#TBRChallenge 2019: Wayward Widow

The Book: Wayward Widow by Nicola Cornick

The Particulars: Historical romance, Harlequin Historical #700, 2004, third book in trilogy, out of print, available in digital.

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: Several years back I discovered Cornick and proceeded to hunt down her entire backlist.

The Review: I'm a sucker for romance heroines with dubious reputations (whether they be earned or not).  Lady Juliana Myfleet has the intriguing distinction of falling into both categories.  Good Ton think she is the wickedest sort, with her dubious friends, gambling habit, and outrageous behavior.  Having met before as teenagers, the hero makes her reacquaintance at a house-party-slash-bachelor-party where Juliana, quite literally, is presented on a silver platter, naked as the day she was born, with strategically placed fruits and icing sugar.  Juliana loves to shock, but is she truly the "bad girl" that she seems?

Martin Davencourt had been living abroad when he's summoned home after his father and stepmother die in an accident.  He's now the guardian to his 7 younger half-siblings, which is turning into a bit of a trial since the two oldest girls are fighting their chaperone every step of the way and the oldest boy has up and quit Cambridge with no explanation whatsoever.  Honestly, he's got enough on his plate without being distracted by Juliana Myfleet, but distracted (of course) he is.

This is a fairly low-key Regency in that not a lot happens in terms of plot.  The crux of it is that Juliana has spent her whole life making herself wholly unsuitable and Martin borders on sanctimonious prig.  I mean, honestly?  The entire fun of this story is these two bantering back and forth, and Juliana completely calling Martin out on his bullshit.  To add to his undoing?  Once his younger siblings meet Juliana they're completely entranced with her, even though she's about as far away from Mary Poppins as you can get.  There's a forthrightness to Juliana, her willingness to call a spade a spade, that makes her an exceedingly delightful heroine.  This is a bad girl who makes dreadful choices but she also doesn't take flack from anybody.  I'll be frank: she's not terribly "likeable" and that's what makes her pretty great.

Ah, but you hear the "but" in that don't you?  So where did it slide sideways for me?  Juliana's past is dealt with in a very perfunctory manner.  Husband #1 was a love match and she was devastated by his death.  And yet we hear very little about him beyond, "She loved him so."  Husband #2 was the exact opposite, a liar and wastrel who abandoned her in Italy and died in debtor's prison.  Given that she ran off with Totally Unsuitable Hubby #2 - this is where the bulk of her reputation was earned.  Then she returned to London and was unwilling to cow-tow and act repentant sinner. That sealed her fate.  This is all dealt with in a very bare bones manner. Basically what I just described in this paragraph?  That's basically what you get in the book.  There's no expounding...at all.

There's also the matter of her relationship with her father.  Yes, as refreshing as Juliana is as a heroine, she's one of those who wasn't loved enough by Daddy hence her dubious life choices.  Also, I'll admit that while Juliana does do "some bad things" - a lot of what people think about her is simply untrue.  An illusion she cultivates because she abhors hypocrisy, she's lonely, and Daddy didn't love her enough.  Oh well...can't win 'em all.

But this makes a book a B-.  What makes a book a C?  When it's all carrying on just fine and then it's like someone told the author, "Love, you ain't made your word count yet," and the last two chapters take a bizarre turn and we get hastily added external conflict.  For the last 20% of the book.  It feels weird, rushed, and frankly relies on an amazing coincidence.  It does tie everything up and the author does bring things full circle, but it strains the seams considerably.

So it ends up being a mixed bag for me.  Cornick can write her face off and the dialogue in this story is A+ top-notch.  Also, even though it's the last book in a trilogy, I never felt like I was trying to keep my head above the waters of Series-itis Ocean.  There's memorable elements at work here, but oof those last couple of chapters are a doozy.

Final Grade = C