From Goodreads.com:Felicity Wilcox, disguised as a young man, flees Naples aboard a vessel returning to her native England. A man from her past, Captain Hugh Mountbank, recognizes Felicity, but plays along with her ruse—until the two must dispose of a murdered man and journey together to her family’s home.
Amid the seeming gaiety of visits and house parties, Felicity and Hugh attempt to keep their family and friends safe, as they also work to uncover the truth about each other. Soon, they not only must protect their loved ones, but also their hearts from the growing feelings between them. When danger comes to call, can Felicity and Hugh trust each other, or will their game of subterfuge and intrigue be their final folly?
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A Gentleman's Daughter: Her Folly is a short, sweet Regency-style novella by Reina M. Williams. It is the second in her Gentleman’s Daughter series. The main focus of the story is Felicity Wilcox, cousin of Cecilia Wilcox, who was featured in the previous volume, Her Choice. Felicity is very much an independent woman, preferring a life of travel and freedom. She is not the type who feels the need to look for a husband. Overhearing a murderous plot that could put her family in danger, she rushes home to England from Italy in an attempt to foil the plans of a dastardly villain. Along the way she must deal with meddling relatives and friends, and she struggles with romantic feelings for a man she doesn’t entirely trust.
Her Folly was a pleasant read, but there were many times when I had trouble connecting to the story. For such a short novel, the cast list was extensive, and sometimes it was a challenge to distinguish between the many members of the Wilcox family and their associates. The key players could have been fleshed out just a bit more to deepen my understanding of them. There were also numerous references to plot points and ideas from the previous book, which was reasonable, but as a new initiate to this series, I frequently felt disconnected from the story.
Those concerns aside, I do feel that I can give the Gentleman’s Daughter series my endorsement. Ms. Williams’ writing is very good overall, and I love the fact that she kept her romantic content very clean. The topics, language and issues were very true to the period, and readers of Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer would probably enjoy this work very much. I myself would like to go back and read Her Choice, to fill out my understanding of the Gentleman’s Daughter world in full. If the series continues on to a Book 3, I would seek that one out as well.
I do not have a daughter in my life, but if I did, I would feel more than comfortable in letting her read from the Gentleman’s Daughter books in her young teen years. Reina Williams’ writing is mature, but it never crosses over into the frequently-seen inappropriate content that is often found in Regency romance novels today. Her Folly was a sweet, pleasant read, and one I can recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre.
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My only complaint with Yours Affectionately comes from my own choice. I made the decision to read this book first, before its predecessor, The Man Who Loved Jane Austen. Throughout Yours Affectionately, O’Rourke does her best to inform readers like myself on events from the previous episode. Yet there were many times when I felt like an outsider at a dinner party, trying to piece together the snippets of a story that I’d missed. However, I enjoyed Yours Affectionately so much, I am eagerly anticipating the chance to go back and take in (what I will think of as) the prequel to this novel. I’ll relish watching Darcy and Jane meet and see how their relationship came into fruition.
With the regiment come to camp in Meryton, many young ladies are pleased. Not all share their enthusiasm. Among them, Mr. Carver, who removes his family from Meryton's savage society. He blames, not on the militia officers, but the Bennet family. The flirtations and boisterous ways of the youngest sisters are too much to be borne. Not even Jane’s renowned beauty and charm can make up for them. Elizabeth denies the allegations at first, but rapidly uncovers the shocking truth. The Carvers are not the only family to cut the Bennets from their acquaintance. Their reputations materially damaged, the family borders on social ruin. The news is too much for Mrs. Bennet who collapses from the shock. So, Elizabeth and her sisters must manage the estate until she recovers, a task for which none of them is prepared. Warned by Mr. Pierce, the local curate, that several of the officers have unsavory designs on the local girls, Elizabeth must find a way to honor her father, rein in her sister and salvage the family’s reputation, all in the most ladylike way possible. 
Darbury, England, 1814
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In addition to fans of Persuasion, those who enjoyed Bid Time Return and its film version Somewhere in Time would love this as well. As in Richard Matheson’s tale, Odiwe’s novel has a talisman which affects the time in which the main character inhabits. In Somewhere in Time, it’s a modern penny which has the unfortunate power to throw Richard Collier back to the present after falling in love while in the past. In Searching for Captain Wentworth, we have a white glove that has the power to send modern Sophia in either direction—back or forward in time, sometimes with similarly frustrating results. There’s a yearning there in Sophia’s heart that very much reminds me of the pain that Collier had in his experience.
