Grade: B
Pages: 354
Genre: Regency Historical
Sensuality: PG-13
Note: this is the second of a four-book series. I highly recommend that you read the first book, Sleepless at Midnight, first.
Plot: Caroline, a widowed Viscountess, still mourns the death of her late husband even after 3 years. Yet, she has been feeling her loneliness a lot lately, especially after reading the book that has taken society by storm — the explicit Memoirs of a Mistress — six times! Surely, that is what is making her suspectible to the practiced charms of the rakish Daniel, Lord Surbrooke, a man who has been hankering after her for ten yrs.
Short and to the point: Typical Avon offering — frothy, fun, and sexy.
Ramblings: I feel so cheaply bought. There are so many things that is just average and unremarkable about this book (widow not wanting to marry again, shallow titled rake, yadda yadda) that I feel I shouldn’t like it but I find Jacquie D’s style winsome for some reason. She is just very smooth in layering on the nice, the funny, and the sexy. Very formulaic, very Disney.
In fact, I was especially reminded of Disney because Daniel has a motley menagerie, filled with characters named Blinky, Naughty, Stubby, Limpy, Droopy, Baldy, and Tippy. Caroline finds out that Daniel takes in poor people and pets that noone wants and she falls easily into an affair with him. I am not quite so easily manipulated by the author; in fact, that part made me Barfy.
But I LOVED the epigrams (excerpts from Memoirs of a Mistress) that started each chapter. It set the tone of wittiness and naughtiness that I think Jacquie D strived to achieve with the whole romance and for the most part, I think she succeeded. I read this two nights ago and I am already forgetting great chunks of it (as this review shows 
) but I do remember that it was a fun five hours of reading and really, that is all I can ask for, isn’t it?
Seton~
I feel so disappointed in how this year has started. So far, I’ve found nothing all that fabulous. Nothing that has stopped me in my tracks and forced me to read it from cover to cover.
I got this book because I have a fondness for JA after I read The Bride Thief many, many moons ago. CAM was definitely not TBT, oh well. Maybe the next one should be about the author of Memoirs of a Mistress. That would be interesting to read.
Question out of curiosity: Are you hitting up the tents next Saturday? I’m so super excited for another season. Have you seen the couture shows? Chanel, meh. Valentino, can’t believe it’s the end of an era. Dior, still working with origami and fabric. God, I love clothes.
Have a great week!
Diana,
I am sorry that you are disappointed at how the year is beginning but I dont think it ever starts with a bang. It’s sort of like movies in that the books you are looking forward to come out in the spring and summer, no?
The only show that I am trying to finangle a tix to is the Project Runway Final Four show. I hope my contact pulls through. I had a few friends who flew to Paris just for the Valentino show. Everyone I know is literally crying about it.
Seton~
I haven’t seen a single episode of Project Runway this year. Tragic, I know. But I have a friend who has it Tivo’ed (thank goodness), so one day, when my life calms down (HA!) I’ll watch all of it.
Di