Rating: 
Summary: Indeed!
Review: Regency readers everywhere may now rejoice. The very enchanting "Lord Stanhope's Proposal" was not a fluke. Jessica Benson's second book, "Much Obliged" is every bit as wonderful as the first one was. This is not always the case, as many of us have learned to our sorrow. Here we have John Fitzwilliam, Earl of Claremont, who was betrothed to Adelaide while she was still in her crib, both fathers being age-old buddies. However, as is usually the case, distance does its thing, and now that the younger ones are of an age to marry, they're rather disinclined. Neither father is still around to provide any nudges, which is also a hindrance to their once-grand plot. Addie's father was somewhat of a gambler, however, and left her and her younger sister Justine, with pockets to let, but in the care of their Aunt Honoria. Addie has a pair of very special skills, which she is not at all hesistant to utilize in the necessity to keep them all fed and clothed and reasonably warm. Her father was a best friend of the noted pugilist 'Gentleman' Jackson, who has retired from the ring as a fighter, but runs the noted salon where other gentlemen may work out with him from time to time, and learn the art of manly protection. Addie learned all about this science at an early age, and is now considered to be very knowledgeable on the subject by none other than the Gentleman himself. Her other skill is the written word, and she combines these two activities to pen an anonymous column about the happenings at Jackson's salon. When Fitzwilliam comes to grief at the hands of a friend, what worse will happen to him when he is challenged to defend Addie's honor -- in the ring? Jackson and Addie set up a training regimen to be conducted at Claremont's country estate, which promptly turns into a farcical house party, complete with encroaching Mamas, (none of whom are at all friendly with any of the others) hopeful daughters, a know-it-all son (temporarily betrothed to Addie, in what she saw as a self-defence mechanism -- she needed protecting from herself as well as from Fitzwilliam), an abundance of dogs, tempermental servants, you name it--it's to be found at Kenton House. Along with lots of Benson's wonderful ways with humor and words. A triumph! Now, we can only--and eagerly--anticipate the next sure-to-be-delightful opus.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Obliged
Review: This novel started out promising, with two old, deaf ladies trying to talk to each other about a scandalous column in the London Times, relating a sparring match.It quickly degenerates into much less. The heroine and hero have been betrothed since childhood. She loves him. He loves his single life, mistresses and all. After renouncing their betrothal plans to each other, they proceed to kiss. This leads, in a ridiculous way, to a fight to save the heroine's honor. The fight being a sparring match, which the hero is utterly incompetent at. What he doesn't know is the heroine is the writer of the column in the newspaper, which has regalled his incompetency at Jackson's Saloon, for everyone to read. She agrees to train him for the fight, deceptions abound between them, and, if you're still interested in reading this, you can find out for yourself how it ends. I found this novel very unsatisfying for three reasons:
1) the unrealistic storyline
2) the swearing (very inappropriate and completely unjustified for the scenes they appear in)
3) the lovemaking (inconsistent with the time setting)
Rating: 
Summary: Funny but not believable
Review: This second novel by Jessica Benson was another light read comedy of errors using an abundance of fresh witty dialog that saved this novel from becoming too boring and unbelievable. It starts off with two deaf ladies discussing the latest on dits contained in the boxing column of the London Post - again, funny, witty dialog - then switches over to our hero, John Fitzwilliam, holding a poultice over his blackened eye as he reads the same column describing his embarrassing defeat. The boxing column and the unknown anonymous writer are key to the original plot depicting our heroine, Addie Winstead, as anonymous in order to help ends meet in their not too well to do household. This was an original concept in depicting a regency era young lady with a wealth of knowledge on a subject that would have been quite taboo during that period. Fitzwilliam, and Addie had been betrothed by their respective fathers from birth only Fitzwilliam, was not ready for marriage, now and probably not ever as he was having too much fun sowing his oats and believing that he would be exactly like his father. His childhood memories of a not so rosy marriage between his parents, with both parties being indifferent to one another, along with his father's numerous affairs did nothing to entice him to enter the marital state. Addie, who had grown up idolizing and loving Fitzwilliam ever since she could remember, had quietly waited for him to 'come up to scratch', yet, in her heart, knew she could never marry him knowing that he would be doing so as an 'honor bound duty'. So rather than him ever knowing her financial difficulties, she would continue her clandestine writing as anonymous. Caring about his old childhood friend, he felt that he should do the honorable thing and release her from the betrothal so that she could get on with her life and accept another suitor. It was like a 'wake-up call' for him as he realized after he released her; looked at the grown up woman she had become; and kissed her that she sparked something in him that was not at all a familiar feeling. It was after that kiss that a chance discovery, that could have ruined her, by a drunken friend mistaking Addie for a lightskirt led Fitzwilliam to declare her to be his 'betrothed'. Addie, so hopelessly in love, thought that she would save Fitzwilliam from marrying her by accepting the suit of an absolutely revolting 'mama's boy'. Even then, Fitzwilliam could not admit that what he felt was anything akin to love, yet he did not want to see her throwing herself away on such a prig as her newly betrothed! The multitude of secondary characters and the dialog saved this story from being tossed aside by this reader as I found it hard to believe that such a forward thinking heroine such as Addie would have stood one moment for such a self-righteous prig of fiancé. No one woman could have endured this man let alone the forward-thinking Addie. The other problem I saw was that her sister, who she was extremely close to, would not have told her fiancé, who was Fitzwilliam's best friend, what the real problem was!
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