Gabriella

Hiatt Regency Classics #1

by Brenda Hiatt

He lost a wager . . . but won a treasure.

Due to a lost wager, the Duke of Ravenham is obliged to bring a pretty little nobody from the country into fashion among the high-sticklers of London Society. Ravenham would never refuse a debt of honor, no matter how unorthodox, so he overlooks Miss Gordon's vulgar relations to do what is necessary, escorting the unsophisticated chit to balls, etc. But what he expects to be an irksome duty turns out to be something quite different as he falls under the spell of his protege's innocent charm. When he lost that wager, he definitely never counted on losing his heart as well!

First impressions can be deceiving.

Miss Gabriella Gordon only came to London at her mother's and sister's insistence, for she'd much rather assist in running her father's veterinary practice than attempt to fit into fashionable society. No sooner has she arrived in London than the exalted (and exceedingly handsome) Duke of Ravenham comes to call. The reason is less than flattering, however: due to a lost wager, the Duke is forced to bring Gabriella into fashion, a "favor" she would certainly refuse if her family would let her. But the more time she spends in the dashing Duke's company, the more conflicted she feels-- particularly when she discovers they have more in common than she ever dared dream.
 
A sparkling traditional Regency romance from bestselling author Brenda Hiatt.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Regency Romance

288 pages, ebook

First published February 1, 1992

About the author

Brenda Hiatt is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sparkling romantic adventure. She's written twenty-five novels (so far), including sweet and spicy historical romance, time travel romance, humorous mystery, and her young adult science fiction STARSTRUCK series. Brenda began in traditional publishing with Harlequin, HarperCollins and Avon Books and later made a transition to indie publishing as she began getting rights back to her older books. So far, she hasn't been sorry! She is an active member of Romance Writers of America and Novelists, Inc, where she has served as president. In addition to writing, Brenda is passionate about embracing life to the fullest, to include scuba diving (she has over 60 dives to her credit), Taekwondo (where she is working toward her 4th degree black belt), hiking, traveling…and reading, of course!
Learn more at http://brendahiatt.com

Reviews

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2020 update: So for whatever reason I got to chatting about this book in this review thread a day or so ago with a couple of GR friends (maybe because it’s a Kindle freebie again?) and pulled it open on my Kindle to see if I could remember anything about it, and before I knew it I had whipped through the whole darn book. (That sort of thing tends to happen to me, especially with short, easy-to-read books.) Annnndd ... I still can’t figure out if I really did read this book six years ago. It’s an okay read for an old-fashioned, sweet, squeaky-clean Regency romance, but I’m sticking with my prior description of “utterly forgettable.“ Only the anti-cruelty-to-animals theme sets it apart in any way.

In this 1990’s era RR, Gabriella (Brie), a country girl, just wants to follow in her father's footsteps and be a veterinarian, but her mother sells the practice after her father's death and Gabriella is forced to go to London for the Season, living with her more socially-minded sister. Due to a poor wager, the Duke of Ravenham is forced to help this country miss become a success in society. Luckily, Brie’s older sister (even though she’s looked down on by high society as a grasping social climber) has a decent eye for fashion, at least once the duke sets her straight on what colors suit Brie, so voila! Cinderella moment! Will the duke fall in love with this charming, refreshingly honest but dowerless country girl? Far be it from me to ruin the surprise for you, lol.

Initial 2017 post: True confessions time: I read this Regency romance three years ago, presumably the last time it showed up as a freebie. And I remember absolutely nothing about it, even after reading the blurb and a couple of my friends' detailed reviews. *shrugs* So it wasn't in any way memorable for me, but anyway it's okay if you're interested in old Regencies.

A soft 3 stars.

