This light-hearted ensemble romance put me in mind of one of the comedies where people are going in and out of doors and just missing one another. It is an intricately plotted, completely delightful Regency era romance. This book is the second of a series. It follows My Fair Quigley which now on my to-read list. By reading it out of order I missed some of the backstory of the showcase couple, but enough clues were given to make it a stand-alone novel.

Josiah Elliott has a number of problems. After 10 years as a hussar he was seriously wounded in the battle of Salamanca. He was shipped back to England, but his health is now seriously compromised. His elder brother and his brother’s two sons disappeared without a trace while he was fighting on the Peninsula, and Josiah is desperately in love with Lady Miranda Wesley, sister of the Duke of Comestock. If those are not enough problems for one man, though a commoner he has blue-blood pedigree but the documents to prove it have disappeared along with his brother and, finally, though he was wealthy when he bought his commission his wealth has vanished and he has been reduced to serving as an inept valet to Lord Blazingame. Poor Josiah!

All is not lost. Lady Miranda Wesley is also desperately in love with Josiah, but is not willing to wait much longer on his desire to prove himself worthy to her starchy brother. She is determined that their story will end happily, with or without her brother’s blessing. We follow this wonderful, lovelorn couple as they attempt to set Josiah’s life to rights and make new friends along the way. ( )