Date Published: July 26, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-202304-9
Historical Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Lynne
Obtained via publisher.
Celia Seaton, kidnapped and alone, soon finds herself in the company of the same cad who has ruined every chance she ever had of finding a suitable husband among the ton.
Tarquin Compton, the terror of the ton, does not remember Celia, nor does he remember the insulting words he spoke against her. But Celia does and takes the opportunity to get back at him for it.
Escaping the attic her kidnapper left her in, she espies Compton lying unconscious. When he comes to, she discovers he has no memory of his past. Celia, quick-witted and saucy, soon has him convinced his name is Terence Fish. Using it to her advantage, she joins forces with him, and the two venture out across the moors of Yorkshire, hoping to find someone to help them recover their stolen clothes and find the man who has kidnapped Celia and attacked Compton, the leader of London society.
Several days alone together gives Celia the chance to see another side of Compton, which endears him to her. Meanwhile, he has in his possession a rather erotic novel that begins Celia’s education of things no well-bred lady has a right to know.
When Compton recovers his memory, soon after Celia’s first actual lesson in the art of lovemaking, he decides to become engaged to her, as a matter of honor. But his desire to protect her from those who are still hunting her soon has him reconsidering his feelings for her. Celia, too, has no wish to marry the man she deliberately deceived.
However, when her past catches up with her, both find they must rethink all that they know about one another. They come to the realization that Celia’s ongoing education is a more powerful reason to marry, than doing what society deems best.
THE AMOROUS EDUCATION OF CELIA SEATON by Miranda Neville is a fun, witty book that kept me turning the pages. It was not bogged down with too much detail, which made it a light-hearted read, something we need in today’s fast-paced, busy world.
The hero and heroine in this story are absolutely adorable. I love Celia’s bright, chatty quirks and the way Tarquin is humbled a bit by his memory loss. The two are so cute together, it makes you want to keep reading just to see what happens once Tarquin recovers from his amnesia.
The fact that Compton is so protective of Celia makes the reader want to draw him close and hug him for his chivalry towards her. He isn’t the typically arrogant, exceedingly wealthy member of elite society which also brings something different to this historical tale. Since the story centers more around the social mores of the time it lends a unique perspective to THE AMOROUS EDUCATION OF CELIA SEATON.
The story is well-written, evidence of Ms. Neville’s writing skill and knowledge of the time period. I love historical romance and believe Ms. Neville brought good conflict between each of the characters involved, as the walls between the rich and the lowly, who will never be good enough or rich enough to belong among them.
The fact hero and heroine are both strongly independent which makes this an interesting read as well. Celia and Tarquin always seem to want to do what is right between them, and the fact that Tarquin is a strong, powerful man in his own right makes him a wonderful character, and you are always kept wondering, at least in the beginning, how he is going to use that strength when dealing with Celia and her problems.
If the reader is looking for a fun, fast-paced, yet bumpy ride through the annals of a more dashing period of history, then THE AMOROUS EDUCATION OF CELIA SEATON is indeed that book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and look forward to more of Ms. Neville’s books.
This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.
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