A Debt to Delia

Rating:
Summary: Excellently entertaining comedy of errors
Review: I can't agree with the reviewer who called this book "boring" -- she must have read a different novel! I thought it was great fun; there is a wonderful contrast between the lighthearted aspects and the serious undertones in the protagonists' situations. I liked both hero and heroine very much. I liked Ty, so determined to do the right and honorable thing but completely clueless as to what it might be. I liked Delia, equally determined in her own way to sort things out without having to sacrifice her own life to a marriage with some yucky guy, or to someone she thinks doesn't love her. Some of the comic moments (Ty's proposal, for instance) had me chuckling out loud. Of all Ms Metzger's books, my favorites are still MISS LOCKHARTE'S LETTERS and A LOYAL COMPANION, but this is right up there close behind.

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Read!
Review: I can't agree with the reviewer who called this book "boring" -- she must have read a different novel! I thought it was great fun; there is a wonderful contrast between the lighthearted aspects and the serious undertones in the protagonists' situations. I liked both hero and heroine very much. I liked Ty, so determined to do the right and honorable thing but completely clueless as to what it might be. I liked Delia, equally determined in her own way to sort things out without having to sacrifice her own life to a marriage with some yucky guy, or to someone she thinks doesn't love her. Some of the comic moments (Ty's proposal, for instance) had me chuckling out loud. Of all Ms Metzger's books, my favorites are still MISS LOCKHARTE'S LETTERS and A LOYAL COMPANION, but this is right up there close behind.

Rating:
Summary: Excellently entertaining comedy of errors
Review: I can't agree with the reviewer who called this book "boring" -- she must have read a different novel! I thought it was great fun; there is a wonderful contrast between the lighthearted aspects and the serious undertones in the protagonists' situations. I liked both hero and heroine very much. I liked Ty, so determined to do the right and honorable thing but completely clueless as to what it might be. I liked Delia, equally determined in her own way to sort things out without having to sacrifice her own life to a marriage with some yucky guy, or to someone she thinks doesn't love her. Some of the comic moments (Ty's proposal, for instance) had me chuckling out loud. Of all Ms Metzger's books, my favorites are still MISS LOCKHARTE'S LETTERS and A LOYAL COMPANION, but this is right up there close behind.

Rating:
Summary: Boring...
Review: It seems that Ms. Metzger left her best work for years past. This book is certainly no where near as interesting or funny as "Miss Lockharte's Letters", "An Angel for the Earl", or my favorite, "Lord Heartless". Dilly and Ty are just not terribly interesting. Ty - our hero - had his life saved on the battlefield by Baron George, and to repay this gift, Ty rides to the rescue (or so he thinks) on George's evil horse, to rescue Dilly (the sister) from a life as an outcast. Ty thinks Dilly is pregnant and unwed. It is actually George's girl, Belinda, that he left behind, unwed, who is with Child. The story was just bad. Dilly says no to a marriage with Ty, her Uncle or Cousin tries to force her to marry someone not to her taste, Ty married Belinda on her death bed. Strange relatives, on both sides, trying to keep them apart. It would have made more sense for Dilly to agree to marry Ty - after all, isn't that what regency misses did? Marry for love, maybe, but more important, marry for security. And she and her brood desperately needed that. To turn Ty down was unrealistic. When married, they could raise Belinda and George's child, and then the story could have concentrated around this sort of strange marriage, especially dealing with his father, the Earl, who was not pleased by the prosepct. So the story was not funny, just off center and vastly unrealistic for a regency time period. Actually, make it a far more interesting story and yes, have had Dilly left with child by someone. Why do regency authors always feel their female hero's must be so virginal?

Rating:
Summary: A KEEPER!
Review: Major Lord Tyverne, the next Earl of Stivern, found himself facing death while in the Peninsula behind enemy lines. At the last moment, Lieutenant George Croft arrived on his aptly named steed, Diablo. George died saving Ty's life. His last words were for Ty to live on so that someday he could save the life of another.

