BLOG TOUR: Mrs. Drew Plays Her Hand by Carla Kelly

MRS. DREW PLAYS HER HAND
by Carla Kelly
Sweetwater Books, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4621-1060-5
Historical romance
Book provided by publisher for blog tour.
All opinions expressed here are solely my own.

After her husband’s death, Roxanna Drew is faced with the daunting task of providing for her two small girls on her own. Pursued by her lecherous brother-in-law, Roxanna knows her only hope is to escape his grasp by moving into a derelict cottage, owned by Lord Winn—a man known to his tenants only by his checkered reputation.

But when fate brings Lord Winn to her door in the middle of a snowstorm, Roxanna’s not sure which to fear more: letting him into her home or into her heart.

A strong-willed heroine, perfectly paced plot, and plenty of humorous moments make this one of bestselling author Carla Kelly’s most beloved Regency romances. Discover the magic of a love story you’ll want to read again and again.

REVIEW
  
I have become enchanted with Carla Kelly's books. I think what I enjoy best are her characters. I have yet to read one of her books where I didn't fall in love with her characters, especially the children.  In this one, Roxanna has two delightful, but very different daughters. I found myself laughing at their antics, especially the antics of the precocious four-year-old Lissy.  Lord Winn I found intriguing, certainly a flawed man, but a hero none-the-less. As the relationship between Winn and Roxanna developed I was reminded how each of us is heavily influenced by the people around us.  Both Winn and Roxanna change as a result of meeting each other.

I loved the setting also.  The beautiful rolling hills of Yorkshire is some place I'd love to visit one day. I enjoyed the way Roxanna didn't let her brother-in-law's horrible actions stop her from doing her best for her daughters.  It was fun to follow along and she and Winn put Moreland to rights. I love the kind of description that Kelly uses to create a picture in the reader's mind of the setting. For me a believable setting is key to a believable story.

The plot moves along at just the right pace.  There's enough time to get to know the characters while not moving too slowly. I enjoyed reading about the characters and the changes that occurred as they got to know each other with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. I especially enjoyed the scenes with Lord Winn and Roxie's daughters. For a man who didn't want children, he sure had a way with them.

If you love sweet clean romance stories with humor and a great setting thrown in I highly recommend this one.