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Poor Relation #1
Lady Fortescue Steps Out
Life is not easy for the poor relations of England’s upper crust, but fate and clever schemes bring them together. Lady Fortescue and Colonel Sandhurst hatch a plan: What if they were to transform her decrepit Bond Street home into a posh hotel, offering their guests the pleasure of being waited upon by nobility? With the help of other down-and-out aristocrats, they do just that, and London’s newest hotel, The Poor Relation, is born.
The establishment is an immediate hit with London’s most illustrious citizens, save the Duke of Rowcester, Lady Fortescue’s nephew. Rowcester believes that his aunt’s entry into the trade will denigrate their family name and is determined to shut the hotel down - until he meets Miss Harriett James, the lovely young woman who accepts Lady Fortescue’s offer to become The Poor Relation’s chef after the death of her parents and the loss of her fortune. Rowcester moves into The Poor Relation for the season - ostensibly to keep an eye on his aunt’s business.
The establishment is an immediate hit with London’s most illustrious citizens, save the Duke of Rowcester, Lady Fortescue’s nephew. Rowcester believes that his aunt’s entry into the trade will denigrate their family name and is determined to shut the hotel down - until he meets Miss Harriett James, the lovely young woman who accepts Lady Fortescue’s offer to become The Poor Relation’s chef after the death of her parents and the loss of her fortune. Rowcester moves into The Poor Relation for the season - ostensibly to keep an eye on his aunt’s business.
5 pages, Audible Audio
First published January 1, 1992
408 people are currently reading
1818 people want to read
About the author
Marion Chesney
139 books746 followersMarion Chesney Gibbons
aka: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, M.C. Beaton, Sarah Chester.
Marion Chesney was born on 1936 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, and started her first job as a bookseller in charge of the fiction department in John Smith & Sons Ltd. While bookselling, by chance, she got an offer from the Scottish Daily Mail to review variety shows and quickly rose to be their theatre critic. She left Smith’s to join Scottish Field magazine as a secretary in the advertising department, without any shorthand or typing, but quickly got the job of fashion editor instead. She then moved to the Scottish Daily Express where she reported mostly on crime. This was followed by a move to Fleet Street to the Daily Express where she became chief woman reporter. After marrying Harry Scott Gibbons and having a son, Charles, Marion went to the United States where Harry had been offered the job of editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian. When that didn’t work out, they went to Virginia and Marion worked as a waitress in a greasy spoon on the Jefferson Davies in Alexandria while Harry washed the dishes. Both then got jobs on Rupert Murdoch’s new tabloid, The Star, and moved to New York.
Anxious to spend more time at home with her small son, Marion, urged by her husband, started to write historical romances in 1977. After she had written over 100 of them under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, and under the pseudonyms: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester, she getting fed up with 1714 to 1910, she began to write detectives stories in 1985 under the pseudonym of M. C. Beaton. On a trip from the States to Sutherland on holiday, a course at a fishing school inspired the first Constable Hamish Macbeth story. They returned to Britain and bought a croft house and croft in Sutherland where Harry reared a flock of black sheep. But Charles was at school, in London so when he finished and both tired of the long commute to the north of Scotland, they moved to the Cotswolds where Agatha Raisin was created.
aka: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, M.C. Beaton, Sarah Chester.
Marion Chesney was born on 1936 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, and started her first job as a bookseller in charge of the fiction department in John Smith & Sons Ltd. While bookselling, by chance, she got an offer from the Scottish Daily Mail to review variety shows and quickly rose to be their theatre critic. She left Smith’s to join Scottish Field magazine as a secretary in the advertising department, without any shorthand or typing, but quickly got the job of fashion editor instead. She then moved to the Scottish Daily Express where she reported mostly on crime. This was followed by a move to Fleet Street to the Daily Express where she became chief woman reporter. After marrying Harry Scott Gibbons and having a son, Charles, Marion went to the United States where Harry had been offered the job of editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian. When that didn’t work out, they went to Virginia and Marion worked as a waitress in a greasy spoon on the Jefferson Davies in Alexandria while Harry washed the dishes. Both then got jobs on Rupert Murdoch’s new tabloid, The Star, and moved to New York.
Anxious to spend more time at home with her small son, Marion, urged by her husband, started to write historical romances in 1977. After she had written over 100 of them under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, and under the pseudonyms: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester, she getting fed up with 1714 to 1910, she began to write detectives stories in 1985 under the pseudonym of M. C. Beaton. On a trip from the States to Sutherland on holiday, a course at a fishing school inspired the first Constable Hamish Macbeth story. They returned to Britain and bought a croft house and croft in Sutherland where Harry reared a flock of black sheep. But Charles was at school, in London so when he finished and both tired of the long commute to the north of Scotland, they moved to the Cotswolds where Agatha Raisin was created.
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April 28, 2024
The Poor Relations is Rich in Humor.
Six people who feel that they are a burden on their relatives because of their poverty decides to live together.
One by one, they move into the house of Lady Fortescue. After a thoughtful consideration they decide that the house should become a hotel.
Their rich relations are shocked that they would rather be in trade, earning money, than being a burden to their family.
And the hotel is a success.
The same people who snob them for being in trade, is delighted to get a room in the hotel.
While all this is happening, Harriet James, one of the poor relations, is being pursued by the Duke of Rowcester. Will that relationship get anywhere?
How about the hotel? Will it be successful? Step inside and you will see for yourself.
Highly recommended.
Five fantastic stars. 💫💫💫💫💫
Six people who feel that they are a burden on their relatives because of their poverty decides to live together.
One by one, they move into the house of Lady Fortescue. After a thoughtful consideration they decide that the house should become a hotel.
Their rich relations are shocked that they would rather be in trade, earning money, than being a burden to their family.
And the hotel is a success.
The same people who snob them for being in trade, is delighted to get a room in the hotel.
While all this is happening, Harriet James, one of the poor relations, is being pursued by the Duke of Rowcester. Will that relationship get anywhere?
How about the hotel? Will it be successful? Step inside and you will see for yourself.
Highly recommended.
Five fantastic stars. 💫💫💫💫💫
April 27, 2024
I borrowed this book from Hoopla. I have read several other books by Chesney and had enjoyed them. The book was written in 1990 and I think it has held up well. I enjoyed the fun story of poor relations making a go of it by running a hotel. I even liked Sir Phillip who is a thief and a stinker. I think the storyline is completely unbelievable but oh so much fun. I already have the next book downloaded. I wish I could have listened to the book as I read on another review that it is read by Porter. Alas it was an ebook that was a long short story or a short book.
August 28, 2014
oh dear! what's a broke Regency era heroine to do? her lack of funds are intolerable - she can barely stay warm or well-fed - and whatever is to be done about the ever faithful servants? she's a "poor relation" to infinitely wealthier noble relations - why can't they help out? she's a senior citizen; is there no pity amongst the upper classes for their forgotten elders? perhaps she should steal a trinket or two from those relatives? or perhaps she should rally, collect other "poor relations" to pool their resources, maybe they should all band together and jump-start a new hotel - one that caters to all of those wealthy assholes?
oh dear! what's a reader who expects more from an author to do? he wanted a deliciously heartless and deviously ironic trifle in the vein of E.F. Benson's Queen Lucia; should he be satisfied with less? why is he ever so grumpy about lackluster prose and a less than thrilling narrative? is he projecting his yearnings unfairly? should he just read more Benson? better yet, can't he just be satisfied with what he has in this novel, its undeniably loveable and amusing pleasures? can't he be happy with a bland writing style that goes through its various predictable but still charming motions... while still surprising him on the regular with disturbingly real mentions of how horribly anti-woman and anti-lower classes the entire period actually was? shouldn't he be impressed by an author who placidly spins a feel-good yarn of poor relations banding together while still making sure the reader is aware of the basic terribleness of the era in question - at least in regards to women, to the poor, to convicts, to anyone who is not an enfranchised member of the ruling class - or even in regards to hygiene?
oh dear! has the reviewer become enchanted despite his reservations? will he continue to read this series?
oh dear! what's a reader who expects more from an author to do? he wanted a deliciously heartless and deviously ironic trifle in the vein of E.F. Benson's Queen Lucia; should he be satisfied with less? why is he ever so grumpy about lackluster prose and a less than thrilling narrative? is he projecting his yearnings unfairly? should he just read more Benson? better yet, can't he just be satisfied with what he has in this novel, its undeniably loveable and amusing pleasures? can't he be happy with a bland writing style that goes through its various predictable but still charming motions... while still surprising him on the regular with disturbingly real mentions of how horribly anti-woman and anti-lower classes the entire period actually was? shouldn't he be impressed by an author who placidly spins a feel-good yarn of poor relations banding together while still making sure the reader is aware of the basic terribleness of the era in question - at least in regards to women, to the poor, to convicts, to anyone who is not an enfranchised member of the ruling class - or even in regards to hygiene?
oh dear! has the reviewer become enchanted despite his reservations? will he continue to read this series?
