Marry in Scarlet by Anne Gracie

June 16, 2020
An-ti-ci-pa-tion time!
 

http://www.annegracie.com

Marry in Scarlet, Anne Gracie’s latest, is an anticipation book. Why is that you ask? I’ll answer that with one word: Hart. Yes, Hart the intriguing man from Marry in Secret; the one left behind at the altar. You know, usually when time passes I forget about some of the books I’ve read, especially those I was not all that fond of. Unless!!!! Unless there was a scene-stealing, secondary character screaming to have their own story. That is what happened for me in the case of Redmond Hartley (Hart), Duke of Everingham. There is nothing better than an uptight, cold-hearted man who has a plan. We all know that waiting in the wings is a peppy, strong-willed woman who will barge into their life, and ruin all of their well-thought-out plans. That is exactly what happens in this book. It was such a joy to watch! I was very happy with this book, especially because I was not all that fond of Marry in Secret. 

Let me say this about Marry in Scarlet, there were a number of annoying characters scattered throughout the pages. Aunt Agatha, and Hart's mother are two of the main annoying people. While both of them were put in their place, I think that neither one of them received their just desserts.

As we know, all heroes need heroines, and in this case Ms. Gracie has chosen Lady Georgiana Rutherford. Georgiana is the complete opposite of everything Hart wants, needs, likes. She wears pants and rides astride. She saves animals. She abhors foxhunting, which is one of Hart's favorite pastimes. Let me tell you, the confrontation about the foxhunting was wonderful. Most of the time in their skirmishes; Hart is left with his mouth hanging open. Georgiana does not back down from a fight, and she doesn't care where she is when she's expressing herself. This led to numerous funny moments. One such scene was when she was enjoying the opera, or trying to. Much to her chagrin, there are some obnoxious, loud, drunks in the opera box next to her. She tries to shush them, but to no avail. When it comes to what Georgiana believes is right, she abides by her own rules, not societies. Spoiler: one of Georgiana’s fans is broken in the opera encounter.

Georgiana's reaction to her attraction to Hart is very funny, and I had a laugh-out-loud moment when Georgiana asks her Aunt Dottie how long women are in heat. Georgiana is a great combination of innocence and yearning. Both Hart and Georgiana fight against their attraction with equal force. It was all great fun.

Hart was an arrogant bonehead, but not a bad one. Occasionally, I found his beliefs in all women being manipulative annoying, but then Ms. Gracie gives us a chance to see his mother in action. This is not a fake manipulative mother; one who we later find out is only protecting her child. No, Hart’s mother is a reeeaallll schemer. Her actions have formed the bedrock of Hart’s opinions of women. He does not want to be like his father. I was satisfied with the explanation as to why he is the way he is.

Along with all the fun, there were moments of growth. Hart is the one who is affected the most by the relationship. He gains a completely new perspective of himself. He sees himself through her eyes, and he doesn’t like what he sees. So, then Ms. Gracie has the two of them getting married, and they settle in. At this point, the story had some lovely character building, and it drifted along. Yikes! It’s kidnap time!! Then Ms. Gracie threw in the kidnapping of Hart's young ward. All of a sudden, the lovely romantic insights came to a screeching halt.

Then the story turned into a wild ride through the country, a search for the boy, and a goofy surprise. All of this happened pretty close to the end, and I should have seen it coming. After all, his ward was briefly mentioned earlier in the book. Then he vanished from the pages. Until, right between the eyes! Zowie! He's kidnapped. I found it to be a bit of a jolt. There are more unpleasant characters, an eye-brow raising surprise, and then it’s over. Everyone is happy.

Overall, Marry in Scarlet was a delight to read. I loved both Devin and Georgiana. For the most part, the secondary characters were all quite strong; I even saw a need for the annoying aunt and mother. I do recommend this book, and if there had not been an annoying kidnapping, I would have given it a higher rating.

Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Warm/Hot