa on the role of number one public enemy. Even when she realises she has gone too far, she can not back down since it would look as if she was giving in to Rochford’s demands, as he had stormed in her home ordering her to have the signs taken down. As if he had any right to order her, which of course he doesn’t. So Philippa stands her ground.

The clash between these two was very engaging, both entertaining to read, and also interesting to see each one’s side of the argument. Also Philippa comes to care about Rochford, but how could she contemplate marrying someone too autocratic, who will not respect her wishes and desire for independence and not allow her to take her own decisions ? So the matter of whether Philippa should hunt or not, represents a greater issue for Philippa: Rochford should learn to be less dictatorial and protective of her if she is to contemplate a future with him. Needless to say, that since this is a romance with a happy ending, Rochford does come round in the end.

All in all, a very enjoyable read. If you have not tried Amanda Scott before, this is a great book to start. It ticks all the right boxes and I can not see how anyone could be disappointed in it.

Grade 4/5

Miss Prestwick’s Crusade - Anne Barbour

Miss Helen Prestwick has completed her arduous journey from Portugal to England determined to ensure the future of her nephew, the ninth Earl of Camberwell. Unfortunately, she has no evidence that the child is the son of Christopher Beresford--who died in battle--and knows her claim will enrage Christopher's cousin Edward, who currently wields the title.

Edward Beresford never wanted the Earldom to be bestowed upon him, nor the familial and financial responsibilities that came with the title after his cousin's death. But he's not going to surrender the title without verifying the legitimacy of Helen's claim. Although Christopher's mother and sisters are pleased as punch at the possibility of a new heir, Edward finds himself enchanted with the child's lovely guardian who's mission to usurp his title has also ensnared his heart.

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I have generally enjoyed Anne Barbour’s books, but I am afraid this was not one of her best efforts.

Miss Helen Prestwick, daughter of an art expert, leaves Portugal to return to England with her dead sister’s son William, the 12th Earl of Camberwell. The problem is, that William’s paternal relations do not know that Christopher - the 11th Earl – got married in Portugal, let alone that he had a son before he died, and the title has passed to Christopher’s cousin Edward Beresford. Helen aims to present William’s claim, so in essence oust the current ‘fake’ Earl. It is natural to think that the current Earl will not be happy and will do anything possible to hold on to his title. Especially since Helen has not been able to locate her sister’s marriage certificate which would prove her claim on behalf of William.

The hero, Edward Beresford, is a kind and fair guy though, and does not particularly relish being an earl. So he does not see Helen as his enemy, a fact that it takes Helen some time to realise. Also Edward is almost immediately smitten by Helen, a fact that it takes a bit longer for Helen to realise. But soon enough, these two are on good terms, and have a common goal to find evidence that William is Christopher’s legitimate son, and hence the Earl of Camberwell.

The obstacles thrown to their budding romance is the fact that Helen left Portugal under a cloud, that concerned a counterfeit painting. Helen is of course innocent, but would Edward believe her if she confessed ? Probably not (she thinks) so she keeps quiet. As usually happens in novels though, the scandal surrounding Helen is revealed, and Edward is angry at her and feels betrayed because she had not told him.

Overall Helen and Edward are likeable, and quite suited to each other. Edward is actually a very nice example of a beta hero. And I quite like the fact that he is not set against marriage or women in general, neither has he suffered an disappointment in the past and is bitter. On the contrary, he very early on thinks that he would very much like to marry Helen, which was a refreshing change as far as heroes’ attitudes go. Overall, Helen and Edward’s romance, while enjoyable and sweet at times, is not that engaging or passionate. It proceeds at a steady pace, and suffers minor setbacks every now and then, in the form of the villainous uncle’s interventions, or Helen’s guilt that she has not told Edward about the issue of the counterfeit painting.

All in all a useful book to help pass the time pleasantly if you have nothing more appealing to read. But if you like to try Anne Barbour, I recommend you read "A Pressing Engagement" instead.

Grade 3/5

Yuletide Match - Margaret Westhaven

No Place for a Lady

Caroline Percival was born and raised a lady--but family financial disaster forced her to take the unsuitable position of governess in the hellish household of the odious Brangley clan, and the coming of Christmas made her position especially impossible. Even this low rung on the social ladder was threatened by the amorous intent of the lascivious Lord Marchton. Caroline was willing to pay the price to repel this offensive rogue--but his half brother, Mr. Guy Constant, posed a far greater danger to her defiant pride. Where Marchton used his title and brute strength, Constant used wealth, good looks, and charm. And while Marchton had the power to make her lose her post, Guy Constant had the presence to make her lose her head and her heart...

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Although of good birth, our heroine Miss Caroline Percival has been forced to work for her living after her father died and left her penniless. At the start of the book, she works as a governess and suffers the advances of Lord Marchton a visitor of the Brangleys whom she works for. In true regency novel fashion, she is of course blamed by Mrs Brangley for the incident and is fired. That was an inauspicious beginning for me as I really don’t like the martyr heroine type. However the book rapidly improved after this with a change of plot and setting. Our heroine goes to Bath to stay with her mother while looking for work. There she meets by accident Mr Guy Constant who happens to be the guardian of a little girl, Harriet, who was staying with the Brangleys, and to whom Caroline was genuinely attached. Mr Constant also happens to be the odious Lord Marchton’s elder half-brother. Seeing her in Bath after the incident with his brother, Mr Constant assumes she is after all a lady of loose morals, following him to Bath to extract money from him, in return for her silence about Marchton’s behaviour. So their first meeting in Bath does not go well. However he soon finds out that Caroline is in Bath to stay with her mother, and realises he accused her unjustly.

