Lady Be Bad

In this series launch, after the scandal of her sister running off with the family's dancing instructor, Lady Eleanor Howlett, the eldest of five sisters, must marry in order to restore her family's honor. Her parents have made an arrangement with the father of Bennett Raybourn, a viscount whose family's financial circumstances make matrimony imperative for him as well. Her chance meeting and instant fascination with Alexander, Bennett's notorious younger brother, makes the already hesitant Eleanor even more reluctant to marry in the short time frame that both sets of parents would prefer. She devises a list of increasingly outrageous behavior and asks for Alex's help in adding excitement to her life until she feels ready for marriage to his brother. Narrator Jilly Bond does a good job distinguishing male and female characters, but beyond this difference in pitch, there is little to differentiate characters of the same gender. The broad strokes of this plot will likely be familiar to avid fans of historical romances, but humorous dialog and touchingly warm sibling relationships bring a welcome freshness.