June 18, 2018
3.5 stars.
I've become addicted to Marion Chesney's regency tales ! There's usually a love story but also an engaging ensemble cast of other characters who have their own wacky drama going on. This novel is the first in The Poor Relation Collection. I'm drawn to Marion Chesney's sense of humour and the way she creates conflict but then solves it in a rather slapdash or slapstick sort of way. Her style of writing is light, the pacing is good and the storytelling is always entertaining. The Poor Relations series deals with a group of impoverished genteel folks who have banded together to form a hotel: yep ! they've done the unthinkable and gone into Trade ! It's a common fact that members of the English Ton despised anyone who belonged to the new merchant/industrial class and so the ensemble poor relations in this series have entered a no man's land that's guaranteed to alienate them from their richer relatives. The poor relations didn't want to open the hotel but they were starving, down on their luck and their rich genteel relatives weren't helping them out:
The poor relations of aristocrats who lived in London led a lonely and dreary existence, living on the charity of their noble relatives; or on some meagre allowance from a family trust. Once a year, they were taken out and dusted down and conveyed to some stately home where they made themselves as inconspicuous as possible, hoping to be ignored, hoping that regular meals and fires would last as long as possible. But the day would always come when they were packed up and delivered back to London and a life of genteel cold and hunger. What kept them from helping each other, what kept them apart, was pride.
Marion Chesney; M. C. Beaton. Lady Fortescue Steps Out (Kindle Locations 29-33). RosettaBooks. Kindle Edition.
In this first installment, we meet the septuagenarian Lady Fortescue:
Poor Lady F is the epitome of genteel poverty. She's a widow without kids and her only valuable possession is her huge townhouse on Bond Street. She's so poor that she can't even afford to pay the wages of her married servants John and Betty; they stay and share whatever little she has because they like her and they've nowhere else to go. At the start of the story, Lady F is weak and disillusioned because her poverty had made her steal 2 silver candlesticks from the home of her nephew the Duke of Rowcester. Lady F's theft was discovered and she had to depart from the duke's estate in disgrace. She's walking all by herself in Hyde Park and looking enviously at the rich members of the Ton, as they parade in their phaetons and barouches, when she comes across an old man who has collapsed on the grass. He's Colonel Sandhurt ( also in his '70's )
Lady F and Colonel S join forces and decide that they should pool their resources and live together at her house on Bond Street. It's not a romantic relationship, but there are hints that the Colonel is enamoured of Lady F. Soon, they devise a crafty idea to get more folks in the same socio-economic situation and they're joined by Miss Tonks ( a plain spinster in her 40's whose old sister stole her inheritance ), Mrs. Eliza Budley ( a pretty 32 yr old widow whose husband was a gambler that left her impoverished ), Miss Harriet James ( a beautiful 28 yr old spinster who is the romantic heroine of the story ) and Sir Phillip Sommerville ( a mean, con artist, loud mouth, unhygienic and crafty bachelor in his '70's ). It's Sir Phillip who devises the idea to turn Lady F's townhouse into a hotel. Sir Phillip is an ornery old thief but he is the most entertaining character in this series ! This is Sir Phillip:
The poor relations furnish the hotel with the furniture from Mrs. Budley's old home but are still in need of funds to refurbish the place, so the wily Sir P engineers a scheme whereby they each take turns visiting their hateful relatives in order to steal some valuable stuff than can then be sold. Sir P is the first to go on his thieving expedition and he turns up to the duke of Rowcester's estate; it so happens that Sir P is a distant relative of the duke. The duke is a bachelor in his 30's who has only been smitten with one woman in his entire life; she happens to be none other than Harriet James. The duke had tried to look for Harriet but is unaware that she had fallen into dire poverty. Harriet and the duke are the 2 characters whose relationship will form the basis of the sole romantic storyline in this novel. This is the Duke of Rowcester:
This is Harriet:
Sir P steals some stuff from the duke's attics, a valuable antique necklace and he cries and begs his nephew Tommy for a crystal chandelier. The poor relations also decide to use Harriet's awesome cooking skills to their advantage by making her the chef for their new hotel. In a funny turn of events, they end up naming the hotel "The Poor Relation Hotel" since it represents all of them. Soon, the duke reads about the hotel and is angry because he thinks his aunt is embarrassing him and the family name by getting involved in trade. He turns up at the fully booked hotel and offers his huge townhouse to a family he knows that's staying there in exchange for their suite. The plot starts to get wackier from this point onwards ! The duke sees Harriet again and he is once more falling in love, but he asks her to be his mistress since he can't marry a woman who is in trade. Harriet is still in love with him but his offer offends her so she refuses. The author also pokes a lot of fun at how many members of the Ton are so stupid, egotistical and unhygienic. She does this via a character called Susan, Lady Darkwood:
Susan was a tall, statuesque blonde with a fair skin only slightly pitted by the smallpox, and large square brownish teeth.
Marion Chesney; M. C. Beaton. Lady Fortescue Steps Out (Kindle Locations 1026-1027). RosettaBooks. Kindle Edition.
Susan is a snob who hates to bathe but ends up having a dentist pull out all her brown teeth and replacing them with teeth from corpses:
But no sooner had Harriet begun to relax than Susan arrived, her large eyes gleaming with excitement and lips parted over white teeth. “Do you like them?” she said, tapping her teeth with the end of her fan. “They’re real.”
“Not your own, Susan?”
“No, my own were such a dreadful colour that I had them all pulled out and got this lovely, lovely set.”
“Oh, Susan, do you never think where they came from?”
Marion Chesney; M. C. Beaton. Lady Fortescue Steps Out (Kindle Locations 2053-2057). RosettaBooks. Kindle Edition.
Harriet gives the duke quite a run for his money because he keeps chasing after her all the time. He even forgets that he wants to close down the hotel and he buys her a brand new large stove, because he feels sorry for her having to slave over the archaic contraption in the hotel's kitchen. Sir P provided a lot of drama with his thieving ways when he used the insurance money to buy fancy clothing and a new wig for himself. Harriet almost dies in a fire but the duke climbed up the drainpipe and saved her. There was also a wannabe OW called Lady Stanton who wanted the duke for herself and tried to embarrass poor Harriet, but all ends well for the 2 lovers because the duke asks Harriet to marry him. The story ends on a happy note for Harriet and her duke, but the other poor relations are left to plot and scheme again because the attic fire has left them in need of more funds. The duke had paid for the refurbishment but they were still not making a huge profit. That will form the basis for the storyline of the second installment Miss Tonks Turns to Crime.
I've become addicted to Marion Chesney's regency tales ! There's usually a love story but also an engaging ensemble cast of other characters who have their own wacky drama going on. This novel is the first in The Poor Relation Collection. I'm drawn to Marion Chesney's sense of humour and the way she creates conflict but then solves it in a rather slapdash or slapstick sort of way. Her style of writing is light, the pacing is good and the storytelling is always entertaining. The Poor Relations series deals with a group of impoverished genteel folks who have banded together to form a hotel: yep ! they've done the unthinkable and gone into Trade ! It's a common fact that members of the English Ton despised anyone who belonged to the new merchant/industrial class and so the ensemble poor relations in this series have entered a no man's land that's guaranteed to alienate them from their richer relatives. The poor relations didn't want to open the hotel but they were starving, down on their luck and their rich genteel relatives weren't helping them out:
The poor relations of aristocrats who lived in London led a lonely and dreary existence, living on the charity of their noble relatives; or on some meagre allowance from a family trust. Once a year, they were taken out and dusted down and conveyed to some stately home where they made themselves as inconspicuous as possible, hoping to be ignored, hoping that regular meals and fires would last as long as possible. But the day would always come when they were packed up and delivered back to London and a life of genteel cold and hunger. What kept them from helping each other, what kept them apart, was pride.
Marion Chesney; M. C. Beaton. Lady Fortescue Steps Out (Kindle Locations 29-33). RosettaBooks. Kindle Edition.
