The blurb is a pretty good description of the novel – the hero is trying to write his maiden speech but finds his writing style is a bit too flowery and overwrought, the result of his experience as a Gothic romance writer. He wants to be taken seriously – he’s got a lot to say about social ills – so he seeks out Prometheus’ help (who’s really a woman writing anonymously) to craft a better speech.
Older heroine
Fallen Angel by Charlotte Louise Dolan
Ok, I absolutely love this book. I adore Gabriel, and his attempts to make Verity fall in love with him and I love how Verity just gets on with her life with absolutely no clue as to why he’s so nice to her.
I also like the fact that Verity is both an older heroine and a sensible heroine, two things which always make me feel kindly towards a book.
A Conformable Wife by Alice Chetwynd Ley
This book starts off very promisingly – a gentle hero and a sensible, older heroine are matched by his sister and a proposal ensues almost immediately. She however turns him down and for a very good reason in my opinion:
“For so many years I’ve tried to be what others expected and needed me to be… I should like to have my freedom for the time being, at least to try another way, to discover myself.“
The Wooing of Miss Masters by Susan Carroll
Hmm where to start? Well I guess there’s the fact that the book’s first chapter is written from two male points of view – only one of whom is the hero – which is slightly unusual. Then there’s the older heroine (yay!) who has found it possible to “read and appear the perfect hostess at the same time.” As a bookworm myself, that really appeals to me!
The Ramshackle Suitor by Nancy Butler
Ok, this book gets right into it – the hero and heroine meet on the very first page and we’re off and flying from there with witty conversation and action (has a Regency Romance hero ever been run down by a sheep before??). And it doesn’t let up from there – looking back I realised all the action takes place in one week which is just crazy!