Review: Refreshingly different!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 15, 2012
Refreshingly different!Cynthia, and her friend Clarissa (whose story is told in the book The Secretary) were rasied together as best friends, surrogate sisters and neighbors until their fathers had a falling out.Cynthia's father raised her in a far more educated fashion than young women of her day were - mathematics, sciences, politics, philosophy, etc. He expects her unique intellect and education as well as her beauty to gain *him* influence over a powerful high status man, and is overbearingly pushing Cynthia to marry for power and status.Cynthia, on the other hand, has other plans.  She has been setting aside money to support herself when she escapes her father by tutoring empty-headed society women to hold their own in intelligent conversation so they don't embarrass their powerful, high status husbands or husbands-to-be.One of her clients refers her to the brother of a friend - this brother having never dreamt he'd inherit his father's title but does when his father dies prematurely. This propels the young man into Parliament, and he's utterly and completely clueless about politics or the issues of the day. Cynthia's job is to bring him up to snuff in very short order and on the very quiet. One thing leads to another and romance is a big factor, but not in the usual style.Cynthia's father is a real piece of work - there is some *gasp* horrific parental attitudes and behaviors. Cynthia is a strong-minded and strong-willed young woman. This is not the typical Regency Romance formula book.  It's refreshingly different and I enjoyed it, even though there were some darkish things along the way.