In this first installment, we meet the septuagenarian Lady Fortescue:
Poor Lady F is the epitome of genteel poverty. She's a widow without kids and her only valuable possession is her huge townhouse on Bond Street. She's so poor that she can't even afford to pay the wages of her married servants John and Betty; they stay and share whatever little she has because they like her and they've nowhere else to go. At the start of the story, Lady F is weak and disillusioned because her poverty had made her steal 2 silver candlesticks from the home of her nephew the Duke of Rowcester. Lady F's theft was discovered and she had to depart from the duke's estate in disgrace. She's walking all by herself in Hyde Park and looking enviously at the rich members of the Ton, as they parade in their phaetons and barouches, when she comes across an old man who has collapsed on the grass. He's Colonel Sandhurt ( also in his '70's )
Lady F and Colonel S join forces and decide that they should pool their resources and live together at her house on Bond Street. It's not a romantic relationship, but there are hints that the Colonel is enamoured of Lady F. Soon, they devise a crafty idea to get more folks in the same socio-economic situation and they're joined by Miss Tonks ( a plain spinster in her 40's whose old sister stole her inheritance ), Mrs. Eliza Budley ( a pretty 32 yr old widow whose husband was a gambler that left her impoverished ), Miss Harriet James ( a beautiful 28 yr old spinster who is the romantic heroine of the story ) and Sir Phillip Sommerville ( a mean, con artist, loud mouth, unhygienic and crafty bachelor in his '70's ). It's Sir Phillip who devises the idea to turn Lady F's townhouse into a hotel. Sir Phillip is an ornery old thief but he is the most entertaining character in this series ! This is Sir Phillip:
The poor relations furnish the hotel with the furniture from Mrs. Budley's old home but are still in need of funds to refurbish the place, so the wily Sir P engineers a scheme whereby they each take turns visiting their hateful relatives in order to steal some valuable stuff than can then be sold. Sir P is the first to go on his thieving expedition and he turns up to the duke of Rowcester's estate; it so happens that Sir P is a distant relative of the duke. The duke is a bachelor in his 30's who has only been smitten with one woman in his entire life; she happens to be none other than Harriet James. The duke had tried to look for Harriet but is unaware that she had fallen into dire poverty. Harriet and the duke are the 2 characters whose relationship will form the basis of the sole romantic storyline in this novel. This is the Duke of Rowcester:
This is Harriet:
Sir P steals some stuff from the duke's attics, a valuable antique necklace and he cries and begs his nephew Tommy for a crystal chandelier. The poor relations also decide to use Harriet's awesome cooking skills to their advantage by making her the chef for their new hotel. In a funny turn of events, they end up naming the hotel "The Poor Relation Hotel" since it represents all of them. Soon, the duke reads about the hotel and is angry because he thinks his aunt is embarrassing him and the family name by getting involved in trade. He turns up at the fully booked hotel and offers his huge townhouse to a family he knows that's staying there in exchange for their suite. The plot starts to get wackier from this point onwards ! The duke sees Harriet again and he is once more falling in love, but he asks her to be his mistress since he can't marry a woman who is in trade. Harriet is still in love with him but his offer offends her so she refuses. The author also pokes a lot of fun at how many members of the Ton are so stupid, egotistical and unhygienic. She does this via a character called Susan, Lady Darkwood:
Susan was a tall, statuesque blonde with a fair skin only slightly pitted by the smallpox, and large square brownish teeth.
Marion Chesney; M. C. Beaton. Lady Fortescue Steps Out (Kindle Locations 1026-1027). RosettaBooks. Kindle Edition.
Susan is a snob who hates to bathe but ends up having a dentist pull out all her brown teeth and replacing them with teeth from corpses:
But no sooner had Harriet begun to relax than Susan arrived, her large eyes gleaming with excitement and lips parted over white teeth. “Do you like them?” she said, tapping her teeth with the end of her fan. “They’re real.”
“Not your own, Susan?”
“No, my own were such a dreadful colour that I had them all pulled out and got this lovely, lovely set.”
“Oh, Susan, do you never think where they came from?”
Marion Chesney; M. C. Beaton. Lady Fortescue Steps Out (Kindle Locations 2053-2057). RosettaBooks. Kindle Edition.
Harriet gives the duke quite a run for his money because he keeps chasing after her all the time. He even forgets that he wants to close down the hotel and he buys her a brand new large stove, because he feels sorry for her having to slave over the archaic contraption in the hotel's kitchen. Sir P provided a lot of drama with his thieving ways when he used the insurance money to buy fancy clothing and a new wig for himself. Harriet almost dies in a fire but the duke climbed up the drainpipe and saved her. There was also a wannabe OW called Lady Stanton who wanted the duke for herself and tried to embarrass poor Harriet, but all ends well for the 2 lovers because the duke asks Harriet to marry him. The story ends on a happy note for Harriet and her duke, but the other poor relations are left to plot and scheme again because the attic fire has left them in need of more funds. The duke had paid for the refurbishment but they were still not making a huge profit. That will form the basis for the storyline of the second installment Miss Tonks Turns to Crime.
October 25, 2024
This was a lot of fun! I’m definitely going to read the series because I want to know what becomes of the dear Poor Relations. Even Sir Philip, the out-and-out rogue, is super fun and endearing. Harriet is a lovely heroine. I love her sense of personal dignity.
January 17, 2017
The widowed Lady Fortescue was a member of the genteel poverty often referred to as the invisible poor. Included in her misfortune, she was seventy years old: an age that was considered positively ancient in the early nineteenth century.
To make matters worse, she was accused of stealing two silver candlesticks by her nephew, the Duke of Rowcester. And she was caught; it was her first time and she needed to eat. Humiliated to the extreme, she remained inside her home with her two older servants. It had been ages since she was able to award them a salary.
Several months go by before Lady Fortescue Steps Out. While visiting a park and staying long past the appropriate hour, she met the elderly Colonel Sandhurst, late of the 147th. That is, once he woke up after he fainted. He was a poor relation, too. Their new-found mission with all of its ramifications, huzzah and glorious bits of reality became a comedy of errors.
Lady Fortescue Steps Out was the first in a series about an odd group of misfits that come together to open a hotel. There was some snarky humor, thievery, poking fun of the ton and one member found closure by the end of the story. I can only assume that my few unanswered questions will earn a resolution in one of the other books.
To make matters worse, she was accused of stealing two silver candlesticks by her nephew, the Duke of Rowcester. And she was caught; it was her first time and she needed to eat. Humiliated to the extreme, she remained inside her home with her two older servants. It had been ages since she was able to award them a salary.
Several months go by before Lady Fortescue Steps Out. While visiting a park and staying long past the appropriate hour, she met the elderly Colonel Sandhurst, late of the 147th. That is, once he woke up after he fainted. He was a poor relation, too. Their new-found mission with all of its ramifications, huzzah and glorious bits of reality became a comedy of errors.
Lady Fortescue Steps Out was the first in a series about an odd group of misfits that come together to open a hotel. There was some snarky humor, thievery, poking fun of the ton and one member found closure by the end of the story. I can only assume that my few unanswered questions will earn a resolution in one of the other books.
October 14, 2017
"But there were also the members of the invisible poor, the victims of genteel poverty who, with many subterfuges and stratagems, hid their condition from the eyes of polite society."
*Edit - I found my old review from 2011. Interesting how opinions change. I've added it to the bottom of this review.
Lady Fortescue Steps Out (1992, St. Martin's Press), first in the Poor Relation series by Marion Chesney, is a romantic comedy of manners set in Regency London. The novel is a standalone story with just a couple of threads left hanging at the end.
I chose to read this book because I remember enjoying a couple of Marion Chesney books years ago. I remember liking the premise of this one, so I figured I'd start with the first book since it had been so long. A further motivation was that my husband recently listened to it. He occasionally reads my sort of books just because he's an awesome husband. I guess I'm not as awesome a wife because I don't do the same for him!
Rating: 4 stars (This book was just OK for me even though I'm rating it 4 stars.)
(Dan gave this three stars and says he didn't particularly enjoy it.)
What I liked:
*Ms. Chesney writes a good farce, and the plot is clever. The characters are well drawn.
*My favorite aspect of this story is the incorporation of lesser known historical details of the Regency era without making them seem like information dumps. An example would be the practice of using napkins to wipe the mouth rather than a tablecloth! I looked around online and found:
"As the century progressed, English citizens began to look for ways to culturally distinguish themselves from the French, with whom they were at war. Abandoning napkins was considered a way to reject European influence. Instead, diners were expected to wipe their mouths on the immaculately white table cloth! By the beginning of the 19th century, this fad faded and napkins were once again an integral part of the table setting."
*The main characters are all poor relations. Lady Fortescue, Colonel Sandhurst, Mrs. Budley, Miss Tonks, Harriet James, and Sir Phillip Sommerville band together, combining their limited resources to help one another. I think this is a great premise for a Regency story, because it is so atypical. It makes me think of the group of early Christians in Acts 4.
What I didn't like::
*However… it's not a VERY apt comparison. You see, these poor relations are not honest. They're liars, blackmailers, and thieves to varying degrees. But they're all in on it. The first time I read this book, I was shocked, but then just enjoyed the ride. It's plainly written to entertain. This time around, I was less amused. Ultimately, I would have been okay with it if the characters eventually showed reformation. There is a hint of a partial reformation at the end, but only because of a desire not to go to jail! AND there is an indication that they would be back to their tricks in book two. So… I cannot like it, and I don't want to continue this series.
