The Shrew That Tames

Lord Ashfair, Ash for short, is in dire straits.  The family estate is in ruins, his money depleted and no matter how deeply he wants to correct the mistake he can think of nothing, except to marry an heiress.  But the few prospects in that area are already deluged with willing suitors.  Unless.... there is one.  Lady Katherine, a termagant by all standards:  an outspoken bluestocking who cares little for men or society in general.  At  this point, however, anything is worth a try, and Ash is desperate!  

Lady Katherine wants nothing to do with a society where women are only admired for what they wear or how well they flirt.  She would much rather use her brain, study science and live as a spinster than bow to those dictates.  So when Lord Ashfair tries to woo her, she is decidedly unimpressed, until family circumstances require immediate action.  But how will she ever acquiesce to a man’s will enough to be happy?  

In this novella, Ms. Stegman takes the well-worn trope from “Taming of the Shrew” and parks it right in regency England!  Although nothing new or particularly exciting happens that would come as any surprise, it is a fun re-creation.  Katherine’s character is hard to like, crossing over the determined line and becoming plain mean at times but Ash’s character succeeds in keeping the reader engrossed and reading.  His conundrum, his kindness and determination wins the readers heart immediately.  The brevity of the story doesn’t allow for any depth exploration but for a quick enjoyable escape this one does quite nicely!

Ruth Lynn Ritter