Just In Time [Paperback]

It is not long before Richard discovers that Williams mother, the dowager Duchess Veronica, was the young girl that he'd fallen in love with at the age of seven. In his eyes every bit as beautiful as long ago, but with her eyes revealing the pain of harboring a mother's secret. Soon Richard and the family's faithful and devoted retainers would be swept into keeping Veronica, along with William and his younger sister Hannah, safe from the madman that had engineered the previous duke's murder. A murder that up until then had been thought to be an accident.

For those readers who look for 'classic' regency tales that provide pure entertainment with humor, adventure, and elegant prose, you need look no further. I have found this author to fit the bill in all aspects when looking for just that. Out of the ordinary, are the two main protagonists as they are in the 'autumn' of their lives with a second chance at love. You will also find undeniably sweet, the words that every 40 plus woman would love to hear.... "You must be the most beautiful woman ever created by God, and every year of your life, God has added to your beauty inside and out until now, at the very sight of you, my heart cries aloud in wonder..." Poetic, humorous - you'll just love the old hound Thoephilus - and a truly wonderful 'love' story. This was a really lovely read! --- Submitted by Marilyn, Official Reviewer for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---

What there is, though, is nicely amusing. The Lansdowne touch with animals is evident. Besides an elderly hound (who is very important to the plot), we have a cat with six kittens, Mrs. Quillbristle the hedgehog, and assorted horses. We also have spunky teenage girls, centuries-long family feud, ghosts, a deep, dark family secret, secret caverns, and other plot staples that move the book right along. A bit of a cliche, but nicely done.

Plot? Well, it's a Regency - so you know there's a happy ending. Itinerent preacher who is fonder of archeology than of preaching is invited to investigate some relics. Gets there, finds out his benefactor is dead under mysterious circumstances and the widow is a childhood friend he hasn't seen in 30 years. Villain is trying to kill off family in order to steal relics, with a sub-text of the aforementioned family feud making him feel he's entitle to said relics. (Who the villain is, is telegraphed to us fairly early on, relatively speaking.) Widow has two children, the current Duke, who has one eye, and one of the spunky teenage girls. Mysterious relics get stolen and found again; widow gets kidnapped and rescued; widow and son reconcile; widow and preacher live happily ever after.

It's not at all a novel plot, but with this book, the humorous details and dialogue are the reason to read it, rather than novelty. It's a very nice, amusing read (and it was a great relief, after reading another book, which I have also reviewed, which was totally wrong for a Regency.)

Details for those who like certain levels of various elements in their stories: kissing is as far as we go in the area of sex, and it's consenting adults at that. There are a few bloody deaths or attempts thereto. There is nothing occult- the ghost isn't one, we find out quickly. The fact that the hero's a preacher does not make the book overtly religious or preachy; this wasn't written to cater to the "Christian market."

One last note: this book is supposed to be the first in a trilogy, and we can certainly tell that the next book will be about the one-eyed Duke, and the one after that will be about the spunky 15-year old, when she comes of age. I'm looking forward to them.