[Pearl Angeli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid 4 Stars for this heart-warming historical romance book that I didn't realize I was craving after such a long-time! Being a regency romance fan myself, I can say this book totally caught me by surprise and left me with a stupid grin. Haha! I love Gabriella Gordon and the Duke of Ravenham, Dexter, together! They have this unexplainable chemistry that is so apparent by the way the author Brenda Hiatt described. The first time these characters crossed each other's path, I knew they're already about to give me the feels! Now of course I cannot say this book is perfect in all the historical romance standards. It has its highs and lows, but I extremely loved the highs! One of these is the fact that both Gabriella and the Duke of Ravenham are pretty likeable characters. And although their romance progressed a bit slow from the beginning, it built up rather remarkably by how they went from being ''slightly'' enemies to being friends, and finally falling for each other.

Gossips, intrigue, and scandals were prominent in this book as part of the historical romance aspect-- as well as how the society brings up debutant girls to be the perfect lady in the ton. And all these made me miss reading this genre. I can say the book was well-written. I loved the simplistic writing style of Brenda Hiatt. It was also not a tedious read as the scenes were on-point. I would have loved the story to focus more on the main characters rather than filling some secondary characters like Elizabeth and Garvey, but well, I believed it was done like that to put some colorful diversion to the story. :) But all in all, I definitely fell in love with this book and it's certainly one of the sweetest I have read of this genre!

"One never knows what kind of bumblebath a wager of unknown stakes might land one in."

[QNPoohBear · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gabriella Gordon wants nothing more than to stay in the country and continue to operate her father's veterinary surgery practice along with her younger brother. When Mrs. Gordon sells the practice, Gabriella is forced to give in to her older sister's invitation to come to Town for the Season. Gabriella arrives at a posting inn to discover a horribly mistreated horse. She decides to take on the miscreant who dared abuse an animal. She rudely interrupts the Duke of Ravenham in the middle of wooing a new mistress. He's furious at the interruption by this little serving wench with the turquoise blue eyes. He refuses to set her straight on the matter. Once in London, Gabriella sees her sister has not changed. She's still superficial and social climbing. Angela has burned a few bridges and is determined to use Gabriella to enhance her own social status. Angela introduces Gabriella to her friend and would-be lover Sir Frederick who is intrigued by the naive, outspoken Gabriella. While Brie is being brought out, The Duke of Ravenham must pay a debt and do a favor for the first man he sees. That man happens to be Angela's husband, the foppish and stupid Sir Seymour Platt, who decides Ravenham's favor will be to take up Gabriella. That way she is sure to be a success with the ton. Brie worries the arrogant man she remembers will humiliate her, but instead he introduces her to his sister Lady Elizabeth. The plan is a grand success and Brie attracts a number of suitors. Ravenham isn't what he appeared on first acquaintance and Brie comes to regard him as a friend, but how will he react when he finds out she's not an heiress as the gossips would have it? What will Ravenham think of Brie if he finds her out father was a veterinary surgeon? Brie knows one thing, she refuses to lie about who she is. Why does it hurt to think she may lose the friendship of the Duke of Ravenham? Little does she know, a new rumor circulating through the ton could do far more to ruin her reputation.

I wanted to like this book because of the animal rights theme. Like Brie, I am passionate about animal welfare, so I was intrigued by the story at first. Unfortunately the book bored me so much that I ended up skimming most of it. The plot reads as if written from a template. There's nothing really substantial in it. Brie doesn't meet Wilberforce or join the RSPCA (founded in 1824 but I have no idea what year the book is set). The animal rights thing is dropped and picked up again when the plot requires advancing. The story features the usual superficial activities of the Season but nothing to really pinpoint the exact year the story takes place. It's all very pleasant. A lot of the action is basically summarized and shortened in favor of endlessly boring cliched scenes and pointless dialogue. A key moment in the plot towards the end is told after it happens. The romance doesn't quite make it to being a full blown romance. The characters are not on page together a lot and when they are, we're told what they did. They start to become friends but they don't really connect though we're told they give each other speaking looks. It wasn't quite enough for me to root for them to get together. I didn't care whether they did or didn't end up together in the end. The author had a little bit of knowledge of the Regency era and either didn't know or didn't care about all the nuances of etiquette. Etiquette plays a large role in the story yet the hero and heroine end up on a first name basis! There's also a scene where the heroine, another young lady and some gentlemen are present for a momentous event. I don't think an unmarried girl would have been in the room, let alone in the room with gentlemen. I'll let it slide that the heroine was there but not Elizabeth. There's another scene with Elizabeth that I didn't feel was quite right. The language sounds very modern too.

The characters are just as boring as the plot. I liked Brie because of her love for animals and her desire to stay true to herself. I didn't like how she gave in to Angela so easily though and I found her very modern for a Regency heroine. Sometimes I didn't like the way she acted because it just wasn't even close to accurate. The other characters are largely superficial. I don't know much about Ravenham. His behavior in his initial scene is at odds with his behavior later on. He's supposed to be a Corinthian, but the only evidence of that is his teaching Brie how to drive. Apparently he's an excellent shot as well. He's the perfect paragon of a hero on the surface but we never get to dig beneath the surface to find out who he is and what he's feeling. I hated the misunderstanding because if she really was that close to Brie, he wouldn't have even considered it for a moment or wouldn't have cared. He took too long to get over himself. Elizabeth seems like an interesting character and a good friend for Brie. She's in the story more than her brother. I liked her because she was a good balance of ladylike and mischievous. There's a secondary hero who is another perfect paragon despite his tendency to gamble on anything. Another suitor is silly and too over the top. Angela is a beastly sister. If she were my sister we would have had some serious cat fights. I find it hard to believe she and Brie have the same parents. My sister and I are very different yet we have the same values more or less. The other villain is too stereotypical.

This is Brenda Hiatt's first Regency book so I'll forgive her for the boring plot and glaring historical errors. I may try another one of her older Regencies and see if it's any better. This one was just too cliched for me.

[Kami Reeve · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I'm not giving this 4 stars because it was knock you socks off amazing. I'm giving it a 4 star rating because it was a clean, regency era, predictable romance. I read this today while I was sitting in the hospital with my dad and it was totally enjoyable. I knew what would happen by page 3 and enjoyed the journey. Sometimes it's calming to read something like this. Thanks for a fun, clean read Brenda Hiatt!

[Delia Binder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay If a Bit Anachronistic and Slow

As somebody who came to Regency romances from the work of Georgette Heyer, it's tempting to think that writing one is easy: Take one initially cool but secretly passionate nobleman, a smart innocent young lady of good breeding, add a bunch of usually humorous complications during her London Season, blend in dialogue and scenery from Jane Austen, bake until golden brown and delicious! Unfortunately, as too many authors attempting to follow in Heyer's footsteps have proven, there's an art and artistry to writing a good regency that few can match, a blend of assiduous research of the period, and a feel for the attitudes and mores of the time, that seem to escape even good historical writers. Brenda Hiatt comes a lot closer than most, and largely doesn't embarrass herself, but there is a certain ingredient missing the keeps her work from reaching the lofty heights of VENETIA, THE GRAND SOPHY, or even ARABELLA which this novel most closely resembles.

There's also, as my title for this review points out, the anachronisms. Not so much in things like clothing or style, but choices for men and women of the minor aristocracy which these stories are about. Gabriella, like her father before her and her young brother, are veterinarians, and her father had promised Brie (Gabriella's nickname) she would become his partner once she came of age -


Wait? WHAT?!?!?

Let's unpack that bit of intelligence, given to us in Plot-Point Conversation in Chapter One:

- Gabriel Gordon, Gabriella's father, the younger son of a Viscount and thus a Right Honorable (who would inherit if his older brother died without issue), works as a veterinarian - in Regency England, at a time when human doctors were largely considered skilled tradesmen on the order of a silversmith (anathema to any member of the gentry or nobility - the term "shop-stained" comes to mind), let alone the "animal midwifery" of a veterinary practice.

