Now this is a Regency-set historical novel I really enjoyed. Caroline Fortune's life is taking a turn for the worse. Her father, a melodramatic retired captain who genuinely doesn't understand why he can't seem to hang onto his money, has just hit rock bottom. Faced with angry creditors and yet another eviction, Caro decides to become a paid companion to the rich but ferocious Mrs. Catling. Accompanying this woman to Brighton, Caro enjoys her first taste of society, meeting Mrs. Catling's niece and nephew and their charming acquaintance. When things go wrong, Caro finds refuge at her uncle's country vicarage. While there, she tries to behave like a proper young lady, which is difficult given her unorthodox upbringing. She soon becomes frustrated by all the secrets and machinations developing around her, but she soon becomes entangled in some pretty big messes. Will she be able to help her friends find the path to love and happiness? Will she be able to find it for herself? This book was very well-written and the characters were wonderful - I loved Caro's Uncle John, her father Captain Fortune, and Stephen Milner. It's not Austen - I don't care what the back cover says - but it's good anyway.

One of the best books I've read this year and my first by Jude Morgan, definitely a writer deserving to be read. Library Journal says it best - "Indiscretion" - "Authentic enough to engage the most demanding of Jane Austen fans, it offers refreshingly original characters, an intriguing plot and an elegantly ironic style" ( )

A great new read for Jane Austen fans. An old-fashioned, Regency style novel, not of the bodice ripping variety (not that there's anything wrong with that, I read them myself). Morgan recreates Regency England with lively characters and an engrossing story with just enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing till the end. Her prose is lyrical and hits just an authentic note without being arcane. ( )