Since the story ranges from 1813 - 1816, it must needs include the Battle of Waterloo. I'm constantly astonished by how many period romances make no mention of the lengthy Napoleonic wars, given the wealthy were being taxed to pay for them and expected to provide sons and horses and lose staff to the army and navy. Lieutenant Wickham marches off to battle to be carried back to Brussels severely wounded; he writes a letter to a young lady, Georgiana. Due to the chaos of the time, this letter is not delivered for months. Wickham had once tried to elope with the girl to gain her fortune, but reading his missive ignites a spark of regret and distress in her. While she starts to plan a journey, the mature couple Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, happy to have their daughters married off, learn they are about to have new neighbours. As a single gentleman is arriving, Mrs. Darcy at once plans a match for a friend.

New characters are a necessity to drive the plot and to populate regions as yet unvisited. I notice good attention to detail and suitable period conversations and letters, including discussion of the Battle of Waterloo. We even get a tour of the battlefield with its grim memento-hawkers. I enjoyed the hunting day experienced by Kitty and Lord Tyrconnell, who of course don't have to care for their horses and clean their tack themselves. And a grand ball attended by royalty is held; during the war years, excessive jollity was frowned upon so now everyone wants to celebrate.

Charlotte, who has married a clergyman and expects to be called upon to help him write sermons, is surprised when he shuts the door of his study for strangely long hours. What work can he be engaged in? This part really did surprise me and shows a mischievous touch by the author Meg Kerr. I think DEVOTION will best suit those fans of the original work, but it should appeal to any Regency romance fan with a desire to know how the secondary characters supporting dramatic heroines worked out their lives.

Book Summary