Judith Hale Everett: Two In the Bush

Sir Joshua Stiles wants nothing more than to fill the hole in his heart left by his wife’s death, but it seems that women are more interested in his fortune than in himself. Cynical and ready to renounce all females, he is none too pleased when his sister invites her dear friend to visit for the Season.

Having survived a joyless marriage, Genevieve Breckinridge has no romantic expectations. In coming to London, she hopes only to cure her daughter’s Gothic fantasies. But Sir Joshua seems always to be at hand, either to witness Genevieve’s most mortifying moments, or to make himself so agreeable that she wishes she had not given up romance.

When her daughter develops a decided tendre for Sir Joshua, however, Genevieve suddenly realizes where her own heart lies, and must make a painful choice. For what loving mother could-or would-play rival to her own daughter?

CW: kidnapping, sexual assault (forced kisses), minor dustups

I am always open to new authors, especially independent, so was happy to give this book a try. Its incredibly well researched, a very immersive Regency experience, and filled with a bit of teasing over some the gothic devotees of the era (which I also enjoy).

Like many Heyers, we have two main female characters in the widowed mother, Genevieve and the ingenue, Leonora, but right away we mostly identify with Genevieve. She made a love match that ended in disappointment due to her husband’s dissipation, but somehow has maintained her sense of humor into widowhood and near poverty. She is also very prone to scrapes. I liked the idea of seeing a high flyer in her later years still being a bit of a hoyden. That was a very amusing concept that I would love to see more of…especially when the types of scrapes are driven more by an independent or stubborn streak than by being naïve or lacking experience.

Enter Sir Joshua, also widowed, and a stern and serious character who finds himself forever having to rescue or near rescue his sister’s bosom friend Mrs. Genevieve Breckinridge. He has been hiding from the marriage mart, as a prized potential match, but finds himself thrust into the Season to standby as protector for the Breckinridges.

What follows is a series of follies and foibles, fun, and some very witty dialogue. It is also jam packed with many Town delights including Vauxhall, Almack’s, the theatre, and shopping…well researched and seamless in description and usage. I could tell the author did a lot of research to understand all the locations (rather than just name dropping) and really provided a great sense of what those experiences may have been like.

I also liked some of the supporting characters, and how they really rounded out the story. My biggest complaint is that some the pacing was a bit slow or needed some editing, mostly because the secondary characters took up too much page space. I didn’t really need full conversations between the young ladies to understand they were gothic novel mad and terribly silly; and it set me off course of the primary object which was the romance.

It was also very predictable, but I happen to take comfort in tropes so that wasn’t an issue for me…however, don’t expect new ground to be broken in plot or action. That being said, if you are willing to be patient and forgive a heavy emphasis on the genre, the second half on is action packed, filled with acts of villainy, drama, and humor.

If you are looking for a kisses only romance that’s prose and tropes closely align with traditional Regencies I recommend checking out this book. I think this author has a lot of potential to provide another strong, well researched voice in the traditional Regency vein.

5 Stars 4.75 out of 6 A well researched traditional Regency matching up two widowers