Author: Mary Kingswood

Review: The Babe and the Baron by Carola Dunn (1997)

Posted May 8, 2026 by Mary Kingswood in Review / 0 Comments

A fairly light read, with little external drama, just a nice couple brought together by circumstances slowly falling in love, surrounded by a lovely extended family. Gentle and undemanding, although the ‘babe’ of the title is a real baby, who comes accompanied by some fairly detailed descriptions of pregnancy, childbirth and afterwards.

Here’s the premise: Laura Chamberlain’s feckless husband has left her a young widow, and pregnant. She looks forward to an impoverished future but unexpectedly a cousin of her late husband arrives to whisk her away to his estate in Shropshire. Being a dutiful head of the family, Lord Wyckham (Gareth) feels a responsibility for her, and she, bemused but willing to be looked after for a while, agrees to it.

At Llys Manor, she revels in the luxury she finds there, and also the aforementioned family — Gareth’s four younger brothers, his aunt, an eccentric uncle and another widow, the flighty Maria with three children. At first, it all seems a bit overwhelming, but she gradually begins to find her feet, helping the aunt run the household, and persuading Maria to permit her badly-behaved children a tutor and some ponies. And (since this is a romance) she soon comes to think of Gareth as more than an avuncular cousin.

There’s just one problem — Gareth turns out to be obsessively cautious with pregnant women, and Laura has to assert her independence quite strongly to prevent him wrapping her in cotton wool until her confinement. The reason for this is gradually revealed during the course of the book. The other interesting history is Laura’s herself, and this, too, is slowly brought to light, although the supposed scandal never seems to upset anyone.

In fact, this is one of the weaknesses of the book, that the Wyckham family, and especially Gareth himself, are just too good to be true. Apart from his over-protectiveness towards Laura, he is, frankly, the perfect brother, nephew and lord of the manor. And of course, like all perfect heroes, he makes a complete hash of the proposal. But then it makes him a good match for Laura, for she’s Miss Perfect herself.

This book dates from 1997, and there are a number of elements which wouldn’t find their way into a modern Regency. The Scottish doctor’s very strongly rendered brogue, and the Welsh servants way of talking are a bit much. Having mucked up his first proposal, Gareth corrects the situation by sweeping Laura into his manly arms for a passionate kiss, a process I strongly disapproved of. Humble proposal first, passionate kiss when she says yes. And finally, Gareth has some history with mistresses, which was absolutely the norm in the Georgette Heyer era, but not so much nowadays.

But these minor grumbles aside, I swept through the book in a matter of hours, and thoroughly enjoyed the authentic Regency feel, the (almost) perfect Regency-appropriate language and actions, and the gentle romance. It doesn’t quite reach the heights of five stars, but it’s a very good four stars.

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Review: A Gentleman Unknown by Robyn Mearsley (2025)

Posted May 8, 2026 by Mary Kingswood in Review / 0 Comments

Robyn Mearsley is a new-to-me author, and this appears to be her debut book. As such (and in common with most debuts), it’s slightly lumpy in parts, but it makes for an enjoyable read, a little bit out of the common way.

Here’s the premise: Much Becksleigh is a quiet English backwater, but plans are afoot to build a canal through it, thus connecting it to the outside world and turning it into a bustling town. William Pearce, the ‘gentleman unknown’ of the title, has been sent by his wealthy father to secure all the contracts required to build the canal with the various townsfolk. To him, it seems like a straightforward task. To the young ladies of the town, he is a person of intense interest, and Eleanor, Priscilla and Ruth can’t help wondering what he will be like and building dreams around him.

The plot revolves around both of these elements. William discovers that the townsfolk are a thoroughly difficult bunch to do business with, changing their minds and refusing to help for what seems to him (and to the reader!) to be the most capricious of reasons. And the three young ladies find out that dreams don’t necessarily turn out to be true (but sometimes they do).

Towards the end, there are some dramatic happenings which change everything. Naturally, it all comes right in the end, the hero gets both his canal and the girl, but this merely underscores my principle grumble about the book. For the canal, there are obstacles aplenty, with a new hitch in almost every chapter. For the romance, there is absolutely no friction. They meet, they like each other, relations conspire to throw them together at every opportunity, they decide to get married. Not a single obstacle to slow things down. There’s no kiss, either, and not even a proper declaration of love or proposal. That’s very much in keeping with some of the earlier Regencies, of course, but I was a little disappointed.

