Rating: 
Summary: Witty and Intelligent
Review: This is such a fun book! Sir Oswald Cravanndish has been ordered to rusticate to the unfashionable country town of Sussex for falling into a punchbowl at a party thrown by Sally Jersey. The season has just begun, and Sir Oswald and his friends must contrive a reason to be in the country that will wash with the ton. They decide upon a bet on whether or not Sir Oswald will be successful in wooing the Vicar's sister, Miss Calista Aston-a spinster blue stocking. Lord Stanhope is Sir Oswald's cousin and helped dish out the punishment. He learns of the wager and dashes off to Sussex save the reputation of the ape-leader that is the subject of the bets and to save the family name. Lord Stanhope sends word that he is arriving in Sussex. His reason for coming is misconstrued. On his way into the village, he meets Calista Asthon. They verbally spar and she realizes the true reason he is there. She decides he is a bit uppity and does not forewarn him of the misunderstanding. This sets off a chain of events that are hysterical. It also sets off a challenge between Lord Stanhope and Calista as they realize they are each others intellectual equals. Lord Stanhope and Miss Ashton are the only voices of reason in this story. They are surrounded by a wacky cast of characters that seemed to come straight out of a Regency era version of Hee Haw! There is subtle humor as well as many laugh out loud situations. My only disappointment was when it ended. I can not believe this is Jessica Benson's first book! READ THIS BOOK! You will adore it!
Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly Enjoying
Review: This was my very first novel by Jessica Benson. From the very first pages of the prologue, so many characters ? and I do mean CHARACTERS - being introduced all at once! I thought I might have to list them in order to keep them straight. Let me say did read this book and found it to be a delightful regency romp that was extremely amusing. Calista Ashton, the vicar?s sister, was a bit of a blue stocking, an aging spinster at the age of four and twenty who?s main interests were doing fine deeds, reading scandalous books, racing fine steeds, and looking forward to an independent life once she acquired a small inheritance on her next birthday. She had no intentions of marrying and was quite content with her life exactly the way it was! Now, enter a trio of London fops, Oswald, Neville, and Squibby who head out to visit their friend, Elmo Lyttworth in the country. Believe me when I say this, you could liken this trio to the three stooges. Lord Stanhope?s aunt, has banished his cousin Oswald from the London Season to the country to atone for making a spectacle of himself at Almack?s - this along with the directive that he seek a bride in order to settle himself down. Forever, getting himself involved with one fiasco after another, Oswald, before leaving London, initiates a bet at Whites that he would be engaged to the ?old? spinsterish Calista Ashton, before returning to London. Now, his cousin Tristan, the Earl of Stanhope, has heard of this latest escapade and feels it his duty to try to extricate his cousin out of this latest scandal before the poor unsuspecting spinster hears of her name being bandied about in White?s or, his Aunt hears of Ossies? latest folly. Using the excuse of buying a filly from Elmo Lyttworth, Tristan dispatches a letter to announce his intention of visiting and acquiring said filly. Lady Lyttworth, interprets the letter to mean that the Earl of Stanhope is going to offer for her daughter ? thinking that his reference to a filly is how ?sportsmen? would refer to a comely girl! And so this story is set in motion and this great comedy of errors begins! This was an absolutely delightful and darling story. I found myself thoroughly enjoying the outrageous dialog between the cast of secondary characters who made me think I was in the middle of a ?Three Stooges Movie?. The dialog was fast, witty and amazingly fresh! The romance between Tristan, Lord Stanhope, and Calista was refreshing and sweet, laced with just enough double entendres, and snappy comebacks, to give you nice warm fuzzy feelings. This is not to say that this romance ran smoothly, not when you have to include the witchy sister-in-law, matchmaking mama, three London fop bachelors, and a despicable revolting Squire looking to make Calista his wife to care for his seven motherless brats! No, the romance was not without it?s impediments but it was quite satisfying nonetheless! I most definitely recommend this book to lovers of regency romance genre who wish a LARGE sprinkling of humor mixed in with their romance! This is an author to watch ? I feel a new star has been born!
Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly Enjoying
Review: This was my very first novel by Jessica Benson. From the very first pages of the prologue, so many characters - and I do mean CHARACTERS - being introduced all at once! I thought I might have to list them in order to keep them straight. Let me say did read this book and found it to be a delightful regency romp that was extremely amusing. Calista Ashton, the vicar's sister, was a bit of a blue stocking, an aging spinster at the age of four and twenty who's main interests were doing fine deeds, reading scandalous books, racing fine steeds, and looking forward to an independent life once she acquired a small inheritance on her next birthday. She had no intentions of marrying and was quite content with her life exactly the way it was! Now, enter a trio of London fops, Oswald, Neville, and Squibby who head out to visit their friend, Elmo Lyttworth in the country. Believe me when I say this, you could liken this trio to the three stooges. Lord Stanhope's aunt, has banished his cousin Oswald from the London Season to the country to atone for making a spectacle of himself at Almack's - this along with the directive that he seek a bride in order to settle himself down. Forever, getting himself involved with one fiasco after another, Oswald, before leaving London, initiates a bet at Whites that he would be engaged to the 'old' spinsterish Calista Ashton, before returning to London. Now, his cousin Tristan, the Earl of Stanhope, has heard of this latest escapade and feels it his duty to try to extricate his cousin out of this latest scandal before the poor unsuspecting spinster hears of her name being bandied about in White's or, his Aunt hears of Ossies' latest folly. Using the excuse of buying a filly from Elmo Lyttworth, Tristan dispatches a letter to announce his intention of visiting and acquiring said filly. Lady Lyttworth, interprets the letter to mean that the Earl of Stanhope is going to offer for her daughter - thinking that his reference to a filly is how 'sportsmen' would refer to a comely girl! And so this story is set in motion and this great comedy of errors begins! This was an absolutely delightful and darling story. I found myself thoroughly enjoying the outrageous dialog between the cast of secondary characters who made me think I was in the middle of a "Three Stooges Movie". The dialog was fast, witty and amazingly fresh! The romance between Tristan, Lord Stanhope, and Calista was refreshing and sweet, laced with just enough double entendres, and snappy comebacks, to give you nice warm fuzzy feelings. This is not to say that this romance ran smoothly, not when you have to include the witchy sister-in-law, matchmaking mama, three London fop bachelors, and a despicable revolting Squire looking to make Calista his wife to care for his seven motherless brats! No, the romance was not without it's impediments but it was quite satisfying nonetheless! I most definitely recommend this book to lovers of regency romance genre who wish a LARGE sprinkling of humor mixed in with their romance! This is an author to watch - I feel a new star has been born!
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