Judith Tremaine is a wealthy young woman who has turned down all her suitors to date, including a Viscount.  She wants somebody who will love her for herself and not merely because she is an heiress.  When the story opens (and Judith is its narrator) she is living with her married brother and his wife and feeling the lack of a man of her own when she meets Justin St John Martin, baronet.  Justin has little money of his own as his father spent it all at the gaming tables and he has two young sisters to care for.  What money he has comes from breeding horses and Judith respects his industry in a time when “trade” was frowned upon.  But he lives a very quiet life in the country and she has had her fill of town life, so he seems just the man for her… 

This is a very quiet and staid Regency with no sparkle or glitter.  I thought as I read it that for most people in those days life must have been more like this unless they lived in Town and participated in the social whirl.  Sadly though none of the characters really came to life and I felt at the end of the book that as I was being denied hearing about balls at Almacks, court presentations, tangled love stories and all the fun of the Ton then I would have liked to learn more about the characters and the minutiae of their country lives.  More about horse breeding for example, or anything else but such was not to be.  Realistic perhaps in some ways but if you like Georgette Heyer then this might not appeal as it lacked a sense of fun.