Deirdre and Don Juan

"Don Juan" is the rakish Earl of Everdon, a man whose wife left him ten years before. Since that time Everdon is known for his liaisons with ladies, safe in the knowledge that matchmaking mamas will give him a wide berth for their daughters as he's already married. When he discovers that his wife has died he is concerned that he will be hunted for his marriage prospects and so decides to take another wife as soon as possible - one who will be quiet and no trouble and who no other man will try to steal. Everdon chooses his mother's young friend, Lady Deirdre Stowe. Deirdre, however, is unwilling to be his bride as she is already privately betrothed to a local mathematician, Howard. And thus begins Everdon's plan to draw Deirdre away from Howard and for her to decide to marry him - although he has no idea the effect it will have on his own feelings towards her. This was another good read although Deirdre's behaviour throughout was a bit annoying. It's clear to the reader - and everyone in the story - that Howard isn't suitable for Deirdre and that Everdon is a far better choice, and yet she hangs on to her feelings for Howard. Howard himself was a rather unbelievable character, his constant preoccupation with maths seeming rather cartoonish rather than real. I wasn't entirely sure quite why Everdon fell so hard for Deirdre but it's good to read of a sort-of ugly duckling winning the prize in this story.

Ten years ago, Iphegenia (Genie) bolted from her new marriage w/ Mark Juan Carlos Renfrew, Earl of Everdon. Now, word arrives that Genie is dead and the earl, nicknamed Don Juan, will undoubtedly be the focus of all the scheming society mamas of the marriage mart. Don Juan is determined to keep his single status a secret until he can become safely engaged to a quiet, plain, biddable woman who will be content to stay at home and do her duty (namely, produce heirs and not run off). On his mother's recommedation, Don Juan sets his sights on Lady Deirdre Stowe, a well-bred but quiet, badly-dressed, and, indeed, almost ugly young woman. Don Juan cannot conceive that Deirdre would be anything but flattered and grateful for his attentions, so he is disconcerted--and intrigued--when she greets his offer w/ dismay and annoyance. Up to now, Deirdre was well pleased w/ her lack of suitors and had purposely cultivated her plainness and unfortunate wardrobe. She had received her parents' agreement that, if she were to receive no offers of marriage during her London season, she would be allowed to return home to marry Harold Dunstable, a brilliant, poor, and totally self-absorbed mathematician. Don Juan's proposal ruined everything! Don Juan doesn't want an unwilling bride, so he tells Deirdre that he will contrive an end to the engagement in a manner that will satisfy her agreement w/ her parents. In the meantime, of course, Don Juan begins to experience a growing fascination with Deirdre. In turn, Deirdre is alarmed by her response to his charm, kindness, and undeniable sexual appeal. Eventually, Don Juan decides to launch an all out campaign to win Deirdre for his own. Don Juan is an interesting character. At the outset, he seems to be a typical aristocrat--emotionally shallow, mercenary, intent upon fulfilling his needs first, etc. The reader soon sees that there is much more than the initial surface image. This is a man who has had his own struggles and sorrows and come out the better for them. He is not perfect, but he is a caring man and is richer even for his flaws. In fact Ms. Beverly has done a good job w/ all of the characters--including Don Juan's mother, the servants, and Deirdre's family. Don Juan's eccentric cousin, Kevin Renfrew (known as the Daffodil Dandy due to his affinity for yellow attire) is especially enjoyable in his brief appearances. Even the unpleasant Harold is well done. Deirdre herself is a likable character, but her obstinacy concerning Harold was the biggest drawback to the book. It was apparent from the outset that Harold didn't love Deirdre and saw her merely as a convenience, but she refused to admit it, even to herself. Deirdre was an intelligent, strong-willed young woman, but she allowed Harold to treat her terribly. It seemed out of character for her to be so dense. I also think the scene between Deirdre and Genie's mother was awkward and unnecessary and could have (should have) been omitted. The

