Lord Wraybourne's Betrothed: A Romance of Regency England

A little bit romance and a little bit mystery. Enjoyable picture of regency England. Jo Beverly is one of my favorite authors and her books never fail to be fun. Evelyn Syfrett

I enjoyed Jo Beverly's first book. I have read every one of her book. This just happen to be the last book of hers I read, so it was fun to go back and see how it all began. You can see the raw talent in this book that set the coarse for a great author. The charators are likable and the plot is interesting. It is clever as all her books are and a nice read.

I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I could not put it down. i don't normally read regency romances, but this book has me wanting to run out and get another. I don't really know why but I really love stories about arranged marriages and this book really hit the spot. I look forward to trying more books by Jo Beverley!

This was Jo Beverley's first book. It's not really fair to compare it to her later work. All authors improve (or at least they should). However, taking this book as a first work and as a traditional Regency rather than the longer single-title works she now does, I hate to rate it highly. Yes, I wish David were better delineated as a character. Yes, it sometimes dragged. Yes, the plot could have been stronger. And yes, there were times the exposition or dialogue was sub-par. But over all, as a debut novel, it was quite good. When also considering the time in which it was published, it's very good. There are some excellent moments of tension, romance, humor, and intrigue. There are also some fine character moments. If they are not without flaw, I consider that merely a first novel situation. This book is still head and shoulders above so much that is published. I got this book from the library because of the mostly negative reviews. However, I liked it well enough to put it on my "buy" list. I might have rated it 3 stars if not for the other reviews, but it's much better than the rating made it seem.

I'm not generally a fan of Regency Romances, they always leave me wanting more. I am a huge fan of Jo Beverley's though, so I took a chance on this one and I'm glad I did.Jane Sandiford is a sheltered and not very fasionable girl, raised in the country far away from the London scene. She hails from one of the oldest and wealthiest families in England which makes her a prime canditate to become the bride of David Kyle, Tenth Earl of Wraybourne. With much trepidation, she sets out on her first and last season as a single women. With a little help from David's sister Sophia, we watch Jane blossom, going from fear to awe and then total adoration for her betrothed. David is the typical Regency gentleman, a little stiff but with such endearing qualities the reader can't help but fall in love with him, right along with Jane.The secondary characters are extremely likable too. Sophia, David's devilish sister and his friend, Lord Randal Ashby, an incorrigible rake with the face and form of Adonis. A secondary romance?Add to all of this, a mystery; Lord Wraybourne is recruited by his uncle to help solve a rash of attacks on women which he reluctantly does. Beverley keeps the reader guessing till the very end.This book is out of print, but you can find it through out-of-print searches,it is well worth the effort. It is a quick and very enjoyable read (I read it in one sitting). Do yourself a favor and get it.