Caroline (Caro) knows she's not Lucas's type. She's chubby and wears glasses - not exactly the woman that men choose in the height of Regency England. As a vicar's daughter, men are polite to her, but nothing more. She's learned to live with it.
So, when Lucas sweeps her off her feet -- literally -- begging her to marry him, she knows he has ulterior motives. She finally weasels the truth out of him, then must decide if she can live with it. Her decision takes her from her dull life to the streets and balls of London - and all the way to France. The problem is, she's miserable with — and without -- Lucas.
Michele Ann Young's No Regrets pulled me in from page one. It's a fast-paced adventure full of misunderstandings, good intentions, and denied passions. I will warn that, as expected in the regency genre, there are a few risque parts, so beware if that may offend one's sensibilities. However, the story is so intense it makes up for anything that might offend. Young's writing is sharp and the setting is rich with detail - from the countryside of England to the courts of France. The conflict is believable and will keep the reader turning page after page until the very end.
I think my favorite part of this book, though, is the heroine. Caro is a bright, witty woman - one of the best female characters I have found in a book set during this time period. It was interesting to look at life through the eyes of a "full figured" woman living in Regency England. Of course, a book like this wouldn't be complete without the character's going through some sort of transformation. I was delighted that Caro's changes didn't include her becoming stick-thin. The transformation was on the inside and then reflected on the outside as well. A great example even for those of us living in the twenty-first century.
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