- Mr. Gordon (he wouldn't be considered "Dr. Gordon" back then unless he was a Physician who worked on humans) offered to take his younger daughter on as partner in his veterinary practice - his daughter , who by the conventions of the time was usually expected to marry well enough to improve the family's fortunes. If the family was well-educated but not wealthy enough to afford a good dowry, then the daughter might alternately take employment in a "suitable profession for a Lady of Quality" - Tutor, Governess, or Lady's Companion, not working with animals like a common tradesman!

Note the "man" as the end of that word - few women of any class in this time period, or any until very recently, worked a trade. Some women of the trade or merchant class might have worked alongside their father or husband at his trade and done well enough to de facto run the business, but nobody in that time period would have ever trusted a woman who openly ran it on her own. She would have had to use her father, husband, brother or son as the business's "official" male face.



This happened rather a lot until the last half the 20th Century - my best friend's mother caused quite a scandal in the early 1960s when she stepped away from her father's importing business to open her own interior decorating one.

Our heroine has a beautiful, spoiled, self-centered sister, Angela, who married a nobleman and generously offered



to give Brie her long-overdue London Season - which she doesn't want anyway, wanting to live in Gloucestershire among the animals and world of elements. Nonetheless, at her mother's insistence, she agrees to go to London, sure she'll never find a husband, and will be able to return home where she feels safe and comfortable. Stopping at an inn on the road to London, she spies an abused horse which is the property of the Duke of Ravenham, finds him preparing for a seduction, and tears into him about his treatment of animals! What she doesn't know (though we find out almost immediately) is the Duke purchased the horse from a tinker he caught abusing it, since he's a much an animal-lover as she is - of course, since she's dressed casually he assumes she is just a serving-wench with no understanding of the proper way to treat her betters, rather than A Woman of Quality and Breeding!


Yes, the Eyerolls Will Come Thick & Fast...

Once arriving in London, Brie embarrasses her status-conscious sister with talk of working for her late Father's veterinary practice


Maybe I, or the Author, Exaggerate That 'Woman of Quality & Breeding' Part

and her gowns are hopelessly out-of-fashion. But that's okay, because her Brother-in-Law, Lord Platt, is a drunk and a gambler and Angela (a flirt with a long string of admirers!) suspects cheating on her, to boot!

Anywho… There's a bet Ravenham loses which results in his having to introduce Gabriella into the Ton (London Polite Society), which is how they end up getting thrown together; there's the reveal where she discovers the Warm Animal Lover Under the Stickler Aristocrat; there's a villainous reprobate to provide The Misunderstanding -



It's been a while, but I once went into a screed in a review about how much I hate The Misunderstanding as a romance plot twist: You know, where the Heroine/Hero misunderstands something s/he saw or heard, assumes the worst of the Man/Woman s/he's Starting to Fall in Love With, so the Woman/Man, heartbroken, vanishes for a time until The Truth Is Uncovered, Apologies, Declarations of True Love, HEA.


Tom Jones is Where I Encountered This Trope For the First Time, But Since It's Played For Laughs There It Obviously Predates the Novel By a Long Chalk!

Because it's a Regency Romance, of course it all ends Happily Ever After, but the character and behavior of the older sister Angela, the betrayal of Brie's emotions by both her and Ravenham, and other nastier elements of the story artlessly added left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth - not enough to rate this as below average, but just enough to think when Heyer died, they broke the mold.
_____
(My thanks to Alicia Rasley's monograph, "Doctors in the Regency", available at the Romance Writers of America's The Beau Monde website.)

[Edwina " I LoveBooks" "Deb" · Rating 3 out of 5]

JUST SO SO!!

I was not very impressed with this story. I never felt that Dexter the Duke of Ravenham and Gabreilla Gordon were in love. They came to be friends but love was a far stretch. Nothing sensual or romantic happen between the couple and the story ends abruptly. I think the couple learns to respect each other but noting more. Just a bland read. Just Ok nothing special.

