This book was very aptly named. It centers on Caitlin, who is nothing and nobody to the elegant world of Regency London. Unfortunately, the name also seemed to refer to the read itself. I forgot the details of the hero and heroine so quickly I have to leaf through the book as I write this review.

Caitlin Campbell and her sister are given the opportunity for a London season, but do not really take to it. They’re nonentities, lacking outstanding beauty, titles and monetary assets. When Caitlin overhears some cruel remarks at a ball, she runs heedlessly into the dark streets, where she is accosted and kissed by a stranger whose face she doesn’t see. In due course, she discovers that the stranger is Richard, Lord Kilverton, the brother of her best friend and fiancé of the cattish Lady Elizabeth. Tenderness and desire grow between Richard and Caitlin, but it is simply “not done” to court one lady when engaged to someone else. Richard finds Elizabeth more annoying by the minute, but there is no honorable way for him to woo Caitlin. Gradually he comes to realize that the accidents he has been having are attempts on his life, and that the hidden villain will not hesitate to harm his beloved Caitlin. Eventually Lady Elizabeth is put under enough pressure to show her true colors, and Richard is able to claim his Caitlin.

Caitlin really prefers the country to London, but makes an effort in order to promote the chances of her younger sister. She considers herself on-the-shelf and has no hopes of striking a match. Richard suffers from an excess of dutifulness, combined with a contradictory streak. The first trait made him become engaged to Lady Elizabeth in order to please his family, the second is what makes him try to win Caitlin in spite of all the practical obstacles.

It is difficult to define why I found this read so bland. Probably it was a combination of many little things that bordered on trite. The plot was acceptable, but adding a mystery is rapidly becoming a cliché in Regency Romance. Caitlin was ever sensible, except when the plot required her to run off into the night or put herself into danger. And Richard was unable to escape the natural law that states that any anonymous gentleman who paws a lady in the street falls in love with her.

The secondary characters were lovingly drawn, but unfortunately remained very predictable in their actions. The true villain was well done and something of a surprise, but as for the motive, a mixture of greed and mental instability has been used over and over. In essence, this is a book that utilizes many Regency staples without managing to make something special of them.

A good romance will change you in some way, if nothing else by engaging your compassion and sympathy for the star-crossed couple. When I finished The Nobody, the only thing that had changed for me was the time of day. If you are newer to the Regency subgenre than I am, the book will likely make more of an impression.