NOT QUITE A LADY

Author: Loretta Chase ISBN: 0061231231 5/2007 HISTORICAL Publisher: Avon
Time Period: 1820's England

IRRESISTIBLE FORCE Darius Carsington is a spectacularly handsome rake with a rare intelligence and no heart, a man who divides his time between bedding loose-moraled women and writing scholarly papers. He finds society's “perfect darlings”....exceedingly boring. But there’s something intriguing, and not quite perfect, about faultless Lady Charlotte Hayward. He senses a crack under her polished surface, and finding it is a temptation he can’t resist. IMMOVABLE OBJECT Lady Charlotte is so beautiful, charming, and gracious that no one has noticed what an expert she is at Not Getting Married. Early on, she learned a painful lesson about trust....and temptation. In the years since, she’s devoted her life to all she ought to be—and she’s not about to let a man like Carsington entice her to do everything she shouldn’t. A SPLENDID COLLISION But the laws of attraction can easily overpower the rules of manners and morals, and sometimes even the best-behaved girl has to follow her instincts, even if it means risking it all.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

While undeniably witty, charming, and thought provoking, NOT QUITE A LADY is not the Top Pick offering I am accustomed to reading from Loretta Chase. I still am glad I read it, and I do recommend it as a worthwhile read. I simply do not find it among Ms. Chase's best works.

Certain moments between the hero and heroine definitely shine, and the plot is one that is touching and poignant. However, I do not find the characters all that enthralling. I am used to being wrapped up in the heroes Ms. Chase creates and only find this one, Darius, so-so. He is very intellectual and decent looking, but that is mostly what I learned from his description. I need more to really find him dashing, I suppose.

Since this is part of the Carsington family of stories and indeed is a good book on its own, fans of Chase should be content with NOT QUITE A LADY. I am, but think it's not quite up to her other books' high standards.

Shannon Johnson