(Image from Barnes & Noble)
With Napoleon destroying her beloved Spain, 19-year-old Mariposa Thornton flees her native land with only her elderly abuela in tow. Before she left, her English father instructed the scattered family to reunite at his ancestral home. He died before being able to give them more detailed directions. Mariposa has fought her way to England, but now she's lost. Somewhere in this vast land, her mother and young brother are hiding from a vicious family enemy. How can she find them in a large country without drawing unwanted attention to the Thorntons' desperate plight?
Mariposa hatches a bold—probably ridiculous—plan to get help from Jason Jonquil, a London solicitor. She can't tell him the true reasons behind her request. In fact, the success of her mission depends on playing an exaggerated role, one that will camouflage her true identity and purpose.
As the son of an earl and a man striving to become a fine gentleman in his own right, Jason feels duty-bound to help the damsel in distress. He can't make heads or tails of silly Mariposa. Jason can't quite believe she's as ditzy as she seems, but then why the show? The more he gets to know the infuriating female, the more intrigued he becomes. Soon, Jason finds himself traipsing across the globe to help her find her family. Along the way, he finds—inexplicably enough—that he might just be losing his heart to the enigmatic señorita.
If you've ever spent time in the company of Sarah M. Eden, you know she's a petite woman who's big on spunk, humor, and charm. If you've read her books, you know her sparkling personality comes through very strongly in her stories. Her newest, A Fine Gentleman, is no exception. The Regency Romance exudes Eden's trademark warmth and wit. Yes, it deals with serious subjects (war, loss, mental instability, etc.), but overall the novel provides a light, fun, romantic read. Although it reaches a very predictable Happily Ever After, there's enough substance in A Fine Gentleman to keep the story interesting. You won't find a lot of originality here, nor will you be blindsided by shocking twists in the tale. But, if you're looking for a bright, swoony story that's clean and ultimately satisfying, this one should serve you very well.
(Readalikes: Reminds me a little bit of Lady Emma's Campaign by Jennifer Moore)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for scenes of peril and mild sexual innuendo
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of A Fine Gentleman from the generous folks at Covenant Communications in return for my participation in the book's blog tour. Thank you!
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Follow along on the blog tour for A Fine Gentleman:
*March 6th: http://heidi-reads.
*March 7th: http://lisaisabookworm.
*March 8th: http://ldswritermom.
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March 10th: http://booksaresanity.
I've enjoyed some of Sarah M. Eden's novels, and have been wanting to give this one a try! Love Regency! ^_^
ReplyDeleteAlso, $25 Amazon giftcards ... :D
Thanks and blessings! :)
Her books are always fun. So are gift cards :)
DeleteI need to try one of her books but I also need to tell my friend about this author. She'll love her stuff, I bet.
ReplyDeleteEden's books are always fun. I've read a few and enjoyed them.
DeleteI'm glad she's written a book about Jason; he and Mariposa made a cameo appearance in the last Eden book I read, so it will be fun to now be able to read their story. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, really? I didn't know they were recurring characters.
DeleteMariposa shows up so briefly in As You Are I'm not sure it counts as being a recurring character. :) I have to admit, I really like how Eden includes all the Jonquil brothers in so many of her books. It's like meeting old friends. :)
DeleteI love Regency novels but don't read enough of them! I've read one book by this author and like it.
ReplyDelete