With the initial misunderstanding resolved quite quickly, Guy and Caroline’s relationship progresses and blossoms without further mishaps. I quite liked the fact that there were no contrived obstacles, misunderstandings and difficulties. So there is no much drama and emotional upheavals in this book. Guy and Caroline get to know each other better in Bath, and are both involved in taking care of little Harriet, who is an engaging little girl, not at all spoilt or annoying (another plus of this book).

All in all a very enjoyable read, with very likeable characters, light, refreshing and sweet. But if you want lots of drama, tormented characters, anguish and pain, then maybe the book is not for you. Otherwise, I heartily recommend it.

Grade 3.5/5

Lydia - Clare Darcy

Who but a young lady from America would dare arrive in Regency London at the height of the season - and promptly announce her express intention of marrying for wealth and position?

Who but this outrageous beauty would keep two of the most eligible bachelors in the realm on tenterhooks, while defying the wishes of the arrogant, incomparably attractive, immensely rich Lord Northover himself?

Who is quite the most captivating heroine of this or any other season ? Who else but - Lydia.

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Clare Darcy was an author who wrote Regency Romances in the 70’s, and on the covers of her books are comparisons to Georgette Heyer. I think this might be mostly due to the timing since there were not many authors writing regencies at that time, but I was curious to try her out. So far I had read Eugenia and Victoire which I thought were average, and Regina which I actually liked. But I liked Lydia even better.

Miss Lydia Leyland, her brother Bayard and their grandmother Mrs. Leyland come to London from America. Mrs Leyland is English but after her marriage she and her husband went to America, since her father had lost most of his fortune even had to sell the family country home. Mrs Leyland sister, Letty, dies and leaves some of her jewellery to her sister. These are the only funds the Leylands have, unless and until Lydia can catch a rich husband. Lydia is a very attractive young lady, with elegance, manners, wit, charm and has no difficulty being a hit in society, adroitly managing her many suitors and admirers. She is also energetic and very capable, looking after and managing the problems of her brother (he falls in love) and her grandmother (she looses big sums on cards). She also tries to coax and persuade the very rich Sir Basil (aunt Letty’s widower) to make Bayard his heir, and also has to deal with Mr Pentony, the villain of the book, a great-nephew of Sir Basil’s who would very much like to inherit that fortune himself. Needless to say Lydia is pretty busy! But she does an admirable job on all fronts, and I have to say she is sharp as a needle, one of the cleverest and more intelligent heroines I have met. She is so far removed from the innocent, naïve, shy and helpless miss as possible, a very big plus for me.

The hero Christopher Broome, Viscount Northover was a captain of Dragoon Guards, until he unexpectedly inherited the title from his great uncle. He has a rakish reputation, and is seen as confirmed bachelor. He also very intelligent, quite sarcastic on occasion and derives great amusement watching Lydia making a dash in society. These two were a perfect match for each other, and they were very entertaining. Lydia is without doubt the star of the book but Northover is the perfect partner for her.

The book overall was very enjoyable, the people, atmosphere and language had a real regency feel to them, plus everyone is addressed correctly. It really felt like a ‘proper’ regency romance! As for the comparisons to Georgette Heyer, the style is different but for entertainment value it does very well indeed!

Grade 4/5

The Abducted Bride - Dorothy Mack

Mistaken Identity

Amy Cole wants the freedom to take care of herself while her brother, Robert, is away from home. But he has left her under the care of a friend—and she cannot even leave the estate without being followed!

Then, one day in town, she manages to escape her escort— and runs into a former soldier in search of his missing bride. Sir Jason Archer is convinced that Amy is his beloved Désirée —and drugs her so he can take her home with him. When she awakens, Amy finds herself in a foreign manor, surrounded by strangers, all of whom believe she is Désirée.

No matter how much she protests, Jason refuses to accept her story. So she resigns herself to playing along until she can manage an escape. But much to her surprise, Amy starts to grow fond of this insistent, enigmatic man. She can only hope that when he finally discovers she is truly not his Desiree that he will love her just the same...

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Dorothy Mack is a favourite author of mine since she has written many books I really enjoyed. However, I am in the unhappy position to report that this is not one of them.

Sir Jason Archer is looking for his wife Desiree, who shortly after their marriage run away with an another man. Encountering Miss Amy Cole he mistakes her for his wife and he abducts her. Yes, you read that right! He mistook Amy for Desiree, apparently because both have amazingly green eyes. Even though Amy protests and thinks him a lunatic, it seems the resemblance is uncanny and it is not just the eyes. Amy and Desiree are apparently each other’s double. Mistaken identity plots are not my thing really, but particularly here where the mistake is based on the most feeble of excuses, ie their very unrealistic likeness (rather eg than a disguise, or not having met before), I was out of patience with this book very early on. The resemblance makes this sound like a child’s fairy tale, or a paranormal novel. And I like neither.

Sir Jason thought he had fallen in love with Desiree, but he quickly found out after the marriage she is was a selfish, conniving, money-grasping liar. He wants to come to some agreement with her to either continue in this farce of a marriage or get a divorce. Poor Amy becomes convinced that Sir Jason is not a bad guy after all, it is just that he believes she is his wife, so pretty quickly she forgives the abduction, and just hopes that she can convince him eventually that she is not Desiree. Amy of course is much nicer than Desiree, but does this make Sir Jason think that he maybe got the wrong woman after all and Amy is telling the truth ? No.

Also, the romance did not work at all for me. It is conceivable for Amy to start to like her abductor, once she realises he is not a lunatic and that she and Desiree must be identical. For Sir Jason however, who has come to despise Desiree it is not possible to start liking her now! Since Amy is nicer than Desiree was, Sir Jason thinks that Desiree is playacting or putting a show of amiability to get something. How is it possible to start to like a person you thoroughly dislike, and the reasons for the dislike are still there, ie the person has not changed ? (at least that is what Sir Jason thinks). This gave the book the deathblow for me, and I skimmed over the last third having no interest at all for how their complicated situation would be resolved so they can live happily ever after. Which I am sure they manage to do, but I could not care less about how this happy end would come about.

If you would like to try Dorothy Mack ,skip this. You would be much better off trying one of her other books, like: The General’s Granddaughter, An Unconventional Courtship, A Prior Attachment, The Unlikely Chaperone, The Courtship of Chloe, or The Counterfeit Widow.

Grade 1.5/5

Prospero’s Daughter – Nancy Butler

Healing Hearts

Repaying a debt of honor by helping the illustrious General Sir Janus Paltry write his memoirs, Morgan Pearce must leave London--and a most delectable married woman--behind. And though he's not happy about venturing out to the officer's country estate, the dashing rogue cannot deny the creature comforts of Palfry Park or his instant attraction to a mysterious woman in a Bath chair.

Recovering from a carriage accident, and neglected by her family, Miranda Runyon spends her time alone ... until Morgan enters her life. At first, Miranda rebuff's his advances. But when Morgan's attentions begin to transform Miranda in both body and soul, she risks her heart for a love like none she has ever imagined.

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The meaning of the title was a mystery to me. Not knowing what to expect I was pleasantly surprised when I realised the book featured an invalid heroine, Miranda Runyon. There are not many of those around, and it makes for an unusual and interesting plot. (As for the title, I found that Prospero is the protagonist of Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ and his daughter is Miranda).

Morgan Pearce works in his uncle’s publishing business (much to his father’s resentment) and visits Colonel Sir Janus Palfry to help him write his memoirs. While there he accidentally meets Miranda, Sir Janus niece, who after a carriage accident that killed her parents 3years ago is paralysed and confined to a bath chair. Sir Janus keeps Miranda hidden from visitors and mostly confined in her room and looked after by servants. Morgan would like to help Miranda, both mentally and emotionally as well as physically if possible, as he is not certain that she is truly paralysed.

In the beginning Miranda behaves like shrew, rebuffing his attentions and wanting to be left alone, but Morgan perseveres in seeing her and talking to her, and Miranda finally comes to accept his company and his efforts on her behalf. He helps her, by playing cards with her, and helping her learn how to write again, as well as looking up medical texts and write to doctors for advice.

I really liked how Miranda’s and Morgan’s relationship develops and how they get to know and like each other. Morgan was great, as was Miranda. I even liked her in the beginning when she was peevish and quite rude. I also liked how the author is questioning Morgan’s motives and feelings. He is nice guy, playing the role of the good Samaritan, but while he grows to like Miranda a lot, the reader gets the feeling that he does not seem to consider Miranda as his future partner (ie wife), but only as a friend. And that the fact that she can not walk is the reason for that, and if Miranda was not a an invalid, but a ‘normal’ young woman he would see her differently. Of course by the end of the book Morgan realises his mistake.

There is also a nice secondary romance between Morgan’s brother Kitty and Morgan’s friend Phillip who was injured in the war (he has lost a leg). The fact that Morgan was not able to help Phillip, gave him an added motive to want to help Miranda, when he first met her.

All in all, a very enjoyable book. I really liked the invalid heroine theme and she does not get cured before she ends up living happily ever after the hero, a fact that I really appreciated. In other such books (or book, as I have not read many with this theme), the heroine gets to be cured and can walk again before the hero and heroine end up happily together. As if a heroine with a disability is not acceptable - not good enough for the hero - and has to be fixed first. Thankfully Ms Butler avoids this, and the book is better as a result. While not perfect, it is a book I can heartily recommend.

Grade 4/5

Gamester's Lady - Barbara Sherrod

The Bad Bet

Surely no one had so little in common with Miranda Troy as did Charles Hastings despite their mother's maddening insistence that they should wed. Deliciously beautiful Miranda adored her sheltered life on her family's country estate, where she could enjoy her passion for landscape gardening. The only gardening that interested the handsome Mr. Hastings was sowing wild oats as a womanizer and as the premier gambler of the London sporting set.

Miranda did her best to resist parental pressure to join in wedlock with this unrepentant rake. But there was no defense against his subtle skill in drawing her into a game of dangerous deception. Still, Cupid would need to have a pack of surprises up his sleeve and turn mismatch into a love that could beat all the odds.

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I had never tried this author before, so I had no idea what to expect. The start, the first paragraph even, was very promising! I liked the writing, our hero is Mr Charles Hastings (yes a plain mister for a change!), and he is playing cards. But he is not at all the ‘cardboard hero’ playing cards. He is fun, energetic, with a ‘bonny complexion and a ‘boyish face’. Rather than tall, dark, brooding, emanating authority by lifting a dark eyebrow and scaring people without opening his mouth, as is the typical hero. I quite liked this departure from the norm.

The heroine Miss Miranda Troy (daughter of Sir Bascomb Troy, baronet) is also somewhat unusual in that she has conceived a passion for landscaping, and is trying to learn more about it and then put her knowledge to practice on her father’s grounds. However she has started and abandoned quite a few unusual hobbies in the past, like studying physiognomy, writing a novel, and painting screens among others, so we are not sure how long this newest passion of hers is going to last.

