Emily's Beau

I enjoyed the short story sequel to this story, in the Wedding Belles anthology, so I tracked down tracked down this Emily's Beau, the first in the series. I've read hundreds of signet and harlequin regencies over the years, and after awhile, they start to blur together. Many regency authors write in a very stilted manner, with template plots and boring stereotyped characters. That's why Emily's Beau was so good. The writing was engaging, the plot was fresh and realistic, and the characters were always interesting. This story really stood out from the usual pack of stories. The beginning of the story is that Emily is coming to town for her first season. She's been in love with someone for many years, and has eagerly waited for her first season so that he would realize she was grown up, and come and claim her as his bride. The only problem is, he's not available, so she has to look elsewhere...and that's where the plot really starts to get going...I really enjoyed this book, and the gossip was interesting enough that I'm going to track down the rest of Allison Lane's books and get them too. Highly recommended.

First, I must say something: The synopsis on the back cover gives away too much of the plot. Read it at your own risk.Jacob Winters, Earl of Hawthorne, is a handsome, quick-tempered rake who never beds the same woman twice. The last thing he needs is a snotty, scandalous, nineteen-year-old ward. His ward, having lived her whole life in India, is ignorant of the customs in London society. If he is to give Harriet (his ward) a proper come-out, he'll need the help of his childhood friend, Emily Hughes.Emily Hughes is about to experience her first Season--at the age of twenty-four. She befriended Jacob during one summer ten years ago--and she never forgot him. She loves him, fantasizes about him, and hopes he shares her feelings. When he foists his beautiful, exotic (and hateful) ward on her, everything changes. Not only must Emily share her Season, but her plans to win Jacob's heart have been thwarted. There are many twists in the novel, none of which I will spoil for you. It is a superbly written, interesting story that kept me turning pages all day. Even the smallest character added something to the book. In fact, I would have given easily given this book a 4-star rating... if not for a few personal preferences.First and foremost, this book suffers from what I like to call "Underdog Downfall Syndrome." The symptoms: We're introduced to a hero, who we sometimes like, sometimes dislike. We're introduced to the "other" guy, who often seems sweeter and more attentive than the hero. Even though the "other" guy has no chance, the reader still has hopes for him. Toward the end, the "other" guy suffers from some extreme piggishness, which thereby solidifies our desire for the heroine to end up with the hero. I don't understand why the "other" guy in these novels (he's always so intriguing at the beginning) must always endure the same fate.Also, the novel was a bit more racy than the average Regency. I don't mind racy, but... sometimes, it didn't seem appropriate.Other than that, the story was really good, and the characters were some of the most animated. I liked it a lot, and I do recommend it.