New author! Victoria Alexander’s latest book, The Importance of Being Wicked, has quite good reviews and I liked what I perused* when I picked it up at a book store, so I decided to give her a test read. Because my never-ending quest for a new historical romance writer has resulted in disappointment, after disappointment, after disappointment, I started with a novella. That way, if I was once again let down, the hope crushing would be less time-consuming.

Not a typical romance, Lady Amelia’s Secret Lover is about a couple going through the seven-year itch. The title character, Amelia Hathaway, shares a name with one of my all time favourite heroines (Mine Till Midnight ), from my all time favourite author, Lisa Kleypas, and I have decided it is a loving homage. Madly in love with her husband when she married, Amelia has noticed that their lives have settled into a comfortable, safe routine. Upon discovering a diamond bracelet she assumes to be for her husband Robert’s mistress, Amelia sets out to get his attention by announcing that she has decided to take a lover. Hijinks ensue.

Lady Amelia’s Secret Lover was a quick, enjoyable read. I didn’t understand why, if one were to embark on an affair, one would choose the identical twin of one’s husband as the whole point is, one assumes, to get some strange, but it was required by the conceit of the story. The writing was of good enough quality and sufficiently entertaining that I have purchased another of Alexander’s books, The Prince’s Bride, and have reasonably high hopes for the novel. If the second book goes well, I might finally have that extensive romance back catalogue that I have longed for. Woo and hoo!

*I’m following my own advice as “peruse” in this context means reading the first few pages and then skipping forward to check on the canoodling to make sure there will be no unpleasant surprises.

The (Shameful) Tally

Tagged: book reviews, historical romance, romance reviews, Victoria Alexander