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Lady Whilton's Wedding
BETWEEN A WEDDING AND A FUNERAL, SPARKS OF ROMANCE PROMISED JITTERS FOR ALL!
Where was Uncle Albert? The day of Lady Whilton's nuptials was fast approaching, and the spiteful old lout had disappeared. Daphne Whilton, the bride's daughter, knew what happened. She had found him dead in his chambers and vowed to keep it a secret, fearing the miser's legacy would destroy her mother's glorious wedding.
Lord Graydon Howell, the groom's son-and Daphne's former betrothed!-had lent his hand to the matter, moving Albert to the wine cellar. However, Albert's adventure was only beginning, thanks to a pair of thieves, a house full of guests, and the reluctant conspiracy joining Daphne and Gray, who were hardly in the perfect circumstance for reawakening romance...
Where was Uncle Albert? The day of Lady Whilton's nuptials was fast approaching, and the spiteful old lout had disappeared. Daphne Whilton, the bride's daughter, knew what happened. She had found him dead in his chambers and vowed to keep it a secret, fearing the miser's legacy would destroy her mother's glorious wedding.
Lord Graydon Howell, the groom's son-and Daphne's former betrothed!-had lent his hand to the matter, moving Albert to the wine cellar. However, Albert's adventure was only beginning, thanks to a pair of thieves, a house full of guests, and the reluctant conspiracy joining Daphne and Gray, who were hardly in the perfect circumstance for reawakening romance...
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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About the author
Barbara Metzger
103 books201 followersBarbara Metzger is the author of over three dozen books and a dozen novellas. She has also been an editor, a proof-reader, a greeting card verse-writer, and an artist. When not painting, writing romances or reading them, she volunteers at the local library, gardens and goes beach-combing and yard-saling.
Her novels, mostly set in Regency-era England, have won numerous awards, including the Romance Writers of America RITA, the National Reader's Choice Award, and the Madcap award for humor in romance writing. In addition, Barbara has won two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times Magazine.
Source: http://www.barbarametzger.com/about_b...
Her novels, mostly set in Regency-era England, have won numerous awards, including the Romance Writers of America RITA, the National Reader's Choice Award, and the Madcap award for humor in romance writing. In addition, Barbara has won two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times Magazine.
Source: http://www.barbarametzger.com/about_b...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
May 25, 2016
Graydon Ambrose Hastings Howell was an idiot.
Sheesh.
He
knew
he
made
a
major
blunder.
Miss Daphne Whilton had loved Gray since they were children. When she arranged her marriage to him, he went along with it. After all, they were just kids. She followed him everywhere, mimicked his actions and listened to him without complaint. She climbed trees, went fishing and hunted together with him. Because that is what he liked to do. In turn, he sat through endless 'pretend' tea parties and repaired her dolls.
She was his little buddy: his 'Daffy'. There was three years age difference between them but he could not have asked for a better companion. Then he was sent away to school and she took up needlepoint. On holidays, he taught her to ride. The oncoming years brought about some changes but there was still an accepted understanding.
Daphne went through the awkward teen years. Her face broke out, she shot up in height but didn't 'fill out' as fast. Gray finished up university, took up bachelor quarters and went to parties. He managed to conveniently forget Daphne when she wasn't around; his assumption was she would always be there when he needed her.
She was eighteen years old now and had her coming out. Gray, of course, was there. She thought he might announce their betrothal but he told her there was plenty of time. Soon after, she was at an opera when she spied Gray with another woman. He was nibbling on her ear. It didn't help matters when Daphne was told that he and the actress had a 'friendship' of sorts.
Daphne ended their relationship. She didn't want to see him or take his letters or talk to him. It was over. Saddened, with remorse only learned after the deed was done, Gray bought a commission and went to war. Roughly two years would go by when Gray became injured and finally returned home.
Now the groveling begins. And hijinks happen. And a conspiracy needs to be solved.
Sheesh.
He
knew
he
made
a
major
blunder.
Miss Daphne Whilton had loved Gray since they were children. When she arranged her marriage to him, he went along with it. After all, they were just kids. She followed him everywhere, mimicked his actions and listened to him without complaint. She climbed trees, went fishing and hunted together with him. Because that is what he liked to do. In turn, he sat through endless 'pretend' tea parties and repaired her dolls.