I mentioned that the book was lumpy in parts, so I do have a few grumbles. It’s clear that the author has done oodles of research into canals and many other things besides, and a great deal of it found its way into the book. In addition, there’s quite a lot of unnecessary dialogue. Readers don’t need to know every last word of greetings and discussion about the weather, for instance. I struggled a bit with complicated descriptions of family relationships and scenery, although I managed fine without understanding it all. There was some repetition, especially covering an incident that had happened to Eleanor, which was described in full twice, almost word for word the same. And the punctuation was haywire sometimes, with lots of questions missing their question mark.

These are all fairly trivial, however, and didn’t spoil my enjoyment at all. I particularly liked the array of strong characters. William and Eleanor were fairly bland, but the firebrand clergyman and his fanatical daughter were fascinating, and I liked the eccentric Mr Dalton, and Tom with his all-or-nothing style of curricle driving (although I’m still hazy about who precisely Tom was in that tsunami of relations). There was plenty of humour in the book, too. I would have liked just a shade more passion from the principals, but otherwise an unusual and enjoyable read. Four stars.

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Review: The Imagined Attachment by Holli Jo Monroe (2022)

Posted May 7, 2026 by Mary Kingswood in Review / 0 Comments

This is a pleasant read, where nothing the least bit unpredictable shakes the plot from well-worn rails, but it’s none the worse for that. I liked daydreaming Elaine (incongruously named for a tragic heroine) and sober Sir Phillip, and if I could have done with less of their internal monologues, that’s just me.

Here’s the premise: Miss Elaine Brooke returns from school in Bath to join her widowed mother in genteel poverty. They live in the shadow of the local ‘big house’, where Elaine’s childhood friend, Daniel Ashburn, has morphed over time into her ideal man, and the hero of many of her fanciful daydreams. Meeting him again and being exposed once more to his careless charm sets her halfway to serious love. But Daniel’s older brother, the weighed-down-by-responsibility Sir Phillip, is determined to see Daniel settle down with heiress Miss Talbot. He’s been courting her all spring in London, but never got to the point of a proposal. Now Sir Phillip is hosting the Talbots and others in a house party to finally bring Daniel up to scratch. Elaine is the big problem here, not only distracting Daniel from doing his duty, but also becoming a distraction to Sir Phillip, too.

And that is basically the whole plot, which unfolds exactly as you’d expect, with the principals starting by cordially disliking each other and gradually inching, in a two steps forward and one back sort of way, towards an understanding of their hearts, or at least a straightening out of the multitude of misunderstandings along the way. There’s a huge amount of internal musing of the does she/doesn’t she and will he/won’t he variety, which I found became tedious after a while. I much prefer a romantic couple who know their own minds from the start, but I freely admit that the author builds their journey from enemies to lovers very skilfully. The encounters between Sir Phillip and Elaine are beautifully written. It’s only the internal wavering that I disliked, so much so that I was skipping forward at the end to get to the denouement.

A well-written tale with likeable and very relatable principals, which could have done with a bit more bite in the plot. Four stars.

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Review: Redeemed by Jenny Hambly (2026)

Posted May 7, 2026 by Mary Kingswood in Review / 0 Comments

Another excellent read from Jenny Hambly, one of the most reliable of modern Regency authors. This series is based on a clever idea – that a kindly and benevolent lady sets up a secret hiding place for women of the gentry or aristocracy who’ve fallen into difficulties of one sort or another, and need a quiet place to recover. This automatically lays the foundations for the heroine’s rise from trouble to reach her happy ever after.

Here’s the premise: Susannah Croft has struggled for years to raise her illegitimate daughter, but a spell at Ashwick Hall and a fortunate legacy give her the chance to rebuild her life. Thomas Townsend, a neighbour in her new neighbourhood, is a serious man who’s devoted his life to looking after his younger brother. Both have failed romantic entanglements in their past which (naturally) come back to haunt them.

The plot of this one runs on rails. It’s a lovely, gentle story where nothing terribly dramatic or unexpected happens, but the blossoming romance is beautifully drawn. Both hero and heroine have to learn to trust again.

