The Proper Wife (Historical) [Paperback]

Because of the things I love about her writing, she reminds me very much of Mary Jo Putney and Jo Beverley. Like them, she creates characters who come alive on the page, as complex and contradictory as real people, and as capable of growth as real people. And, like them, she creates situations that arise from the characters, rather than imposing her plot onto the characters.

In THE PROPER WIFE, both Colonel St. John Sandiford and Clarissa Beaumont have much to learn. Sinjin, as Colonel Sandiford is called, must learn to let go of his preconceptions and his past. Clarissa must learn to curb her recklessness and to let her kindness bloom. One of the things I liked particularly about this book was that neither Sinjin nor Clarissa is perfect, that they have light and dark sides to their personalities, and that they have room to grow over the course of the book.

I stayed up far too late last night reading this book, and only put it down when I realized that, no matter how much I wished otherwise, I wasn't going to be able to finish it. I did finish it, however, as soon as I woke up. The only bad part of that is, now it's finished.... I highly recommend this wonderful book, and I am very much looking forward to anything she might write in the future.

The premise of "The Proper Wife" is a bit different. Lord Sinjin Sandiford comes home from the war to find that his estate is broke - thru gambling debts his late father has practically bankrupted the estate. He has good lineage, a title, an excellent reputation - and no money. He must find a wealthy woman to marry. In other words, he's a fortune hunter.

This bothers him drastically but he's convinced it's the only way to save his estate. So he sets his sites on finding a wealthy merchant's daughter.

What he finds is Lady Clarissa Beaumont. Clarissa is a beauty who is currently on her 3rd Season and has yet to find a husband. She's been around London long enough to be a bit jaded - not the usual "young miss" heroine of a Regency.

She meets Sinjin and the sparks fly. They spend more than half the book bickering and yelling at each other before things get resolved.

I only gave this a two star rating because the characters weren't all that likable.

Sinjin hides behind his pride when what he should have been doing is finding out how to save his estate without being reduced to a fortune hunter. He had been advised many times to come home and fix his estates, but he chose to ignore all advice until it was too late.

Clarissa just annoyed me to no end. She rides a stallion, which would have been highly uncommon. (I once read an article by a *real* cowboy who challanged the idea of anyone riding a stallion for leisure - stallions were simply too unpredictable and difficult to manage. Since reading that article, I always find it suspect when any character chooses to ride a stallion.) Clarissa is constantly teasing Sinjin, who has problems laughing at himself. She lets herself get "dared" into doing some really stupid things - you know, because she's so independant! I was like - puh leeze, even my two year old would know better than that!

I did give the book two stars for its decent premise - a book from the point of view of the fortune hunter. I just wish the characters had been more likable and that the story had been better.

My recommendation? Save your money or buy it used.

If you have not read The Wedding Gamble, you will still be able to enjoy this book and will definitely want to get Ms Justiss' backlist. I know since reading TWG that she is an auto buy for me.