Ty was given George's belongings. The bad-mannered brute named Diablo now belonged to Ty as well. While going through George's things, in hope of finding relatives to send the belongings to, he found letters. Within them, he read of a sister, Dilly, and an infant in dire circumstances. To repay George, Ty decided to marry the unwed sister, so she and the baby would want for nothing.

(I must skip much so nothing vital will be revealed.)

Delia Croft was shunned by all, even those who once called themselves her friends. With the news of George's death, her cousin, Clarence, inherited the title. Sir Clarence Croft and his wife, Gwen, held the finances and refused Delia all they legally could. Ty arrived on Diablo, still severely wounded and delirious. Before passing out, he announced he would marry Delia to repay a debt! Needless to say, Delia was furious! She would marry for nothing less than love and no one would ever change her mind!

***** Oh, this is SO good! Barbara Metzger started the book off with a bang and then surprised the reader over and over with pieces of tantalizing tid-bits! This book is one for the "Keeper" shelf! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch.

Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Achievement
Review: One of my favourite Regency authors, Barbara Metzger has given us in A Debt to Delia a novel which is a real triumph. Truly bittersweet, this is a story of farce, fear, love, hope and redemption. Metzger has a gift for comedy which is second to none amongst the genre but what other author could write of a young girl dying of grief and a pregnancy gone horribly wrong, a successful (for the times) ceasarian birth, parents who learn from grevious error, a girl rescued from prostitution, death on the battlefield, ardent honour and bravery and still, despite all of this, make it a comedy?

At times whilst reading this book I hoped no one was looking over my shoulder because I was almost embarrassed to be so amused despite the utter tragedy that forms the framework for the plot ot this book. In one day there is a marriage, a death and a baptism yet through the tragedy, people are falling in love, planning for the future and reacting with real, human emotions. I still cannot figure out how the author managed it.

The H/H are both lovely: he is an over-sized macho military major with a soft heart and divine sense of honour. She is a feisty yet loyally loving girl with maturity beyond those she must look after, all of whom are older but not wiser. And, as always with Metzger's work, there is the usual cast of strange and wierd villains, wonderfully quirky servants, relatives from hell, babies, children and animals that form part of the fabric of the story.

Loved it. Absolutely loved it and recommend it most highly. If you want something different, something poignant yet funny peopled with endearing characters and nasty villains, then do read this. You won't be disappointed!

Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Achievement
Review: One of my favourite Regency authors, Barbara Metzger has given us in A Debt to Delia a novel which is a real triumph. Truly bittersweet, this is a story of farce, fear, love, hope and redemption. Metzger has a gift for comedy which is second to none amongst the genre but what other author could write of a young girl dying of grief and a pregnancy gone horribly wrong, a successful (for the times) ceasarian birth, parents who learn from grevious error, a girl rescued from prostitution, death on the battlefield, ardent honour and bravery and still, despite all of this, make it a comedy?

At times whilst reading this book I hoped no one was looking over my shoulder because I was almost embarrassed to be so amused despite the utter tragedy that forms the framework for the plot ot this book. In one day there is a marriage, a death and a baptism yet through the tragedy, people are falling in love, planning for the future and reacting with real, human emotions. I still cannot figure out how the author managed it.

The H/H are both lovely: he is an over-sized macho military major with a soft heart and divine sense of honour. She is a feisty yet loyally loving girl with maturity beyond those she must look after, all of whom are older but not wiser. And, as always with Metzger's work, there is the usual cast of strange and wierd villains, wonderfully quirky servants, relatives from hell, babies, children and animals that form part of the fabric of the story.

Loved it. Absolutely loved it and recommend it most highly. If you want something different, something poignant yet funny peopled with endearing characters and nasty villains, then do read this. You won't be disappointed!

