Elizabeth Boyle, Something About Emmaline

Something About Emmaline

Elizabeth Boyle

Avon, Feb 2005, $5.99, 384 pp.

ISBN: 0060549319

In 1801, every male in the Ton envies Baron Sedgewick, Alexander Denford, for having the perfect wife. His compliant spouse Emmaline makes no demands on Alex and even allows him to gamble and have affairs while she rusticates. She is such a paragon to the jealous men, but only Alex knows that Emmaline does not exist; he made up this ideal woman to keep matchmakers and mamas away from him.

His beloved octogenarian grandma reads a gossip note from the Post and Times about Lady S seen shopping in town. Bills arrive from Lady S to pay for all types of female garb. Stunned that someone somehow learned and is using his ploy Alex races to London to confront Lady S. When he sees her in his bedroom, instead of tossing her out Alex wants to toss the clever con artist on his bed to make love today, tomorrow and forever though he fears she will steal his silverware.

This is an amusing, brisk, Regency romance starring two wonderful protagonists whose debates are filled with double entendres and puns. The storyline takes off the moment that Alex realizes someone has personalized his brilliant strategy to fleece him. Emmaline is unique protagonist, a likable, kindhearted con artist. Their pairing leads to a one-sitting read by this humorous Boyle gender war.

Harriet Klausner