She was his little buddy: his 'Daffy'. There was three years age difference between them but he could not have asked for a better companion. Then he was sent away to school and she took up needlepoint. On holidays, he taught her to ride. The oncoming years brought about some changes but there was still an accepted understanding.
Daphne went through the awkward teen years. Her face broke out, she shot up in height but didn't 'fill out' as fast. Gray finished up university, took up bachelor quarters and went to parties. He managed to conveniently forget Daphne when she wasn't around; his assumption was she would always be there when he needed her.
She was eighteen years old now and had her coming out. Gray, of course, was there. She thought he might announce their betrothal but he told her there was plenty of time. Soon after, she was at an opera when she spied Gray with another woman. He was nibbling on her ear. It didn't help matters when Daphne was told that he and the actress had a 'friendship' of sorts.
Daphne ended their relationship. She didn't want to see him or take his letters or talk to him. It was over. Saddened, with remorse only learned after the deed was done, Gray bought a commission and went to war. Roughly two years would go by when Gray became injured and finally returned home.
Now the groveling begins. And hijinks happen. And a conspiracy needs to be solved.
July 18, 2019
Look, this is very clearly not a four star book, as it lacks depth and complexity. But I had a sudden hankering for a book like that, found it on Audible Escape and listened to in two days. I have a huge choice of many „better“ books in my Audible Library, but they do not do what this one did. That is why I give it the four stars: for being as light and entertaining as I needed it right now.
It is a simple „comedy of errors“ with a dead body disappearing and reappearing in comical and nonsensical ways, with a country house setting so beloved by many. The secondary romance of the widowed parents seemed more romantic to me than the second chance / friends to lovers main romance between the younger couple.
I quite enjoyed the crazy goings on, even though it all was pretty contrived. The dialogue was very good, and while I am not enamored of the narrators voice, I fully appreciate her delivery. Her sense of timing certainly added to my enjoyment of the comedic elements.
It is a simple „comedy of errors“ with a dead body disappearing and reappearing in comical and nonsensical ways, with a country house setting so beloved by many. The secondary romance of the widowed parents seemed more romantic to me than the second chance / friends to lovers main romance between the younger couple.
I quite enjoyed the crazy goings on, even though it all was pretty contrived. The dialogue was very good, and while I am not enamored of the narrators voice, I fully appreciate her delivery. Her sense of timing certainly added to my enjoyment of the comedic elements.
July 24, 2024
Daphne and Graydon. Also: Lady Whilton (Cleo) aka Daphne's mom and Graydon's dad. This one is more of a comedy romp with lots of side characters. I especially loved the butler. This one is more about the humor and antics than the actual romance. Not steamy at all except a kiss from the younger couple and the older couples sexy time is off page.
One thing that bugged me is that I could not figure out exactly when Graydon fell into romantic love versus sisterly love with Daphne. I wish the author would have defined the moment more clearly. He implies that it was when she dumped him. He also implies that his going to war was to prove to Daphne that he was worthy. However, that stuff does not ring true because when he arrives back from being away at war to London he was linked with several woman. He even got more involved with one as his mistress. aka -the moon goddess. Also, he made no attempt to travel to the country to see her while he was out having his sexy time with his mistress in London. I found that weird for a guy to not want to go see his beloved especially after being hurt in war. So in short-even though I enjoyed the story and its antics. I believe the hero lied like crazy to the heroine. HA!
Reread: July 2024 For me, the story would have been better if-- when he returned from being at war that he would not have hired a mistress, but instead went to work on wooing the heroine. It did not ring true when he says he did not figure out he loved her until he lost her. Proof that he was enjoying his life without her and that he really did not go to war to prove himself for her is the fact that his first actions on being back from said war was to go back to his old ways which included having a mistress in London far away from where the heroine was living.
One thing that bugged me is that I could not figure out exactly when Graydon fell into romantic love versus sisterly love with Daphne. I wish the author would have defined the moment more clearly. He implies that it was when she dumped him. He also implies that his going to war was to prove to Daphne that he was worthy. However, that stuff does not ring true because when he arrives back from being away at war to London he was linked with several woman. He even got more involved with one as his mistress. aka -the moon goddess. Also, he made no attempt to travel to the country to see her while he was out having his sexy time with his mistress in London. I found that weird for a guy to not want to go see his beloved especially after being hurt in war. So in short-even though I enjoyed the story and its antics. I believe the hero lied like crazy to the heroine. HA!
