Overview
A witty and romantic novel of Regency love, family and appalling scandal, from a latter-day Jane Austen
When their strait-laced, domineering father, Sir Clement Carnell, dies, Valentine throws open their Devonshire estate of Pennacombe to their fashionable cousins from London and Louisa feels free at last to reject the man Sir Clement wanted her to marry.
Soon, the temptations of Regency London beckon, including the beautiful, scandalous, and very married Lady Harriet Eversholt, with whom Valentine becomes dangerously involved. Meanwhile, Louisa finds that freedom of choice is as daunting as it is exciting. Will the opportunity to indulge in a little folly lead to fulfillment—or disaster?
A Little Folly is a novel to make Jane Austen proud and Georgette Heyer envious. An acclaimed author of historical fiction, Jude Morgan weaves together the very best of Regency era writing with "refreshingly original characters, an intriguing plot, and an elegantly ironic style." (RT Book Reviews on Indiscretion). In this exciting new novel, Morgan delivers a story that, yet again, will bring cheers from critics and readers alike.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
The pseudonymous Morgan’s twist-packed new novel (after The Secret Life of William Shakespeare) finds Valentine and Louisa Carnell under the thumb of their father, a man of “harsh, narrow, and illiberal views” whose tyrannical temper and impossible standards keeps them largely isolated on the Regency-era palatial Devonshire estate. But his death, “struck by a paroxysm that dropped him speechless to the ground,” gives the siblings, now into their 20s, freedom to be in the world; they’ll redecorate the drawing room, throw dinner parties, and reject, in Louisa’s case, the vain suitor of her father’s choosing. They also open their home to Tom and Sophie, long-lost cousins from London, and to their cousins’ traveling companion, the mysterious Lady Harriet Eversholt, whose scandalous circumstances capture Valentine’s attention. At Tom and Sophie’s urging, it’s on to London, where everyone is celebrating the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Valentine frequents Lady Harriet’s gambling house, and Louisa strikes up a promising friendship with the brooding lieutenant Lynley. But city life has its pitfalls: Valentine’s gambling debts accrue and Lady Harriet’s jealous husband threatens to destroy the Carnells’ fortunes and reputation. Morgan’s preoccupation with capturing the exact timbre of Regency literature results in the occasional stilted, leaden passage, but her wry, snappy dialogue and well-formed characters are a delight. Agent: Meg Davis, the Ki Agency. (Mar.)From the Publisher
"Complex characters, clever repartee and the manners, morals and address of the time...A captivating, traditional Regency romp." —Romantic Times (4 1/2 stars)
"A Little Folly manages to emulate the sharp observation and wit of Austen, with all the dash and romance of Heyer [and] a plot to rival both those Greats. . . . Effortlessly entertaining, [with] greater depth and soul than a Regency romance might reasonably be expected to have." —Historical Novel Society
"A lively and engaging heroine, attractively wry love interest, and well-drawn secondary characters." —Daily Mail on A Little Folly
"Completely involving and absorbing." —Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall, on Charlotte and Emily