An Acomplished Woman

Jude Morgan has drifted in and out of my awareness these last few years, but it wasn’t until I settled down with An Accomplished Woman that I realised he’s rather brilliant at Regency comedies of manners in a Georgette Heyer style. Indeed, I decided I was going to thoroughly enjoy it based on the final lines of the very first chapter. The rest of the book channels Heyer with aplomb, boasting a plot that has certain echoes of her novels, but Morgan infuses it all with a modern consciousness that gives it a warmly witty spark, and stuffs it so full of bon mots that I was kept busy scribbling them all down...

For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2018/01/10/an-accomplished-woman-jude-morgan/

Lydia Templeton is an intelligent, well-educated woman. At 30, she is happily settled in her unmarried existence, having refused the proposal of an attractive but arrogant neighbor some years ago. Her godmother asks her to accompany the godmother's young ward to Bath. At first resistant to the idea, Lydia finally agrees. In Bath, all seems to be going well at first, and then disaster strikes.

The writing style is rather old-fashioned, but this is otherwise quite enjoyable. If the style doesn't bother you, add half a star.

Lydia Templeton was not a female protagonist that I admired greatly. Although she was an intelligent, strong personality, she failed to examine her own faults and was quick to look for them and even distort the faults of others. Much of this unattractive trait was only revealed in her inner dialogue, with the exception being whenever she was in the presence of Mr. Durrant, her neighbor and spurned former beaux. Her selfishness and critical tendencies flared more glaringly when she was away from her Papa, Dr. Templeton, a man of very gentle character and a benign tempering influence. The mutable love vacillations of her friend and protégé , Miss Phoebe Rae was tedious and overdone. I failed to see the appeal of either of her suitors, show more Mr. A or Mr. B. Subsequently, I found myself skimming the paragraphs, in true doubt I would be pleased if she chose either of them. As she was an heiress with fifty thousand pounds (3.9Mil by today's standards), I rather thought if I was in that enviable position, I'd be profoundly more choosy and take my time! For welcomed comic relief we were given the prattling of absurdly pretentious Mrs. Vawser (all my friends will tell you...) and the vulgar, preening Mrs. Allardyce (it may sound impertinent, but that's my way...) who showed the worst examples of regency womanhood. Yet, I did not enjoy this novel of Mr. Morgan's quite as much as the first one I read entitled Indiscretion. However, in my review of that book, I criticized the abrupt slipshod ending. This ending was a small measure improved. All being said, Jude Morgan is still a cut above in the quality of writing compared to other clean regency romances. show less

Lydia Templeton, 30, is asked by her godmother to accompany young heiress Phoebe to Bath as her chaperone and help Phoebe to choose between her two suitors, both of whom she claims to be in love with. Lydia's neighbour, Lewis Durrant, whose offer of marriage Lydia declined 10 years ago, also goes to Bath to seeks a wife because he dislikes the man who will otherwise be his heir.

I listened to the first 5 hours on audiobook, decided my life was too short and skipped to the last chapter. The last chapter was very lovely, so I bought the Kindle version and read/skimmed the remaining chapters. It is still my opinion that the last chapter is very lovely, but the book as a whole is too long. The first chapters, set in London and featuring show more Lydia's brother and his wife, are wholly irrelevant to the main story and should have been dispensed with. There was altogether too much of Phoebe being indecisive and annoyingly naive. Again the whole existence of Emma, her husband and Mrs Vawser (Mrs Elton) was unnecessary to the main plot and could have been omitted without anything being lost. show less

A witty, thoroughly entertaining Regency fiction in the mode of an Austen romance, which even a die-hard fan of the most brutally dark murder mysteries needs to experience from time to time.

Quite a fun read, good but not spectacular and at times it felt like he was trying too hard to be Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer. Though I was actually surprised to find that the author was male.

To the fore is the character of Lydia Templeton. She's quite fun, independent and says what's on her mind. Several years ago she rejected Lewis Durrant and now finds herself accompanying another woman in a quest for a marriage for her. One of the problems is that Lewis has put himself back on the marriage market.

It's fun but nothing exceptional. I do intend to read more by this author though, the characters were fun and enjoyable but there were times that it was a little too self-referential.

Lydia is an intelligent, independent woman who refused a very eligible bachelor in her younger years and has lived a fancy-free life with her father ever since. Her godmother asks her to chaperone a young woman and give her the benefit of her experience. Much against her will she becomes involved in this young woman's life to disastrous effect.
This is a mostly well-written book that occasionally goes on a bit too long in monologue, but on the whole is enjoyable. Well-narrated audible book.