The Unsuitable Miss Martingale

For the synopsis, I strongly recommend tregatt's review below. This review is more about my reactions to this book, one of the few Regencies I have picked up and finished of late.First things first. There is no strong melodrama (apart from some nasty rumors circulating), no over-the-top villain, and no espionage/murder etc. This is a very traditional Regency, almost Heyeresque except for the very frank language used by the hero towards the heroine sometimes (and a few other situations). In fact, as I was reading this book tonight, I was comparing it in my mind to APRIL LADY (where the heroine is also very young, and the hero is several years her senior). If you always wondered how Cardross could have fallen in love with a much younger woman (or how Sylvester could have fallen for Phoebe in another Heyer story), this book might provide some hints. I strongly suspect that Lily's unconventionality is what appeals to the hero, the heir to a great title. In that, the plot is closer to SYLVESTER than to APRIL LADY. [End of comparisons with Heyer].Now for some caveats. It helps, really, helps if you have read THE WARY WIDOW (and perhaps even its prequel THE SCOTTISH LEGACY) to understand many obscure references. Without these, the mystery about Lily's birth and how she came to be in a convent in France and then in a farm in England makes little sense. Almost as little as how a dowager countess marries a mere Mister for her second husband, or why her first marriage holds few happy memories. I won't spoil the surprises by telling you what happens in those books, but I do think that THE UNSUITABLE MISS MARTINGALE can be rather frustrating for the reader who has not come across at least THE WARY WIDOW, if not both books.Secondly, many readers will be troubled by Lily's age (17) and by the age discrepancy between the hero and heroine (about 12 years). Some will find the references to her as a little girl also troubling. Unfortunately, the first (Lily's youth) is more troubling than others, in that it was somewhat unusual for a youthful 17-year-old to be presented, especially if she had come straight from a farm. The second - the references to her as a little girl - seem a bit more puzzling, except that she is called that mostly when she is "not out". Girls who were not out were relegated to the schoolroom, and placed in the care of their governesses (read Mary Crawford's comments in MANSFIELD PARK on this!); girls who were out were treated much as young women in their first year at college would be treated today. That is, they were expected to behave (decorously) in a certain manner and had considerably more restrictions placed on them, but were otherwise treated almost as adults. So, Lily who is not out could be considered a "little girl" by an elderly Marquess (in his late sixties), and then a young woman on the marriage mart as soon as she came out. Our modern sensibilities of course interfere with this approach. But it is true that ma

Lily Martingale is not particularly impressed when she first meets Viscount Halpern. He on the other hand, becomes increasingly intrigued with her, but there are quite a few problems to overcome before they can have their happily ever after. First of all, Lily's parentage is somewhat questionable and unimpressive. The Viscount, on the other hand, is the heir to the Marquis of Braybourne and is expected to marry a woman with an equally suitable pedigree which Lily does not possess. Then there is the age difference. The Viscount, entanced as he is with Lily, does not realize how much younger she is until it is much too late and by that time he has already fallen in love with her. To his credit, Lily's background is unimportant to Viscount Halpern, and he makes a valiant effort to let go of her once he becomes aware of her age. Their love for each other, which is very apparent in the story, ultimately triumphs and the age difference becomes completely unimportant.

Barbara Hazard's sequel to The Wary Widow is a very deftly handled coming-of-age story. Though romance is an element, this is more a story of one girl's growing into a fine young woman. Lili is a feisty heroine but also learns redeeming characteristics along the way. The endearing Lili and the Russell family are most suitable for this audience.

"The Unsuitable Miss Martingale" is a sequel to "The Wary Widow"; and while this novel is not the complex novel of intrigue that that novel was, "The Unsuitable Miss Martingale" still made for compelling reading.The plot of "The Unsuitable Miss Martingale" revolves around that of its heroine, Lili Martingale, who was rescued from war torn France 4 years ago by Cornelia and Alaistair Russell (detailed in "The Wary Widow"). Since then, Lili has fulfilled the promise of growing up to become a very beautiful young lady. Lili's situation however is quite complicated. For while she is related to the aristocracy on her mother's side, her father was a nobody. And so while Lili can never hope to marry into many of the blue blooded families of the English ton, a humble farm hand is quite below her expectations as well. And when Lili's foster mother, Nancy Moorland begins to realise that many of the men in the vicinity of the Moorland Farm are proving themselves to be completely susceptible to Lili's charms, she becomes quite concerned and writes to inform Cornelia that it may be time to introduce Lili into London society. And so, like a whirlwind, Cornelia descends upon the Moorland Farm and sweeps Lili off her Hampshire home, where Lili will be taught all the necessary accomplishments and manners in order to prepare for her London comeout.Lili's mind is in a whirl, and quite daunted about her new life. For while she longs for the excitement and the sophisticated entertainment that her new life will bring, she is also dismayed with all the admonishments that Cornelia keeps dropping. Apparently, Lili's easy manners leave much to be desired; also her early upbringing by the nuns has taught her to value actions and manners over rank and position, and that is obviously not done in London society; and then there is the matter of what kind of expectations she is allowed matrimonially speaking! Add to that the rather poisonous insinuations that Cornelia's mother-in-law has been sprouting, that Lili is actually Cornelia's illigetimate daughter, and the servants' scornful behaviour, and Lili begins to quite fervently wish that she was still back at the Moorland Farm! Things certainly don't look up when Lili upbraids the very eligible Viscoutn Halpern for what she considers as callous and arrogant behaviour, thus earning his dislike! And all this before she has even set foot in London!Lili can only hope that things will become better in London. However her hopes are soon dashed -- because she lacks the right kind of family background, she finds few friends, and when Cornelia's mother-in-law starts spewing her poison, Lili soon finds herself the butt of the wrong kind of attentions as well. Except for Viscount Halpern: he has come to London to look for the 'right' kind of wife, and soon finds himself running into Lili quite a bit, and chivalrously rescuing her from a few uncomfortable situations. He finds himself being alternately charmed and exasperated by her. An