Customer Reviews

Lessons in Love

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Chesney's usual wit and style is slightly subdued in this novel. The heroine, Lucinda, shows the most spunk and character as a child when Captain Chamfrey kidnaps her in an attempt to get her father to pay his gambling debts. The abduction, naturally, does not go as planned. Her father forces Chamfrey into an unwanted betrothal with the then little girl.

Time passes, her abusive father dies (under mysterious circumstances), Lucinda's grandmother takes the now beautiful young woman to London for a season. Unfortunately, Lucinda becomes rather placid as an adult, taking very little action of her own accord. She runs into Chamfrey, now a marquess, but is frightened that his forceful personality might lead him to be as abusive as her father was. He finds her fascinating and lovely, then discovers who she is and that she's engaged to be married to another man. Chamfrey falls in love with her, Lucinda finds herself drawn to him, but her grandmother, determined to protect Lucinda from the unwanted betrothal, tries to block Chamfrey's courtship.

The plot in this one gets a bit too tangled and a bit too dark (with several murders) to sustain the lighthearted romance. I am not certain, but I would guess this to be one of Chesney's earlier efforts. I find that her other novels generally have much more humor, warmth, and character development in them. This is a decent read if you have a few hours to kill, but don't judge Chesney's other works by this one.

Except that the gentleman was a kidnapper!

Lady Lucinda Esmond's swine of a father was forever gleecing young bucks in London's gaming halls - until he met Captain Mark Chamfrey who, having been cheated, promptly kidnapped ten-year-old Luncinda for ransom!

But, when Chamfrey thought better of it and returned the girl, Esmond exacted his own price: Chamfrey could save his skin by marrying his little victim nine years hence. Time enough for Chamfrey to inherit a title and fortune.

Lucinda's father could not have foreseen what a beauty Lucinda would become. Nor that Chamfrey, a newly made marquess, might welcome the fulfillment of his punishment!