Review: Nice Regency Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 19, 2014
I really enjoyed this book.  So much so that I've read it twice.  It's very well written, with an interesting plot, and well drawn characters.  Furthermore, Ms. Richardson has her characters behave in a manner that is fairly true to form for the Regency period.  Caroline is a heroine among heroines.  She's super-smart, and very serious minded.  Caroline eschews frivolity of any kind, and has absolutely no interest in going to London, having a season, or getting married.  Nicholas is a wonderful mate for Caroline, as he shares her interests in intellectual pursuits, and social issues, but provides a balance as he can appreciate some of life's more frivolous pursuits.  It doesn't hurt that he's handsome, sexy, titled and rich.  LOLWhen Caroline and Nicholas first meet, she's only a child of some eleven year.  Nicholas is a guest at a party being given by Caroline's aunt.  Caro overhears her selfish, vain, mean-spirited cousin Lavinia, carelessly laughing off Nicholas' proposal.  When Nicholas discovers Caro eavesdropping, she pretty much tells him he got off lucky.  LOLYears go by, during which time, Caro's father (who is brother to Lavvy's mother) dies, leaving Caro an orphan.  She spends the years of her childhood between school and her aunt's home.  As soon as she is old enough, the independent Caro takes up residence on her estate--inherited from her father--and assumes its management.In the meantime, Lavvy married her Earl, who five years after their marriage dies, leaving Lavvy a young, wealthy widow.  As soon as her enforced mourning period is over, Lavvy is eager to get back to her social pursuits.  She invites Caro to London to lend her a respectable countenance--it would not be the thing for her to be living alone.  Caro very reluctantly agrees, and begins to make arrangements for a removal to London.Before she can begin her journey, she and Nicholas have their first encounter in six years.  Nicholas is now a Marquess, after the untimely death of his elder brother.  This is the first of many more encounters.Once Caroline arrives in London she and Nicholas are constantly thrown together, as now that he's a Marquess, Lavvy is determined to have him.  When Nicholas seems to be falling back under Lavvy's spell, he finds himself a target for Caro's scorn.  LOL  I have to admit that I was completely irritated with him myself.  But, on some level his feelings rang true, as I'm sure it's hard to get over your first love.  Yet still, I called him an idiot more than once.  LOLThe story that unfolds is thoroughly engaging; the romance very sweet.  The romance between Caro and Nicholas develops at a slow, natural pace--first a friendship based on their mutual interests develops which slowly grows into love.  To add a bit of fun to the plot are Lavvy's two darling boys, who are sadly neglected by their self-centered mother, but who form a close-knit relationship with Caro.You should know that there is a lot of introspective by the various characters throughout the book.  I actually liked it, as it gave me insight of the various characters at varying points in the story.  However, I know that there are some readers who don't like it when an author spends so much time in the minds of the characters.  It doesn't usually bother me, unless it's overused, and IMO it worked for this story...I just wanted to put it out there to make prospective readers aware.I did have a few minor issues with the story.  The biggest being with Caro's age.  She seemed too accomplished for one so young--at one point in the book, we learn that Caro was 11 years old when she and Nicholas first meet.  If that is indeed true then that would make Caro only 17 or 18 years now.  Assuming her to be that young, it's not very realistic that she would be allowed her own residence, even with a companion--she would have to have a guardian, which presumably is her aunt's husband, Lord Mandeville.Another, although minor--issue, is that it's been six years since Lavvy's marriage, how is it that she has a 6 year old son...what happened to the  40 week pregnancy period? (So many authors discount the gestation period.  LOL)Lastly, after bringing up the issue of how Lavvy was sure to react when she finally realized that Nicholas and Caro had developed feelings for one another, the author fails to provide the reader the satisfaction of witnessing that event.  More than once--three times to be exact--throughout the story, it was noted by one character or another, that Lavvy's reaction to the budding relationship between Nicholas and Caro would be something to see, that "she's not one to give up such a catch without a fuss" and that there would be "...a rare to-do..."  I was really looking forward seeing that.  Consequently, when the story ended before Lavvy is informed that Nicholas and Caro are engaged, I felt cheated.I also did wonder what was going to happen to those darling boys now that Caro would no longer be living with them, and they would be once again relegated to the care of an indifferent parent.  That issue gave me a moment (I definitely over-think the books I read.)Those issues aside--and granted they are pretty minor--I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it as a very engaging read.  FYI, it is a clean romance.  Happy reading!