Joan Smith: Country Flirt

“YOU HAVEN’T CHANGED A BIT, MISS BRIGHT. STILL PLAYING THE COUNTRY BUMPKIN TO MAKE ME APPEAR A FOP.” So said Lord Monteith during the usual repartee to which he treated Samantha when he stopped with his mama in the country. For her part, Sam had lived for Monty’s visits between Seasons as long as she could remember, knowing that she could expect little else from that jaded gentleman. But their innocent flirtation was about to be dashed from a quite unexpected quarter: Monty’s middle-aged–and debauched–uncle Howard was returned from India, laden with riches and ready to spend them on a pretty young wife. And when Howard set his cap for Sam, Monty suddenly found that he must protest too much–that is, for just an old and trusted friend….

A sassy young country miss finds herself the unwitting object of the recently returned nabob’s attention in this provincial farce from Joan Smith. Samantha is the type of favored Reg Rom heroine–spunky, pretty and ready to give the hero a taste of his own medicine which he so richly deserves. Why? Because he is top-lofty, of course, and too much of a gudgeon to realize his heart belongs to his childhood friend.

This is a friends to lovers story, with lots of supporting characters full of comic relief. Like some other Smith’s, the romance is presented with a light touch…sacrificed in some ways for the comedy. That is not to say that this is Smith’s funniest…the middle is a bit saggy and draggy, and the buffoon Uncle is sometimes so over the top that I wanted to smack him.

There were some also borderline inappropriate (or at least boring) romantic subplots that just didn’t do anything for me. Although I typically like some action going on in the background to divert from what otherwise might be 200+ pages of frustrating miscommunication H/h scenes, I just found the love triangle that develops towards the middle/end a bit…weird? Uncomfortable?

But I digress. This being a traditional Reg Rom, of course there is a HEA and its clean, although the nabob certainly has some very liberal attitudes towards sex that make this not quite as clean as most trads. I did enjoy a younger heroine being pursued by an older roue…it was something different and definitely made me laugh. Maybe not in the slapstick sort of way that was intended, but definitely in the glad-that’s-not-me fashion.

I think it may improve on a second reading, and I will update if I find that to be the case. In the meantime, its not one I would recommend rushing out to find.

5 Stars 3.5 out of 6 A decent and sometimes funny traditional romance