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I truly liked the heroine and hero of this novel, with its appealing characters. There are a number of plot twists that I also enjoyed.

Although this is a traditional/clean Regency, the heroine makes a choice in this book that I found HIGHLY unlikely given her class, upbringing, and background. It may have added to the 'romance' but I found it spoiled the timbre of the setting and the social mores of that particular time period, and altered my sense of the novel's authenticity. I guess "spoiled" is a bit (but only a bit) too strong, perhaps i should say the unlikelihood of her choice (and her subsequent decision to divulge it to a most unexpected gentleman) tainted my overall enjoyment of the book.

I don't want to divulge the specifics as it is a major plot point but after reading the novel any reader of regency novels will immediately know to what I refer.

This is one of my very favorite stories. The characters are believable, complex, and I really cared about them. The first time I read the story I was not sure how it would all come together for the h and h. The ending seemed rushed and it would have been nice to have included an epilogue to get a glimpse of the happy ending for the couple. I hope the book will be available on Kindle soon, my first used copy had a defect (the chapters in the middle of the book were out of order) and I bought a second copy of the paperback to read the story in the correct order.

I have re-read this book 3 times,(when I need a good romance novel fix). Diana Brown's novels are all wonderfully well written, with interesting characters. This has a permanent place on my bookshelf.

This review is copied from the "Good Ton"'s Regency Reviews, which sums up the story very nicely:

"When Charles, Lord Mortimer, first comes to London he is an impoverished owner of an inferior estate whom no matchmaking mama would consider for her daughter. He falls in love with a beauty who laughs at his proposal. Heartbroken when she chooses to marry a wealthy baronet instead, he scrapes together enough money to buy a commission and heads for the Peninsula hoping to be killed. Instead, he becomes a hero and returns to England with newfound fame and fortune that wins him the admiration of all, including the lady who had jilted him. Despite his misgivings, Mortimer is drawn into an affair with her. But one day, en route through Hyde Park to an assignation, he happens upon Penelope Bransom defending a girl from her abusive father. Mortimer is intrigued by Penelope's determination and by the gentler side of her that is revealed by the botanical painting she had been working on before the fracas. He accompanies her on the hour-long walk to her door, and their paths cross again throughout the Season.

Penelope Bransom is the widow of a man whom everyone believes she loved deeply and still mourns. In truth, she despised him for his cruelty in the marriage bed and his mockery of her failure to produce an heir. She has accompanied her younger sister to London for a Season to spare the girl the attentions of her late husband's equally unpleasant nephew. Penelope herself has determined not to remarry but she is drawn to Mortimer, and after a fateful encounter at a roadside inn, she realizes that love and passion may be possible for her after all. But a series of unfortunate occurrences threaten to keep the lovers apart.

This is a fine portrayal of complex characters and intense emotions. Mortimer's pain at his first love's betrayal makes him hesitant to risk his heart again and magnifies his reaction when Penelope refuses his proposal. Penelope's oppression by her cruel husband has damaged her but has not completely crushed her spirit. Her love of art was her mainstay through difficult times: "She achieved her utmost serenity in interpreting nature" ... "Thoughts she was unable to express to anyone became expressed in the flamboyance of the red oriental poppy, in the serene blue of the forget-me-not."

Diana Brown is a highly skilled writer whose prose shines whether she is describing a character's emotions, the beauty of the natural world, or the glitter of London society. She brings the Regency period to life in novel ways, showing the reader a scientific demonstration by Sir Humphry Davy, a garden fete featuring tableaux, and even the text of a corset advertisement. She also paints a broader portrait of society by giving a glimpse of the London underworld and its Cockney rhyming slang and especially through a frank examination of the constraints on women's rights -- a theme that runs through many of her books. Though the overall tone of this book is serious, however, the issues it raises never overwhelm the romance. This is first and foremost a beautiful and moving love story."

I enjoyed this story very much--everything that above review has described. My only bone to pick was that neither hero nor heroine fought hard to change their unfortunate situations, they were rather passive about fighting for their future. The happy ending only came about by some lucky coincidences. I felt this somewhat weakened their love for one another. nevertheless, this still was a highly recommended read.

Penelope Bransome had learned how thoroughly unpleasant love could be during her brief marriage. She was little more than a girl when wed, and by the time her husband's death released her she was a young woman determined never to be ensnared by a man again. Handsome, Lord Charles Mortimer had more adoration than he could possibly want as England's greatest hero and as the favorite of London's most ravishing lady, the beautiful, blue-blooded Georgina Staverton. Clearly Lord Mortimer could have not interest in retiring Penelope. Then they were thrown together and suddenly nothing was clear except certain feelings that both of them did not dare admit and that neither could ignore.