Lady Elizabeth's Comet

Clanross #2

by Sheila Simonson

Lovely and wealthy spinster Lady Elizabeth Conway, an amateur astronomer, is faced with the choice of remaining unmarried and being thought an eccentric recluse, or finding a husband who will allow her to continue her scientific studies

Genres: Romance, Regency, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Traditional Regency, Fiction

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1985

About the author

Ms. Simonson writes mysteries and romantic fiction, and lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Reviews

[Wealhtheow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very possibly the most enjoyable Regency romance I have read yet. All the usual genre tropes are here: the sensible heroine in her late 20s, her troublesome but amusing family, the strong-willed man who enters her life through uncontrollable circumstances. But Simonson makes her characters breathe and feel as no other regency writer I've read. The story is told in the first person, and we are placed into the mind of a woman in the nineteenth century--a very intelligent and educated mind, but one nevertheless of her period, with the period's prejudices. It is painful to realize that even Lady Elizabeth, who has spent her twenties peering through a telescope rather than marrying, has ingested the poisonous idea that an intellectual woman is unnatural. She is unusual to the modern reader in other ways: she has little interest in her younger siblings, and in fact doesn't know them well or provide for their education, despite their dependence upon her. The usual cliche of a hero realizing his love for a heroine by watching her tender care toward children or the sick doesn't hold true here. And to readers used to Heyer's sexless maidens, Lady Elizabeth's thoughts are quite inappropriate--though not passionate, she has an eye for handsome men.

I was surprised to find such character development, emotional depth, and complex interpersonal relationships. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has liked Austen, Heyer, or any of the many regency writers--so long as they're not hoping for a paint-by-numbers story.

[Suzannah Rowntree · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sounded darling, and it was recommended to me by a friend, so since I needed a genre romance novel to tick off this year's Diversified Reading List (it's a long story) I decided to try this one.

I'm thrilled to report that LADY ELIZABETH'S COMET is the romance novel I have been trying to find all my life, with varying degrees of success. This book is truly a cut above. Where to begin? First of all, the story feels almost completely historically authentic: it isn't just in the high level of familiarity with the politics, class systems, and slang of Regency England, but most importantly of all in the attitudes of the characters as well: they really aren't modern people in Regency cosplay. Second, the love story itself, which left my crops watered and my skin clear. Our hero evidently drinks respect women juice daily. Our heroine feels attraction for him, but nothing improper occurs in alcoves. Indeed the love story simmers at a DELIGHTFULLY slow burn throughout. The book therefore strikes that elusive and glorious balance I am always seeking between "'clean'" and "not dreadfully sexist". Third, the story avoids such a narrow focus on the leads and their relationship that the supporting characters fade into the background. There are a wealth of other characters and relationships in this story, all of them portrayed with depth and nuance (I particularly loved the heroine's young twin sisters, who a} reminded me of twins I know myself and b} were the centre of a lovely bit of character development for the heroine who gradually realises she needs to be more thoughtful and respectful towards them).

Again, this is the romance novel I've been waiting for my whole life, and obviously I will now read the author's other books, which are available for a song on Amazon as ebooks.

[Linda (NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Elizabeth Conway is 28 years old, 'on the shelf' and could never be happier. At a time when most women must depend upon a man for their survival, she has a home and monies that her papa left her. Not rich but satisified with her life, she is also guardian to two identical twin half-sisters. They keep her life from becoming too bookish.

She has had offers of marriage but she is content to view the nighttime sky through her microscope. Until the new Lord Clanross enters her life. Stiff and standoffish, their personalities clash. Fortunately for Elizabeth, 'Tom' requires her assistance when his life comes into peril. They are given time together to learn to know one another. And here is where a sweet romance comes into play.

What makes this clean love story delightful is the author's gift for words. There is some very amusing dialog between all of the characters. When Elizabeth finds out that she is needed to assist a friend who is a doctor to save Lord Clanross, their conversation goes like this:

Dr.: "You pulled me into this," Charles added unforgivably. "Are you going to see it through?"
E.: "Yes. I hope your dog bites you."
Dr.: His mouth relaxed. "Thank you, my lady. You relieve my mind."

There are many Regency romances that have been written over the years. There are traditional ones like this book and newer ones with a more modern slant. Some are extremely dry, others contain slow reading, and newer stories that take this genre to the edge with the author's twenty-first century view. If you are looking for some snarky humor, personalities with a bite, a little action on the side with kissing at the most, try LADY ELIZABETH'S COMET.

[Megzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Most of the book reads like a scientific diary and it is in first pov. She was an astronomer and the no none sense , straight forward reasoning and language was probably used to make us understand her way of thinking. It made her made her feel cold and not a character that the readers could easily connect to. Th secondary characters are what saves this book.

[Desi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a slow build and it takes a while to warm up to the lead female (and to the first person tense), but it is a beautiful account of day to day life and family doings. I’d say it is that subtle sort of understated romance of the Pride and Predjudice style where all is conveyed in supportive actions or meaningful glances until the final conversation about feelings which is gushingly cute.

[OLT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about a romance getting off on the wrong foot. She's cool, somewhat uppity and a bit off-putting. He seems stiff and unfriendly. He has a reason for his behavior. She not so much and is a bit unlikeable at first, but, not to worry, there will be some personal growth here.

Lady Elizabeth Conway is one of eight daughters of the late Earl of Clanross. The aloof earl never tried to have a real, united family and you sense that Lady Elizabeth, in particular, has grown up rather cold and self-involved. She's a serious astronomer, with her own telescope and observatory at the dower house where she lives and that's what her life centers around. As the story begins, two of her younger sisters have come to live with her. Two others are married and the three youngest girls live with one of the married sisters. Not a particularly close family.

Our hero here is the late earl's heir, Tom Conway, a distant cousin. When he arrives to take up his duties as earl, Elizabeth is, as mentioned before, cold and a bit snooty. The new earl isn't so very friendly to her either but, as mentioned before, at least he has a very valid reason.

Add to the mix a rather spendthrift, schmooze-with-the-ton heir to Clanross, that heir's beautiful sister, Elizabeth's handsome, charming beau from ten years ago who renews his suit, a very charming governess, the appealing 14-year-old sisters of Elizabeth, and even more interesting characters. The result is a very delightful, witty book with the best dialogue I've found in ages. This is one of the most intelligent and subtly humorous Regencies I've ever read. It was published in 1986 and that's probably why I like it so much. I'm stuck in the past, when Regency romances depended more on plot and dialogue and less on sexy scenes.

(I do need to mention, however, that although the vocabulary choices and behavior seem period appropriate overall, Simonson's use of "crikey" was a bit jarring. I'd thought that word came into usage in mid-Victorian times.)

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this one up on the recommendation of Erica, and I have to say, it was a wonderful surprise. I have a horrible cold/flu right now, I'm not up for much more than either gazing at Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice or feeling incredibly sorry for myself, and this book was just absolutely perfect. It was like Jane Austen, but with a fabulous heroine (her heroines are great for their period, but when I'm reading for pleasure I want something I can more relate to myself). And yet, it was so much more. There were some really great secondary characters in here, that made it all come to life. And I LOVED how it was written, witty, clear, and descriptive, but without trivial boring details. This is very Austenesque in the heat-rating i.e. there isn't any, but sometimes it's nice to read something that lays off the nipple-tweaking and the hunt-the-sausage-in-the-topiary-garden.

Loved it, loved it, loved it. 5 stars. All time favorites list.

[Jamie Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, a really nice old-fashioned Regency romance, first published in 1985.

Lady Elizabeth is a spinster astronomer, and Clanross is the distant, lowborn cousin who inherited her father’s estate and title. When they first meet Elizabeth (rather stupidly) misinterprets his stiff demeanor, which is caused by a debilitating war wound. They are thrown together during his recovery, and there’s a long, slow, enjoyable journey to a happy ending.

Elizabeth’s hobby is a smaller part of the story than you would expect, given the book’s title. It’s mostly used as the reason why she hasn’t yet married despite being handsome and wealthy and titled.

I liked that this novel is written with a single point of view (Elizabeth’s). I tend to be annoyed by the constant ping-ponging POV in most romance novels, and I think the tension builds more effectively when you only know the thoughts of one party.

The Regency setting is nice, and this has an agreeable assortment of secondary characters. I look forward to reading more of Simonson’s work.

[gottalottie · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a slow burn, this was so witty and I noticed it had a lot of great dialogue, rather than pages of internal monologues, the story telling is based on interactions and the pacing kept up.

I haven’t encountered many historical romances in first person but it worked well here, the MCs are both excellent people and the conflicts happen organically.

