Jo Barrett (2)

This is a regular guilty pleasure re-read. Plain, spinster bluestocking marries scarred hero after they're thrust together at a party trying to avoid Regency-era Mean Girls. Lots of self-doubt on both their parts, great insecurity and angst. A nice little mystery moves the plot along. Right up my alley, except one big spoiler from the end: I am really tired of the psycho lesbian trope! STOP. IT.

Looking at Jo’s other works, looks like this is the only proper regency/historical romance (time-travel doesn’t count in my book). Here’s to hoping she writes more wallflower heroines!!!… (meer)

Concert pianist Emily dies, but when she next opens her eyes, she finds herself in Regency England, inhabiting another woman's body. Millicent was self-obsessed and cruel, living only for sensual pleasures and to torment her rich husband. Now Emily has to deal with the consequences of all the damage Millicent has done. She hopes it isn't too late to convince her husband that she really is a changed woman.

I felt like Emily was a bit too good to be true, particularly in how easily she adjusted to living in the Regency era. Just a comment or two about hygiene differences or the lack of good books to read would have satisfied me, but Emily settles into the past without qualm. I did like how difficult she found winning her husband's confidence--Millicent had already played so many games, and lied so many times, that his wariness was believable. And I liked that after he's convinced that Emily really is inhabiting the body of his wife, that he's concerned that by loving her he's breaking his marriage vows; it added a great deal to his characterization as a man of honor. I wish the story was a bit longer and more drawn out, with a plot beyond just Emily's quest to win Barnaby's trust. Something where her lack of experience with the era was a problem, or her future knowledge was an asset, would have added a lot to this book.… (meer)

Plain, intellectual Agatha wishes she could have both a husband and her fertilizer experiments. But given that no man has ever been interested in her, and she doubts any would let her continue her studies, she's resigned herself to the loveless life of a spinster.

A chance encounter with the horribly scarred Lord Leighton leads to a swift private marriage. Both Agatha and Magnus used up all their courage just getting to the altar--neither has any left to try to bridge the gap between them. Weeks pass, and it looks like their marriage will remain unconsummated and fulfilling.

Then Agatha starts experiencing terrifying accidents. The threats to her life give her even more determination to have a true marriage with her husband.

I quite liked this. Agatha and Magnus are fairly unique in the Regency world--neither is handsome or popular, and although Agatha is smart she's not witty. There's no make-over scene where Agatha gets loads of new clothes, helped by a simpering French modiste, there's no courtship, there's no waltzing. The couple falls in love after their marriage, powered by their animal attraction to each other and their kind deeds toward others. It's far from perfect (Magnus seems inordinately focused on the "berries" that apparently sprout from Agatha's breasts, and near the end everything is swamped in matchmaking other characters), but it was good enough that I've sought out another book by the same author.… (meer)