Historical In Name Only

Another book for the book club... my track record has not been good so far.

The Wicked Games of a Gentleman by Jillian Hunter
(2006, Regency Historical) 10/22/06
Grade: 2.5

Drake Boscastle’s only thought is the courtesan he plans to seduce - until he stumbles on down-on-her-luck companion Eloise Goodwin, who is trying to keep her charge in line until her wedding. As Eloise’s situation becomes increasingly desperate, Drake finds himself attracted despite himself - but is he looking for a mistress, or a wife?

An author who’s trying very hard to be Julia Quinn - and not doing a very good job. The “historical” background of this book is laughable - the hero and heroine run around (and fool around) like it’s the 21st century, with barely a thought about the consequences. The book is overstuffed with handsome rakes who are being groomed for books of their own. But when the author pauses for a moment to actually develop the characters, there are a few nice moments - I liked the heroine, and the hero wasn’t bad either - but it was hard to believe in either one of them in such a contrived book. Some moments of humor helped, but not enough to recommend it.

I'm not a stickler for historical accuracy. I don't worry about which year the waltz was introduced, or searching for mis-used words. But I expect a historical to have some kind of historical sensibility, a sense that the book features characters who have a passing acquaintance with the mores of the time. I can overlook a lot if the characters are really terrific - but when the rest of the book is only so-so, all the other errors are even more glaring.