Regency England

Caroline Fortune's ne'er-do-well father has revealed to her that his financial status is nil and that he's found the perfect situation for her. The widow of Captain Fortune's senior officer is in need of a companion, and she is willing to take Caroline into her employ. Caroline is well aware of her good fortune, no pun intended, as her only other choice would be as a governess, and a companion position is much preferable to dealing with children. Or is it? Mrs. Catling may be rich, but she's also a disagreeable, contrary old woman who delights in tormenting her nephew who desperately needs her money. Rudeness and cruel comments are the order of the day for Mrs. Catling as she deals with her servants and anyone else who crosses her path. But Caroline, used to her rakish father's lifestyle, barely blinks an eye at her employer's comments -- and earns some grudging respect.

One thing Mrs. Catling doesn't want Caroline to do is to fit into the old woman's crowd so well that a suitor will whisk her away. Caroline pooh-poohs this also, until the old woman's niece and nephew introduce her to a new acquaintance. Is the handsome, roguish Mr. Leabrook looking for a wife -- or is Caroline misunderstanding his attention? How she deals with Leabrook's offer will affect her life later on. In the meantime, her father dies and Caroline must get leave from Mrs. Catling to attend his funeral. Caroline's trip to Bath to bury her father will change her life in many ways.

Without being too disrespectful to Jane Austen's memory, if she had written this book, I would have been her devoted follower! INDISCRETION is witty, earthy, and filled with some of the funniest dialogue I've ever read. Caroline and her fellow characters are a rich concoction of eccentricity, dry humor, silliness, and sharpness as they dance around Society's somber expectations, subtly changing the rules as they go along. Will Caroline find the one good man who understands her independence and needs? Will Mrs. Catling's nephew ever marry his true love and inherit his aunt's vast estate? All will be answered in a truly enjoyable, beautifully written romp through Regency England.

Anyone who loves a good Regency novel will delight in reading INDISCRETION.

Jani Brooks