REGENCY BELLES

I enjoyed this tender Regency tale. It was very unusual. The main and secondary characters were a pleasure to get to know. The villain was our heroine's own mother! Anne Farnham was a little wood sprite - free to wander the surrounding countryside when her domineering mother was off visiting friends but totally bullied when her mother was home. Mrs. Farnham resented her sweet and beautiful daughter and denied her any outside contact. Working Anne like a drudge, even their maid was unkind to her. (We find out why and that is resolved early on). Anne comes to the attention of the Duke of Charlesworth due to interference from the Duchess of Crawley, his aunt, a rather eccentric woman, who sends him to escort the reticent Anne to her home in Dorsey. Charlesworth finds Anne very dull indeed and she is soon forgotten as he hosts a hunt near Dorsey. But his friend Brandon Russell spies a more animated Anne as she sets about gardening and looking at wildlife with some young friends from a nearby farm. Russell's description of Anne leads the Duke to look for her also among the wildlife also. There are various adventures and scrapes and the Duke is always there to lend a helpful hand. But who will win her heart? Is Brandon Russell leading on two women? For there is another wonderful young lady who comes to visit the hunting lodge - Miss Evalina Pride. Will she be friend or foe to Anne? Is Charlesworth as cold and remote as he appears? There were many other wonderful people in this book and you will enjoy the set down to Anne's mother. I liked that this tale was rather pleasant with much tension surrounding the romance. The men were very gentlemanly which also was an enjoyable change from more intense historical novels. Great afternoon read; pick up a copy and find out what happens!