Lady in Waiting is Marie Tremayne’s debut novel. I was pleasantly happy reading it. Imagine Downtown Abbey as written by Julia Quinn.

1 scarred (on the inside) angtsy brooding lonely Lord – check

1 semi-radical sort-of-wallflower – check

1 vile widower with disturbing taste in bedroom activities who is ready to marry the wallflower – check

1 reluctant bride – check

1 hidden identity – check

instant attraction as Lord Ashworth saves a damsel in distress – double check

the warmth in his strong embrace makes Clara Mayfield weak in the knees – check

his blood is heated and pooling in the wrong places seeing her blush – check

she ends up in his mansion, albeit under the stairs – check

she faints, so of course, he has to rip her clothes to help her breathe – check

she makes the best of a grim situation – check

side characters all primed for a sequel of their own – check (and I am rather longingly looking forward to reading about Lord Ashworth’s sister fall for his best friend)

she loves books, of course – check

adorable flirting in his library – check

gutsy heroine – check

which makes the hero possessive – double check

midnight hot rendezvous interrupted – triple check

 

By now, you get the drift of the story. If, like me, you like your Regency Romance to not take themselves too seriously, then pick this book for an enjoyable read. Since Clara, our heroine, lives in disguise as a housemaid with our hero, Lord Ashworth, they get a lot of pages together without having to end up in a marriage of convenience. As I alluded to at the beginning, be ready to step out of the ballroom and head into the frenzy of dinner preparation in the kitchen. Loosen the hairpins from your elaborate hair-do and tuck your fringes into a perfectly crisp white cap. Remember to allow a few locks to escape. Who knows who you might meet in the pages of Lady in Waiting? After all, this is a book for someone willing to swoon to a good romance…

 

 

AARWEN’S INDEX