Penelope is a hopeless country gel with no town bronze, raised by a slightly wicked stepmother who has basically forbidden her to return home. Luckily, her fairy godmother (in the form of a dowager who was bosom friends with Penelope’s mother in school) and fairy godsister have invited Penelope down for a Season.
If you read The Wicked Wager, or at least my review, you probably anticipate that Anya Wylde is no Reg. traditionalist. There is very light intimacy, but the prochronistic leanings and often very silly plot devices, require a great license for levity. If you enter with that expectation, you are likely to be as tickled as I was.
Penelope brings with her an unusual pet, a fair share of clumsiness, and an endearing honesty that her tonnish companions cannot help but fall in love with. I have to say, there were a few MacGuffins, which rarely in romance were well executed, and a delightful assortment of supporting characters including the fairy godsister, Lady Radclyff who has a gothic bent, a strong sense of the ridiculous, and is hopeless in love with a man of questionable character.
The hero, while it may be obvious at the outset, comes along sweet and lovable despite his Darcy-esque tendencies (he really can be very rude).
It reminded me of some of my favorite duck-out-of-water Heyer’s. Although Penelope is a rustic, she is also an Original. And the very imperfect qualities of our H/h are what ultimately made this an enjoyable romp.
Wylde plays with the Pygmalion theme in Penelope; although we have several scenes of our heroine learning everything from how to use a fan to how to quiet her babbling nervousness from a very interesting Madam ultimately it is her very original personality that captures everyone’s heart.
5 out of 6, delightfully silly and fun. A perfect rainy day read.
| Content Rating/Heat Index | |
|---|---|
| Mature Content |   |
| Moderate adult subject matter | |
| Intimacy | |
| Brief kissing | |
| Violence | |
| Some fisticuffs and robbery | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Recommended for older teens and above. Vanilla, but written with a contemporary fiction flair. | |
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*A review copy was provided by author. No other compensation was provided.
