Miss Carlyle's Curricle

Having read another Regency romance by Karen Harbaugh, I was half-expecting this to have a supernatural twist. It doesn't; it's a straightforward, and very enjoyable, romance.Diana's uncle and guardian dies in what appears to be a tragic accident; suddenly, an heir no-one knew about appears, and her uncle has left her a large inheritance provided she marries Gavin, the new Lord Brisbane. But she doesn't know him... and the fact that he tells her he fell in love with her the instant he saw her only makes her doubt his sincerity.The growing friendship between Gavin and Diana is beautifully portrayed. Although she's hardly a young debutante, she's had reasons to be nervous around men and to distrust their intentions; Gavin is not aware of that, but does realise that she is shy, and he adapts his behaviour accordingly. Before she knows it, she's fallen in love with him too...But then he tells her that he thinks her uncle's death, from a crash in the curricle of the title, was no accident; and the story becomes intriguing, with danger lurking for both Gavin and Diana.A well-written and enjoyable book!

What a refreshing change to find a story where the hero falls in love at first sight and sets about convincing the heroine that they are "two halves of a whole" that were meant to be together! A hero without the usual lordly arrogance, the large succession of mistresses, the prejudice against marriage and commitment. . . . I hadn't quite realized until I read this how disgusted I had become with the traditional regency hero. Now that I have, I find myself hungering for more of the same. Regency authors, are you listening? Readers, you can't go wrong with this delightful tale of a pair willed to marry each other who nevertheless become a true love match.

Karen Harbaugh is one of the best writers of the Regency genre. This is an excellent story with a nifty mystery and a compelling heroine and hero.