The Scandalous Ladies of London: The Countess by Sophie Jordan is apparently the first in a series of Regency romances about a group of women who are in horrible marriages. Tru, the Countess of the title, is married to Chatham, a man who has no apparent redeeming qualities. He married Tru for her money, which he squandered, so he has to keep going to her parents to ask for more cash. He lives apart from Tru, but when they must come together he reveals himself to be a pig, not just in his treatment of her but in general. For example, his table manners are atrocious even when he is trying to impress people. We never learn his back story or how a member of the ton came to be this way. Jordan's subtext, and sometimes text, is that men in Regency England had all the power and they abused it.
Enter Jasper, a nouveau riche hotelier who Chatham has decided will marry Delia, his 18 year old daughter with Tru. But Tru saw Jasper first. He's hot, and he wants Tru.
I was so-so about Jasper at first. He came on a bit strong for my taste, propositioning Tru when she was a stranger (and before either of them knew who the other was). That's explained by his working class background, where he was so busy that he did not have time for seduction.
But then: Jasper enters into an arrangement with Delia that they will pretend to court, so that Delia will not have to marry so quickly and Jasper can pursue his own ends. Unknown to Delia, it is Tru he will pursue.
But Jasper does not reveal this plan to Tru (and for some unexplained reason, neither does Delia). He leaves her thinking that he is courting her daughter while trying to get into her pantaloons. Naturally she is revolted. Why couldn't he just tell her the truth?
Despite all this, this could have been an interesting book. I like Jordan's setup of middle-aged women having to find their strength despite the laws and social mores being against them.
Unfortunately, the happily ever after at a time when divorce was unheard of was reached by a much-too-convenient plot device, which required neither Tru nor Jasper to sacrifice anything.
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