Christian elements:
*"Life was but a journey. The better life lay ahead for everyone when they went home to heaven." Statements like this always stand out to me, because the Bible says that only those who have accepted Jesus will be going to heaven, as opposed to "everyone."
*"So you must smile and sigh despite your pain and think of the boy in the Bible with the fox gnawing at his vitals." This did not sound at ALL familiar to me, so I looked it up, and found this:
"The Roman writer Plutarch, who wrote about 75 BC, told this story about the Spartans: 'So seriously did Spartan children go about their stealing, that a boy, having stolen a young fox and hid it under his cloak, let it tear out his guts with its teeth and claws and died right there, rather than let it be seen.'" I don't know why the author thought this was in the Bible….
Is it clean/chaste? Basically, yes. At one point, a man proposes that a woman become his mistress. Later, he tells himself it was a "clumsy" action. Huh?!? And it is never clear why he thought so. Then,
***********
This author is a clean Regency author, so I didn't quite want to give her up. So I took a look at the first book in The Six Sisters series. Here's what my GR friend Kathy * Bookworm Nation says about it:
"In a way it reminded me of the movie Grease, where the nice moral girl is transformed and becomes more worldly. Those kinds of stories just make me sad, it’s sad when someone gives into peer pressure and changes who they are in order to 'fit in.'" Kathy's review hit a personal hot spot, so I'm going to pass on that series.
I took a look at some other Marion Chesney series, and it seems that I might enjoy at least one of them. The Traveling Matchmaker might be enjoyable, but the entire premise for A House for the Season is that a certain group of servants are blackmailed into remaining at the house. So I'm giving up on Ms. Chesney. Her books are not a good fit for me, which is really too bad because I like the occasional farce. I just don't think it's necessary to build what seems like the majority of humor around immoral situations. Anyway, I strongly prefer not to have to weed out books within a single author, so I'm fine with this decision!
**********
The bottom line: I recommend this book to those who would enjoy a historical romantic farce and can get past the dishonesty in the story. Unless one of Chesney's books falls into my lap (and it looks like it's one I might like), I do not plan on reading any more by this author.
--------------
Just for fun - I found my 2011 review on this book. I disagree with it now, but for interest's sake, I'm tacking it onto the bottom:
"I had read a couple of Marion Chesney books to date, before reading this one. I had come to the conclusion that she is creative in coming up with unique situations, and that her romances are short quick reads (which can be nice sometimes), but that that her characters lacked depth. However, I obviously liked them well enough, as I have continued to seek our her books!
Lady Fortescue Steps Out was very entertaining, and in this one, I did feel like I knew the characters better!. (I think that to develop them any more would not have been possible, as the book IS short.) I REALLY liked this one a lot. I see that everyone else up to this point has given it five stars, and I think it deserves it!"
*Edit - I found my old review from 2011. Interesting how opinions change. I've added it to the bottom of this review.
Lady Fortescue Steps Out (1992, St. Martin's Press), first in the Poor Relation series by Marion Chesney, is a romantic comedy of manners set in Regency London. The novel is a standalone story with just a couple of threads left hanging at the end.
I chose to read this book because I remember enjoying a couple of Marion Chesney books years ago. I remember liking the premise of this one, so I figured I'd start with the first book since it had been so long. A further motivation was that my husband recently listened to it. He occasionally reads my sort of books just because he's an awesome husband. I guess I'm not as awesome a wife because I don't do the same for him!
Rating: 4 stars (This book was just OK for me even though I'm rating it 4 stars.)
(Dan gave this three stars and says he didn't particularly enjoy it.)
What I liked:
*Ms. Chesney writes a good farce, and the plot is clever. The characters are well drawn.
*My favorite aspect of this story is the incorporation of lesser known historical details of the Regency era without making them seem like information dumps. An example would be the practice of using napkins to wipe the mouth rather than a tablecloth! I looked around online and found:
"As the century progressed, English citizens began to look for ways to culturally distinguish themselves from the French, with whom they were at war. Abandoning napkins was considered a way to reject European influence. Instead, diners were expected to wipe their mouths on the immaculately white table cloth! By the beginning of the 19th century, this fad faded and napkins were once again an integral part of the table setting."
*The main characters are all poor relations. Lady Fortescue, Colonel Sandhurst, Mrs. Budley, Miss Tonks, Harriet James, and Sir Phillip Sommerville band together, combining their limited resources to help one another. I think this is a great premise for a Regency story, because it is so atypical. It makes me think of the group of early Christians in Acts 4.
What I didn't like::
*However… it's not a VERY apt comparison. You see, these poor relations are not honest. They're liars, blackmailers, and thieves to varying degrees. But they're all in on it. The first time I read this book, I was shocked, but then just enjoyed the ride. It's plainly written to entertain. This time around, I was less amused. Ultimately, I would have been okay with it if the characters eventually showed reformation. There is a hint of a partial reformation at the end, but only because of a desire not to go to jail! AND there is an indication that they would be back to their tricks in book two. So… I cannot like it, and I don't want to continue this series.
Christian elements:
*"Life was but a journey. The better life lay ahead for everyone when they went home to heaven." Statements like this always stand out to me, because the Bible says that only those who have accepted Jesus will be going to heaven, as opposed to "everyone."
*"So you must smile and sigh despite your pain and think of the boy in the Bible with the fox gnawing at his vitals." This did not sound at ALL familiar to me, so I looked it up, and found this:
"The Roman writer Plutarch, who wrote about 75 BC, told this story about the Spartans: 'So seriously did Spartan children go about their stealing, that a boy, having stolen a young fox and hid it under his cloak, let it tear out his guts with its teeth and claws and died right there, rather than let it be seen.'" I don't know why the author thought this was in the Bible….
Is it clean/chaste? Basically, yes. At one point, a man proposes that a woman become his mistress. Later, he tells himself it was a "clumsy" action. Huh?!? And it is never clear why he thought so. Then,
***********
This author is a clean Regency author, so I didn't quite want to give her up. So I took a look at the first book in The Six Sisters series. Here's what my GR friend Kathy * Bookworm Nation says about it:
"In a way it reminded me of the movie Grease, where the nice moral girl is transformed and becomes more worldly. Those kinds of stories just make me sad, it’s sad when someone gives into peer pressure and changes who they are in order to 'fit in.'" Kathy's review hit a personal hot spot, so I'm going to pass on that series.
I took a look at some other Marion Chesney series, and it seems that I might enjoy at least one of them. The Traveling Matchmaker might be enjoyable, but the entire premise for A House for the Season is that a certain group of servants are blackmailed into remaining at the house. So I'm giving up on Ms. Chesney. Her books are not a good fit for me, which is really too bad because I like the occasional farce. I just don't think it's necessary to build what seems like the majority of humor around immoral situations. Anyway, I strongly prefer not to have to weed out books within a single author, so I'm fine with this decision!
**********
The bottom line: I recommend this book to those who would enjoy a historical romantic farce and can get past the dishonesty in the story. Unless one of Chesney's books falls into my lap (and it looks like it's one I might like), I do not plan on reading any more by this author.
--------------
Just for fun - I found my 2011 review on this book. I disagree with it now, but for interest's sake, I'm tacking it onto the bottom:
"I had read a couple of Marion Chesney books to date, before reading this one. I had come to the conclusion that she is creative in coming up with unique situations, and that her romances are short quick reads (which can be nice sometimes), but that that her characters lacked depth. However, I obviously liked them well enough, as I have continued to seek our her books!
Lady Fortescue Steps Out was very entertaining, and in this one, I did feel like I knew the characters better!. (I think that to develop them any more would not have been possible, as the book IS short.) I REALLY liked this one a lot. I see that everyone else up to this point has given it five stars, and I think it deserves it!"
November 4, 2018
Rating: 4 stars
A languid, madcap spin filled with underdogs that have grit, wit, and the aplomb to survive in a world where the odds are stacked against them. Yet they manage together in a friendship through the daily trials, twists, social high-jinks and rules of Regency life. The narrator carries the perfect pitch and languid overtone. It is entertaining to listen to this audio being read by someone with a vaulted British accent that understands irony so well
Looking forward to the next book, while cheering everyone on from the sidelines.
A languid, madcap spin filled with underdogs that have grit, wit, and the aplomb to survive in a world where the odds are stacked against them. Yet they manage together in a friendship through the daily trials, twists, social high-jinks and rules of Regency life. The narrator carries the perfect pitch and languid overtone. It is entertaining to listen to this audio being read by someone with a vaulted British accent that understands irony so well
Looking forward to the next book, while cheering everyone on from the sidelines.
