One of the common criticisms of historical romance is that they all take place in ballrooms and at house parties. While this is certainly true of a lot of Regency romances, it is false on several other accounts. Firstly, not even all Regency-era ones focus on ballrooms, and there is FAR more to historical romance than the historically small Regency era. Case in point? Eva Devon's LESS THAN A LADY, which takes place during the reign of Charles II, just after he regains power from Cromwell.

For those who can't quite place what that means in English history, know that this is an era where suspicion was the air people breathed. Cromwell was totalitarian in his view of England and vicious to those who opposed him, and his overthrow was dramatic. The reinstatement of the monarchy under Charles II was met with lots of tension, meaning it's a perfect era in which to place a book about treason, secret identities, and romance!

Our story involves Amelia and Darcy; one a celebrated actress who may or not be committing treason against the Crown, and the other a fella whose inability to keep his pants buttoned has led Charles to run completely out of patience. Sent undercover to the theater to see if, in fact, Amelia is a traitorous wench, Darcy finds himself deeper into intrigue, suspense, and hijinks than he anticipated.

Fans of history will love this book, lots of world building and facts which only serve to make the period more real. The romance is great, but the action/adventure aspect is even better, to be frank. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes unique heroines and heroes who get their comeuppance in charming ways.

Book Summary

To win a lord, you can’t be a lady…

Darcy Blake, Earl of Chase, is a solider, rogue, and a loyal King's man. Commanded to spy on the luscious actress Amelia Fox, Darcy must pretend to be her student for a court theatrical. He is certain he can school her in the art of seduction while discovering if she is a traitor. But to his shock, he finds Mrs. Fox teaching him an entirely different kind of lesson.

As London's most popular actress, Amelia is famous at court, and she doesn't have a husband to tell her what do. Unfortunately, the king has ordered her to train the rakehell, Lord Chase to act for the court. Before long, the Earl is driving her wild with desire and awakening her heart to love. As an actress, society dictates she can never be more than Lord Chase's mistress, and Amelia has vowed never to be less than a lady.

When Darcy learns the witty actress is indeed linked to a traitor, he'll have to decide if love or loyalty will rule the day.