In this delightful historical romance drama worthy of Jane Austen, the Regency marriage market is a nerve wracking journey, full of pitfalls and dangers. Every other girl is the enemy, ready to steal an eligible gentleman from you if you so much as blink! But in regency romance, this is a battle you must win at all costs, because failure is too terrible to contemplate. Family matters and the search for romantic relationships must be sidelined - better 'any' husband, than no husband at all! A single girl is a non-person, dependent on her family for everything, from the food she eats, to the clothes on her back. She attracts sympathy, not respect. Derision, not jealousy. But what if you're feisty and strong-willed, like our heroine Caroline Chandler? Helped by intelligence, a demure character, and an abundance of ladylike accomplishments, Caroline is confident she could be ideal marriage material. Let Mr Darcy try telling her 'he's doing her a great honour in marrying her', and he'll be lucky to escape with a full set of teeth! The answer will be a polite 'go hang yourself'. Unlike the usual regency romance, this is a real girl, driven by real hormones, and real ambitions. What do you expect her to do? Attend to family matters, sit sewing, or practicing on the pianoforte all day? Lay shriveling on the proverbial shelf, like fruit left rotting on the vine? Not a chance. In Maclaren's sophisticated romantic fiction, Caroline sets about getting a husband in her own way, not entirely convinced of the benefits of romantic relationships, and most definitely not excluding a lover or two along the way, should they take her fancy. In this less comfortable view of regency romance and society a girl must fight tooth and nail to be worthy marriage material. There are no 'Darcys' prepared to risk the family honour to marry beneath them. Fans of renowned author of romantic fiction Jane Austen and anybody seeking something a little different in their historical romance are bound to love this gripping tale of love and life in Regency England.