August 11, 2017
I have wanted to read a book by MC Beaton (aka Marion Chesney, etc) for some time and finally, due to an Audible Deal of the Day, snatch up my first one. Rather than one of her mysteries, I picked up one of her light Regency Romantic Comedies and it was a gem of a story that left me not only eager for the rest of the series, but for more of her books.
Lady Fortescue Steps Out is the first book in the Poor Relations series. The series title says it all as this is the story of a group of people, starting with Lady Fortescue, who come together out of necessity. They are the poor relations of various high society families and they are sadly left to shift for themselves while their family and friends carry on. They struggle to maintain their gentility and rank with no income to support it.
At first, the story focused on the the overall series set up with the introduction of each 'Poor Relation' to the story, but then it became a dual focus of a reunion romance and how the Poor Relations open a hotel to help ends meet.
It is gently paced and the characters and setting well described so that I saw it all so well in my mind and enjoyed the company of this group. Sir Phillip persuades the others into the hotel venture and helps finances it by cunning and a relaxing of morals on his part though they all go right along with it. It was a unique set up in a Regency story and I was captivated by the hijinks going on. I enjoyed the humor throughout and the mild adventures of the Poor Relations group. The story was left open-ended for further adventures that will likely focus on each member of the group.
There is a romance that is surrounded by the greater story involving one of the Poor Relations and Lady Fortescue's ducal relation. Its a reunion romance of sorts since the pair met and danced once with neither forgetting the occasion. It becomes a class difference romance because Rachel is now in trade and her suitor is a duke, no less. Others connive to part them or put them together in a series of circumstances. I enjoyed the pair and thought their romance was handled well.
The audio narration was handled by the incomparable Davina Porter. She did well with the large cast of characters and voices. I've enjoyed her narration in other historical settings and she has a voice suited to these stories so well.
All in all, it was a splendid outing for my first book with the author. Happily my local library is well stocked. I would recommend this one to those who enjoy light and fun historical romance set in a wider story of a circle of friends.
Lady Fortescue Steps Out is the first book in the Poor Relations series. The series title says it all as this is the story of a group of people, starting with Lady Fortescue, who come together out of necessity. They are the poor relations of various high society families and they are sadly left to shift for themselves while their family and friends carry on. They struggle to maintain their gentility and rank with no income to support it.
At first, the story focused on the the overall series set up with the introduction of each 'Poor Relation' to the story, but then it became a dual focus of a reunion romance and how the Poor Relations open a hotel to help ends meet.
It is gently paced and the characters and setting well described so that I saw it all so well in my mind and enjoyed the company of this group. Sir Phillip persuades the others into the hotel venture and helps finances it by cunning and a relaxing of morals on his part though they all go right along with it. It was a unique set up in a Regency story and I was captivated by the hijinks going on. I enjoyed the humor throughout and the mild adventures of the Poor Relations group. The story was left open-ended for further adventures that will likely focus on each member of the group.
There is a romance that is surrounded by the greater story involving one of the Poor Relations and Lady Fortescue's ducal relation. Its a reunion romance of sorts since the pair met and danced once with neither forgetting the occasion. It becomes a class difference romance because Rachel is now in trade and her suitor is a duke, no less. Others connive to part them or put them together in a series of circumstances. I enjoyed the pair and thought their romance was handled well.
The audio narration was handled by the incomparable Davina Porter. She did well with the large cast of characters and voices. I've enjoyed her narration in other historical settings and she has a voice suited to these stories so well.
All in all, it was a splendid outing for my first book with the author. Happily my local library is well stocked. I would recommend this one to those who enjoy light and fun historical romance set in a wider story of a circle of friends.
November 11, 2019
Audiobook review.
Delightful. Clever. Light. Funny but with poignant portraits about the situation facing a poor relation.
Davina Porter, of course, provides her usual excellent performance. I’m off to the next chapter.
Delightful. Clever. Light. Funny but with poignant portraits about the situation facing a poor relation.
Davina Porter, of course, provides her usual excellent performance. I’m off to the next chapter.
July 18, 2012
(Edited to add: This is a review of the entire Poor Relation series, not just this book.)
I love this series' mixture of comedy of manners, social history, and a little romance. The books contain many well-researched descriptions of unpleasant aspects of life among the upper classes during the Regency period. The books delineate the bleak options for members of the ton (particularly women and elderly) who lose their money, and the horrible conditions for the serving class and the very poor. Throughout it Ms. Chesney, via her characters, contrasts upper-class Regency sentimentality with their brutal disregard for the lives of poor people (high-born ladies and gentlemen prided themselves on their deep sensitivity and ability to weep publicly over the smallest sadness, while being completely undisturbed by the rotting corpses of minor criminals hung from gibbets all over London). This sounds heavy, but the books are well-leavened with humor and with effervescent little asides about the fads and fashions of the time, so they never become depressing.
Over the course of the series, you get to know all the co-owners of The Poor Relation hotel, from the steely elderly Lady Fortescue whose actions set the series in motion, to Miss Tonks the initially timid then increasingly feisty spinster, to Sir Philip, the unrepentant old reprobate whose scheming repeatedly saves the others from disaster (that is, when one of his plots isn't bringing even bigger disasters down on all their heads). All of them, particularly the older characters, are more complex than they appear to be in the first book. Each book does have a romance, but the romantic liaison is usually just one of several plots, and we always see how it affects the ensemble, not just the couple involved.
I love this series' mixture of comedy of manners, social history, and a little romance. The books contain many well-researched descriptions of unpleasant aspects of life among the upper classes during the Regency period. The books delineate the bleak options for members of the ton (particularly women and elderly) who lose their money, and the horrible conditions for the serving class and the very poor. Throughout it Ms. Chesney, via her characters, contrasts upper-class Regency sentimentality with their brutal disregard for the lives of poor people (high-born ladies and gentlemen prided themselves on their deep sensitivity and ability to weep publicly over the smallest sadness, while being completely undisturbed by the rotting corpses of minor criminals hung from gibbets all over London). This sounds heavy, but the books are well-leavened with humor and with effervescent little asides about the fads and fashions of the time, so they never become depressing.
Over the course of the series, you get to know all the co-owners of The Poor Relation hotel, from the steely elderly Lady Fortescue whose actions set the series in motion, to Miss Tonks the initially timid then increasingly feisty spinster, to Sir Philip, the unrepentant old reprobate whose scheming repeatedly saves the others from disaster (that is, when one of his plots isn't bringing even bigger disasters down on all their heads). All of them, particularly the older characters, are more complex than they appear to be in the first book. Each book does have a romance, but the romantic liaison is usually just one of several plots, and we always see how it affects the ensemble, not just the couple involved.
December 1, 2021
Poor Relations in Regency England
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (2012) of the 1992 original
Lady Fortescue Steps Out is the 1st of 6 books in Marion Chesney's Poor Relation series. It introduces the several members of the main cast who continue throughout, esp. Lady Fortescue and Colonel Sandhurst who join together in creating a hotel called the Poor Relation in order to make a go of it in "trade" when their richer relatives won't otherwise support them. They gradually gain further allies in their cause and although the original hope is that they will be bought out, they discover that they enjoy the business and the independence that it brings. The set up allows for a romantic angle to be the main plot in each book, with the occasional caper of theft from relatives being required to finance hotel improvements.
I've completed my pandemic reading splurge of cozy mysteries by M.C. Beaton, the penname used by Marion Chesney (1936-2019) for her popular Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin series. Chesney first became a writer with various historical romances from 1977 onwards, before branching out into the crime genre with her first Hamish Macbeth in 1985 and first Agatha Raisin in 1992. Other series such as Edwardian Murder Mysteries and the Poor Relation are period historical fiction with light social commentary.
The narration by veteran Davina Porter (approx. 230 book narrations to her credit) was excellent throughout. Porter is especially good with her range of voices that is able to effectively mimic male as well as female tones.
The entire Poor Relation series is available free to Audible Plus members.
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (2012) of the 1992 original
It is a melancholy truth that even great men have their poor relations - Charles Dickens
O world, how apt the poor are to be proud! - Olivia in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night Act 3 Scene 1.
Lady Fortescue Steps Out is the 1st of 6 books in Marion Chesney's Poor Relation series. It introduces the several members of the main cast who continue throughout, esp. Lady Fortescue and Colonel Sandhurst who join together in creating a hotel called the Poor Relation in order to make a go of it in "trade" when their richer relatives won't otherwise support them. They gradually gain further allies in their cause and although the original hope is that they will be bought out, they discover that they enjoy the business and the independence that it brings. The set up allows for a romantic angle to be the main plot in each book, with the occasional caper of theft from relatives being required to finance hotel improvements.
