Reviewer: Robyn Roberts
Title: The Lady In Question
Author: Judith Laik
Publisher: Zebra Regency Romance
ISBN: 0-8217-7828-5
Release Date: July 2005
Genre/Sub-genre: Regency
Year/Setting: 1812
Series: Stands alone, but loosely tied to The Lady is Mine previously released
Overall rating: 4.0
Sexual content rating: Subtle
Judith's Website:
www.judithlaik.com
Charlotte Treadwell is resigned to her father’s desperate gaming—until she becomes the forfeit in a game of hazard. Suddenly she "belongs" to Hugh Brooks, the Earl of Rayfield, a rake and a gambler no better than her own papa, and a man who will surely never understand her work with the poor. She doesn’t know that Hugh is just as confounded—his task is to pursue a spy through London’s aristocratic salons and seedy gaming hells, not to shelter the man’s fiery daughter! The trouble is, Charlotte—and her passionate kisses—stirs Hugh’s blood in ways he cannot deny, and he longs to prove that treason does not run through hers. How on earth is he to concentrate on his mission for the crown when the lady in question is such a tempting distraction?
In my review of Ms. Laik’s first novel, I remarked that the flow seemed to be slowed at times due to weighty and unnecessary descriptions. I’m thrilled to report none of this happened in her newest novel. I found this story flowed much easier and moved a little more gracefully from beginning to end.
Charlotte Treadwell, our heroine, is sort of a Florence Nightingale and Mother Theresa figure wrapped into one young lady. She is constantly helping those in need without thought of her own situation. I loved seeing an English Lady in this genre that wasn’t stuck on social class. She sees everyone as human, not as rich or poor, the ton or not, etc. A non-prejudiced heroine was really like a breath of fresh air.
Rayfield is a Lord and holds a seat in Parliament. He also works undercover as all manner of servants and working class people to help uncover an English traitor. His prime suspect is Charlotte’s father. He easily jumps to the conclusion that Charlotte is involved with her father as spies or is actually the spy. One piece of the puzzle that was hard for me to grasp was Ms. Laik’s use of Rayfield’s case notes. In the novel, the case notes are interspersed in the book at the start of various chapters. They are inserted as being decoded in 2005 by a historian and author. I found them to be distracting, but I think other readers will like this format. I prefer these notes to be written into the storyline so there is no jumping from past to present and back.
I enjoyed this book and found it to be a much faster read than the first one in this line. I believe there is a third Regency is in the works and Ms. Laik is looking for a publisher to pick it up. Rayfield is my favorite type of bad-boy pretending to be a gently born Lord. He was a lot of fun to get to know and I hope you will enjoy his and Charlotte’s story.
Robyn
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