Reread: July 2024 For me, the story would have been better if-- when he returned from being at war that he would not have hired a mistress, but instead went to work on wooing the heroine. It did not ring true when he says he did not figure out he loved her until he lost her. Proof that he was enjoying his life without her and that he really did not go to war to prove himself for her is the fact that his first actions on being back from said war was to go back to his old ways which included having a mistress in London far away from where the heroine was living.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2013
Daphne Whilton and Lord Graydon Howell grew up the best of friends. She hero-worshiped him and he thought her a great gun. They arranged their own marriage as children but their parents put off making any formal announcement until Daphne comes of age. In the meantime, Gray went off to school and off to London to sow his wild oats while Daphne remained in the country caring for her two nearly orphaned cousins. After the death of Lord Whilton, his disreputable brother Albert inherited the Barony and the estate. Only Lord Hollister, Gray's father, can keep Albert from causing too much trouble. Lord Hollister, recently widowed, welcomes Lady Whilton and her family into his home for Daphne's debut. Daphne makes a big splash with both the gentlemen and the ladies, secure in the knowledge that Gray is hers. One evening Daphne spies Graydon in public with a fashionable impure and all her dreams come crashing down. She retreats to the country to nurse her wounded heart while Graydon joins the army on the Peninsula. Lady Whilton prefers London to the country and after a time convinces Daphne to return to London. Lady Whilton acts as a political hostess for Lord Hollister, who is a rising political star. Two years later, the old friends have fallen in love and are planning a wedding. Daphne is thrilled to help her mother but dreads meeting Gray again. She's certain he's on the path to becoming just like her uncle: caring only for wine, women and wagering. Dealing with her tumultuous feelings towards Gray takes a back seat when Uncle Albert arrives for the wedding and puts the whole household in an uproar. He soon expires with none to witness his death except for Daphne. She knows that his death will upset her mother and delay the wedding so she's determined to hide the body. Gray wants nothing more than to prove to his Daffy that he's the hero she thinks he is. When he discovers Uncle Albert's body, he's determined to save the situation. When Uncle Albert disappears, it's up to Daphne and Gray to join forces to save the wedding and find Uncle Albert. A gang of bumbling thieves and their dog are on the loose in the neighborhood and Daphne's persistent stuffy suitor Miles, as Justice of the Peace, is determined to thwart them and track down exactly what happened to Uncle Albert.
This comedy of errors resembles a screwball comedy movie of the 1930s. While it's not exactly laugh out loud, I enjoyed the mystery and wondering what crazy thing would happen next. Daphne is an admirable character. She's strong-willed, opinionated and not afraid of anything. Her relationship with Gray develops over the course of the novel but it's mostly on her part. He says he's grown up and changed but he's not a very well-developed character to really understand how he's changed. He's charming and eager to please and I can see readers falling in love with him. The secondary characters are mostly one dimensional but provide the comedic moments to balance the romantic plot. My only real complaint about this novel is that the story takes too long to set up. I would recommend this book to fans of Barbara Metzger's other novels and those who like mysteries and screwball comedies.
This comedy of errors resembles a screwball comedy movie of the 1930s. While it's not exactly laugh out loud, I enjoyed the mystery and wondering what crazy thing would happen next. Daphne is an admirable character. She's strong-willed, opinionated and not afraid of anything. Her relationship with Gray develops over the course of the novel but it's mostly on her part. He says he's grown up and changed but he's not a very well-developed character to really understand how he's changed. He's charming and eager to please and I can see readers falling in love with him. The secondary characters are mostly one dimensional but provide the comedic moments to balance the romantic plot. My only real complaint about this novel is that the story takes too long to set up. I would recommend this book to fans of Barbara Metzger's other novels and those who like mysteries and screwball comedies.
