Review: Perfect Regency Romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 6, 2011
If you think the plot of arranged marriage has been overly done in Regency romance, think again.  The Mudlark is an unusual take on a classic idea.  Tristan and Izzy (short for Isolde...classic twist on the lovers of Arthurian legend)are the victims in their fathers' plan to force a marriage between them.  As their fathers, who have been best friends for years, admit: the two were made for each other.  However, Tristan and Izzy do not agree.  They are quite as cunning as their fathers, though, so they join forces to trick their fathers and indeed, the entire ton, into believing they are willing to marry when instead, they will escape with their chosen partners to Gretna Green for a quick double wedding.  As expected, fate plays its own card when Tristan and Izzy fall in love on the way to meet their "true loves."  Fortunately, the other couple have had a similar experience, and the culmination of this story is delightfully romantic and utterly joyous.What sets this novel apart from other arranged marriage stories is the depth of the characters. Izzy is not beautiful like every other heroine seems to be, and Tristan is not the classically charming rake.  These are not the typical characters you expect in a Regency piece, and that's what makes it so interesting.  At its heart, this is a tender, gentle, and sweet love story.  However, there are other facets to the story as well.  Tristan is a soldier who battles demons and injuries daily, and his initial dislike of Izzy is a major conflict in the story.  Watching him overcome these obstacles and grow to care for Izzy is what will keep you reading page after page.  I could not put this story down.  The characters are so well-drawn that you will remember them long after you've turned the last page.