This is a Cinderella story set in Regency times, where Lucy feels outshone by her selfish stepmother and stepsister Belinda. Lucy's season was cut short by the death of her father, but now she is back in town for Belinda's season. Belinda has plans to be married by the end of the season, and tries to play Devlyn off against the rake Lord Sneyd. However, Belinda and her mother have misread the situation with Alex, who is really in love with Lucy.

It does go slow in parts - it takes ages for Alex and Lucy to show their hands (which annoys some readers, but is appropriate for Regency period, where everyone has to play by quite rigid rules).

The characters of Belinda and her mother are grotesque, and rather exaggerated, but that's rather the point of a Cinderella stepfamily. There is a "fairy godmother" in Lucy's grandmother who offers both Lucy an escape from her stepmother, and ultimately sets off the meeting between Alex and Lucy. ( )

This is a Cinderella story set in Regency times, where Lucy feels outshone by her selfish stepmother and stepsister Belinda. Lucy's season was cut short by the death of her father, but now she is back in town for Belinda's season. Belinda has plans to be married by the end of the season, and tries to play Devlyn off against the rake Lord Sneyd. However, Belinda and her mother have misread the situation with Alex, who is really in love with Lucy.

It does go slow in parts - it takes ages for Alex and Lucy to show their hands (which annoys some readers, but is appropriate for Regency period, where everyone has to play by quite rigid rules).

The characters of Belinda and her mother are grotesque, and rather exaggerated, but that's rather the point of a Cinderella stepfamily. There is a "fairy godmother" in Lucy's grandmother who offers both Lucy an escape from her stepmother, and ultimately sets off the meeting between Alex and Lucy. ( )