August 5, 2014
I might have liked it if Graydon hadn't disgusted me so much. The first mistake(and that, is not about sowing wild oats but being so uncaring that it was almost cruel) was forgivable by comparison, although he should have grovelled more. What made me want to murder him was the second incident- oh god, he never learned, had he? The two years he purposedly spent repenting, for what? If he truly understood why Daphne was so hurt, what he had to be sorry for, he never would have done what he had done in scant few weeks he had in london. I just can't understand his behavior, he's simply contemptible and f--king disgusting(and I thought I'm quite tolerant toward heroes). Aunt Harriet should be the one emerging triumphant - she's absolutely right.
Oh and the thugs slowed down the story, dont know wht metzger bithered with them. whatever, with graydon as the major douche, petty miscreants are the least of my concerns.
Oh and the thugs slowed down the story, dont know wht metzger bithered with them. whatever, with graydon as the major douche, petty miscreants are the least of my concerns.
June 13, 2018
4.5 ★
Other really good book of Barbara Metzger! It was fun and entertained! I enjoyed this book very much! I totally recommend this one!
Happy Reading Everyone!
Other really good book of Barbara Metzger! It was fun and entertained! I enjoyed this book very much! I totally recommend this one!
Happy Reading Everyone!
October 23, 2018
3.5
I wanted to like this. It started out very promisingly. It was two childhood friends who had an understanding, only one was more in love with the other. She idealized him and when she discovers that he was a bit of rake, she was disillusioned. She broke off the engagement and he is remorseful that he let someone remarkable get away.
Unfortunately, the book wasn't really about the characters, who I was interested in. It was about the myriad of capers and bumbling events that centered around the uncle's dead body. It was passed around as different characters with their own motivation kept his death hidden so the marriage would continue as usual.
The story was that Lady Whilton was getting married. Uncle Albert died on site. Daphne discovered him and hid her death to not mar the festivities. Graydon discovered the dead body and had the same motivations. He wanted to win over Daphne and didn't want to stress her out. He hid the body as well and moved it. The servant discovered it and guessed the motivations and supported it. He was devoted to taking care of Lady Whilton. The bumbling thieves decided to steal the casket the uncle's body was housed in. They returned it because they were superstitious. It was cremated and placed in a fancy vase. The thieves stole the vase, discovered the ashes, and felt they were being haunted. They ran again.
Weaved in the moving of the dead body are the character dynamics such as the upright magistrate torn between wanting Daphne and her money and being repulsed by her scandalous nature. There is also Graydon trying to be helpful to prove he is a changed man. There are also the thieves who are too dumb to be malicious and bumble their crimes.
The book ended with the uncle's valet kidnapping the children. The thieves end up helping them. The dog saves the day by biting the valet. Graydon and Daphne show up and end up offering the thieves a better life than their present circumstances.
Graydon offers for Daphne and she accepts.
The book started out strong but I got bored by the end.
I wanted to like this. It started out very promisingly. It was two childhood friends who had an understanding, only one was more in love with the other. She idealized him and when she discovers that he was a bit of rake, she was disillusioned. She broke off the engagement and he is remorseful that he let someone remarkable get away.
Unfortunately, the book wasn't really about the characters, who I was interested in. It was about the myriad of capers and bumbling events that centered around the uncle's dead body. It was passed around as different characters with their own motivation kept his death hidden so the marriage would continue as usual.
The story was that Lady Whilton was getting married. Uncle Albert died on site. Daphne discovered him and hid her death to not mar the festivities. Graydon discovered the dead body and had the same motivations. He wanted to win over Daphne and didn't want to stress her out. He hid the body as well and moved it. The servant discovered it and guessed the motivations and supported it. He was devoted to taking care of Lady Whilton. The bumbling thieves decided to steal the casket the uncle's body was housed in. They returned it because they were superstitious. It was cremated and placed in a fancy vase. The thieves stole the vase, discovered the ashes, and felt they were being haunted. They ran again.
Weaved in the moving of the dead body are the character dynamics such as the upright magistrate torn between wanting Daphne and her money and being repulsed by her scandalous nature. There is also Graydon trying to be helpful to prove he is a changed man. There are also the thieves who are too dumb to be malicious and bumble their crimes.
The book ended with the uncle's valet kidnapping the children. The thieves end up helping them. The dog saves the day by biting the valet. Graydon and Daphne show up and end up offering the thieves a better life than their present circumstances.
Graydon offers for Daphne and she accepts.
The book started out strong but I got bored by the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2015
Fun and slightly sexy.
