A LADY AT MIDNIGHT

Author: Melinda Hammond ISBN: 070907820X 5/2005 HISTORICAL Publisher: ROBERT HALE, LTD.
Time Period: Georgian, circa 1765

When Amelia Langridge accepts an invitation to stay in London as companion to the beautiful Camilla Strickland, her thoughts are merely to enjoy herself a little before settling down as the wife of the dull but dependable Edmund Crannock. Camilla's intention is to capture a rich and noble husband, and her mama is only too delighted to allow Amelia to remain quietly in the background. Then Camilla attracts the attention of the pleasure-loving Earl Rossleigh and it seems that she will realise her ambition, but the earl is intent on another, much more dangerous quarry, and it is the level-headed Amelia who finds herself caught up in the earl's tangled affairs...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

If you're a fan of books with prose written in the style of Jane Austen and the like, or a fan of writers from the U.K., then Melinda Hammond's A LADY AT MIDNIGHT is right up your alley.

The plot in A LADY AT MIDNIGHT revolves around the sensible Amelia Langridge, lady's companion to the beautiful and spoiled Camilla Strickland. Accompanying Camilla and her mother to London for a season, Amelia becomes acquainted with Earl Rossleigh, considered the most eligible bachelor of the moment. When the Earl's best friend's sister, Isabelle, is abused and threatened by her ne'er-do-good husband, Martyn Pudsey, Amelia finds herself aiding in secreting the sister away. But Amelia learns there's more to the dislike between the Earl and Pudsey than just the abuse of Isabelle, and soon finds herself embroiled in an affair that stretches back through time some twenty years before.

That's rather a quick synop and doesn't nearly cover what the plot entails. One major point, though, is that everything in the end makes sense, and the events along the way to the outcome are totally believable. From the abusive treatment of the wife, to the balls, the duels, and the dialogue and slang of the time, all ring true to the Georgian period. Ms. Hammond is definitely an author that has done her research and knows her period history.

As for the romance aspect, there's no great, momentous love scenes here, if that's what you look for most in your romance books. Just as the plot and dialogue stay true to their time, so do the characters and their actions regarding the opposite sex. The relationship that develops between Amelia and the Earl is gradual, tender, and to be honest, really not the focus. There's no illicit sex, no improprieties that might lead to an unexpected pregnancy, as both are very aware of their standings and the strictures the society of their day places upon them. It's totally believable and true to their time.

As for the secondary characters, are all well drawn, each with their own set of peccadilloes masterfully blended into the mix. Again, while romance is not the focus here, a gentle and sweet secondary love story between the abused Isabelle and a friend of the family, also unfolds along the way, adding in just another little dash of romantic flavor to this little gem of a book.

I'm not sure if this book is available in the U.S. yet, or if it will be in the future. If you strictly enjoy modern-day prose in your reading, then this probably isn't a fit for you, but if you are a fan of the Georgian period, fascinated by the slang, mannerisms and dress of that period, and enjoy a believable plot that fits with accuracy into the time period, then A LADY AT MIDNIGHT is one you might want to think about adding to your collection.

Nancy Davis