A Little Mischief (Berkley Sensation) [Paperback]

Amelia Grey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 7, 2003 | Series: Berkley Sensation

An earl is at his wit's end when his marriageable sister joins Miss Winslowe's Wallflower Society-and winds up accused of killing London's most eligible bachelor.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Amelia Grey's awards include the Booksellers Best and the Aspen Gold, and writing as Gloria Dale Skinner, the coveted Romantic Times Award for Love and Laughter and the prestigious Maggie Award. Happily married for over twenty-five years, she lives in Panama City Beach, Florida. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (October 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425192776
• ISBN-13: 978-0425192771
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,588,075 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a delightful surprise, October 26, 2003

By 

ktkat1949 "ktkat49" (BC CANADA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Little Mischief (Berkley Sensation) (Paperback)

wandering listlessly through my bookstore looking for something anything to read i was drawn to this book simply by its cover
colour. what a wonderful surprise when i started to read. i
sat down in the early evening and read to the wee hours. it was
a great mix of romance and suspense. steamy love scenes along
with some truly tender moments. my first experience with amelia
gray and now i have the pleasure of checking out her backlist.
if you like regencies with more than hand kissing this is the
one to get.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Fails to live up to its potential, September 2, 2005

By 

TheSchemer "Scheme" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Little Mischief (Berkley Sensation) (Paperback)

Once a carefree man about town, Daniel Colebrooke has spent most of the last two years familiarizing himself with the duties and responsibilities he inherited when his older brother died unexpectedly. Newly returned to London, Daniel is determined to secure the succession away from his wastrel cousin and finding a proper, demure young lady to become his countess. Since it also happens to be his sister Gretchen's first season, the new earl intends to see her settled in a proper match as well. However, Daniel's carefully laden plans fly out the window when his sister is brought home by a bewitching young woman with an outrageous tale.

Isabella Winslowe may be popular and sought after now, but she remembers how shyness and naivete kept her on the sidelines during her first season. Eager to help others like her, Isabella has created a Reading Society (referred to as the "Wallflowers" Society by some) in order to instill confidence in the quieter debutantes. But nothing prepares Isabella for the shock of finding one of the girls, Lady Gretchen Colebrooke, in her garden standing over the body of Boswell Throckmorten, one of London's most eligible rakes. To make matters worse, Gretchen confesses that during a secret assignation with Boswell, she struck him with a rock when they argued.

Knowing a scandal will ruin not only Gretchen's reputation but her own as well, Isabella arranges for her aunt and the rest of the staff to go out for the day and quickly takes Gretchen home to her brother. Daniel, of course, does not believe a word of the outlandish story he hears and accuses Isabella of creating mischief. His opinion is only reinforced when they go back to the garden to find the body gone. Thoroughly disgruntled with each other, they swear never to cross paths again, but are reunited when they spot the supposedly dead Boswell walking about at a party they are both attending. When Gretchen disappears during the party, the pair find her once again standing over Boswell's body in their host's garden. This time, however, there is a letter opener stuck in his chest. When the body disappears -- yes, again -- Daniel and Isabella are thrust into a temporary partnership to uncover the truth.

Appearing and disappearing bodies, an intrepid heroine and a noble hero -- this story had all the hallmarks of an exciting Regency romp. Unfortunately, the characters themselves prove to be the story's undoing. Isabella runs the gamut from poised and capable to giddy and insecure, while Daniel's constant declarations that Isabella is not the type of woman he is looking to marry -- even as he kisses her -- does not, in my opinion, make him heroic. While some of their encounters are diverting, both hero and heroine lack character development and never truly engage the reader. Meanwhile, a secondary plot involving another couple rings false, and in truth, is totally unnecessary. Amelia Grey continues to show great promise with the intriguing twists and turns of her plots. Unfortunately, A LITTLE MISCHIEF misses the chance to capitalize on its true potential.

TheSchemer

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars light & airy, August 24, 2004

By 

S. Reader "scibarfan" (Franklin, TN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A Little Mischief (Berkley Sensation) (Paperback)

This little romance does little to tug the heartstrings, but is a rather enjoyable bit of escapism. The murder mystery is almost humorous at times and the byplay between the leads is often witty. Daniel is a reformed rake who can't seem to remember the reformed part when he's around Isabella, who is determined to remain unmarried and live life by her own rules...until she realizes she can't get enough of Daniel.

The dialogue is sometimes stilted or silly, and there are occasions when the exposition halts the flow of the story. As mentioned, there are no great heartaches (past or present) nor any overwhelming passion (though they can't keep their hands off each other). It's diverting, but not exceptional. The secondary romance really could have used its own book.