The refreshingly unusual characters, the elegant writing, and the correct manner of addressing everyone mentioned, gave me a positive feeling. I thought this would be a quite nice book. And for the first half it was. Lady Troy and Mrs Hastings, being close friends would like to see their children married (to each other that is). Miss Troy and Mr Hastings are somewhat set against the idea of marriage in general but each agrees to meet the other. Charles is somewhat abrupt and offending when he meets Miranda because he does not want her to like him and get her hopes up. Miranda takes him in dislike since he is quite rude. Later that night some thugs attack Charles (sent by the villain, whom Charles had caught cheating at cards), and Miranda seeing the attack from her window, comes to assist him while the thugs run away. She hides him in the bedchamber for the next few days where they proceed to know (and like) each other better, and Charles teaches her piquet. So far the book was quite interesting. The rest of it though I found quite boring. Charles wants to outmanoeuvre/take revenge on the villain, I did not understand clearly how or why and the book starts to drag. He escapes his mother’s home (where Miranda is staying and was hiding him) disguised as a woman. He goes to the country, and starts some rumours (again I did not understand how this worked and what the purpose was). Miranda returns to the country, and he visits her there, having donned his female disguise again. I was not paying to much attention in this later part so I cannot tell you the why or how of it (it there was one, which is not certain).

Overall, the 2nd half of the book (ie after Charles leaves Miranda’s bedchamber ), was boring and could not keep my interest. The 1st part though was quite good. The book is quite unequal and difficult to judge as a whole. I think I will try Ms Sherrod again, hoping her next one consists of two equally good halves.

Grade 3/5

The Lady in Question - Margaret Westhaven

Dangerous Deceptions

Beautiful Lady Antonia Worthington did not shrink from playing a cat-and-mouse game with the law to save her village from ruin. But when the law came to be embodied in the devastatingly handsome, shockingly libertine Sir Owen Longfort, the stakes were raised perilously high.

Antonia had to deceive Sir Owen about her secret life. And she had to hide from him the storm he stirred in her heart. For it would mean ruin if this grimly determined government agent unmasked her as an outlaw instead of a lady — and even worse if this irresistible rake discovered she was a woman in love ...

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I quite enjoyed this book. It had a somewhat unusual plot, a likeable hero and heroine, and two fun secondary romances. All in all, not bad!

However what stood out for me in this book and made it quite memorable is the take-in that is the back cover blurb! (If you skipped reading it, just scroll a bit upwards and do so now, so you can understand what I am talking about). It clearly says that the heroine, Lady Antonia, is an outlaw. And Sir Owen is a government agent. So here we have our conflict between hero and heroine, an essential part of any romance plot. And within the first couple of pages we learn that Sir Owen is investigating smuggling activities in the area, and a group of smugglers in particular: Those lead by a lady, known as ‘The Lady’ in the area. Her identity is a mystery, and Sir Owen is full of admiration and fascination for the elusive and courageous ‘Lady’. So the reader now also knows that the illegal activities the heroine is involved in (as the back blurb says) is smuggling.

So far so good. You can imagine my surprise, when just a few pages in the book we find out that the heroine is not the Lady !! Yes, you read that right. She is not! The Lady is her sister. Lady Antonia lives a virtuous and law abiding life, and has nothing to do with smuggling or smugglers. (She knows her sister is the Lady of course). What a take in ! :) I guess when summarising the plot in the back cover, it did not sound very exciting to say the heroine is well just an ordinary lady, but she has a very out of the ordinary, exciting and fascinating sister who is the leader of a group of smugglers. So when the facts do not fit what the person who wrote the back blurb had in mind, they just changed the facts! :) I know the plot summaries in the back cover are not very enlightening and some times the exaggerate some things, other details are vague etc, but never had I encountered an outright lie before! :)

Despite, or maybe because, of my surprise at this turn of events, I quite enjoyed this book. It had the added bonus of this unexpected plot twist right in the beginning (un-intended by the author, of course :). And I quite liked Lady Antonia, who was charming and likeable in her own way, and was not at all overshadowed by her more dashing sister.

While on that night stake-out to spy on the smugglers, Sir Owen gets hits on the head by a smuggler, and the smugglers transport the injured man to Antonia’s home, so she can have him returned to his inn. Sir Owen briefly opens his eyes, sees Antonia, and logically assumes she is the Lady. So when he next sees her he quizzes her, trying to elicit a confession. Antonia realises he thinks she is the Lady, but she can not say "It is not me, it is my sister", so she plays along, not admitting that she is the Lady, but allowing Sir Owen to continue to think she is.

There is also a secondary romance between the real Lady, and an injured French spy. And one between Sir Owen sister, Eliza, and the younger son of a duke who prefers to work as a groom to earn his living, rather than live the life of an idle gentleman. Eliza, being an eccentric and having strange ideas about social equality and complete disregard for titles is fascinated, and so was I. My democratic/egalitarian notions were gratified by these two eccentrics (for their time), and I very much enjoyed their story as well.

All in all I thought this was a very enjoyable book.

Grade 3.5/5

Sweet and Twenty - Joan Smith

When the unexpected death of Sir Gerald Monteith placed his wife Melanie and daughter Sara in financial trouble, their only hope was to quickly find a husband for Sara. They thought it would be easy, for she was as beautiful as could be. They hoped her beauty would make up for her lack of brains. The problem was, they didn't know how to look for a man.

Then Aunt Martha and cousin Lillian swept into town and took over the search. Lillian, too, was available for marriage. Soon the crafty Aunt Martha discovered that the handsome and wealthy Anthony Fellows was running for Parliament.

