LOVE IS IN THE HEIR

Author: Kathryn Caskie ISBN: 0446616109 6/2006 SUSPENSE Publisher: WARNER FOREVER
Time Period: Regency

Fiddlesticks! I am sure the ladies Letitia and Viola Featherton are wrong when it comes to matchmaking. They insist that it has all to do with love. I, Miss Hannah Chillton, believe one has only to bring a couple together and let nature take its true course. To prove my point, I secretly plan to match the ladies themselves. Lud, what a challenge! They are practically in their dotage. And love certainly does not signify in the match the Featherton sisters are making for me. True, when Lord St. Albans and I first met, he fair took my breath away. But after we accidentally ran him down with our carriage, I became convinced he belongs to that most despicable class of men: rakes. His arrogance is insufferable…except when he appears so shy and considerate that I almost think St. Albans is two different men. But that cannot be possible. Or can it?

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

If the title doesn't give a reader some hint to the tone of LOVE IS IN THE HEIR, Lord Devonshire's "bad heir day" in the first chapter leaves little doubt as to the direction this story is taking.

LOVE IS IN THE HEIR is a light-hearted, good-natured romp crammed with zany characters and with loads of fun.

Ms. Caskie certainly has a wonderful wit and a real talent for snappy dialogue. LOVE IS IN THE HEIR achieves the right touch of craziness without being over-the-top. That is, without crossing the line into silliness. She also manages to juggle three lesser romances in this story without overshadowing the convincing, sensual primary romance between two really neat characters.

The twins theme and the subsequent mistaken identity angle is not new to romance, but Ms. Caskie skillfully infuses a freshness to an age-worn storyline by concentrating on the two lead characters and their reactions to the situations swirling around them. And by letting characters and situations play off each other.

LOVE IS IN THE HEIR is a charmer. Ms. Caskie apparently had a good time writing this story as her special brand kookiness shines through. I had a lot of fun reading this story and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to readers who enjoy a good time.

Debbie Jett