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Angel
The beautiful, wealthy, and popular lady Evangelina Brenthaven disguises herself as the ordinary Miss Evelyn Brand and ends up intervening in the affairs of everyone she meets.
213 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1984
9 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Carola Dunn
91 books890 followersCarola Dunn is the author of more than 30 Regency romances, as well as 16 mysteries (the Daisy Dalrymple mystery series is set in England in the 1920s). Ms. Dunn was born and grew up in England, where she got a B.A. in Russian and French from Manchester University. She travelled as far as Fiji before returning to settle in California. After 30 years in the US, she says she still sounds as if she arrived a month ago.
Prior to writing, Ms. Dunn’s various jobs included market research, child-care, construction--from foundation trenches to roofing--and writing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. She wrote her first novel in 1979, a Regency which she sold to Warner Books.
Now living in Eugene, Oregon, Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning. (www.belgravehouse.com)
Prior to writing, Ms. Dunn’s various jobs included market research, child-care, construction--from foundation trenches to roofing--and writing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. She wrote her first novel in 1979, a Regency which she sold to Warner Books.
Now living in Eugene, Oregon, Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning. (www.belgravehouse.com)
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 4, 2019
Beautiful, wealthy, and titled, the Lady Evangelina Brenthaven, much-indulged only child of the Marquis of Tesborough, had received and rejected no less than eighteen offers of marriage. Convinced that none of her eminently eligible suitors valued her for herself, the not-so-angelic Angel decided that what she needed was to get away, to go somewhere people would be unaware of her fortune, her noble connections, and her many (in)famous escapades. When her vicar uncle invited her to join his family in the Lake Country for the summer, Angel jumped at the opportunity, transforming herself into the plain Miss Evelyn Brand. But Lady or Miss, the irrepressible Angel had a knack for getting into scrapes, and she soon found herself mixed up - together with her bluestocking Cousin Catherine - in a tangled web of star-crossed lovers and disinherited sons.
Carola Dunn - whose prolific output between 1981 and 1998 included thirty-two Regency novels - seems to be a bit of a hit-or-miss experience for me, with some titles - Lavender Lady , or Smugglers' Summer - proving to be vastly entertaining, and others - such as Lord Iverbrook's Heir - falling short of the mark. Unfortunately, it looks like Angel falls into this latter category, despite a premise that appealed to me, characters that seemed promising, and a wealth of dramatic adventure to keep me entertained. Somehow these elements just didn't come together, and the end-product was a novel I raced through, never really absorbed in the characters or their various quandaries. Perhaps Dunn was simply trying too hard with this, her third novel: cramming too many scrapes, too many stock character types, and too many startling developments, into too short a narrative? Angel had no sooner discovered a hidden priest hole, and two bags of Tudor treasure, than that episode was over! All done! Angel had no sooner told irascible old Lord Grisedale what was what, then he mellowed and (mostly) reformed! All done! Everything felt too easy, as if Dunn were skimming along the surface of her story, never really delving into any kind of detail.
This was definitely a disappointment, especially as the last Regency I read - Sheila Simonson's The Bar Sinister - also did not live up to expectations. Still, I have enjoyed some of Dunn's work, so I won't rule out reading more of her books. We're at 50/50 right now, so the next can be the tie-breaker...
Carola Dunn - whose prolific output between 1981 and 1998 included thirty-two Regency novels - seems to be a bit of a hit-or-miss experience for me, with some titles - Lavender Lady , or Smugglers' Summer - proving to be vastly entertaining, and others - such as Lord Iverbrook's Heir - falling short of the mark. Unfortunately, it looks like Angel falls into this latter category, despite a premise that appealed to me, characters that seemed promising, and a wealth of dramatic adventure to keep me entertained. Somehow these elements just didn't come together, and the end-product was a novel I raced through, never really absorbed in the characters or their various quandaries. Perhaps Dunn was simply trying too hard with this, her third novel: cramming too many scrapes, too many stock character types, and too many startling developments, into too short a narrative? Angel had no sooner discovered a hidden priest hole, and two bags of Tudor treasure, than that episode was over! All done! Angel had no sooner told irascible old Lord Grisedale what was what, then he mellowed and (mostly) reformed! All done! Everything felt too easy, as if Dunn were skimming along the surface of her story, never really delving into any kind of detail.
This was definitely a disappointment, especially as the last Regency I read - Sheila Simonson's The Bar Sinister - also did not live up to expectations. Still, I have enjoyed some of Dunn's work, so I won't rule out reading more of her books. We're at 50/50 right now, so the next can be the tie-breaker...
