I hope that Regency Romance readers aren’t frightened away from this book by the dreadful cover. The hero and heroine are pictured outdoors. He looks like an underpaid model from the J.C. Penney catalogue, with his arm swinging up in a way that can only be called “dorky.” She’s worse; her dress is a green taffeta monstrosity obviously worn by a bridesmaid circa 1974, and her bonnet is facing in an entirely different direction than her head. But don’t let that stop you. The Incorrigible Lady Catherine is a fun book, even if it is a bit of a guilty pleasure.

Lady Catherine Harcourt has been raised by an unfeeling father, a duke who favors his second wife and her children. One night she gets the wild idea to elope with an unsuitable gentleman; she figures anything will be better than living under her father’s roof. Alas, she is all but caught in the act by her father, who offers her two choices: She can either marry a marquess old enough to be her grandfather, or she can retreat to the lake country and live in the austere home of some distant relatives. Catherine opts for plan B, figuring she can always escape to London later.

She attempts her escape the morning after her arrival, but her plan is aborted when she stops to help a young girl who has fallen into a stream. The girl is the sister of Philip Woodmere, who thanks Catherine profusely – and can’t help noticing how lovely she is. The two quickly form an attachment, but although Philip is very frank about his feelings for Catherine, she doesn’t believe that marriage is truly possible. First of all, she feels that her actions in London have made her undeserving of the attentions of an honorable man. She has also been less than honest about her status as part of the nobility, and she knows that her father is unlikely to approve of the match. When her past comes back to haunt her, she makes some foolish choices, and it looks like she might never be with Philip. Can he possibly remain constant and forgive her for her transgressions?

Of course he can, because he is a Nice Guy with a capital “N.” Philip is a great beta hero, and it’s simply impossible not to like him. He’s honest about his feelings, his patience with Catherine is infinite, and he’s willing to love her and believe the best of her no matter what. No jumping to conclusions for this guy, thank goodness. Somehow he pulls all of this off without coming across as a doormat. He makes a nice foil for Catherine, who is basically good hearted but makes some dumb choices. Her deception about her identity goes on far too long, and at the end of the book she makes a decision that almost ruins her life. That’s where the “guilty pleasure” part of the book comes in, because the twists and turns at the end (a few of which occur because of Catherine’s stupidity) were fun, but somewhat over the top.

That said, the plot is fun and engaging. Since I liked these people, I was interested in what happened to them, and a lot happened. The book is fast paced, with plenty of action and dialogue. If some of Catherine’s choices are foolish, she does own up to her mistakes quickly.

Another thing I liked about this book is that the social situations and differences in rank were dealt with in a realistic way. As a well-to-do gentleman farmer, Philip is not hurting for money. Still, several of Catherine’s acquaintances make snide comments about him, which is to be expected in a society obsessed with class and rank. Catherine’s reaction to her exile and her initial prejudices against those around her are also fitting for the times.

If you like your heroines to be perfect, this book probably isn’t for you. Some of the choices she makes just don’t seem sensible. However, I enjoyed the plot and the hero so much that I was more than willing to forgive her lapses. I would recommend The Incorrigible Lady Catherine for Regency fans who like a plot with some action and a hero who’s one of the good guys.