Jacelyn is determined to save her dog from the local magistrate so she decides to kidnap his nephew. Only she mistakes her target and kidnaps Lord Leigh Claibourne, a rake and war-hero. When the pair is discovered in a compromising situation, Leigh is determined to do what is right. So he and Jacelyn travel to London to present a repectable engagement before the ton. But Jacelyn has other ideas as she leads Leigh from one scrape to another and proves that love is the best adventure of all.

This book has marvelous characters and great writing. Add the Metzger trademark "Keystone Cop" bad-guys and more zany characters and you have the best mix-up of outrageous humor and Regency fun.

On the other hand, if you're already too buoyant, and want to shed a few tears, Patricia Rice will oblige with THE CHRISTMAS GOOSE. Men go off to war seldom considering the woman they leave behind, and if you mix in a curmudgeonly father who ignores his now-widowed daughter, you have the ingredients for a real tear-prompting tale.

If you've ever all-of-a-sudden come to realize something that had been lurking in the recesses of your mind, you'll identify immediately with the young duke in Edith Layton's THE GINGERBREAD MAN. Awakened every morning by a scented memory, he discovers his heart's desire practically under his nose. You'll feel wonderful all day after this delight.

Have you ever wondered what on earth was a Syllabub? Wonder no more. In this instance, it, too, is a memory-maker as Sandra Heath whips up the tangled remnants of a marriage into a new concoction, and straightens them out to everyone's satisfaction in SOPHIE'S SYLLABUB.

And finally, Mary Balogh utilizes THE WASSAIL BOWL as a receptacle for love, hope and still more tears--all the things you need, in order to have a wonderful Holiday. Be sure to have a good one--and don't blame the reviewer for the calories you'll find in this delicious book--along with a related recipe from each author.

Considered 'unmasculine' by the ton, because, heh, he is a virgin, Courtney is desperate to prove himself, a womanizing 'rake' without compromising his unconventional ideals.. He is saving himself for marriage! So, he hires Kitty to masquerade as his 'mistress,' not realizing that their easy frienship would soon become love!

Courtney and Kitty make an interesting and unique couple. Kitty is a smart, pragmatic heroine, and Courtney a reasonable hero. Both seem to make a natural couple.

There were a scattering of irritating secondary characters which seemed to pop up now and then... But they did not distract to omuch from the overall read. This was a decent read, especially for a Regency (not my normal reading material). Would recommend this book for those who want a fun read with a unique hero.

What I particularly enjoyed was the differences between the 3 sisters, Joia, Holly and Merry. Though all 3 were independent and intelligent, each had her own personality. Joia, the beautiful, serene, sensible type. Holly, the bookish intellectual who dreamed of adventure in faraway lands. And Merry, the tomboy.

The one thing that absolutely "made" the story for me however was the relationship between Lord and Lady Carroll. While Metzger rather skimped on the development of the romances of the three daughters, she portrayed the love and need between their parents in such a way that touched my heart. The love between them seemed real and alive, and their story at the end was the most touching of all.

Unfortunately, Mr. Rendell hardly knows his son Evan, having gone to India to make his fortune, leaving the babe behind with his mother and her parents. It's the Squire and his wife who end up raising the boy, after their daughter dies suddenly. Evan has always been like the son the Earl never had, and a father can't be blamed for hoping that his Holly might someday -- but, then again, sometimes it's the older and wiser heads that prevail.

And Merry? Hers is a Silent Knight. Well, Sir Max can speak, but hesistantly. His bravery was never in question, until he met up with the red-haired, green-eyed elf. And that son? Well Noel might have been -- but then, as the earl read from the good book during his Christmas lesson, "And lo, unto them that day a son was born . . ." What matter that the son was already some ten years old, and born on the wrong side of the blanket?

THE CHRISTMAS CARROLLS is Barbara Metzger at her very best. And that is very good, indeed!

The characters are well-developed and believable. Plus this book delivers many laughs! You will be laughing out loud at some of the antics that occur in this book (imagine shooting a handsome Lord in the foot!). A wonderful and involving story.

This book is now out of print, but get your hands on a copy! (use Amazon's search or the zshops, but get it)

Barbara Metzger is such a hidden talent ~ Certainly deserving of more recognition. Minor Indiscretions is a gem.

