Customer Reviews

The Unscrupulous Uncle (Signet Regency Romance)

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

 

 

I was re-reading some Regency novels and picked this one up. I know I had read it before, but to tell you the truth - not one bit of the plot had stayed with me. That's how unbelievable and unlikable most of the characters were. Damon seemed a bully when he finally found out that Catherine had been made into an unpaid drudge and about to lose her inheritance! He basically forced her into marriage - no wonder she thought later it was for the money! But why did she think he suddenly loved her either? After all those years? Anyway, I did admire Catherine for her tenacity in hanging on so long and so patiently but what was the difference between being harassed by her relatives or by the entire ton (including her husband). She didn't seem to do anything right! And Hermione??? Why would she cling to a married man - far worse for her reputation! There might have been some talk but there had been no betrothal announcement so I am not sure why she behaved the way she did. Well ... maybe put out a snide comment or two but ... the rest of her hysterics was just not right. And the relatives ... I don't want to even go there!

But yet, I did read it and it did end happily ever after. The book got a three from me for the emotional turmoil that Damon had over memories of his friend (Catherine's brother). That relationship seemed more solid than his marriage!

I'm beginning to notice a distinct trend with Allison Lane books: while the hero and heroine are (usually) reasonably well portrayed, the secondary and subsidiary characters are one-dimensional and in some cases unbelievable black-and-white caricatures. Lane writes villains with no redeeming features whatsoever - which is somewhat unrealistic - and with, in some cases, no credible motivation at all for their villainy.

In this case, Catherine is left alone when her brother is killed; her brother's best friend, who she'd expected would at least check that she was all right, completely ignored her. Her brother's heir (the eponymous uncle) arrives at the family estate and, telling Catherine that there is no money left for her dowry, turns her into an unpaid servant for the family. Of course, as we quickly discover, her unredeemably wicked uncle and his wife have been destroying letters, have told the brother's friend (Damon, Lord Devlin) that Catherine was engaged to be married, and have usurped all her money.

Not too incredible so far, I suppose, and this is after all a fairly common - even cliched - plot-line in some historical romances. But Lane builds upon this with embezzlement, murder attempts, misunderstanding upon misunderstanding and just about every cliched plot twist imaginable. By the time the book ended I was almost confidently expecting yet another kidnap or something.

Having now read three Regency romances by Lane, and having made the same criticisms of her secondary characters and cliched plot devices in each, I have now come to the conclusion that she should really be writing Gothic novels. At least in this genre caricatured villains are expected, and the more cliched the better.