BOOK REVIEW & AUTHOR INTERVIEW by Regina Scott

Lady Calantha Dryden, daughter of the duke of Wey, is a special soul in book 2 of The Wedding Vow Series, NEVER COURT A COUNT. Her invisibility is a special touch to this character’s personality. Instead of the not standing out being a deterrent that piles on insecurity and victim mentality, this character exudes a natural charm, adding benefit to those she loves.

Frederick Archambault, Count Montalban, or Fritz as he wishes to be called, is the brother of Crown Prince Otto Leopold of the Batavarian Court. He is quite the heroic man. A man of duty and action and loyalty, with a secret vulnerability of his own.

I enjoyed Fortune the cat’s involvement in this historical romance. Regina’s various characters and plot twists kept my interest the whole way through. This novel has the endearing quality that makes this reader feel as though she has spent time with an old friend. Callie’s story has that home time feel. This is clean fiction that is well written and memorable!

This novel has that wonderful quality of bringing up loved characters from earlier novels. If you like books that have those cameo mentions or visits you will love NEVER COURT A COUNT.
 
QUESTIONS FOR REGINA:

How did you happen to develop Callie’s invisibility—not being noticed in a crowd—being the character’s strength? I love that you did that!
All four of the young ladies in The Wedding Vow series were children in a previous series, Fortune’s Brides. As a girl, Callie heard everything and tended to blurt out the stories at the worst possible moment. She’s also the middle child of three, and middle children often have a hard time differentiating themselves in the family and can feel overlooked. How would a child like that grow into a young lady thrust into the Regency social scene? She’d have lots of expectations, being the daughter of a duke. How would she rise to meet them, or struggle to meet them? Thus, Callie’s adult character was formed.

You add such layers to your characters. Was it difficult to come up with Fritz’s vulnerability since he is such a strong and dependable man?

Fritz, as Prince Otto Leopold of Batavaria’s twin brother, started making his presence known as I wrote the previous book in The Wedding Vow series, Never Pursue a Prince. I find my characters talk to me as I write my first draft, sometimes doing things that surprise me. Fritz reacted in ways I didn’t expect for a fellow who had led the Imperial Guard and fought in the Napoleonic Wars. I dug a little deeper and realized he was suffering from what we might call PTSD today. Why? He finally confessed to the answer, which promptly went into the books. Yes, my characters may start out having secrets from me, but in the end, they don’t have secrets from readers!

You’re weaving in the difficulties and tensions of royalty and higher-class England structures seems to ring true. Did make up those tensions or did you do a hefty amount of research? 😊 (Reader, if you have never visited Regina’s website, and you love history, I encourage you to do so post-haste!)
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Well, you know, I can’t help researching! I love it almost more than the writing! 😉 The difficulties and tensions were definitely there, both on the macro level in the reapportioning of Europe following the Napoleonic Wars and on the micro level with families expecting sons and daughters to make advantageous marriages. It makes for a heady time to set a story!

What would you like to share about how you chose to write Callie’s story—how her invisibility applies to so many?

As someone who felt that invisibility as a child, I’ve been surprised how the trait resonates. It seems many of us feel alone or isolated at times, and this pandemic hasn’t helped. Like Callie, we all need someone who sees our best traits and honors us for them. And we need to remember there’s Someone to whom we will never be invisible.
What is your next novel in this series going to be about? 

Callie’s youngest sister, Belle, was the one who instigated their vow: that Larissa (their oldest sister), Callie, Belle, and their best friend, Petunia Bateman, would see each other wed by harvest. With Larissa and Callie engaged, Belle’s determined that it should be Petunia’s turn, and she knows the perfect man—charming, handsome, and an excellent rider, which is a big deal in her family. But is he the perfect man for Petunia, or Belle? Look for Never Romance a Rogue in June.

Where can readers find you? What social media is your favorite?

Readers can find me the following places. I will admit a fondness for Pinterest, although I can also be regularly found at a Facebook Group for lovers of sweet (low-heat) Regency romances, Lady Catherine’s Salon at https://www.facebook.com/groups/LadyCatherinesSalon.
Website: www.reginascott.com         
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/authorreginascott       
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/reginascottpins
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/reginascott
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