Barbara Metzger
The Duel (2005)
Author: Barbara Metzger
Genre: Romance (Regency)
Plot Summary:
Ian, the Earl of Marden, has been challenged to a duel by Lord Paige. Ian, a bachelor and known rake, has been caught having an affair with Lord Paige bosomy wife. Before the order is given to fire, Ian swears of married women. Lord Paige, however, fires before the command is given and misses. Ian decides to shoot his round off into the nearby woods instead of killing Lord Paige. His bullet ricochets off a tree and hits a young boy who had been hiding in the trees. Ian is mortified at having shot a young boy in an illegal duel and has the boy taken back to his estate to receive medical care. The boy makes one request: that his sister be brought in to keep him company. Ian has the boy's sister tracked down. Her name is Athena, and she is a minor noble and, in Ian's eyes, is nothing more than a young girl. The next day, Athena has changed clothes, and Ian quickly realizes that Athena is no girl but a well-proportioned woman--a veritable "pocket Venus". Mortified at the thought of having shot a young boy in an illegal duel and harboring an unchaperoned woman in his home (the home of a known rake), Ian sets about ensuring that the girl's reputation is not ruined. This begins a series of escapades in which Ian tries to secure a chaperone. All the while, Athena and Ian begin to develop feelings for her. What will happen if Athena finds out Ian shot her brother? Will Athena's reputation be tarnished? Will Ian put aside his rakish ways and marry this "pocket Venus"? Hmmmm. SPOILER: It turns out that Ian did not shoot Athena's brother. Someone used the noise of Ian's pistol to cover their own shot. To learn why someone would want Athena's brother dead, you'll have to read the book. Oh, and, yes, Ian and Athena marry and consumate the marraige in a 36-hour lovemaking session! Wow!
Geographical Setting: London, England
Time Period: Regency period
Appeal Characteristics:
This 2005 nominee for the Romantic Times best Regency is first and foremost a light-hearted novel. Laughs abound. Metzger definitely has a knack for creating humorous turns of phrase and situations. She constantly plays on male and female ideals of love, romance, and marriage and opens each chapter with quotes from "Mr. and Mrs. Anonymous" on such topics (e.g. Mr: A mistress is more fun than a wife; Mrs: A mistress has more fun than a wife). The social conventions of the Regency period figure heavily in the plot (especially the belief in the necessity of an unmarried woman being chaperoned in the presence of a potential suitor). This is a true Regency and not merely a Romance set in that time period. Metzger does a good job of incorporating the language of the time (though it is obvious that she's trying to do so). Regardless, this is a well-written book. Not high literature, yet anything but trite. The pace is moderately paced, and the tale is somewhat episodic. The focus is squarely on the development of the feelings of Athena and Ian for each other. Secondary characters do figure into the story, but their actions are predicatable and serve more to add to the humorous tone of the book. This is my kind of romance: funny, witty, good characters, and just enough spice.
Read-alikes: First, try some more by Barbara Metzger. For example, A Perfect Gentleman is set during the Regency period and features a male escort who helps a young woman find a groom for her younger sister (though what she ends up doing is falling for the escort). Also consider her 2003 RITA Award winner for best Regency, A Debt to Delia (though, admittedly, this tale is a bit darker than most of her novels). Good readalikes by other authors include Lord Stanhope's Proposal by Jessica Benson, which is also a humorous tale of misunderstanding set in Regency England; The Rogue by Celeste Bradley is set during the Regency period and features an intrigue-laden plot and another author with a wickedly witty pen; and It's in His Kiss by Julia Quinn, which features a strong-willed woman in search of a husband (its her fourth Season on London's Marriage Mart and she has yet to meet a worthy adversary) and an author with an extremely humorous literary style (intrigue, too!).
Red Flags: one sexual encounter; descriptions of sexual longing
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