February 6, 2014
I had so much fun reading this book. I said, over & over, that it should be made into a movie. Clean romance, comedy, & a missing corpse!
November 13, 2019
Think of this as a Regency Weekend at Bernies.
We follow the main characters, Daphne ‘Daffy’ Whilton and Lord Garydon ‘Gray’ Howell, from their youth when on a whim Daphne proposes that all the other boys are stupid and they should get married, and he replies with l “I s’pose” (she was 6, he 9) - much to the delight of both families.
It jumps through the years, until Daphne finally reaches a marriageable age, only to have Gray humiliate and insult her by making out with a light skirted hussy - in full view of not only Daphne and their parents, but all those invited to the ball. He gets offended that she would make a big deal of it, and things go downhill from there. He annoyed the crap outta me as he really didn’t see anything in his behaviour that was so wrong.
It’s now a few years later, and this is where the Weekend at Bernies plot kicks in. Which would have been a great plot device - if only I cared about any of the characters anymore.
2 stars ⭐️
We follow the main characters, Daphne ‘Daffy’ Whilton and Lord Garydon ‘Gray’ Howell, from their youth when on a whim Daphne proposes that all the other boys are stupid and they should get married, and he replies with l “I s’pose” (she was 6, he 9) - much to the delight of both families.
It jumps through the years, until Daphne finally reaches a marriageable age, only to have Gray humiliate and insult her by making out with a light skirted hussy - in full view of not only Daphne and their parents, but all those invited to the ball. He gets offended that she would make a big deal of it, and things go downhill from there. He annoyed the crap outta me as he really didn’t see anything in his behaviour that was so wrong.
It’s now a few years later, and this is where the Weekend at Bernies plot kicks in. Which would have been a great plot device - if only I cared about any of the characters anymore.
2 stars ⭐️
February 9, 2025
This is probably the silliest book I’ve ever read. It starts well with an interesting premise well handled, then veers sharply into extreme farce from which it never really recovers, the romance being shoved aside in the scampering round after dead bodies (yes, really! If you’ve ever wondered what a Regency version of Weekend At Bernie’s looked like, this is as close as you’ll get).
This is how it starts:
‘It was an arranged marriage. Unlike most such marriages of convenience, this one was arranged by the bride-to-be herself. Miss Daphne Whilton of Woodhill Manor, Hampshire, left the crowded lawn of her birthday party and approached Lord Graydon Howell, heir to the Earl of Hollister, where he stood apart from the other guests under a shading elm tree. She kicked him on the shin to get his attention and said, “All of the other boys are toads. You’ll have to marry me, Gray.’’
Lord Graydon rubbed his leg and looked back toward the others. The boys were tearing around, trying to lift the girls’ skirts. The girls were shrieking or giggling or crying for their mamas, who were inside taking tea with Lady Whilton. At least Daffy never carried on like that. And she could bait her own hook. He nodded. “I s’pose,” he said, and they shook hands to seal the contract.’
Isn’t that glorious? Of course, they’re children, so inevitably as they grow up they change somewhat, but they’re still best friends, and the marriage is still an understood thing. And then Daphne reaches an age to make her debut, comes up to London and is incensed to see Graydon entertaining his mistress in a box at the theatre directly opposite her. There’s a huge dust-up, the engagement is off and he removes himself from her orbit by joining the army. So far, so very promising, and when her mother and his father decide to get married and Graydon is scheduled to be home in time for the wedding, I had the highest hopes of a slow and steady rapprochement.
And then everything went off the rails in spectacular fashion, devolving in double quick time into a morass of disappearing dead bodies, incompetent thieves, a wicked baron, a similarly wicked valet, a pickpocketing dog and a whole heap of equally implausible stuff. And in the background, one of those hugely overplanned, flower-bedecked, inviting the entire extended family weddings that never actually happened in the Regency. And that’s without mentioning the dull but respectable rival suitor and the rejected mistress. I plodded dutifully through it, in the hope that the romantic denouement would redeem the book, but it really didn’t.
