The Penniless Bride (Historical)

Rating:
Summary: Almost a fairy-tale
Review: This regency set historical romance was almost a fairy tale - the reader definitely needed to suspend disbelief to enjoy it. For it was indeed a most enjoyable confection, a light-as-air pastry to be enjoyed.
Robert, Lord Selborne has been forced to return to England by the death of his parents and inheritance of the title. His lawyer has interesting news for him - to be sure he is to inherit a good deal of money necessary for the running of the estate from both his father and grandmother. However... there are some very nasty strings attached to each and the said strings are pulling against each other. His father's will impels him to marry a 'lady' who attends his cousin's forthcoming marriage within a month or lose his unentailed inheritance to his cousin. If that is not enough, his grandmother's will grimly requires him to remain celibate for 100 days to teach him a moral lesson! Robert is not amused.
Fate, though, rescues him from a fate worse than death with a nasty cousin in the person of Miss Jemima Jewell, an unexpected 'guest' at the wedding. Very unexpected - as she is the daughter of a master sweep who attends as a part of one of the 'traditional' superstitions attached to the wedding. She is also a 'lady', due to the fact of her education as one at the hands of Mrs. Montagu's school. The by-product of this has also been her own alienation from her origins, especially her father who is wanting to marry her off to his own advantage.
The pair are instantly attracted. Robert eventually persuades her to make a marriage 'in name only' and she agrees to find her own independance. Then fate tweaks the tale again and the marriage becomes real. They travel to his country estate - they both begin to know each other and discover their roles.
This is a most charming tale, despite all the blind eyes one must turn to the improbabilites of trick wills, noblemen marrying sweep's daughters and daft lawyers.
Robert and Jemimna are believable and very sympathetic characters. Jemima is especially wary of him and his station, her gradual acceptance of the reality of his sincerity is well done. Poor Robert's double bind is stretched out to create a good deal of sexual tension between the pair.
Jemima's brother is also swept into the tale involving a murder, highway robbery and yet another unlikely romance.
All highly charged - very entertaining, but definitely requiring a grave suspension of reality.