I've been a regency romance fan for a long time. I still remember the first I ever read: Regency Gold by Marion Chesney. It didn't take itself too seriously and was laugh out loud funny. A charming heroine, a gorgeous hero, and a bunch of mischief. I was 12 and I was hooked. Good clean fun.
Not too long after my introduction to the genre, I ran into the works of Jane Austen. "Hey," thought I, "these are just like regencies. Only not quite so funny." Still I happily devoured Austen's works and every other novel set in the England's Regency era that I could get my hands on, nearly twenty years of delightful escapism. Sadly, those two decades have also included a dreadful decline. The regency genre has been dying and the few regencies that I've read in recent years have been disappointing. Not good, not clean, and not fun. Frankly, I have missed them.
Then along comes Heidi Ashworth with her book, Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind. A new regency? A clean regency? Gimme! Her countdown until the book came out was driving me crazy. [FOUR MORE MONTHS?] So I begged. Gimme, please.
Ms. Ashworth was kind enough to send me a galley proof, so that I could be among the privileged first to read it. I love being first. However, as I awaited the book's arrival, I began to worry. What if it was crap? What would I say? "Um, thanks for lending me a copy." "Loved the cover. What kind of rose is that anyway?" Uh...awkward.
No need for worries! I can whole-heartedly recommend Miss Delacourt. It is a delightful romp, everything I'd hoped for: an outspoken (yet lovable) heroine, a dashing (but repressed) hero, and all the impediments to true love I could ever want, all neatly resolved within a gorgeous hardback. It's fresh, funny, filled with love, Shakespeare, some rose patent infringement, and a lot of fun!
So now it's your turn. Sure I cheated, cut in line and read it first, but you can now order your own copy of Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind through Amazon with a pleasant little discount, or you can ask your library to order it so you can read it for free. I did both, but I'm betting Amazon will get it to me first. By a long shot.
10 comments:
I was just telling someone how I won't read romances. But I lied, I forgot I like Regency romances. Tell me how you like the book.
Jo, you are so darn funny! Because, she just did. She read it months ago because I sent her an advanced reader copy before it was even made into sweet gorgeous hardbacks because she said pretty please and I said, ah, heck! Like she said, she read it first. And she loved it. (That did come across, right?) And we all know that regencies aren't like other romances, right? Right! Which is why you read them. Yay Jo!
Now I know what to tell my husband I want for Christmas ;>
Yay Heidi! Can't wait to read it.
And nice to meet you. I keep hearing of you and somehow I've never been here, even though you're totally blog famous.
Thanks to Heidi, here I am. Wonderful review!
I love Heidi! She's awesome and it sounds like her book is too! Oh, and I was totally unaware until I read your blog that regency romances were there own genre. I'm a total book lover and didn't even know that. Weird!
Great review!
I love regency era books. Heck, I love any books written in or about the nineteenth century. Okay, I don't actually like Wuthering Heights that much. When Heathcliffe digs up his eighteen year dead love and says she's as beautiful as the day she died, Wuthering Heights completely lost me.
So....I'm glad that there's a new book I can read! I'm going to go request my library to order it today!
Jo, my husband is buying me one for Christmas. He'll be so surprised, but I read the proof already. And loved it.
Heidi, indeed.
Sue, I have to do a bit more than tell my husband. He'll wrap it though.
Heather, hi. Thank you. Nice to meet you too.
Alyson, I've always considered them their own genre. Maybe they're not, but they are just so different from other kinds of romances: smarter, funnier, less graphic. To me, they are just in a league of their own.
Oh Thora. Do passion and power mean nothing to you? I mean Heathcliffe's devotion--wow, that's seriously, um, committed.
Thats cool Jami. I just found out a week ago what a regency romance was. I haven't read any of Jane Austen yet but have really wanted to start. Thanks for the recomendation.
I love Jane Austen. And I'm glad for the review because I love romantic stories, especially when they are good, clean fun! I'm putting it on my Christmas wish list!
That's a pretty fabulous review....is it too late to quote it on the dust jacket?
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