Lady Fortescue Steps Out (The Poor Relation) [Mass Market Paperback]

Marion Chesney (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Poor Relation | Publication Date: November 1993

Hatching a scheme to escape poverty, elderly widow Lady Fortescue and her friends steal jewels from their wealthier kin and use the money to purchase a fashionable hotel for all of society. Reprint. LJ.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The impecunious Lady Fortescue, widowed and alone save for two loyal, unpaid servants, has sold off almost all of the furnishings in her large Bond Street home and faces a grim future as a member of the aristocracy too proud to seek employment or charity, yet too poor to survive on the infrequent largess of wealthy relatives oblivious to her plight. Salvation arrives in the unlikely form of old Colonel Sandhurst, an equally impoverished retired military man who falls at her feet in a hunger-induced faint one afternoon in Hyde Park. The two decide to join forces: the Colonel will share Lady Fortescue's home, and they will invite others of their station and situation to live with them and pool their resources. Thus is born what eventually becomes one of London's most popular hotels, The Poor Relation, to which the nobility flocks to enjoy the novelty of being waited upon by members of their own class. Chesney, author of 24 previous Regency novels ( Yvonne Goes to York, etc.), gives her many admirers a real treat with this first entry in a projected series. She expertly sets the scene, recapturing the bawdiness and color of a long-ago time, and her characters fairly leap off the pages. The "poor relations" undergo adventures both hilarious and tragic; larceny, attempted murder, a satisfactory love affair and unlikely alliances make the hotel the liveliest spot in London.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Life as a member of England's aristocratic class isn't easy when one has no money. Advertising one's misfortune--even to relatives--would be considered ill bred. But after she is caught stealing silver candlesticks from her wealthy nephew (he thinks she is becoming senile), Lady Fortescue is desperate. So she begins a search for others such as herself--genteel, blue-blooded, and poor. The little band of six she eventually organizes pools its meager resources and opens a hotel for high society, an establishment that soon brings excitement and romance to the lives of its owners. The adventures that begin in this story are the debut of a new series entitled "The Poor Relation." This first entry is a charming and humorous Regency, recommended for those who enjoy light-hearted historical romance.
- Leslie A. Bleil, Western Michigan Univ. Lib., Kalamazoo
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (November 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312951299
• ISBN-13: 978-0312951290
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,757,832 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Frivolous but fun..., April 24, 2000

By 

Rebecca (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lady Fortescue Steps Out (The Poor Relation) (Mass Market Paperback)

Although this isn't Dickens' Tale of Two Cities or Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, it is a funny and heart-warming book. I loved it! This is the first book in Chesney's Poor Relations series and introduces Lady Fortescue, as well as Colonel Sandhurst and the other poor relations who start up their aptly-named Poor Relation hotel.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved It!, August 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Lady Fortescue Steps Out (The Poor Relation) (Mass Market Paperback)

I loved this book and will probably read all of Marion Chesney's other works! I'm such a romantic history buff! I thought it was funny and entertaining and a delightful change from what some people think great readers should read - like books on the mating rituals of pigeons or something! If you love romance and like history, then I am sure you'll love this!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful read!, December 3, 2010

By 

Calypso007 "myz" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lady Fortescue Steps Out (The Poor Relation) (Hardcover)

I have long been a fan of Marion Chesneys books under MC Beaton, but this was my first venture into her romance genre, and I have to say I am hooked! By now I am on the sixth book of the series, and still as entertained as with the first. The characters are well developed and lovely, and the story, though predictably is fun and engaging. This is the perfect read for a cold wintry day, where you just want to stay home and relax. I highly recommend it, and the others of the series.