The Husband List

I am really not a fan of romance novels--it is the genre I read the least and I usually depend on other staff members for their insight into the "best" romance novels that are housed in our library.  I am, however, a big fan of Janet Evanovich and her Stephanie Plum mystery series, so when our ILL Librarian presented me with Evanovich's latest novel, The Husband List, I reluctantly agreed to read it.   Written jointly by Janet Evanovich and Dorien Kelly, The Husband List is set in New York City in 1894.  Caroline Maxwell, a young American heiress, would like nothing more than to be able to be set free in the world like her brother Eddie and not have to sit at home suffering through endless parties and soirees in order to find a suitable husband to marry.  Caroline successfully fends off every potential suitor until her mother sets her sights on Lord Bremerton, soon to be the Duke of Endsleigh.  Caroline longs for adventure, passion, love and an unconventional suitor, Irish-American bachelor (and Eddie's best friend) Jack Culhane.  What follows is a tangled story as Jack and Caroline fight to be together, fend off bad experiences and somehow navigate the rules of Newport and English society.  The story is fun, the heroine is feisty and I am truly surpised at how much fun I had reading this story!  So go ahead and take some advice from me---try a romance novel like The Husband List---you won't be disappointed!