Review: Sweet/Wholesome Regency; Don't Let the Cover Fool You
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 04 13, 2014
The cover is not a fair representation of the book's contents.  Yes, the cover art is by a Danish painter of the era in which the book is set...but it's not nearly as appealing as typical Regency and/or Victorian romance covers.  The book is of better quality than the book's cover implies.I enjoyed the first half very much: humor, situational comedy, a rich back-story that explained the dynamics between our heroine, Miss Isobel Masters (age 29--now a spinster) and Miles Shepherd, Baron of Revere.  A stretch perhaps, but a fun one.  It's a bit hard to suspend disbelief that young Miles Shepherd would've treated Isobel the way he did at her coming out ball....but that's the fun of fiction...suspending disbelief and enjoying the story as it unfolds.  The first half is lighthearted and fun, though we know something sinister is afoot because of the prologue. This helps to set the stage for the latter half of the novel when the plot takes a sharp turn (well forecast).It was a fun twist that the hero had determined to court Isobel's younger sister, Miss Catherine Masters with the intent of wedding the young beauty, but found himself falling for the wrong woman.  The title is a perfect fit, and the references to the "wrong woman" happened just enough in the story's beginning, middle, and end to be charming.The writing is clean, well-edited, crisp.  The pacing (first half) is spot-on.The second-half is where my attention lagged and I found myself skimming.  And I really, really resist skimming -- I don't want to miss a thing.  Second half is usually where the romance has significant turning points, and I LOVE watching a hero and heroine fall in love.  The fact that I skimmed alerted me to the fact not enough was happening.  (It's hard to have much happen between the man and woman when one isn't fully present.  I'll leave it at that rather than leave a Plot Spoiler.)I was disappointed by the order in which things happened in the final 25%.  Miles's internal dialogue brings him to the epiphany (as with all good romances) that he's in love with the heroine.  But then he asks someone else to marry him (WHAT??) without adequate motivation (*MAYBE* if we'd been in his POV I could've believed it).  And then he's back to debating whether or not he's actually in love.  It's like the rough draft had things developing (out of order)...but then in final writes the author failed to get the arc into a seamless progression that made sense.Granted, the author was going very much for a Pride and Prejudice-like "I'm too proper and my breeding to strict to allow me to express my feelings" era-appropriate justifications as to why the last 25% of the story exists at all...and why one conversation couldn't wrap it up tidily (with believable motivations).  It dragged.  Too many pages were devoted to the conclusion and I found myself irritated with the characters rather than sighing with contentment.  And THAT'S why I read romance....i want to experience the I-deserve-my-happily-ever-after right along with the characters.  Sadly, the oppression and unwillingness to simply express themselves didn't work.  We were either in the wrong character's POV (so we missed out on the motivation) or the motivation was simply glossed over.  Sad, but true.Sensuality level: mild, as rated by author, and I agree.Language: Rated G.Recommended with reservations.