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The Merry Chase
AN IMPOSSIBLE MAN!
That's what independent and beautiful Drucilla Wrothton considered her new neighbor, Mr. Pettigrew. And she felt sure her equally free-spirited Cousin Mathilde would share her feelings. After all, Crandon Pettigrew had already criticized Dru's forward manners and insulted her favorite horse!
Madcap Cousin Matty was prepared to go along with any wild scheme Drucilla might have. But neither young woman counted on the sudden appearance of the charming and eligible Duke of Ratchford--or that Mr. Pettigrew would have as little respect for the proprieties as the ladies themselves.
He would stop at nothing to get the woman he desired, even if it led to a merry chase across the land and a tangle of heartstrings Cupid himself would have to undo!
That's what independent and beautiful Drucilla Wrothton considered her new neighbor, Mr. Pettigrew. And she felt sure her equally free-spirited Cousin Mathilde would share her feelings. After all, Crandon Pettigrew had already criticized Dru's forward manners and insulted her favorite horse!
Madcap Cousin Matty was prepared to go along with any wild scheme Drucilla might have. But neither young woman counted on the sudden appearance of the charming and eligible Duke of Ratchford--or that Mr. Pettigrew would have as little respect for the proprieties as the ladies themselves.
He would stop at nothing to get the woman he desired, even if it led to a merry chase across the land and a tangle of heartstrings Cupid himself would have to undo!
Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 8, 2014
Twenty-five year old happily-unmarried Drucilla Wrothton met her new neighbor, for the first time, in anger. She had taught her horse to unlock gates and after 'Jade' unexpectedly:
...made her way out of her stall
...in the rain
...crossing into the neighbor's paddock
...freeing Mr. Crandon Pettigrew's horses
...then running free
...until the horse was apprehended by one very wet, angry man.
So, when Mr. Pettigrew met Dru four hours later to presume he was mad would be putting it mildly.
"YOU taught her?" he thundered, all amusement now gone from his face. "You TAUGHT her? Well, Miss Wrothton," and he ran his fingers through his already disordered hair, "your neighbors must love you."
Just when this incident was settling the dust, the dreaded Hovingtons had come to visit. Because of her brother's unexpected death a year ago with no male heir, Dru's cousin George stands to inherit the estate at Morningdale. But before they could insinuate themselves at Morningdale Manor, the three residents managed to divert them to another relative's home. It was known that these relatives made it a habit of irritating everyone.
Now that that was taken care of, Dru's mother and Aunt Hester decided to plan a ball. They thought it was long overdue for Drucilla to find a man. Dru is adamently against it but has little to say except to invite her eccentric thirty-year-old spinster-cousin, Matty, to stay with them.
Dru's plans are 'the more the merrier' and she has no intention of letting any gentleman set one's cap on her. She figured that having Matty along for the ride will strengthen both of their wishes to remain single. Matty's unexpected sprained ankle, Pettigrew's friendship with a Duke, the dog/beast Caeser's fondness for his mistress and those oh-so-dreadful Hovingtons all played a large part that affected the plot.
I was impressed by THE MERRY CHASE's strong start but after awhile it seemed that there was too much going on. As the saying goes, 'less is more'. Less Aunt Hester and less of the Hovingtons. They served a purpose: I became annoyed with them, too! I think it needs to be said that liking the secondary characters is a big factor that can drive a wedge between enjoying the story or not.
The camaraderie or lack thereof between Dru-Matty-Pettigrew-Duke made for the most interested reading. This is the third historical romance I have read by this author. Dru and Matty were written as strong heroines but Matty was my favorite. The romantic aspect was different because of who ended up with whom. Be aware that it is a clean romance with a few sexual innuendos but nothing more than actual kissing.
...made her way out of her stall
...in the rain
...crossing into the neighbor's paddock
...freeing Mr. Crandon Pettigrew's horses
...then running free
...until the horse was apprehended by one very wet, angry man.
So, when Mr. Pettigrew met Dru four hours later to presume he was mad would be putting it mildly.
"YOU taught her?" he thundered, all amusement now gone from his face. "You TAUGHT her? Well, Miss Wrothton," and he ran his fingers through his already disordered hair, "your neighbors must love you."
Just when this incident was settling the dust, the dreaded Hovingtons had come to visit. Because of her brother's unexpected death a year ago with no male heir, Dru's cousin George stands to inherit the estate at Morningdale. But before they could insinuate themselves at Morningdale Manor, the three residents managed to divert them to another relative's home. It was known that these relatives made it a habit of irritating everyone.
Now that that was taken care of, Dru's mother and Aunt Hester decided to plan a ball. They thought it was long overdue for Drucilla to find a man. Dru is adamently against it but has little to say except to invite her eccentric thirty-year-old spinster-cousin, Matty, to stay with them.
Dru's plans are 'the more the merrier' and she has no intention of letting any gentleman set one's cap on her. She figured that having Matty along for the ride will strengthen both of their wishes to remain single. Matty's unexpected sprained ankle, Pettigrew's friendship with a Duke, the dog/beast Caeser's fondness for his mistress and those oh-so-dreadful Hovingtons all played a large part that affected the plot.
I was impressed by THE MERRY CHASE's strong start but after awhile it seemed that there was too much going on. As the saying goes, 'less is more'. Less Aunt Hester and less of the Hovingtons. They served a purpose: I became annoyed with them, too! I think it needs to be said that liking the secondary characters is a big factor that can drive a wedge between enjoying the story or not.
The camaraderie or lack thereof between Dru-Matty-Pettigrew-Duke made for the most interested reading. This is the third historical romance I have read by this author. Dru and Matty were written as strong heroines but Matty was my favorite. The romantic aspect was different because of who ended up with whom. Be aware that it is a clean romance with a few sexual innuendos but nothing more than actual kissing.
November 9, 2013
Miss Drucilla Wrothton is 25 and unmarried but NOT on the shelf, thank you very much! If you ask her Aunt Hester, Dru is on her last prayers and in need of a good husband. Until now, Dru's mother has been content to allow Dru to follow her heart, however, the estate is entailed to any Wrothton heir and since Dru's brother died a year ago, Drucilla is the only one keeping her despicable cousins from inheriting. The Hovington cousins descend upon the Wrothtons to inspect "their" property with little notice bringing their dim-witted dandy son Percival, who is convinced Dru has a tendre for him. Dru manages to get rid of her cousins but her aunt won't give up the subject of marriage and insists on holding a ball to reintroduce Dru into Society after their period of mourning. Dru is determined to be miserable at the ball and enlists the support of her eccentric 30 year-old cousin Matty. Before Matty can arrive to save her, Dru manages to run afoul of their new neighbor, Mr. Crandon Pettigrew, the most hateful, odious man alive who not only insulted her and her horse, but had the audacity to laugh at her! Pettigrew's friend, Sebastian, Duke of Ratchford, is a true gentlemen with much more pleasing manners and manages to rescue awkward situations with finesse and humor. When Matty arrives, she unexpectedly makes the acquaintance of the gentlemen and quite understands her cousin's feelings. Meanwhile, the odious Percy thinks he's in love with Matte and won't leave her alone! And so begins a merry chase to true love. This is a true comedy of manners with a giggle on almost every page. Dru and Matte are unconventional and fun heroines. I rather liked Pettigrew better than Sebastian because Sebastian was just too kind and calm for me. The characters are all pretty much stock characters but the quick-witted dialogue and amusing plot more than make up for it. I loved this book and it's not to be missed for Jane Austen fans.
November 17, 2009
I had no expectations when I started this book, I traded for it a couple of years ago just because there was nothing of interest in the other trader's pile and I forgot it at the bottom of the TBR pile till this weekend when I decided to pick it up.
I was a pleasant book as it is quite a funny story about Drucilla Wrothon, a young lady almost on the shelf, who despairs of finding a husband and stop her annoying cousins to stop coming to visit as they believe themselves to be the next heirs to the place if she doesn't marry.
Taking matters in hand Dru's aunt decides to promote a ball at their house and Dru decides to ask her cousin Matty to visit. But all doesn't go well has Dru makes the acquaintance of her disagreeable neighbour Mr Pettigrew and not even his friendship with the very nice Duke of Ratchford can make her like him.
But then Matty arrives and the cousins start spending more time in the company of the two gentlemen, especially after Matty takes a fall and as to spend a night at Mr Pettigrew's house. The story is full of witty dialogue and little jokes that are quite funny and things even better when they all go on the merry chase mentioned in the title across the country.
I really enjoyed it, found the characters funny and interesting, especially Matty and Pettigrew. Dru and the Duke were more according to the regency norm but still nice and those cousins they kept trying to kick out of the house added more humour to the whole of it. I'm now very curious about the author's other novels.
Grade: 4.5/5
I was a pleasant book as it is quite a funny story about Drucilla Wrothon, a young lady almost on the shelf, who despairs of finding a husband and stop her annoying cousins to stop coming to visit as they believe themselves to be the next heirs to the place if she doesn't marry.
Taking matters in hand Dru's aunt decides to promote a ball at their house and Dru decides to ask her cousin Matty to visit. But all doesn't go well has Dru makes the acquaintance of her disagreeable neighbour Mr Pettigrew and not even his friendship with the very nice Duke of Ratchford can make her like him.
But then Matty arrives and the cousins start spending more time in the company of the two gentlemen, especially after Matty takes a fall and as to spend a night at Mr Pettigrew's house. The story is full of witty dialogue and little jokes that are quite funny and things even better when they all go on the merry chase mentioned in the title across the country.
I really enjoyed it, found the characters funny and interesting, especially Matty and Pettigrew. Dru and the Duke were more according to the regency norm but still nice and those cousins they kept trying to kick out of the house added more humour to the whole of it. I'm now very curious about the author's other novels.
Grade: 4.5/5
March 5, 2012
A regency romance that it was good, but a little longer than necessary IMO.
May 17, 2018
3.75 stars - mild pg13 (secular “clean” traditional regency -- see below)
This is the third book I’ve read by Judith Nelson and I enjoyed it, but not quite as much as two of her other books. I wonder, if this may actually be her first regency book published; it kind of feels like a first book. It was published ten years before the other two I read which were, perhaps, her last two regency novels(?). Those later two books felt more polished to me. My favorite, so far, is The Accidental Match, followed closely by Two Hearts Trump.