February 20, 2022
I was a bit uncertain of this one at first, since the heroine is a bit of a flighty, act-first-apologise-later sort of girl, but it grew on me, and the hero is lovely, so I totally got why the heroine fell for him. It’s beautifully written, very traditional and set rather splendidly in the Lake District, so bonus points for that (it’s always nice to get off the well-worn London-Brighton-Bath-country-house circuit).
Here’s the premise: Lady Evangelina (or Angel, for short) Brenthaven is the rather spoilt daughter of the Marquis of Tesborough. After eighteen proposals in two years, all of which she’s turned down, she’s tired of the Marriage Mart and being courted for her looks and fortune. When her friend, vicar’s daughter Catherine Sutton, invites her to join them in a stay in the Lakes, Angel decides to assume an alias and enjoy a quiet summer untrammelled by fortune-hunters. But Angel is the sort of person who just draws chaos around her, and so she accidentally (and occasionally deliberately) upends the rather dull lives of her neighbours, the grumpy Earl of Grisedale and his subdued daughter Beth, the earl’s nephew Sir Gregory Markham, Beth’s suitor Lord Welch, and of course the Sutton family. And then there’s the matter of Lord Grisedale’s estranged son, Lord Dominic Markham, who went off soldiering several years ago and hasn’t been heard from since…
There are a lot of characters in this, and I frequently got confused between the men. In addition to Sir Gregory and Lord Welch, there’s also Gerald Leigh, another vicar and suitor of Beth, and it won’t surprise anyone to discover that the missing Lord Dominic does eventually make an appearance. In fact, he is the cause of one of the funniest jokes of the book, for since his father has declared him persona non grata and told him never to darken the doors of the family home again, he returns under an alias, yet an astonishing number of the locals recognise him. Nobody seems to be fooled by his disguise in the slightest.
Dom is, of course, the hero and his scenes with heroine Angel are the best in the book. They have an instant rapport, and they develop a charming but very chaste friendship. He teaches her about wild flowers and she teaches him not to skulk out of sight. The romance develops beautifully and it’s just a pity that Dom has an outbreak of I’m-not-worthy-itis towards the end, but then there really is no other serious obstacle to the match, so the author had trouble slowing down the gallop to the altar.
There are not one but two side-romances along the way, plus a somewhat implausible but nicely developed mystery, which throws up two of the men as possible villains. The author has some trouble maintaining the pretence that both are equally plausible candidates, and she has to make Angel fairly blind to the good/bad qualities of the two to sustain the pretence. Catherine, on the other hand, is much more sensible and a far better judge of character. She and her paramour also have some delightful banter, and their romance progresses far more smoothly than Angel’s.
There’s one moment in the book, though, when both women are desperately in love with their respective men, and yet very much uncertain as to whether their feelings are returned. This must have been such a common problem with real-life Regency women, who lived their lives in a world of decorous and completely meaningless interactions with men who may or may not have any serious intentions towards them. Angel comments that, “It is perfectly horrid to be in love and not to know,” and Catherine replies, “Isn’t it?” I can only sympathise, and be glad to live in a more open age.
I only spotted one error. The Earl of Grisedale’s eldest son (Dom) should have a courtesy title, typically a viscountcy. He would absolutely not be Lord Dominic, which was a title reserved for the younger sons of Dukes and Marquises. I also wondered why the next male heir to the earldom (after Dom) is a baronet (Sir Gregory), another title passed in the male line. That would only be possible if his father had been awarded the baronetcy, which is not impossible but unusual.
On the whole, I really enjoyed this. Some reviewers hated Angel, and I can understand why. She seems very immature, and rushes into things without thinking, but her actions are never malicious, and are often not even selfish, but designed to make things better for other people - which she does, in spades. Even the grumpy Earl miraculously comes round in the end. So although there were wobbly moments when Angel seemed just a little too wild, she was also good-hearted and kind, and in the end she grew on me rather. And Dom - well, he’s a real charmer. This is one of those books that could fall either way, but for me it mostly worked pretty well. Four stars.
