Herbert George Jenkins (1876–1923)

I couldn’t help but make connections between this Lord Peter and the more famous one created by Dorothy Sayers. The comparisons were entirely favorable. Intelligent, kind, persistent, recognized as “different” by other members of their class…these were some of the qualities that the two Peters share.

This book is set during World War I in London. Interestingly enough, the war doesn’t figure too much into the story, except when it makes a “guest appearance” near the end.

Patricia lives at a boarding-house. One day she overhears two of her fellow boarders (rather catty women) gossiping about her and pitying her lonely life. She is so irritated by this that at dinner she announces that on the following night she will be dining out with her fiancé. Her neighbors are shocked, and for a moment she is gratified at having silenced them. But then they bombard her with questions, and she rashly invents more details about her imaginary fiancé. By the end of the night she wishes she hadn’t done it. Not wanting to be found out, she decides to go ahead and dine out the next night. But some of her fellow boarders follow her in a taxi to the restaurant (these are some seriously pathetic people!) because they want to know more about this man who seems to have appeared out of nowhere.

When Patricia realizes she has this unwanted audience, she appeals to the first young man she sees and asks him to play along. He rises to the occasion and proves to be a very nice dinner companion. She is able to explain to him what is going on, and they proceed to have a very enjoyable evening. When he takes her back to her house, she just wants to forget this embarrassing episode and be done with it, but he is beginning to be smitten. Within a short time, it is clear he wants their fake engagement to be real. He attempts to see her again, which she discourages, even though she can’t deny that she really likes him. I mean, he is super polite, kind, easy to talk to and considerate.

The problem in her mind is that the way they met, and her behavior (in basically throwing herself upon the mercy of a stranger) were totally unacceptable. It’s something a “nice” girl wouldn’t have done, and she’s worried that he might try to take advantage of the situation. So she’s already being pretty hard on herself for that, and when she finds out that he’s not just a run-of-the-mill soldier, but a “lord,” she’s even more convinced that they really cannot possibly be together. It’s a little hard to explain her feelings, because it’s not the usual story of money and social status being the problem (although those things are part of it). It’s more that she feels that their whole acquaintance is tainted by the unorthodox and embarrassing way that it started, and she is sure it wouldn’t be right to build a foundation on that, given societal norms of the day. Also, she never really had much affection or warmth while she was growing up, so she can’t quite fathom the way that Peter feels towards her.
So, it’s a really great story, and there are some stellar supporting characters including Peter’s sister the vivacious Lady Tanagra, his friend the enigmatic Godfrey, and Patricia’s employer’s father-in-law, the simple and sincere Mr. Triggs. These three combine to surreptitiously help Patricia realize that she just might care about Peter after all.
Another memorable Edwardian romance. Drama and comedy combine for a book that I really couldn't put down.
Also I just found out that the author was in charge of publishing some of P.G. Wodehouse's books. Another point in his favor.… (meer)

It had its moments. But the beginning was rather sleepy, and throughout the book the main character seems to consistently either stick his head in the sand by living without a thought for the future or else be almost paralyzed by feeling sorry for himself. I liked the Rain-Girl pretty well, and the cousin Lord Drewitt.
The plot: A young man decides he's going to "tramp" around England for a while, instead of holding down a job and doing the normal things that his relatives expect him to. But on the first day, while walking in the rain, he comes across a girl. He doesn't speak to her, but her looks fascinate him. They run into each other again at an inn, where they eventually get into conversation. They make a tentative appointment to meet for breakfast the next morning, but the young man is taken ill with pneumonia and can't stir for weeks. When he finally starts to recuperate, he decides to bend all his energies to finding the girl again. He doesn't even know her name, but he has a couple of clues to go on. The rest of the book is about his search for her, his money troubles, and his internal conflicts.

May I recommend, by the same author, "Patricia Brent, Spinster"? It is a superior tale, and I am glad I started with it!!… (meer)

"Happiness is not a thing to be taken lightly"

Let me get this straight! There are many things that can be argued against this little book. It's poorly written -there's only a certain amount of adverbs one can take at once-, shallow, trite, and even a little misogynistic.

And yet, I must admit it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. The fine irony permeating the whole thing and the endearingly silly characters make up for all the weaknesses this novel might have.

All in all, Patricia Brent, Spinster is the book to go to for those moments when all you want is a piece of light entertainment.… (meer)