Customer Reviews

Bertie's Golden Treasure

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In her mid-teens, Bertie has her fortune told at a fair. The Gypsy promises that her future will include a wonderful golden treasure. But Bertie, who is tall, gauche and retiring, doesn't believe in such things, and continues to enjoy the fair with her family and her brothers' coterie of gentlemen friends. The tortures of first love are always cruel, and Bertie is in the throes of a passionate regard for one of these gentlemen, a gentle blond giant named Sean. She is an awkward girl, sensitive and retiring, so when Sean is at the heart of a prank played at her expense, she is mortified and deeply affected. Sean has no idea that she has taken his funmaking so completely to heart.

The years pass and the Gypsy's prediction is forgotten when Bertie and her twin, Bessie, reach the customary age for young ladies to be launched into society. Neither of them has any desire to leave the country for London, but Bertie, is sent to the capital to stay with her stuffy elder brother and sister-in-law She is still gauche and feels embarrassed by her height, and so views the dazzling social occasions ahead with dread. Besides which, she doesn't want to find a husband because she is still secretly in love with Sean, of whom she has seen and heard nothing since the fair.

In London it soon becomes clear that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Bertie has a wretched time, and all she wants is to go home. But then another gentle blond giant enters her life. . .

BERTIE'S GOLDEN TREASURE is a wonderful love story, witty, tender, entertaining and refreshingly different. Hetty St. James is a great discovery, and I can't wait for her next book.

Set in England. In the year 1812, Lady Zenobia "Bertie" Hadleigh is a the impressible age of sixteen. She has a twin sister named Abyssinia "Bessie". Even though they are twins, they are dissimilar in looks and interests. One of their brothers is named Tyler. Tyler has a close friend named Sean Brett. The group talks Bertie into accompanying them to a circus. Bertie has no interest in exotic animals, gypsies, or anything else the circus offers, yet Bertie agrees to go simply to be near Sean, who she has had a crush on for quite some time now. A fortune teller predicts for Bessie a silver treasure and for Bertie a golden one. All is normal until the other three in Bertie's group decides to play a harmless prank on her. However, the prank goes horribly wrong and since Sean played the biggest part, Bertie's humiliation is complete. After such devastation, Bertie wants nothing more to do with Sean.

Nicholas "Nick" Hadleigh may be the oldest brother of Bertie, Bessie, and Tyler, but he is also the Earl of Woode and head of household. Nick is wed to Joan, who said during their engagement that she would be thrilled to sponsor the sisters in London when they reach of age. In reality, she wanted nothing to do with Nick's siblings and had them moved into the Dower House once they were wed; so Nick's siblings resided there for years being practically raised by their aunts. After the circus fiasco, Nick decides to take a little more interest in the lives of his brother and sisters. Five years pass.

Bertie is not twenty-one-years-old and Joan has run out of excuses to delay presenting Nick's sisters to society. Bessie has no interest in having a season in London and stays home, but Bertie is excited. Aunt Kate ends up sponsoring Bertie with Joan only assisting. After several horrible instances in London, Bertie quits London and goes home. Bertie has not been away long, but she finds that things there have changed. Though Bertie now only wishes to be left alone to enjoy the solitude of spinsterhood, the new Duke of Kilnarne shows up to make her his duchess. Nick, still in London, has already given his blessings to the match and the Duke of Kilnarne will not take no for an answer.

***** I found this story to be a wonderful delight. Drama abounds from the beginning to the ending. Fans of the more traditional style of Regency Romances will especially enjoy this tale of a prior era. Humorous, touching, and true to the Regency period, this is a book not to be missed! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

The story was nicely planned and the writing was good; however, the characters (at least some of them) were not likable at all. I had seen Bertie's mishaps as funny and sometimes rather cute. Yet she went too far thus became very annoying and a whiner. I was quite disppointed - a lady could be clumsy but needed not be stupid.