None of them knew a Tory from a Whig. But that didn't stop Aunt Martha. Suddenly, the ladies were involved in a spirited campaign. With so many men around campaigning, they reasoned, husbands could not be far away ...

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I usually start a Joan Smith book with high expectations. I was not disappointed with this one. On the contrary, it even surpassed my expectations. I can not remember when I have been so entertained by a book. By the way, do not be alarmed by the strange title. This is indeed a Regency Romance.

Joan Smith’s book are usually on the light side, being more romantic comedies rather than romances. So if you require lots of emotional upheavals and angst maybe her books are not for you. If on the other hand you like light, entertaining comedies with some romance thrown in, then you should definitely try this book!

Both our heroine Lillian and her very harebrained cousin Sara are in need of husbands according to Aunt Martha, who comes to lend a hand to her sister in law Lady Monteith after Sir Gerald’s death. Aunt Martha sees no problem is disposing of Sara creditably –she is a incredibly beautiful - and Mr Fellows, a very well off neighbour and the Whig candidate for the coming by election seems the perfect groom. Mr Fellows is pretty dumb himself, but next to Sara even he appears quite clever. Mr Hudson is the Whig party whip and is sent to Crocket to help their candidate get elected. It seems this is a Tory stronghold though, and no chance to get a Whig elected. That is why the party decided on Mr Fellows as their candidate, so as not too waste any capable and useful candidate who could win an election elsewhere. Still, Mr Hudson is determined to do his best.

In his efforts to accomplish the impossible he is ably assisted by Lillian, who is as different (ie much cleverer) from Sara as is Mr Hudson from Mr Fellows. Mr Alistair is the Tory candidate, who is only a slight improvement in mental powers from Mr Fellows, and Mr Reising is his campaign manager. Mr Hudson and Mr Reising each try to outdo the other in their efforts to get votes for their candidates. Our ladies, (Lillian, Aunt Martha, Lady Monteith and Sara), are doing all they can to assist Mr Hudson to get Mr Fellows to the Commons. (Apart from Sara that is, who does not know the difference between Whig and Tory, but does know that Mr Alistair is a very good looking gentleman.)

Sara is absolutely the most brainless ninny hammer you have ever met in any Romance, and frankly she is one of the reasons this book is so good. We have our nice, clever, witty heroine in Lillian, but Sara is so funny (without meaning to) I could not help laughing whenever she opened her mouth. Mr Fellows is also great entertaining value. Mr Hudson and Lillian are very nice as our hero and heroine, very likeable and very well suited to each other, and the romance between them believable and very enjoyable.

I could not put this book down after I had read the first page, and I spent the whole time with a huge smile on my face (apart from the times I was laughing out loud). I know I said in the beginning that if you want romance and angst rather than comedy then this isn’t the book for you, but I have changed my mind. I think this book is so funny that it is for everyone!

Grade 4.5/5

The Unmanageable Miss Marlowe - Emma Lange

Miss Sarah Marlowe was far too beautiful and bold for her own good name. She dared test her gambling skill against the notorious Captain Charles Kendall, with far more than money at stake. She dared stir in the haughty Marquess of Lisle a desire that demanded satisfaction. And she dared court the wrath of the domineering Lord Dominic Ravensby, who vowed to teach this insolent innocent the folly of her ways.

Miss Marlowe's unblushing beauty was most certainlyl bringing her to the brink of ruin. The only question was: might it possibly lead her to love?

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I have tried Emma Lange before with mixed results. Some books were quite good, others did not work for me. The Unmanageable Miss Marlowe fell somewhere in the middle. I actually started the book some time ago and read the first couple of chapters. Sarah Marlowe, in London for the season along with a cousin, goes out riding, but as she has not much experience with horses and a passerby (Lord Ravensby) has to save her when her horse runs away with her. The heroine having to be saved did not engender much admiration from me, and she gave me the impression of the helpless, sparkless heroine with not much to recommend her apart from her beauty. The hero seemed struck by her great looks, and although he read her a lecture, seemed positively disposed towards the helpless female who needs saving (who is also very beautiful, as we are repeatedly told). So there is immediately mutual liking for the most superficial reasons. This was not an auspicious beginning for me – I was pretty bored, put the book down and looked for something more interesting to read.

A couple of weeks later, having run out of things to read, I picked the book up again, foreseeing that I would be just skimming through it, to confirm it is not worth reading properly. Surprisingly though after that unpromising beginning the hero and heroine began to improve greatly. The heroine started to show some backbone, good sense, confidence and an outgoing personality, which was a marked improvement to the colourless shy innocent I thought her to be. Ravensby follows her around disapproving and reading her lectures most of the time. Supposedly he feels responsible for her after saving her and feels he ought to point out to her not to go unchaperoned, and not to be flirtatious with gentlemen she should keep at a distance (it is obvious to the reader though he is just jealous).

