One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review

Beatrice Goes to Brighton by M.C. Beaton

This is the fourth book in M.C. Beaton’s Travelling Matchmaker Regency Romance series. Admittedly it’s not the kind of book I would normally read, but my housemate found the first three of the series in a remainder bin for $3 each and we enjoyed them well enough to pick up this one when it was on sale as a Kindle daily deal for $0.99.

During a discussion on a message board, someone commented that sometimes their enjoyment, or disappointment, with a book is directly proportional to the amount paid for the book. I thought about that and decided that I feel the same way sometimes. If you pay full price for a book, there is an expectation of full-price enjoyment. But a sale or a bargain price for the book lowers the enjoyment expectation threshold. This series definitely follows that line of thinking. I doubt I would have enjoyed them very much as I paid full price, but for half price or less, they are excellent.

The series is follow-the-dots formulaic, but still fun to read. In most series, the same characters appear over and over in each episode, but this one manages to keep a core of characters while introducing new ones in each, and not making it feel forced or unusual. The idea of the main character taking trips on a stage coach does make the introduction of new characters natural, and it’s fun to meet the new characters along with the main ones.

Had the book not been in the remainder bin, I doubt that my housemate would have ever picked them up. Regency romances are not her usual reading, but then again, branching outside the usual reading is where you find interesting stuff, and where you meet new friends.

Miss Pym is a fun character, and a great new friend. The plots are all there same, but with this series, plot variance is not really why you read them. It’s a good, clean fun kind of book. Perfect for a long trans-Pacific airplane flight or waiting rooms. After we finish this series, we may check out some of the author’s other Regency series, just for the fun, easy read aspect.

One Bear’s Opinion: Three bottles of lemonade while walking along the boardwalk, and some cotton candy if we’re very good

Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver