Series?: Yes, published in 2005, this is the 7th Malloren (noble family in Georgian England) book. If I had a do over, I would have read its predecessor, Winter Fire, first, since the action in AMUM follows events and characters in Winter Fire so closely.

Setting: The Georgian (1763) setting is very refreshing, especially the importance of country estates, which provides a lot of time with a small group of people, something I happen to enjoy. Beverley talks about the importance of the country estate to the era here.

Hero and Heroine: Mr. Octavius Fitzroger is a penniless friend of the Marquess of Ashart, whom Damaris Myddleton — a “pirate’s daughter” and heiress in search of a titled husband who can provide her entree into the nobility — had hoped to marry. He’s honorable, though haunted by past scandal, and modest. She’s forthright, impulsive, and, at first, superficial.

Conflict: Damaris wants to marry a nobleman, and Fitzroger knows he isn’t good enough for her.

Fun Factoids: The cover won the two image contest at Cover Cafe in 2005, and AMUM was a RITA finalist in long historical (losing out to Liz Carlyle’s The Devil To Pay)

Word on the Web:

Dear Author, Jayne, B-

I love the world of the Mallorens. 18th century England, with the flamboyently dressed men and women, the age of reason, inventions, wigs, power and wealth. I like how your titled men in this series don’t go around spying for England but rather act as Marquesses and Earls of the age would have. They stay in England, they take care of their dependents, they go to court and hold public levees and try to influence the King. No smugglers, no spies, or anything of the sort. They are considerate of their servants but aren’t out marching for servants rights or allowing them to call their betters by first names. They have immense power and by gosh, they act like it.

The Romance Reader, 5 hearts

Mrs. Giggles, 63

Much has been said about Ms Beverley’s supposed exquisite skill in characterization and plot but A Most Unsuitable Man is a flimsy story with underdeveloped conflicts, tedious martyr blues, and an ensemble cast of secondary characters who are interchangeable because they are uniformly perfect.

Rakehell, Cheryl Sneed, positive

AAR, B

Audionote: I listened to this on audio. It’s about 12 hours, unabridged, narrated by the wonderful Jenny Sterlin.

Racy Romance Review:

So much happens in the opening scene of this book, to characters I felt like I was supposed to know already, that I was sure I had accidentally started playback in the middle of the recording. This made for a confusing, but very exciting start to what turned out to be a very enjoyable listen.

This is the story of the “other woman” from the previous Malloren book, Winter Fire. As it opens, Damaris Myddleton’s hopes for a union with the Marquess of Ashart are publicly dashed when he announces his engagement to someone else at the Rothgar Abbey Christmastide gathering. In embarrassment, she tries to flee, only to be detained and convinced to stay by Ashart’s friend, the barely dressed Mr. Fitzroger, who has caught up with her on horseback. This was an incredibly gripping opening.

As the story unfolds, Damaris grows out of her desire for a titled husband and falls in love with the entirely inappropriate Fitz. This happens slowly and maturely while other things — namely an apparent assassination plot against Ashart, whose family history may be more dangerously complicated than anyone realized –  are also going on. Since Fitz is Ashart’s bodyguard — a fact which is revealed to the reader, but not to Damaris or Ashart, very early on –  Fitz must keep Ashart safe while getting to the bottom of the plot.

It’s a bit jarring to read a Jo Beverley after reading so many other romances in which the hero and heroine are essentially adolescents on Adderal and Viagra. Damaris and Fitz are adults: they are interested in other people and activities besides each other, and while their story is romantic, and while they do give in to passion, they are not obsessed with it to the exclusion of every thing else.  Here’s an example of the forthright conversations they tend to have:

“You want to be a duchess”, he reminded her, unhooking her leg. “One of the grandest ladies in the land.”

But she clung onto his shirt. “I’m not sure I want to be mistress of a grand establishment.”

“Don’t take Cheynings as your model.”

“I’m not. I’m serious Fitz. I want a home. A real home.”

He tore free and left the bed. “You certainly won’t get one from me.”

She raised a hand to hum, tears in her eyes, silently pleading. He took it, but used it to pull her up and off the bed.

“You want to marry a man of title and position, and you should.” He tried to be harsh, but he had to wipe away one trickling tear from her cheek, and he wanted to take her back into his arms and comfort her. “Yes, there’s passion between us, Damaris, but it’s nothing important. If I let it trap you, you’d hate me all your days.”

He began to refasten her robe, but she snatched free and did it herself. “I might not.”

In this book, there’s a bit of a gender reversal, as Damaris is the rich confident one, and Fitz is the one with no prospects and no self-esteem. Damaris has fantasies of giving Fitz gifts and dressing him in finery.  I often despise the “I am not good enough for you” conflict, but in this case, Fitz was right. Damaris’s heart’s desire is to have access to George’s court, and, with the exception of Ashart’s family’s home, the scandal-ridden Fitz is not received anywhere.

There is much going on that I haven’t mentioned. In addition to the unfolding suspense plot, both Fitz and Damaris’s complex family histories are slowly relayed in ways that help move the story forward and help us make sense of their motivations personalities. When added to Ashart’s own genealogical expedition, a major theme of the book is the question of whether it is nature or nurture that make us who we are — to ourselves, and to society.

In looking at other reviews, I know some readers had trouble with Damaris. To be honest, she wasn’t totally likable. She was often superficial, impulsive and selfish, and not in a token way, but in a way that had really bad consequences. But those qualities are the other side of her determination, loyalty and honesty. To me, she was real.

Fitz was less distinct in my mind. A keen wit, a very decent honorable person, but a bit stuck and not a self-starter. I had a hard time believing he was a crack bodyguard.

MILD SPOILERS

How could he not have realized who the assassin’s target was after the cider incident? I figured it out and I had exactly the same information he had. And why was he unable to steal papers from a sleeping old woman without waking her up?

END SPOILERS

I was really impressed with the many plot strands Beverley managed to braid together into one very satisfying tale. With the one exception of Fitz’s enforced secrecy (he couldn’t alert Ashart to the danger he was in, or to his own role in keeping him safe), I never felt anything was forced.

Some romances keep me reading because I am so swept up in a larger than life romance. Others, because the plot grips me. Both the romance and plot worked for me here, but mainly I loved being in the world Beverley created. I just wanted to hang out with the Mallorens, hear them talk, go to a ball, take tea. Do the normal things aristocrats did in the day, as DA Jayne’s review sums up so well.

I can’t believe I hadn’t read a Jo Beverley prior to this one. I will definitely be reading (and listening) to more.