Improper Relations by Janet Mullany
The cover of this enticing novel by Janet Mullany promises ‘a rakish regency romance’ and I must agree they have got it spot on! From the word go, the reader is given a delicious insight into the fraught mind of a single woman in an age where a successful marriage is everything.
Being a huge fan of Austen and other such authors, I loved the feeling of stepping back in time and experiencing historical England; and it makes you feel that women have always had the same ‘man troubles’ whatever the era may be! Improper Relations is told in the first person, alternating between the hero and heroine; this was an aspect of Mullany’s style that I loved and was unusual in that you are given both sides to the story – a refreshing change!
A Rakish Regency Romance from Janet Mullany
After losing her best friend and distant cousin Ann Weller in marriage to the Earl of Beresford, sharp-witted protagonist Charlotte Hayden feels inclined to be even ruder than usual to potential suitors – much to her mothers disappointment! However she is caught in a compromising liaison with Beresford’s wicked cousin, the attractive and dastardly Shad – or so she is led to believe.
Charlotte finds herself in a reluctant marriage, missing Ann more than ever and paired with a husband more difficult to read than a book in a foreign language! Charlotte’s reactions to the restrictions of society are laughable and as a reader your frustrations grows with hers, as each complex situation and problem presents itself to her. I read with baited breath as Charlotte faced crossed wires, her husbands near-fatal illness, the potential loss of her best friend and many a fashion disaster!
You really do feel like you are with Charlotte every single step of the way through the story. Mullany, a self confessed ‘comical historical romance writer,’ has cleverly created a character who portrays the day to day anxieties of a young woman in an old fashioned age, but whom modern day women can relate to perfectly.
Improper Relations is a must read and provides a refreshing take on marriages of convenience!
I would give this novel a 4/5 and eagerly await Mullany’s next novel.
Tags: a little black dress book review, abbey anne book review, chick lit novel review, improper relations, janet mullany, little black dress books, regency romance