The Country House Courtship by Linore Rose Burkard

The Country House Courtship by Linore Rose Burkard


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Middelesex, England, 1818
It has been five years since Ariana Forsythe married the Paragon, Mr. Phillip Mornay. Now, Ariana’s sister, Miss Beatrice Forsythe, is seventeen and determined to marry advantageously as well.
But the Mornays have disappeared from high society as they raise a family at their country estate. Can Beatrice persuade them to chaperon her in London? And what about her business with the curate, Mr. O’Brien, whom Beatrice has rashly promised to marry years earlier? She is too sophisticated now to settle for a mere clergyman—despite his agreeable countenance and gentle, understanding ways.
When Mr. Tristan Barton becomes tenant of the Manor House, Beatrice’s hopes seem to have found their object. But when Ariana falls gravely ill, secrets come to light, motives are revealed, and pretenses that were easy to keep up in the darkness begin to crumble. As hearts are bared and truths uncovered, a country house courtship like no other cannot be far behind! (back cover copy, “The Country House Courtship”)
“The Country House Courtship” has been aptly coined “Inspirational Romance for the Jane Austin Soul.” Recently, I’ve saturated my mind with PBS’s Masterpiece Classics, and Jane Austin’s novels-turned-movies have been aired one after the other over the last months. At the same time, I picked up author Burkard’s latest regency romance. To my delight, there was no jolting change, no embarrassing attempt at British English, no corny, contrived situations to “compromise” the heroine. Linore Burkard’s use of Austin-era English, customs, and propriety are synonymous with the great English author herself.
The plot is believable and absorbing.. At the end, a burst of action inconsistent with the rest of the sedate (yet intriguing) story line took me by surprise. I’m not sure it was necessary, but it didn’t ruin the book for me. I’d still pick up any other of Linore R. Burkard’s novels in a heartbeat. This was the first of hers I’d read, so I look forward to back-tracking to her two previous novels in the series—“Before the Season Ends” and “The House in Grosvenor Square.”
If you’re in the mood for good quality regency era romance, search no further. You’ve found it!
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