Here’s the premise: Lady Evangelina (or Angel, for short) Brenthaven is the rather spoilt daughter of the Marquis of Tesborough. After eighteen proposals in two years, all of which she’s turned down, she’s tired of the Marriage Mart and being courted for her looks and fortune. When her friend, vicar’s daughter Catherine Sutton, invites her to join them in a stay in the Lakes, Angel decides to assume an alias and enjoy a quiet summer untrammelled by fortune-hunters. But Angel is the sort of person who just draws chaos around her, and so she accidentally (and occasionally deliberately) upends the rather dull lives of her neighbours, the grumpy Earl of Grisedale and his subdued daughter Beth, the earl’s nephew Sir Gregory Markham, Beth’s suitor Lord Welch, and of course the Sutton family. And then there’s the matter of Lord Grisedale’s estranged son, Lord Dominic Markham, who went off soldiering several years ago and hasn’t been heard from since…
There are a lot of characters in this, and I frequently got confused between the men. In addition to Sir Gregory and Lord Welch, there’s also Gerald Leigh, another vicar and suitor of Beth, and it won’t surprise anyone to discover that the missing Lord Dominic does eventually make an appearance. In fact, he is the cause of one of the funniest jokes of the book, for since his father has declared him persona non grata and told him never to darken the doors of the family home again, he returns under an alias, yet an astonishing number of the locals recognise him. Nobody seems to be fooled by his disguise in the slightest.
Dom is, of course, the hero and his scenes with heroine Angel are the best in the book. They have an instant rapport, and they develop a charming but very chaste friendship. He teaches her about wild flowers and she teaches him not to skulk out of sight. The romance develops beautifully and it’s just a pity that Dom has an outbreak of I’m-not-worthy-itis towards the end, but then there really is no other serious obstacle to the match, so the author had trouble slowing down the gallop to the altar.
There are not one but two side-romances along the way, plus a somewhat implausible but nicely developed mystery, which throws up two of the men as possible villains. The author has some trouble maintaining the pretence that both are equally plausible candidates, and she has to make Angel fairly blind to the good/bad qualities of the two to sustain the pretence. Catherine, on the other hand, is much more sensible and a far better judge of character. She and her paramour also have some delightful banter, and their romance progresses far more smoothly than Angel’s.
There’s one moment in the book, though, when both women are desperately in love with their respective men, and yet very much uncertain as to whether their feelings are returned. This must have been such a common problem with real-life Regency women, who lived their lives in a world of decorous and completely meaningless interactions with men who may or may not have any serious intentions towards them. Angel comments that, “It is perfectly horrid to be in love and not to know,” and Catherine replies, “Isn’t it?” I can only sympathise, and be glad to live in a more open age.
I only spotted one error. The Earl of Grisedale’s eldest son (Dom) should have a courtesy title, typically a viscountcy. He would absolutely not be Lord Dominic, which was a title reserved for the younger sons of Dukes and Marquises. I also wondered why the next male heir to the earldom (after Dom) is a baronet (Sir Gregory), another title passed in the male line. That would only be possible if his father had been awarded the baronetcy, which is not impossible but unusual.
On the whole, I really enjoyed this. Some reviewers hated Angel, and I can understand why. She seems very immature, and rushes into things without thinking, but her actions are never malicious, and are often not even selfish, but designed to make things better for other people - which she does, in spades. Even the grumpy Earl miraculously comes round in the end. So although there were wobbly moments when Angel seemed just a little too wild, she was also good-hearted and kind, and in the end she grew on me rather. And Dom - well, he’s a real charmer. This is one of those books that could fall either way, but for me it mostly worked pretty well. Four stars.
November 7, 2013
Not one of her best..... a typical fluffy, costume romance. The characters are not well formed, their behaviour is often unbelievable and inconsistent; the plot is old hat and predictable. The tone flows from 'twee' to melodramatic.... so why did I bother to finish it, or even start it? Well despite this negative review Carola Dunn's stories are for me, the perfect antidote for a tired brain. I have no doubt whatsoever that within a week or so I'll be cosily tucked up with my nose firmly stuck into another of these frivolous romances. :-)
June 9, 2025
At first, I was thinking this was a DNF. And for many people, it could be.
Because the titular FMC, Angel, is kind of a spoiled, impetuous, thoughtless, immature rich girl.
BUT. Eventually I realized that this was not actually as much about Angel's story as it was the others' stories viewed mostly through her POV, and that was somewhat interesting.
Quick summary: Angel is a rich heiress who is staying with her (less rich) aunt, uncle, and cousin, the uncle being a vicar who is taking over a parish for the summer in the Lake Country. Angel wants to find a man or people who like her for herself, not for her looks or wealth or social standing, so she's going incognito this summer. Somehow she gets her parents and her aunt and uncle to go along with this lol.
For the other FMCs:
You have Angel's cousin Catherine, a mid-20s years old sensible, intelligent woman, who is considered by Angel to be "on the shelf" although she is determined to find a husband for her (she does almost nothing at all toward this, but she thinks about it sometimes throughout the novel).
Then there's Beth, an also young and rich girl who is shy, kind, retiring, and living with her controlling, grumpy old father who wants her to marry a wealthy dude while she's in love with [spoilers!].
