Publishers Weekly
In Regency London, Alexandra is about to embark on her first season of balls and dinners, and while nothing "would steer her mother from the course of marrying off her only daughter," 17-year-old Alex is put off by men's seeming lack of interest in women with "any amount" of intelligence ("Evidently, it scares eligible gentlemen off"). Her opinions about romance change when she develops feelings for her brothers' friend Gavin, who is mourning the sudden death of his father (making Gavin the new earl of Blackmoor). Mac-Lean's debut is well paced, and as readers fill up on descriptions of dresses and society's rules, another plot line develops: Alex overhears a conversation proving that Gavin's father was murdered, and she puts her relationship, reputation and life in danger to help him. Readers will appreciate the clique lit/historical romance hybrid: headstrong Alex rolls her eyes and gossips with friends, but still knows the steps to the quadrille. Clever conversation in the spirit of Jane Austen makes this quite a page turner. Ages 12-up. (Mar.)
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School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up
The year is 1815, and 17-year-old Lady Alexandra Stafford is out in society for her first London season: a long sequence of parties where debutantes are paraded in front of eligible bachelors, and finding a husband is of utmost importance. But Alex is an unconventional woman, and this world does not interest her. She prefers independence, despises the thought of an arranged marriage, and hopes to foil her mother's plans to find her a rich husband. Then a family friend, Gavin, the new Earl of Blackmoor, whom Alex had always thought of as a brother, arrives on the scene, and she suddenly realizes that he is not looking at her with brotherly affection. Unfortunately, he is distracted from romance by the suspicion that his father had been murdered. The attempt to solve the mystery of his death places Gavin and Alex in mortal peril. The author excels in her depiction of 19th-century England-the dialogue in the society scenes is spot-on. Alex's character is well developed; however, too many supplemental characters make it difficult to get to know them well. The love scenes between Alex and Gavin are fun and romantic, but too modern to be authentic. Readers of Jane Austen will find elements of this story too anachronistic, but fans of the movies of her novels and light historical romances will enjoy this book.-Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO
Kirkus Reviews
Jane Austen meets Trixie Belden. Lady Alexandra Stoddard is an anachronism-a feisty, outspoken feminist in Regency England. But the 17-year-old's impassioned resistance to courtship and marriage rings false from page 23, with the introduction of the ploddingly obvious object of her reluctant but inevitable affections, her brothers' best friend Gavin Sewell, the Earl of Blackmoor. Alex's insatiable curiosity further complicates her relationship with Gavin; suspecting that he's in danger, she's determined to solve the puzzle of his father's recent suspicious death, despite Gavin's objections. Formulaic plotting, repetitive phrasing and scant development of supporting characters, such as Alex's rival Penelope, weaken the story. But the novel is grounded in both historical context (Napoleon's escape from Elba and the anonymous publication of Austen's novels) and historical detail (ball gowns and the rigors of etiquette), which set the scene convincingly. MacLean's lively characters, however improbable, provide a fun and unrestrained take on a buttoned-up era, and readers who choose to give themselves up to the tale will enjoy it. (Mystery/historical fiction. 12 & up)
From the Publisher
"Clever conversation in the spirit of Jane Austen makes this quite a page turner." — Publishers Weekly"A fun and unrestrained take on a buttoned-up era, and readers who choose to give themselves up to the tale will enjoy it." — Kirkus Reviews
