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Admittedly, Jo Beverley is one of my all time favorite authors. With this new volume containing two of her earliest Traditional Regency romances, the reader will discover why Ms. Beverley has been the recipient of so many writing and career achievement awards – she’s simply the best from fabulous traditional Regencies to her grittiest and most sensually inspired historicals. The Fortune Hunter -- Amy de Lacy and her siblings are facing poverty. With little funds left, must make some hard choices. The only treasure left is Amy, the ever practical but ravishingly beautiful sister. Amy realizes she must marry an extremely wealthy man in order to save her brothers and sisters and the family home of Stoneycourt. Hearing of an immensely wealthy bachelor who had just moved into the area, Amy was on her way to facilitate a meeting when bad weather and an untimely accident drove her to seek shelter at a nearby hunting lodge. Fortunately, the hunting lodge had an occupant who sheltered her from the storm; a very handsome young man Harry Crisp who was not immune to Amy’s beauty, nor she to his. *** I have to admit that the traditional Regency era romances are a much loved genre for me, probably because they generally feature a more modest heroine and while the ‘deed’ is often suggested it is never explicitly described as are some of the latest historical romances. What I find to be extremely satisfying is the sensualness that an accomplished and gifted author can infer in a story without having to resort to ‘shock value’ or overt sexual scenes. Not because I don’t like the hot and steamy historicals, because I do, but I love to see the romance, the chase, and the character development much more. In THE FORTUNE HUNTER, Amy actually feels rather uneasy about her beauty. The reason is she feels that her older sister, who is plain, should be married before her. Amy sets out thinking that she alone could save the family. Though she quickly falls in love, Harry is not rich and she insists being the martyr and marrying a fortune rather than true love. Ms. Beverley does a fantastic job in building Amy and Harry’s complicated love/hate relationship along with blending in an agreeable set of secondary characters that add much to this lovely romance of responsibility versus the heart. Deirdre and Don Juan – The Earl of Everdon has just learned his wife who [ten years ago ran off with another] had died. This event left the newly widowed Don Juan in a bit of a quandary; he was now a very eligible bachelor. Before the match-making mama’s heard of his circumstances Everdon thought to quickly marry again and produce his heir. He vows to find someone plain and compliant, someone that no other man would want. Lady Deirdre Stowe, was considered a plain wall-flower, got on well with is mother and would fill the bill nicely. Unfortunately, Deirdre had her own plans and was furious that his proposal had just ruined her life. He wasn’t called Don Juan for nothing and now that Deirdre had wounded his pride, he was determined to win her over – never expecting to fall in love with or have such respect for such an amazing little spitfire. *** This delightful story by Ms. Beverley was a complete pleasure for the second time around. Although it has been some time since I first it enough time had passed to still have the ability to absorb and entertain me. Dierdre was a delight with her reaction and tirade when Don Juan made his proposal. This scene was extremely comic and laugh out loud funny. His reaction at being called an “oaf” stunned him especially as his reputation of being quite the ladies man was at stake. Deirdre had agreed to a season for one purpose, so that she could return home and marry Howard, a local brilliant mathematician whom her parents considered unacceptable. The deal was Deirdre have a season in London and if no other “respectable” offers for marriage came through, her parents would allow her to marry Howard. When Everdon ruined all Deirdre’s plans with his proposal there was no way Deirdre could refuse him – unless – he were to revert to his rakish ways, thereby offering her a way out of the engagement. Ms. Beverley in creating Deirdre crafted her brilliantly as an interesting lead. Plain but gaudily dressed by a mother with an outrageous sense of color and fashion Dierdre relished the idea of being so out of fashion, so outlandish, no one would give her a second look. Staying quietly in a corner of most of the fetes she was required to attend, Deirdre was almost home free so to speak. Deirdre’s behavior was actually what Everdon was looking for in a wife; someone who would consider themselves lucky to have him and be grateful for the privilege of being his countess. Everdon’s heart had been bruised by a faithless wife who left him for another after only six months of marriage. Beverley demonstrated clearly that this event had hurt him greatly and his rakish behavior was actually armor to hide his broken heart, as well as to show that beauty was indeed only skin deep. She showed that honor, respect, and a pure heart were the most essential elements for true love. Peopled with a cast of interesting secondary characters as well as a re-appearances of friends from THE FORTUNE HUNTER, Ms. Beverley’s outstanding talent in these two delectable novels deliver double the pleasure in one fabulous book. Reviewed by Marilyn Rondeau, for CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
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LOVERS AND LADIES
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