The Wayward Debutante

by Sarah Elliott

She Tempted Fate, Then Fate Tempted Her... It was utterly scandalous for a young lady to attend the London theater unchaperoned. She could easily have been mistaken for a woman of easy virtue. Yet... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373294840
• ISBN13: 9780373294848
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Harlequin Special Releases
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

fun Regency romance

In 1818 London her sister Beatrice and husband Charles Summerton sponsor Lady Eleanor Sinclair in her first season. Eleanor is the perfect model of behavior, but perhaps it is the pregnancy or having the young heir Mark that distracts her sponsors who remain ignorant that their guest is bored of the strict inane rules of high society. Finally unable to remain sane, Eleanor sneaks out by herself to the theater as Jane Smith the governess. However, the play starts late worrying her that she might have to miss the last act. During the performance, she hears some silly woman behind her giggling out loud. She turns around to give her an irate stare only to see her handsome companion. He boldly introduces himself as the theater's owner James Bentley but conceals that he is part of the affluent Stanton brood; she assays she is governess Miss Smith. As they fall in love, she fears he will dump her once she tells him who she is; he dreads the thought that she will love his money not him. Regency romance readers will enjoy the second Sinclair sister tale (see REFORMING THE RAKE) as Eleanor is the one breaking the rules this time. She and James are fascinating characters as both have reasons to hide their identity from the other. Although that concept has been used a lot in historical romances, Sarah Elliot refreshes it with two likable lead protagonists who break all the rules on their way to love; so badly did she and Beatrice misbehave neither of their husbands want to sponsor the third sibling Helen's season. Harriet Klausner

Looking Forward to This Author's Future.

Reading and reviewing is at times a daunting task, but when the writer is gifted, the task is so much easier! From the first page, Sarah Elliott's THE WAYWARD DEBUTANTE engaged my interest. In her first London season, Eleanor Sinclair is the daughter of a viscount. She is beautiful, intelligent, but a bit of a bluestocking. Which frankly means Eleanor Sinclair has not had many offers of marriage??? In fact, the poor girl has a difficult time filling her dance card. So rather than endure another night of social disgrace, Eleanor Sinclair decides to create a sick friend, don a disguise, and sneak off, alone, to the theater. Whereupon, she encounters the most handsome rogue, James Bentley. James Bentley also passes through life under a disguise. In reality, the rakish Mr. Bentley is really the Honourable James Stanton, the third son of an earl, who loathsomely discarded his aristocratic name, when he turned sixteen. Reviewer's Comments: Ahh, the old mistaken-identity plot, but what makes THE WAYWARD DEBUTANTE such fun is the characters' budding relationship. Through a series of harmless meetings, the romance gently takes root. Slowly the author nurtures the lust and desire. Elliott allows her characters to experience humor, delicious conversations, until finally . . . the kiss! Of course, to further the story, the mistaken-identity deception must eventually collapse. But sadly, with that collapse, the entire reading mood turned from delightful to the land of unforgiving coldness. The poised, rakish James became murky and grim, and the story turned into a patchwork of misunderstandings and dark, dismal reflections. My. My. How selfishly this reader wanted to experience the mood set in the beginning chapters, right through to the end! Final thoughts for THE WAYWARD DEBUTANTE -- The beginning is pleasant; the middle is delightful, but the ending is off-kilter. Certainly, not a story to analyze deeply, nevertheless THE WAYWARD DEBUTANTE is a page-turner. Despite the quibble with Elliott's sudden mood switch, overall I enjoyed her story and yes, I would recommend it to others looking for a bit of diversion. Grade: B Sensuality: Warm MaryGrace Meloche.