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Regency Charade
When Kate Spencer learns that her late brother has gambled and lost Kielder Castle--her home--to the notorious gamester Richard Drew, she is determined to discourage the man from staying there
184 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1986
109 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Mayhew
31 books118 followersMargaret Mayhew was born in London and her earliest childhood memories were of the London Blitz. She began writing in her mid-thirties and had her first novel published in 1976. She is married to American aviation author, Philip Kaplan, and lives in Gloucestershire.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 13, 2013
Katherine Spenser's family has lived at Kielder Castle for 300 years and she's determined that Spensers will live there for 300 more, despite the fact that the old castle is crumbling down around her ears. When a handsome, rakish stranger, Mr. Drew, arrives he brings shocking news. Katherine's recently deceased brother Harry gambled away Kielder and now Mr. Drew is the new owner! Mr. Drew is handsome and charming and has everyone on his side, even Kate's younger brother and her best friend Letty. Katherine is determined to keep Kielder in the family even if it means resorting to dirty tricks.. Her persistent sometimes suitor Vernon disapproves of Kate's methods but the stubborn young woman is a force to be reckoned with. Only Mr. Drew seems to be a match for Kate's wits.
This is a comedy of manners in the tradition of Georgette Heyer. The plot moves along at a decent pace, it's a little plodding towards the middle but the humor makes up for it. I really liked Kate and could identify with her loyalty. Her behavior is rather childish but I can't say that if I were her, I wouldn't do the same thing. I felt bad for her because she was a woman in a man's world and was able to use her brain to get what she wanted instead of having hysterics. At first I didn't care for the hero, especially not in the first chapter, but the longer he stayed in Northumberland, the more I liked him. He's a typical Regency sporting hero and a bit underdeveloped but in a book this length he's just fine. The relationship between the main characters develops nicely and ends in a VERY Georgette Heyer manner. The last page could have been written by Miss Heyer. I love the meeting of minds relationships that Miss Heyer was known for so I was happy to come across this novel that I hadn't yet read. It's definitely one of the better copycats and well worth the read. If you can find it, it may even be one for the keeper shelf.
This is a comedy of manners in the tradition of Georgette Heyer. The plot moves along at a decent pace, it's a little plodding towards the middle but the humor makes up for it. I really liked Kate and could identify with her loyalty. Her behavior is rather childish but I can't say that if I were her, I wouldn't do the same thing. I felt bad for her because she was a woman in a man's world and was able to use her brain to get what she wanted instead of having hysterics. At first I didn't care for the hero, especially not in the first chapter, but the longer he stayed in Northumberland, the more I liked him. He's a typical Regency sporting hero and a bit underdeveloped but in a book this length he's just fine. The relationship between the main characters develops nicely and ends in a VERY Georgette Heyer manner. The last page could have been written by Miss Heyer. I love the meeting of minds relationships that Miss Heyer was known for so I was happy to come across this novel that I hadn't yet read. It's definitely one of the better copycats and well worth the read. If you can find it, it may even be one for the keeper shelf.
May 28, 2017
4.70 stars - mild-ish pg13 (some reference to gambling, drinking, etc. - typical for older secular regency)
Overall, I LOVED this funny regency romance. Kate, the heroine, was okay, but she didn't completely thrill me. Some of her antics tended to be immature and not thought through, even though we're supposed to believe she's so competent. But the secondary characters and the Hero were great. I loved Mr. Drew, the Hero. He's in the vein of a Heyer hero: charming, witty, rakish, self-indulgent, sporting yet lanquid with a depth of character behind the leisurely facade, wealthy, arrogant, kind to children, funny, and, of course, handsome. I love how he says things just to annoy Kate, and then quietly is amused while she takes the bait and believes whatever nonsense he just fed her.
Quotes:
Letty (Kate's best friend): "You mean all those pieces of paper have to be paid? Can't you just burn them or something?" ---- the little "pieces of paper" were unpaid bills!!!
Letty and Kate speaking of Vernon (pompous, annoying, icky, mama's-boy neighbor who is forever proposing to one of the two women ~~ picture a kind of cross between Jane Austen's Mr. Collins and Mr. Elton): "Is he in love with you or me just now? It is as well to know, then one can be prepared." ~~ "Perhaps one of us should give in and marry him. Then we should all have some peace."
Vernon(blustering, pompous neighbor): "I find myself at a loss for words"
Kate(heroine): "I am very thankful to hear it, Vernon."
Letty, talking about men and vanity: "Even Vernon is forever stealing glances at himself (in the mirror) when he thinks nobody is watching, though what pleasure that can give him, I really cannot imagine." ---- Ha!!!
Mr. Drew (the Hero, trying purposely to annoy Kate with his "put-on" arrogance, laziness and dandyism; and she, of course, takes the bait): "Otherwise one would run the risk of becoming intolerably splashed and muddy, you see. And what would be the point of that? ... I leave all that sort of thing to the rustics." ---- "the rustics"!! I love it!!
Overall, I LOVED this funny regency romance. Kate, the heroine, was okay, but she didn't completely thrill me. Some of her antics tended to be immature and not thought through, even though we're supposed to believe she's so competent. But the secondary characters and the Hero were great. I loved Mr. Drew, the Hero. He's in the vein of a Heyer hero: charming, witty, rakish, self-indulgent, sporting yet lanquid with a depth of character behind the leisurely facade, wealthy, arrogant, kind to children, funny, and, of course, handsome. I love how he says things just to annoy Kate, and then quietly is amused while she takes the bait and believes whatever nonsense he just fed her.
