One of my New Year’s resolutions is to read at least an hour a day – hopefully that will make quick work of my remaining 2012 books.
A Gentleman Undone by Cecilia Grant
(2012, Regency Historical) 1/4/13
Grade: 4.5
Will Brashear is trying to win enough money gambling to help the widow of one of his men from the army, when he is distracted by Lydia Slaughter, the mistress of another player. He is more intrigued when he realizes Lydia is an excellent gambler herself. Although at first they are at odds, he and Lydia form an alliance – she needs to save up enough money to free herself from her protector. But it soon becomes more than a business partnership.
An intriguing story with completely unique characters. Lydia and Will do not fit any of the romance stereotypes – especially Lydia, who is the complete opposite of a typical romance heroine – neither virgin or victim. I enjoyed reading about Lydia’s tactical plans to free herself from her situation – without depending on anyone to rescue her. I found Will more problematic – his heart was in the right place but sometimes I wanted to thwack him on the head for his brainless actions. The pacing was also a bit off – I found myself skimming through a multi-chapter sex scene that didn’t really add much to the story, and the ending felt rushed – but the author is improving in this respect. Her last book had a lot more problems with pacing. Overall, this was a worthwhile and interesting read that kept me turning the pages.
I definitely had some issues with this book as I was reading it, but it was such an interesting change of pace that I had to give it a few bonus points.
Karen Wheless
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