The Husband Criteria by Catherine Kullman - #BookReview #BlogTour

 

It is the undisputed ambition of every mother to see her daughters and, to a lesser extent (for a daughter-in-law may one day supplant her) her sons, suitably married. The eligibility of potential matches is determined by an arcane logarithm setting his station, wealth, and personability against her beauty, fortune, and station. Although there is no Euclidean exposition to assist in the application of this tool, matrons of all classes are expert in evaluating a man's worth, and the likelihood of their daughter successfully attracting his attention.

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London 1817

The primary aim of every young lady embarking on the Spring frenzy that is the Season must be to make a good match. Or must it? And what is a good match? For cousins Cynthia, Chloe and Ann, well aware that the society preux chevalier may prove to be a domestic tyrant, these are vital questions. How can they discover their suitors’ true character when all their encounters must be confined to the highly ritualised round of balls, parties and drives in the park?

As they define and refine their Husband Criteria, Cynthia finds herself unwillingly attracted to aloof Rafe Marfield, heir to an earldom, while Chloe is pleased to find that Thomas Musgrave, the vicar’s son from home, is also in London. And Ann must decide what is more important to her, music or marriage.

And what of the gentlemen who consider the marriage mart to be their hunting grounds? How will they react if they realise how rigorously they are being assessed?

A light-hearted, entertaining look behind the scenes of a Season that takes a different course with unexpected consequences for all concerned.

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This historical romance very much had an Austensque/Georgette Heyer feel to it. Indeed, the opening lines (above) reminded me of the opening paragraph of Jane Austen's, Pride and Prejudice. Through this the author is nicely indicating the type of story the reader is about to embark on.  

The story portrays three friends who are also cousins, who are termed, the three graces, during a London Season in 1817. This forms part of a marriage market where the girls embark on finding a suitable match. However, Ann, Cynthia and Chloe are slightly different to the average young woman they will encounter at balls and parties, because when younger they had compiled a list of characteristics that they wished their future husband to have, hence the titular husband criteria. Not only was this entertaining but this aspect made me smile as I remember my best friend and I do something similar when we about twelve or thirteen. I so wish I had kept that list as I would love to look at it through more mature eyes. All I remember is that I wanted him to be blonde with blue eyes and my husband does indeed have those attributes (well, his hair is more grey than blonde now!)

At the beginning of the book, there is a useful list of the characters as there are many. Personally, I would have preferred to read this in a physical form rather than an e-book. A physical copy provides easier opportunities to flick back to the list and would have enhanced my enjoyment of the book. It does soon become apparent who the main characters in the story are but I found many of the secondary characters more difficult to pin down.

This is the third book in The Lorings series. However, it works perfectly well as a standalone book and did not affect my enjoyment of this novel.

Readers who enjoy classic historical fiction will enjoy this book. Happy reading!

ISBN:  978 1913545901

Publisher:  Books Go Social

Formats:  e-book, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  297 (paperback)

About the Author:

Catherine Kullmann was born and educated in Dublin. Following a three-year courtship conducted mostly by letter, she moved to Germany where she lived for twenty-five years before returning to Ireland. She has worked in the Irish and New Zealand public services and in the private sector. Widowed, she has three adult sons and two grandchildren.

Catherine has always been interested in the extended Regency period, a time when the foundations of our modern world were laid. She loves writing and is particularly interested in what happens after the first happy end—how life goes on for the protagonists and sometimes catches up with them. Her books are set against a background of the offstage, Napoleonic wars and consider in particular the situation of women trapped in a patriarchal society.

She is the author of The Murmur of Masks, Perception & Illusion, A Suggestion of Scandal, The Duke’s Regret, The Potential for Love, A Comfortable Alliance and Lady Loring’s Dilemma. 

Catherine also blogs about historical facts and trivia related to this era. You can find out more about her books and read her blog (My Scrap Album) at her website. You can contact her via her Facebook page or on Twitter.

(e-book and all media info courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)