Then you have, on the MMCs side:
Gerald, a vicar of a nearby village, who is a tall, grey-eyed young man with clear-cut good looks and a gentlemanlike manner.
"Donald" "Marshall", a possibly sinister, mysterious, short and dark young man with a scar and a limp, staying with Gerald for the summer. He has a large Great Pyrenes dog.
Sir Gregory, Beth's cousin and her father's heir (since he disinherited his son for going off to war), who kinda sorta helps run the estate, who is tall, big, sardonic, sarcastic, intelligent, and loves to quote Shakespeare, especially at Catherine.
Oh, and Lord Welch, a landowning neighbor who is determined to marry Lady Elizabeth (Beth).
Just saying this is really 3 whole love stories covered in 20 chapters. So there's something for everyone.
Because the titular FMC, Angel, is kind of a spoiled, impetuous, thoughtless, immature rich girl.
BUT. Eventually I realized that this was not actually as much about Angel's story as it was the others' stories viewed mostly through her POV, and that was somewhat interesting.
Quick summary: Angel is a rich heiress who is staying with her (less rich) aunt, uncle, and cousin, the uncle being a vicar who is taking over a parish for the summer in the Lake Country. Angel wants to find a man or people who like her for herself, not for her looks or wealth or social standing, so she's going incognito this summer. Somehow she gets her parents and her aunt and uncle to go along with this lol.
For the other FMCs:
You have Angel's cousin Catherine, a mid-20s years old sensible, intelligent woman, who is considered by Angel to be "on the shelf" although she is determined to find a husband for her (she does almost nothing at all toward this, but she thinks about it sometimes throughout the novel).
Then there's Beth, an also young and rich girl who is shy, kind, retiring, and living with her controlling, grumpy old father who wants her to marry a wealthy dude while she's in love with [spoilers!].
Then you have, on the MMCs side:
Gerald, a vicar of a nearby village, who is a tall, grey-eyed young man with clear-cut good looks and a gentlemanlike manner.
"Donald" "Marshall", a possibly sinister, mysterious, short and dark young man with a scar and a limp, staying with Gerald for the summer. He has a large Great Pyrenes dog.
Sir Gregory, Beth's cousin and her father's heir (since he disinherited his son for going off to war), who kinda sorta helps run the estate, who is tall, big, sardonic, sarcastic, intelligent, and loves to quote Shakespeare, especially at Catherine.
Oh, and Lord Welch, a landowning neighbor who is determined to marry Lady Elizabeth (Beth).
Just saying this is really 3 whole love stories covered in 20 chapters. So there's something for everyone.
June 12, 2018
Lighthearted regency romance in which several characters find love after a lot of silly intrigues and a bit of adventure.
The Angel character was a ditzy but well-meaning girl. Catherine, the cousin, was the steady intelligent one and I liked her quite a bit. Elizabeth was sort of a figure of pity for a while but got her life together more towards the end of the story. The men were all sufficiently manly. The 'surprises' were predictable but entertaining. The ending was a lovely happy one.
I didn't laugh out loud but I was amused. The dialogue and setting were both well done and fit the story.
Some violence, no sex, mild language
The Angel character was a ditzy but well-meaning girl. Catherine, the cousin, was the steady intelligent one and I liked her quite a bit. Elizabeth was sort of a figure of pity for a while but got her life together more towards the end of the story. The men were all sufficiently manly. The 'surprises' were predictable but entertaining. The ending was a lovely happy one.
I didn't laugh out loud but I was amused. The dialogue and setting were both well done and fit the story.
Some violence, no sex, mild language
June 2, 2018
such fun and with (spoiler alert) happy endings and scenery described to perfection and a feisty heroine, not missish at all. what a treat. recommended as an escape from anything that ails you. I read it quickly and enjoyed it.
July 5, 2018
Quick, fun read.
March 26, 2025
Good to sleep to.
March 14, 2017
I'm glad this wasn't the first of Carola Dunn's regency romances that I've read or I might not have found my way to the others. This one suffers from a disagreeable heroine and a plot wherein nobody tells each other the really important things.
