"Reputation at Risk" is the perfect place to start. There are 3 brothers in the series who each meet their future wives, but none of the relationships are a guaranteed success in the beginning. All of the plots are fabulous and unique.
As in all great Regency Romance novels, the setting is England, in the early 1800's where families, titles, age, etc. mattered. A woman's value is determined by the prominent man in her life; first her father, then her husband. Her personal accomplishments are not a consideration, unless they are related to her value as a bride or wife.
Reputation at Risk Book Synopsis
Reputation at Risk: A Chronicle of Misadventures Book 1Check PriceCharlotte Mandeville is not trying to "hook" a husband like most young women of the 1800's in England. She is simply trying to save money to provide for her mother, her sisters and herself since her father recently died. The women are all awaiting the heir of their home and their inevitable need to find somewhere else to live. Charlotte wants to be financially prepared. In the meantime, Charlotte secretly draws caricatures of members of the "ton". Her artwork is purchased by the owner of the inn in town and he displays it in his front window. The innkeeper happily pays Charlotte for each of the popular one-of-a-kind caricatures. The new, weekly caricatures draw quite a bit of attention and business to his inn and tavern. The more scandalous actions depicted in the caricature, the more attention they draw as people speculate about the subject, as well as the artist's identity. Clearly, the artist knows their subjects well. However, no one would suspect Charlotte Mandeville is the artist. The source of the gossip varies since it is based on overheard conversations within the inn. One of the waitresses, Mary, shares the stories with Charlotte, then Charlotte draws the caricature and delivers it to the innkeeper or waitress when no one is looking.
While waiting on one particularly busy day in the inn, Charlotte finds a small book hidden under a table and sticks it in her purse hoping for a fresh bit of gossip and replaces it with the new caricature for Mary to retrieve later. When Anthony Yorke finds a caricature in place of the book he sought under the table, he recalls seeing Charlotte with her hands under that very table when he arrived at the inn. Had she taken the book? Anthony needs that diary to save his brother from being hung for a murder he did not commit. He absolutely has to find that diary, which means he has to find that woman! Once he obtains her name and address, he leaves the inn intending to first meet with his informant, and then with Miss. Mandeville if she, in fact, has taken the diary.
That is when life for Charlotte becomes a lot more interesting. She, herself, could become the subject of gossip if not extremely careful.
Anthony Yorke finds himself entangled with Charlotte Mandeville and caught in an unexpected predicament just trying to protect his brother.
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The drama that follows the diary discovery is quite entertaining for the reader, especially the hopeless romantic who loves a touch of mystery and intrigue.
The things I love most about Martha Keyes' books are the witty banter between her characters and the unusual dilemmas they seem to get themselves into. Meeting secretively with a man, regardless of the reasons why, is certainly putting a reputation at risk.
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