This book is not just a Regency Romance, but also has elements of Mystery as well, hence the Agents of Change series that it is the first of. I will take a look then at how both of these elements play out and balance. For those of you who know my work, sex has little place in my own regency romances, for they are what are termed Sweet. My stories end with a kiss on or near the last paragraph of the last scene.

I give this caveat as Ms. Quinton has a different style than my own. And this leads you to know without too much of a spoiler, that there will be, sex. The Duke of our story is the 10th Duke of Stonebridge. We open with a brief prologue like scene shortly after the death of the 9th Duke when our hero is still at school in Eton. Here we meet another character, Middleburg.

We don't meet our Hero's best friend, the Marquess of Dansbury. (Note that our hero is a Duke and his BFF is a Marquess. The two highest ranks of the ladder of Nobility.)

As we continue our exploration, we meet our Heroine Grace, who by her own observation is as Graceless as they come. We also learn that she has come to her uncle's a year ago. That this family (the Earl of Swindon-just one rung below that of Marquess) has pinned its hopes on their eldest daughter marrying the Duke of Stonebridge. We quickly learn to like our heroine who has spirit, an understanding of her life, and of the lives of those around her. She has courage and pluck.

Grace of course is given many, many thoughts and actions that we equate to how a young woman of the 21st century would act and feel. She is friends with the servants. Not just treats them with civility, but has learned their names and has them all loving her. She, since her father was in trade as a bookseller, believes that she should open a dress shop... She is the granddaughter of a Baron. She is living in the household of an Earl. Austen would have looked upon this woman as a Jane Fairfax and everyone might think she should find a position as a governess, or companion. She even has an adequate dowry of 1755.51 pounds. (Now there I had to put aside my look at this as a romance reviewer hat. Sorry Ms. Quentin but my history hat could not ignore your mistakes and I feel I must impart this. Quentin mentioned this more than once and used it as a plot device. First the bookshop selling for close to a million pounds in todays money seems a great deal for a man in trade to have amassed. Then no person in England at the time would use a fraction to discuss money. Perhaps 1755 pounds 6s, thruppence, or similar.)

At this point I had crossed the point of whether the story worked. As a mystery it does not. Our heroes seem to be on the track of a group of Whigs not against murder and mayhem of their Tory opponents. To the point that Fox and North would aid in the plots to further their cause of the demise of Pitt the Younger, and by extension persons important to our hero and heroine. The inclusion of some elements to make this historical, aids the scene and setting. However our investigators are trying to look at a matter that is 16 years old. I think even if Sherlock Holmes were born 100 years before his fictitious appearance, he would be challenged with Regency Science and investigative techniques to unravel the mystery that had laid dormant for so long. One that at the end is unresolved so the mystery wafts away and that half of our story has become secondary to the other focus, romance.

As I started with, I am not one to cause my tale to be that of a bodice ripper. This though should fall into that category. To be a good bodice ripper, we establish rapport with our POV character. We want to be that person and have the bodice ripping done to them, or be doing the ripping. Ms. Quentin I think titillates adequately along these lines. The Duke looks hunky enough times, Grace has her loins hunger for him enough as well that they should consummate. However the Duke has spent so much time thinking of the social issue (like a Mr Darcy regarding the Bennets) that he would never violate Grace. Though historically again, the Duke would not think so much as he had I fear, since far too many examples abound that were a Duke truly enamored of a woman from any class or background, they would do as they wished. (Right-Historian Hat off.)

I can give a thumbs up for those who would like to take this on for the Romance. I can place our heroes as the men Ms Quentin writes them and praises them to be suspending my disbelief by turning my eye from history and absorbing the tale. Though should those who look closer at history and mysteries, I give caution. ( )