Gay, Gloria

As a novella, the story is forced to cut corners, such as eliminating possible love scenes, but this helps the appeal as well. The intriguing characters combined with a witty writing style by Gay (Lovely Little Liar) make up for a somewhat predictable plot, while the historical setting is portrayed very well. This reviewer would have enjoyed these characters in a full-length novel, with some added romantic nuances, but overall Gay's latest is a charming rags to riches tale, generously infused with true tones of the Regency era.