Review: enjoyable Regency
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 19, 2011
In 1806 when Mallory Edwards was seventeen and John Barron was a few years older, their parents arranged for their marriage.  They met on their wedding day for the first time; exchanged vows; and the next morning he left joining the army.Seven years later, Mallory is tossed from her home due no payment as her wandering husband's uncle stopped sending her allotment.  Fuming, Mallory comes to London to confront her husband and demand a divorce.  Not caring one iota for proper behavior, she rips his head off in front of his mistress.  When John realizes the screaming crone is his wife, he grabs her and leaves his mistress at home. Mallory proves he owns nothing as his fortune has been embezzled while he dallied.  Together they seek his missing relative who absconded with his money.  However, as they fall in love while hiding as commoners he realizes his wife is an intelligent beauty and no longer the little girl he married; she realizes her husband is an intelligent hunk and no longer the runaway boy she married.Readers will enjoy this 1997 Regency "Treasure" as the metamorphosis of the lead couple is deftly handled by Cathy Maxwell.  John is a selfish boor while Mallory lacks self esteem; each matures as he looks inside himself and dislikes what he sees and she begins to gain confidence.  Readers will enjoy this second chance at marriage as this time the protagonists fall in love.Harriet Klausner