Thursday, December 12, 2013

Miss Grimsley's Oxford Career

Miss Grimsley's Oxford Career
By Carla Kelly
Cedar Fort, Inc., 2013. 352 pgs. Romance.

Ellen Grimsley is very put out. While her army-crazy brother gets to go to Oxford, she is forced to stay home and hope to make a good match instead of learning geometry and Shakespeare. When an opportunity to go to a girls' finishing school in Oxford opens up, Ellen jumps at the chance. And when her brother, Gordon, needs help writing his papers, she thinks nothing of dressing up like a student in breeches and gown to experience some of what Gordon takes for granted. Will Ellen and Gordon be caught? Will Ellen's papers be well-received by the college? And who is the mysterious Lord Chesney who has suddenly taken an interest in Ellen's education?

Kelly manages to maintain a light tone in the book while at the same time pointing out the educational injustices inherent in Regency England. While the reader will probably not mistake the writing for that of Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte, it is an enjoyable read and the characters are very engaging.

JH

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