I've completed my pandemic reading splurge of cozy mysteries by M.C. Beaton, the penname used by Marion Chesney (1936-2019) for her popular Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin series. Chesney first became a writer with various historical romances from 1977 onwards, before branching out into the crime genre with her first Hamish Macbeth in 1985 and first Agatha Raisin in 1992. Other series such as Edwardian Murder Mysteries and the Poor Relation are period historical fiction with light social commentary.
The narration by veteran Davina Porter (approx. 230 book narrations to her credit) was excellent throughout. Porter is especially good with her range of voices that is able to effectively mimic male as well as female tones.
The entire Poor Relation series is available free to Audible Plus members.
January 10, 2015
Let's be clear: this is a lightweight piece of fun.
I don't read romances, I really don't. But a Goodreads friend really liked it, so I thought I'd give it a go.
If you liked The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, or E.F. Benson books, you'll probably like this.
It's an interesting look at Regency society, but the poor relations that are the heart of the plot are quite fun as they come to terms with doing what they have to do to get by - which they do mostly by taking advantage of the odd artificialities of the society. You'd call them like scamps or rascals rather than thieves or swindlers, although there is some of the latter.
I'm not sure I'll read the rest of the series, but this was fun. So, romance-hating readers, trust me - the romance is tolerable in this otherwise amusing story.
I don't read romances, I really don't. But a Goodreads friend really liked it, so I thought I'd give it a go.
If you liked The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, or E.F. Benson books, you'll probably like this.
It's an interesting look at Regency society, but the poor relations that are the heart of the plot are quite fun as they come to terms with doing what they have to do to get by - which they do mostly by taking advantage of the odd artificialities of the society. You'd call them like scamps or rascals rather than thieves or swindlers, although there is some of the latter.
I'm not sure I'll read the rest of the series, but this was fun. So, romance-hating readers, trust me - the romance is tolerable in this otherwise amusing story.
October 15, 2015
Regency romance Lady Fortescue Steps Out was not what I expected. The works of Marion Chesney had been recommended to me as the best thing since Georgette Heyer, but sadly, for me this book did not rise to that level.
This is the first volume in a series titled The Poor Relation. The name refers not to an individual poor relation but to a group of poverty-stricken gentlemen and women living precariously in London, who band together to open a hotel by that name, using money raised through crime (the theft of a priceless necklace stolen from the Duke of Rowcester). This is an unusual premise for a Regency romance and opens the door to interesting themes and situations, but they play out in often implausible ways.
The elderly Lady Fortescue of the title is a cousin of the duke’s, and she has gathered the poor relations together—but she is not the thief of the necklace and rapidly becomes a secondary character in the story. A heroine does emerge from out of the ranks to take her place at the center of the tale; there is a romance, and some steam without explicit sex. But I almost wish the romantic story line had been forgone for a greater focus on the older characters and their situation in life. The potential of the premise is lost when yoked into the format (and the clichés) of romance.
Polite society in this novel is portrayed as not only hypocritical but also inconsistent. Snobbish characters one moment shun the poor relations and offer them openings into the ton. The poor relations simultaneously desire the restoration of their former positions in society and act in ways that preclude that restoration; they long for the kind of propriety they despise. The real manners and shibboleths of the Regency are sometimes ignored for the sake of telling a story with a modern sensibility. I do wish that writers of romances should either embrace the values of the period they are writing about or write about a different period.
The story hits the mandatory romance notes—a waltz during which the hero and heroine dance perfectly together; heady kisses that leave them breathless; misunderstandings that could be cleared up with a sentence (and later are). At the end, loose ends that could easily have been resolved are deliberately left untidy to entice readers to continue with the series. Although the writer has a fluid and mostly plausible Regency style, I admit that I am not enticed.
This is the first volume in a series titled The Poor Relation. The name refers not to an individual poor relation but to a group of poverty-stricken gentlemen and women living precariously in London, who band together to open a hotel by that name, using money raised through crime (the theft of a priceless necklace stolen from the Duke of Rowcester). This is an unusual premise for a Regency romance and opens the door to interesting themes and situations, but they play out in often implausible ways.
The elderly Lady Fortescue of the title is a cousin of the duke’s, and she has gathered the poor relations together—but she is not the thief of the necklace and rapidly becomes a secondary character in the story. A heroine does emerge from out of the ranks to take her place at the center of the tale; there is a romance, and some steam without explicit sex. But I almost wish the romantic story line had been forgone for a greater focus on the older characters and their situation in life. The potential of the premise is lost when yoked into the format (and the clichés) of romance.
Polite society in this novel is portrayed as not only hypocritical but also inconsistent. Snobbish characters one moment shun the poor relations and offer them openings into the ton. The poor relations simultaneously desire the restoration of their former positions in society and act in ways that preclude that restoration; they long for the kind of propriety they despise. The real manners and shibboleths of the Regency are sometimes ignored for the sake of telling a story with a modern sensibility. I do wish that writers of romances should either embrace the values of the period they are writing about or write about a different period.
The story hits the mandatory romance notes—a waltz during which the hero and heroine dance perfectly together; heady kisses that leave them breathless; misunderstandings that could be cleared up with a sentence (and later are). At the end, loose ends that could easily have been resolved are deliberately left untidy to entice readers to continue with the series. Although the writer has a fluid and mostly plausible Regency style, I admit that I am not enticed.
June 9, 2018
I am a Regency romance fan. I read them by the dozen when I was a teenager. My best friend and I would go to our local indie bookstore (that I now work at, how awesome is that?!), would go to the Regency romance section and carefully select a bag of books each. They were used, so not full price, even as a teen with some income coming in from after school jobs, we couldn't afford MSRP. Then we would go back to her home, sit in her bedroom and read. Those were the days. Just sitting and reading in companionable silence, with the occasional sharing of a good or funny scene.
So this book rang ALL of my bells when I heard about it. I picked it up at BookExpo 2018, signed by the author who is ADORABLE, only to find out it is a re-print from 1992!
It wasn't familiar, so it probably wasn't one of the ones I read as a teen, but I was kind of upset. I thought it was a new Regency series, as did my boss who wanted me to get this for her.
The story is rather unique for the Regency era books, in that poor relations band together to help each other and go into trade to do it. The romance was typical, but the characters and the darker side of England at the time were realistic. It was more gritty than the average Regency. Uncomfortable truths weren't just swept under the rug. I liked that.
Why only 3 stars then? It felt incomplete. There was a bit of a mystery introduced at the almost end of the book that had no clear resolution and so the end felt rushed. It tied up a bit too neatly too soon. I guess that's why it's the first of a series and the others will resolve the mystery. Maybe.
Cute, quick read, with a not in your face romance and naughty bits. Not your typical Regency, which I appreciated, but it needs a bit more meat at the end. I would recommend this if you like Regencies. I will read the next book in the series. I want to see where it goes.
So this book rang ALL of my bells when I heard about it. I picked it up at BookExpo 2018, signed by the author who is ADORABLE, only to find out it is a re-print from 1992!
It wasn't familiar, so it probably wasn't one of the ones I read as a teen, but I was kind of upset. I thought it was a new Regency series, as did my boss who wanted me to get this for her.
The story is rather unique for the Regency era books, in that poor relations band together to help each other and go into trade to do it. The romance was typical, but the characters and the darker side of England at the time were realistic. It was more gritty than the average Regency. Uncomfortable truths weren't just swept under the rug. I liked that.
Why only 3 stars then? It felt incomplete. There was a bit of a mystery introduced at the almost end of the book that had no clear resolution and so the end felt rushed. It tied up a bit too neatly too soon. I guess that's why it's the first of a series and the others will resolve the mystery. Maybe.
Cute, quick read, with a not in your face romance and naughty bits. Not your typical Regency, which I appreciated, but it needs a bit more meat at the end. I would recommend this if you like Regencies. I will read the next book in the series. I want to see where it goes.
Read
October 11, 2017I had no idea that Marion Chesney and MC Beaton were the same person!
A different take on Regencies, from the viewpoint of those poor relations who aren't able to go about in society any more - although still with a Duke-level romance in the offing in this volume. Not sure if I'll go on with the series - perhaps sometime later.
A different take on Regencies, from the viewpoint of those poor relations who aren't able to go about in society any more - although still with a Duke-level romance in the offing in this volume. Not sure if I'll go on with the series - perhaps sometime later.
June 17, 2013
4.5 stars
I was pleasantly surprised by how good this slim novel was - sly, wickedly funny and sometimes poignant. This sharp satire of Regency London concerns the plight of "poor relations" – those born into upper-class families but left without their own share of the family wealth. They struggle to subsist on meager allowances or the grudging charity of relatives, because to "stoop" to working for a living is considered vulgar.
