The Baroness’s Empty Bed.
Charlotte, a wallflower, has always been told by her Mother that she is frumpy, wears glasses and reads too much. This is her third season and her Mother is desperate to marry her off. Then her brother dies in a carriage accident. Robert has just returned from the Continental wars after learning of his Father’s death in an accident. He is informed about it by his Attorney and the blame for the accident is put on Charlotte’s brother. Robert decides to pay her family back by marrying her and not consummating the marriage. This is the story of their very brief and scandalous courtship and subsequent marriage. It is sometimes sad and sometimes humorous but always interesting.
The Earl’s Winter Kiss
This was a very different Regency. Matthew is an Earl and while visiting his friend George is found injured in the forest by Eliza. She is a forest sprite and has lived there with her Grandmother her entire life. She takes Matthew home and helps heal him. This is their story. It has mystery, romance and pathos in likely amounts, all of which add up to an enticing and different plot which I will not reveal because of spoilers.
Last Christmas the Earl Stole her Heart
Rose is the daughter of a peer who, along with his second wife, has just let her know they want to encourage her to marry her Step-mother’s relative whom Rose considers to be totally unacceptable. Later they hold a Masquerade at their home and Rose and her best friend Mary plot ways she can avoid the marriage up to and including creating a scandal in which the male participant would be expected to propose to save face. Both laugh it off. Shortly thereafter Rose literally bumps into Miles, an unmarried Earl, on her way back into the ballroom. One thing leads to another and they become the subjects of a scandal. The next day he proposes and three days later they are married. This is the story of their post marital courtship up to and including a mystery. I won’t go any further into the plot because of spoilers, but it is well done and captivating.
Thanks to the author and publisher for an ARC for an honest review. They were three delightful novels.