A Suitable Affair

Taylor’s Regency debut fails to deliver, though Lady Susanna Macalister and Ian Carlisle, Earl of Westcott and an investigator for the Home Office, do make a lovable couple. After an inauspicious Hyde Park meeting during which Ian nearly runs Susanna down with his horse, he decides to warn her away from the gentleman accompanying her, her “almost fiancé,” Viscount Riverton, whom Ian blames for his sister’s murder. Susanna isn’t in love with Riverton, but she’s surprised that her family finds him dull and champions a match with Ian instead. The premise and story line are standard fare, elevated only by well-delineated primary and secondary characters who banter cleverly. Susanna’s closely held secret turns out to be nothing, and certain aspects of the suspense subplot don’t withstand scrutiny. Taylor’s debut is perfectly acceptable without challenging the genre’s limits in any way. (June)