This was the most real representation of a bluestocking I’ve read. She didn’t feel spinsterish and was aware that her vocation made her odd but was resigned to it because it’s her passion and stayed unmarried in order for her to continue working, rather than thumbing her nose at society and making that her whole personality, it was more a natural circumstance. When she dresses up, she’s aware she looks lovely instead of being like oh I’m so old how could anyone ever look at me? She felt like a real person and it was very refreshing.

I wish this author had written more during this time period outside of this series.

[Cath · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Merrie Haskell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just re-read this book this month for the first time in over fifteen years--probably my tenth re-read, however. This was by far my most favorite Regency from my adolescence. By and large, this holds up--though I'm far more interested in the hero's good nature and flashes of caring empathy than in his stoicness in the face of both physical and emotional pain than when I was a young lady. Lady Elizabeth, an astronomer, actually falters a bit as a feminist hero in retrospect, though she's probably a bit more true to the historical time period than someone who acted like a third-wave feminist. My 2018 self would prefer this to be about 30% longer than my 1998 self was happy to accept. Still, a cherished and familiar friend.

[Ilze · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only flaws in this book are the multitudinous typos. Otherwise it is completely engaging, very humorous, with a touch of angst after Elizabeth realizes who she really loves and thinks it is a lost cause. Written in the first person (the heroine's), and wonderfully so.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absorbed in tracking the "dark nebulosity" she had discovered in the course of her astronomical work, Lady Elizabeth Conway - the independent eldest daughter of the Earl of Conway, still unmarried at twenty-eight - finds her quiet routine interrupted by the arrival of a distant and unknown cousin, the heir to her father's title and estates. Although she does not immediately take to Clanross, whose stiff manner, and criticism of the education she is providing her two young half-sisters, sets her on edge, Lady Elizabeth soon comes to appreciate the better qualities of this most unexpected relative. Unlike the charming Lord Bevis - her erstwhile suitor, who arrives on the scene determined to resume their courtship - Clanross respects and admires Lady Elizabeth's work. Will she see where her heart lies in time, or will she surrender both vocation and true love...?

Or course there's never much doubt of the outcome in Lady Elizabeth's Comet, as any reader of Regency fiction will immediately recognize, but it is still entertaining to witness the heroine's gradual awakening. The second of Sheila Simonson's four Regencies, following upon A Cousinly Connexion , it is written in the first person, an unusual approach that both limits and strengthens the story. It takes a while to warm up to Lady Elizabeth, who is a much more self-contained character than the usual female lead in a romance such as this, so the first-person narrative is helpful, in forcing the reader to identify with her perspective. But it also make Clanross more of a mystery, as he would have been to Lady Elizabeth, and prevents the reader from really knowing him.

I liked that Lady Elizabeth's vocation as an astronomer was an integral part of her character, rather than being an affectation meant (on the author's part) to make her unusual, and I also liked Clanross's political and social views. These may have sometimes felt a little too ideal - Clanross values intelligence in women, and wants Elizabeth to continue her work, he speaks up for Irish rights in the House of Lords, and so on - but were nevertheless appealing. All in all, an engaging Regency romance, one well worth the time of fans of the genre!

[QNPoohBear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Elizabeth Conway is a spinster in her late twenties, an astronomer and sister to 7 younger sisters, including the lively fourteen-year-old twins Jean and Maggie who have come to live with her. Elizabeth is worried about the arrival of her late father's heir, a third cousin she's never met. When the new Earl of Clanross finally arrives, a year after the old Earl's death, Elizabeth finds him stiff and oddly formal. They find each other at odds over the twins' education and matters due to the Family. She is determined to continue her astronomy studies for it is her greatest ambition to discover a comet. When Jean comes running out of the woods sobbing that Clanross fell down as if dead, Elizabeth rushes to the rescue. She finds Clanross lying bleeding from his back. His man Sims explains that the former Major Conway was shot by an exploding cannon and now has shards of metal and bone floating around in his back. Sometimes those shards work their way out, such as now. Elizabeth sends for her neighbor, a competent surgeon, for help. He decides to perform risky surgery that leaves Clanross in great pain. Elizabeth chooses to help nurse him but struggles with giving in to the Earls stuborness or following the doctor's orders. Her old friend and suitor, Lord Bevis, arrives to stay with his old army friend Tom Conway, now Lord Clanross. Bevis renews his suit to Elizabeth and this time she thinks she might give in. The Earl's heir, Willoughby Conway-Gore and his dim witted sister Cecilia arrive at Brecon for an extended stay and Elizabeth finds Willoughby an easy target for her quick wits and satirical tongue. She discovers that Tom is an unexpected ally in poking fun of the ridiculous Willoughby though they still clash over how to deal with the Family. Attachments are formed and the twins thrives under Clanross' kind attentions. As spring arrives, Elizabeth has a difficult decision to make. Can she marry Bevis? Would the charming, flirtatious Bevis even be faithful? If she could have her work if wouldn't matter so much, but if not... she would be unhappy. What if he forbids her work? His formidable father certainly wouldn't approve. She's on the verge of becoming a respected scholar, can she really make the ultimate sacrifice? What of Tom's plan to allow their draconian Aunt Whitby to find him a suitable Countess? Why does the idea bother Elizabeth so much?

This is one of the first Regencies I ever read and I loved it. I wanted to read it again to see if it held up to my 5 star memory of it. The plot is character-driven. There aren't any villains or any external problems to face. The plot rests on Elizabeth's feelings and dreams. It's a little long with a couple of subplots that help shape the relationship between Elizabeth and the hero. The relationship develops very slowly and subtly. The writing is very good. The author borrows from the Jane Austen lexicon so some of the words are creatively spelled and some words and phrases were unfamiliar to me at first. I liked the little bit of slang included in the novel. I also enjoyed learning about Regency inheritance law, roles for women, astronomy, Regency politics and medicine. There's a lot of great detail in this book.


The characters come to a true sympathetic understanding without any passion. The plot borrows a bit from Pride and Prejudice a bit. Elizabeth is a Darcy-like character. She's a bit difficult to like. She is a bluestocking spinster with two passions: astronomy and Family. She's a serious scholar and finds anything that gets in the way of her work a distraction. She does have very strong feelings about Family; Family loyalty, Family honor and what is owed to one's Family are important to her. She seems to have thought very highly of her father, despite the fact that he doesn't sound like he was a very nice person. (She didn't really know that side of him). She is largely indifferent towards her sisters at first. Even though some might not like her, I strongly identify with her. I think I would be very much like her if I were a Regency heroine. She shows her caring side when Clanross is ill. She feels badly about something she does to him and promises she won't do it again, for his sake. She grows less selfish as the story goes along. She shows she is maturing, despite her mature age, as she considers Tom's opinions.

Tom is a difficult character to get to know. The story is told in the first person from Elizabeth's point-of-view so we never know what Tom is really thinking. We learn a lot about him through other people. As he starts to feel better, he becomes less reserved and opens up to anyone who will listen. His relationship with the twins is sweet and I like how he deals with their sensitive feelings. He knows them better than Elizabeth does. I especially like the sweet reason why he's so interested in them. His interactions with Elizabeth are full of witty banter. He has a wry sense of humor that not everyone understands. His political beliefs are interesting and I love the way he speaks his mind, no matter if his opinions are unpopular. I love the way he deals with Aunt Whitby and Pug and then reveals his private thoughts to Elizabeth. The way he transforms his life and his thinking, says a lot about his character and makes for a different sort of hero and unique plot.

The secondary characters add some humor to the story. The lively, mischievous twins are cute and charming. Their governess is amazing and though she's very good for them, I was hoping she would find love. Lord Bevis is very immature for being nearly 30. He charms all the ladies but I don't like his character very much. He just is not mature enough for marriage yet. Charles is an admirable doctor. He chooses to be a surgeon because it's his passion despite being a gentleman. He's willing to take risks for the sake of the patient's health even when it's not a popular idea. He has terrible taste in women though. I didn't like his romance plot. Alice is a typical companion straight out of Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen. I didn't like her any more than Elizabeth did. Willoughby is also a character taken from the Georgette Heyer canon. He's not very likeable and not supposed to be yet I almost felt a bit bad for him that Elizabeth and Tom kept making fun of him and he didn't realize it, yet he's the king of satire so I didn't feel too badly for him.

Overall, I think this book didn't quite live up to my 5 star rating but I still enjoyed it. It's different from the usual Regency comedy of manners or any of the other typical plots. There's a prequel/spin-off The Bar Sinister and a sequel Love and Folly

[Christina Baehr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ignore the silly cover, this is a smart, classy, cute historical romance. More substantial than Georgette Heyer and just as charming.

I liked the heroine’s character development, specifically how she grows in both seriousness about her vocation/giftings and love/attentiveness to her dependant family members. An unusual combination in fiction.

I’m glad these are being reprinted with more suitable covers.

[Denise Spicer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second in the Clanross saga focuses on, of course, Lady Elizabeth Conway, and the new Lord Clanross, Tom Conway, the unexpected new heir to the estate. Lady Elizabeth and her younger sisters are now under the authority of this distant relative. Although Elizabeth spends a lot of her time in her observatory, she helps their neighbor, Dr. Wharton, perform surgery on Tom’s war wounds. When Elizabeth discovers a new comet and plans to publish her findings in a scientific journal her fiancé Lord Bevis disapproves. This Regency Romance is sweet yet not syrupy and is a very amusing and chatty first-person account.

[Chrisanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I began thoroughly unimpressed with the characters. Elizabeth, our 1st person POV, was insipid, boring, and overly self-absorbed. The others were annoying and seemingly cardboard cutouts. But that's the brilliance of this novel. Simonson takes the reader alongside Elizabeth's journey of growth.* And by the end I couldn't put it down. The characters, in the process of 150 pages, had acquired depth because Elizabeth had also done so. And it was the change in her perception that made the difference. At the same time she was still so amusingly obtuse in some regards, but the reader wasn't, that it did make for a fun read.

There are some delightfully humorous observations and it's got a nice Heyer-esque vibe to it. I did feel like the comet was a bit of a gimmick. I really didn't get the feel that Elizabeth really knew anything worth writing about as far as the night skies were concerned.

3.5 stars rounded up because it was a cut above my normal 3 stars. And because the nanny/governess was my favorite. But it wasn't as life-changing as most of my 4 star reads.

*I'd say unfolding but that is too often usually meant as a dowd to peacock transformation and what happens here has a bit more depth. I also appreciated that, while Conway is slightly more "modern" than those around him, he's not so egregiously modern that it exposes the "[author] behind the curtain."

[Sarah Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

An utter DELIGHT

[Mona · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delight it was to stumble upon this novel! I haven’t read a good old regency romance in ages! This is a must read if you’re a fan of Georgette Heyer, Joan Smith, Carola Dunn, etc.

[Aneca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start by saying I had a hard time warming up to Lady Elizabeth who I found to be in the beginning a bit of a cold fish, distant and a bit unfeeling. Things do change though and I enjoyed the second half of the story immensely.

When the story opens Elizabeth and two of her sisters receive the announcement that their father’s heir has arrived, one year late, to take possession of his title and his estate. When they meet Elizabeth finds him a bit stiff and even a bit rude. Not that she is worried about it, her prime concern is her work as an astronomer and then the raising of two of her younger sisters who live with her.

When Clanross, the heir, is found to being suffering of a war wound that explains much of his stiffness Elizabeth is forced to nurse him to health. They spend more time together and Clanross seems to respect and be interested in her work. In comes Bevis, friend of both who is been after Elizabeth to marry him for a long time. Bevis does explain much about Clanross’s past and since he keeps pursuing her, she eventually agrees to marry him. The fact that she now understands Clanross doesn’t stop her from inviting his heir, a wastrel of a cousin, whose temperament and interests are at odds with Conway just, in her own words, “to see the fireworks”. By this time I was definitely thinking cold fish. Not to mention that she seems more friend than lover to Bevis and he reciprocates by flirting with another woman, which doesn’t worry her at all.

Clanross proves to know Elizabeth better than anyone and respect her when, after she has discovered a comet and he shows his appreciation for her work, he hints that Bevis might not approve of her publishing astronomy projects after marriage and that she should be sure that she can work after marrying. After talking to him she does have a revelation. She won’t marry Bevis on his terms and she would very much like to marry Clanross. This surprises even herself and from that moment on, when she realizes that she is very much in love with him and that her aunt is matchmaking to marry him to another, she becomes much more human and interesting in my eyes. Instead of unfeeling she now feels deeply every range of emotion from doubt, self awareness, jealousy, fear of losing him.

Since this is a first person novel, we only follow Elizabeth’s side of the story and we are, as she is, quite in the dark about Clanross’s feelings. In fact she is convinced that he cannot reciprocate her feeling. He is always the perfect beta hero, never demanding but always supporting and suggesting improvements, for instance for the girls education. I found him absolutely fascinating and I was eager to see how the story would be unraveled so these two would be happy in the end.

Simonson writes great characters and great dialogue. Their witty conversation is just wonderful and I enjoyed them very much while I was following them through those plot twists and turns that they had suffer to reach their happy conclusion. Besides of how many heroes can you say that he accepted and encouraged his wife’s sientifical pursuits? Not many I would say.

Grade: 5/5

[Kagama-the Literaturevixen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lady Elizabeths father Lord Clanross has died leaving the title to a relative.This is not much of a concern to her as she is an independent woman with her own establishment.

She plans on continuing to live her own and life and pursue her passion for astronomy.And of course there are her two wild younger sisters to take care of.

When he finally arrives he is nothing at all what she anticipated,being a very ill man ravaged by the war injuries he suffered in the Peninsular war.

Not realizing this Elizabeth dismisses him as just weakling of a man.

But when he suddenly gets sick she decideds she is the best person to help care for him and they form a friendly relationship.

The heroine was a bit too mature,almost boring for my taste.She was supposed to be 28 years old but could just as easily have been twice that age.I kept waiting for her to do something,anything that would make her a bit more lively.

The hero remained a bit of a mystery throughout the most of the book,since the story is told in first person through the eyes of the heroine. So we dont get his thoughts on thing. Thats not so very common in historical romances nowadays.

I didnt really feel there was much of a romance as the heroine gets engaged about halfway into the book...but not to the hero. But to his best friend.

They do realize they dont suit and break the the engagement

I think the author wanted to write a book along the lines of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. But while there is a lot of visiting and everyday life being described in the book it doesnt really advance the story,instead I felt it bogged it down.

The author also uses a lot of old fashioned words. I swear when I read the sentence "she writ me" I honestly thought it was a typo. It annoyed me.

There is also "heroick" and "connexion" to mention some others.

I give it two stars because altough I didnt care for it,the writing wasnt bad per se and there were no glaring historical inconsistencies.In short it was a bit bland. Not bad,not overly good.

Just ok.

If you want to read a book that also has an independent heroine and reminded me a bit of this one (sans sick hero) I suggest The Country Gentleman by Fiona Hill

[Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book once, and thought meh, then went back again and found it a totally different book? That's my experience with Lady Elizabeth's Comet.

Part of my problem when first reading Lady Elizabeth's Comet was, unfortunately, Lady Elizabeth. Big problem when the book's narrated by Lady Elizabeth. For a first person narrator to be successful, the narrator must be, if not reliable, likeable. I had a hard time liking Lady Elizabeth at first. She is, quite frankly, a shrew.

Lady Elizabeth is as near to an anti-heroine as you'll find in a Traditional Regency. She's short-tempered and snobbish, often treating the hero (and various other characters in the book) unkindly or dismissively. But if you stick with it, you'll find she's also funny and smart, and eventually all-too-aware of her own shortcomings. Interested more in astronomy than the people around her, it seems amazing that she could somehow attract not one but two suitors, her father's heir, Tom Conroy, Lord Clanross, and Clanross' close friend, Lord Bevis.

I won't spoil the book for you by revealing which of her suitors Lady Elizabeth chooses, but I will say that although Lady Elizabeth is one of the least romantic female leads I've ever personally encountered, the romance that develops almost painfully slowly over the course of the book is delicious. It will remind you more of an Austen romance than even a Heyer romance.

I find myself returning to Lady Elizabeth's Comet when I'm burned out on trite or trope-filled Traditional Regencies, or just want a great example of everything that is wonderful about the Traditional Regency genre.

[Elen · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are three types of historical romance; it can be (historical) romance, historical (romance) or historical romance. The first, there are all too many, the second I usually avoid (I'd rather read a proper history book) and Lady Elizabeth's Comet happily belongs to the third, all too rare, category of books.

The monent I saw a sentence begin with an I, I had put this off for indefinately. Picking this up years later, I was again tempted to put it down seeing the heroine is quite mean-tempered. No kidding& she starts off genuinely unlikable. But the great thing about great books is that in the end you are persuaded to like or at least accept unlukable protagonists. Somewhere on the road I began to sympathize with Elizabeth. All the other characters are great, especially Clanross. The characterization of this book cannot be faulted. They all come across as multi faceted human beings, not as yet another recurring patterns of the genre. It is a story without a villain, and the story is still skillfully led without losing momentum. Historical background is well researched to minute details, or at least that is how it seems to me. I seldom use this word with this genre, but it is very authentic. It is refreshing after reading books with no historical substance at all in which characters must be all wearing jeans underneath dresses and tailcoats. In short& almost perfect historical romance despite the first person narrative which eventually worked. Definately one of the bests out there.

