So I finished my second romance read yesterday, and I really enjoyed it. Madeline Hunter‘s Sinful in Satin is about Celia Pennifold, the daughter of a renowned London courtesan, who must decide whether or not to pick up the family trade after her mother’s death. It’s the third book in a quartet, all with equally silly titles, but I thought it stood alone just fine. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the others.
Celia, 22 or 23, has been living in the country with an assortment of friends since running away from home five years ago. Her mother’s final illness called her back to London, and now that she has inherited a house (and a mountain of debts) she decides to try and make it on her own for awhile. Returning to her mother’s house after the funeral, she finds that she is not alone: there is a tenant there, a Jonathan Albrighton, whom she’s met before but hasn’t seen in years. He won’t leave (as he’s secretly investigating her mother on suspicion of espionage during the Napoleonic wars), and the two of them must work things out as well as they can. Naturally, sparks fly.
This book is so different from the last one I read that it’s hard to believe they’re both sold as Regency romances. It’s clear that Hunter knows her period backward and forward–and, moreover, that she loves her subject. She’s also a talented writer– I never expected from the cover that I would enjoy the writing itself so much. (There is that old saying.) She doesn’t shy away from the social implications of her heroine’s (and hero’s) dubious parentage. Instead, those implications become the driving force between both characters actions throughout most of the story. There are also a multitude of beautiful little details– the morning ritual of hauling up wash-water from the well, the rarity of oranges, the high price of nails– that suck you in and make you part of the story. The protagonists are well-drawn and likable, and the rakish Duke of Castleford is a delight to read. My only quibble with the characters is that I found Verity and Audrianna hard to distinguish (a problem I wouldn’t have had if I’d read the other books, I’m sure). Apparently Daphne and Castleford are supposed to get together in the next book, so I’ll have to buy that one, and I might keep an eye out for Ravishing in Red and Provocative in Pearls (*snicker*) when I do.
I did have a few issues with Albrighton’s high-handed manner in the beginning– he has that gruff, manly, do-as-I-say-I’m-a-man bit that women are apparently supposed to find more appealing? It bothered me less as the story went on, though, so maybe he got better. I also thought that a couple of the later sex scenes felt kind of gratuitous. I’ve come to have an issue lately where the happy ending hinges on one of the characters being high-born, especially if it’s a Cinderella-style princess story. That isn’t the case in this one– in fact, the trope is kind of subverted– but I’d be interested in reading a book by Hunter featuring common-born characters. Since I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for her in the future, I hope to find one someday.
Verdict: Very good book; heartily recommended!
Katrina Reads Love Stories 