Nicola Sparks, sixteen and an orphan, is ready to dive headlong into her first London Season. A whirlwind of fashionable activities awaits her, although nabbing a husband, ordinarily the prime object of every girl's Season, is not among them. For Nicola has already chosen hers: a handsome viscount by the name of Lord Sebastian.

Lord Sebastian Bartholomew is wealthy, attractive, and debonair, even if the few tantalizingly short moments Nicola has spent with him have produced little save discussions about poetry. Nicola is sure that a proposal from Lord Sebastian would be a match made in heaven. Everything is going well, until the infuriating Nathaniel Sheridan begins to cast doubt on the viscount's character.

Nicola is convinced Nathaniel's efforts to besmirch Lord Sebastian's sterling reputation will yield nothing. But when she begins to piece things together for herself, the truth that is revealed has as much to do with the viscount as it does with Nicola's own heart.

A funny little YA romance. Cabot always writes smart, interesting female leads, and this book is no exception. ( )

This light and airy contribution to teen lit by Meg Cabot was pretty on par with the other books I've read by her so far, although not quite as intriguing to me as the Mediator series (which I adored and still re-read occasionally). This story takes place back in the oh so proper era of bygone England where the upper crust of ladies and gentlemen played without a care for the realities of life, instead focusing on protocol, fashion and how many well-bred horses they can buy.

Nicola is much like Ms. Cabot's other heroines, spunky, witty, rebellious and a little too fashion focused, but they are always fun to read. In this Nicola is an orphan of a baron who considers her life as akin to a "thistle in the wind". This philosophy had served her well thus far in life and she has fallen into many a grande circumstance with good friends and their families. Her main ambition is to catch the eye of "The God", a handsome viscount and one of her schoolmate's friends. However, once she does manage to snag his interest, she is annoyed by the constant beleaguering of "The God's" character by the brother of her closest friend, Nathaniel Sheridan. Ultimately she is lead on an adventure that makes her question of her "thistle on the wind" attitude is really a good thing.

I found the story to be fast moving and entertaining. It is not something that is going to strain your brain, but it's not supposed to be a deep moving classic. It is a great escape into the fantasy of old England without being complex. I enjoyed it. ( )

This is a Regency romance for teens, by the same author as The Princess Diaries. It's quite cute, and quite enjoyable. Meg Cabot's writing is engaging, and the characters, while definitely teenage "hero" and "heroine" are still good. This is a fun book for adults to read as well. ( )

Nicola and the Viscount, by popular author Meg Cabot, is a mixed bag. While historically inaccurate and with an uncomplicated plot, it was still a bit enjoyable. I do like Meg Cabot's books; I loved her mediator series (which introduced me to urban fantasy) and liked her princess diaries just fine. And while this book wasn't one of her best, I still liked it too.

But if you're going to write a book set in 1808, it kind of defeats the point if you make your characters act like modern-day teens... doesn't it? The familiarity between young men and women, the use of shortened names ('Nicky' for Nicola and 'Nat' for Nathaniel) and the very uncommon outbursts of the main female character are proof enough that the author didn't really try to get into the spirit of the period. I know this is intended for young adults, but that is no reason to disregard historical facts. Because, if you're going to invent a whole new world no point in writing a book in 1808, London. Might as well write one in 2307, Mars colony. Most historical romances aren't 100% accurate, but at least the authors try.

Historical accuracy aside, this book is an easy read. The characters are lovable, the plot is interesting enough to keep you reading and the love story is cute. Read it, but don't expect much. Other books by the author are better reads. ( )