Good Groom Hunting

Josephine Hale and three of her cousins created the Spinsters Club when she was just 8 years old. Now at 18, Josie is armed with half of the treasure map that was made by her pirate grandfather and his partner James Doubleday. With the wealth which it could lead to, she would be beyond society’s strictures, and could remain free as she has always wished.

The other half of the map is likely to be found in the current Earl of Westman’s possession. Unfortunately, the two families had had a falling out with Nathan Hale being accused of killing his former partner.

Stephen Doubleday was the wastrel second son who went through a fortune. He has since reformed, inherited the title and is intent on restoring the family finances. The stories of treasure from his childhood are revived by his beautiful neighbor. Refusing to succumb to her attempt at seduction he instead demands partnership in the search and the spoils.

This is a light and very humorous romp of a regency that mixes a bit of suspense with a fair amount of heat. Chuckles will spill forth regularly as you watch the sparks fly between hero and heroine as they work to attain their shared goal of finding the treasure.

Both Josie and Stephen are sympathetic characters with the latter being particularly appealing as a man seeking redemption. The main difficulty for readers may be the uncharacteristic behavior and assumptions of the heroine who doesn’t seem to be written for this time period. She is a bold, adventure seeking young miss who is willing to go to great lengths in order to satisfy her goals in life. At the same time, she harbors a poorly explained terror of her mother whose punishments may bore Josie to tears, but otherwise cause no particular difficulty.

The conclusion was satisfying romantically but only after a bit of self-sacrifice that appeared to contradict the dire circumstances of a family near ruin.

Even taking all of the above into account, GOOD GROOM HUNTING is a read to take you away from your cares. All you need do is set aside some of your expectations of thoughts and conduct and allow yourself to be submerged in the fun.

June 2007