Dauntry's Dilemma

This actually should be a 4-1/2 star book. I really enjoyed Ms. Ellis' writing, she conveyed nicely of Dauntry's feeling as a man's view of honor, respectability and responsibility; it was also a different change from traditional romance of an aristocrat like a duke or an earl, etc. but our hero was a younger son, with no title, no fortune, and no prospect to recommend him to our heroine (and no possibility of death of older son for him to claim anything); Ms. Ellis also portrayed nicely of how delicate a man's feeling could be which is very unlike rakes or rogues frequently happened in many regency romance novels. I also liked the writer's indirect approach of describing a character without right out telling reader so that left little imagination for us, the most frequent example is: hero would find heroine so pretty from either complexion of her skin or slim of her figure that he couldn't wait to pull her into his arm kissing her, wanting her and what not... I prefer subtle kind of love, usually that is true love which would last a long time. With all this said, I took 1/2 star off for being too tedious on the point that when Dauntry was plotting to entrap Lady Walters in an arranged card game, and afterwards when he went to Combermere to present letters to Gardener, it was a bit long and confusing with so many characters in and out of the story, this perhaps could be shortened or simplified a bit. I also found Mrs. Walters' change of attitude towards Dauntry at the end was a little abrupt, perhaps a little more explanation here. Other than that, I found this was a very touching story, I liked Dauntry a lot, I liked Tommy and the whole Combermere staff, too. Definitely a keeper.

This book, a spin-off of Ellis's "An Uncommon Governess," brings back the same wonderful characters in this delightful novel. Dauntry is a wonderful hero and the heroine is realistic and loveable. I describe the romance as "quiet" : no fireworks or unrealistic events to throw the hero and heroine together but only a simple romance that works well.The book would have been five stars except for two small drawbacks. First, Dauntry's "Dilemma" comes at the end of the book and really isn't explained why he is having his mental anxiety (sorry, but I don't want to give too much away to those who haven't read the book). Second, the ending pages are very cryptic. Perhaps I just didn't get it, but I thought the end was too sparse and I had to reread the last several pages before I figured out what happened to everyone.On the whole, great characters and a good plot. I enjoyed it and hope you will, too.