Lord Heartless by Barbara Metzger

Lord Heartless by Barbara Metzger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5

"One of those very rare authors with a fine talent for zany humor and touching emotion."
-Romantic Times

This was quite the story! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fun characters, witty writing, sweet romance and overall charming tale. I really enjoy some of these "old" regencies, they're totally different than a lot of the ones coming out today. Lord Heartleigh stumbles home from a night of debauchery to discover a baby left on his doorstep! Needless to say, his whole life is turned upside down. It's hilarious, and cringeworthy, as he and his trusty valet try to figure out what to do with a baby. They finally decide to ask the housekeeper, Mrs. Cariss Kane, across the way to help them. She reluctantly agrees, and a very fun adventure unfolds. Mrs. Kane isn't as uptight as Heartleigh first assumes and has secrets of her own.

Carissa and Heartleigh have a great relationship, I loved watching it bloom. I loved the subtle ways we see Heartleigh fall in love with Carissa and her daughter, Pippa. Heartleigh turns out to be a pretty charming hero, and despite his rakish ways, you can't help rooting for him and Carissa to end up together.

Ms. Metzger is a hit or miss for me, some of her books I've really enjoyed, while others not at all. I did enjoy this one. Even though this was published in 1998, I think contemporary readers would enjoy it as well. A bit reminiscent of Heyer, but I think more easily readable. Would recommend to any Regency fan looking for a lighthearted, witty romp with a different storyline than your typical regency romance.

ContentPG13-mild
Romance: Pretty clean. Just kisses, closed door intimacy (view spoiler)[No on-page sex scenes. One scene where she goes to his room to sleep with him, he turns her down, but makes an innuendo comment that he is "interested." At the end, they consummate their relationship a day or so before marriage. Closed door. (hide spoiler)]He is also a rake, so mentions of mistresses in the past.
Language: Very mild (a couple D, I think that's it)
Violence: Mild. Talk of a servant being raped, resulting in a pregnancy. A mild fight scene. Kidnapping. The whole book is done in a very lighthearted tone.

Source: Amazon Kindle

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