Wednesday, November 26, 2014

The Accidental Countess-Valerie Bowman

The Accidental Countess
Valerie Bowman
St. Martin’s, Oct 28 2014, $7.99
ISBN 9781250042088

Captain Julian Swift and Cassandra Monroe have exchanged notes as he served in the combat zone while she remained at the home-front.  They begin to fall in love, but with the Napoleonic War seemingly over, Julian returns to England engaged to Cass’s cousin Penelope, who does not want to marry the second son soldier.

To delay meeting her fiancé, Penelope pretends to be attending a house party hosted by Countess Patience Bunbury.  Aware that her relative made up Patience, Cass masquerades as the hostess so that she can spend quality time with her beloved.  Julian arrives at the gala to inform Penelope he adores someone else, but when he meets “Patience”, he feels fickle to fall in love again.

The second pleasant Playful Brides Regency (see The Unexpected Duchess) is a lighthearted zany romance as the relationships between the fascinating lead “quartet” make for a wild frolic.  The subgenre audience will relish the enchanting machinations of the not-so Accidental Countess and her real persona competing for the love of Julian while her cousin sets the stage.


Harriet Klausner

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