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.