I really liked this middle part of the book, where Sarah and Ravensby get to know each other better, and start falling in love. But unfortunately the book started deteriorating again... You see some time ago, Captain Kendall (the villain) had won in a game of cards a valuable diamond necklace from Sarah’s childhood friend Tom Woodward. Tom had drunk too much during the game and that may be a factor as to why he lost. He is sent by his father to India, and he does not like it there, and is whining and complaining to go home, away from that hot climate and the dangers of fevers. Have you ever met a more spineless young man ???!!! (I haven’t, not in Regency Romanceland). Sarah thinks she has to save him from that dreadful fate (being in India) and to do that she means to get back the necklace from Kendall, ie steal it. Yes, you read that right ! She thinks Tom is young and Kendall should not have played with him, or should have discouraged him from drinking too much ! (Who made Kendall Tom’s keeper I wonder?) So according to Sarah, Tom lost unfairly, so it is ok to get back the necklace because Kendall should not have it. I thought this was very unprincipled of Sarah. On top of that, at a ball at Kendall’s house Sarah searches his rooms for the necklace (unsuccessfully) but is caught by the hero, who thinks she had a tryst with Kendall and is furious with her and basically calls her a whore. After this episode the relationship between Sarah and Ravensby is obviously somewhat strained, but there is a happy ending after all (and of course the necklace is recovered as well).

So although the middle part of the book was very nice, I can not easily forgive Sarah thinking it is ok to steal things, or Ravensby’s behaviour when she thought she was meeting someone else. For him to be jealous or disappointed it would be ok, but what right does he have to censor her behaviour and saying some very rude things ?

Another of my problems was that some people are addressed wrongly and that was very annoying as well as confusing. This happens in many books, but since this is the latest I read, I am going to wend my frustrations on this one. A rival of Sarah’s for Ravensby affections is Lady Sophia. Imagine my surprise when we are later told she is a widow, when I knew her to be an unmarried lady. (Lady Sophia can not be a widow, unless there are particular circumstances, which is not the case here). Her father, who needed to be an earl upward for daughter Sophia to be Lady Sophia to begin with (and not get married) is mistakenly referred to interchangeably as Lord Matthew, Lord Beresford and also Lord Matthew Beresford). Arrghh! So we have no idea if the author meant for him to be a peer or what, we just know that such a person as referred to above can not exist. Such mistakes are annoying for their own sake, but additionally they create problems when the reader is trying to understand who is who and what their relationship to other people in the book is. Because Lady Sophia can not be the daughter of a ‘Lord Matthew’ and hence she is someone else’s daughter, I spent half an hour in confusion trying to understand what was going on when the hero was invited to "Lady Sophia’s father’s house" for the evening. So when that evening we find him at a Lord Matthew’s, I thought “hey, you are supposed to be at Lady Sophia’s dad!”. And also “who is this new guy Lord Beresford, out of nowhere? Are we supposed to know him?” Then later ‘Lord Matthew Beresford’ was mentioned as well and it finally dawned on me what was going on.

All in all, the middle part of the book is really worth reading. My overall objections are: the riding accident in the beginning, Sarah thinking it is ok to steal other people's necklaces, Revensby thinking that a lady having a tryst with a gentleman is beyond contempt, and the errors with how people were addressed. If one does not mind the above as much as I did, then this could be a very good book from beginning to end.

Grade 3/5

The Reluctant Heroine - Dawn Lindsey

Regina Alderstock was born an English Lady, but now she was far from home and close to danger. Orphaned in a Spanish city in Napoleon's iron grip, she needed all her wits and wiles to fend off an ardent French admirer; the powerfull and persuasive Monsieur de Thierry. It was in this precarious position that Major Adma Canfield entered her life. This dashing British undercover agent was a master of disguise -- but he made no secret of his desire. Reggie's heart had come under siege by a man for whom all was was fair in love and war... as shefought a battle against his passion that she was not sure shewished to win...

After a mediocre book, and one that although had good points struggled under the weights of some serious problems, I can happily report that the Reluctant heroine was a big success with me!

This is a peninsular war book, and there are not that many of those around. Very often the hero may have served in Spain or Portugal, or we meet other people in the book who have been there, but this is one of the few books where the whole of the action takes place in Spain. Major Adam Canfield is with Wellington’s forces in Spain and he often takes on reconnaissance missions (see ‘Spy’) to get information to bring back to his superiors. In his latest mission, he slips into Burgos to get an idea of the city’s forces and defences since the British are planning to lay siege to it.

The heroine’s situation is much more unusual. She is the daughter of British diplomat so she has been living in various places in Europe where her father’s posts took them. While in Spain, her father died when the heroine was a child, and her mother married a Spanish gentleman, who was a widower with a daughter of his own. A few years later, her mother also died. So Regina Alderstock although British by birth, has lived for years in Burgos with her stepfamily, and she considers Spain her country as well.

Major Canfield is injured in an accident (the contents of a mule cart fall on top of him) during his Burgos mission, and Regina witnessing the accident intervenes and takes the injured man to her home. Because she realised he was British (hence a spy), and was afraid his identity would be discovered if left with any of Spanish townspeople and the French would get wind of him. (How she knew he was British when she witnesses with others the accident, is not clear. She is not psychic as far as I know. Normally that would be a [small] problem here but I was very willing to overlook it, since I was enjoying the book.) Being injured Major Canfield can not travel back to the British forces camp, (a bit south of Salamanca) and the information he has about Burgos is vital. Regina, tries to convince him she should go in his place. And she does. And she goes. Now this may sound unrealistic, and the heroine foolhardy, if this was in another book. However she just travels in her carriage with her stepsister and her aunt, and stay to visit with family in Salamanca, so it is all above board, not suspicious or dangerous. Regina is a very practical, and level headed, and not at all one for silly heroics. She is also clever, witty, kind, has nice manners; in short I could not find a single fault in her. Major Canfield I also liked a lot. Again, I cannot find anything to fault him. And they are suited to each other. Again, even trying to find something that bothered me or annoyed me, or was unnecessary, not logical, irritating, unrealistic … Nope. I can not think of a single thing! Very rare for me :) (Ok, single minor thing: the heroine guessing telepathetically that the injured ‘Spanish peasant’ is British.)

