The Waltzing Widow by Joan Smith

The Waltzing Widow by Joan Smith (1991)

Book Blurb:

Convinced that Lucy Percy was a mere fortune hunter throwing her cap at his twit of a nephew, Tony Carlton, Lord Avedon was trying to buy her off--with his own charms!

The whole charade had begun when Lucy fell in love with a man who merely cherished her fortune. Posing as a widow of modest means to avoid other money-hungry scoundrels, she left the tattlebaskets of London for the gentry of Kent. And though she didn't encourage Tony Carlton's puppy love, she had half a mind to marry him just to teach Adrian Avedon a lesson!

And surely her pounding heart and weak knees were the product of her outrage at Avedon's schemes to be rid of her, not anything as unspeakable as love...? 

This was actually quite funny! All because Lucy decides to masquerade first as a captain's wife and later as a war widow in a remote countryside in order to flee gossip about a failed engagement. The inconsistencies in her lies raise all kinds of questions in her new landlord's and neighbors' minds, and then it's just one thing after another. If you like Faro's Daughter by Heyer, this is a lighter and more humorous version on those themes. The characterizations are not very strong, which is why the book misses out by a bit. But in terms of situational comedies, this one was pretty entertaining. 

Rating: 3.75 of 5 / B+