The Particulars: Harlequin Historical Undone, historical romance short story, 2011, available digitally
Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: I like short reads, which means I gobbled up quite a few of these Undones and their spicier sister, Spice Briefs, back in the day. The blurb tickled my fancy and I've enjoyed Lethbridge's work in the past. Plus, hello - a Christmas read.
The Review: The Day Job has been something the past couple of weeks and partially because of that I've been struggling with reading. I had picked out an entirely different book this month, a Christmas SuperRomance that has been in my TBR since 2007 (!) but I wasn't feeling it, I was starting to get annoyed, and work being what it is I wasn't up for powering through a book that was likely going to end up a C read at best. So out of desperation I hit my digital TBR and found this Undone that I had yet to read (and it may be the last one in the pile!).
Lady Eugenie Hardwick made the mistake of falling for the wrong man. Shenanigans happened and he talked, causing a scandal that had to be hushed up and her banishment. Worse still? She liked those shenanigans, making her a true wanton. Now she's living away from her family, who no longer acknowledge her, in a duplex-style home. On the other side of the VERY thin walls is Lord Richard Townsend who is a rake. Eugenie has lost track of the women she's seen coming and going - and for that matter hearing coming and going. Which is leaving Eugenie all hot and bothered with no other recourse than to take matters into her own hands - wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
Richard is getting distracted by the spinster next door. They've been exchanging slightly acerbic, witty letters back and forth (mostly about her cat sneaking under the hedge into his side of the garden....) and just as she can hear him with his latest opera singer mistress? Um, he can hear her taking matters into her own hands - wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Surely this will not do. An heir with no desire to settle down anytime soon, the spinster next door is not paramour material. That is until she shows up late one evening to deliver an urgent message that was accidentally delivered to her by mistake.
We all know what happens next. And naturally since this is an Undone short story, it's definitely spicier than the typical Harlequin Historical offering. I'm a sucker for heroines with dubious reputations and Eugenie is severely hot and bothered by this point - meaning she rather throws herself into the proceedings. Richard is all rake, and isn't about to let this golden opportunity pass him by. Naturally what happens between them is something more. Eugenie is now concerned about extracting a promise from Richard that he won't blab about their interlude to anyone and Richard? Well he's more concerned about properly wooing and courting Eugenie - our boy has fallen.
I like to read short, so I'm not usually one to say "I wish this story was longer...." - but well, I wish this story was longer. Eugenie's fall from grace is just lightly dusted over, and the timing between Richard breaking off with his latest mistress and bedding Eugenie is lightning quick. Um, as in the same evening. Opera Singer wants a deeper relationship, Richard says no, she throws things and storms out. A few minutes later here's Eugenie showing up on his doorstep with the wrongly delivered message. So, yeah. A longer story would have meant more "courtship" through those acerbic, witty letters, and a few more palatable pages between Richard's assignations.
It also would have meant the Happy For Now ending would have spun out a bit more. I have no doubt these two will stay together, but there's a dynamite set-up for a Fake Relationship/Engagement which would have mined the respective family baggage for both Richard and Eugenie.
But it's a short story, and that's what it is. It's problematic in some areas, but I enjoyed Lethbridge's writing and I enjoyed the story. Plus it allowed me to finish the 2020 TBR Challenge by actually reading something in full.
Final Grade = B-