When Regina returns to Burgos after the trip to Salamanca, Major Canfield is gone. The two meet up next in Madrid in a couple of months time. And again later in the book Major goes to see her in Burgos to assure himself that she is well. The book stretches for a period of about 1.5 years and the hero and heroine spend little of that time together. But the book fast forwards in time where interesting things are happening, so that was not a problem at all. Their acquaintance and relationship develops believably and though both are attracted to each other, neither does anything impulsive or foolhardy.

So a great heroine and hero, in a solid story with an interesting and unusual background in the Pennisular campaign. I cannot ask for anything more in a Regency, or indeed in any Romance. I very much enjoyed this book.

PS. There is a problem with the book in that the back blurb (so, not the author's fault) is more inaccurate than usual: The heroine is not orphaned and in danger when she meets the hero (rather he is), and she is not fending off the wiles of a French admirer. Major Canfield is not dashing dressed as a Spanish peasant, there is no desire to keep secret in the beginning, he lays no siege, and Regina fights no battle against his passion. I cannot find a single thing in these two paragraphs that is true or accurate. Apart from their names.

Grade 4/5

Reclaiming Lord Rockleigh - Nancy Butler

A Lawless Love

Lustful Lord Rockleigh is the talk of the ton. He's never denied his amorous appetites, but he's furious that people are gossiping about his intimate intrigues, thanks to a slanderous newspaper editorial....

Newspaperwoman Mercy Tatlock can't believe Rockleigh has the nerve to file a libel suit against the editor of The Tiptree Trumpet, who just happens to be her very own father! Marshaling all of her charm and cunning, she dreams up some deliciously devious tricks to embarrass the rakish Roc--tricks that will surely convince him to drop the charges. But Roc is not a man to be trifled with. For in his nefarious eyes, Mercy's nettling ways prove most arousing....

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I have read Nancy Butler books, and although there were a couple of flops (Lord Monteith's Gift, The Bartered Heart) many were quite good (The Rake's Retreat, The Ramshackle Suitor), with some exceptional ones (The Discarded Duke). In the first chapters of this book, my expectations had risen quite significantly and I thought this was going to be a quite above average book.

Ms Butler sometimes uses some original plots and her characters are quite unusual and engaging. Here our heroine is Mercy Tatlock, the daughter of a newspaper editor & owner. So she has not a very respectable birth and has no connections to the aristocracy, so she would be quite beneath the usual aristocratic hero. And indeed our hero is a Lord, Lord Rockleigh of the book title. Reading the back blurb you would be forgiven to assume he is your usual rakish peer. 'Lord Rockleigh, talk of the ton, lustful, amorous appetites, intimate intrigues'. But not all is at it seems. Although Rockleigh is not a monk, his amorous escapades are neither so notorious nor so important in the plot as the back cover would suggest. Plus he is not a peer as I thought, but the 3rd son of a duke, and Rockleigh is actually his first name. [He is Lord Rockleigh Conniston. And another thing to Ms Butler’s favour is that in her books peers and their family are addressed correctly.]

So Rockleigh is not like the usual powerful and arrogant Duke, but a younger son with too much time on his hands, slightly problematic relations to his parents and brothers and no real purpose or direction in his life. That made him immediately likeable to me, I was thinking of him not just with approval but also some affection. Add to that, that he is having some trouble with his budding addiction to opium, you have not quite your usual hero (contrary to what the back cover would suggest). I liked Rockleigh very very much. I liked his best friend who, worried about Rockleigh tries to talk some sense into him. I liked his parents, who although not close to Rockleigh, their concern is evident. I even liked his elder brother though we never meet him, but whom Rockleigh decides impulsively to write a letter to, on an evening when unusually for him he has stayed at home and finds he has not much else to do.

I have been going on and on about Rockleigh you would be wondering if the heroine plays any role in this book at all. Well, I liked Mercy well enough, but not as much as Rockleigh. After her father's newspaper publishes an editorial which is slanderous for Rockleigh and Rockleigh sues her father, Mercy comes to London to ask him to drop the lawsuit. She engages in series of pranks to embarrass him into dropping the suit (huh? Well don’t ask. I did not understand that part either), since in their initial meeting he proves most un-cooperating. The slanderous piece involves Crowdenscroft, a property of Rockleigh’s in the country. Mercy herself has observed suspicious going-ons, and the slanderous editorial implies that Rockleigh is using that property to gather young boys whose fate would be to given to procurers. Rockleigh is incensed at that article and although he denies engaging in anything like that he refuses to say what the house is actually used for, and what is going on with the boys there. From what I understand that is because he is too proud to have to offer an explanation, or is embarrassed to admit the truth, or he considers it not anyone else’s business. The fact remains that if he had said what the house is actually used for, the misunderstanding and distrust would have ended before it even begun. Mercy would have seen to it that the accusations were retracted, but as it is she will not retract without proof, ie. she wants to know what is actually going on in that house. [I would have thought one is innocent until proven guilty, and not the other way round. And a newspaper would have to prove its assertions, not ask of their victim to prove they are wrong. Anyway…]

Two thirds of the book happen in London, where Rockleigh and Mercy further their acquaintance and that part of the book is quite enjoyable. However we then move into Crowdenscroft and its shady business, the whole thing almost came down crashing for me. I am sure you are confident as I was, that Rockleigh did not gather boys there to sell to London brothels, but had much more innocent and charitable purposes. Probably gathering poor boys, teaching them a trade and finding them a job or something along those lines. Well, I know I should not mention spoilers (although we all know it is some above-board business anyway) but I could not provide a spoiler here even if I wanted to, because did not understand what was going on after all !! There were some strange characters at Crowdenscroft (including a baboon! Yes, you read that right), whom Rockleigh was helping and protecting (as for the boys they were remarkably invisible but we are assured they existed), but what exactly was happening I have no idea. If anyone else reads the book and figures out what was going on in Crowdenscroft and why the secrecy, please let me know.

