I liked this book more than I thought I would from reading the back, but I am not in love with it. It was a good, quick read with two main characters who I thought were well developed. 

The only problem I had was that sometimes, when switching voices, there would only be a paragraph before it switched again. Now I know Ms Bradley was setting up for future novels, but some of it just seems unneeded. A secondary character who we already know spends a lot of time reading, is, for a useless paragraph, traveling from the library to a different room. 

So. Better editing would have been nice, but overall a nice read.

 

Originally published on GR in May 2009

Ok, I was desperately needing humor when I pulled this book so the rating is somewhat adjusted accordingly.

Our h, at the tender age of 15ish, was seduced by a dancing master who apparently had a distinct lack of control, thus she assumed she was deflowered but the hymen remained intact. Whatever, her father clamped down on her and pretty much locked her in what passed for a tower at a vicar's cottage. Thus, she's spent the last 10 years being a glorified housekeeper. Of course, there are two things of issue here - one is her grandfather's will reveals that one of his granddaughters MUST marry a duke or the inheritance goes to smugglers, and two, the stepmother of one of her cousins was behind the dancing master even BEING there (I hope that cow gets her comeuppance in this series.)

So we're pretty much introduced to the h at a ball or SOMEthing where she spots and admires the H's arse. Our H manages to remove her from catastrophe, and later mentions to his brother his interest in her. Brother, ever the competitive, proposes to her. She ASS-YOU-Med it was the H. Thereafter, we're treated to lots of looks of longing, verbal sparring, and retreating behind the mask she's cultivated for 10 years before... Well, the two brothers look enough alike that the solicitors in charge of her grandfather's fortune kidnap the wrong one - the H - thinking he's the titled fiancé. By then the h has begged off, done the deed for realz, etc. The brother, because their handwriting is the same, commits a bit of forgery, the H escapes his kidnappers' cellar, and all is well - for now.

Of course lots of things happen along the way. I couldn't decide what to think of the h's father. He seemed to be...I dunno... off? Somehow I think the author could have done more with him, like maybe explain how it was that he was so distant yet admitted that he had not always been so. Also don't really understand the brother. He obviously cared enough to have covered for H's playing hooky as children, and well, that was a pretty selfless act involving the h there at the end. So why does he appear so distant himself?

This book made no sense. Some wtf the moments:

At the very beginning, the crotchety old patriarch makes it very clear that he dislikes the aristocracy. BUT, in order to gain his inheritance, his female relatives must MARRY A DUKE.

Idiot Phoebe accepts a marriage proposal from someone who's first name she doesn't know!

Even more idiotic Calder proposes to a woman he's NEVER EVEN MET! Then invites this stranger AND HER FAMILY to move in with him...that day!

Maybe this thing made more sense after the 100 page mark..but I doubt it.

A delicious Regency read!! Engaging characters and an entertaining plot line. Nice amount of steam to keep the story popping!

I love a lively historical with all the pomp and circumstance! Really enjoyable read!

A fun series.