The Devil's Darling (A Regency Romance)

Rating:
Summary: Very Good First Book
Review: It is no wonder that Casey Claybourne quickly rose in popularity if this book, her first published, is indicitive of her potential. This book has so much going for it.

The best part of this book is the writing: clean and smooth. Ms. Claybourne proves she is a master of the English language with all of its nuances. Another positive of this book is its strong, likable characters. Colin's consistently kind behavior makes him a model hero (though his reputation tries to convince us otherwise, we cannot believe he is anything but kind). Third, the plot keeps moving through the various problems the characters encounter and comes to a very satisfactory ending at the right time (as opposed to ending abruptly or being drawn out past the plot's viability).

This book had a few problems, though. First, Ms. Claybourne hasn't yet nailed down the Regency pecularities. For instance, when I was reading this, I was struck by the fact that the characters are allowed to run about unchaperoned and unchecked (more so than the circumstances demanded), in violation of the rules of the upper classes. Also, I thought that later sexual inferences/comments, though never explicit, were rather vulger and out of place with the gentle romance presented at the beginning of the book.

On the whole, though, this was a thoroughly enjoyable book to read. I look forward to reading other books by this talented author.