An Unusual Georgian

Another Georgian masquerading as a Regency - for the most part, this could be a Regency, except for the references to lace cuffs and high heeled shoes (for the men!)

The Parfit Knight by Juliet Blyth
(1986, Georgian) 10/26/07
Grade: 3.5

Since a childhood accident, Rosalind has lived in the country, her routine making it easier to deal with her blindness. It’s only when the Marquis of Amberley is stranded on her doorstep that she realizes what she’s been missing, and decides to join her brother in London. But will secrets in Amberley’s past keep them apart?

There were a lot of good things about this book. The characters were well written, and the scenes in the country show the attraction between Amberley and Rosalind. But once the action moves to London, the book becomes crowded with characters and side plots. The secondary characters are interesting, but it takes away from the central love story, which is pushed off to the side for a large part of the book. And the “misunderstanding” between the hero and heroine goes on for too long, and keeps them apart during much of the second half. I enjoyed the book, but it didn’t reach the heights that it could have, if the author had followed through.

I found it hard to grade this book, because I read it in fits and starts over a period of a couple of weeks. Maybe I would have liked it more if I'd read it straight through - but if it had been a better book, I probably would have found the time to keep reading.