Nanette

Or at least I think so -- really funny, sweet, romantic and understated in its portrayal of complex characters. Veryan has a true gift for storytelling and characters that stick with you years after the first read. She has a fanatic base of readers who wonder why, oh why, isn't she more well known. She also has a gift of writing books that appeal differently to differently aged readers. For example, I adored this book when I was in my teens and 20s, but now, while it's still one of my favorites, it is not my favorite of her books.

I discovered Patricia Veryan while looking for a regency author after reading EVERYTHING by the original, Jane Austen, then her imitators like Georgette Heyer, Fiona Hill/Ellen Pall, Clare Darcy, etc. - stumbled across Veryan while perusing the shelves in the library and got HOOKED. For a former secretary of David Niven, during the war, this lady knows a lot about fencing, horses, history, and just good characterization in general, compared with a lot of regency authors. Her stories are engrossing; and while sometimes she introduces things in the plot line which are hard to believe, mostly they are within the realm of possibility, and very easy to read, and once you are involved in the story, hard to stop reading.The biggest bummer for becoming a 'late fan' is finding copies of all the books in the various series that she has written if you want to buy collections of the series. The Jewelled Men series is great, and this one, part of the Sanguinet series, is really highly entertaining. I especially enjoyed the donkey, the characters being attacked by an angry bull, etc. Things you don't often encounter, necessarily, in some regency authors' work. Veryan gives thought and time to developing individuals in her novels and that is what makes her a cut above the run of the mill regency writer. Give her a try if you have never read her and you will be pleasantly surprised.

Veryan fans will really enjoy this book...an off-shoot of the Sanquinet series, this book is a Veryan classic with a handsome young hero, the beautiful women who captures his heart and an evil man who threatens to destroy all. In this book you learn the story behind Claude Sanquinet's evil older brother, Purcell, who is 'guardian' to our tragic young heroine. Join us as Lord Harry Redmond and his younger brother, Mitchell, join forces in a desperate attempt to save both girl and Crown. A rollicking good adventure with plenty of romance. A "must read" IMHO.

Veryan fans will really enjoy this book...an off-shoot of the Sanquinet series, this is a Veryan classic with a handsome young hero, the beautiful young woman who captures his heart and an evil man who threatens to destroy all. This is the story behind Claude Sanquinet's evil older brother, Purcell, who is guardian for our tragic heroine. Join Lord Harry Redmond and his younger brother, Mitchell, as they join forces in a desperate attempt to save both girl and Crown. A rollicking good adventure with plenty of romance. A "must read" IMHO.