Testing Miss Toogood

TESTING MISS TOOGOOD is enjoyable but it did not quite live up to the book's description of a promising great read. I would have liked the author to concentrate on the romance of Lord Dominic and Fleur. I felt it was overall underdeveloped and the secondary characters were not explained well enough to know who they are and where they exactly fit. The mystery aspect of the villain, Le Chat Soyeux and hero, Brother Juste is an interesting aspect, but I felt it took too much from the main storyline of the romance between Lord Dominic and Fleur. The mystery was not as essentially necessary. Despite all this, it is enjoyable. This story is a sequel to A USEFUL AFFAIR.

In 1815 Reverend Toogood worries that he does not have enough money to provide dowries for his five daughters. To insure he does, he knows he must marry off the first one to a wealthy aristocrat, which will ease entry for the remaining foursome. He selects his second oldest child, Fleur as the best bet since she is the prettiest of his offspring. Fleur detest her father's plan and is appalled to learn that her mother's friend the Duchess of Granville will sponsor her. She wants to marry for love not money so she will meet her sire's commitment of seeking a wealthy suitor, but refuses to wed for anything that excludes a deep love between her and her spouse. The Duchess drafts her son Dominic Elliot to escort the mouthy opinionated rustic. He wants her gone as she interferes with his efforts to uncover the identity of who is abducting well to do women while she tries to learn what his great secret is even as they fall in love with one another. TESTING MISS TOOGOOD is a fine Regency romance starring two likable lead protagonists who are attracted with one another, but show it with discord except in front of his mother. The story line moves along two plots, the amusing dysfunctional romance and Dominic's tense undercover work to save young women from predators. Sub-genre readers will appreciate Stella Cameron's wonderful historical. Harriet Klausner