MADreads

Make me a match

March 26th, 2009 Kathy K. - Central

The Courtesan Chronicles is a trilogy of Regency romances by Claudia Dain. So far there are only three, but according to her web page she plans on writing more.  Yeah!

A major character in all three romances is Lady Sophia Darby, a former courtesan who married an Earl for love.  I like Sophia.  She is funny, smart, and people-savvy.  She stretches the boundaries of society and keeps the Ton on its toes.  She uses her people-reading skills to help other young women find their happily ever after just as she did.  Along the way we not only learn about the main love interests of the story, but we slowly learn more about Sophia’s background and family.

Her first opportunity to play matchmaker is with her own daughter, Caroline, in The Courtesan’s Daughter.  Because of her mother’s infamous past as a courtesan, Caroline’s marriage prospects are somewhat limited.  So when her mother agrees to pay the gambling debts of the Earl of Ashdon in exchange for marriage, Caroline is more than a bit upset.  Ashdon sees her as aloof and prudish, which enrages her even more.  She decides to take control of her life and become a courtesan just like her mother was.  The changes to her dress and behavior cause Ashdon to see her in a different light and he decides that marrying her won’t be so bad after all.  However, he has to convince Caroline and push aside the other suitors.  Along the way Lady Darby helps them both see how right they are for each other.

After successfully matching up her daughter, she now has the respectable young ladies of London coming to her for help finding a husband.  In The Courtesan’s Secret Lady Louisa Kirkland enlists the help of Lady Darby to win the love of the rakish Marquis of Dutton and to retrieve her family’s pearls which are in his possession.  Louisa’s father sold them to Dutton and she wants them back along with Dutton as a husband. However, Sophia realizes that Louisa really belongs with her childhood friend, Lord Henry Blakesley.  Wagers are placed on who will end up with whom.  Lady Sophia uses her considerable people skills to make sure that Louisa ends up with the right man.  A delightful regency romp.

The lastest in the Courtesan Chronicles is The Courtesan’s Wager.  Lady Amelia Caversham been on the marriage market for a while without success.  Since Lady Darby fixed up her daughter and Amelia’s cousin, Amelia decides that she needs help landing a husband. In spite of her apprehension, Amelia asks Lady Darby to help her land a duke.  Of course, Sophia agrees and the hunt for a duke begins.  With Lady Darby’s help Amelia begins to compile a list of dukes to interview for a husband.  Once she interviews one duke the competition to get on her interview list begins.  In fact, bets are placed on who Amelia will chose.  The brother of one of the interviewees, the Earl of Cranleigh, has made it very clear that he will do anything to protect his brother from falling under her spell.  One thinks that the man doth protest too much. It is fun to watch Amelia and Cranleigh spar and, of course, to find true love.

These romances are funny, sensuous, and a delight to read.  I really admire the beautiful widowed Lady Sophia Darby and look forward to reading more in the series of books where she plays matchmaker and maybe even finds love again for herself.

Entry Filed under: Romance