The Constant Companion (Thorndike Large Print Romance Series)

Rating:
Summary: Chesney's Familiar (heroine) is somewhat unengaging
Review: Poor Constance Lamberton. She is the familiar storybook heroine. Overworked and mistreated, her only escape from a hellish existence is marriage to a brooding, handsome man. Will the marriage be made of dreams? Will Constance find a way to strive past her troubles? Wait! Don't roll your eyes in disgust! For the true treasure of this book lies not in the insipid premise but in the engaging and hilarious characters that Chesney has created. Take for instance, Peter Potter, the sad subject of hilarious bouts of forgetfulness. In one episode, Peter arrives at the hero's house in slippers (instead of shoes), polishes his teeth with a quizzing eyeglass (instead of an appropriate utensil), and, having been admonished for his method of dental hygiene, uses the same quizzing eyeglass to scratch his head. The airhead that is Peter is well brought out and is a pleasure to read. So to is the cat-fight between bad-girls Mary Besant and Lady Amelia (the latter being the source of the heroine's pre-marriage hell). These two ladies engage in a standard-issue romance-novel war of wits. Chesney raises the silliness-factor of their fight by painting the two characters extremely well. Despite the fun characters, let's reconcile ourselves to the fact that the premise was probably doomed from the start. If you're going to read this book, don't set yourself up for disappointment. Just enjoy the frivolous fun.