Goddess of the Hunt
Lucy Waltham grew up as one of the boys, tagging along with her brother Henry and his friends, and she is as skilled at riding, fishing, and archery as any man. But she lacks skills in the feminine arts, particularly flirtation and seduction, and she’s about to lose Toby, the man she has loved since childhood, to a soft-spoken, ladylike rival. Lucy learns best from doing, so she sets out to seduce Jeremy Trescott, who has always seen her as a little sister. The seduction goes humorously awry, but it awakens some very surprising romantic feelings for Lucy and Jeremy.
Dare’s debut, the first in a Regency trilogy, is lively and fun. Lucy is a spunky heroine, and her attempts at becoming more ladylike in order to trap a man are humorous. The romance between Lucy and Jeremy isn’t unexpected, but the development of their love story is handled nicely, as is the resolution of Jeremy’s emotional distance from the people he loves. Sophia, Lucy’s rival for Toby’s affections, has unusual depth for a secondary character, and the surprising friendship between the two women adds to this enjoyable novel.
