Enchanting Pleasures

I have realized that if I am going to be a proper librarian, I need to be familiar with all manner of genres. With that in mind, I delved into the Romance section of my local Borders, had a mild panic attack, and fled. I’m exaggerating, but I honestly had no idea what to do with the hundreds of books (many featuring oiled, manly chests on their covers). As one of the most read popular genres, the selection is wide and I am a Romance virgin. Other than a couple of Nora Roberts and Catherine Cooksons, I haven’t really explored this genre so it took a lot of browsing before I finally made my selection…

Eventually I picked Eloisa James’s Enchanting Pleasures, a Regency romance with a very sedate pink cover… not a muscled chest in sight. The tagline on the cover reads “A Novel of Scandals, Seductions, and Forbidden Delights” and it really was a delightful read.

The plot is silly, pure fluff, but Gabby Jerningham, the heroine of the story, is a fun and spirited character whose antics move the plot along at a fast pace.

But I’m getting ahead of myself…

Shipped off to England to meet her betrothed, Gabby leaves India in the company of young Miss Phoebe and Prince Kasi Rao. A talented storyteller, Gabby keeps the children busy aboard the vessel with tales of India and her dreams for a happy marriage. But all is not well in England. Gabby has been promised to Peter Dewland, who most assuredly does not look forward to marriage with a backward girl from India. While Peter agonizes over his filial responsibilities, his brother Quill struggles to overcome the shattering migraines that have plagued him for years. Neither brother is prepared for the changes that Gabby’s arrival will signal. When Gabby’s charms prove to be too much for Peter’s fashionable sensibilities, it’s up to Quill to handle the matter, and he’s more than happy to oblige.

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I have to admit that my expectations were not very high for the novel, Quill’s condition is exacerbated by er… sexual congress… so I was expecting a very fanciful plot with lots of gratuitous sex, but this was not the case. The plot was engaging and interesting, some of the elements were fanciful, but it did not detract from the story. At times, Gabby almost reminds me of Catherine Morland, her imagination gets her into all sorts of sticky situations.

Tags: book review, eloisa james, enchanting pleasures, regency romance, something different