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The Cloisonne Locket
First published 1986 · 1 pages
A sparkling battle of wits where a cynical duke's assumptions clash with a heroine's earnest innocence in the drawing rooms of Regency England.
What it feels like
Reading this classic traditional Regency feels like stepping into a brightly lit drawing room crackling with unspoken tension. The narrative moves at a brisk, engaging clip, driven by the sharp, arch dialogue and the delicious friction of a classic misunderstanding. It is a world where cynical assumptions collide with genuine innocence, creating an atmosphere that is both playfully combative and deeply romantic. The prose is crisp and period-appropriate, capturing the rigid social mores and the high stakes of a young woman's reputation. It delights readers who crave the vintage charm of a battle of wits, where an arrogant, worldly nobleman is slowly but surely disarmed by a heroine whose greatest weapon is her unvarnished truth.
- Mood
- sparkling
- tension-filled
- cozy
- Tone
- wry
- romantic
- dramatic
- arch
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- battle of wits · misjudged intentions · cynicism vs innocence · enemies to lovers
- The writing
- Crisp and dialogue-driven, leaning into the arch, mannered vocabulary of classic traditional Regency romance.
- The arc
- Moves from cynical suspicion and defensive pride to a tender, hard-won mutual respect and passionate surrender.
- Who it's for
- Readers who delight in vintage Regency romances featuring arrogant dukes, spirited but innocent heroines, and crackling drawing-room banter.
Content notes
- classism
- mild sexual tension
- sexism
About the book
The devastatingly handsome, fabulously wealthy Duke of Rutland was sure that Miss Rosemary Barton was too good to be true--and too beautiful to be good.
Surely this extraordinarily lovely young lady had put herself in his path so that she might wind up in his arms--and then in his marriage bed. Just as certainly, she had ingratiated herself with the duke's shut-in sister. Annabelle, to gain an ally in her campaign of coquettish conquest.
The duke vowed not to be this doxy's dupe. Instead he would strip away her pretenses of propriety to reveal her for the title-hunter she was. And suddenly Rosemary, who knew so little of the world and even less of men, had to fight for her honor--against the seductive stratagems and intoxicating advances of this man who thought he had none....
Description from Open Library.
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