I’ll confess I found this one a touch bland. Susannah (Sukey) is offered nothing but kindness from her new neighbours, which, considering her history, I found a bit of a stretch. She would at the least have been a controversial figure, living as she was alone with an illegitimate daughter and no husband in sight. Even though that wasn’t her fault, she was still ruined in society’s eyes, and although some would have been sympathetic, I would have expected a lot more pushback from some people. That would have given the book a bit more ‘bite’, I think.

As it was, all the conflict came from the past romances of the two protagonists, which worked pretty well, although there seemed to be a surprising amount of coincidence going on. But maybe that was just me.

Overall, a lovely, gentle read, not too surprising but none the worse for that. Four stars.

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Review: Mr Collins in Love by Lee Welch (2025)

Posted May 7, 2026 by Mary Kingswood in Review / 0 Comments

This is a really odd little book. I love the idea of Mr Collins being gay, and I can only admire the ingenious way the author weaves this idea into the actual events of Pride and Prejudice. It’s just a pity that it doesn’t work terribly well.

Here’s the premise: the setting is the year of Mr Collins’ ordination at Easter and his acquisition of the living of Hunsford by the patronage of Lady Catherine de Burgh. Mr Collins is finding it all a bit stressful, and here’s where the author’s talent shines through. Our hero is portrayed on the outside as the bumbling clergyman of the book, with his carefully contrived compliments to the ladies, but since we see his inner thoughts, we see all his uncertainty. He agonises over every move – is it the right, the proper thing to do? How will it look to his servants, his parishioners, his patroness? What do they expect of him? There’s some conflict here between his inner timidity and the unstoppable arrogance he displays in P&P, but never mind.

But then something even more unsettling than Lady Catherine appears – a friend from Mr C’s youth, a labourer called Jem, on the run from the naval career he hated. Mr C gives him a job, they settle back into their former friendship and it soon becomes clear that there’s a sexual element to it. Not that they ever so much as touch each other, but there are some private moments involving naked bathing in a well-hidden pool, and it is a bit graphic so avoid if you want a completely clean read.

And then there’s the pressure from Lady C for Mr C to marry, and he has an extraordinary conversation with Jem about it. Jem fully understands that a wife would change everything, but Mr C doesn’t seem to realise quite what he means. It’s never clear whether he appreciates the requirements of marriage, or whether he’s so unworldly that he doesn’t really get it. I think the author was aiming for subtlety here, but as far as I’m concerned it was all a bit too subtle, and I’d have liked a more explicit explanation of just what he thinks marriage entails.

The next moment we’ve jumped to Longbourn, post-proposal to Lizzie, with Mr C working out how he’s going to explain her refusal to Lady C, and how long a respite this might earn him before he has to go courting again. Whereupon Charlotte Lucas begins her campaign to get him to propose to her instead. This takes some doing, and here is where his arrogance carried him along in the original. But the author having painted Mr C as a man who simply fails to understand subtext, he doesn’t get it when Charlotte says casually that she’d quite like to be married. He doesn’t take the hint, and she practically has to propose to him herself to get him to the point.

I know that Charlotte is a practical sort of girl, but this portrayal of her I found impossible to believe. In particular, her crawling declaration that she’ll do anything he wants if only he’ll marry her (only slightly paraphrasing) throws every shred of dignity out of the window. As for telling him that they could live like brother and sister – why would she even consider the possibility? That is the purpose of marriage in Regency times. She can’t possibly have any inkling of his feelings for Jem, because I doubt any well brought up lady would know that was even a possibility. So this part of the book didn’t work at all for me, and what is more, it serves to sweep away the last vestige of tension.

Mr C returns triumphant to Hunsford, Jem is pleased, Charlotte gains the respectable establishment she wants and they all lived happily ever after… or did they? No indication of that. There are so many potential problems that it seems like cheating to end at that point. Did Jem and Mr C ever go further? Did they ever talk about love? Did anyone ever find out? How did Charlotte cope with her rather lonely existence? And (the most worrying element, to my mind) how did Lady C react to the non-appearance of children? Undoubtedly she would haul Charlotte off to a physician who would reveal the awful truth and then Mr C would be in trouble.

