I can best describe Siege of Hearts as a Cinderella story without the evil stepsisters. Actually there are no real villains in this book – although there are a couple of cads. But there is a very engaging pair of lovers and a light and frothy story that is sometimes poignant and sometimes very funny and I didn’t want to put the book down until I finished it.

John Stanwell, Viscount Maitland is handsome, rich, the heir to an earl and a genuine Waterloo hero to boot. He is a prize catch on the Marriage Mart, but he’s tired and just does not want to be some belle’s trophy. Some friends of his invite him to a shooting party at Sir Edwin Garfield’s. Jack accepts – Cass Garfield is a good friend of his and he is curious to see Cass’s sister Penelope who is known as a great beauty – not that he is at all interested in her, or any other woman either.

Jack first meets Penelope’s twin sister Amanda. Amanda and Penelope are fraternal twins and look nothing alike. Penelope is a beauty – she is tall with a beautiful figure, blue eyes and masses of golden curls that frame a perfect face. Amanda is short and slight with light hazel eyes, and light brown hair. Because the girls are twins, their mother insists that they wear the same clothing, colors and hairstyles – styles that flatter Penelope and do nothing for poor Amanda. But none of this is done out of malice. Penelope and Amanda love each other and they are very close to their family who love both of them dearly – but the family just can’t see that Amanda has her own delicate beauty.

Jack does see the beauty hidden in Amanda. When they are alone, they are very comfortable and friendly with each other, but when Amanda is with her family, she is tongue-tied and shy while everyone makes much of Penelope. Jack sees this and tries to spend time with Amanda and draw her out.

When Jack and Amanda are marooned on an island due to a trick by one of the aforementioned cads, he offers marriage and she refuses. Amanda wants love and she does not think Jack loves her. But when Jack finds out that yet another cad has been spreading gossip about them in London, he renews his offer of marriage and sets out to convince Amanda that he loves her and finds her beautiful.

The last part of Siege of Hearts is full of little misunderstandings, all of which involve gossip and overheard and misunderstood conversations. I though there were, perhaps, a few too many of these little misunderstandings but they did serve as the cause for some laughs.

Jack and Amanda were a sweet couple and I loved seeing her blossom. I also liked Jack very much. Neither rake nor rogue, he was a brave, and basically kind and loving man who I could easily envision becoming a devoted husband and father. His friends, Richard Dremel and Gerrard Linderhill – who will bet on anything – added quite a few laughs with their crazy bets and penchant for gossip.

Siege of Hearts does not break any new ground in the Regency sub-genre, but it is light, frothy and delightful. I think I’ll keep an eye out for June Calvin.