In 1813 England, Christopher “Kit” Woodward sees his fiancée Serena Langley for the first time when some buck stares up her skirt while she is on a ladder seeking a book. When she tumbles off the ladder, Kit keeps her from being hurt. However, instead of introducing himself as her future husband just back from India, he says he is Alfred Gibson seeking the coachman's position. Kit knows he needs to wed Serena as his father's will insist on it if he is to inherit, but she has refused, blaming him like everyone else does for the assault on her deaf aunt that sent him on a nine year exile. He needs time to convince Serena that he did not cause the incident.
Though a servant, Kit and Serena fall in love. However, he wonders if she cherishes him or Alfred. Either way he must persuade his beloved that he did not attack her aunt, and that Alfred the Coachman and Kit the Duke are the same person willing to cherish Serena forever.
Regency romance fans will prize this rousing tale. The story line is fun to follow due to the cast making the tale worth reading. Kit is a strong protagonist needing to right a wrong complicated by love. Serena, though why she fails to see that Alfred is more than just a coachman (for instance why was he in the library in the first place), is a fine individual who knows she should not love a commoner yet cannot stop loving her coachman. Having felt the thrill of a powerful debut, readers will linger afterward wondering what will be next from a charming new author.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of True Pretenses
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story
- Regency era
Hidden Identity/Secret Motive
Yes
Is really...
- trying to carry out business objective
Main Male Character
Profession/status:
- Prince/Nobleman/King
Age/status:
- 20's-30's
How sexual is this person?
- very picky
How romantic is this person?
- very romantic
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Female Character
Age/status:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- Prince/Nobleman/King
How sexual is this person?
- very picky
How romantic is this person?
- very romantic
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
What % of story is romance related?
- 80%
Focus of story
- equally on him and her
How much dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
