Reading Journal Entry: A Much Compromised Lady, by Shannon Donnelly

What's the hook? you ask. OK, you don't ask that. Editors and PR people ask that. The hook, in this case, is 'A Regency Romance with a Gypsy heroine'. And it's not too badly done.

Glynis is the daughter of a secret marriage between a lord and a gypsy woman. Her inheritance was stolen by her father's brother, who succeeded to the title and destroyed what evidence he could find of the union. Twenty years later, Glynis and her brother are out for what's theirs, attempting to steal a wooden box which in a secret compartment, may hold the evidence to their claim. Glynis stumbles into the arms of Lord St. Albans while attempting to rifle her uncle's room. Hilarity ensues.

I like reading Regencies which try something different; Glynis gets a + from me for being different from the usual run of heroine (even if she does turn out to be the daughter of an earl*). Lord St. Albans is supposed to be a rake under reform but as usual is not actually a bad guy at all, just misunderstood. This somewhat lessens the drama, no? The ending, which some will object to, is perfect - Glynis, raised as a gypsy, would not realistically give two figs about the strictures of formal society.

I read the paperback edition of this book, which I checked out of the library for free. It has apparently been released in hardback (possible POD?) for $28.95. Now, it was an OK book, but it wasn't worth thirty dollars.

*Was it an earl? So hard to remember - read it yesterday.

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