Metzger’s latest is a very pleasant reading experience. Its charming protagonists are faced with an intriguing quest and are surrounded by engaging supporting players. But though I believed the hero and heroine could love each other and that somewhere along the way they are supposed to have fallen in love, I didn’t really see it happening. Charming dialogue and strong attraction was not quite enough for me.

Lady Minerva (Mina) Sparrowdale is the recent widow of a dissolute Earl. At a young age Mina was forced to marry the Earl by her social-climbing merchant father, also now deceased, and is nothing but relieved to be free of them at last. While trying to decide what to do in her suddenly well-to-do and unencumbered state, she comes across a puzzle in her late husband’s paperwork. For some mysterious reason he’d been paying out large sums of money, and since Mina knows he was constantly hard-up her curiosity is piqued. Her curiosity turns to concern after the visit of a boy who insists he’s her late husband’s bastard son. He may not be the only one. When she realizes this mystery ties into her own personal tragedy, Mina knows she must investigate.

Mina’s no dummy. She knows she’ll need help in unraveling the problem. To that end she writes to Lord Lowell Merrison, the second son of a Duke who pursues private inquiries to support himself. Lowell is equally intrigued by Mina’s letter and after meeting her, agrees to take the case.

Lowell and Mina’s chemistry as a couple is apparent from the first conversation they have. They sparkle together. She’s convinced he’s too young and attractive, despite his eyeglasses, to undertake the investigation – and he’s shocked that she’s not the little dab of a thing his mother described. In his mind helping a meek, plain widow is one thing, assisting a very attractive, wealthy one is something else entirely.

Fortunately they quickly realize that their very lively interest in each other does not preclude working together and the partnership is formed. The book was taking off at this point, seemingly an unqualified DIK in my mind. Not only did I love this couple, I enjoyed just about every person who walked across the pages, including a somewhat thinly drawn villain. In many ways, though this is an old and hoary comparison, I felt as though I was reading a Georgette Heyer novel.

Unfortunately this early promise was just that. The characters continued to charm, the dialogue continued to sparkle and yet the book began to seem a little flat and drawn out. As I finished I realized the reason. Mina and Lowell exchange a few kisses and meaningful glances and she eventually entrusts him with her most profound secret and the worries it engenders. But telling the reader that Lowell likes Mina and vice versa is not enough. It needs to be shown.

Partly this problem has to do with the length of the book. It’s difficult to “grow” the relationship of a hero and heroine and work through a mystery sub-plot within the pages of a traditional Regency Romance, and in the author wasn’t fully successful in this book. As a result, the development of the hero and heroine’s relationship suffered. Additionally, the fact that Mina is dealing with something that is personally earthshaking is also given pretty short shrift. There just wasn’t room to make her worry very believable.

Witty Heyer-like scenes abound in this book. For those alone it’s worth the read. However, readers seeking true, deep satisfaction would probably be better off seeking a copy of Heyer’s The Grand Sophy. That said, sometimes early promise is better than no promise at all.