Everything but the Earl

Ramsey launches the Wayward & Willful Regency romance series with this charming but inconsistent debut. Miss Caroline Crispin, daughter to England’s royal architect, speaks boldly and flirts audaciously, almost anachronistically, eschewing marriage for independence and flouting the strictures of high society. Adam Wexley, the reclusive Earl of Ryland, battles equally unsuitable expectations, preferring peaceful gardening to the brutal pugilism enjoyed by his peers. When two lecherous lords wager on who will ensnare Caroline and ruin her, she realizes there are downsides to her shameless reputation, abruptly shifting from headstrong to dithery. She turns to Lord Ryland for aid in undermining the wager, and he leads her to reconsider her preconceived notions about marriage and love. Though Ramsey’s smooth prose and witty dialogue make for enjoyable reading, much of the characterization stretches credibility, and the breakneck pace of the plot is matched by the too-quick development of the romance. Despite its flaws, this series opener has enough substance to keep readers hopeful for improvement in the next installment. (July)