Shirley Karr, What an Earl Wants

What an Earl Wants

Shirley Karr

Avon, Jan 2005, $6.99, 384 pp.

ISBN: 0060742305

In 1816 London, the Earl of Sinclair, Benjamin hires Joe Quincy as his secretary because he likes the cheeky response the applicant provides back to his inquiries although he has some doubts as the lad does not shave. Quickly, Joe gets the household staff and even Benjamin's mother warped around his thin finger and soon uncovers that his predecessor Johnson embezzled quite a bit of money from the Earl.

Benjamin realizes something is not quite right with Joe; a revelation hits Benjamin that Joe is Josephine. As she hires homeless servants who seem to get married rather quickly, he earns the reputation as the "matchmaking Earl". When Jo and Benjamin fall in love, she rejects him because she fears the scandal will hurt her beloved and his kind mother. Benjamin knows he must persuade her otherwise.

Though women masquerading as males have been done quite frequency amongst the Regency romance sub-genre, nonetheless this is a fabulous tale due "Mr. Quincy". Benjamin is a typical hero while the support cast augments the plot by providing insight into the lead couple. The "chase" for Johnson provides a bit of a mystery and some suspense, but the novel is owned by the wonderful Jo. Fans will enjoy her antics as a young man and as a desirable woman. Readers will look forward to more works if this is any indication of how talented Shirley Karr is.

Harriet Klausner