THE LADY MOST LIKELY...

Author: Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, Connie Brockway ISBN: 9780061247828 12/2010 HISTORICAL Publisher: AVON
Time Period: 1817

Hugh Dunne, the Earl of Briarly, needs a wife, so his sister hands him a list of delectable damsels and promises to invite them—and a few other gentlemen—to her country house for what is sure to be the event of the season. Hugh will have time to woo whichever lady he most desires . . . Unless someone else snatches her first. The invitation list includes: The horse-mad but irresistibly handsome Earl of Briarly The always outspoken Miss Katherine Peyton The dashing war hero Captain Neill Oakes The impossibly beautiful (and painfully shy) Miss Gwendolyn Passmore The terribly eligible new Earl of Charters The widowed Lady Georgina Sorrell (who has no plans to marry, ever And your hostess, Lady Carolyn Finchley, an irrepressible matchmaker who plans to find the lady most likely . . . to capture her brother’s untamed heart.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

THE LADY MOST LIKELY... is set up in an interesting way.  Instead of having the stories as separate stories all tied into the same recurring element (Carolyn finding a wife for her brother Hugh), it's written almost like a play. 

The first story is about Gwendolyn—the Beauty of the Season with a nasty case of extreme shyness; and Alec, who's sister Octavia is frightfully jealous of Gwendolyn.  This is written by Julia Quinn and is a nice and sweet read.  Quinn does a good job of laying the land and making it clear why Gwen feels comfortable around Alec.  Alec is more or less a model of male virtue—any vices he had prior to the House Party were on vacation because he acted the gentleman completely. 

The second story is about Kate a headstrong and outspoken beauty; and Neill, a recently returned war hero pressed into service as Kate's chaperone.  Written by Connie Brockway, this was full of mischief and sensuality.  This was a story of misunderstanding and thwarted affection, with a high level of good-natured banter.  Neill, in particular, had some amusing reactions to Kate, who was determined to ruffle his feathers. 

I found the entire set-up rather odd, however, and Neill's actions to be overly dramatic.  I didn't understand why he didn't just explain to Kate, from the beginning, what had happened instead of going through the asinine motions of being her 'chaperone'.  He was as subtle as an elephant in a glass shop, so the machinations were more annoying than endearing.

The third story is about Hugh and the woman who he ends up with, written by Eloisa James.  Not that it will be a surprise—the clues are laid pretty thickly throughout the other stories—but Hugh was a surprise.  Or perhaps the fact that after a week or so lacking in interaction, suddenly the two are all over each other.  It's like suddenly she sees him and it hits her how much she wants him. 

Hugh was a charming guy.  While the other stories had painted him as being blunt and rough and gruffly romantic, James paints him as this sexy charmer who just views things a little differently.  I found the conversation between the two in regards to the size of certain male parts, hilarious.  His indignant exclamation and stricken reaction were priceless. 

The whole thing with her past, though, in particular a man from her past, was badly handled, I think.  I wasn't sure where James was going with it, although I had a feeling I kind of understood the vague insinuations?  But as the woman never states anything conclusive, I was left with a  frustrated question and no answer.

In the end, this novel approach to the anthology was much more entertaining then I originally believed.  While I enjoy each author's books separately, their combined talent made for a quick read I didn't want to put down.

Alexandra Cenni