Review: Memo to publishers: stop marketing a mere teaser as a "novella"
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 20, 2013
My first read from Vicky Dreiling, but not my last I'm sure. This short novella is filled with (what I'm told is) Dreiling's trademark humor, and I like that.The Earl of Bellingham (Bell) fishes two young men out of the Thames, and one of them turns out to be the seventeen-year old stepson of Laura Davenport, Lady Chesfield, who's frustrated in her attempts to turn the boy into a young gentleman. In desperation, she turns to Bell as a possible good influence, but Bell finds himself attracted to the youthful widow. She seems to be a good choice to become his next mistress, his old one having dumped him before he could dump her. Although she finds Bell appealing, all she really wants is his help with her stepson.The friendship between Bell and the two boys-who-think-they're-men is laugh out loud funny. The attraction between hero and heroine is intriguing, and may leave the unsuspecting reader disappointed by the ending.I gave it only 3 stars because this is not a complete story, but rather a teaser for Dreiling's upcoming series. Publishers should STOP doing that.