AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT

Author: Alissa Johnson ISBN: 9780843961553 10/2008 HISTORICAL Publisher: DORCHESTER
Time Period: Regency

A WOMAN OF THE WORLD… After years of wild adventures overseas, Miss Sophie Everton is in no hurry to return home to the boring strictures of the ton. But she’s determined to reclaim her family’s fortune—even if she has to become a spy for the Prince Regent to do it. A MAN ON A MISSION… Before she can get her first assignment, she lands right in the lap of the dark and dashing Duke of Rockeforte. She’s faced hungry tigers that didn’t look nearly as predatory. Somehow the blasted man manages to foil her at every turn—and make her pulse thrum with something more than just the thrill of danger. AND THE FICKLE FINGER OF FATE Both are caught in a daring dance of espionage and desire. But to make a true love match, they’ll have to learn to trust in each other…and, of course, a little bit of luck.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT gives a new twist to the ordinary Regency romance. A deathbed promise, wrangled just as the Duke of Rockforte takes his last breath, sets off a string of events that takes more twists and turns than even the Duke could have imagined. I enjoyed watching Alissa Johnson's delightful characters turn the ton on its head!

Sophie Everton is far from ordinary in every sense of the word. She's escaped becoming someone's seventh wife, lived through being shot and negotiates the upper crust of society both as fleet-footed as a gazelle and as ponderously as a drunken elephant. In short, whatever she does is unexpected and never boring. Her indignation at being laughed at during a social affair made me laugh out loud. Her growing entanglement with the current Duke of Rockforte, Alex, reminded me of an adventure film. And the way this pair negotiates the terms of their engagement? I can't give it away but I've got to say I don't remember ever having read of a match being made in precisely this manner!

An entertaining way to spend a long afternoon, AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT is both heartwarming and refreshing. I enjoyed it very much, and I believe others will, too.

Kay James