[Hayden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hurrah! This was a surprise read that left me impressed. Too many times when I read a romance, it's as though the main characters are each other's entire world; the rest of the characters are cardboard cutouts who only exist to fulfill their "role," weakening the world-building and leaving the story as a whole a bit hollow (including the central relationship). Not so here; all of the side characters were well-drawn enough for our heroine to interact with them as people rather than props.

Speaking of the heroine, I found Lady Elizabeth herself certainly sympathetic enough. I think sometimes we get so caught up in relating to protagonists who are just like us, that we forget a good book can make us feel for people who don't resemble us in station or personality in the least. I'm not very much like Elizabeth, but I certainly understood her feelings! Plus, while believably "eccentric" enough to stand out in Regency society, she didn't at all strike me as being too 20th century. Really my only complaint is about some typos and odd spellings that felt more affected than period-authentic.

While it hasn't gotten the positive reviews that this one has, I do own the first Clanross novel, The Bar Siniser, and am really looking forward to reading it now. Don't be fooled by the 80s cover: Lady Elizabeth's Comet is neither too cheesy nor too dated. (and not steamy at all, if you're wondering)

[Elizabeth Newell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have an interest in the Regency period and am currently following a blog by women who write Regency romances. I'm not usually a big romance fan, but several of the postings in the blog concerned recommending Regency romances to those who don't usually read them, making the case for them not being your granny's bodice-rippers, etc. This was one of the ones that was recommended as being smart, reasonably accurate, and not too mushy.

It was enjoyable. I'm not sure how believable the woman-as-astronomer idea is for the time, but I guess since she was not a professional and was kind of ignored by most people it is plausible as a hobby for an eccentric. I liked that the author didn't feel a need to play the love interests off each other by making one a complete villian. You got the idea that she liked them both for different reasons. I think it could have used a bit of a tightening up in places, there seem to be a lot of minor characters who don't do much for the story and seemingly significant events and remarks that don't go anywhere. Some of the dialog was quite witty and fun. The main character has a will of her own without going too far outside the boundaries of her time to show it.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heroine is the spinster daughter of an earl who had 8 daughters and no sons, so a distant cousin inherited. She's perfectly happy alone, because she prefers astronomy to amour. Then the new earl shows up on his tour of the inherited properties. She's not impressed--at first. His best friend, who is an old friend of the heroine's & has proposed at least once before, comes to visit, and their flirtation resumes. The earl goes out riding, has a fall, and is discovered unconscious and bleeding by one of the heroine's twin early-teen sisters. He was badly injured in the war, and one of the pieces of shrapnel has worked its way out. The heroine nurses him, but accepts a proposal from the friend. Obviously, complications ensue, some of them involving her astronomical bent. But in the end, all is happy.

[Adrianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this novel! I tend to read modern Regency novels cringing, in expectation of being disappointed. Simonson managed to make this one original and delightful and it was not a clear Heyer rip-off- refreshing!

It was a clean read, which was appreciated, and the romance went simmering along, which was perfect. I despise those insipid novels where you wonder why the characters claim to be in love when, clearly, they could only be infatuated as they've had no real personal dialogue or meaningful exchanges enough to really know each other. The relationship in this novel was based on mutual understanding and acceptance of the other, despite respective flaws, and upon complementary personalities and a deep friendship. It was actually believable and entirely lovely. I am happy to have found this one.

[Mon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency/England)
Sensuality rating: Sweet or Kisses or PG
The book is well written with a pleasant flow and although the truly interesting and amusing part only starts past the halfway mark, I cannot say that the first half was boring. There is enough of a suspicion as to what may be brooding to keep you reading and when things unfolded at last I was not disappointed.
I would have preferred more of a description of the undertones (as to their thoughts) that were at play in the first half. That would have made the book something to reread in future. Even so I enjoyed it.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intelligent ladies who are practical, stalwart, and also very into the wounded soldier who moves in next door and happens to be the new Earl is exactly my jam. Everyone should read this. Clanross RESPECTS THE HECK out of Elizabeth. I am 100% down with this.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh