I haven’t been reading very much – no real reason, except nothing has grabbed my attention. So I decided to pull an old book from my keeper shelf and see if it held up.
Scandal’s Lady by Mary Kingsley
(1994, Regency) 7/20/10
Grade: 3.5
Governess Cassandra Aldrich is surprised and pleased to discover her childhood friend, Nicholas St. John, is the new Earl of Lynton and is living nearby. She hasn’t seen him since he left for sea many years ago. But she knows that her position – and the scandal in her past – will prevent her from being more than an acquaintance. But when Nicholas needs her help, will she risk it all for love?
I first read this in 1995, when I was a fairly new romance reader. (I read romance when I was in high school and college, but I didn’t become a devoted reader until the early 90’s when I went off to grad school and could afford to buy my own books.) Mary Kingsley was one of my favorite Regency authors, and I loved this book and put it on my keeper shelf – where it sat, unread, until now. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as enchanting the second time around. The characters were nice, the Regency setting was pleasant, and I always like a second chance at love story. But it just felt boring, like I’d read the story many times before. (I didn’t remember the specifics of the storyline, but what seemed fresh and new in 1995 seemed blah in 2010.) The characters just didn’t come to life. I guess this is one keeper that I won’t be keeping any more.
I have several more books on my keeper shelf that I haven’t revisited since the 1990’s. Now I’m wondering if I want to reread them or not – should I see if I’ll enjoy them the second time around, or leave them undisturbed and preserve my memories?
Karen Wheless
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