Quotes:
Letty (Kate's best friend): "You mean all those pieces of paper have to be paid? Can't you just burn them or something?" ---- the little "pieces of paper" were unpaid bills!!!
Letty and Kate speaking of Vernon (pompous, annoying, icky, mama's-boy neighbor who is forever proposing to one of the two women ~~ picture a kind of cross between Jane Austen's Mr. Collins and Mr. Elton): "Is he in love with you or me just now? It is as well to know, then one can be prepared." ~~ "Perhaps one of us should give in and marry him. Then we should all have some peace."
Vernon(blustering, pompous neighbor): "I find myself at a loss for words"
Kate(heroine): "I am very thankful to hear it, Vernon."
Letty, talking about men and vanity: "Even Vernon is forever stealing glances at himself (in the mirror) when he thinks nobody is watching, though what pleasure that can give him, I really cannot imagine." ---- Ha!!!
Mr. Drew (the Hero, trying purposely to annoy Kate with his "put-on" arrogance, laziness and dandyism; and she, of course, takes the bait): "Otherwise one would run the risk of becoming intolerably splashed and muddy, you see. And what would be the point of that? ... I leave all that sort of thing to the rustics." ---- "the rustics"!! I love it!!
March 15, 2017
4.5
I really enjoyed this one! Kate loves her ancestral home Kielder Castle and is stunned when one night a Mr. Drew from London shows up saying he has won the castle from her recently deceased brother. Kate is furious with her brother and furious that Mr. Drew thinks she would give up her home so easily.
Mr. Drew doesn't make a great first impression, but he grew on me as the book progressed. I ended up really liking him. I liked Kate quite a bit and all the pranks she was pulling to try and scare Mr. Drew into selling the castle back to her. They had fun chemistry and their time at Kielder was a lot of fun.
While I really enjoyed the story I thought it wrapped up a little too quickly, an epilog would have been nice.
Overall, I thought it was a fun regency. I loved the characters and just thought it was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Recommend to any regency fan!
Content
Romance: Clean
Language: Mild, if any
Similar reads (setting): Married by Mistake
I really enjoyed this one! Kate loves her ancestral home Kielder Castle and is stunned when one night a Mr. Drew from London shows up saying he has won the castle from her recently deceased brother. Kate is furious with her brother and furious that Mr. Drew thinks she would give up her home so easily.
Mr. Drew doesn't make a great first impression, but he grew on me as the book progressed. I ended up really liking him. I liked Kate quite a bit and all the pranks she was pulling to try and scare Mr. Drew into selling the castle back to her. They had fun chemistry and their time at Kielder was a lot of fun.
While I really enjoyed the story I thought it wrapped up a little too quickly, an epilog would have been nice.
Overall, I thought it was a fun regency. I loved the characters and just thought it was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Recommend to any regency fan!
Content
Romance: Clean
Language: Mild, if any
Similar reads (setting): Married by Mistake
June 12, 2013
2.75/5 stars
June 5, 2016
Delightful! I went online and ordered more!
March 6, 2018
A very charming and uncomplicated book. There were a lot of good humorous moments and excellent plot points. I really liked Kate. Although admittedly she did behave childishly at some points but you really can’t blame her. It was very hard getting a handle on Mr. Drew. He clearly has his own set of secrets but they weren’t exactly what you expected. I mean maybe you half expected it but somehow it still managed to be one of those things that just sort of creeped up on you. Eventually closer to when we find out the real story, it’s easier to get there on your own. But I really did enjoy the quirky happenings and the two matches that happened in the book. I rather felt sorry for Mr. Webb though...
November 19, 2014
This is a short (182 page) "Romance of the Regent's England" published in 1986. Definitely not as good as the best of Georgette Heyer, but entertaining enough. Miss Katherine Spencer lives in Kielder, the crumbling family castle, with her younger brother - only 9 years old but the next baronet. The previous baronet, their other brother, a gambler and a wastrel, died recently in a careless accident while racing.
Katherine discovers to her horror that he gambled away Kielder before he died. "Mr. Drew" arrives determined to take possession, despite the many tricks Katherine tries to drive him away (stopping up the chimney, breaking windows, etc.). Mr. Drew has a secret or two, which Katherine eventually discovers, and it all comes out right in the end.
The best scene was the one in which a bedraggled Katherine presented herself to the house she had reason to believe was Mr. Drew's and ended up having an interesting conversation with an earl.
If you are a fan of Jane Austen and Regency romances and are looking for new authors, you might check out Margaret Mayhew.
Katherine discovers to her horror that he gambled away Kielder before he died. "Mr. Drew" arrives determined to take possession, despite the many tricks Katherine tries to drive him away (stopping up the chimney, breaking windows, etc.). Mr. Drew has a secret or two, which Katherine eventually discovers, and it all comes out right in the end.
The best scene was the one in which a bedraggled Katherine presented herself to the house she had reason to believe was Mr. Drew's and ended up having an interesting conversation with an earl.
If you are a fan of Jane Austen and Regency romances and are looking for new authors, you might check out Margaret Mayhew.
January 2, 2015
This is one of those cute, light, frothy Regencies that I love to read. The heroine's antics are hilarious.
I had a hard time liking the hero at first, but he slowly grew on me and I liked him better by the end of the book, but I didn't really care for him as much as I liked the heroine. It made it a bit hard to root for their romance.
Overall, a fun, light Regency read.
I had a hard time liking the hero at first, but he slowly grew on me and I liked him better by the end of the book, but I didn't really care for him as much as I liked the heroine. It made it a bit hard to root for their romance.
Overall, a fun, light Regency read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews