Even A Great Author...

doesn't write a keeper every time.

Miss Billings Treads The Boards by Carla Kelly
(1993, Regency) 9/7/06
Grade: 3.5

After her father’s death, Kate’s only choice is to become a governess - but she ends up taking to the stage with a motley band of actors. Lord Henry Grayson, bored and balding, stumbles into the same theatre group (after being shot by his nephew) and finds himself on the stage with a new “wife” - and after a few days with Kate, he doesn’t want the masquerade to end!

This was a charming Regency that started to wear thin by the end. It was refreshing to find a balding hero, and the theatre setting was interesting. There were a few too many secondary characters, but I managed to keep them straight by the end. But the main problem was the relationship between the hero and heroine - by the halfway point, the relationship had stalled, and it didn't develop any more until the end. Even though I liked the hero and heroine, the last half of the book felt like the same thing over and over. Not one of Kelly’s best books, but still worth reading.

I keep hearing rumors that Carla Kelly might write some more books for Harlequin Historical. Even when she's not at her best, her books are still worth reading, so I hope it works out!