What To Read This Fall

What to Read This Fall

Never Love a Lord by Regina Scott-- Sweet/Traditional Regency Romance 

Thank you to Regina Scott for the advanced copy of the e-book. All opinions expressed in this review are all my own and not affected by the giveaway.

Petunia Bateman is back home with her brother and sister-in-law after an exciting but unsuccessful Season. Three years ago her heart was crushed by Lord Ashforde who decidedly informed her she misunderstood his intentions and he was not courting her. Since then, she has found no one she wishes to marry. Tuny has been careful to guard her heart ever since. She doesn't mind living with her family. She loves her brother, his wife and children and their lively, loving household but to have someone to share her life with, to be a partner as Charlotte is to Matty, would be nice. When Tuny is elevated by the Batavarian prince for her help catching the villains responsible for threatening the Batavarian royals, she's shocked. Tuny is even more shocked to learn she's expected to work closely with Lord Ashforde to convince him to advise King George to return the Batavarian kindgom to the rightful ruler. Tuny is not so thrilled to have this job sprung on her. Nor is she happy to be saddled with a 24 hour guard in case she's in danger from her association with the Batavarian court. Lord Ashforde lives a carefully ordered life, alone, in his house with his servants and his library. He knows the time has come to sire an heir but he has yet to find the right wife. He can't stop thinking about Miss Bateman! He has never met her equal in intelligence, kindness and beauty. Ash is prepared to court Tuny, if she'll have him, but he can not give her his whole heart. It would be unwise to give in to his passions. That way lies ruin as Ash knows too well from his childhood spent with a pleasure seeking father. Before he weds, however, he would like to find his family jewels, sold long ago to pay his father's debts. He would pay anything to have them back. Meanwhile, he must solve the dilemma of his feelings for Tuny and figure out which side it's on in the Würtemberg question. Which is harder? A weighty political problem or matters of the heart?

I was so looking forward to Tuny's story from the beginning. I loved her character when she was a little girl and couldn't wait to get to know her better. Yet, this story turned out to be my least favorite of the quartet. It lacked that certain element of suspense Regina Scott is known for! In the previous books there was a villain threatening the characters and they had to figure out who it was. That part of the plot comes VERY late in the story and I suspected it was going to happen that way all along. It felt a little anti-climatic in a way. The main focus of the story is romance and I'm torn in my feelings about it.

I caught two typos: 45.55% Ch. 11, the word stones after silver probably shouldn't be there. Also slight historical inaccuracy in Tuny's literary reference, albeit funny. She wouldn't know about the mad wife in the attic  or the massive hound stalking the grounds The Hound of the Baskervilles but I suspect Regina Scott tossed those in there as a wink wink to her readers who will certainly get the references. The monster hunting the moor must be Frankenstein, which is referenced again and was already published in the original form. The second edition, the one most readers know, won't be published until 1831.

I still love Tuny. She's never fully adapted to being part of the ton and still feels her low origins. She's forthright, capable of looking after herself and more at home in Covent Garden than Mayfair. One thing I love about Tuny is her ability to speak her mind. She's never mean about it though. She never says anything unkind. In fact she has a big heart and loves with her whole heart. Tuny is just innocent and doesn't really understand the point of not saying what you mean, the way the nobility acts. She can toss out a veiled insult like the best of them though and not too nice to do it too. I like that about her. She's never overtly rude. I also love her passion for learning and can relate to her feelings about books. What we learn about Tuny in this book is her love for her family. We get to know Charlotte and Matthew better and meet their daughters, Daphne and Rose. Charlotte has changed a lot. She's softer, warmer, kinder and a loving mother. She's involved in the raising of her girls, but not so much Tuny. She understands Tuny is who she is and can't be forced into a mold set by the snobbish ton. Tuny is great with her nieces. The girls are very energetic and precocious. I could have done without them at first but then Ash enters the picture and the girls become important in understanding his character. I wish Tuny still had a dog though. I was sad she didn't have one but a dog plus two small girls would be a lot. Matthew is also a hands-on parent and as loving a father as he was to his sisters. He still plays bear! It's very sweet seeing such a large man behave so gently and kindly with his young female relatives. The girls adore their father as much as Tuny does.

I have mixed feelings about Ash. At first he's rather Mr. Darcyish but for a good reason. He's reacting to the excesses of the previous generation, in essence becoming Victorian. That makes him a bit boring. But he's also reactionary and quick to feeling animosity towards other men who might look twice at Tuny. Yet, he's also very sweet and kind. I love how thoughtful he is towards Tuny's nieces. He takes the time to do something nice for them and be personally involved in their lives. It shows he'll be a good father, unlike his own. Ash is a slow and careful thinker, something I relate to. He doesn't make rash decisions. I appreciate his considering the issue from all angles, something no one else is doing, but after getting to know Prince Otto Leopold and Count Montalban, I'm on their side the same way Tuny is! I want Ash to just say "YES! Give the lands back to King Frederick." I'm not sure his solution is the way to go.

Larissa, Callie and Belle have little to do in this story and I miss their friendship with Tuny. They still plot and plan but not as frequently as they did during the Season. Meredith and Julian are hoping to play matchmaker. Julian likes Ash and thinks he'd be good for Tuny. Meredith, not knowing about Tuny's previous heartbreak, isn't so sure. It's up to Fortune to figure it out.

The Wellmantons are back and causing trouble again, this time mainly on the female side. Lady Wellmanton is a snobby, selfish woman who wants to snag Ash for one of her simpering daughters. They don't show any signs of intelligence. All they do is giggle and bat eyelashes- something Ash is adverse to. Lord Wellmanton also hopes to gain an ally in Ash, if not for his daughters, for political reasons. Can he be trusted? Herr Von Mendelsloh, the envoy for Würtemberg, is also back and trying to meddle. He's certainly untrustworthy but is he a villain? He's proven himself before but how far will he go to protect his king's interests? He's super condesending towards Meredith and ignores Fortune all together. Definately not someone Julian wants to be friends with.

Eminently trustworthy is Ash's butler, Peaves. At first he seems snobbish and very proper but that's just his military training. He looks after the household and seems to feel fatherly towards Ash. The Imperial Guards are fun and I can't wait for their series. The nicest is Mr. Huber. He plays with the children and has a soft spot for the Duchess of Wey's temporary governess, Miss Winchester. Miss Winchester has gone missing and Mr. Huber is very worried about her. Keller, Roth and Tanner are not as sweet as Mr. Huber. Roth is crazy suspicious. Tanner sees Tuney as his duty to protect but also as a sister to protect emotionally. I love how they interfere in the courtship. They're so funny!

Even though I didn't love this book as much as I had hoped, I still don't want to say goodbye to these characters and I'm eager to see them pop up in the next series.