Under a Lucky Star
Grade : A

Lovers of beta heroes, I give you Derek Whittaker. He is (to quote Mrs. Malaprop) "the very pineapple of perfection" and all that a hero should be, whether he be alpha, beta, or gamma. The story is engaging, the rest of the characters are too, and I simply adored this book.

Derek Whittaker is a young man from a good family, but due to a quirk in the way the property is entailed, his half-brother got the estate and all the money, leaving Derek to make his own way. He has a position as a secretary to Lord Stokesdown and as the book begins, he is accompanying his employer to a concert. Derek takes the opportunity to slip away so as not to have to listen to the screechy soprano, and runs into Cynthia Fitzwilliam in a hall. She is trying to escape from the notorious lecher Sir James Filey, and the chivalrous Derek hides her. He also falls in love with her at first sight.

Cynthia is an exquisitly beautiful woman known to Society as the "Frost Fair." They kiss, and Derek dares to hope for more, but when he meets Cynthia again, she gives him the cut direct, and he hears she is engaged to Sir James.

Three years later, Derek's circumstances have changed (see Under A Wishing Star for the details.) He is now the owner of the family estate; his sister is married to the Duke of Oldham's son Malcolm and the child she carries may be the next Duke. Derek has come to the Oldham estate to be with his sister, and finds a large party there, including Cynthia and her mother. Cynthia is not married - Sir James died before the wedding. As soon as Derek and Cynthia see each other, it's quite evident that the old feelings are still there. But something and someone is holding Cynthia back. Now, though, Derek is neither powerless nor penniless, and he sets out to find out what makes the Frost Fair so chilly.

Did I mention Derek is perfect? Truly, he is. He's handsome, but not vain, he's fun-loving without being a rakehell, his nieces all adore their "Uncle Deck" who is never too busy to play with them, and he is the best of brothers to his sister. I could gush about him for pages. Derek's pretty smart, too: it doesn't take him very long to discover who is influencing Cynthia. It's her mother.

Cynthia's family has only one assest - her. Her father gambles and drinks, and is chronically in debt. From her earliest years, Cynthia's parents have impressed on her that she must marry a rich man or all is lost. She is a compliant young woman by nature and has gone along with their plans, even though she was overcome with revulsion over Sir James. She made her mother promise that the next man would be nice and so he is. John Ellsworth is nice but dull, and Cynthia's best (and only) friend Lady Hannah loves him.

In the beginning, Cynthia is totally under her mother's thumb, but as the story progresses she begins to question her parent's domination and realizes that filial duty does not require one to give up one's very soul. She sees that even if she married someone who was rich as all the Dukes in the kingdom put together, her parents would spend it all and still need more. It's Derek who is the catalyst for this change in Cynthia. He pursues her, he woos her, and he sweeps all objections before him. By the end of the book, Cynthia is no longer the Frost Fair, but a warm and vibrant woman.

I am putting Derek Whittaker on my list for my favorite hero for 2004. I loved Dianne Farr's traditional Regencies and I am thrilled to see her full-length historical romances are just as sweet and charming as her Regencies. I finished this book feeling warm and glowing all over. It is simply delightful.

Reviewed by Ellen Micheletti
Grade : A

Sensuality: Subtle

Review Date : April 13, 2004

Publication Date: 2004

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Ellen Micheletti

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