Review: Laughter and tears make the best romances!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 15, 2012
Charity is the type of girl every man wants for a wife. She's pretty enough, good-natured, industrious, and knows how to manage children and just about everyone else too. But she turns down every marriage proposal, including a marquess, and her older brother has given up trying to persuade her. She even leaves London two weeks early during her London Season because she's needed to organize the village's midsummer celebration. . . and forestall the disapproving vicar from canceling it entirely, as he sees it as pagan and sacrilegious.Tristan, Lord Braden, already a renowned painter, has come to the village to take charge of his newly-widowed sister, who has refused to rise from her bed in her grief, and her two sons, who are wreaking havoc on their own since all the servants except one have left and their mother has abandoned them. He feels a bit resentful that he is forced to do this, as he has spent most of his time in Italy painting rather than keeping in touch with his sister, and it shows in his impatience with his sister and her rambunctious sons. Another issue is the neglectful state of his brother-in-law's property: it is almost too late for planting and Tristan is useless as a farmer.Fortunately, Charity's elder brother unexpectedly steps in to offer his assistance. As they become acquainted, he mentions his sister Charity and how every gentleman who knows her wants to marry her, but she turns them all down. Tristan has had a great deal of practice evading the parson's noose, so he figures this girl will set her cap at him, so he'd better be sure not to encourage her.But everyone in the village tells him that Charity is the answer to his problems. She is the one who can get his sister's house and children ship-shape again. She is the one who can coax his sister Anne out of her deep mourning. Skeptical, he stays in the background and watches when she arrives and immediately begins using expert tactics in setting the children to rights and persuading their mother to help make rag dolls for the upcoming fair. Tristan is even more amazed when she sends over the governess who has worked for her family for years and manages to set the house to rights, with the help of a local girl who was bribed with one of the Anne's silk gowns.Charity is immediately attracted to Tristan, especially since she has seen and appreciated his work at the Royal Academy. Is he the one for her? She is her normal friendly self, but when he treats her coolly, she gets the message that he suspects her of trying to attach him and responds in kind. Of course, Tristan feels slighted that she is so warm and friendly with everyone but him. And the more he watches her, the more he starts thinking that she would be the perfect wife for him. The question, however, is whether or not HE would be the perfect HUSBAND for her. And this is where thus far all of Charity's beaux have fallen short.This is one of the best Regencies I have read in recent years, and it came as a freebie too! I can't tell you how rare it is to find such a gem among all the amateurish bunk commonly found on the freebie list. The characters and the plot are fantastic, the writing is authentic, and the dialogue is reminiscent of Heyer at times. I laughed and cried all the way through it, and you can bet I will be looking for more such gems by this author.