After loosing a bet too his friend Lord Garvey, Dex must escort Brie/Garbreilla to Ton events to help her come out be a sucess. Her social climbing sister Angela Platt and her husband Sir Seymore Platt are the benefactor of the bet. The couple are basically not respected or invited to Ton events. Angela is crass and without any social breeding, but she thinks she is the "It" factor for the Ton. So she uses her sister Gabriella to social climb. Gabriella has all the characteristics of what the Ton expects in a young lady. Angela and Sir Seymore uses this to social climb and get invites to Ton functions. She cares nothing about her sister. The relationship between sisters is never resolved. Maybe there will be another book to explore all the unresolved relationships in the story. I wouldn't mine a little more on how Dex and Brie get on. Or maybe Lord Garvey and Lady Elizabeth. A wedding, or children maybe for either couple.The story need More!! I gave the book 3 stars because as individuals I like each character. Dex's and his sister Lady Elizabeth I really enjoyed. Brie was a sensible young lady even though she was a middle class merchants daughter. Which I didn't understand either. The upper echelon of the Ton Dukes to Earls barely recognized anyone below that rank and Sirs were the lowest on the totem pole. But I like Brie. The ebook was only 99cents so no great lost.

[Rabid Readers Reviews · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you’re a fan of Regency Romance chances are you’ve read this novel at least ten times, all of which were better done. Two people that don’t want to be together are thrust into each other’s company one by a debt owed and the other familial pressure. Though a common theme and formatting, the idea of the piece could have been executed at a higher quality level leading to a more readable work. I never cared about the characters or story. The way that the story is written in simplistic and expected and where interest could have been fostered, the plot twists are predictable and contrived.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I inwardly cringe giving this the "regency" tag but I guess...it tries.
Think a Great Value version of Arabella with a dash of Faro's daughter.. Oh, and maybe something of the familial relations of Devil's Cub. Which are all excellent, excellent books and this one is just...not.
It keeps things clean but the plot itself relies too heavily on exaggerated and slightly inaccurate Regency vibes, predictable misunderstandings, and a special snowflake heroine who stands out because she wears teal while all the other insipid females wear white. (Which actually brings me to the most pressing question I had while reading this book...would teal eyes look cool or just kind of creepy? I think authors should stop finding dramatic eye colors for their heroines. I spend too much time being weirded out.)
Anyway, there is a strong female friendship which I liked but it eventually steps aside for the predictable romance with even more predictable drama.
Nothing terrible, but nothing exceptional. Actually, scratch that. The author named these siblings Angelica, Gabriella, and Gabriel. Can we just pause for a moment and question that particular life decision??

[Nessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

CLEAN ROMANCE. BUT SADLY DISAPPOINTING.

THIS STORY WAS ABSOLUTELY BORING IN TERMS OF DRAMA AND ROMANCE. THERE WAS BARELY ANY INTERACTION BETWEEN THE H/h SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY CAN EVEN FALL IN LOVE.

OUR HERO is a powerful Duke who runs in the higher echelon of society. Owing someone from a wager of sorts, he's inclined to help launch our heroine for her first Season. The plot was promising but the lack of interaction and emotional development between the Duke and our heroine was terribly off-putting. I barely sensed any affection from the Duke APART from what the author TELLS us he feel. I was hopeful for SOMETHING to happen but it was all a monotonous drone of politeness and the lack of sensual kisses just....NO....NOPE this wasn't interesting at all.

OUR HEROINE is a delightful character with her own set of backbone for a woman of her time. I liked her despite the failure of this story. She's sweet, kind to animals and speaks her own mind. Having been close to her dear, deceased Father, Brie is left in the clutches of her mother and insists that she takes up her Socialite sister's offer to partake the Season. Reluctantly, she is whisked away to London and has to put up with her bitch of a sister's conniving ways to restore HER own reputation in society, manipulating and using Gabriella.

OVERALL the entire story was just SAD. It could have been more....and the friction in the story was just quite silly. Because she spurns a villainous suitor, he in turn is out to exact petty revenge for her direct cut and spins lies about her. WTF have I just wasted two hours reading?

