Very Dutiful Daughter [Paperback]

Elizabeth Mansfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1979

Miss Letitia Glendenning has done the unthinkable, turning down a proposal from the most eligible bachelor in England. Why did she do it? The lady has her reasons, and it's up to the dashing lord to find out exactly what they are.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

One of the enduring names in romance. -- Paperback Forum --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Berkley (April 1, 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425040844
• ISBN-13: 978-0425040843
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,284,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A rather average Regency novel; a one-time read, July 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Very Dutiful Daughter (Paperback)

This is a pretty much run-of-the-mill American Regency with no distinguishing features. The premise is a little odd: Letty loves Lord Denham, so when he proposes, naturally she turns him down. There are a great many sillinesses, such as the adult and independent Denham letting his mother tell him what to do, Letty eloping with her sister's beau and Denham suddenly realising - without any indication of what brought him to that realisation - that he was in love with Letty.

What made the book even more disappointing is that the synopsis, as presented on this site and on the book's cover, is entirely misleading. The statement by Letty that 'I would rather be your mistress' does not form part of the book's plot at all; she only says it on the last page, by which time it is evident that the 'will-they-won't-they' is resolved.

Additionally, it is irritating to notice throughout the book examples of period inaccuracies; Mansfield is usually better than many American Regency! ! authors at avoiding these. Most obvious is the way in which the characters address each other; in the late 1700s it would have been completely unheard of for men and women not married to each other to address each other by their Christian names - and often unheard of even after marriage! When aristocrats wished to indicate a close friendship, they called each other by their titles or family names - so Lord Denham would have been Denham or Agneau (he is the Earl of Agneau) to his friends. But rarely would an unmarried woman friend have enjoyed such intimacy; it would have ruined her reputation. So Letty would never have called Denham 'Roger' as she did through much of the book.