To be honest, this story would have been more interesting, I think, if it had started after Mr C and Charlotte were married and then Jem arrived. That would have developed some proper tension. As it is, I did enjoy the book, up to a point, but I can only give it three stars.
PS An unexpected side effect of this book is that Amazon is now recommending swathes of gay romance books to me.

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An Independent Woman by Sophia Holloway (2025)

Posted January 27, 2026 by Mary Kingswood in Review / 0 Comments

I’ve enjoyed previous Sophia Holloway books, but this one was just too dull for words. Both hero and heroine were too unbelievably good, without a single flaw between them, the villain was over the top and there was an adorable moppet of a child who rendered everyone around her saccharine sweet. And nothing very interesting happened.

Here’s the premise: Louisa, Lady Dembleby is relieved to find herself widowed and unexpectedly free from a marriage which she’d hated. Having failed to produce the expected heir, she takes her small daughter and returns to live with her parents, an odd choice for a widow, but never mind. Her parents seem to think they have some hold over her, but they really don’t. She’s independent, and can do what she likes, if she has the money.

That’s another odd aspect of the situation. Louisa apparently gets one third of her husband’s estate after his death by law, which is true, up to a point. If a man leaves no will, or fails to mention his wife in his will, that is indeed what she gets. But by the Regency, it was almost universal for wealthy men to agree to a settlement for the wife before marriage, which could be for a lot less that a third of the estate. In this case, there is already a dowager, and if she also got a third of the estate, that would leave only one third for the new inheritor of the estate. And if he died and left a widow to take another third of the estate… well, silly situation, but you get the point.

Anyway, it all becomes moot because Louisa fortuitously inherits an estate which she moves to and updates to make a cosy home in the country with her daughter, and then, for some reason I’ve forgotten, she moves to Bath. She’s determined not to marry again, but then she meets Major Benfield Barkby, who was wounded in the hostilities in Spain. Many people are turned off by his maimed hand, but not Louisa (whose only fault seems to be that she’s too perfect), and he, of course, suffering from a similar fault, is a big success with the cute child.

When the child suffers a serious infection, the two principals hurl themselves with unstinting devotion into nursing her back to health, a section of the book which went on far too long for my liking. And then there’s a villain, some foul rumours, a completely irrational decision by Louisa and (a tediously long time later) a happy ending.

There’s too much head-hopping for my taste, where the point of view character switches mid-scene, and sometimes even mid paragraph. That can be effective, but I just found it distracting. Don’t get me wrong, this is a well-written book and if you’re in the mood for two holier-than-thou characters, a sickly sweet child and an over-the-top villain, go for it. For myself, I like my characters a touch more real-world than this. There were plotting issues that niggled away at me, too, like the money issue. I could accept the third of the estate business or the unexpected inheritance, but both seemed too much. And why move Louisa to the inherited house and then to Bath? Why not go directly to Bath? All in all, these issues keep it to three stars for me.

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Mary Bennet and the Haunting of Longbourn by Joyce Harmon (2025)

Posted January 27, 2026 by Mary Kingswood in Review / 1 Comment

Oh, the joy of discovering a new Joyce Harmon book! This series is just so much fun, and this episode, although somewhat gentler than some of the previous books, is still a delight. Still no sign of the handsome lord (and battle mage!!) I’ve been hankering after for several books now, but there is some potential love interest for our heroine.

Here’s the premise: bookish Mary Bennet, the little-regarded middle daughter of the Bennet family of Pride and Prejudice fame, has turned out to have a hidden talent – she can do magic! And because she didn’t discover this ability until adulthood and the perusal of a mysterious book found in the Bingleys’ library, her talent is untrained and therefore unusual. After four adventures, she’s back at Longbourn for a quieter time, she hopes, in celebrating Kitty’s marriage to a local vicar. But odd things start to happen which Mary, away from her magical mentors for the first time, has to deal with on her own, which she manages very well, with just a little help from her friends.

There’s also a serious love interest for the first time. Mr Whittaker has recently inherited a sizeable estate in the neighbourhood, he’s a scholar like Mary and he’s sensible, personable and totally nice. And he’s definitely interested. What should Mary do? This is a major dilemma for her, and the philosophical question of the wisdom of magicians marrying ‘muggles’ (so to speak) is dealt with very rationally. I liked that Mary was able to think it through and reach a conclusion she’ll be able to live with without regret.