The story centers on six of the genteel poor who decide to break the rules by opening a posh London hotel, where ton families can enjoy the novelty of being waited on by those of their own class. The reader views the upper crust through the eyes of the poor relations, who witness the indifference and casual cruelty that occurs because the rich feel entitled to being served by their "inferiors."
One haughty relation, Lady Fortescue’s nephew the Duke of Rowcester, vows to shut down the hotel. How dare his aunt and her friends stoop to trade and bring disgrace on his family name! He is stopped short, however, when he finds Miss Harriet James working in the kitchen. Harriet once captivated him at a ball, before her parents died and she sold nearly everything she owned to pay their debts. The duke’s feelings for Harriet reveal he has a good heart, but he has allowed his vanity and sense of superiority to obscure his better impulses. The duke must ultimately decide which is most important to him, his heart or his pride.
Chesney focuses on the relationship between the duke and Harriet while fleshing out the personalities of the other poor relations, particularly Sir Philip, who became an accomplished petty thief and trickster in response to his poverty. She drops enough hints about their pasts and the growing friendships and conflicts between them to make me look forward to reading the rest of her six-book series.
I was pleasantly surprised by how good this slim novel was - sly, wickedly funny and sometimes poignant. This sharp satire of Regency London concerns the plight of "poor relations" – those born into upper-class families but left without their own share of the family wealth. They struggle to subsist on meager allowances or the grudging charity of relatives, because to "stoop" to working for a living is considered vulgar.
The story centers on six of the genteel poor who decide to break the rules by opening a posh London hotel, where ton families can enjoy the novelty of being waited on by those of their own class. The reader views the upper crust through the eyes of the poor relations, who witness the indifference and casual cruelty that occurs because the rich feel entitled to being served by their "inferiors."
One haughty relation, Lady Fortescue’s nephew the Duke of Rowcester, vows to shut down the hotel. How dare his aunt and her friends stoop to trade and bring disgrace on his family name! He is stopped short, however, when he finds Miss Harriet James working in the kitchen. Harriet once captivated him at a ball, before her parents died and she sold nearly everything she owned to pay their debts. The duke’s feelings for Harriet reveal he has a good heart, but he has allowed his vanity and sense of superiority to obscure his better impulses. The duke must ultimately decide which is most important to him, his heart or his pride.
Chesney focuses on the relationship between the duke and Harriet while fleshing out the personalities of the other poor relations, particularly Sir Philip, who became an accomplished petty thief and trickster in response to his poverty. She drops enough hints about their pasts and the growing friendships and conflicts between them to make me look forward to reading the rest of her six-book series.
October 19, 2021
Very entertaining, great narrator- a GR friend reminded me how enjoyable this author’s light, fluffy, often farcical Regency romances were.
Marion Chesney wrote several six-book series, featuring rather repetitive and forgetful romances, but also a cast of quirky, funny, recurring characters who I enjoyed. Often, as in this book, the first book of the series was the most enjoyable, setting the stage and introducing the “regulars”, the quirky cast a reader followed through the next several books.
In this book, we meet the “poor relations”, the genteel poor trying to eke out their survival on the edge of Regency society, often cold and hungry, but held back by pride from admitting their true situation. Here, the elderly Lady Fortescue of the title, after a disastrous and humiliating visit to her nephew’s estate, bands together with other denizens of Hyde Park - at least they can enjoy free air and a bench on which to sit and while away the day - to pool their meager resources. They eventually decide to open a hotel, hoping their wealthy, aristocratic, embarrassed families will buy them out.
Chesney went on to write the Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin cozy mystery series, under the name MC Beaton, providing more entertainment and laughs - nothing brilliant, just fun, quirky and quick mysteries, perfect for a light read at the end of a busy day for this tired mom! I will probably revisit the rest of this series - fun to listen to while knitting.
Marion Chesney wrote several six-book series, featuring rather repetitive and forgetful romances, but also a cast of quirky, funny, recurring characters who I enjoyed. Often, as in this book, the first book of the series was the most enjoyable, setting the stage and introducing the “regulars”, the quirky cast a reader followed through the next several books.
In this book, we meet the “poor relations”, the genteel poor trying to eke out their survival on the edge of Regency society, often cold and hungry, but held back by pride from admitting their true situation. Here, the elderly Lady Fortescue of the title, after a disastrous and humiliating visit to her nephew’s estate, bands together with other denizens of Hyde Park - at least they can enjoy free air and a bench on which to sit and while away the day - to pool their meager resources. They eventually decide to open a hotel, hoping their wealthy, aristocratic, embarrassed families will buy them out.
Chesney went on to write the Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin cozy mystery series, under the name MC Beaton, providing more entertainment and laughs - nothing brilliant, just fun, quirky and quick mysteries, perfect for a light read at the end of a busy day for this tired mom! I will probably revisit the rest of this series - fun to listen to while knitting.
January 21, 2018
Many years ago we moved into a neighborhood whose library had lots of books by Chesney. My daughter and I eagerly read some of them and agreed that they look delightful, have fun ideas and settings, but ultimately left us unsatisfied. They just weren't as good as we thought they could be. Recently I decided to try this one and see if I still feel that way. I do.
The set-up is that a group of poor relations, the well-born but poor people left to beg richer relatives for survival, band together. Pooling their resources they open a hotel for rich families in London. This book focuses on the romance of Harriet James and the Duke of Rowchester.
Penury has not bred strong character or good sense in most of the characters. They tend to lie, cheat, and get out of any real work, leaving it all to Harriet. The one friend who hasn't deserted our heroine is an empty headed goose with a thick lisp, and the rest of the ton are nasty people. The plot is predictable and the reader will see the plot twists coming for miles away. Fortunately there are much better books out there.
NB - Marion Chesney and MC Beaton are the same author, so if you like one you may like the other. I've found I don't care for either.
The set-up is that a group of poor relations, the well-born but poor people left to beg richer relatives for survival, band together. Pooling their resources they open a hotel for rich families in London. This book focuses on the romance of Harriet James and the Duke of Rowchester.
Penury has not bred strong character or good sense in most of the characters. They tend to lie, cheat, and get out of any real work, leaving it all to Harriet. The one friend who hasn't deserted our heroine is an empty headed goose with a thick lisp, and the rest of the ton are nasty people. The plot is predictable and the reader will see the plot twists coming for miles away. Fortunately there are much better books out there.
NB - Marion Chesney and MC Beaton are the same author, so if you like one you may like the other. I've found I don't care for either.
October 5, 2020
I adore these people, Lady Fortescue, Sir Philip, Colonel Sandhurt, Miss Tonks and Mrs Budley. They created the story, home that warmed my heart. And they were so amazingly funny. One of the books to read when one needs a hug.
The romance was (like almost always in Marion Chesney's novels) rather abrupt. Instant love, just a few encounters, some misunderstanding, and a damsel in distress to be rescued by a hero. But Mrs Chesney does it in a way that is like a magic pill for a worse day, perhaps there isn't much time to savour remedy but it does its job. (And it were not annoying failed attempts to copy GH, etc.)
Also, typically for this author, there were many parts that can make the reader uncomfortable because they showed London, Regency society in a very unfavorable way (e.g. inequality of rights, about sources of "new" teeth, fire-insurance companies, justice/courts, the frequency of bathing). I often think of Chesney's Regency romances as a charming satire. Whether you see more charm/romance or more of satire/real world - it is your choice.
Definitely not a 5-stars romance, but still one of the most entertaining stories by Chesney I have read so far.
The romance was (like almost always in Marion Chesney's novels) rather abrupt. Instant love, just a few encounters, some misunderstanding, and a damsel in distress to be rescued by a hero. But Mrs Chesney does it in a way that is like a magic pill for a worse day, perhaps there isn't much time to savour remedy but it does its job. (And it were not annoying failed attempts to copy GH, etc.)
Also, typically for this author, there were many parts that can make the reader uncomfortable because they showed London, Regency society in a very unfavorable way (e.g. inequality of rights, about sources of "new" teeth, fire-insurance companies, justice/courts, the frequency of bathing). I often think of Chesney's Regency romances as a charming satire. Whether you see more charm/romance or more of satire/real world - it is your choice.
Definitely not a 5-stars romance, but still one of the most entertaining stories by Chesney I have read so far.
August 29, 2017
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This was an entertaining and cozy escape into historical madness.
Such a fun, witty, and charming way to introduce and bring together a group of eccentric characters to society in our wonderful world of imagination.
I always enjoy humor and was not disappointed. It was able stand on its own, was clean and wholesome, and had an appropriate HEA.
This was an entertaining and cozy escape into historical madness.
Such a fun, witty, and charming way to introduce and bring together a group of eccentric characters to society in our wonderful world of imagination.
