Sophia Nash
A Passionate Endeavor (2004)
Author: Sophia Nash
Genre: Romance (Regency)
Plot Summary:
Lord Nicholas Huntington has just returned to his father's estate after being wounded in battle. His caretaker is the lovely but neglected Miss Charlotte Kittridge who nurses him back to health while secretly falling in love with the handsome and heroic lord. Over time, Nicholas begins to notice Charlotte's beauty and gentle touch while simultaneously growing to love her depth and intelligence. There's only one catch: Lord Huntington has vowed never to marry, a secret of which Charlotte is all too aware! Both characters secretly love each other while wishing the other loved them in return. Nicholas is eager to return to the battlefield, the only life he has ever known, after his wound heals and Charlotte has no desire to stay if she can't be with Nicholas. After Charlotte's father dies unexpectedly, Nicholas proposes marriage. Charlotte accepts out of gratitude, still thinking that Nicholas does not really love her. However, they can only hold in their true feelings for so long and eventually the couple realizes they are truly in love. SPOILER: When the couple consummate their marriage, Charlotte drops her shy demeanor (and her nightgown!) and enjoys herself much more than she ever dreamed!
Geographical Setting: Wiltshire, England
Time Period: 1814 (Regency Period)
Series: Signet Recency Romance
Appeal Characteristics:
A Passionate Endeavor is a typical Regency romance but adds a little extra "spice". The story is an equal mix of dialogue and internalizations with a few scenes of rapid, sudden action such as howling thunderstorms or a dangerous horse foaling. The dialogue is often quick, snappy, and witty, to illustrate the very discreet flirting between Nicholas and Charlotte (as it is very tame compared to modern romances). The mood of the book is very proper. The couple shares a few passionate kisses before their marriage and the only vivid act of love in the book is their wedding night. The pacing is somewhat fast although the novel takes place over the course of a few months. Charlotte and Nicholas internally acknowledge their attraction to each other within the first five pages or so. Chapters often end abruptly and resume weeks or months later which makes it easy to show how their love stays strong over time. The author uses incredibly sensual descriptions throughout the book so the reader really feels like they can breathe, smell, and touch the world the characters inhabit. It doesn't seem like you are only observing Charlotte and Nicholas's love grow, it feels like you are right there, next to them. The characters are described in detail, both physically and emotionally, as the reader tends to see the other characters through Charlotte or Nicholas's eyes, so Nicholas's physical attributes and Charlotte's gentle nature are frequently mentioned. All characters are somewhat stereotypical (Nicholas is the hunky war hero, Charlotte the shy, bookish nurse, etc.) although the main characters show much more depth as the story progresses. Secondary characters are mainly described by their actions but some change significantly, for better or worse, by the end of the story. A prominent theme in the book is that Charlotte does not have the high-class background suitable to be Nicholas's wife, being only a doctor's daughter. It is not really a "forbidden" love, but more like an "improper" love. Another fun element is that Charlotte is a huge fan of Jane Austen and frequently references her books, much like Austen's characters who often were reading Radcliffe.
Read-alikes: Sophia Nash has written a few other regency romances, including A Secret Passion which involves a widowed heroine who vows to never marry again unless she finds a man she can truly love. It includes actual sex, too, which is rare for other traditional regencies, and follows the country estate setting of A Passionate Endeavor (as opposed to the popular London setting for regencies). Jo Beverley's A Lady's Secret is set a little earlier in the 1760s, when a traveling Earl meets an attractive young lady and offers to escort her back to England. Like Nash, Beverley creates complex main characters that grow closer through prolonged interaction with each other. For example, Beverley's strong female lead often saves her male companion, much like Charlotte's nursing care helped Nicholas's recovery. Mary Balogh is a best-selling author in the regency romance subgenre. Balogh's First Comes Marriage tells the story of a Viscount who weds a widow, both having ulterior motives for the marriage and no intentions of falling in love. Over time, however, they fall madly in love, and the reader sees their love develop without the characters realizing it, much like that between Nicholas and Charlotte. The plot is intensely character-focused and character-driven, too, lacking in "villains" or other extraneous subplots. Lisa Kleypas's Mine 'Til Midnight is a Victorian-era romance centered around a London gentleman's club owner who is strangely attracted to a "staid and proper" young lady despite his usual taste for beautiful but intellectually-lacking women. Nash's Lord Huntington is a similar character who has had a few women while away at war, but was never attracted to a woman's personality before meeting Charlotte. The characters are whimsical but realistic, too, and the Kleypas's male lead is assertive but not an over-the-top alpha male. Similarly, Nicholas is the stereotypical battle-hungry war hero but still retains a sense of wit and propriety. Finally, Nancy Butler's Prospero's Daughter also follows a depressed, self-pitying young lady pursued by a gentleman publisher. However, the lady was injured in a carriage accident and did not receive proper medical care so she never imagines that any man will ever find her attractive. Similarly (although not entirely similar), Charlotte believes she is past her prime and has long since buried her thoughts of love. Another shared element is a loving teacher helping his or her love interest overcome a disability. Butler's male lead helps the disabled lady recover the use of her limbs and learn to live again; Charlotte teaches Nicholas how to read. The characters are strong-willed, too, which often results in stubborn stand-offs and witty arguments.
Red Flags: Sexuality (3 "peppers" out of 5)
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