A Spinster’s Luck
[openbook booknumber=”0451207610″]
[rating:2/5]
Celia Langston has had a run of bad luck. After her parents died she was left an orphan and had to turn to a job in the working class, as a governess to two small boys, to make her way in the world. She is resigned to remaining single and un-marriageable all the days of her life. After a run in with the Duke of Severly at a young age she finds him cold and heartless as he looks to have her new position taken away from her, so it’s no surprise that she is set against him from the start when he turns up again years later.
Telling himself there was no harm in one kiss, Severly leaned and gently took her lips with his. As the warmth of his mouth held hers, the world stopped for Celia. Everything became part of this moment – the sunlight filtering in from the window behind them, the scent of tuberoses and lilies, all became part of this, her first kiss.
The Duke of Severly shows up in the neighborhood just in time to meet his sister’s governess before her turn of fortune. Her plain dresses and spinster caps don’t fool him and he soon finds himself showing a bit more attention to her than is appropriate only to be continually met with a cold shoulder. Then her luck changes and she goes from being his sister’s spinster governess to being something much more. And now, she needs his help.
Being used to Georgette Heyer I didn’t think I would like a regency romance written by a more modern author (and with a slightly sleazy book cover to boot) but I ended up being pulled in by the plot anyway. The plot was interesting through and through and I liked the intrigue of the ton and the feeling of impending scandal as the duke turned the ex-governess into the Season’s latest and greatest Beauty. The whole thing was very Cinderella-esque and endearing for it.
I did find a lot of the reasons for the misunderstandings to be a bit fanficy, and the main character overly dramatic and emotional at times. The writing seemed to use the same cant phrases over and over again as if the author didn’t know any other ways to say things during the regency, and that got old after a while. And, some of the more passionate scenes were a bit overdone and I thought some of their thoughts and words were a bit too racy for the regency period.
After reading so much tastefully done romance with actual tension between the characters to read this one with what seemed like forced tension at times and that were so crudely written at others was just a huge let down and I didn’t end up enjoying the book as much as I felt like I might of if it had been written a different way. So I had to give this book a low two stars.
