Lady Be Bad
By Megan Frampton
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: July 25, 2017
Reviewed by Janga
Reviewed by Janga
Lady Eleanor Howlett is the eldest of the five daughters of the
Duke of Marymount. Despite their high status, the Howlett family’s reputation
is threatened by the scandal created by Della, ducal daughter #2, who ran off
with the dance instructor hired to teach Eleanor and her sisters. The burden on
Lady Eleanor to behave properly and marry well grows heavy indeed as her
parents view her as the means of saving the family from disgrace. They have
arranged her marriage to Bennett Raybourn, Lord Carson, eldest son of the
Marquis of Wheatley. The marriage will be an exchange: Lord Carson needs the
substantial dowry that comes with a daughter of the Duke of Marymount to shore
up his family’s financial stability, and Lady Eleanor’s family needs the
unblemished reputation of Lord Carson and his family to stave off social ruin.
There is nothing wrong with Lord Carson. He is an estimable young man,
pleasant, courteous, and correct. But Lady Eleanor finds him underwhelming, and
she longs to be overwhelmed. Convinced that she herself is hopelessly average,
she is saddened by the thought of an average life with an average spouse.
In a bookshop, Lady Eleanor collides with a nameless man who
is overwhelming, intriguing, and decidedly improper—all the qualities that this
duke’s daughter wants but believes she can never have. Shortly thereafter, she
is formally introduced to the younger brother of her almost betrothed, Lord
Alexander Raybourn. He is the man in the bookshop. Alexander is his brother’s
opposite. There is nothing average about him, and there is little that is
proper. Because several years earlier when Alexander gambled and lost an
unentailed property and almost emptied the family’s coffers, his father sees
him as worthless. Alexander vows to prove him right. He spends his time
charming women, collecting erotic books which he delights in adding to the
family library under his father’s unsuspecting nose, and thinking himself
inferior to his competent brother. However, he and Bennett are close, and when
Bennett, too busy with estate matters to spend time with his prospective bride,
solicits Alexander’s help in getting to know Eleanor, Alexander cannot refuse.
Thrown into one another’s company, Alexander and Eleanor
prove a perfect match, once they move beyond superficialities. He thinks she is
beautiful—even when she wears the spectacles her mother forbids her to wear in
public. He offers her the adventure and joy that she never expected to find.
The attraction between only grows more potent. But everyone expects Eleanor to
marry Lord Carson. Can these two who are meant to be find a way to defy convention
and claim their happiness without hurting their families in the process?
I’m a fan of Megan Frampton’s witty humor. I loved her Dukes
Behaving Badly series, and the new series promises to be just as delightful. The
story had me from the first bookshop scene in the opening chapter. It combines
physical humor with amusing dialogue, and the book just got better and better.
Frampton not only makes her readers laugh, but she also makes them feel the
darker emotions beneath the humor and leaves them with things to think about.
Eleanor is truly a woman of her time. Eleanor’s conforming to her parents’
plans for her is more than her playing the good daughter. She also recognizes
the effect her actions will have on the lives of her three younger sisters. I really
enjoyed the sororal elements of this book: the various family roles, the
strengthening bonds among the sisters, and their responses to Della. Equally
interesting is the relationship between Alexander and Bennett and Alexander’s
journey to self-discovery. Family dynamics generally are an essential part of
the story, and yet that emphasis never detracts from the engaging, sigh-worthy
romance. Alexander and Eleanor are so good together—funny and vulnerable, sweet
and sexy, smart but without all the answers.
When I finish a book looking forward to a reread and eagerly
anticipating the next book in the series I know I have another keeper in my
hand. Such was definitely the case with Lady
Be Bad. Megan Frampton has penned one of my favorite romances of the year. Lady Be Reckless, Olivia’s story,
releases on February 27, 2018. I’ve already pre-ordered it, but Della’s story
is the one for which I am most eager. Oh, yes, I am hooked on this series!
Another must read for my Wish List. Always nice to find a good story where self-image and family dynamics play an important role.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed LADY BE BAD and Megan Frampton's signature humor that she adds to her books. I've already marked my calendar for LADY BE RECKLESS in February 2018. She is a go-to author for me.
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed her stories - sounds good - thanks!
ReplyDeleteI love her books, plus she has some amazing covers, too.
ReplyDeleteYou have made me fall in love with a book. I want books which make me laugh, make my heart beat faster and make me "have" to finish ASAP. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteLooks like I have another author to read and a series to get into.
ReplyDelete