Kidnap Confusion

Mistaken for an actress and kidnapped by an earl's mishap-prone brothers (after leaving her egotistical, rather chauvinistic older brother), Miss Tolliver is a kind-hearted, independent heroine. After her coachman shoots one of her juvenile kidnappers, she helps the boys to a hotel and takes care of them -- endangering her own reputation. Later, she argues with their older brother about most of his decisions on her behalf and is occasionally guilty of pulling the oh-so-refined prank...er...joke on the hero -- but only when she can't help herself... I really hate to give too much away. So I will say the following. Even after having read my share of the classics (and the not-so-classic, required reading) in college, I find myself still rereading this paper-backed, regency, available-at-Wal-Mart novel. I love it! (As do my mom, sister, and an aunt who've all been pestered or pestered someone else into reading it). I'm still charmed, and my copy is falling apart. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a lighthearted, enjoyable read.

Because I am a Heyer fan I always want a Regency to be a comedy of manners. I don't want angst, I don't want "problem stories", I want a tale of fun characters working out a humorous solution to a social situation. This is one such book.Miss Tolliver was well pleased with her life at 28. She had a comfortable home near Yorkshire that she shared with her slightly batty Aunt Henrietta and her aunt's pet rooster, Lazarus. She had a comfortable fortune safely invested by brother Charles, who was a dreadful stick in the mud, but reliable where money was concerned. The Earl of Manseford was the eldest of four brothers. When his third brother, Gillian was sent down from school due to a prank involving a pig, a nightshirt and a nob, he felt he should play the heavy. This led to Gillian trying to think of some way to improve his brother's mood and drawing his younger brother Peter into a madcap scheme to kidnap an actress for his brother.When the coach they accost is found not to contain an actess but Miss Tolliver, when the coachman shoots Gillian, when Peter comes down with a dreadful fever, when the inn they repair to is descended upon by the Earl, the dowager Countess, and the second eldest brother John as well as Miss Tolliver's brother Charles and the decidedly unwelcome Chuffy Marletonthorpe, all kinds of possibilities open up including a spurious engagement that the parties, all too soon begin to wish was real.The writing is not overplayed. The plot is outrageous but rarely descends to slapstick. The eccentrics are nicely presented although the aunts Cassandra (a hypochondriac) and Caroline (who thinks tea the cure for all ills) are probably too much of a good thing, this book is head and shoulder above any regency I've read this past year and maybe long.Run and find a copy and enjoy!