"THE TAMING OF LADY KATE," by G.G. Vandagriff, The Orson Whitney Press, $7.99, 120 pages (f)
Protagonist Lady Kate Derramore must marry if she wants to gain her inheritance and save her younger brother from the horrors of boarding school. But thanks to a line in her father's will, she can’t marry the man she loves and gain her inheritance. Kate is heartbroken but decides she must marry somebody else. Since marrying for love is out of the question, Kate determines that she will strike up a marriage of convenience.
The Marquis of Northbrooke, Jack, proposes to who he thinks is the love of his life and the unthinkable happens — she turns him down claiming he does not love her. When he protests, she says that he will meet his true love one day and be glad she turned him down. He thinks she is being ridiculous until he meets Lady Kate. For him, it’s love at first sight.
But Lady Kate is determined not to fall in love again. Jack is determined to change her mind and attempts to court her, but with Jack constantly standing her up due to a secret life she cannot know about, he wonders how he will ever convince her to love him. And when his enemies target Kate, he wonders if he has lost his chance with her for forever.
In her novel, “The Taming of Lady Kate,” prolific author G.G. Vandagriff creates a world full of intrigue, suspense and romance that fans of the Regency Period will adore. Vandagriff writes in a style reminiscent of Georgette Heyer. Like Heyer, she centers her novel on witty characters that readers will love. These brilliant characters combine with an unexpected witty and humorous tone to create a must-read.
Vandagriff manages to combine a gripping yet clean romance that seems destined to fail, intriguing characters, a witty tone, and a suspenseful plot and still maintain a family friendly novel. In this novel, readers can be swept away into a world full of exciting adventures, romance and above all, self-discovery.
Danica Baird currently attends Brigham Young University and is pursuing a double-major in English and journalism.