Rating:
Summary: Another winner by Metzger
Review: Others have given the plot, so I won't repeat. I will say I thoroughly enjoyed this latest book from the very witty and talented Barbara Metzger. No other Regency author I am aware of can write the sweet and tender scenes all the while making us laugh like Metzger. Highly recommended as a fun read and one that will touch your heart.

Rating:
Summary: a splendid read
Review: The last couple of Barbara Metzger Regencies have been rather droll ones, full of wit and laughter. And if you're expecting the same from this latest Metzger offering, than you may be a little disappointed. The laughter is quite absent in "A Debt to Delia." However I rather enjoyed the book, once I got over Delia's perplexing behavoir. Because I didn't mind that this novel was not full of a laugh-a-minute goings-on. I was just a little flabbergasted as to why (for at least 12 chapters) Delia refused to consider Lord Tyverne's offer of marriage. All was explained (though I had already come to suspect something of what was actually going on by then) in chapter 12; and from that point on the novel became a really splendid read about honour, sacrifice, doing the right thing, and love. (Though I do wish that Ms Metzger had not kept me in the dark for so long!)

Because George Croft gallantly saves Major Lord Tyverne's life during some rather fierce fighting, Tyverne feels that he owes Croft his life. Unfortunately, Croft was later killed, leaving Tyverne with a debt unpaid, and a heavy conscience for having survived while Croft died. Going through Croft's things, Tyverne finds a bunch of letters form Croft's family. And upon reading them, Tyverne discovers that things are a shambles at Croft's home: his unmarried sister, Delia, is pregnant and it looks as if the guilty man who seduced her has since taken to his heels, and the gentleman who was courting Delia, has since withdrawn his offer of marriage. Furthermore the relative into whose charge Croft had placed things is withholding some much needed funds, so that things are really tight at Faircroft House. To Tyverne, it looks as if Delia in need of rescuing. Seeing this as a way to repay the debt he owes Croft, Tyverne immediately makes for Faircroft House as soon as he lands in England.

Things however don't pan out the way he expects it to. To begin with, Delia Croft, instead of falling into his arms with gratitude, refuses his offer of marriage, because she wants a marriage based on love, not obligation. Tyverne is flabbergasted: how on earth could a woman who is about to have a child out of wedlock still cling to romantic nonsensical notions when she's about to face a life of social censure and near poverty? (On top of it all she also seems to be responsible for the well-being of an impoverished aunt as well as Croft's fiance, and Croft's heir has made it clear that he has no intention of taking care of so many dependents.) On the other hand, Tyverne finds that he is quite drawn to Delia's strength, courage and quiet good looks. However, being a rather gruff army man, he senses that he has blown things quite irrevocably with Miss Croft. Can Tyverne mend things so that he can convince Delia that he is capable of giving her the kind of marriage she craves for? Or has he blown things beyond all mending?

If you're looking for a book with a hero that is almost too noble for words, and a heroine that matches the hero for high minded behavoir, than "A Debt to Delia" will definitely satisfy. And while I did wonder at Delia's perverse behavoir in turning down Tavern's offer of marriage, once all is explained in chapter 12, I was able to settle back and enjoy this novel immensely as Tyverne clears up the mess that Croft left behind him and begins in earnest his campaign to win Delia's heart and approval. I couldn't help but approve of Major Lord Tyverne, and really rooted for him to succeed with Delia. And while Delia is a worthy and likable heroine, this novel, I felt really belonged to it's gruff and capable hero. Major Lord Tyverne is in a class of his own, and makes reading this novel a real treat!

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Read!
Review: This is the first of Barbara Metzger's books I've read but it won't be the last. Major Lord Tyverne is not the typical romance hero. He's a little brusque and stiff but he is certainly honorable. And it is his honor that persuades him to seek out Delia to offer marriage. Unfortunately, there are some misunderstandings and confusion. But, he does do the most honorable thing (you'll have to read it for yourself) and I cried. As the story progresses and more characters invade Delia's life I laughed. Ty and Delia are truly likeable and their growing attraction and affection is a treat to watch. This book is hard to put down. It is a keeper!