Much Ado about Lavender: A Regency Novella

REGENCY:  It is London, 1812, and Lavender Montgomery is not impressed with her debut season.  The tedious balls and endless visits come a pale second to a cozy fire and a good book.  She is certainly not impressed with the rude and cynical Lord Fairmont, whose brother was recently murdered.  With all his attention focused on discovering the killer, Fairmont finds his growing attraction to quick-witted and passably pretty Lavender an annoying distraction.  When they are thrown together by social obligations, she cannot help but theorize about the cause of the murder, which offends Fairmont.  He rejects her theories out of hand, but when he probes deeper into his brother’s affairs and kicks up a hornets’ nest, he wonders if she could be right. With one murder down, will the murderers hesitate to commit another?

This delightful tale packs a world of romance and adventure into a juicy, bite-sized portion.  Regency-era London leaps full-blown onto the page, not only with all its dazzling riches and starchy manners, but also its poverty and darkness. Ms. Vandagriff’s flawless prose and impressive historical knowledge set the stage where she breathes life into her characters. Lavender and Fairmont each have believably complex personalities that draw the reader in.  Their delightful skirmishes are elegantly balanced with remarkabe depth of their humanity. Witty, fun and romantic, “Much Ado about Lavender” will leave the reader wishing for more, more, more!

Marc Joseph