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Mistletoe and Folly
Deck the halls and man the barricades--a long Christmas holiday could start fireworks between the guests! After nearly being run down on the road, Jemima arrives at her wealthy aunt's home and discovers that the hell-bent carriage driver is one of her aunt's houseguests! Yuletide season or not, Jemima gives the uppity lord a piece of her mind. Original Regency Romance.
186 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 21, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 15, 2019
4.25*
This is like reading a Regency Nancy Drew with romance thrown in!
*With Spoilers* A fun read with sparkling, laugh-out-loud banter, madcap schemes that involve skulking around behind the backs of a houseful of people gathered for Christmas. Romance too lurks sweetly in the background while the h/H overcome an adversarial beginning to partner up and help a common friend elude royal ire.
The h is a supremely opinionated and plucky gel and her poor relation status doesn’t deter her from snarking up to her snooty relatives. The H is a guest of honour - a toff of the first stare - completely above her station as she’s constantly reminded by her aunt. But that doesn't stop our intrepid girl (does anything?) from not only confronting him for his alleged misdeeds but also to poke her meddling nose in his fishy business and they strike off sparks from the word go. Despite her 'dislike' of him, she nurses his injuries, protects him from a snooping busybody (yes, another one besides her!) and lets him kiss her occasionally while ringing a peal over his head for being a part of the wasteful nobility that deserve the guillotine!
The kitten rescue scene is a particular favorite of mine.
The secondary romance is sweet and touching.
This is like reading a Regency Nancy Drew with romance thrown in!
*With Spoilers* A fun read with sparkling, laugh-out-loud banter, madcap schemes that involve skulking around behind the backs of a houseful of people gathered for Christmas. Romance too lurks sweetly in the background while the h/H overcome an adversarial beginning to partner up and help a common friend elude royal ire.
The h is a supremely opinionated and plucky gel and her poor relation status doesn’t deter her from snarking up to her snooty relatives. The H is a guest of honour - a toff of the first stare - completely above her station as she’s constantly reminded by her aunt. But that doesn't stop our intrepid girl (does anything?) from not only confronting him for his alleged misdeeds but also to poke her meddling nose in his fishy business and they strike off sparks from the word go. Despite her 'dislike' of him, she nurses his injuries, protects him from a snooping busybody (yes, another one besides her!) and lets him kiss her occasionally while ringing a peal over his head for being a part of the wasteful nobility that deserve the guillotine!
The kitten rescue scene is a particular favorite of mine.
The secondary romance is sweet and touching.
October 24, 2015
"Deck the halls, and man the barracades- a long Christmas holiday could start fireworks between the guests!" From the back cover.
My question is, can a regency romance be written with an alpha female as the heroine and my answer is yes! OK, so she is nineteen. Maybe she should have been somewhat older because her brashness and smarts make the story. Jemima Forbes has taken the place of her older, but ill sister when she visits relatives for the holidays. I am very hesitent on revealing more of the story without telling you too much. If you enjoy regency romances but want something a little different look for this book.
Is this a story Georgette Heyers would have written? Probably not. More an adventure than a romance, I loved Jemima's spunk. She's young and can be very polite. She is concerned about how others are treated less fortunate than herself. But whoa to the persons she doesn't care for. Men and age do not intimidate her in the least. Our hero, Lord Montague, is in for a comeuppance.
I have read many regences and this has to be the most contrary but I loved it. Some purists will say that her character could never exist during early nineteenth century England but I'd like to hope otherwise. The story is fresh and the book, at 186 pages, is a fast read. This is one time I would have loved to find out it was the first book in a series. I'd like to see Jemima in other risky experiences. I definitely will look for more stories by Marian Devon.
My question is, can a regency romance be written with an alpha female as the heroine and my answer is yes! OK, so she is nineteen. Maybe she should have been somewhat older because her brashness and smarts make the story. Jemima Forbes has taken the place of her older, but ill sister when she visits relatives for the holidays. I am very hesitent on revealing more of the story without telling you too much. If you enjoy regency romances but want something a little different look for this book.
Is this a story Georgette Heyers would have written? Probably not. More an adventure than a romance, I loved Jemima's spunk. She's young and can be very polite. She is concerned about how others are treated less fortunate than herself. But whoa to the persons she doesn't care for. Men and age do not intimidate her in the least. Our hero, Lord Montague, is in for a comeuppance.
I have read many regences and this has to be the most contrary but I loved it. Some purists will say that her character could never exist during early nineteenth century England but I'd like to hope otherwise. The story is fresh and the book, at 186 pages, is a fast read. This is one time I would have loved to find out it was the first book in a series. I'd like to see Jemima in other risky experiences. I definitely will look for more stories by Marian Devon.
