My Lady Domino And A Commercial Enterprise (Signet Regency Romance)

Rating:
Summary: Double the Pleasure -
Review: MY LADY DOMINO

Once upon a time, Adele Russell had been the belle of the ball, engaged to David Latimer, with Society's doors thrown open to welcome her. But then, life intervened: David had to make a sudden trip to India, with no time to advise Adele that he still loved her and would return. The letter went astray, and the betrothal was broken.

As if that wasn't enough of a blow, four years later, her father died in disgrace, leaving her nearly destitute and forced to find employment A friend who was a haberdasher was pleased to employ Adele, but her new life style bore little resemblance to the one she had expected to be leading.

Set in Bath, the story is light-hearted yet serious, a reminder to all of us that life can change in the blink of an eye. In spite of hardships, wonderful villains and other traumatic events, all comes right in the end.

A COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE

An unexpected inheritance can open-or close-doors. When Caroline Lexham found herself to be the new owner of an elegant London mansion, she knew it would take a major effort to maintain both herself and her new abode. So, she turned it into a first-class (five-star?) hotel. Her chance to shine in Society's light is a celebratory banquet honoring the Duke of Wellington in the spring of 1818.

It's hardly to be wondered at that a cousin takes exception to this plan, as do several rivals, but Caroline will not easily give up her dream. When Harry Seymour appears on the scene, she knows she's made the right choice.

There is a lot of action in this story, and just enough romance to keep things interesting. How neat to have these two books in one volume. Adele and Caroline would have been great friends, had they ever met. Each of them is true to her own self, while forging ahead in ways new to the times in which they lived, yet never exceeding the boundaries established by society. And in the end, their dreams come true.

As usual in any book by Sandra Heath, the settings, the costumes, the characters, the events depicted are all true to the Regency era. This one provides double the pleasure. Hooray!