I had a craving for a Regency, and I ended up reading three in a row. None of them really outstanding, unfortunately, but the last one was quite charming.
Winter Wedding by Joan Wolf
(1990, Regency) 2/12/09
Grade: 3
Miss Clara Christopher spends most of her time visiting one relative or another, and now she’s staying with cousins during a wedding. She’s pleased to find out that Lord Allingcote will be there – they seemed to have a connection when they met earlier, but it never led anywhere. Now she has a chance – if not for Nel Muldoon, who is determined to make trouble.
This book had a lot of fun Regency ambiance, but unfortunately, the story left a lot to be desired. I enjoyed the background of preparing for a Regency wedding, especially in the hands of skinflint Lady Lucker, and the back and forth of the house party and various guests. But the plot about Nel and her determination to run off with her lover just felt tedious, and it took time away from the more interesting romance between Clara and Allingcote. As a result, I never felt like I got to know the main characters, and the book was a disappointment.
Birds of a Feather by Allison Lane
(1999, Regency) 2/17/09
Grade: 3.5
Joanna Patterson has her hands full trying to find a suitable, wealthy husband for her flighty charge, but she keeps running into Lord Sedgewick, who considers himself the arbiter of fashion and manners in London society. Joanna has little respect for someone she thinks of as shallow, but perhaps he has hidden depths.
This was not a very romantic book. Although there are a lot of sparks of attraction between Joanna and Sedge, they spend most of the book misunderstanding each other, and there’s more time spent on the doings of the ton than on the relationship. Allison Lane’s view of the ton is more Lord of the Flies than sweet romance, but it’s rather fascinating – everyone has hidden agendas, and the author doesn’t stint on the faults – Joanna’s charge Harriet is “hysterical” and not too bright, everyone’s parents are judgemental and horrid, Sedgewick worries over the terrible burden of giving fashion advice to the tasteless, and Joanna seems like the only sensible one (when she’s not jumping to conclusions). It’s kind of like reading a very snarky gossip page, although things got a little repetitive in the last third of the book.
Miss Maitland’s Letters by Martha Kirkland
(2000, Regency) 2/18/09
Grade: 3.5
Lorna Maitland, the daughter of a wool merchant, has agreed to marry Paul Clement, the son of a baron. It was originally an arrangement – her money for his title – but she fell in love with his letters from the battlefield. Only Paul didn’t write the letters – his friend Steven Rutledge did, and he’s determined to make Lorna see who Paul really is.
This was a charming romance, although it became a bit repetitive towards the end. But there was a sweet attraction between Lorna and Steven, and his careful wooing of her was nicely done. The deception about the letters went on for far too long, though, and eventually I got a bit impatient to have it done with – and the tie-it-up-with-a-bow ending was a bit much. The book wasn’t all that memorable, but it was a nice, enjoyable read.
Thankfully I still have quite a few Regencies in my TBR pile – they aren’t always great, but they just have a different tone from today’s Regency historicals.
Karen Wheless
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