THE BEDDING PROPOSAL by Tracey Anne Warren is a lovely Regency romance, book one in The Rakes of Cavendish Square series. The beginning felt a little stilted, and I got the sense the Regency setting was a bit heavy-handedly drawn. There was lots of scattered Regency cant, like "prime bit o' muslin" and "gambling hell". There's even fisticuffs at Gentleman Jack's. I felt the book parts of the book closely resembled a Georgette Heyer story, which might be a good thing to some, but definitely not to me. The identical twin brothers of Leo and Lawrence Byron have a few awkward and overly explanatory conversations about what is going on in their lives. Once Warren has set the scene, however, the rest of the book goes on much more trippingly, and the story redeems itself.

Leo is a rake who sets his sights on Lady Thalia Lennox, a divorcée who is reputed to be fast and have had many lovers. He sees her across a ballroom and instantly knows that he must have her, and makes a bet on the spot with his brother about how quickly he will succeed (charming, right?!) Despite repeatedly being turned down by the actually proper and much-maligned Thalia, Leo continues to importune her to fall into bed with him. By this time I am starting to be seriously annoyed with Leo- no means NO, sir! But as the story continues, Leo's finer qualities are demonstrated, so much so that by halfway through the book, I am ardently rooting for him. One of my favorite things is when an author is talented enough to take what seems to be an irredeemable man and make me fall in love with him!

And Thalia, oh Thalia! How I admire her. Despite the terrible cruelty of her ex-husband and the nastiness of the duped ton toward her, she somehow maintains her sweet demeanor. I love the inner strength she shows, and cheer for her when she decides to pursue what she wants- an affair with Leo- despite how she feels it will be perceived by society. She also has the courage to make difficult choices based on what she believes is best for those she loves, despite the hurt it may cause her.

Despite a rocky beginning for me, Warren's THE BEDDING PROPOSAL blossoms into a sweet story with an ardent romance. The slow and dreamy pace of Leo and Thalia falling is love is deeply moving. Three cheers for Leo and Thalia and their fantastic romance that manages to transcend its Regency setting. I can't wait to see what Warren has in store for us next.