My Lady Faire: 6

That Ms. Hendrickson always takes the work of delivering a delightful, respite read to her readers is obvious, especially in MY LADY FAIRE. It's impossible to be disappointed with the clever story and tender characterizations. Women often married early, to men much older than themselves, and became widows while they were still young. In such cases, these women were allowed a little more license to have fun than the young virgins of the day... and the gentleman of the day knew it. Claudia, Lady Fairfax, is one such lady with a delicious English lord hot on her heels (literally). MY LADY FAIRE is a fun romp in the English country with a delightful cast of characters and a flurry of costumery, and even a few wee fairies. My tastes are quite varied. I have hero worship for Charles Dickens' work; appreciate the work of William Styron; and delight in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter... but sometimes I really need a respite... a delightful read that makes me smile all the way through and feel warm and fuzzy. And when I feel like that, Emily Hendrickson is the solid bet. Her work is often reminiscient of Jane Austen, and I do not say that lightly as the authors of Regency historicals also love Ms. Austen's work and have committed their work to the era. For those of you who missed Emily Hendrickson's very open and honest letter to the editors (and fans) of ROMANTIC TIMES magazine, she has retired from writing new Regency. And if that were not sad enough to her fans, many publishing companies are no longer publishing the traditional regency. These books grew out of the various authors' love for Jane Austen. Now, with Hollywood recognizing the appeal of this era (Emma and now Pride and Prejudice), I'd recommend buying as many of Ms. Hendrickson's books as you can still get. Please also see my review listed under THE RAKE AND THE REDHEAD, also by Emily Hendrickson. catherinescott.net

Lady Claudia is named as one of the guardians of her stepson when her husband dies. Problem is that Lord Hawke has been too. Both want what is best for the boy. Yet they cannot seem to agree on what that is. **** Since the two do not see eye-to-eye, the lady and lord have many spats. Seeing them meet had on and watching the pair lock horns gets very amusing at times. The entire romance story comes across to the reader as very sweet. If you prefer danger or mystery in your Regencies, avoid this one. However, if you love realistic romance in your Regencies, you cannot go wrong with Emily Hendrickson! **** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.