A familiar song bemoans the fact that “some guys have all the luck.” The song might have been written about Quentin Fletcher, Marquess of Devon. Like most friends of the "constantly charmed," Devon’s have had enough of his constant winning at cards and beautiful belles basically falling at his feet. Lord Alton and John Willoughby, come up with a plan to show Devon that he isn’t a demi-god in Jane Toombs’ latest novel, A Beguiling Intrigue.

Justine Riggs is the son her father always wanted. As a motherless, only child, she learns to shoot, do sums and outride any man in the county. Her riding ability, and her anonymity from living in the country, makes her the perfect candidate for the friends’ scheme. The intelligent and beautiful woman is excited about a scheme to bring down a man who thinks women are little more than arm candy. The only problem with the hoax is that to strike the final blow she must reveal herself to be female to the watching crowd. The very thought is terrifying because she longs to be a female in the truest fashion instead of the girl-boy she contrived to be to please her now dead father. The end will not only bring down Devon, but any hopes she has for entering society.

The tall, blonde haired Devon realizes his friends’ hoax when Justine stops a runaway carriage during the race. A close examination reveals the jockey to be not only female, but also an enticing, even exotic woman. He hides his attraction under gruff words and insults that only rile Justine. He figures in the end, he’ll never see her again despite his initial reaction to her. It is just as well because Justine is far from the biddable females he prefers.

Mrs. Baldwin, owner of the runaway carriage, decides to reward Justine at the urging of her plain speaking coachman. In the widow’s opinion, what Justine needs is a husband to prevent her from dressing up in boy’s clothes and riding astride. The only way to snag a husband is to take young Justine under her wing and introduce her into society where she is sure to bump into likely candidates, even the irksome Devon.

Justine is a feisty heroine who has lived a false life to appease her father. It is good to see Justine fight for her own happiness. During the fight, she manages to strip Devon of commonly held false assumptions about women and Devon mellows from a conceited coxcomb to an intelligent, observant man.

The outspoken coachman is a notable secondary character as well as the slightly scattered Mr. Odgen Stewart. The dream sequences actually added confusion to the plot as opposed to illuminating inner struggles of the heroine, Justine.

A Beguiling Intrigue is true, sweet regency with the usual inhabitants of the ton. The twist is the lively heroine Justine who is far from ordinary. I would recommend this book to all Regency fans.

Reviewed by Morgan
Copyright © November 2006