This was a good weekend for finding books on my Kindle. Malin and Mrs. Julien have done the lord’s work in convincing me to move past whatever reluctance I had about reading Loretta Chase. Miss Wonderful is my third Chase this year. I must say, she writes a great heroine and some excellent banter.
Alistair Carsington is the third of five sons. His father has announced Alistair must find a way to support himself, or marry an heiress, within 6 months because he is expensive to keep. Mirabel Oldridge is the spinster daughter of a large landowner in Derbyshire. Mirabel runs the estate for her father while he obsesses about things botanical.
After a number of disastrous forays in romance, Alistair is reluctant to marry. He and his longtime friend seek their fortunes in a canal venture. Mirabel Oldridge is vehemently opposed to a canal, which would run through, or alongside her property. The combination of opposition and attraction makes for a fast paced and fun read. Alistair is a dandy and finds Mirabel’s fashion choices offensive.
Miss Oldridge wore a grey silk gown designed, apparently, by a strict Presbyterian minister for his grandmother.
It turns out, after banter, flirtation, and a great deal of disrobing, that clothes are a shield and a weapon that they each use against social expectations.
There is some entirely unnecessary external drama. With the conflict over the canal, I don’t see why a separate villain was needed.
It is a romance, so everything works out. By the time we get to the end of the book, the HEA is entirely believable.
I’m reading the new Loretta Chase, A Duke in Shining Armor right now and it’s SOOO much fun! Not all Loretta Chase is gold, but when she’s good, you really see why she’s such an important and beloved voice in the genre. I forget, have you read Mr. Impossible yet? It’s totally the best of the Carsington novels. Lord Perfect is also good.
I haven’t read either of those yet.
Loretta can do no wrong in my opinion and I’m looking forward to her new book.