Books › The Flirt
The Flirt
First published 1985 · 229 pages
A sparkling Regency romp where a desperate social deception spirals into a fake engagement and unexpected peril.
What it feels like
Reading this traditional Regency romance feels like stepping into a brightly lit ballroom that hides a few shadowy corners. The narrative moves at a brisk, theatrical pace, sweeping the reader from the oppressive gloom of a miserly uncle's house into the glittering, high-stakes world of an exclusive aristocratic house party. The mood balances playful romantic tension with a sudden, sharp edge of suspense as social maneuvering gives way to genuine peril. The prose is breezy and period-appropriate, focusing on the sharp banter of a daring heroine and the arrogant lord who unexpectedly becomes her savior. It is a delightful escape for readers who crave classic historical romance where fake engagements, sparkling flirtations, and sinister family secrets collide.
- Mood
- romantic
- theatrical
- perilous
- glittering
- Tone
- playful
- dramatic
- wry
- suspenseful
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- social survival · marriage of convenience · hidden inheritances · deception and disguise
- The writing
- Breezy and theatrical, capturing the sparkling dialogue and rigid social strictures of the Regency era.
- The arc
- From desperate social maneuvering and playful deception to unexpected alliance and perilous survival.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love classic, fast-paced Regency romances featuring daring heroines, arrogant lords, and a dash of sinister danger.
Content notes
- death of parents
- familial abuse
- murderous plots
About the book
"IF I COULD HAVE FORESEEN THE FUTURE, I WOULD HAVE MARRIED THE FIRST MAN WHO ASKED ME!"
Tongues were set wagging when Elizabeth Markham's glamorous young parents were killed, sinking their only child to the unspeakable class of poor relation. Forced to live with her cruel, miserly uncle Julius, Elizabeth was forbidden to partake in the Season's festivities. Marriage could be her only escape, and she decided on a daring plan: she would trick her way into the Duke of Dunster's exclusive house party, to snare one of the eligible dandies sure to dance attendance on her.
Her plan proceeded swimmingly, as Elizabeth flirted with all but the arrogant Lord Charles Lufford, considered by the ton to be quite a catch. She ignored him thoroughly until her uncle discovered her deception and Charles saved her--by announcing their engagement!
But Elizabeth's troubles were far from over, for in her absence she had come into an inheritance. And her uncle, along with one other sinister party, would rather see her perish than receive it....
Description from Open Library.
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