The dramatic finale isn’t quite as earth-shattering as some of the previous books, and the villain wasn’t really terribly villainous, more a silly annoyance, but there was a very surprising twist at the end which I totally loved. I’ll be interested in seeing where (if anywhere) that goes. I’m also still hoping for the reappearance of the handsome young lord (Viscount St Ives, he of the honey-coloured hair). Since Mary keeps remembering him, I’m reasonably optimistic he’s not gone forever, and now Mary’s been invited to participate in some secret mission for the magical Order, so… fingers crossed.

If I were being picky, I’d say that nothing much happens in this book, but that’s not entirely true. The events are less dramatic, and the magical interactions are more charming than threatening, but that just makes it even more of a pleasure to read. The language isn’t always totally authentic, but when you’re swept up in the story it doesn’t really matter. A lovely read. Five stars.

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The Derbyshire Dance by Rosanne Lortz (2025)

Posted January 27, 2026 by Mary Kingswood in Review / 0 Comments

As always, a wonderful read from one of my favourite writers, with a very unconventional hero and heroine, a lovely slow-burn romance and a villain thoroughly redeemed.

Here’s the premise: Miss Belinda Morrison is settling contentedly into permanent spinsterhood with her aunt, carefully tending their small farm for her absent brother. A new vicar with an eye to acquiring both Belinda and her prosperous property sets her a challenge, which she sees off in outrageous (but very funny) style. And this sets the tone for the rest of the books – I‘ve rarely laughed so much at a Regency romance.

But there’s another new neighbour, a mysterious and reclusive single gentleman, living at a neighbour’s house while the neighbours are away. When Bel’s cat disappears, she gets to meet Mr Nigel Lymington, who has been pampering the cat with ham and lots of stroking. Bel is happy simply to rescue the cat, but Nigel is intrigued by this self-sufficient woman who manages her farm and isn’t remotely interested in him or society generally.

Readers with a better memory than mine will know that Nigel appeared in an earlier book as the villain and got deposited here in Derbyshire, far from his usual haunts in London, by the tides of the plot. Needing to rusticate because of some shenanigans in that book, he’s hiding not just his person but also his identity. I had forgotten all that, but it doesn’t matter at all, and the locals soon find out that he’s actually the Duke of Warrenton, avoiding both a creditor and his ancestral responsibilities as duke. I confess, I’ve never found tales of an impoverished duke terribly plausible. All those vast acres they invariably own (because dukedoms weren’t handed out without land) produce a fabulous income, as a rule. But let that pass.

From this point on, the romance unfurls at a steady pace, although with characters as unusual as this, there are constant surprises along the way, all of them delightful. I have to say, I love a story that surprises me, and this one does it in spades. Eventually, it dawns on Nigel that he’s never going to win his lady unless he follows her example and takes care of his own land and tenants. Well, he knows it because she tells him very clearly – ‘Fix it,’ she says, and off he goes to do just that.

This is the only (very, very small) niggle I have with the book, that Nigel disappears off to Lincolnshire for months on end, without making any contact with Bel to reassure her that he is coming back and yes, he still wants to marry her. All this while the avaricious vicar is still hovering around Bel. It would have served him right if she had married the vicar in the meantime.

There are some surprising (that word again!) twists at the end before the romance wraps up neatly. A beautifully written book, redeeming a previous villain in splendid style, with a charmingly eccentric heroine and an honourable mention for the cat. Five stars.

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Miss Ridley and the Duke by C N Jarrett (2024)

Posted January 27, 2026 by Mary Kingswood in Review / 0 Comments

A curious little book with so little substance that it feels as light as thistledown. If I don’t write a review on the spot, I shall have forgotten the whole thing by tomorrow.

Here’s the premise: Annabel Ridley, the daughter of a baron, is betrothed to Richard Balfour, who seems a pleasant sort of fellow, right up until the point where Annabel finds him rolling in the hay with one of the maids. She wants to call it off, but neither he nor her father will hear of it. Of course, legally she can’t be forced to marry against her will, but let that pass. In desperation, she seeks the help of Richard’s cousin, the Duke of Halmesbury, riding to his estate at night (astride, wearing breeches, natch), where he offers her a way out of her dilemma – he’ll marry her himself, a marriage of convenience. She’s surprised, having only hoped he’d use his influence, but he’s extremely good looking and seems nice enough, so why not?

