I love reading regency romances, which isn’t to say I think Jane Austen writes regency romances or I think any of the romance authors are her equivalent. Georgette Heyer would be my favourite, but I’m always on the look out for another author. I’ve discovered through trial and error that I prefer ‘traditional’ regencies. The euphemisms for various body parts in the other more ‘sensual’ regencies just make me cringe – am I the only one? ‘Palace of Pleasure” ugh!
Anyway, I live very close to this store so I stopped by and picked up this novel.
Here is the blurb …
She was unquestionably a lady. Still, that had never stopped him before. He could see that she was not, he thought, that young. Even better. Another twinge of pain from behind his eyes lent a harshness to his voice. “Who the devil are you?” In no way discomposed, she answered, “My name is Caroline Twinning. And if you really are the Duke of Twyford, then I’m very much afraid I’m your ward . . . “
Max Rotherbridge couldn’t believe it. Along with the dukedom of Twyford, he – London’s most notorious rogue – had inherited wardship of four devilishly attractive sisters! Including the irresistible Caroline Twinning. The eldest Twinning was everything he had ever wanted in a woman, but even Max couldn’t seduce his own ward . . . or could he? After all, he did have a substantial reputation to protect. And what better challenge than the one woman capable of stealing his heart?
I quite liked it – there was probably slightly too much seduction for my liking or at least too much described seduction (We all know Willoughby seduces Eliza in Sense and Sensibility, but we don’t hear about her rosy nipples) – but I think it was well researched I didn’t get jolted back to reality by something anachronistic or simply impossible.