The heroine Melody Ashton, barely out of the schoolroom, is now home to deal with the family scandal. Lady Ashton has been a guardian to several orphans (ahem... illegitimate children of the ton) and now is accused of stealing the contributions. Lord Coe comes to investigate on behalf of his sister, whose child also resides at the manor. Melody and Lord Coe, having met earlier (smile), continue their courtship in the middle of mayhem. This includes pigs running wild, a dog inapproriately named Angel, the self-medicating Lady Ashton and many others. I would mention more of the story but I wouldn't like to ruin your enjoyment. It's pure fun and I promise you that you will laugh out loud.

What pleases me the most; is that the essence of a regency remains. The writing is clever and the dialogue witty. I've read two of her books so far (the other ~ Lord Heartless ~ Recommended) and look forward to more. It's always a treat when you find a writer of this quality.

But she doesn't die. And the letters go out anyway. The results range from attempted "rescue" by inept twins to attempted murder by inept villains.

There is a romance, of course, but it doesn't have a strong part in this story. It is overshadowed by the farce. I think a stronger romance would have made this book a keeper. If you prefer farce to romance, you might love this book even more than I did.

Anne M. Marble Reviewer, All About Romance

Saved by Scandal is her best book yet. A painter as well as a writer, Ms. Metzger deftly uses both talents to provide such lively word pictures that immediately, the reader has a complete visual scene in front of him or her. It's infinitely more fun than watching tv or a movie, with such humorous events unveiling before your eyes -- and without a laugh track, to boot!

Yet, the way she uses words is not to be laughed off. She must be the queen of alliteration, littering the book with tongue-twisters that would be difficult, if not impossible, to say out loud with any speed. As in several of her other stories, Metzger prefaces each chapter with an apt quotation -- but this time with a unique twist. Marvelous.

Poor Lord Galen Woodbridge is jilted for the second time, and by the same skitter-wit, even. Rather than mope, he decides to fight scandal with scandal. By George, he'll marry someone guaranteed to drop more than a few jaws just from the shock of it all. He'll marry the theatrical singer--Margot Montclaire. Their marriage of convenience turns into a love match--what else? But not before the hero and heroine stumble through enough hazards to dowse any budding love affair, yet allowing them to shelter their growing love for the other, and hold it safe. All around them, though, the wonderful supporting cast keeps things lively.

If you've had a bad day at the office or wherever, you cannot do yourself a greater favor than to sit and read one of Metzger's confections. In a very short time, indeed, you'll find yourself refreshed and ready to tackle life once more, chuckling as you go.

Along with Gard's struggle with his chosen ladies and puritan housekeeper, he meets and protects a mysterious woman in green who rides a beautiful part-Arabian horse each morning. He finds himself attracted to her and discovers along the way that she is the missing heiress. He also discovers she is hiding in his own rented house! I'll leave you to read how it all works out. Can this faithless lord make Annalise happy?

Although this was a entertaining story, I was not impressed with the characters Annalise or Lord Gardiner. I did find him a bit too amorous and not really likable though he was kind. Neither touched my heart as other Metzger heroes and heroines have. Annalise was a bit insipid as herself but I loved her as Anna Lee. Henny (the nanny) was interesting because when she was angry at Lord Gardiner or her husband Rob, she would retaliate by feeding the good food to Annalise or the dog instead of to the men.

Worth reading but be sure to catch other Metzger novels (An Angel for the Earl and The Primrose Path) for more endearing (and funny) characters.

(Will add my thoughts on Minor Indiscretions as soon as I complete it)

At times whilst reading this book I hoped no one was looking over my shoulder because I was almost embarrassed to be so amused despite the utter tragedy that forms the framework for the plot ot this book. In one day there is a marriage, a death and a baptism yet through the tragedy, people are falling in love, planning for the future and reacting with real, human emotions. I still cannot figure out how the author managed it.

The H/H are both lovely: he is an over-sized macho military major with a soft heart and divine sense of honour. She is a feisty yet loyally loving girl with maturity beyond those she must look after, all of whom are older but not wiser. And, as always with Metzger's work, there is the usual cast of strange and wierd villains, wonderfully quirky servants, relatives from hell, babies, children and animals that form part of the fabric of the story.

Loved it. Absolutely loved it and recommend it most highly. If you want something different, something poignant yet funny peopled with endearing characters and nasty villains, then do read this. You won't be disappointed!