Miss Whitlow's Turn (Signet Regency Romance)

Rating:
Summary: A nice, 4 star read
Review: Harriet Whitlow has a secret. Ever since her come out, she's been in love with her friend, George Clasby. But Mr. Clasby is a rake, completely unacceptable for a respectable girl like Harriet. Her father would not approve, even if Clasby DID think of her as more than a friend.

George Clasby knows his reputation is less than spotless, but he wants to reform. To do so, he recruits the help of his friend, Harriet Whitlow. If the ton sees him in the company of Harriet, perhaps some of her respectability will rub off on him? Over time, Harriet piques his interest in other ways. But Clasby doesn't stand a chance, as Harriet's father seems determined to marry his daughter off to a pompous earl named Lord Grafton.

Harriet is determined to win Clasby's heart, and to shake off the attentions of Lord Grafton... even if that means resorting to drastic measures.

I was looking forward to "Miss Whitlow's Turn", as it has characters from two of Mindel's previous novels, "Miranda's Mistake" and "Kiss of a Highwayman." I was looking forward to Clasby and Harriet's story, and it does not disappoint. It's a very enjoyable book, thanks to Jenna Mindel's breezy dialogue and strong storytelling. Some readers might think the book's pacing is slow, but I didn't.

However, there were a few incidents that didn't really settle well with me. Harriet, a supposed "paragon of virtue", puts herself in scandalous situations SEVERAL times throughout the book, and Mindel didn't even acknowlege all of them. I might be nitpicking, but I don't think it was acceptable behavior for a girl in the Regency period to slip off to a bachelor's town house. Harriet is a compelling character, but I think the reader was supposed to believe she was virtuous, but we're shown something entirely different.

All in all, I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a light, entertaining book. If you enjoy this, and you haven't read them, you should certainly read Mindel's other books. My personal favorite was "Kiss of the Highwayman."

Rating:
Summary: enjoyable and charming
Review: If you're in the mood for a simple tale of a young lady's attempts to spark the interest of the gentleman she's quite enamoured with, that is quite sedately paced, but that is written in a very engaging and winning manner, nonetheless, you'll want to give Jenna Mindel's "Miss Whitlow's Turn" a go.

A very proper young lady, much respected for her impeccable manners and her virtue, Miss Harriet Whitlow has been hopelessly in love with the well known rake, Mr. George Clasby for almost three years now. Living in hope that he will one day notice her, Harriet has managed to turn away her other more respectable suitors, even though she realises that her feelings for George are hopeless. For even if George were to reciprocate her feelings, her very protective father would never allow George to court her. But things are about to change. Tired of his hitherto rackety life, George has decided to turn a new leaf, and has applied to Harriet's father for permission to be part of her court -- not to court her of course but to be seen in her company, thus signaling to the ton his intention of becoming more respectable. Harriet's father is leery of this plan, but knowing of his daughter's true feelings for George, hopes that familiarity will breed contempt; thereby freeing Harriet to appreciate his choice of a good husband for her, the proper Lord Grafton. Now it is up to Harriet to show George that she is the lady who can make his life complete. But can the shy and retiring Harriet do this?

"Miss Whitlow's Turn" proved to be a pleasant read. In spite of the fact that the story was a very simple one with few frills, it was very well written and a very engaging one to boot. The author does a good job of making both Harriet and George likable, appealing and very sympathetic. How could anyone not empathise with the very proper Harriet's dilemma of how to go about with sparking the ardour of one gentleman while trying to repulse the interest of another? Light hearted and charming, this very enjoyable read proved to be just the ticket for a dull winter's evening.

Rating:
Summary: Very fun!
Review: Miss Whitlow's Turn by Jenna Mindel
February 10, 2005

Courtesy of WWW.loveromances.com

This was a fun regency romp written by Jenna Mindel. MISS WHITLOW'S TURN is the story of George Clasby, as he desperately seeks a way to clean up his reputation. He is known to have flings with married women, and now that he sees many of his friends marrying and settling down, he realizes he wants the same thing too. Unfortunately, his reputation is well known, and no single woman that is of a decent background wants to be associated with him.

George comes upon a brilliant plan to call on Miss Harriet Whitlow, who is now out on her third season and has been known to turn down suitors left and right. He has no desire to settle down with her, but they have already been acquainted and he thinks this is an easy way to ease his way back into respectable society. Since Harriet is highly respected in society, anyone associated with her would surely be accepted into society as well.

Harriet, on the other hand, has had her eye on George ever since they had met during her first season. When George turns his attentions on her, she is overjoyed and cannot believe her luck. Unfortunately, her father hates George and will not have his daughter wed to someone of the likes of him. Instead, he has chosen for his daughter Lord Grafton, a man that Harriet finds boring and annoying and she needs to find a way to get rid of him before she is stuck with him for life! Can she find a way to stop Grafton from proposing to her and at the same time win over George's heart?

Very fun reading! Any one who loves romances and has yet to try out a regency romance needs to read this one. This reviewer really enjoys the humor that often comes with these regencies, and MISS WHITLOW'S TURN was no exception. Very humorous and well written, with characters that felt very real and not just stereotypical people from this era. MISS WHITLOW'S TURN is highly recommended to lovers of regencies, and those who have yet to read one.