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At
twenty-four, Daphne Summerhayes is a spinster.
She wanted to tour the continent, not chaperone her
cousin’s coming
out. Her meetings with Lord Courtlea,
which are nothing more than disasters, do not help her mood. A reckless younger brother, foolish young
lovers and a missing gem entangle the pair further.
Victor Merritt, Earl of Courtlea thinks that
Daphne is too stubborn and headstrong, but is good enough to bed. A scandal threatens, but what she suggests
goes beyond scandal.
Patricia
Harrison’s A Very Proper Thief is an overly long and
overly wordy
Regency romance. Daphne comes across as
very childish and self-centered, wanting only her own pleasures with no
regard
for anyone else. Much of the
descriptions and dialogue in the novel was written in a true Regency
style,
making it difficult to keep my interest in the story.
Victor’s desire for Daphne seems
contrived. It was difficult to think that
these two could ever remain happy with each other.
Reviewed by Meribeth
McCombs for The Road to Romance
May 11, 2004 |
