Started Reading: January 8, 2008
Finished Reading: January 9, 2008

This book starts with a great potential because it attempts to do something different with time travel and literary classics. An actress time-traveling to the 1810’s is definitely a good plot to work with. The way C.J. experienced, too, both the fortunate and unfortunate aspects of the Regency period is also something favorable. Lady Dalrymple was a nice enough person, though conveniently eccentric, Lady Oliver a mirror of Lady Catherine, and Percy…was the lover straight out of a historical romance novel (unfortunately).

The book was good, its characters were quite entertaining. I’m glad C.J. knew, most of the time, what should and should not be done but, as the common error of ladies in historical romances, she makes love before the wedding. Henceforth, things are pretty much predictable — which is the only disappointing aspect of this novel. I’m not a big fan of what transpired somewhere in the middle and the latter part of the book. I would have liked it better if things turned out differently with C.J. Like, if she gave solution to some other kind of problem or a different sort of bad fortune befell her. These parts of the story just makes By a Lady more like a historical romance novel instead of something Jane Austen-ish.

This was OK but I lament what-could-have-been.