Imprudent Lady

Joan Smith is one of the great writers of Regency Romance, and this book is a classic and a keeper. I bought it in hardcover because my paperback edition is falling apart after being read many times. In one of Ms. Smith's best efforts, colorful, 3-dimensional characters abound, the plot flows, and romance slowly blooms between two writers, Prudence Mallow and Lord Dammler. Prudence, shy and inexperienced, is at first overawed by the brilliant, rakish Dammler, already a famous poet, and he barely notices her. But her writing soon earns his respect, and their professional friendship deepens as he discovers that beneath Prudence's wide-eyed innocence is a keen mind, literary talent and a strong character. Despite her hilarious missteps in London society and his efforts to protect and guide her, Dammler begins to realize that perhaps he has as much to learn from Prudence as she does from him. If you enjoy witty, sparkling dialogue, droll characters, and depth of detail on Polite Society, don't miss Imprudent Lady. They don't write them like this anymore. A charming, refreshing Jane-Austen-meets-Lord-Byron romp.