February’s prompt – “Previously in Romance” – had me looking through the older books in my library and brought me to Patricia Veryan, who published over thirty Georgian and Regency set romances between 1978 and 2002. I’ve reviewed a few of her books for previous TBR Challenge prompts; the last time was in 2020 (Feather Castles, book two in the Sanguinet Saga), and at that time, very few of her books were available digitally in the UK, but that situation has improved since then, and this book and many others are now available in digital formats here.

Time’s Fool dates from 1991 and is the first book in The Tales of the Jewelled Men saga, a series of six books that are linked by an overarching plotline about the search for a group of traitors out to overthrow the British government and the monarchy. It’s more of an adventure romp with a romantic sub-plot than it is a straightforward historical romance; the plot is intricate and well-constructed and while the book is a little slow to start thanks to the need to introduce several recurring characters and set up the mystery, I enjoyed it and will try to read more of the books in the series. (There’s another prompt coming up later this year for which I might read another one!)

When the story begins, Captain Gideon Rossiter is on his way home after six years spent fighting in Europe (I don’t think in which war is stated explicitly, but the date would suggest the War of the Austrian Succession). He’s been out of action for well over six months following a serious injury and has had no communication with home, so he has no idea what he’ll be facing when he gets back to England. A couple of his fellow officers know what’s happened – that his father’s shipping business, trading company and bank have failed and the family is ruined – but haven’t known what to say or how to tell him and have kept their silence.

In the meantime, gossip around Gideon’s romantic exploits have become rife in London society and it’s said that he has fathered at least one child with one of his many mistresses. Before he left the country, Gideon was betrothed to Lady Naomi, the daughter of his father’s good friend, the Earl of Collington, but the rumours of Gideon’s love affairs have caused her to harden her heart and she certainly has no intention of marrying him now. She was sixteen when Gideon left England, and in the intervening years Naomi has become the toast of London with a string of admirers hanging on her every word.

When Gideon finally lands in England, his first thought is to see Naomi, but after he is refused admittance to Collington Hall, he decides to makes his way to his family’s country home, Promontary Point, and stops at an Inn along the way. While there, he runs into an old friend, Lieutenant James Morris, and after a convivial meal, the two of them arrange to travel on together. They set off in Gideon’s carriage, and haven’t gone far along the road when they spy a vehicle ahead that looks to be in trouble. Drawing nearer, they see a dark shape lying on the ground and a woman struggling with a large man; jumping down, Gideon and Morris head to the rescue and run off the ruffians, unfortunately wounding an ally in the process. As the young woman – who is, of course, Naomi, although neither she nor Gideon recognise each other in the darkness and the falling rain – rails at Gideon for manhandling her away from the villain and about his friend’s clumsiness, Morris steps on what he at first believes to be a very sharp pebble but which, on closer examination looks more like a toy, a small figure carved from pink stone set with red beads. It’s an odd thing, but it’s pretty; he decides maybe his niece would like it and puts it in his pocket.

It’s not until Gideon reaches London a few days later that he finds out the truth about his family’s problems. It’s a massive blow, but as he listens to his father’s story of lies and betrayal, Gideon starts to think that there is perhaps something in Sir Mark’s theory that a group of men had set out to deliberately ruin him – but who would do such a thing and why? Gideon decides to make some enquiries, even though he knows they will be unwelcome – and then discovers that being shunned by society, repudiated by his love and being the target of impromptu missiles in the streets are the least of his worries. Someone is systematically ransacking properties belonging to his family – but what are they looking for? And how – if at all – could their actions be related to Gideon’s search for the men who ruined his father?

Time’s Fool is a cracking read with a clever, twisty plot, lots of witty dialogue and a well-defined set of characters who are easy to root for. Some of the secondary cast is going to appear in the other books, most notably the waspish August Falcon, whose snarky exchanges with Morris are a lot of fun (I really hope there are more of them in the other books!), and Gideon’s no-nonsense sister, Gwendolyn, and while we do find out who was behind the plot to ruin the Rossiters, the identity of the evil mastermind known only as The Squire will, I assume, not be revealed until the final book of the series.

As I said at the beginning, the romance between Gideon and Naomi is more of a sub-plot; while thoughts of Naomi have sustained Gideon through his long years away and his one goal on returning home is to marry her and settle down, she has heard only of his dalliances with other women and is nursing a broken heart. Misunderstandings are eventually cleared up and they get their HEA, but it takes a loooong time; several times it seemed we were going to find out the truth, but something always happened to prevent a proper explanation. Grrrrr.

As the book dates from 1991 (as far as I know, it has not been re-edited), and the story is set in the mid-eighteenth century, there are some words and attitudes here that are dated and which some readers may find objectionable. There are a couple of scenes in which the kisses between the estranged couple don’t start out as consensual, and the men are all very protective and sometimes overbearing towards the ladies – although the ladies definitely more than hold their own and even take part in some of the action. Naomi can be a bit of a curl-tossing foot-stamper, but she manages to stay the right side of the line between TSTL and brave; her travels in Europe have given her the courage to speak her mind more than other young ladies, perhaps, but she’s well aware of the conventions that govern society and knows how important it is that she should remain within their bounds. The Georgian setting is nicely done in decriptions of clothing and locations, and the author attempts to give an authentic period feel with the language she uses, so there are lots of “Lud!”s and “Egad!”s and “’pon rep”s, and similar expressions, which may feel a bit outdated.

Time’s Fool sets up the series nicely, with a gentle romance, an exploration of complex family dynamics, a dastardly villain and the formation of an interesting fellowship of friends. If you’re burned out on wallpaper historicals and characters from the twenty-first century in period costume, and don’t mind a plot-driven rather than romance-driven historical, then I’d definitely suggest giving this one a go.