LADY HARTLEY'S INHERITANCE by Wendy Soliman is a lively Regency romance with a bit of a twist. Deviating from the romance norm, Ms Soliman pens a novel with a life lesson for the Ladies. I give LADY HARTLEY'S INHERITANCE four stars.
For the past 15 months, Clarissa (Lady Hartley) has been struggling to keep her father's and late husband's wool business afloat. The will is still in probate and no funds have been released for the benefit of the estate. She travels to London in her state of near-poverty to meet the estate's solicitor, and lodges with her godmother, the dowager Lady Deverill.
Luc (Lord Deverill) is not looking forward to Lady Hartley's visit, to squiring around town a weepy woman in widow's weeds. However, Luc is pleasantly surprised by Clarissa, her contempt of all things tonnish (including a refusal to purchase a full wardrobe now that she is out of mourning), her "hands on" approach to running her business, and her inability to see how attractive she is.
Soon after her arrival in London, Clarissa is forced to accept help from Luc to deal with attempted fraud against her and the estate. Through their investigation, Luc and Clarissa grow close, and eventually several people become interested in the disposition of Lady Hartley's inheritance and whom she will marry.
For all of Clarissa's abilities – running two estates and a textile business – she is still woefully naïve when it comes to the ways of the world. Usually in regency romances, the male protagonist is the character to humble out and come to grips with the intelligent and opinionated woman with whom he is enamored. Here, Clarissa is the character who comes to grips with the reality that while she may be able to take care of herself, having a partner is infinitely better.
Initially, I did not like Lady Hartley. Clarissa is rash and so independent, she doesn't even bother talking to her godmother about her issues. It is enough to make readers pull their hair out. After her grand epiphany, she is much more reasonable and provides a fantastic life lesson - for the ladies this time: Yes, you can take care of yourself, but sometimes it's better to have a partner to share the load.
The development of the romance in the novel seems a bit typical of romance novels. I could have used more reasons for Luc's interest in Clarissa and vice versa. The romance in the novel is illustrated tastefully, though, earning a rating of 2 out of 5 on the heat scale, appropriate for those 16 years of age and over.
The pacing of the book is just right – not too fast, not too slow. Readers should also be aware that the author, Ms. Soliman, is British. So some words, phrases and spelling are British and may seem a bit odd to American readers.
I would have liked to have a bit more closure regarding the fates of Salik, Twining and Emily Stokes. The book isn't so long that a few more paragraphs wrapping up their storylines would impede the novel's pace, and I, for one, like to see the antagonists reap what they sow.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and recommend it to all historical romance lovers.
*Review originally written for The Romance Reviews.com at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=10643
