Lady Whilton's Wedding and an Enchanted Affair

LADY WHILTON'S WEDDING Daphne Whilton's widowed mother is remarrying, but Daphne's uncle Albert is determined to throw a monkey wrench into the wedding plans if he can't keep the money his late brother left his widow. When Albert dies, it seems that he's won after all, as a death in the family would postpone a wedding for at least 6 months. So Daphne decides to hide the body, aided unknowingly by the groom's son Graydon and the loyal butler. The good: The humor. It's reminiscent of the movie Arsenic and Old Lace, with the body disappearing, and some bumbling petty criminals. Daphne. She's a wonderful heroine--no shrinking violet, she's logical and resourceful Graydon. Likewise a wonderful hero. He's protective, but when he discovers Daphne's involvement, he respects her and works with her. The bad: The emphasis is more on the comic adventure than the romance. The unusual: This is written in omniscient POV, which can be distancing, but it's very effective in this case. The verdict: This would make a fabulous movie. As it is, it's a rollicking fun read. AN ENCHANTED AFFAIR Lisanne Neville can see fairies, which makes people think she's odd. Her parents die, leaving her an orphan heiress, and her greedy uncle takes over, alternately punishing her and ignoring her. She routinely escapes to the "haunted" woods, but this is threatened when the impoverished Duke of St. Sevrin who owns them decides to sell the timber. She proposes marriage to him as beneficial to both--saving her woods and getting her out from under her uncle's thumb, and paying off his debts. The good: Lisanne is a very strong heroine, and I liked how she took matters into her own hands and engineered her own rescue. The story doesn't end with the wedding. It shows Lisanne and St. Sevrin adjusting to marriage and working at making it a success. The bad: It's a bit darker than most Regencies, at least at the beginning, with the abuse Lisanne suffers at her uncle's hand. I wanted Lisanne to escape sooner, though I understand why she didn't. The verdict: Surprisingly complex for such a short book (228 p.). It's a Cinderella story, if Cinderella had played the part of her own fairy godmother.