Regency Charade

An avid fan of Margaret Mayhew's, I picked up this book eager to experience the Regency period through her writing. What a delightful little find this one is! Mayhew has created a style reminiscent of Jane Austen in telling the tale of Kate, resident lady of Castle Keilder, and Mr. Drew, the man who appears on her doorstep with the deed to the property, which he won in a wager against Kate's brother. Indignant to be losing her ancestral home, Kate goes on a campaign to drive Mr. Drew from the castle, but becomes intrigued with him at the same time. Just who is this man and why won't he sell the castle back to her? Kate follows him to his home in London to discover the answers to this perplexing personality, and discovers much about herself in the process. Though the book seemed to take a few pages to pick up steam, it is alive with humor and twists that keep the reader interested. Definitely written in the Regency style, this is a quick, light read that will keep you turning the pages. Good fun!

Once an avid romance reader, today I seldom read this genere. But recently an online friend recommended I read Our Yanks by Margaret Mayhew and I enjoyed it so much I knew I had to read another book by this author. The one I recently read was Regency Charade and while I knew I enjoyed Mayhew as an author, I found I really enjoyed a Regency romance. Miss Kate Spencer's brother Harry loses their ancestral home, Kielder Castle,after a heavy night of drinking and gambling. A week later Sir Harry loses hsi life when his carriage overturns. Now Kate is left to care for her much younger brother Will and their crumbling estate. Then one night a Mr. Drew the new owner of Kielder Castle arrives and Miss Kate must find a way to buy back her home which has been in her family for centuries. Despite his good looks, Mr. Drew is also quite charming while Kates finds him most irritating. While others in the house fall under his spell, Miss Kate wants to part of him except the deed to what was once her home. Set in Regency England and filled with descriptions of English country homes and the fashionable styles of the day, this was a most enjoyable read.

ISBN 0802709125 - A romance novel without the sex! That alone ranked it above the standard romance novels. No heaving and pulsating here, and the story is not hurt by the lack. Still, it wasn't enough to overcome the odd fact that the supposed reason for all the angst of our heroine - Kielder's young baronet, Will - is largely forgotten throughout the book. Kate Spencer is struggling to hold together the home her family's owned since King Edward III gave it to them. Her older brother, Harry, has managed to kill himself racing AND lose the ancestral home to a Mr. Drew, all to the disgust (if not surprise) of Kate. At all costs, Kiedler must be restored to the family, for Will's sake. Will doesn't seem to care, and Kate doesn't care that he doesn't care. The ending will not come as a surprise to romance fans, but getting there is all the fun. If only young Will did more than play chess now and then! - AnnaLovesBooks