Passing Fancies

I absolutely love this book!!! I can reread it anytime. I love everything I've read by Elizabeth Mansfield (a wonderful author), but this is my favorite! I enjoy it so much. It is refreshing not to have the "hero" the sterotypical romance hero. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves romance!

I have collected almost all of the Elizabeth Mansfield regencies over the years and have enjoyed them, but this one, I think, is her best. It has a sweet poignancy to it that gets me every time. Simon, with his gentle, scholarly ways, is one of my all-time favorite romance heroes. If you liked this one, be sure to check out Regency Sting and The Phantom Lover.

If you are tired of the regencies that go on and on and on about nothing...you will enjoy this book. Pippa is a gentle-hearted young lady who thinks herself in love with the rather self-centered eldest son of the family who has "raised" her since she was 12. She is mostly attracted to his handsome face...as she realizes the more time she spends with Simon, the second son. He is the one with true character. To me, Simon is the reason I enjoy this book. Elizabeth Mansfield lets you see inside of his heart throughout the book and he is an endearing character. Someone else mentioned in a review that you don't even know what he looked like. I don't agree. The point was that he had beauty inside and the outside was not as important. Pippa realized that in time, thank goodness. You certainly have the idea that he is attractive, just in a quieter way.I also enjoyed this book because these characters appear in some of Ms. Manfield's other books. In A Counterfeit Husband, Pippa's mother finds romance. You should read that book before Passing Fancies. It has its fair share of danger and intrigue, love and romance with the hero eluding a press gang and masquerading as a servant in the heroine's emply so that he won't be wrongly accused of murder. You also find out why Pippa is the way she is...why she lets Sybil lead her into adventures. Sybil is another name you'll find repeated in other books by Ms. Mansfield.I highly recommend Ms. Mansfield as an author. When my roommate and I discovered her books we were immediately charmed. When you read her books you will feel like you know the characters personally...and she usually has a secondary romance going on in the story that adds extra interest.

For those readers unfamiliar with Ms. Mansfield's work, let me start out by saying that she does not include the danger and intrigue in her novels that many other Regency authors do. I enjoy those authors too, but Elizabeth Mansfield is a pleasant change from the norm. She uses as her model Jane Austen's character-driven stories. This is one case where that model works extremely well. I won't bother to summarize the plot, as that's been done. Pippa is an endearing heroine, if a bit too willing to sacrifice herself for others' well-being. Her confusion about where her heart truly lies is well-written, and the conclusion of the book is extremely satisfying and heartwarming. If you are looking for a good story with realistic characters and a gentle mood, this is the place to go.

This is a marvelous sweet story! Pippa finds unexpected love in a man she always called "brother," but then she has to convince him that she really loves him and not his rival! Delightful writing and character building. I'd recommend Elisabeth Mansfield to anyone :)