REGENCY ENGLAND STYLE
By Vicky Dreiling
When I set out to write WHAT A RECKLESS ROGUE NEEDS, the second book in my SINFUL SCOUNDRELS SERIES, I started with the concept of Taming of the Shrew. To some extent, there are elements of The Taming of the Shrew as Angeline Brenham and Colin Brockhurst face off at their parents’ annual house party. Having literally known each other all of their lives, you might assume they share fond memories, but in fact, it’s quite the opposite. In Colin’s words, he and Angeline are like oil and water; they don’t mix well.
Now they’re both in their early thirties and forced into each other’s company at the annual house party, but there’s far more to both of them. Colin is the product of what we call a ‘blended’ family in modern times. His widowed father remarried while Colin was away at school, and he’s never really felt a part of his father’s second family. Colin spends all of his time in London wenching and drinking—until his father threatens to sell an ancestral property that Colin had assumed he would inherit one day. He finds himself at the mercy of his father who insists his son settle down and wed. Those are the conditions for the property that means so much to Colin, because it is where his mother is buried.
At first glance, Angeline is a prickly, defensive woman—with good reason. When she learned others were gossiping about her single state at the ‘advanced’ age of thirty, she makes the mistake of getting engaged to the Regency equivalent of Mr. Wrong. When she discovers quite publicly that her fiance is unfaithful, she breaks the engagement and scandal ensues. The gossip is so bad her mother takes her to Paris, but the rumors of her being a woman of easy virtue follow her. She hides the pain, but she worries that her bad reputation will ruin her little sister’s own come-out ball next spring.
Colin is desperate to keep his father from selling Sommerall, the property where his mother is buried. He knows that Angeline helped with the renovations at her parents’ mansion. He believes that his father will relent if he shows initiative by taking an inventory of all the work that needs to be done, but he has no experience.
Initially Angeline turns down Colin’s request to help, but she recognizes his sarcastic response is a cover for pain. She knows how it feels to be rejected. Together they set out to restore a property, but in the process of this ‘extreme makeover,’ they both discover a passion for more than an old house filled with relics of another lifetime.
Many thanks to Collette for the invitation to her wonderful blog. May the Magic Romance Fairies be with you all!
You’re so welcome, Vicky!
Connect with Vicky
Publicist: Melissa Sangiocomo
Buy Link:
Grand Central Publishing, Publicity
237 Park Avenue NYC, NY 10017