The other explanation is that the whole Crowdenscroft business is just the excuse to have the h/h meet and the basis of the conflict between them. However, having gone down the 'Crowdenscroft business' route to begin with, the author would need later to come up with something that could justifiably raise the initial suspicions, and explain why Rockleigh does not let us know the whole at the first opportunity, and be a benign and benevolent business that reflects well on Rockleigh. Trying to come up with something to satisfy all these conditions ended up like trying to square the circle: not possible! I guess that is why the author resorted to bringing in even a baboon. It must be an attempt to distract the reader from the fact that happenings at Crowdenscroft do not make much sense.

When the plot moves to Crowdenscroft, it is also were the adventure/suspense part of the book kicks in. And I did not like it. The book worked much better for me with Mercy and Rockleigh in London. In Crowdenscroft many other people get involved and I felt the romance was taking a back seat. Or rather it was over. We just now have to reveal a mystery, catch a villain, get over Mercy’s father objections and Mercy’s suddenly cold feet. It felt just going through some formalities and did not fit in with the tone, pace and setting of the earlier part of the book. My mark would be 8/10 for the pre-Crowdenscroft part of the book. But 6/10 overall. Alternatively, you could read only up to page 140. Unless you do not want to miss the baboon, in which case you should continue…

Grade: 3/5

The Traitor's Daughter - Elizabeth Powell

Between Passion and Honor

Amanda Tremayne's father, a well-respected naval officer, was wrongly accused of treason and hastily executed for the crime. Before his death, he charged his only daughter with the daunting task of clearing his name and exposing the real traitor. Now, at the tender age of twenty, headstrong Amanda will stop at nothing to restore her father's honor.

With the aid of her faithful friend, Harry, she sets out to find proof of her father's innocence--but how can she know that as she searches for clues she will also stumble across the handsome and adventurous Captain Sir Jonathan Everly? And more important, how can she live with herself when she knows that the man she can't resist is one of the very men who sentenced her father to death?

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This was a new author for me, so I did not know what to expect. The book started promisingly enough with an Author’s note before chapter one, saying that the actual commander of a battle was Captain so and so (and not the hero) and that he (the actual commander of that battle) did not receive a baronetcy until a later day, compared to the date the author used for the hero. Seeing that the author had gone to the trouble to research some historical facts for her plot impressed me positively before I even started the book. But from then on, I am afraid it went steadily downhill.

The basic plot is that heroine’s father, a Captain in the navy, had been convicted and hung for treason, so the heroine is trying to clear his name, and at the same time the hero trying to unmask a traitor in the admiralty. Their efforts throw them together frequently and they decide to join forces, all the more so since it seems that the real villain who framed the heroine’s father, is the traitor the hero is after.

The naval themed plot was somewhat original for a Regency, and that was one of the books positive points. However the actual elements of the plot and how it all hanged together logically (or illogically) was an issue for me, as I infinitely prefer my plots to make [perfect] sense. There were many instances where I was not sure what was supposed to have happened or why or how. eg Why didn’t her father defend himself, when accused of treason, by laying out his suspicions and evidence gathered against the real traitor ? Other than the fact that if he had, he would not have hung for treason and the real traitor apprehended at the time and hence we would have no basis for the current plot, there is no other reason. Also there were complications, and twists and turns, which were neither sensible nor very realistic (even for a novel). And the heroine does oblige the reader with the standard TSTL moment towards the end where she voluntarily and blindly walks into a trap. You know the one: Where the heroine is told that she will be given vital information that will [enter heroine’s main goal here: eg save her brother’s honour, sister’s reputation, the family fortune etc etc], as long as she comes along now, alone, without telling anyone, and carrying with her the vital papers in her possession that the unknown collaborator just wants to look at. Why in such situations, everyone else can smell a rat but heroines never can?

The hero and heroine were likeable enough and I had no major objections against either of them. But I was not particularly invested in their relationship or emotions. And they did also have another classic moment in Regencies which I detest, the ‘misunderstood kiss’. [As readers know, misunderstandings abound in romance novels, and every little thing is exploited to its full potential to cause a problem between the hero and heroine.] The misunderstood kiss is where the h/h share a passionate kiss - and although it is patently obvious to everyone they both enjoyed it hugely, the heroine ends up thinking that the hero despises her (for her being too forward or some such nonsense) and the hero that the heroine is disgusted with him (because forgot his manners or has some defect that makes him repulsive. In this case, he had limp. Yes, I know it sounds irrelevant but that seems to be common ‘hero logic’). My patience was wearing thin by that time, so that scene did not help matters at all for me.

It is also worth mentioning that by the climax of the chase to catch the villain in the final chapters of the book the heroine managed in a couple of hours to be: nearly asphyxiated by the villain, actually shot, almost burned alive, and almost drowned! I think this was just a tiny bit too much… When I started the book I thought that it would be at least a 6/10 one. As I was progressing this was continually re-adjusted downwards till it reached a 4/10. All in all, the book had too many problems to be really enjoyable, and the romance was a bit bland. On the other hand I have read books worse than this. So I may give this author another chance in the future.

Grade 2/5