Publication Date: January 9, 2024
From the author of Mr. Malcolm’s List comes a delightful romantic comedy set in Regency England about a widow who takes high society by storm.
Diana Boyle, a wealthy young widow, has no desire to ever marry again. Particularly not to someone who merely wants her for her fortune.
So, when she discovers that she’s listed in a directory of rich, single women she is furious, and rightly so. She confronts Maxwell Dean, the man who published the Bachelor’s Directory, and is horrified to find he is far more attractive than his actions have led her to expect. However, Diana is unmoved by Max’s explanation that he authored the list to assist younger sons like himself who cannot afford to marry unless it’s to a woman of means.
She gathers the ladies in the directory together to inform them of its existence, so they may circumvent fortune hunters’ efforts to trick them into marriage. Though outraged, the women decide to embrace their unique position of power and reverse the usual gender roles by making the men dance to their tune. And together…the ladies rewrite the rules.
How delightfully fun and charming! The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allaine is Regency-reading entertainment at its very best.
When the wealthy, widowed Diana Boyle discovers she and other single wealthy ladies have been listed in the Rich Ladies Registry or the Batchelor’s Directory without their knowledge and definitely not their consent, the search is on for the Directory’s author—one M. D—n.
Maxwell Dean, author of said Directory, has no idea he has offended or created an unflattering situation for wealthy single ladies. His goal was to aid second sons and other similarly stationed bachelors with their pursuit of marrying a woman with a fortune since they would not inherit one of their own.
With help from Diana’s nosy butler, Godfrey, the cad’s identity is discovered. However, when Diana confronts Maxwell Dean, she is not prepared for the charming, handsome man she meets. Upon Diana’s confrontation, Max feels an immediate regret and seeks a way to repay Diana, as well as the other ladies, for having put them in such a delicate situation.
Unbeknownst to Max and other bachelors utilizing the Directory, the Ladies of the Registry have met and begun to scheme a counterplot of their own. The ladies decide to take matters into their own hands; rather than allowing the men to determine who they will court, the ladies will be the ones deciding who they allow to court them. No matter the method that brought them together, romantic relationships soon begin to develop.
Diana’s new best friend, Lady Regina, encounters her long-lost love, Lord Jerome, but too much time may have passed to allow them to rekindle their love. After all, it was Lord Jerome’s paying court to Diana that revealed the Directory. Diana had long ago decided not to marry again, but Max does funny things to her heart. It may just mean that, once again, she has to take matters into her own hands.
Splendidly written and definitely fun, The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allaine is a Regency read not to miss. From its endearing and charming characters to its twist of intrigue and plenty of romance, the story unfolds smoothly and beautifully. Vividly detailed scenes fully engage the reader with the feeling of being an onsite witness to everything happening. Well done, very well done indeed.
Fun, clever, and romantic, The Ladies Rewrite the Rules is delightful and charming in every way. An entertaining must-read!
Suzanne Allain is a screenwriter who lived in New York and Beijing before returning to her hometown of Tallahassee, Florida, where she lives with her husband. Suzanne adapted her novelcMr. Malcolm’s List into a screenplay and it was made into a movie starring Freida Pinto, Theo James, Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù, and Zawe Ashton.
Thank you so much for this lovely and well-written review! So glad you enjoyed The Ladies Rewrite the Rules.