The Wagered Bride (Signet Regency Romance)

Rating:
Summary: last McCarthy book I read...
Review: I had read Ms. McCarthy's previous book "The Rejected Suitor" which was terrible! This one, well, I stopped reading half-way through the book. Yes, I know in the regency period or other time in history people were different - different codes of behavior. You might not pay the baker or the person who makes your clothes, but debts of "honor", i.e. gambling, those must be paid. It was not unusual for the nobles to refill their banks with money from Cits. Anyone ever notice how all the women who were Cits who marry nobles are all pretty? Anyhow, I now will refuse to finish any more regencies that have silly heroes and heroines. Elizabeth Shelby, the pretty Cit, had her elopement stopped by Stephen Clearbook, the four son of a duke and the brother of the arrogant Duke of Elbourne. Stephen is yet another regency buck addicted to gambling and drink. Of course, the author tries to dress this fact up by telling us Stephen is a war hero. And under that gambler exterior, a good man. Addicts, whether gambling or drinking, have many issues not solved by marrying. But I digress...Stephen foils the attempted elopement of Elizabeth with Fennington, the cad who caused issues for the sister of Stephen and the Duke, Emily. Now, why Stephen would simply not explain to Elizabeth the reason Fennington was a cad is beyond me and here is where I toss the book. The assumption is that romances need the "conflict" that must be resolved to create a story so note to romance authors: make the conflict real! Why have this ridiculous Fennington hanging? The conflict would have been better served with them marrying and learning to live in each others world. Also, the fact that Elizabeth was at a house party AND attended Almacks was not really plausible. Skip this trite and ridiculous story.