In a book of this age, I don’t expect the deep character-driven romance that modern readers enjoy. I can accept that the Heyer ideal of a ‘Regency romp’ was still holding sway. That’s all fine. I can even accept that the hero might have had a mistress in the past. But what I can’t accept is a hero who professes himself chastened by his lady-love’s admonishments and determined to be worthy of her and win her back, yet the first thing he does when he returns to Blighty from his army stint - the very first thing! - is to set up a mistress again. I get that the ex-mistress turning up to the wedding is intended as comedy relief AND an obstacle for the reinstatement of the hero with the heroine, but please, this man is not hero material.
So for that alone this only rates two stars for me. If you really love the old-style comedic romp, and you don’t mind the implausibility of it or the constant trickle of Americanisms, you might well enjoy this, but it wasn’t for me, sadly.
This is how it starts:
‘It was an arranged marriage. Unlike most such marriages of convenience, this one was arranged by the bride-to-be herself. Miss Daphne Whilton of Woodhill Manor, Hampshire, left the crowded lawn of her birthday party and approached Lord Graydon Howell, heir to the Earl of Hollister, where he stood apart from the other guests under a shading elm tree. She kicked him on the shin to get his attention and said, “All of the other boys are toads. You’ll have to marry me, Gray.’’
Lord Graydon rubbed his leg and looked back toward the others. The boys were tearing around, trying to lift the girls’ skirts. The girls were shrieking or giggling or crying for their mamas, who were inside taking tea with Lady Whilton. At least Daffy never carried on like that. And she could bait her own hook. He nodded. “I s’pose,” he said, and they shook hands to seal the contract.’
Isn’t that glorious? Of course, they’re children, so inevitably as they grow up they change somewhat, but they’re still best friends, and the marriage is still an understood thing. And then Daphne reaches an age to make her debut, comes up to London and is incensed to see Graydon entertaining his mistress in a box at the theatre directly opposite her. There’s a huge dust-up, the engagement is off and he removes himself from her orbit by joining the army. So far, so very promising, and when her mother and his father decide to get married and Graydon is scheduled to be home in time for the wedding, I had the highest hopes of a slow and steady rapprochement.
And then everything went off the rails in spectacular fashion, devolving in double quick time into a morass of disappearing dead bodies, incompetent thieves, a wicked baron, a similarly wicked valet, a pickpocketing dog and a whole heap of equally implausible stuff. And in the background, one of those hugely overplanned, flower-bedecked, inviting the entire extended family weddings that never actually happened in the Regency. And that’s without mentioning the dull but respectable rival suitor and the rejected mistress. I plodded dutifully through it, in the hope that the romantic denouement would redeem the book, but it really didn’t.
In a book of this age, I don’t expect the deep character-driven romance that modern readers enjoy. I can accept that the Heyer ideal of a ‘Regency romp’ was still holding sway. That’s all fine. I can even accept that the hero might have had a mistress in the past. But what I can’t accept is a hero who professes himself chastened by his lady-love’s admonishments and determined to be worthy of her and win her back, yet the first thing he does when he returns to Blighty from his army stint - the very first thing! - is to set up a mistress again. I get that the ex-mistress turning up to the wedding is intended as comedy relief AND an obstacle for the reinstatement of the hero with the heroine, but please, this man is not hero material.
So for that alone this only rates two stars for me. If you really love the old-style comedic romp, and you don’t mind the implausibility of it or the constant trickle of Americanisms, you might well enjoy this, but it wasn’t for me, sadly.
March 17, 2021
This one is a dark comedy, with a dead body as a major character. The romance was okay, the characters were okay-ish, but the plot was very clever, and I was surprised by how much I liked it. However, this being the fourth Metzger book that I've read in a row, it's starting to get repetitive. So I'll take a break and go visit other authors and return to Metzger when I need something light and breezy in future.
October 20, 2020
Oh my goodness was this a funny book. I could not put it down. Daphne was a strong and great character who loved Gray. Gray repaid that love by cheating on her. She cancelled their wedding. Fast forward a few years later their surviving parents are having a wedding and Daphne terrible uncle dies. They were moving that body all over the place. He would up and disappear on them. I am laughing as I am typing this. Long story short it was so fun!
June 25, 2023
Fun!
February 25, 2015
Such a promising beginning! For that and the good beginning, I bumped up my rating to 3 stars, but I wouldn't really recommend this book.
September 3, 2009
My all-time favorite Barbara Metzger book. Hilarity at its best. I had to read some of the book out loud to my family. Metzger shows off her humorous talent in this book.
