Book Review: An Artful Lady

Author: Sabina Clark
Title: An Artful Lady
Publisher: Jove Second Chance At Love Regency 6
Publish Date: July 1981
Rating: 5 Stars

An Artful Lady is a delightful novel that will bring smiles to many regency fans. Its one of the few stories that has several relationships going on within the one story and Ms. Clark ties up all the loose ends beautifully.

The main story revolves around the widow Sara Roche, who is a portrait painter. Two men come into her life seeking her services as an artist, Christopher Ames, and American seeking to have his daughter's portrait done and Lord Edward Ramsey, who was looking to have his fiancee's portrait painted. The later ended up having his own portrait down.

Mr. Ames seems to be with Sara at every turn, enraging Ramsey, who is fast forgetting his fiancee, in favor of Sara. Ames isn't interested in Sara, but in her aunt Gussie. Then there is Amanda the young girl from the country who Gussie is bringing out for her first season.

The three characters and their love interests really work well together and getting all three to their happily ever after was quite fun. The best character was Christopher Ames. He was a thoroughly likable hero, even though he was a secondary one.

The only problem I had with the story was that her first love couldn't have been a perfect love. It would have been nice for Sara to have had a wonderful marriage prior to her meeting Edward, but that's only a minor irritation for me.

This was truly a wonderful fun story. I loved that everything wrapped up without any needless drama. I feel bad that my copy is falling apart from years of being in our basement, because this book would otherwise be one for the keeper shelf.