[HR-ML · Rating 3 out of 5]

A re-read of this Regency era romance. I liked this better
on previous read. This time 3.5 stars.

Gabriella ("Brie") was dtr of a viscount's 2nd son employ-
ed as a veterinary surgeon. She assisted her late dad in his
work. Her mom & beautiful sis (wed to a baronet) scorned
this as an unladylike avocation. Brie's younger bro sought
to take his dad's place one day.

Naïve Brie jumped to conclusions IE she assumed Dexter
(later revealed as a duke) had starved & beaten his horse!
Brie's sister Angela came across as tactless and immature.
Flirty Ang + insincere baddie suited one anther and should
have made for the Continent or elsewhere together?

Brie & Dex were a couple from different worlds. This social
and experience gap seemed insurmountable at times. Dex
made some sly comments about her lack of dowry, etc.
They both needed to listen more closely to the subtext of
their convos.

Brie & Ang: both too plain-spoken, but at least Brie softened
her approaches & reactions over time.

Something seemed missing this time around?

Revised.

[Tonileg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Historical English romance mostly set in London in the society of titled aristocracy with a poor country mouse finds love with a powerful duke like Cinderella with the magic godmother being in the form of a debt of honor.
The Duke of Ravenham loses a bet to his best friend who has a twisted sense of humor, the Duke must give a favor to a rude drunken lowly Baron, who asks him to make his sister in law's entrance into society a success. Miss Gabriella Gordon aka Brie is not like her older sister, so she makes it easy for the Duke to make her into a popular debutante as well as bringing her a best friend in the form of his little sister who is also coming out. There is a light animal science theme put in the story.
HEA guarenteed as well as a clean romance with only a kiss in the story.
288 pages and kindle freebie
2 stars

[Jennifer Marie]

This was a free book, so I can't complain really, but oh my the head hopping...and the story just felt so underdeveloped. There was a lack of flow, characters and story lines not fleshed out, and a general "rushed" end feeling. A lot more editing and some story repotting could have made this a much better book.

[Chrissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was pretty cute but it had the whole mistress thing going on and that bugs me. The hero does "reform" quickly when he meets the heroine and the married sister stops flirting with other men by the end of the book.

[OhWell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and clean, but in the end the MCs felt more like good friends than anything else. No real spark there.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet charming historical romance with just the right element of tension and romance to make a very appealing read. A questionable villain, a handsome Duke, a unsophisticated country girl with a love of animals and a jealous sister combine to make an enjoyable book. This is the first in a series of Hyatt’s classic regency romances. If you love clean classic romances with an historical setting, these books are sure to please.

[Sandra Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely book -- a Regency romance that has a predictable outcome, but is a pleasant read to get to that point. I really like the heroine Gabriella. She's a sensible young woman with a kind heart and decent self-confidence. She's beautiful in a fresh, innocent way and greatly underestimated by her conniving sister. The Duke of Ravenham offers us the other half of the picture and it was fun to watch their interactions, and ups and downs in this enjoyable, clean story.

[Eugenea Pollock · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Regency Romance is a light, fluffy novel with no strings attached—pure entertainment—a “popcorn” book as opposed to a “prime rib” book. It is sweet, not spicy. Gabriella is a country girl who loves animals and grew up helping her father in his veterinary practice. Though of noble birth, as a second son, he worked for a living until his untimely death. Yes, there is a Duke involved; but when, how, and why is the substance of the story. “Lead on, MacDuff!”

[Iris Lim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very lovely read with very tangible characters. A good length that balances depth and speed of resolution. My only complaint is that the hero was trying to hire a mistress as recently as the opening of the book and we’re somehow supposed to believe that he no longer wants that kind of lifestyle after falling for the heroine even though he doesn’t express a drop of remorse for his former ways. Otherwise, highly recommended. Quite swoon-worthy.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet historical romance that makes me want to start reading this genre again

[Rosava Doshchyk · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5
Ееех, що стало з псевдоістиричними любовними романами? Тут ніхто жодного разу не стріляв.
Негідник навіть на дуель не прийшов Т_Т

[Laura J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

no spark

Two very nice people, have a few adventures, save a kitten, help deliver puppies, deal with a cad and a catty sister. And fall in love with for no apparent reasons.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful clean romance with a predictable ending. There was no stupidity or contrived fighting, just a smooth plot with reasonable ups and downs, a lovely heroine and, of course, an almost perfect Duke! I enjoyed every moment.

[Mary-Lorraine Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written, interesting, and clean

Well-written, interesting, and appropriate for those not interested in cursing or sex scenes.

Not so overly descriptive as to make you fall asleep; instead just enough to visualize the important parts of each scene and to understand each character.

[BookMaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fair Read

The Duke of Ravenham has lost a wager. His penalty is assuring the successful coming out of an acquaintance's sister-in-law, Miss Gabriella Gordon. Gabriella does not want a coming out. Her mother and sister insist, however. Gabriella would prefer staying in the country attending her father's veterinary practice. The Duke does not want to assist her either, but his debt of honor must be paid. It would seem that these two people are worlds apart, but, maybe not.

Hiatt's writing style is very simple and straightforward. The story is formulaic. It reads more like a teen novel, and would be appropriate for that age group. It is an easy, quick read, with a likeable H and h, but there is little emotional depth. The couple seems to be mildly in like. The emotion of love is given lip service, but no real evidence is presented. And romance? None. The couple are "proper" in all interactions, and passion is nonexistent. I do not mind a lack of physical passion, but a lack of emotional passion seems too sterile, and does not ring true.

This book is not a bad read. It is not a great one either. While reading this book, I could not help but think that a better writer could have made this plot line zing. This writer, however, only let it rise to mediocrity.

[Sabrina (Soter) Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Rimase immobile per un lungo istante, folgorata dall'espressione dolcissima sul volto di Dexter, poi si ritrovò all'improvviso tra le sue braccia. Era corsa da lui o era stato l’uomo ad abbracciarla? Sapeva solo che era quello il posto dove desiderava stare, a cui apparteneva."

Trovo meraviglioso quando un libro ti "regala" esattamente la storia che speravi di leggere! *ç* Sì, perché il titolo prometteva un "regency classic" ed è quello che ho ottenuto, una storia delicata e ben scritta, ben diversa dalle acrobazie erotiche che tanto vanno di moda ultimamente (e che, diciamolo, alla lunga stufano!). Mi ha ricordato a tratti i romanzi della Heyer, con il casto bacio sulla dichiarazione finale, il duca titolato all'apparenza freddo ma che si lascia incantare da una giovane ragazza ingenua e totalmente digiuna dello sfavillante mondo del ton (pieno di serpi diciamolo XD). Sono curiosa di leggere il secondo libro della serie! *ç*

[Bethany Swafford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabriella has no interest in going to London for the Season, however her mother convinces her to make the best of things. Off she goes, and romance ensues.

As a lover of Georgette Heyer and the Regency time period, I love it when I discover someone else who writes a 'classic, traditional story like this. The characters are lovely, and the writing is done very well.

There were a few missing letters and punctuation, but over all, extremely well done.

If you love a clean, Regency romance, you won't go wrong with this one!

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just Meh...

Nothing much happens in roughly 300 pages of stock characters, typical plotting, inconsequential complications finished with a 'you see it from a mile away' HEA. Bottom line: this is the author's first novel and it shows. My advice: pick up one of her later novels. They are somewhat better.

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story was cheesy, but clean. Not realistic, has a simple plot that is over done, not much to the characters. The love triangle was not even close to love or compelling. The story has all the right elements, it didn't have much heart or feeling.

[Diane Horne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabriella (Book 1) By Brenda Hiatt

Four stars an old fashion romance, good storyline and well rounded characters...Breath of fresh air, not a lot of drama, not sensual but plain good book.

[Jennifer Salter]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a different spin on how a regency couple meets and falls in love. I'm definitely going to be reading the next books in this series!