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The six Beverley sisters
live with their parents at Mannerling, a vast and beautiful
mansion. They have plenty of money and live lavishly, considering
everybody, but the highest in the land, beneath their notice.
But eldest daughter Isabella’s season has left her still
unwed. Could the family obsession with their home make her
boring? But disaster is to befall them all, for their father
Sir William has an announcement to make; he is a gambler and
has lost everything. Now it is up to Isabella to cajole the
obnoxious new owner Mr. Ajax Judd, into marrying her so they
can all move back home.?
Every new sextet of Regency romances penned by the prolific
Ms Beaton brings something new to what can seem a rather unimaginative
genre. This time it is a house, and the spell it casts on
those who own it and the amusing attempts of the six sisters
to regain it for the Beverleys. Unlike many of her other novels
this one is set entirely in the country but the lack of a
London season does not make it boring; there is too much going
on for that. Expect plenty of the trademark Beaton wit and
originality, underpinned by sound research into the period.
We get to see the haughty Beverleys taken down a peg and discovering
what really matters in life, as well of course as the romance
between Isabella and…you had better read the book to
find out about all that. I always enjoy the way this author
sidesteps many of the clichés and comes up with some
surprises instead.
Originally published back in 1995 this is the first chance
for UK readers to enjoy another of Ms Beaton’s wonderfully
amusing Regency sextets.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
Banishment
- Book I
Intrigue
- Book II
Deception
- Book III
Folly
- Book IV
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