Marriage Proposal

by

Kelly Kirch

I must admit that I am a softie when it comes to a book that even touches on the Beauty and the Beast theme. Ms. Kirch has not only written a wonderful romance, but also provided this reader with the gift of laughter. Simon, Lord Marby scarred in body and soul is the quintessential beast. The kind and loving, though completely naive, Miss Marie Cunningham is the perfect beauty. Simon could not seem to win and Marie could not lose, while I could not stop laughing. This is the third book in the Marriage Mart Series. Ms. Kirch also writes Christian Fiction under the name Kelly Marstad'

Scandalous Lord, Rebellious Miss
by Deb Marlowe

Sophie Westby has come to London to help her friend, Emily Lowder design a nursery. Emily was so pleased with the nursery, she asked Sophie to do several more rooms. Viscountress Dayle, a visitor to the Lowder home is so enamored over the redecorated rooms that she requested Sophie do a project for her.

Lady Dayle happens to be the mother of Sophie’s childhood friend, Charles. Sophie and Charles have lost touch over the years and he is now Viscount Dayle. When Sophie meets him, she hardly recognizes him since he has changed so much. Gone is the young man full of tricks and laughter and in his place is a stern, mean-spirited, stuffy curmudgeon.

Charles has tried to turn over a new leaf and be respectable, upright, and worthy of his title. However, his efforts seem to be worth little as someone is out to destroy his reputation by exposing his wild youthful exploits. He decides to marry a woman of stellar reputation as a way to improve his standing with the ton. Of course, that women cannot be Sophie, no matter how much she fascinates him. She’s just too eccentric and just too ready to step forward and take a stand, no matter the consequences,

Ms. Marlowe inserts romance, intrigue, and humor into a story of the days after the Napoleonic wars. She writes of the ton, the attitude of Parliament, women’s rights, and the plight of the returning soldiers. Both romance and history buffs will find this book well worth reading.

The Irredeemable Miss Renfield

by Regina Scott

Cleopatra Renfield has come to London for her first season and she is none too happy about it. It seems that her season is not for her to enjoy, meet someone, and marry. No, she is to be sold to the highest bidder with the highest title or best-case scenario forced into an arranged marriage to a friend of the family.

Leslie Petersborough, Marquis of Hastings, is also in a predicament since he is the friend of the family. Leslie is the Godson of Lady Agnes DeGuis, Godmother to Cleo. Lady Agnes insists that Leslie promised her at his father’s funeral that at the end of his mourning he would marry and settle down. In addition, Lady Agnes will choose his wife. Six months has passed and he has come out of mourning, not wanting to marry any more than Cleo. He remembers Cleo as a child either on a horse riding astride or at a stream with a fishing rod.He is surprised at the young woman selected to be his wife.

At first, the young couple has a difficult time since neither is as the other remembers many years ago. It does not take long for them to team-up in an effort to stop the marriage. Cleo is naïve and the more she tries the more trouble she causes. Between the two wicked stepsisters, a swearing parrot, a butler with covert talents, despicable suitors and the conniving couple, the ton is up in arms.

One either hates Regency romances or loves them. I happen to be one of the latter. I love the droll phrasing: “I told you the Season is a battle.” or “You heard the lady, you dastard.” or , “I love you. You are impertinent, incorrigible, and completely irredeemable." or “Have you gone maggoty in the brain, my girl?” are just a few expressions to have on hand when needed.

Ms. Scott has called up Characters from previous novels. Leslie first made an appearance in The Unflappable Miss Fairchild. Others have shown up in a variety of earlier works. If one wants a fast moving read with more than a touch of humor then I recommend The Irredeemable Miss Renfield.