The Merry Chase is a fun, light, romantic adventure/farce with some hilarious moments and some great snappy/snarky dialogue. (And a huge dog!! Definitely a positive for me!) But occasionally it feels like the author is just trying too hard. Sometimes, it’s just way “over-the-top” or “over-played” - either the characters or the situations. And little details and timelines don’t always fit or could have been written differently. (For instance, I lost count of the number of times the author used “visiting an ailing tenant” as a way to get a character off stage. Surely, she could have come up with a different excuse. The later books didn’t have those minor, but annoying, little mistakes.) Yet, even with all the little negatives, I was still very much engaged in the story. I really like this author’s style and look forward to trying some of her other books. Also, I love that pets are included in the lives of her characters.
(I felt this particular book was somewhat cleaner than the usual secular “clean” traditional regency. Typically, you get some degree of mild profanity and bad language, possible mention of mistresses, gambling, drinking, etc. If I made correct notations, this book had only one (or two?) instances of God’s name being taken in vain; something like a stereotypical British exclamation of “Good God! You can’t be serious!”. I only noted two instances of an expletive being used: “Oh, damn the dog, I shall never have him trained” after said dog ran off and almost caused a horse to throw its rider, and “Damnation!” after a character falls and sprains an ankle. There was the occasional glass of port, but no excessive drinking. And I don’t believe there were any of the typical references to mistresses.)
Oddly enough, for the most part, I agree with Linda’s 2-star review, as well as QNPoohBear’s 5-star review.
This is the third book I’ve read by Judith Nelson and I enjoyed it, but not quite as much as two of her other books. I wonder, if this may actually be her first regency book published; it kind of feels like a first book. It was published ten years before the other two I read which were, perhaps, her last two regency novels(?). Those later two books felt more polished to me. My favorite, so far, is The Accidental Match, followed closely by Two Hearts Trump.
The Merry Chase is a fun, light, romantic adventure/farce with some hilarious moments and some great snappy/snarky dialogue. (And a huge dog!! Definitely a positive for me!) But occasionally it feels like the author is just trying too hard. Sometimes, it’s just way “over-the-top” or “over-played” - either the characters or the situations. And little details and timelines don’t always fit or could have been written differently. (For instance, I lost count of the number of times the author used “visiting an ailing tenant” as a way to get a character off stage. Surely, she could have come up with a different excuse. The later books didn’t have those minor, but annoying, little mistakes.) Yet, even with all the little negatives, I was still very much engaged in the story. I really like this author’s style and look forward to trying some of her other books. Also, I love that pets are included in the lives of her characters.
(I felt this particular book was somewhat cleaner than the usual secular “clean” traditional regency. Typically, you get some degree of mild profanity and bad language, possible mention of mistresses, gambling, drinking, etc. If I made correct notations, this book had only one (or two?) instances of God’s name being taken in vain; something like a stereotypical British exclamation of “Good God! You can’t be serious!”. I only noted two instances of an expletive being used: “Oh, damn the dog, I shall never have him trained” after said dog ran off and almost caused a horse to throw its rider, and “Damnation!” after a character falls and sprains an ankle. There was the occasional glass of port, but no excessive drinking. And I don’t believe there were any of the typical references to mistresses.)
Oddly enough, for the most part, I agree with Linda’s 2-star review, as well as QNPoohBear’s 5-star review.
November 23, 2019
Usually I enjoy a traditional regency, but I didn’t like this one. Skimmed to finish. Liked Matty more than drucilla. Petit grew was more interesting compared to duke. I didn’t see much interaction between characters before which they were in love. Forced chase at end was uncalled for and was not entertaining.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2021
Clean by modern standards. At times, very funny. Somewhat unbelievable characters. I struggled to get through this one. It is not Judith Nelson's best work, but it is entertaining, and I do find myself smiling when I remember it.
September 4, 2014
Cousins Drucilla Wrothton and Mathilda Cresley are spinsters of 25 and 30, who have never met a man they wished to marry and are the worry of their relatives. They, however, are happy to remain independent and out-spoken. When Drucilla has a run in with an insufferable gentleman renting the neighboring estate, she assumes Matty will naturally feel the same way about him. Well. sparks fly but not of the antagonistic kind. Then this neighbor, Crandon Pettigrew, introduces the cousins to his friend, Sebastian Weston, Duke of Ratchford, and Drucilla finds a gentleman that she can admire. This very humorous tale of 2 courtships involves a large dog, an encroaching set of relatives, a sprained ankle, a lot of witty dialogue and a cross country chase. Very funny.
March 5, 2015
some parts of it was fun. i liked that the first time Drucilla and Mr. Pettigrew meet, they hate each other....and at the end of the book they only tolerate each other for their lovers' sake, instead of becoming bffs. there were a few good lines, and the elopement and chase almost made it a slapstick comedy, but still entertaining. the ending dragged the joke a little too long, how they were missing when in fact everyone had returned but they just missed each other
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews