Marrying Harriet (School for Manners, Book 6)
Marrying Harriet (School for Manners, Book 6) book cover

Marrying Harriet (School for Manners, Book 6)

Hardcover – January 1, 1990

Price
$9.99
Format
Hardcover
Pages
167
Publisher
St Martins Press
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0312042769
Weight
12 ounces

Description

From Publishers Weekly Chesney ( Animating Maria ) turns out another frothy Regency romance, whose compulsory figures include Lord Charles Marsham, exquisite from his impeccably tied cravat to his gleaming Hessian boots, who is perfectly contented with his bachelor life of guzzling and gambling, and prim, proper Harriet Brown, Methodist minister's daughter come to London's social season to find a husband. But Capability Brown, as Charles calls her, is so intent on involving him in her "good works," which range from rescuing treed felines to playing Cupid for the outspoken Tribble sisters--themselves matchmakers for misfits on the marriage mart, with Harriet their latest challenge--that her own romance seems to be an afterthought. Chesney, in the fifth and final installment of her School for Manners series, overburdens a short book with copious subplots and offers a paucity of erotic chemistry. There are too many charming characters, too many nefarious villains, all after Harriet's reputation and person, even too many casually committed murders--and thus too many roads for readers to travel before arriving at the expected "happily ever after." Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Features & Highlights

  • Effy and Amy Tribble take on the task of introducing Harriet Brown, the proper daughter of a Methodist minister, to Regency society, but their quest is frustrated by Lord Charles Marsham, a rakish gambler, who is perversely wooing their charge

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(321)
★★★★
25%
(134)
★★★
15%
(80)
★★
7%
(37)
-7%
(-37)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

I didn't expect to like this book (or the series), but it may be Chesney's best, yet

The ONLY thing I hate about Marion Chesney (aka M.C. Beaton) books is when I reach the last page... and I know the adventure is over. Well, at least until I buy another book she's written.

Okay, here's my review, with a minor disclaimer: I've met Ms. Chesney in real life and like her tremendously. But, I think my reviews are unbiased because I was addicted to her books long before I met her. By then, I think I'd read every one of her Regency romances at least three times.

This series is one of the few Chesney Regencies I'd managed to overlook for years. Well, to be honest, the story line didn't appeal to me as much as some of her others, and several of the heroine's names left me cold. (What can I say... I'm very picky about which Regencies I read, and which I don't.)

I shouldn't have delayed. This series -- The School for Manners -- is actually one of her best. The characters are more headstrong than in other series, but I think that gives them more appeal for modern readers.

When I reached this concluding tale in the series, I felt as if I already knew Harriet well. I couldn't imagine HOW Chesney was going to get Harriet to find true love, and I won't spoil the story by saying more. Just this: It's a great story and a compelling page-turner. I wasn't disappointed by the twists & turns in the story, and this book made we want to return to the first book in the series... and read all of them, all over again.

It's that good.

If you're a fan of clean Regency romances, written with wit and intelligence, this book is a fine place to start. You'll enjoy it more if you've read the series in sequence, but you don't absolutely HAVE to. "Marrying Harriet" can stand on its own as a fun story with just enough tension and romance to satisfy any Regency romance fan.
3 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Hilarious...

This novel, as in many of Miss Heyer's novels, is a pleasant and fun reading. A good blend of wit and love. It makes a very pleasant reading. I recommend it. Maria Rennard
1 people found this helpful