Customer Reviews

A lady of letters

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I'm so sad this book appears so anonymous on this page without even a summary or a review. It is one of my favorite regency era romances that I tend to read once a year or so. Marianne is a spirited young woman looking forward to her first London season and is stunned when she is banned by some lofy Marquis solely on her parents bad connection as spies--parents she hardly knew herself at that. Determined to show up the arragont young nobleman she ventures to London despite his letter or warning and in vast array of disguises from a gypsy fortune tellery, lady of fashion, or palourmaid makes out to charm him to teach him a lesson. Revenge of course comes with a price as she feels she's losing her heart to a man who might very well despise her once he learns who she really is.... an excellant, witty read and highly recommended.

Marianne Arnet is eager to come out in London,where as an anonymous poet being published in the GAZETTE, she hopes to meet the literary lights of England, and also the admirer of her work who writes heartwarming letters that charm her, signed only "J." Then Lord Whitestone, a leader of London society, warns her grandfather the Earl if she is presented at Almack's, he will see she and her family are shunned for her connection to parents believed to be spies for Napoleon. She chooses to forego her debut, and go to London to masquerade in various guises to beguile the Marquis and teach him a lesson. It turns out to be a lesson in love, and a merry chase before her true identity is revealed, and the tender feelings he has shown for Marianne are sorely tested--on both sides. A Lady of Letters is a lark full of wit and Jacqueline Diamond's originality and heartwarming style as a writer of Regency romance.

Jacqueline Diamond pens a clever tale with the sworn enemy theme with great wit and engaging dialogue. Jeremy, Lord Whitestone is a gallant alpha hero and unpredictable Marianne never ceases to delight in this tale of secret letters, deception and deep passion. Plot twists and new revelations kept me turning the pages. A thoroughly entertaining read!!

A Lady of Letters was a delightful and unusual romp unlike any Regency I've ever read before. (And I've read hundreds.) I sped through it until the end, enjoying the story all the way. I can see I'll be working my way through the rest of Jacqueline Diamond's Regency romances. :)

Marianne is about to have her London come-out. At a ball in her hometown, she shares a secluded garden waltz and subsequent kiss with an unknown man. She later learns he is the arrogant Lord who threatened to cut her family if she was actually presented in London society. She was persona non grata because her parents were thought to be spies for the French, and this Lord had lost many men in battle with the French. Marianne decided to go to London anyway and appear in many disguises and cause this Lord to fall in love with her. This would be her revenge.

I was interested to see how the couple would fall in love despite seemingly insurmountable challenges. Of course, they ultimately do, but there is so much implausibility along the way. Here's why:

-Key members of Marianne's family agree to her hair-brained, dangerous and highly improper scheme w/o a blink. No one really challenges her on this plan. For the most part, they aid and abet. It makes no sense whatsoever. It's so improper that she'd be ruined if all was discovered and everyone would be besmirched by the scandal, but they go along with it. It was a childish idea of revenge anyway.

-No one in her family really confronts or pushes back against the Lord for his threats. They just fold to his demands, even though they hold a certain amount of social power of their own. Couldn't they have called on allies and closed ranks? Anything but agree to wild schemes of an 18 yr old girl with no town bronze whatsover?

-The threatening Lord knows Marianne's name and who her family is. When he meets her in London, she tells him her name is Marianne and he knows who her family is. She has taken on the surname of a cousin (a KNOWN cousin). Despite this, he acts like he has absolutely no idea that she is the girl he's banned and her identity is such a mystery? Poppycock!

-Marianne was very immature and inexperienced. For her to go on and on about how in love she was with the Lord (whose name I can't recall) and how she'd never love again, even though he'd deeply humiliated her family was unbelievable and really didn't make sense. Even her idea of "revenge" was stupid to me.

There were other problematic episodes in this book. The writing itself wasn't bad, but I kept thinking over and over "this isn't Regency behavior!" or "this makes no sense!" I'm familiar with unconventional heroines and situations, but this was too much. As they say, "I couldn't not credit it".

The story was so disjointed. I thought the writing was poor. I don't even remember the plot or character's names. That's pathetic because I read this last week. Maybe I don't recall anything about this book because I couldn't finish it. I think I read about half and gave up.