Opening the book at random, I found an episode in which the protagonist's valet deferentially recommends a waistcoat with gold stars on scarlet "to impress Miss Potts" (whom he apparently dislikes as much as he does the waistcoat), and the protagonist, protesting that he does not wish ("tonight") to impress the young lady, asks which waistcoat would lend the misleading impression that the wearer was about to put a period to his existence! A very humorous, even Bunteresque, scene. The book appeared to be worth reading. On further perusal, it was indeed worth reading, and probably worth rereading -- a keeper! The mystery and romance elements were well-balanced and the author didn't drop any horrible clangers, at least not in the sense of egregious Americanisms or anachronisms.

However, I will say that I agree with the reviewer who deplored the "French" accents. It took me some time to realize that Eliza was supposed to be speaking with a French accent; it seemed more like a case of speech impediment caused by mental deficiency. Fortunately the French characters don't appear much, especially in the early chapters. ( )

Very enjoyable story. Started out great but got a little slow in the middle. G-rated. I would definitely read more by this author. ( )

I enjoyed this book. It starts with Minerva, our heroine, being humiliated when she overhears her fiance talking about what a stupid, biddable wife she will be. She rushes off in tears and runs right into the Earl of Rossland. Lots of intrigue and plotting in this one, with likable characters. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit, until the end. The horrible French accents grated on my nerves. Other than that, it was pretty good. If you enjoy historical/regency romances, you might like this one. ( )