What do you think?
Felicity's Folly
Intending to become a woman of independent means by taking in boarders at her late husband's estate, young widow Felicity Rhoades realizes that something has gone awry when all of her guests turn eccentric and a handsome lord pursues her. Original.
249 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1997
About the author
Marilyn Clay
45 books14 followersMarilyn Clay, a multi-published, best-selling and award winning author is also a respected historian of the Regency period in English history. For sixteen years, she published The Regency Plume Newsletter, an international publication chock full of well-researched articles useful to writers, historians and people interested in all aspects of the 18th and early 19th centuries in English history. Kensington Books published six of Marilyn Clay’s Regency-set historical novels in the 1990s, all of which were translated to foreign languages. Marilyn Clay’s Colonial American novels, released in 2010 and 2012, were first published in hardcover by Five Star/Gale and are now available as Ebooks. Four titles in Marilyn Clay's new Juliette Abbott Regency Mysteries are now available in both print and Ebook. Marilyn's books are all available from major online retailers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 12, 2018
(Mild spoilers sprinkled throughout the review.)
Recently, I made a decision: from now on, I'm gonna read whatever the hell I want. And yes, that includes romance novels that I previously spent a good chunk of my life mocking. Why? Well, it's the same reason why I sometimes indulge in crappy anime or overly cutesy manga (let alone fanfiction). It's why I'm an absolute sucker for old-school movie musicals and Disney movies. Because it's fun and entertaining and makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Isn't that what consuming media is all about?
Yes, sometimes it's nice to pamper oneself with a delicious steak and a glass of wine or a rich cheesecake; but sometimes you just want French fries and a hot dog, or cookies and ice cream. And there's nothing wrong with that. As long you don't confuse which is which, what really matters is what you get out of each "meal." Not to say that the media I consume, be it of fluff or substance, is devoid of criticism. Of course not! If a rotting hamburger is guised up as a filet mignon, you sure as hell know I'll have something to say about it! Or even if the cookies and ice cream fail to taste delicious, certainly there's room for improvement. I just feel that every book deserves FAIR critiquing, and if you're disgusted with the lack of "depth" or how "predictable" a typical romance novel is, then, clearly, you don't have your priorities straightened. It IS possible to fairly critique a romance novel without feeling the need to throw it under the bus simply because of its heavily mocked genre.
This mentality is what drove me to buy a bunch of cheap, paperback Regency romance novels recently, and to start off with a title that intrigued me: Felicity's Folly. As with my experience in February, when I first dove into the world of Regency romances, this book provided its fair share of its tropes: details on dresses, various layers of the customs of that time period, and one or two kisses that are written almost as sensually as, ah, other bedroom activities. Seriously, the sexual tension between Felicity and Lord Maitland could be cut with a knife! Basically, it's almost exactly what to expect from a novel of its genre.
Except...... There's the presence of the occult. At first, it's rather confusing as to what is true and what isn't, but the ending makes the ghosts very much real, hence why I added it to my "supernatural" bookshelf. That and the added mystery to poor Felicity's "Folly," which was never about her running a business on her own, but rather trusting the wrong people (and the matter of ghosts, too).
Felicity is a widow who decides to run a boarding house for elderly folks who wish to vacation in the country during the summer. Her dick of a brother continually harasses her about her decision, despite the fact that she was handling the preparations just fine and possibly would ordinarily have been very successful in her endeavors. If it wasn't for ghosts. And gold-digging arseholes. Thankfully, said ghost "rewards" her later, so it's fine.
She's a likable enough heroine, who keeps a cool head most times, but still has her limits. She refuses to marry again, but with unexpectedly nobler reasons than the average "miss independent" heroine. She's impulsive, independent, and is (for the most part) admired and loved for that by the charming Lord Maitland, who is easily one of the best love interests I've read in these books so far. He's teasing, but also very courteous and responsible, and mostly denies his feelings for her out of male pride and the customs of his time. (What's this? A woman who talks back and does things on her own?! Preposterous! That is not suitable wife material!) Thankfully, his pride is shelved eventually and cannot deny himself any longer. The mutual pining is VERY REAL here!
One critique I have of this novel is that.... well, the interactions between Felicity and Maitland can sometimes be rather jarring. One minute, they're talking pleasantly, and even lightly bantering; the next, she's yelling hysterically and he's laughing. Admittedly, the context of those moments makes more sense (when your own lodgers are tearing up your house for some long-lost treasure and you don't know who is up to mischief or why, it can drive you a bit on the edge), but the pacing and execution between those different scenes could have been improved. Though I did get a giggle over the running gag of Felicity accidentally attacking him, mistaking him for an intruder. That'll be a story for the kids and grand kids!
Another critique I have was making the occult aspect real. Not because I think ghosts ruin a good love story, but rather because proof of said ghosts don't show up until the last 10 or so pages. Oh, the book certainly hints at them, and discusses the possibility of their existence, but I was expecting it either to be left ambiguous or pull a Scooby-Doo and explain away the apparitions. Nope. A ghost reveals the real treasure to Felicity (after her lodgers leave; what a petty and clever ghost!), and the Headless Horseman makes an actual appearance that isn't mentioned as backstory! All in the end! Rather out of left field for me....