Of course, he has reasons for his seemingly altruistic offer, which gradually seep out over the course of the book, although not without a whole heap of soul-searching and not a few temper tantrums from the principals. Frankly, it all got a bit tiring after a while, and I confess to skipping over the angsty parts of later chapters to get to the places where something actually happens. To be honest, everybody seemed a bit emotional for the Regency era, which is generally defined by its restraint. Still, for those who enjoy that sort of thing, there’s plenty of it here.

There are numerous Americanisms, such as gotten and passed (instead of died), and Annabel at one point rides into ‘Wiltshire County’ (a shire is a county, so it would just be Wiltshire). And there’s this evil concoction of a title: Lord Josiah Ridley, Baron of Filminster. Let’s deconstruct that a bit, shall we? Lord Josiah Ridley would be the younger son of a marquess or duke, and no, Lord Ridley won’t do, either. Barons are never ‘of’ anything. They will be either Baron Name or Baron Name of Somewhere, except that the ‘baron’ part is never used except in the most formal of legal documents. He’d just be Lord Filminster in all social situations. Although, amusingly, his daughter just calls him ‘the baron’, which is perfectly acceptable (if a bit rude of her own father!).

There’s nothing much wrong with this book, it just wasn’t my cup of tea, that’s all. It’s a clean read, although with references to sex, but if you prefer your Regency with a bit of heat, the steamy version is published under the author name Nina Jarrett and title ‘The Duke Wins A Bride’. Three stars.

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My Dear Jenny by Madeleine E Robins (1980)

Posted January 27, 2026 by Mary Kingswood in Review / 0 Comments

This is a follow-on to Althea, which I loved. This isn’t quite so good, being a bit scattershot, but still a pretty good read.

Here’s the premise: country girl Jenny Prydd is unexpectedly invited to the wedding of relations of an old friend (the hero and heroine of the previous book). Setting off with a grumpy maid, she stops at a wayside inn for a break and some food. While there, a local doctor declares a quarantine because the innkeeper’s son has measles. Everyone inside the inn is required to stay put until all risk of infection is gone. I’m not totally convinced that Regency medicine bothered with full-blown quarantine, rather than simply keeping the infected person isolated, but never mind. Trapped with Jenny at the inn are Emily Pellering and Adrian Ratherscombe, an eloping couple, Peter and Domenic Teverley, an uncle and nephew, and a clergyman. When they realise what is going on, the rest of the inhabitants conspire to protect Emily from fortune hunter Ratherscombe.

The group spend three weeks (!) trapped at the inn, before setting off again for London, including Emily whose family have been notified of her location and send a carriage to rescue her. Jenny moves in with Emily to protect her, even though she has her own family to do that, and Jenny is supposed to be staying with her friend. But the plot needs her to be with Emily, so there we are. The Teveleys call regularly, since Domenic likes Emily, while she is drawn to the enigmatic Peter. The wrinkle in this particular tale is that Emily likes Peter, too, having been very taken by his romantic and heroic sorting out of the obnoxious Mr Ratherscombe by way of his fists.

In London, Jenny is allowed to enjoy herself hugely at a variety of social occasions, while also acting as wise mentor for Emily, who naturally doesn’t listen to a word she says. The real villain of the piece turns out to be Domenic’s mother, Lady Teeve, who is a thoroughly nasty piece of work, while pretending to be very kind to Jenny and Emily. She’s so ‘kind’, in fact, that she invites them to her country home for a week’s house party, where she settles down to some ritual humiliation of them both. This is where things go slightly off the rails for me. I found it hard to believe any mother who wanted to keep her precious son away from an unworthy female would invite said female to spend a week in the family’s bosom where they are bound to be thrown together, but there we are. It does make for a dramatic interlude.

The house party does throw up one absolute howler of a mistake on the author’s part: Jenny and Emily travel from London to Cumberland (a distance close to 300 miles, which takes the non-stop mail coach no less than 48 hours) in a single day, without even one stop, even to change horses. Magical horses, indeed!

But otherwise, there’s not much to complain about, the plot unravels reasonably smoothly, if you don’t apply too much logic to it, and the romantic denouement is lovely. Four stars.

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