The review site for lovers of traditional Regency Romance books from Heyer to Smith and beyond
Hmm, what to say about this book? First up, I should mention that it is quite long – 260 pages – and yet most of the action, including the romance (!) doesn’t happen until the 70% mark.
So if you’re someone who prefers fast paced books, with lots of action, particularly the romantic type of action, then best to put this book back. But if you like slow-burn romance and a plot that’s driven by conversation (think Georgette Heyer or Joan Smith then I think you’ll like Lady Cecily’s Scheme.
The picture of innocence, Miss Mabel Anderson, and the sister of a cleric. But many people in her port town of Salford lived in poverty, their only chance at making a decent living being the smuggling trade. Mab inadvertently found herself the leader of this group, but a government agent, Sir Stamford Wicklow, was come to town specifically to discover the leader’s identity—and imprison the villain.
This book reminds me (in a good way) of the classic Faro’s Daughter by Georgette Heyer.
From the book blurb:
Daphne Ingleside’s visit to her Aunt Effie in London was meant to add a little spark to her placid country life. And it did—once the two women decided to write Effie’s memoirs. For Effie, a faded divorcée, had been the beauty of London in her day, and many of the ton feared their misbehavior would be disclosed. The Duke of St. Felix, misinterpreting their project as a means of blackmailing his family, antagonized the sharp-witted, beautiful Daphne to his peril.
From the book blurb:
Dame Durden lives in the past, and she intends her daughter to follow in her footsteps. So Edith is pushed into an engagement with the Saxon-blooded minister, Dr. Thorne, who may not be all he appears. The wild and newly elevated duke, Helver Saymore, is Edith’s own choice, but there are powerful arguments against him—including his own lack of coming to the point.
One of my all-time favourite Joan Smith books.
From the book blurb:
Ella Fairmont, as the anonymous Miss Prattle, has taken the Duke of Clare to task regularly in her gossip column. The duke, unsuspecting, includes Ella and her aunt in his week-long country houseparty. He has also included the blue-blooded Lady Honor, the strikingly beautiful Miss Sheridan, and the multi-talented Miss Prentiss. How could one “ordinary” young lady with a sharp tongue compete with three sterling debutantes?
