Tuesday's Child

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful and Innovative Heroine
Review: I loved the heroine of this Regency. Miss Felicia Simmons not only took on the chore of being the breadwinner for her family but continued to care for others along the way. She collected waifs and strays of all kinds and some became her servants. They, in turn, were loyal to a fault. Felicia's father had lost his money due to his own generosity and went into a decline after his beloved wife died. Felicia retired from society and kept the family going by giving music lessons and selling off possessions. Her father kept to his room with his own wonderfully loyal valet who opened the windows every noon hour for his master to hear the bells of the church where he was married. The way this "family" cared for each other was touching!

Felicia was proud enough to keep the front door of her fashionable residence clean and the brass knocker polished to high shine by doing it herself early in the morning. That is when Sir Christopher Wilde sees her. Thinking her a servant, he remarks on her to his friend (Bartholomew Whitiker) who lives in the apartment below. Finding out later that she is a down on her luck lady, their lives become entwined as Christopher makes Felicia his "project." He tries to deny the attraction he has for her and very clumsily asks her to marry him for only a weak man can "love." Much like Darcy in Jane Austin's "Pride and Prejudice" he asks for her hand against his own scruples and Felicity is insulted at his manner! But Christopher does such tender things for Felicia along the way, you wish he would put his bitterness and fear aside and follow his heart!

What a sweet story with amazing (and unusual) secondary characters. Felicia is innovative with her ideas on how to bring in money and never succumbs to despair even when these plans run awry. There is some intrigue with Christopher and an enemy from India I couldn't quite follow but when he is hurt, Felicia realizes the depth of her own feelings. Felicia also has an enemy but that rival eventually gets her due - no bloodshed there.

All ends happy with each person learning to trust their hearts. A pleasant tale for an afternoon read. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

Rating:
Summary: a good solid Regency
Review: Poor Felicia Simmons. Since her father's illness, the family has fallen on hard times. But that doesn't stop her from feeding every orphan who comes by, or from trying to provide for her household of misfit servants. Felicia gets by with her music lessons. At first, when Sir Christopher Wilde moves in across the street, he scarcely notices her. But circumstances put them in each other's company, and he begins to admire her kindness and grace. When a fairy godmother in the form of her scatter-brained godmother intervenes, the romance begins to bloom. I enjoyed this book. It is the second in a series, and before I got a chance to read the next, they were out of print! But if you can find a copy of this one, I recommend it.