February 8, 2014
Lady Evangelina "Angel" Brand has just turned down her 18th proposal of marriage. She had hoped to marry someone who loved her for herself and not for her fortune or her beautiful face. About to turn 19, Angel decides to make one last attempt to secure a husband whom she can love. When invited to visit her aunt, vicar uncle and spinster cousin in the Lakes District for the summer, Angel decides to go in disguise, as plain Miss Evelyn "Lyn" Brent/Brand. Angel takes an active interest in local society, planning to find husbands for her cousin Catherine (a shocking bluestocking and "old maid" at 24!) as well as for Lady Elizabeth Markham. Lady Elizabeth is shy and timid and misses her older brother who ran away from home to join the army. Lord Dominic had a terrible falling out with their father, Lord Griesdale, leaving Elizabeth alone to deal with her bullying, mean tempered father. The young ladies make the acquaintance of Lady Elizabeth's cousin, Sir Gregory, who sees through Angel's disguise and quotes Shakespeare with Catherine. Several other eligible (and ineligible) suitors present themselves while Angel meddles and schemes to sort out everyone else's lives. There's also a mystery to be solved as someone is trying to kill one of the gentlemen. Finally, she must look to her own happiness and decide what she's going to do to promote her own marriage plans.
This is a light, sweet romantic comedy as is typical from Dunn. Angel is a very flawed heroine but I couldn't help but like her because she meant well and her adventures were very funny. She has some modern ideas but she's not a 20th century heroine. The story is realistic for the time period, as far as over-the-top romantic comedies go and the plot kept me turning the pages to see what Angel would do next. The other characters were not so well-developed, except for Elizabeth, on whom Angel is a positive influence. Catherine is a little boring and I would like to know more about her, being a bluestocking spinster myself. I loved the romantic pairings and each lady ended up with the gentlemen who was right for her. Some might find the treatment of the character Herbert, the "half-wit" distasteful and it is so, but the attitudes of the characters reflect the attitudes of the day. The romances develop with gentle, mild teasing and meeting of like minds; there's no grand passions in this book and that's fine with me. This isn't the best Regency romantic comedy I've read but I enjoyed it very much and would recommend it to fans of Georgette Heyer and those who like clean Regencies.
This is a light, sweet romantic comedy as is typical from Dunn. Angel is a very flawed heroine but I couldn't help but like her because she meant well and her adventures were very funny. She has some modern ideas but she's not a 20th century heroine. The story is realistic for the time period, as far as over-the-top romantic comedies go and the plot kept me turning the pages to see what Angel would do next. The other characters were not so well-developed, except for Elizabeth, on whom Angel is a positive influence. Catherine is a little boring and I would like to know more about her, being a bluestocking spinster myself. I loved the romantic pairings and each lady ended up with the gentlemen who was right for her. Some might find the treatment of the character Herbert, the "half-wit" distasteful and it is so, but the attitudes of the characters reflect the attitudes of the day. The romances develop with gentle, mild teasing and meeting of like minds; there's no grand passions in this book and that's fine with me. This isn't the best Regency romantic comedy I've read but I enjoyed it very much and would recommend it to fans of Georgette Heyer and those who like clean Regencies.
September 11, 2013
I hated the main character. I'm sorry, but there you go. She was selfish, immature and most of the time I just wanted to whack her upside the head. I'm assuming that with time she grows up. But perhaps in that state it's not a good idea to get married?
I like the sideplots though - again, cute and fun reads.
C+, but a B- for the side-plots.
I like the sideplots though - again, cute and fun reads.
C+, but a B- for the side-plots.
July 28, 2014
I liked Catherine much better than Angel and wish Catherine had been the main character, but overall it was an enjoyable read.
I have enjoyed all of Carola Dunn’s regency books I have read so far. They are a nice, quick, easy read and they have a Jane Austen feel to them. Each book is different enough from the others to feel fresh and her enjoyable writing style is consistent.
I have enjoyed all of Carola Dunn’s regency books I have read so far. They are a nice, quick, easy read and they have a Jane Austen feel to them. Each book is different enough from the others to feel fresh and her enjoyable writing style is consistent.
June 27, 2011
Lady Evangelina Brenthaven is tired of all the fawning and does not even want to marry her friendly neighbor she's known all her life. She decides to visit her cousin incognito and see what life is like as plain Miss Evelyn Brand, niece of the visiting vicar.
March 3, 2008
This book was a good option for a bit of light reading for Regency fans, but the writing is not nearly as deft as that of her later Daisy Dalrymple mysteries.
December 2, 2010
Cute, but totally forgotten after reading...
September 29, 2014
ISBN: 0-8027-0756-4 ©1984
20 chapters/208pp
Review to come
20 chapters/208pp
Review to come
February 12, 2015
This book was written well and I loved the country setting, but it was slow and I didn't connect with any of the characters.
July 20, 2015
Good
I really like this author, similar to Joan smith, Marion Chesney, and other witty writers. However, this just wasn't one of my favorites.
I really like this author, similar to Joan smith, Marion Chesney, and other witty writers. However, this just wasn't one of my favorites.
December 31, 2016
This was full of fun and intrigue.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews