For a charming bit of fluff, scandal and humor, a reader can't go wrong with this clever novel. Lord Galen Woodbridge has been left at the altar by his intended, who abandons him to race to Gretna Green with a ne'er do well. Of course, the reader is instantly sympathetic to the dear Lord. He decides to create a larger scandal that will eclipse Galen's humiliation at the altar (with hundreds in attendance).
Who is the most coveted woman in London? Songbird Margot Montclaire is the toast of the theater scene but no one can get close to her. Galen decides that he wants to marry her and set London on its ear. Getting past Margot's lady-guards is almost impossible but Galen does it. When he finally gets to plead his case with the ravishing Margot, he finds out that all is not peaches-and-cream in her world. When the couple decide to try outwitting the London ton -- it soon emerges that this couple are a natural fit. Humor and good feelings abound. If the story had stopped there, I would have given it 5 stars.
However, the author decides to introduce two awful females (calling them ladies would be an insult to the real ladies of London). Over the course of the first half of the book, readers have gotten an idea of the unlovely characters of these two. One is the fiancee that abandoned Galen at the altar and the other is Galen's sister.
As these two start their machinations, the story starts to devolve to a farce. I was truly shocked by the viciousness of Galen's former fiancee. Just before everything goes south, the author pulls back and saves the day. However, the mood has been broken and a reader may feel that something has been lost. Because of the richness of the first half, I just couldn't take more than one star from a lovely, charming story.
Who is the most coveted woman in London? Songbird Margot Montclaire is the toast of the theater scene but no one can get close to her. Galen decides that he wants to marry her and set London on its ear. Getting past Margot's lady-guards is almost impossible but Galen does it. When he finally gets to plead his case with the ravishing Margot, he finds out that all is not peaches-and-cream in her world. When the couple decide to try outwitting the London ton -- it soon emerges that this couple are a natural fit. Humor and good feelings abound. If the story had stopped there, I would have given it 5 stars.
However, the author decides to introduce two awful females (calling them ladies would be an insult to the real ladies of London). Over the course of the first half of the book, readers have gotten an idea of the unlovely characters of these two. One is the fiancee that abandoned Galen at the altar and the other is Galen's sister.
As these two start their machinations, the story starts to devolve to a farce. I was truly shocked by the viciousness of Galen's former fiancee. Just before everything goes south, the author pulls back and saves the day. However, the mood has been broken and a reader may feel that something has been lost. Because of the richness of the first half, I just couldn't take more than one star from a lovely, charming story.