Otherwise, this is a sweet, fluffy read with a likable couple who fit into certain tropes while also making it different (ie: the bickering couple; at least here, circumstances forces Felicity to be much more tense, rather than just Maitland himself pissing her off). And now that I've had my fill of "junk food," I shall now return to my "fancier" read: The Count of Monte Cristo!
Recently, I made a decision: from now on, I'm gonna read whatever the hell I want. And yes, that includes romance novels that I previously spent a good chunk of my life mocking. Why? Well, it's the same reason why I sometimes indulge in crappy anime or overly cutesy manga (let alone fanfiction). It's why I'm an absolute sucker for old-school movie musicals and Disney movies. Because it's fun and entertaining and makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Isn't that what consuming media is all about?
Yes, sometimes it's nice to pamper oneself with a delicious steak and a glass of wine or a rich cheesecake; but sometimes you just want French fries and a hot dog, or cookies and ice cream. And there's nothing wrong with that. As long you don't confuse which is which, what really matters is what you get out of each "meal." Not to say that the media I consume, be it of fluff or substance, is devoid of criticism. Of course not! If a rotting hamburger is guised up as a filet mignon, you sure as hell know I'll have something to say about it! Or even if the cookies and ice cream fail to taste delicious, certainly there's room for improvement. I just feel that every book deserves FAIR critiquing, and if you're disgusted with the lack of "depth" or how "predictable" a typical romance novel is, then, clearly, you don't have your priorities straightened. It IS possible to fairly critique a romance novel without feeling the need to throw it under the bus simply because of its heavily mocked genre.
This mentality is what drove me to buy a bunch of cheap, paperback Regency romance novels recently, and to start off with a title that intrigued me: Felicity's Folly. As with my experience in February, when I first dove into the world of Regency romances, this book provided its fair share of its tropes: details on dresses, various layers of the customs of that time period, and one or two kisses that are written almost as sensually as, ah, other bedroom activities. Seriously, the sexual tension between Felicity and Lord Maitland could be cut with a knife! Basically, it's almost exactly what to expect from a novel of its genre.
Except...... There's the presence of the occult. At first, it's rather confusing as to what is true and what isn't, but the ending makes the ghosts very much real, hence why I added it to my "supernatural" bookshelf. That and the added mystery to poor Felicity's "Folly," which was never about her running a business on her own, but rather trusting the wrong people (and the matter of ghosts, too).
Felicity is a widow who decides to run a boarding house for elderly folks who wish to vacation in the country during the summer. Her dick of a brother continually harasses her about her decision, despite the fact that she was handling the preparations just fine and possibly would ordinarily have been very successful in her endeavors. If it wasn't for ghosts. And gold-digging arseholes. Thankfully, said ghost "rewards" her later, so it's fine.
She's a likable enough heroine, who keeps a cool head most times, but still has her limits. She refuses to marry again, but with unexpectedly nobler reasons than the average "miss independent" heroine. She's impulsive, independent, and is (for the most part) admired and loved for that by the charming Lord Maitland, who is easily one of the best love interests I've read in these books so far. He's teasing, but also very courteous and responsible, and mostly denies his feelings for her out of male pride and the customs of his time. (What's this? A woman who talks back and does things on her own?! Preposterous! That is not suitable wife material!) Thankfully, his pride is shelved eventually and cannot deny himself any longer. The mutual pining is VERY REAL here!
One critique I have of this novel is that.... well, the interactions between Felicity and Maitland can sometimes be rather jarring. One minute, they're talking pleasantly, and even lightly bantering; the next, she's yelling hysterically and he's laughing. Admittedly, the context of those moments makes more sense (when your own lodgers are tearing up your house for some long-lost treasure and you don't know who is up to mischief or why, it can drive you a bit on the edge), but the pacing and execution between those different scenes could have been improved. Though I did get a giggle over the running gag of Felicity accidentally attacking him, mistaking him for an intruder. That'll be a story for the kids and grand kids!
Another critique I have was making the occult aspect real. Not because I think ghosts ruin a good love story, but rather because proof of said ghosts don't show up until the last 10 or so pages. Oh, the book certainly hints at them, and discusses the possibility of their existence, but I was expecting it either to be left ambiguous or pull a Scooby-Doo and explain away the apparitions. Nope. A ghost reveals the real treasure to Felicity (after her lodgers leave; what a petty and clever ghost!), and the Headless Horseman makes an actual appearance that isn't mentioned as backstory! All in the end! Rather out of left field for me....
Otherwise, this is a sweet, fluffy read with a likable couple who fit into certain tropes while also making it different (ie: the bickering couple; at least here, circumstances forces Felicity to be much more tense, rather than just Maitland himself pissing her off). And now that I've had my fill of "junk food," I shall now return to my "fancier" read: The Count of Monte Cristo!
October 21, 2022
This was a nice Regency with a quirky note.
October 4, 2013
A very funny and unusual Regency romance. Both hero and heroine are likable characters who get drawn into the lives of people who believe in ghosts and superstitions. I have liked everything I have read by this author!
September 25, 2009
Regency
August 27, 2013
I liked the beginning and the overall plot. I did NOT appreciate the details of Maitland's passsions with Felicity and I wish he had kept them to himself.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews