Title: Royal Regard
Author:
Mariana Gabrielle
Publisher:
Whaley Digital Press, LLC
Genre:
Regency, Romance
Heat
level: (M/F, oral sex, masturbation, minor Sadomasochism)
Page
Count:316
Reviewer:
Cassiopeia
Publisher’s
Buy link:
Publisher
Blurb:
When Bella Holsworthy returns to England after fifteen years roaming the globe with her husband, an elderly diplomat, she quickly finds herself in a place more perilous than any in her travels—the Court of King George IV. As the newly elevated Earl and Countess settle into an unfamiliar life in London, this shy, not-so-young lady faces wicked agendas, society's censure, and the realities of a woman soon to be alone in England. Unaccustomed to the ways of the beau monde, she is disarmed and deceived by a dissolute duke and a noble French émigré with a silver tongue. Hindered by the meddling of her dying husband, not to mention the King himself, Bella must decide whether to choose one of her fascinating new suitors or the quiet country life she has searched the world to find.
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Review
of book:
I’d
forgotten how much I enjoy a good regency romance, and so glad that I decided
to read Royal Regard. This is my first exposure to Mariana Gabrielle’s work, but I’m hooked. Her characters are well rounded and
realistically crafted, and I found myself fully invested in them from the get
go. What I especially enjoy about this
genre, is that falling in love with someone that you’re actually married to
wasn’t at all the norm. In fact, it
seems that while women would swoon at the thought of a “love match”, many of
the male characters I’ve come across would see the open display of affection as
a weakness. The standard for marriages
seemed to be that they were more a strategic tool to further a family’s
connections, than anything to do with depth of emotion between a couple. Sure, you might come to like the person you
were with, but women had few rights and a multitude of pitfalls in the
ever-changing social scene that they could find themselves a victim of. In my mind, a female was little more than a
uterine cultivation device (sounds better than “baby maker”). This was why I loved Bella’s innate strength
so much.
She’d
had such a difficult upbringing. The
only female in a household of rough, sometimes abusive and scheming males, she
wasn’t at all confident in ton society. Having basically been brokered away
into a marriage to a merchant twice her age, she’d spent the last fifteen years
touring the world with him as his wife and diplomatic support staff. You’d think she would be bitter, unsure, and
easily victimized; nothing could be further from the truth. Bella had balls
(sorry for the visual) that rivaled any of the males she’d encountered along the
way. I was fascinated by her ability to
cut down any man who behaved indecently, while being so utterly unsure of
herself as a female. What a complete
dichotomy. Her journey to finding
herself certainly had its ups and downs.
That’s okay though; I’ve always thought that anything worth having should
be worked for. She was smart when it wasn’t
fashionable, and I had to give her a lot of credit for remaining true to
herself, in spite of the staggering amount of external pressure to conform.
Nick
(Duke of Wellbridge) was the quintessential rake. He gambled, dallied with married women, and made
a career out of walking the fine line of acceptability. I’m sure if he hadn’t enjoyed such a close
relationship with the King of England (I cracked up every time someone used the
King’s nickname, Prinny), he’d have been a social outcast. What I loved best about him is that Nick saw
in Bella, what so many (except her husband) overlooked; she was a unique and
resplendent creature who’s allure would last long after her peers’ beauty had
faded. Make no mistake; he thought she
was beautiful, but more than that, her wit, intelligence, and innocence drew
him like a moth to the flame. I liked
that Nick was smart enough though to play the part of the rake, while living
his life on his own terms. He wasn’t a
bad guy; he simply had no interest in having his days mapped out for him in
regard to a wife and family. He’d seen
how unhappy his mother and father had been, and was in no rush to enter into
that arena. I thought he had many
redeeming qualities – it was just a matter of paying attention to what he didn’t
say or do to uncover them.
As
with many romances, the hero and heroine are the only ones not aware that
they’re already in love. Sometimes
watching them come to the realization can be tedious, but no so with Regard. I loved watching them deny it at every turn –
it almost reminded me of Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady, when he sings about
being “accustomed to her face”. These
two were a perfect foil for one another on so many levels; and I think that was
the essential ingredient to their loving relationship. Let’s not forget though, that Bella was
already married. Her husband, Myron,
might have not had the romantic relationship that set his wife’s heart
aflutter, but he was no less in love with her.
He knows that his success is in a large part due to her support and
insight, and has no issue with stating it.
He loves her sarcastic wit and I in turn loved Myron.
Mariana
Gabrielle
wrote an exciting plot that was filled with more twists than a corkscrew, and
kept me on the edge of my seat throughout most of the book. There were many moments where I was surprised
by a turn of events, so much so, that I know I could easily read the story
through again and come away with additional insight. Even if you aren’t usually attracted to the
Regency romance genre, I think you’d find Royal
Regard a thoroughly enjoyable read.
This book is already on my TBRA (To Be Read Again) list.
Five Shooting Stars and A Reviewer's Choice Award
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1 comment:
Oh, wow! What a great review! thank you! (Really needed to see this today. :-)) I'm so glad you liked it.
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