Anybody who spends any time on AAR’s message boards knows that a leisurely paced, well written love story featuring two likable characters is more than enough for a lot of readers. So, why oh why, does the writing team known as Nicole Byrd mar a lovely story with a hastily tacked-on suspense subplot and a love scene that unbelievably advances two reticent characters in a few scant pages from not much more than longing glances to full on sex?

Make no mistake, the central love story is an appealing one. Widow Marianne Hughes somewhat reluctantly agrees to sponsor her spoiled and self-centered (but not really nasty) young niece Louisa during her first season in London society. Even before they leave for London, Louisa fixates on the wealthy and eminently eligible John, Marquess of Gillingham, a nobleman rumored to be entering society for the first time in search of a bride, as the ideal choice for her husband.

John, brother to Gabriel of Dear Imposter, lives as a virtual recluse on his country estate as a result of both emotional scars from a cold and abusive father and physical ones that are the remnants of a bout with smallpox. Painfully self-conscious about his appearance and equally uncomfortable in social situations, John views his trip to London with feelings approaching dread. The best he can hope for is a congenial wife willing to overlook his scars to the point that she’ll provide the heir his title requires.

While John is charmed by the beautiful and determined young Louisa – she comes dangerously close to throwing herself at him – he soon enough finds himself even more intrigued by the lovely and mature Marianne. But devious Louisa (motivated far more by a desire for revenge against the childhood sweetheart she believes betrayed her than any infatuation for John) manages to turn an innocent conversational exchange into a betrothal. Out of his depth when dealing with such sophisticated female manipulation, John finds himself virtually engaged to one young woman as his attraction to another – and far more suitable one – grows.

The authors do a wonderful job here of creating interesting and likable characters who clearly are an ideal match. Marianne’s maturity, sensitivity to John’s feelings, as well as her interest in the world around her make her more than capable of helping John open up to other people and, even more importantly, to his estranged brother. She is a smart, compassionate, and savvy heroine whom I liked very much.

Even with all his problems and challenges, John is a wounded hero without, thankfully, ever becoming an overly tortured one. (I’m getting a little tired of all the hero angst in so many books these days, so John was a welcome relief.) He’s a kind, gentle man who loves his dog, is appealingly bewildered by female machinations, and who – albeit reluctantly – eventually allows Marianne and Gabriel’s wife to help bring about a much needed rapprochement between John and his younger brother. The women know best here (as always) and it says much in John’s favor that he is a hero who eventually recognizes that fact!

What didn’t work so well here is a suspense subplot that is just…well, silly and an equally unbelievable love scene found in the final pages of the book. Frankly, the authors do such a great job of portraying the gradual blossoming of Marianne and John’s tentative romance, that I found their abrupt love making highly disconcerting. I simply can’t imagine that these characters so carefully created by the authors would ever be the kind of people to impulsively leap into sex.

Nevertheless, there’s a lot to recommend here – especially for those who enjoy Regencies in Disguise, as AAR’s Robin Uncapher so memorably refers to them. The characters are appealing, the writing fluid, and, for lovers of historical romance willing to overlook a few small problems, Beauty in Black ultimately delivers a satisfying reading experience.