To Have and to Hoax
Lady James Audley (Violet) and her husband, younger son of the Duke of Dovington, have been at odds for four years, barely tolerating each other. Yet enough buried love remains that Violet is alarmed when she receives a letter from Lord James’s friend saying he has suffered a bad fall from a horse. She rushes to his side, only to discover he is perfectly fine and blasé about her concern. Violet resolves to teach James how it feels when the tables are turned, by feigning consumption. The game escalates as each of them seethes over the other’s lack of trust, the root of their estrangement.
This Regency includes some good comic scenes: “‘I’m trying to apologize and the best you can do is blink at me like an owl?’ The corner of Violet’s mouth twitched. ‘How flattering.’ ‘A very attractive owl, of course.’” I admired some clever turns of phrase, such as “James divided a glare between the two of them…” The couple spar over their difficulties a chapter or two too long—there were times I wanted to conk them on the head for being so stubborn. But the humor and satisfying resolution will please historical romance fans. Recommended.
