Customer Reviews

The Rules of Gentility

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Philomena Wellesley-Clegg is on the verge of being betrothed to a man she most assuredly does not want to marry when the sinfully handsome Inigo Linsley corners her and proposes an engagement of convenience. They will be secretly betrothed, but not really, thus getting both of their families off their backs, but leaving her free to find another suitor, one she does actually care for and him to find a wealthy, titled heiress. Though she fails to see the logic of his outrageous proposal, she agrees. Neither one counted on arriving at the point where they would want the fake betrothal to be real or that they would feel the need to break it off for the sake of love, but that is only one of the many unexpected things the hapless pair will find taking place in the days to come.

*** Told in a present tense he said/she said fashion, The Rules of Gentility can be somewhat awkward to read at times for stylistic reasons. However, there is a great deal of comedy and even the mildly scandalous aspects are handled with utmost tact and good taste, rendering it a worthwhile read. If you do enjoy Regencies and/or Chick Lit, this is a must read. ***

Amanda Killgore

I picked this book up on a whim and found it an enjoyable spoof of a regency romance. The author stated that she was shooting for a sort of Bridget Jones's Diary meets Jane Austen and though I didn't enjoy the book as much as Bridget Jones, I did think it was pretty witty and rather entertaining. The author has a nice ear for funny dialog and the characters were likable. Some of them were stock characters but purposely so and the author put them to good comedic and satirical effect.

My only real gripe with the book is perhaps rather more a personal one: I wasn't really buying Inigo as the ideal mate for Philomena. I would have preferred to see her with Tom. I'm not one for the "irresistible bad boy" and though Inigo does ostensibly mend his ways, I still found him a bit too much on the rake side for him to really win me over.

What surprised me most about this book was that there was more emotional depth and maturity to it than I expected. While it isn't exactly a novel of great psychological depth (and that's not necessarily a gripe either as I'm not exactly a huge fan of novels that make you want to go on Prozac once you've finished them), the author has a nice, light touch. The book is a spoof but there are some real instances of human insight and kindness. For that reason, I'd give it three and a half stars.

As a fifty-year Georgette Heyer fan, I'm always looking for quality regency romances. This one opened as an annoying disappointment (first person, present tense format) and developed as one of the most delightful. Charming characters had funny flaws and the narrative made me laugh aloud again and again. Perhaps best of all, Mullany managed to tell a really "sexy" story without the boring graphic scene which seems to have become obligatory lately. Her "off color" allusions were beautifully done; although they required that the reader be alert. She has a true gift. (Although I wish she'd use it without the present tense format.....and trying to present the point of view of two characters in first person was more awkward than it needs to be.)

From the reviews, I was anticipating a wryly affectionate, tongue-in-cheek charm - what I got was sneering disdain for the very readers it enticed. Ms. Mullany boasts an expert knowledge of the time period not born out by this offering. One of two books in my life I have thrown away in disgust.

This book is loaded with humor...almost non-stop slapstick. I enjoy a good laugh as much as the next person--but it was too much of that and little of anything else. More disappointing was the flat romance between Philomena and Inigo.

This book was not for me...I struggled to finish it.

I stumbled upon this book when it was mentioned in another review, and I'm so glad to have found it.

Philomena is a delightful 19-year-old whose roots are in Trade. She thinks mostly of fashion, particularly bonnets, and gentlemen (the author says she was inspired by Lydia Bennett of Pride and Prejudice). Although Philomena often earns the title "ninny" used by the hero to describe her, she is kind, unconventional in her thinking, and adventurous.

Inigo is a third son and a randy, careless, attractive guy. He is also loyal, a loving father, and given to very amusing dialog.

This send up of traditional Regencies ricochets from ballroom to brothel to . . . water closets (twice). Of course, the situations are improbable and the conversations impossible for the times.

There is a Big Misunderstanding which is really a little misunderstanding, and just as happens in serious Regencies, it goes on far too long.

The writing is engaging, wit abounds, and this book is a great way to spend some time.

Basically, there was just more cons than pros with this book. The story seemed awkward as a few of the situations just didn't seem plausible for the time period and for life in general. On top of that, the ending wasn't very smooth and it just seemed too rushed. Very short read indeed. On the plus side, there were quiet a few humorous moments and I really like the cover art.

i loooove this book. it has it all: regency, humour, romance, love, adventure. it is written beautifully, it is read pleasantly. in the beginning, you can't realise who the hero of the book is. by the end, you can't imagine how the author is going to make it all come to a happy end.
it is the perfect book to lift your mood! read it

This book was a riot. I think I read the whole thing in one afternoon. And though it was laugh-out-loud funny, I grew to care about the hero and heroine enough to want to make sure they ended up together. The unusual narration style threw me off for a while, but I got used to it pretty quickly.

Want a frothy romance with a bit of a bite? Try The Rules of Gentility.

It's set in the Jane Austen era, but its randyness is reminiscent of Henry Fielding's, Tom Jones. It's more a spoof than a sequel to the Austen husband-chasing romances.

In it the heroine with the unlikely name of Miss Philomena Wellesley-Clegg does her darndest to find an appropriate husband, meanwhile gazing longingly (and frequently) at the crotch of inappropriate Mr. Inigo Linsley's "pleasingly tight" breeches.

By the half-way point, Mr. Linsley is proposing to Miss Wellesley-Clegg--in the water closet!--but this does not end the matter. Oh, no! Instead, twists and turns abound, as many as in Austen's novels but more outlandish.

The book is fast-paced and funny, shifting as it does between the first-person narratives of the two main characters, a rollicking if unlikely account of love in the Regency era.

Marilyn Coffey is an award-winning writer of poetry and a widely published author of prose. See her writings: Great Plains Patchwork, Marcella, or KANSAS QUARTERLY Vol. 15 No. 2.