The Scandalous Widow

Take a likable, intelligent heroine; take a mature and handsome hero; add some really excellent writing; and what do you have? A really good Regency. I enjoyed this one a lot - it may not have been the best book I have read - but IMHO, this is as good as a Regency is going to get. This book started off somewhat slow for me - as we watch Lucian dancing with his mistress in Almack's, I actually groaned, no, not again, not another dance at Almack's, not another mistress! But after the first few pages, the story took off, and I found myself enjoying it very much. True, the storyline itself was a bit predictable, but the writing was so good, and the interactions between the h/h made up for that deficiency. (And anyway, all the plots have been pretty much used up, they're bound to be predictable, eventually). Lady Catherine Granville, after being widowed and displaced by the *new* Lord Granville, decided to use her remaining money (inherited from a great aunt, *not* her deceased husband) to open a school for young ladies, and yes, she is doing very well. Her school has gathered some reputation, but most important, Lady Catherine feels fulfilled in her new life. The *new* Lady Granville, current mistress to Lucian, the Marquess of Charlmont, is afraid that Lady Catherine's school will jeopordize her chances of being accepted in polite society, and she begs Lucian to somehow convince Lady Catherine to accept her true position in society, close down her school so as not embarrass her relatives (!!!). Lucian agrees to *try*, but when he meets Catherine he realizes that she is not who he thought she was, and she realizes that *he* is not who *she* thought he was either - both have changed their names since they last met - and both are shocked and embarrassed at their re-meeting. For they had been on the verge of announcing their engagement when Lucian left the country - with someone else. I did *not* think that it was strange, BTW, that he left so suddenly, without telling Catherine - people do all kinds of strange things in real life, but this one is actually easier than most to understand - kind of hard to explain to your almost-fiance that you're going away with this beautiful actress but it's *really* not what she thinks it is - perhaps these two were too intelligent for that kind of farce. This was an intelligent Regency, with two very intelligent protaginists. I sensed in this story overtones from both Pride and Prejudice (two extra-ordinary people who are so very well matched) and Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers. Two very good books, so I'm not complaining. I agree with the previous reviewer that this one has a more authentic "feel" than most regencies being published today, and it's a good book, too, so... I would recommend this one.

I found this a well-written traditional Regency successfully giving us that elusive "Regency voice" we like. It is set in Bath but the social scene in Bath and London remain on the periphery of the story. At the same time, the author gives us commentary on the times; the sharpness of gossip and the desire to attain the respect of the top arbiters of society no matter what. Richardson's heroines are often (usually?) independent women who think for themselves. Lady Catherine Granville is no exception, but she finds her independent venture into educating young ladies opens her to criticism from her late husband's family that she finds increasingly difficult to bear. Our hero is Lucian, recently inheriting the title Marquess of Charlmont. When he meets Catherine they realise they knew each other well ten years before, during her first Season. In fact, they had been attracted to each other at that time before circumstances separated them. Catherine was left thinking he had deserted her and was naturally ill-disposed towards him when they met again. He admires Catherine's independent attitude and wants to help her. In order to win her respect he knows he must allow her spirit and intelligence to flourish; but he makes some snap judgements that tend to reinforce her feelings about men pre-judging women's abilities to manage. The story unfolds as the two learn to appreciate each other's qualities again, and to understand the events that caused their separation. The romance is subtle and sensuous. Catherine and Lucian are fresh characters for a Regency. Neither of them wants their lives to be dictated by the strict rules of society. Lucian was ashamed of his behaviour ten years earlier, and had feared her reactions, which is why he hadn't made any attempt to find her again. Ironic, when he normally took little notice of society's opinion. I recommend this author's works to anyone seeking a good Regency a little out of the common way.