Summer Kittens [Paperback]

In the first of this book's three Regency romance novellas, Emma, Lady Stanyon finds herself a widow sitting among the chaperones at the ripe old age of 24. She made a marriage of convenience when her father died, and now she focuses her life on getting her eligible stepdaughter happily settled. Emma has an odd talent, which she sometimes sees as a gift but all too often considers a curse: she can sense the feelings of cats. And since they know she can communicate with them in this mysterious way, felines flock to her wherever she goes. That is how she renews her acquaintance with Nicholas Radlett, Viscount Breydon - she scoops a terrified kitten from under the hooves of his horse. So how does this handsome man really feel about cats? And will her stepmother's "gift" embarrass young Sophie straight out of the upper crust marriage market? I liked this one best of the three tales, because Emma's dilemma had a delightful speculative element that drove the story instead of being shoehorned into it. Different for a romance, and nicely done.

In the book's second installment, Anne Tandridge is three days from being married to her wealthy neighbor when her long lost former fiance reappears. Richard Kingsley has no idea why Anne flies at him for being faithless, even after she tells him of her marriage contract with Sir Arthur Ide. So Anne, torn between her love for one man and her perceived duty to keep her promise to the other, decides to challenge them to a contest against each other - a contest in which the two orphaned kittens she has just rescued play a pivotal role. This was fun, but its stilted writing style screamed "Regency!" a little too loudly for my taste.

The book's third and final story is that of Miss Margaret Denby, the youngest sister in a family otherwise made up of brothers. Big, strapping brothers who have been doing a fine job of driving away every man who has dared to show a romantic interest in Margaret - but now she finds herself stranded alone at a country inn, after one brother leaves her there expecting another to arrive and take over the job of protecting her. As Margaret waits in vain for Neville to show up, she finds herself accused of stealing one of a noblewoman's litter of valuable Russian blue kittens. A gentleman also staying at the inn rescues her by paying for the kitten - after which he gives her the little cat as a present. Margaret can't resist accepting the small charmer, and by doing so she seals that gentleman's false impression that this unescorted young woman is what Regency society calls a light skirt. A female whose favors can be purchased with expensive gifts, and not the lady Margaret knows herself to be. At first she finds this amusing. But soon she finds herself falling in love with the man, Member of Parliament Jonathan Helm - and that makes his misconception far more awkward to correct. A smooth read, light and enjoyable and laced with just the right amount of humor.

Overall? Mind candy. Exactly what I wanted when I picked it up.

--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of "Tabitha June Is a Shoulder Cat"

› Go to Amazon U.S. to see the review  4.0 out of 5 stars