THE SUITOR LIST- Shirley
Marks
Avalon
ISBN: 978-0-8034-7796-4
January 2010
Historical Romance
1811 - Faraday Hall, Essex, England
When the story opens, the three Worth sisters are discussing Lady Augusta Worth's impending trip to London, where the eldest daughter of the Duke of Faraday is determined to find a husband. Although she arrives in London at the very end of the season, her purported beauty, wealth, and intelligence cause two broken engagements and bring several eligible peers scrambling back to town. Her two weeks are a flurry of social engagements and visits from myriad eligible and handsome gentleman, which begs the question: How can a girl ever decide amongst them?
The Duke solves the dilemma by offering to host a house party in which no fewer than fourteen of Augusta's prospective suitors are invited to vie for his daughter’s hand. Although he wants her to make a suitable match, the Duke also desires his daughter’s happiness. Thus, the Duke and Augusta’s sisters have a plan to discover and eliminate any undesirables amongst the gentlemen guests.
I confess I had a hard time engaging with the heroine of this novel in the beginning as she came across as completely superficial and egocentric. I also wondered how every one of her fourteen suitors happened to be rich, titled, and handsome, with not a toad amongst them. They all seemed a bit too “perfect.” However, as the story progressed, one by one, the flaws of each suitor were unveiled.
Although the first half of the book seemed to drag due to what I felt was a very stilted writing style, it improved in the second half when the plot became more interesting due to the sisters’ interactions with the guests. I particularly found Muriel’s talent for lip-reading a clever and original touch.
THE SUITOR LIST is a frothy and entertaining Regency romance, vaguely reminiscent of Georgette Heyer in its light comedic touches and its peppering with Regency-speak. The sisters were close knit and mischievous, the plot amusing, and the romance was, in the end, sweetly satisfying.
Avalon
ISBN: 978-0-8034-7796-4
January 2010
Historical Romance
1811 - Faraday Hall, Essex, England
When the story opens, the three Worth sisters are discussing Lady Augusta Worth's impending trip to London, where the eldest daughter of the Duke of Faraday is determined to find a husband. Although she arrives in London at the very end of the season, her purported beauty, wealth, and intelligence cause two broken engagements and bring several eligible peers scrambling back to town. Her two weeks are a flurry of social engagements and visits from myriad eligible and handsome gentleman, which begs the question: How can a girl ever decide amongst them?
The Duke solves the dilemma by offering to host a house party in which no fewer than fourteen of Augusta's prospective suitors are invited to vie for his daughter’s hand. Although he wants her to make a suitable match, the Duke also desires his daughter’s happiness. Thus, the Duke and Augusta’s sisters have a plan to discover and eliminate any undesirables amongst the gentlemen guests.
I confess I had a hard time engaging with the heroine of this novel in the beginning as she came across as completely superficial and egocentric. I also wondered how every one of her fourteen suitors happened to be rich, titled, and handsome, with not a toad amongst them. They all seemed a bit too “perfect.” However, as the story progressed, one by one, the flaws of each suitor were unveiled.
Although the first half of the book seemed to drag due to what I felt was a very stilted writing style, it improved in the second half when the plot became more interesting due to the sisters’ interactions with the guests. I particularly found Muriel’s talent for lip-reading a clever and original touch.
THE SUITOR LIST is a frothy and entertaining Regency romance, vaguely reminiscent of Georgette Heyer in its light comedic touches and its peppering with Regency-speak. The sisters were close knit and mischievous, the plot amusing, and the romance was, in the end, sweetly satisfying.
Victoria
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