Books › The Nonesuch
The Nonesuch
525 pages
A sparkling, low-angst romp through provincial society where a sensible governess and a legendary bachelor find their perfect match.
What it feels like
Reading this classic Regency romance feels like stepping into a bustling, sunlit drawing room filled with sharp-witted observers and delightful provincial gossip. The narrative moves at a brisk, theatrical clip, driven almost entirely by sparkling dialogue and the amusing clash of outsized personalities. Unlike tales of youthful, angsty infatuation, this story offers the deeply satisfying warmth of a mature romance between two highly competent, sensible adults who recognize each other as equals. The prose is elegant and arch, peppered with authentic period slang that immerses you completely in the era. It is a cozy, cheerful escape perfect for readers who delight in social comedies, capable heroines, and the quiet thrill of a perfectly executed flirtation.
- Mood
- cheerful
- cozy
- bustling
- romantic
- Tone
- witty
- arch
- affectionate
- lighthearted
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- mature romance · social maneuvering · finding an equal · quiet competence
- The writing
- Sparkling and elegant, heavily laced with authentic Regency slang and sharp, theatrical dialogue.
- The arc
- Moves from amused detachment to the warm, satisfying realization of a perfectly matched partnership.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave low-angst, highly witty historical romances featuring sensible heroines and dashing, good-hearted heroes.
Content notes
- period-typical classism
About the book
At the age of five-and-thirty, Sir Waldo Hawkridge, wealthy, handsome, eligible, illustrious, and known as the nonesuch for his athletic prowess, and when he comes north to inspect his unusual inheritance at Broom hall in the West Riding, his arrival leads to the most entertaining of ramifications. When they learned that Sir Waldo Hawkridge was coming, the village gentry were thrown into a flurry. The famed sportsman himself! Heir to an uncounted fortune, and a leader of London society! The local youths idolized "the Nonesuch"; the fathers disapproved; and the mothers and daughters saw him as the most eligible--and elusive--man in the kingdom.
But one person remained calm. When she became a governess, twenty-eight years old Ancilla Trent had put away romance, and at first she could only be amused at the fuss over Sir Waldo, who ignored the well-born beauties of the district. But she found that instead of regarding him revulsion, she could very easily be beguiled into flirtation. Such a state of affairs would never do...
To be Tiffany Wield's chaperone is a serious trial to Ancilla because her pupil's bad behavior. Ancilla strives to be a calming influence on her tempestuous charge, but then Tiffany runs off to London alone and Ancilla is faced with a devastating scandal. Sir Waldo Hawkridge, a confirmed bachelor who believes he is past the age of falling in love, comes instantly to the aid of the intrepid Ancilla to stop Tiffany's flight, and in the process discovers that it's never too late for the first bloom of love. And a shocking question began to form: could the celebrated gentleman be courting her?
Description from Open Library.
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