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A Practical Arrangement: Furze House Irregulars #4
The culmination of the Furze House Irregulars series! When Benedict Fitzgilbert’s sister’s enforced absence from London exposes him to Society husband-hunters, Lilith suggests he and her friend Julia Congreve pretend to have an attachment in order to keep the Marriage Mart matriarchs off his back. But beautiful Julia is the epitome of a society butterfly, and Benedict is far too focused on hunting for the criminal mastermind known as ‘Flint’ to waste time on a masquerade. Unfortunately, it seems that the best way to distract Flint from the net closing stealthily around him is to make Benedict's and Julia's practical arrangement appear real.A Practical Arrangement is the eighth Newmarket Regency by Jan Jones. It is also the fourth and final story in the Furze House Irregulars series featuring women of spirit, women of courage, women who don't see why, in this male-dominated Regency era, they should not also play their part in bringing wrong-doers to justice.
176 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2020
3 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Jan Jones
76 books30 followersA maths graduate, former computer programmer and erstwhile playgroup leader, Jan Jones writes contemporary romantic comedy, Regency romances, romantic suspense (often with a paranormal twist), cosy quirky mysteries, serials for women's magazines, short stories and poems. She won the RNA’s Joan Hessayon Award in 2005 with her debut novel Stage by Stage which came about through her experience of chaperoning her daughter during a touring production of Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. When in Georgette Heyer territory, she uses her fascination with history to write a series of Newmarket Regencies (The Kydd Inheritance, Fair Deception, Fortunate Wager etc) set 200 years ago in her nearest town. As with all writers, elements of her life also inspire her many short stories for women’s magazines (one of which won the RNA Elizabeth Goudge award in 2002). This could be why she gets funny looks whenever she takes out her notebook during conversations in the bar. Jan organises the annual RNA conference and is firmly of the opinion that the Romantic Novelists' Association is the friendliest, most supportive organisation around.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 31, 2020
I just recently discovered Jan Jones's historical romance novels set in London and Newmarket during the early 1800s. They are all tied together by setting and recurring characters, but each one can be read on its own and you won't feel lost at all. Jones does not overwhelm the reader with former and current main characters' interactions and sappy look-how-much-they-still-are-in-love bits with the former H/h couples.
This review I am writing now is actually for the complete 4-book Furze House Irregulars series. No, I'm not going to outline the plots of all four, just give you my overall impression of the stories and Jones's writing abilities. Sure, I could (and perhaps should) review all four books separately, but, let's face it, I'm too lazy for that. I'll just say I recommend reading them all because the overall plot arc of the series is interesting and all four books, for me, have been 3- to 4-star stories.
This last one wraps everything up nicely with regard to that overarching plotline. Each individual story ends with an HEA for the H and h of that individual book, but there has always been the loose end of a very evil crime lord that these characters are doing their best to find and bring to justice. And that finally happens here.
This Furze House Irregulars series gives the women of the stories the opportunity to do their part in giving refuge to and working towards social justice for oppressed women and they also participate to an extent in the search for that evil crime lord Flint. The books are all well written, the characters nicely developed, and there is humor, good dialogue, romance and mystery/action/adventure in each. I found all of them to be more entertaining than the ordinary HRs published lately.
Now I'm hoping author Jones will come out with a new series, whether related to these 8 Newmarket stories or not. BTW, just to be clear about the 8 books: The first four that Jones published were in her Newmarket Regency series. They are THE KYDD INHERITANCE, FAIR DECEPTION, FORTUNATE WAGER, and AN UNCONVENTIONAL ACT. These were followed by her Furze House Irregulars series of A RATIONAL PROPOSAL, A RESPECTABLE HOUSE, A SCHOLARLY APPLICATION, and A PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENT. These 4 Furze House books are also considered sometimes to be #5-8 in the Newmarket series.
I enjoyed reading them all. I did not read the first four in order but that did not cause any problems or confusion. I did read the four books of the Furze House series in order and believe it would be better to do it that way if you are interested in reading all of them. The main reason this is a good idea is for the evolving plotline about evil Flint.
This review I am writing now is actually for the complete 4-book Furze House Irregulars series. No, I'm not going to outline the plots of all four, just give you my overall impression of the stories and Jones's writing abilities. Sure, I could (and perhaps should) review all four books separately, but, let's face it, I'm too lazy for that. I'll just say I recommend reading them all because the overall plot arc of the series is interesting and all four books, for me, have been 3- to 4-star stories.
This last one wraps everything up nicely with regard to that overarching plotline. Each individual story ends with an HEA for the H and h of that individual book, but there has always been the loose end of a very evil crime lord that these characters are doing their best to find and bring to justice. And that finally happens here.
This Furze House Irregulars series gives the women of the stories the opportunity to do their part in giving refuge to and working towards social justice for oppressed women and they also participate to an extent in the search for that evil crime lord Flint. The books are all well written, the characters nicely developed, and there is humor, good dialogue, romance and mystery/action/adventure in each. I found all of them to be more entertaining than the ordinary HRs published lately.
Now I'm hoping author Jones will come out with a new series, whether related to these 8 Newmarket stories or not. BTW, just to be clear about the 8 books: The first four that Jones published were in her Newmarket Regency series. They are THE KYDD INHERITANCE, FAIR DECEPTION, FORTUNATE WAGER, and AN UNCONVENTIONAL ACT. These were followed by her Furze House Irregulars series of A RATIONAL PROPOSAL, A RESPECTABLE HOUSE, A SCHOLARLY APPLICATION, and A PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENT. These 4 Furze House books are also considered sometimes to be #5-8 in the Newmarket series.
I enjoyed reading them all. I did not read the first four in order but that did not cause any problems or confusion. I did read the four books of the Furze House series in order and believe it would be better to do it that way if you are interested in reading all of them. The main reason this is a good idea is for the evolving plotline about evil Flint.
February 9, 2021
The dramatic finale to the series and we finally uncover the mysterious Flint! I’ve loved the whole series (or two series, since there’s an overarching 8-book Newmarket series, of which this is the last of the Furze House Irregulars series, which comprises books 5-8; got that? No? Just start with The Kydd Inheritance, OK?). This book runs largely concurrently with the previous book, so although it isn’t essential, for full enjoyment it’s better to have read that first.
When Benedict Fitzgilbert’s sister Lilith goes off to have adventures at Newmarket, it leaves him exposed to the worst of London’s matchmaking mamas, and he hasn’t time for all that nonsense. He’s too engrossed in tracking down the notorious Flint, whose criminal empire has long and vicious tentacles. Lilith proposes a solution: a pretend attachment with her friend Julia Congreve. This is a time-honoured Regency plot, but it never grows stale, especially when carried off as well as this.
Now, our two protagonists are seriously mismatched. Benedict is a serious and very focused man, and Julia is a social butterfly, and this is one of those glorious moments when the author properly shows us Julia in her milieu, rather than simply telling us about it and throwing in a couple of balls. Julia really does move through society like a warm knife through butter, putting people at ease, arranging dance partners, making timely introductions and all of it seemingly effortless and perfectly natural. I loved that she is simply aware of everyone in a room, even a ballroom, knowing exactly who is dancing with whom, who is sneaking off to the card room and who is quietly talking to someone behind a pillar. It’s wonderful, and even though we’re later given a reason that partly explains this, it’s still an astonishing talent and I loved it.
The plot? Well, anyone who’s worked their way through the whole series (or two series, depending on how you count) knows pretty much how it’s going to go. And yes, we finally get to find out who Flint is, and how he’s been carrying out his nefarious activities. His identity wasn’t a big surprise, mainly because there were few alternatives by that point, and the dramatic final confrontation was less nerve-wracking than usual because… well, despite the threat of violence, it was obvious it wasn’t going to happen and there would be a last-minute rescue.
As the final book of the series, the romance might be expected to play second fiddle, but it was rather nicely done, with the complication of the fake attachment at the beginning adding a certain does-he-mean-it? complexity to proceedings. But Benedict has nice manners and Julia has been in love with him for years so it all came together rather charmingly. Cue the happy ending, and there’s a multi-character series epilogue for those who like that sort of thing.
A great ending to a terrific series with fantastic characters, lots of mystery and adventure and a perfectly evoked Regency by a brilliant wordsmith. I highly recommend it. Five stars.
When Benedict Fitzgilbert’s sister Lilith goes off to have adventures at Newmarket, it leaves him exposed to the worst of London’s matchmaking mamas, and he hasn’t time for all that nonsense. He’s too engrossed in tracking down the notorious Flint, whose criminal empire has long and vicious tentacles. Lilith proposes a solution: a pretend attachment with her friend Julia Congreve. This is a time-honoured Regency plot, but it never grows stale, especially when carried off as well as this.
Now, our two protagonists are seriously mismatched. Benedict is a serious and very focused man, and Julia is a social butterfly, and this is one of those glorious moments when the author properly shows us Julia in her milieu, rather than simply telling us about it and throwing in a couple of balls. Julia really does move through society like a warm knife through butter, putting people at ease, arranging dance partners, making timely introductions and all of it seemingly effortless and perfectly natural. I loved that she is simply aware of everyone in a room, even a ballroom, knowing exactly who is dancing with whom, who is sneaking off to the card room and who is quietly talking to someone behind a pillar. It’s wonderful, and even though we’re later given a reason that partly explains this, it’s still an astonishing talent and I loved it.
The plot? Well, anyone who’s worked their way through the whole series (or two series, depending on how you count) knows pretty much how it’s going to go. And yes, we finally get to find out who Flint is, and how he’s been carrying out his nefarious activities. His identity wasn’t a big surprise, mainly because there were few alternatives by that point, and the dramatic final confrontation was less nerve-wracking than usual because… well, despite the threat of violence, it was obvious it wasn’t going to happen and there would be a last-minute rescue.
As the final book of the series, the romance might be expected to play second fiddle, but it was rather nicely done, with the complication of the fake attachment at the beginning adding a certain does-he-mean-it? complexity to proceedings. But Benedict has nice manners and Julia has been in love with him for years so it all came together rather charmingly. Cue the happy ending, and there’s a multi-character series epilogue for those who like that sort of thing.
A great ending to a terrific series with fantastic characters, lots of mystery and adventure and a perfectly evoked Regency by a brilliant wordsmith. I highly recommend it. Five stars.
October 5, 2022
Superb series
What a delightful and excellent series. The main characters, who inhabit all the books, are well developed, and Really come to life as one reads. There’s an unusual and vicious villain who finally gets his come-uppance through the combined efforts of the main characters, after years of creating terror and murder. The whole series melds, as the stories all happen at the same time, and how the author keeps everything in place simply amazes me.
What a delightful and excellent series. The main characters, who inhabit all the books, are well developed, and Really come to life as one reads. There’s an unusual and vicious villain who finally gets his come-uppance through the combined efforts of the main characters, after years of creating terror and murder. The whole series melds, as the stories all happen at the same time, and how the author keeps everything in place simply amazes me.
October 28, 2022
Final book in the Furze House Irregulars series. These must be read together, not standalones. I liked this couple the best, even though Benedict was very stiff and proper at first. Julia seemed perfect in everyway till her weakness is revealed about three-quarters of the way through. Even though I read these back-to-back I had some difficulty remembering which couple goes together.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews