An Evening at Almack’s (Timeless Regency Collection)

Three stories inhabit “An Evening at Almack’s,” each revolving around the hub of Regency London’s social season—Almack’s. In “The Heart’s Choice,” Mattie, who considers herself ‘on the shelf’ at age 24, attempts to push her younger sister upon the unsuspecting Mr. Bolton, but he may prefer Mattie instead. In “My Unfair Lady,” confirmed bachelor and rake Deverell is talked into wagering he can bring a wallflower and county bumpkin into fashion within one season. But Rua Postlethwaite may be much more than he bargained for. In “Six Wishes,” younger sister Felicity Branbury is determined to give her elder sister, Angelina, a London season to remember before Angelina succumbs to the fatal illness she’s contracted. When Felicity by chance runs into the sisters’ childhood friend, the very capable William Carlisle, Felicity’s plans for Angelina may just be achievable. But she didn’t plan to fall in love with her old friend who is struggling with his own demons from the past.

Fans of Regency romance will be delighted with this sweet anthology. Each of the stories has much to recommend it, and together they form a unified whole that will leave readers wishing for just a few more tales. The prose of all three authors is wonderfully light and extremely entertaining to read. Most of the characters are fun and engaging, and the stories themselves will have readers sighing, laughing. If there is a pebble among pearls, the reader occasionally feels rushed through the plot. With such fine writing, it would have been delicious to have had more development of both plots and secondary characters. Small quibbles aside, “An Evening at Almack’s” absolutely delivers! Each of the stories is a single-sitting read, but readers will be tempted to read the entire book cover to cover. It’s that good!

Marc Joseph