Suzanne Enoch is one of the better writers of historical romances out there, and A Lady's Guide to Improper Behavior is a decent enough read. Once again, our hero is a rude and grumpy sort - the sort of hero that I expect would, in real life, be a significant trial to any lady who ended up with him. But in this story, we are to find Colonel Bartholomew James as an irresistible, handsome, injured chap over whom we would no doubt all fall head-over-heels.
Our heroine, Theresa Weller, is everything that is proper
- she's even written a book on proper behavior to share her wisdom with other young women. But the reason for Tess's propriety runs deep, and it's only when she meets up with Colonel James that her motivation becomes clear.
She and the injured and disgraced Colonel have something in common, something that brings them together and may mean that they both must stand against the world and lose their reputations.
I enjoyed the story although a few aspects are a little unconvincing (such as Tess's ability to visit Colonel James unchaperoned fairly regularly). The author keeps the pace of the
narrative moving, and the love aspect works reasonably well. Although part of a series, A Lady's Guide to Improper Behavior works well on its own, although the discussion of Sommerset's club
seems a bit pointless if you aren't aware of the other stories. It's a decent read in a
genre crowded with less interesting books.