I always enjoy humor and was not disappointed. It was able stand on its own, was clean and wholesome, and had an appropriate HEA.
August 22, 2018
Set during the Regency Era in London, England, this novel describes the lives of those members of society who, while considered to be part of the elite, are really poor relations of that group as they barely have the money to survive let alone live like their wealthy counterparts. At 70 years of age, Lady Fortescue still owns her large home on Bond Street, but has barely a stick of furniture in it. Upon meeting Colonel Sandhurst one day in nearby Hyde Park, she begins to form a plan. Eventually, six people, all in similar predicaments, pool their resources and live together in Lady Fortescue's home. But their collective money is not quite enough, and they eventually decide to open a new hotel called The Poor Relation.
I'm drawn to period stories and this novel fit the bill. It was a light, fun read, the perfect feel-good palate cleanser that I needed between reading two weightier novels. The characters were described in detail and their distinct personalities were quite appealing. And the story was decent too. I'm glad that I've started the series in order, although I don't think that the order is a must. I've already begun reading the second novel, Miss Tonks Turns to Crime, and it's proving to be just as delightful as this book.
I listened to the audiobook for this reading. Davina Porter, the narrator, was amazing and I think that my enjoyment of the book was tripled due to her talent. I highly recommend the audio version of this novel.
I'm drawn to period stories and this novel fit the bill. It was a light, fun read, the perfect feel-good palate cleanser that I needed between reading two weightier novels. The characters were described in detail and their distinct personalities were quite appealing. And the story was decent too. I'm glad that I've started the series in order, although I don't think that the order is a must. I've already begun reading the second novel, Miss Tonks Turns to Crime, and it's proving to be just as delightful as this book.
I listened to the audiobook for this reading. Davina Porter, the narrator, was amazing and I think that my enjoyment of the book was tripled due to her talent. I highly recommend the audio version of this novel.
February 7, 2014
Lady Fortescue is an elderly poor relation, forced to live on a pittance and visits to her wealthy relations. After she's caught stealing candlesticks from the home of her nephew, the wealthy and haughty Duke of Rowcester, she feels ashamed of her situation and in absolute despair until she meets Col. Sandhurst, another elderly poor relation. The two decide to pool their resouces and invite other poor relations to stay. Soon they turn their home into a fashionable family hotel, The Poor Relation. The hotel becomes a grand success with the help of the shady Sir Philip. The Duke of Rowcester comes flying down to London convinced his aunt is senile and determined to shut down the hotel, until he sees the beautiful chef, Miss Harriet James, a young lady for whom he once had feelings for until she disappeared out of his life. The plot is predictable and not all together exciting. The main characters are lying theives and entirely unlikeable. The Duke is haughty and uncaring and unfeeling despite his feelings for Harriet. I never really got a sense of why the romantic leads liked each other and as with The School of Manners, the romance happens too quickly and improbably. This was not one of my favorites.
February 10, 2015
My name is Les and I am a Marion Chesney / M C Beaton regency addict.
This book doesn't concentrate on debutantes or misbehaving young ladies; instead it offers the elephant in the room. Members of society suffering from genteel poverty. Unwilling or unable to improve their lot in life they aren't wealthy enough to join society functions but are too high society to be able to earn a living.
Lady Fortescue gathers a group of poor relations in her fashionable but empty home and they help one another. When they stumble upon the idea of opening a hotel in order to shame their well to do relatives into buying them out they learn that working is better than starving.
This book doesn't concentrate on debutantes or misbehaving young ladies; instead it offers the elephant in the room. Members of society suffering from genteel poverty. Unwilling or unable to improve their lot in life they aren't wealthy enough to join society functions but are too high society to be able to earn a living.
Lady Fortescue gathers a group of poor relations in her fashionable but empty home and they help one another. When they stumble upon the idea of opening a hotel in order to shame their well to do relatives into buying them out they learn that working is better than starving.
November 18, 2016
I’d never read anything by Beaton before and this was a Kindle bargain, so...I like the poor relations getting revenge and some cash. Stupid Dukes hoarding everything. Yet another fixing-up-the-house story. (the first decade of motherhood I longed for more sleep and some time alone. The second decade I just want someone else to clean and repaint.)
I’ll definitely be checking out more of this series, and will probably try some of the mysteries, too. Beaton has a huge backlist: I love that in an author.
Personal copy
I’ll definitely be checking out more of this series, and will probably try some of the mysteries, too. Beaton has a huge backlist: I love that in an author.
Personal copy
February 14, 2018
This was cute. Kind of short, but still enjoyable. Quite an interesting cast of characters. I look forward to reading the next.
January 31, 2022
The first in the Poor Relations series. Set in the regency era. Lady Fortescue is sitting in Hyde Park hungry, down on her luck starts talking to Colonel Sandhurst who she discovers is also down on luck and finance. They agree to pool their resources and live in Lady Fortescues' large house and decide to look for others like themselves...
This is a really quick easy read. Full of charm, humour and romance.
This is a really quick easy read. Full of charm, humour and romance.
October 25, 2023
I really enjoy M.C. Beaton's writing. This was a great palate cleanser type Regency romance. I loved the concept of those in genteel poverty opening an inn together. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series.
August 30, 2012
This short work -- at 152 pages in paperback, more of a novella than a novel -- will sneak up on you. Lady Fortescue Steps Out, sly and humorous, evolves into a fable of finding your inner strength and of knowing your own mind. It isn't until half-way through the novel that you discover there's also a bit of a romance.
Lady Fortescue Steps Out, the first in a series about the plucky poor relations of the wellborn and well-to-do, begins with the eponymous lady stepping out in all meanings of the word. While Lady Fortescue, a widow in very straitened circumstances, is strolling throug Hyde Park, a favorite haunt of those who haven't enough money for any but free entertainment, she meets another destitute poor relation. Comparing their situations, Lady Fortescue steps out of her comfort zone and the dictates of the high society of Regency England to come up with a plan for herself and others in her situation: banding together. Eventually, a motley crew of poor relations does the unthinkable and establishes a genteel hotel audaciously called The Poor Relation.
Their snobby relatives are horrified that their poor relations -- shudder! -- have gone into trade, a humiliating step in those days for artistocrats. The families will stop at nothing to close down the hotel before it causes them to lose social standing. Will the six poor relations be able to withstand the assault from their better-off relatives?
Lady Fortescue Steps Out constitutes a great start to the Poor Relations series. Are some of the situations a bit predictable? Sure, but the characters are so lively and language so slyly clever that you won't mind. It's just the thing to read when you're looking for something light in tone and a speedy read.
Lady Fortescue Steps Out, the first in a series about the plucky poor relations of the wellborn and well-to-do, begins with the eponymous lady stepping out in all meanings of the word. While Lady Fortescue, a widow in very straitened circumstances, is strolling throug Hyde Park, a favorite haunt of those who haven't enough money for any but free entertainment, she meets another destitute poor relation. Comparing their situations, Lady Fortescue steps out of her comfort zone and the dictates of the high society of Regency England to come up with a plan for herself and others in her situation: banding together. Eventually, a motley crew of poor relations does the unthinkable and establishes a genteel hotel audaciously called The Poor Relation.
Their snobby relatives are horrified that their poor relations -- shudder! -- have gone into trade, a humiliating step in those days for artistocrats. The families will stop at nothing to close down the hotel before it causes them to lose social standing. Will the six poor relations be able to withstand the assault from their better-off relatives?
Lady Fortescue Steps Out constitutes a great start to the Poor Relations series. Are some of the situations a bit predictable? Sure, but the characters are so lively and language so slyly clever that you won't mind. It's just the thing to read when you're looking for something light in tone and a speedy read.
December 19, 2023
2023: This series is a comfort read for me.
2021: Had a fun book club discussion. This is such a charming, humorous story that everyone enjoyed.
2017: This was an interesting mixture. The story was interesting and original (and unlikely, but let's ignore that). I really enjoyed meeting the variety of characters and their methods for coping with poverty. The romance was terrible, but luckily not a huge focus. There was some social commentary thrown in that seemed a bit out of place. The part I enjoyed most was the narration by Davina Porter. Her voices for the different characters were amazing and so humorous. I'm positive I would not have enjoyed this story as much if I had read it instead.
2021: Had a fun book club discussion. This is such a charming, humorous story that everyone enjoyed.
2017: This was an interesting mixture. The story was interesting and original (and unlikely, but let's ignore that). I really enjoyed meeting the variety of characters and their methods for coping with poverty. The romance was terrible, but luckily not a huge focus. There was some social commentary thrown in that seemed a bit out of place. The part I enjoyed most was the narration by Davina Porter. Her voices for the different characters were amazing and so humorous. I'm positive I would not have enjoyed this story as much if I had read it instead.
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