June 28, 2019
I hate that I didn’t like this more than I did as it has all the earmarks of a romantic caper.
The heroine was smart and plucky and had the other, most of the other, characters pegged for what they are: her long-suffering Uncle, her social climbing petty Aunt, etc, the typical dreary social butterflies. Of course, she labels the hero an elite horse’s ass which he is in part. Their banter was great as the mystery unfolds, but it seemed to get lost about 3/4 of the way through.
Definitely worth the read though. My lack of enthusiasm may be that I dropped the ball about three times with Open Library so my reading was interrupted a few times.
July 28, 2015
One of the best traditional regencies I've read (and I've read a lot)! Engaging plot, absolutely delightful characters, and witty dialogue. The best part is that everyone is given a good deal of common sense and - *gasp* intelligence, so there isn't any Big Mis or theatrical dramatics. Overall, a very good read!
December 27, 2013
Jemima Forbes is forced to attend her estranged aunt's Christmas house party against her wishes. Her aunt finally took notice of her impoverished relatives and invited Jemima's beautiful older sister Clarissa to visit for the holidays in order to meet a suitable young man. Unfortunately for Clarissa, she has succumbed to the measles just in time for the holidays. Jemima wants nothing to do with her snobbish aunt or stupid cousin Marcus. She doesn't have any interest in marriage either. Jemima promises to hold her tongue and be polite. Sadly, Jemima's patience is tried by a public coach ride, her maid's illness, an accident, a long walk to her uncle's estate and a rude, wealthy carriage driver who splattered Jemima with mud. Her feathers are smoothed a bit by the kind Mr. Baldwin, a neighbor of her uncle's just out of prison. Mr. Baldwin is persona non grata at Lawford Park so Jemima is left to her own devices. The only one of the party Jemima can possibly bring herself to like is her uncle's crippled sister Jane. When Jemima discovers the rudesby who caused the coach accident and splashed her is the guest of honor, Lord Montague! Jemima can hold her temper no longer and vents her anger on Lord Montague, much to the dismay of her toad eating cousin Marcus. When her head clears a bit, Jemima realizes Lord Montague is hiding something. Could it have something to do with the escape of a political prisoner her uncle's secretary is forever going on about? Soon Jemima's quick mind thrusts her into the middle of a secret scandal and another mystery she can only guess at. She's never had so much fun in her life!
Though this book bears a lot of similarities to Miss Osborne Misbehaves, this story is very different. The plot is fairly predictable but fast paced and very funny at times. At first I thought the plot was going to take a different direction but I enjoyed the way it went. It was different and lighter than a traditional Regency romance while still being a mystery type story. The romance is very clean. There are a few kisses, mainly under the mistletoe, but no real sensuality. There's a secondary romance that's very sweet too. It was a bit different and I would have liked another story involving those characters because I found them intriguing. I liked Jemima but she wasn't very proper for a Regency lady. She says and does whatever comes into her head and I think some of her behavior would have caused her to be compromised, much to her aunt's dismay. The dialogue is very witty and amusing. It sounds rather modern at times though. None of the book is from Lord Montague's point-of-view, we don't even know his first name, but one can guess at what he is thinking and feeling. I can only imagine what his internal dialogue must be. His conversations with Jemima tend to be rather amusing on the part of the observer and exasperating on his part. The rest of the characters are all culled from the typical Regency canon: the stuffy, snobbish aunt and party guests and the foppish cousin. Not too interesting there. The villain, if you can call that person a villain, is interesting and a different type of character. It's not someone you would peg as a villain. There's no back story there but I assume this person has their own best interests at heart. This story is a lot better than Miss Osborne Misbehaves. It's similar to other light Regency books like Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind and other older Regency stories. There's not a lot of substance to the story but it's a nice, light read.
Though this book bears a lot of similarities to Miss Osborne Misbehaves, this story is very different. The plot is fairly predictable but fast paced and very funny at times. At first I thought the plot was going to take a different direction but I enjoyed the way it went. It was different and lighter than a traditional Regency romance while still being a mystery type story. The romance is very clean. There are a few kisses, mainly under the mistletoe, but no real sensuality. There's a secondary romance that's very sweet too. It was a bit different and I would have liked another story involving those characters because I found them intriguing. I liked Jemima but she wasn't very proper for a Regency lady. She says and does whatever comes into her head and I think some of her behavior would have caused her to be compromised, much to her aunt's dismay. The dialogue is very witty and amusing. It sounds rather modern at times though. None of the book is from Lord Montague's point-of-view, we don't even know his first name, but one can guess at what he is thinking and feeling. I can only imagine what his internal dialogue must be. His conversations with Jemima tend to be rather amusing on the part of the observer and exasperating on his part. The rest of the characters are all culled from the typical Regency canon: the stuffy, snobbish aunt and party guests and the foppish cousin. Not too interesting there. The villain, if you can call that person a villain, is interesting and a different type of character. It's not someone you would peg as a villain. There's no back story there but I assume this person has their own best interests at heart. This story is a lot better than Miss Osborne Misbehaves. It's similar to other light Regency books like Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind and other older Regency stories. There's not a lot of substance to the story but it's a nice, light read.
December 2, 2017
Many of my favorite historical romance and Regency romance authors from the 80s and 90s are available for Kindle, but some are just disappearing forever, only available in used paperback if at all. Marian Devon (aka Marian Pope Rettke) is one of these. She wrote short Regencies, not very deeply developed, but many had charming stories, appealing characters and some great dialogue. Not to mention, of course, the fact that, like most of those authors from some decades ago, Devon had a good command of English and the concept of writing. She could spell, choose the correct vocabulary word and knew correct grammar, in addition to putting all the words together with style.
Yes, I know I'm sounding like a crotchety old lady. Well, I am old (relatively speaking, but I hope to grow older) and if I'm crotchety it's because maybe half or more of the HRs I download to my Kindle nowadays don't deserve to see the light of my Paperwhite. (Oh, for the good old days, she says in a whiny old voice.)
But enough with the whiny rant. Back to this book written in 1991. I've had it for quite a few years and pull it out every couple of years or so to read at this season. It's a fun, rather frothy, comfort read. Although the plot comes back to me quickly after reading a few pages, that doesn't matter. It's the dialogue and the characters and the way this is written that make it enjoyable, even though I know where everything is headed.
The 19-year-old heroine, Jemima Forbes, goes to spend Christmas at her aunt and uncle's place. Her older sister was the original invitee but she came down with measles and could not attend, much to the chagrin of the relatives, who much prefer her to Jemima. Jemima is too outspoken and forthright for her aunt's and cousin's taste. Why can't she be a bit more subdued and ladylike?
But Jemima's the guest and so is handsome, rich Corinthian Lord Montague. They get off to a very rocky start in an antagonistic relationship, but it's a mild antagonism laced with plenty of humor and great banter. And, in addition to the low-key romance, there's a bit of a mystery to add more interest. Someone has just rescued social satirist Jonathan West, who had been sentenced to deportation to Botany Bay as punishment for insulting Prinny. Who rescued West and where is West now?
There's even more to the story, with another romance in the air in the neighborhood and some great secondary characters. It's pretty amazing what Devon accomplished in just 186 pages. And she manages a very satisfactory romance with H and h only exchanging words and a very few kisses.
Yes, I know I'm sounding like a crotchety old lady. Well, I am old (relatively speaking, but I hope to grow older) and if I'm crotchety it's because maybe half or more of the HRs I download to my Kindle nowadays don't deserve to see the light of my Paperwhite. (Oh, for the good old days, she says in a whiny old voice.)
But enough with the whiny rant. Back to this book written in 1991. I've had it for quite a few years and pull it out every couple of years or so to read at this season. It's a fun, rather frothy, comfort read. Although the plot comes back to me quickly after reading a few pages, that doesn't matter. It's the dialogue and the characters and the way this is written that make it enjoyable, even though I know where everything is headed.
The 19-year-old heroine, Jemima Forbes, goes to spend Christmas at her aunt and uncle's place. Her older sister was the original invitee but she came down with measles and could not attend, much to the chagrin of the relatives, who much prefer her to Jemima. Jemima is too outspoken and forthright for her aunt's and cousin's taste. Why can't she be a bit more subdued and ladylike?
But Jemima's the guest and so is handsome, rich Corinthian Lord Montague. They get off to a very rocky start in an antagonistic relationship, but it's a mild antagonism laced with plenty of humor and great banter. And, in addition to the low-key romance, there's a bit of a mystery to add more interest. Someone has just rescued social satirist Jonathan West, who had been sentenced to deportation to Botany Bay as punishment for insulting Prinny. Who rescued West and where is West now?
There's even more to the story, with another romance in the air in the neighborhood and some great secondary characters. It's pretty amazing what Devon accomplished in just 186 pages. And she manages a very satisfactory romance with H and h only exchanging words and a very few kisses.
July 3, 2020
Not much of a romance, but a complete entertainer.
January 20, 2019
Cute book. Very light, but kept me interested.
November 25, 2017
Cute and amusing. Not particularly Christmassy, in spite of being set at a Christmas house party, and not particularly romantic, either. Up until the last few pages the hero and heroine seemed more like a bickering brother and sister.
I think I'm coming to the conclusion that old school traditional Regencies are never going to be my favorite thing. They may be witty and clever, but the romances themselves are so dry most of the time.
I think I'm coming to the conclusion that old school traditional Regencies are never going to be my favorite thing. They may be witty and clever, but the romances themselves are so dry most of the time.
November 30, 2017
An absolutely adorable traditional Regency.
May 12, 2020
A fun Christmas caper, though there was hardly any romance between the main leads. In fact, it was the angsty romance between two secondary characters that took the cake! All in all, a fun and different, clean historical romance.
January 22, 2023
As with most romance novels, you can predict what will happen. The journey is the joy. Easy read. I liked it.
January 19, 2024
Loved every second of it. This was my first read by this author and it definitely won't be my last.
November 6, 2024
3.5
Wish it could’ve been just a few pages longer.
Wish it could’ve been just a few pages longer.
January 17, 2025
Available on Open Library.
This one was quite cute. Its a clean book w much more light intrigue than romance, but the heroine was lively and the banter between the couple was good.
This one was quite cute. Its a clean book w much more light intrigue than romance, but the heroine was lively and the banter between the couple was good.
July 1, 2020
From the blurb:
"And just what, sir, makes you think you own the highway?"
"I can assure you that I labor under no such impression." The eyes dismissed her and turned back to the looking glass while he moved one end of his neck cloth an infinitesimal distance and carefully surveyed the effect.
"Don't tell me you were unaware that you forced the public coach off the highway and caused it to capsize into the ditch. And what's more, if it was not enough that you had caused my coach to wreck and forced me to walk for miles, well here then you came along again and splashed me with muddy water!"
Jemima Forbes first meeting with the celebrated Lord Montague was stormy indeed. When her older sister Clarissa got the measles, she reluctantly took her place at her aunt's Christmas house party, to meet the priggish young man Aunt Lawford thought a suitable match for her impoverished niece. While Jemima knew she had to make a prudent marriage, she couldn't like Mr. Newbright; not that she had much time to think of marriage, what with his lordship's possible involvement with an escaped prisoner, her friend Jane's love affair with the unacceptable Edward Baldwin, sick servants, impossible cousins and a traditional Yuletide celebration with all the trimmings.
"And just what, sir, makes you think you own the highway?"
"I can assure you that I labor under no such impression." The eyes dismissed her and turned back to the looking glass while he moved one end of his neck cloth an infinitesimal distance and carefully surveyed the effect.
"Don't tell me you were unaware that you forced the public coach off the highway and caused it to capsize into the ditch. And what's more, if it was not enough that you had caused my coach to wreck and forced me to walk for miles, well here then you came along again and splashed me with muddy water!"
Jemima Forbes first meeting with the celebrated Lord Montague was stormy indeed. When her older sister Clarissa got the measles, she reluctantly took her place at her aunt's Christmas house party, to meet the priggish young man Aunt Lawford thought a suitable match for her impoverished niece. While Jemima knew she had to make a prudent marriage, she couldn't like Mr. Newbright; not that she had much time to think of marriage, what with his lordship's possible involvement with an escaped prisoner, her friend Jane's love affair with the unacceptable Edward Baldwin, sick servants, impossible cousins and a traditional Yuletide celebration with all the trimmings.
February 7, 2019
4.70 stars - rated mild pg 13 (A secular “clean” traditional Regency --- there
might be
use of: mild cursing/profanity, innuendo, mention of mistresses, gambling, drinking, etc. -- see details below)
December 2018 re-read: Still love this book. Fun. Light. Witty. Other than for authors Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen and Sarah M. Eden, I rarely re-read books. But this book is worth it. Still loved it, some 5-10 years after the first reading.
(Not as tarnished as some "clean" regencies. I was so engaged in the story that I didn’t really make note of any objectionable bits; I think there could have been the occasional expletive such as “damn” and the occasional use of God’s name in vain, both things are fairly typical for secular Regencies.)
December 2018 re-read: Still love this book. Fun. Light. Witty. Other than for authors Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen and Sarah M. Eden, I rarely re-read books. But this book is worth it. Still loved it, some 5-10 years after the first reading.
(Not as tarnished as some "clean" regencies. I was so engaged in the story that I didn’t really make note of any objectionable bits; I think there could have been the occasional expletive such as “damn” and the occasional use of God’s name in vain, both things are fairly typical for secular Regencies.)
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews