Review: Goats, mustaches, and singing highwaymen
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 12, 2013
If you like witty words, funny twists and lighthearted romances, this book fits the bill. Penelope Fairweather is a country bumpkin who has been invited by her dead mother's best friend, the dowager of Blackthorne, to come to London to have a season with the ton and hopefully find a husband. Right from the start, you get a good dousing of this girl's eccentricities. She brings her pet goat, Lady Bathsheba, who always gets her into trouble. She is accident prone, prattles when she gets nervous, and earns the wrath of her host, the Duke of Blackthorne, within seconds of meeting him by pinching his ear. The Duke's character is one that is easy to love/hate; he can be a jerk at times, but then will go and do something nice and confuse me (and Penelope too; poor girl). It was a fun confusion though.The side characters are delightful. There is the duke's idiosyncratic grandfather who believes a man is to be judged on his mustache alone, the goat who eats men's underthings (can't get more romantic than that!), a quirky highwayman who calls his wife apple dumpling, Lord Boying (that rhymes with Annoying), and the weirdest, most charming character of all, Madame Bellafraunde. That character was unique and hilarious.I'd compare this story to a good blend of hot cocoa (crazy charming characters), Andes mints (delightful word play), and chocolate chips (wit) all stirred together to perfection. I inhaled this fun treat (goats, mustaches and all) and left my troubles and stresses behind for a little while. Yummy!