The Incomparable Cassandra

Laura Byrne Paquet, Laura Paquet

Review by QNpoohbear Goodreads Lady Cassandra Blythe is an Incomparable but she's also intelligent and a playwright, which is why she remains unwed at the advanced age of 24. She enjoys the social activities of London and her witty friends and isn't too concerned with finding a mate for herself. In contrast, her older brother has been happily wed for ten years to the lovely Elinor. Sadly, Elinor has been estranged from her only brother Benjamin Rowland, Earl of Winchfield, since her elopement with Cassandra's brother. Elinor has extended an olive branch to her brother and he has finally decided to come to London in search of a wife. Recently recovered from a broken heart, Benjamin Rowland, Earl of Winchfield is in search of a wife. The Earl's duties were thrust on him at a young age and he would like nothing better than to stay in the country and study ants, however, he is an Earl and knows his duty. He is in search of a quiet, biddable wife, certainly not an Incomparable like Lady Cassandra. At first Cassandra and Ben don't get along; he thinks she's sharp-tongued and she finds him boring and stuffy. As they come to know each other better, Cassandra and Ben learn that each has hidden qualities and deeper emotions than what is present on the surface. This is a quiet, sweet romance that is quite different from the typical Regency plot. It could be described as a reverse Pride and Prejudice with a dash of Emma. It's a refreshing change to read about a hero who is not a rake. At first, like Cassandra, I found Ben boring and too mild but the character development in this novel is so good that I learned to appreciate his good qualities just as Cassandra does. The plot develops nicely at a good pace to make the story realistic and a very good read. I enjoyed this one quite a lot.