I love the little blurb on the cover of the book Penelope by Anya Wylde…

It is monstrously unfair that whenever a girl needs her wits about her, she goes and does something completely idiotic.

Right there that sets the tone for this tongue in cheek regency era romance. Young Penelope has been sent to London to stay with the woman who once promised her mother to look after her. Sadly Penelope’s mother died when she was young leaving her to the not so tender mercies of her stepmother… oh and stepsisters (who are neither evil nor important to the storyline to a great degree). So she has spent much time “talking” to her mother’s portrait and growing up to be a very singular young lady in possession of a very friendly… goat?

In fact, on Amazon it is listed as a Madcap Regency Romance. I will say this is NOT a historical Regency… little care is spent making sure the manners and language of ALL characters remains in period… but the laughs are there in spades, including a rather interesting dressmaker, who was my favourite secondary character – one of my favourite lines is spoken by Madame…

Girl, let me educate you. I have the soul of a woman, and that means my bonnet jiggles for a man.

Although a close second comes from our main character discussing her emotional state in the face of the duke:

“I am frightened because of… peanuts.” “Peanuts?” Madame asked faintly. “Yes, peanuts. Beth, one of my stepsisters, is allergic to peanuts. Whenever she eats a peanut her face flushes, her tongue feels swollen, her heart starts racing, and she feels queer. I feel the same when the duke is around, so you see the only conclusion is that I am allergic to the duke. I know he does not truly want to kill me but he might do just that by simply being around me.”

This madcap miss and her duke are a joy to read, if you are willing to giggle your way through a book and not too stuck on historical minutia this could be the book for you!!!

Penelope