Elyza

Very very funny for those of you that are into Regency Romances. I read this when I was 14 or so and it was perfect for around that age.

This book was really fun. It's very lighthearted, but at the same time keeps you into it. I thought this book was cute and funny.

Eliza is the daughter of an English Diplomatist who had, in his youthful days, married the daughter of an innkeeper. His wife had died after producing one child, Eliza. Eliza was reared by various relatives then consigned by her father to Mrs. Winlock, a impecunious widow, to be presented to society. Mrs. Winlock immediately fixed on a young baronet with a need for money and a dragon of a mother as the most likely way of getting Eliza off her hands. Eliza took a hard look at her staid and poker stiff prospective suitor, hacked off her hair, put on the hall boy's best suit of clothes and fled London desguised as a youth on his way home to Bath. It was Eliza's intention to seek refuge with a great aunt there. However, she had the misfortune to have her pocket picked at an inn and the innkeeper was rather menacingly demanding payment. This is where the story opens.Enter Mr. Redmayne. Mr. Redmayne, a young man of impeccable appearance, stupendous wealth and great competence, happened to be breakfasting at the same inn. He rescues Eliza, who introduces herself as Mr. Smith, and invites her to join him at breakfast. However, he quickly penetrates her disguise and offers to help her on her reach. Returned to England from India after an absence of two years, Mr. Redmayne was in pursuit of a woman, Corinna Mayfield, he had glimpsed on the prior occasion and fallen in love with at first sight. However, despite his vast wealth, inherited from an associate in India, he does not have an entre into society. Eliza does. It is his idea after he hears Eliza's story that Eliza needs to return to London, face up to Mrs. Winlock and then tell Edward that she will not marry him. It was Mrs. Winlock's intention to spend the summer at Brighton, where Corinna Mayfield would also be spending time. Mr. Redmayne plans that Eliza should introduce him to Corinna. However, Mr. Redmayne besides being handsome, rich and accomplished has a mysterious secret that could ruin him socially and prevent him ever forming a connection with Corinna. The question is, does he really want to form that connection, or was there a better one in the offing? This one is handled with a very light hand. Cleve Redmayne is simply a very nice man who can realize that he has been behaving like a fool. Eliza is young, but not pea brained and capable of growing. The secondary characters are all well drawn. A very entertaining book.

"Elyza" was a great story to read if you just want to immerse yourself in a different time and place. A fun love story without being overly sappy.