February 25, 2014
Charming! A delightful tale of a couple, betrothed from childhood, who don't realize how perfectly suited they are until they quarrel and unsuccessfully search elsewhere for love.
July 3, 2012
I laughed out loud. A disappearing & reappearing corpse, well-intentioned but bumbling characters. Even the "bad guys" were enjoyable!
February 23, 2013
One of my favorite traditional regencies. I adore the characters and the Romance is wonderfully sweet. The situations are fresh and funny. This book has a place on my keeper shelf.
September 13, 2013
This one had a Weekend at Bernie's feel. :)
December 1, 2018
Lady......
Not great literature but a great romp. I laughed out loud, not enough for four stars but enough for three.
Not great literature but a great romp. I laughed out loud, not enough for four stars but enough for three.
March 2, 2016
Funny and rather ridiculous in that Weekend at Bernie's/ Death at a Funeral Style
August 30, 2020
This one was hilarious. Fast paced, with a variety of interesting characters and a witty dialogue, a delightful comedy combined with a decent romance.
There was one thing, hovever, that I found extremely annoying - why the hell did Gray hook up with that awful Selina AFTER coming back to England? When he had left for the war only to impress Daffy? I know taking mistresses was thought to be a bachelor's right, but considering how Daffy had reacted earlier to seeing him with the opera dancer, it was extremely stupid of him. So he's lost a lot in my eyes because of that.
Overall 3.75 stars (on reread).
There was one thing, hovever, that I found extremely annoying - why the hell did Gray hook up with that awful Selina AFTER coming back to England? When he had left for the war only to impress Daffy? I know taking mistresses was thought to be a bachelor's right, but considering how Daffy had reacted earlier to seeing him with the opera dancer, it was extremely stupid of him. So he's lost a lot in my eyes because of that.
Overall 3.75 stars (on reread).
October 18, 2025
This was a fun romp, more about hijinks and hapless criminals than romance. Daphne's mother is getting married to her ex fiance's father, and she's dreading the ex's return. But not as much as the havoc an immoral drunkard of an uncle can cause, whether dead or alive.
It is a little difficult to believe in the MMC's devotion, given that he was a source of Other Woman drama before he went to war, and he seems to have learned nothing, because there is more Other Woman drama after he comes back home.
It is a little difficult to believe in the MMC's devotion, given that he was a source of Other Woman drama before he went to war, and he seems to have learned nothing, because there is more Other Woman drama after he comes back home.
July 31, 2023
Sono sicura di aver già letto questo romanzo, o almeno la sua parte finale: ma non ne ho trovato traccia nel Kindle, nelle mie recensioni, e neppure in Storyteller. È stato pubblicato anche sotto un altro titolo?
Comunque, l'ho riletto volentieri. Il suo 'umor nero' – che ricorda abbastanza da vicino quello de 'la cassa sbagliata' di Stevenson – mi ha fatto sinceramente divertire.
Comunque, l'ho riletto volentieri. Il suo 'umor nero' – che ricorda abbastanza da vicino quello de 'la cassa sbagliata' di Stevenson – mi ha fatto sinceramente divertire.
April 11, 2020
This was so funny in parts it had me laughing out loud. The first half—which I wish had lasted longer—was Weekend at Bernie’s meets regency romance. The rest of the book was good too, just as silly if not quite as funny, with good characters and an enjoyable storyline.
August 23, 2021
Funniest one yet!
This could make a wonderful movie, a comedy with hardly breathing room between absurd scenes.
A farce worthy of commedia del arte, each twist more absurd than the last, yet inevitable as the happy ending.
This could make a wonderful movie, a comedy with hardly breathing room between absurd scenes.
A farce worthy of commedia del arte, each twist more absurd than the last, yet inevitable as the happy ending.
September 9, 2025
Some found the hero, Graydon, to be an awful guy, but I realized that he was only about twenty years old when he made a serious mistake! He proved himself throughout the rest of the book! The main
characters were quite likeable.
characters were quite likeable.
May 7, 2018
"Weekend at Bernie's", Regency style! Many twists and turns in this enjoyable Regency romp!
May 5, 2020
3.5 stars. Very fun and fluffy comedic romance with a body that keeps going missing. I will definitely be listening to more of Barbara Metzger's books!
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