Mark Juan Carlos Renfrew, Earl of Everdon, is known throughout the ton as Don Juan, and with good reason. He is a rake who has had affair after affair, although he is a married man. But his transgressions aren't without cause: after all, he married very young, and his wife ran off with another man within six months of their wedding. Now, though, he has just heard that she is dead, and he needs to find another wife in a hurry, before the matchmaking mamas hear that there's a new matrimonial prize on the market. Everdon's mother has a solution: propose to her young friend Lady Deirdre Stowe.Deirdre is not considered to be a great prize on the marriage mart; she is not especially attractive, with too large a nose, and she has a tendency to dress in styles and colours which don't suit her. But this is all part of her plan; she is in love with a penniless mathematician of whom her parents don't approve. She has, however, struck a bargain with them: she will undergo one more season and she will not turn down any respectable offer of marriage she might receive. However, if she receives no offers, they will allow her to marry her Howard. This, then, is the reason for Deirdre's unbecoming apparel and her failure to make herself attractive. But then Everdon proposes, and she's in trouble... She can't refuse him because of her promise to her parents. So they come to an agreement: she will accept his offer and they will enter into a sham betrothal, and at some point Everdon will contrive to be discovered in compromising circumstances, which will give Deirdre a good reason to end the engagement. Everdon doesn't particularly like the plan, especially as it will leave him without a fiancée and at the mercy of the sharks in the marriage mart again. He likes it even less once he meets Howard Dunstable and sees how the man treats Deirdre, forever complaining, failing to pay her any attention and clearly intending to treat her as an unpaid housekeeper once they're married. And as soon as Everdon actually kisses Deirdre he knows that she's never known passion - and that he wants her for his own. But how can he convince her that he isn't the irredeemable rake she believes him to be - and that they are meant for each other?This is an enjoyable book; not as good as Beverley's best early Regency, Emily and the Dark Angel, but considerably better than most of the others from that era. There are familiar characters here too: Everdon's cousin is Ian Renfrew, the Daffodil Dandy first introduced in Emily and the Dark Angel, and Everdon first dances with Deirdre at a ball held at the Ashbys' home. The romance is sweet and certainly convincing; both characters have much to gain from knowing and loving the other. Appearances can be, and are, deceiving on both sides. Was Deirdre's attachment to Howard convincing? I'm not sure. I was puzzled as to why Everdon's friends called him Don - yes, his nickname was Don Juan, but as he and they would have been well aware, Don is not a nam

I have been reading all of Jo Beverley's novels from the earliest to this point (still have a lot to go) and found, as always that I love this women's style.In Deirdre and Don Juan (he is only part Spanish, hence the nickname)you have a hero who, rather than divorce his wife after she left him, used the marriage to fend off any like-minded mamas and was able to conceal his hurt behind the many dalliances he engaged in. In the beginning, this suave and handsome man appears quite arrogant, which as you find later in the novel, was a shield to protect him from the hurt and devastation he experienced when his beautiful bride left him after 6 months of marriage. The reasons are explained later in the book.With Deirdre, however, one has to wonder why even a plain, young, intelligent woman from a good family would want to marry a commoner mathemetician with little prospects. She convinced herself that she was needed and, he was handsome, left her to her embroidery which was her passion, but there was very little communication. Don Juan finds himself a widower and before too many people find out he must find a suitable wife, to beget an heir now that his older brother has passed on and it is now up to him to set up his nursery. The tale between Deirdre and Everdon (his real name) is so sweet. He assumed all he needed was a biddable brood mare and plain was just fine with him, there was no passion or lust involved in the choice, in fact Deirdre was his mother's suggestion. What follows was an awakening on the part of both of the participants, with a little push from Don Juan at the end, that just shows the talent for storytelling by Ms. Beverley.I really liked this book, and if you had read her earlier novels, you will see characters from her previous books enter the scenes to add to the continuity of the time period. I look forward to reading more and more from Ms. Beverley who is a stellar talent with wonderful gift for storytelling.