Lady Amelia Takes a Lover (Windermeres in Love Book 1)

Sofie
Darling
Genre: 
Novella
Lady Amelia Windmere and her family escape scandal by settling in Italy. Amelia works hard to erase her family’s wrongdoing in order to get back to London. Amelia has a secret fascination with painting watercolors. Still, Amelia’s art suffers, and she realizes that there is more to art than painting bowls of fruit. When Amelia meets the Duke of Rispon, Tristan Carteret, a sculptor, it is an instant attraction even though she really can’t stand him. When Tristan discovers how gifted Amelia truly is, he has an appalling suggestion for her to paint nude models. Amelia is intrigued and asks Tristan to pose nude for her. In doing so, Amelia enters into an affair with Tristan, despite the cost to her reputation. Unfortunately, Tristan isn’t a proper gentleman and could taint any lady’s reputation, including Amelia’s.
 
This risqué historical novella really breaks the mold! The story moves quickly, brushing over things that really need more explanations. The scandal which caused Amelia and her family to leave London is too vaguely described. If the book were a full-length novel, it would have been better. The characters behavior seems modern, so most historical aficionados will dislike the lack of propriety that neither follows. In truth, the story should have been set in modern times instead of the Regency period since mores aren’t strictly adhered to. Amelia, the quirky spinsterish heroine, despite her winsome ways, is quite indecisive and doesn’t stay true to herself until Tristan changes her. Luckily, Tristan does have some honorable qualities, even in his rakish ways. The book manages to be a pleasurably fun tale that readers will find satisfying!
 
Roslynn Ernst