Matchless Margaret: A Traditional Regency romance (The Hapgoods of Bramleigh Book 4)

The fourth in the Hapgoods of Bramleigh series, this follows Margaret, who is tasked by her desperate father to travel to Bath with her mother and Uncle Alywn, in order to find the latter a rich wife! It just so happens that Alwyn is determined to marry only one woman, who whilst rich, he does genuinely like, Mrs Waite. The problem is that her son, Dashiell, is very much against the match!This was a splendid addition to the Hapgoods of Bramleigh series, and very possibly my favourite thus far. The story was just so very Heyeresque, putting me in mind of Cotillion. In short it is lots of fun, with lively characters, many entangled relationships and misunderstandings, and a plot that seems to effortlessly weave it all together. As with all the previous books this is clean cut and old-fashioned.Margaret, who has always been perhaps the most plain-spoken sister, made for a great heroine. She is there trying her best to manage her spendthrift uncle and mother, and yet as she gets to know the Waites, she can but feel guilty at plotting to help her Uncle secure a good match. This is complicated further by her developing feelings for Dashiell, whilst at the same time befriending his fiance, Charmaine. Throw in an elderly baronet, who Margaret unintentionally and naively encourages, and we have a right merry game in play.I enjoyed the Bath setting, which was something new for the series, and as always appreciated Dudley's depiction of the time period and societal rules, which she renders a good deal more accurately than many books of the genre.There was such a colourful host of characters in this book to enjoy too, even the ones who weren't always wholly likeable, like Charmaine, who flawed as she was, I could but enjoy her sense of mischief and coquetry, and I enjoyed the friendship that ensued between the two girls too.Naturally everything is neatly resolved by the end, but it was all about the fun to be had in the getting there. I am so glad I came upon this series, and very much look forward to the next book following Edith.

I got this to read while visiting Bath for first time in years. Enjoyed reading it & learning about new places to visit in Bath for next time. Was the first I read in this series & then read on to next one's & back to first ones. Hard to put down once started! Was sorry to come to the end of the series. Hope to read more from this author

I'm thoroughly enjoying this series. The characters are well written so that as you go through each story you feel yourself being drawn into the Hapgood family. Loved that this one had a different setting to the previous three.

I have enjoyed the first four in this series and I will be reading book five once l have finished saying what a wonderful series.

I am very much enjoying Ms Dudley’s books. This is the second one I’ve read in this series. She has a way of making the characters seem so real, it’s impossible not to empathize with them, and rejoice in their success or be saddened by their sorrows. The storyline is innovative and interesting, and the characters colourful and endearing. The dialogue is thoroughly enjoyable, both humorous and entertaining. I did not come across any typos in this book, however I did encounter a common grammatical error a few times, ie Miss So-and-so and me, instead of myself or I. Apart from that, I found the writing exemplary, notwithstanding a few non-period expressions. And it is totally wholesome with no bedroom scenes. I highly recommend.

I very much enjoyed Christina Dudley's MATCHLESS MARGARET. Margaret is a young woman with a great deal of common sense in an awkward position: her family is poorer than it should be (partly because of two spendthrift uncles), and she's had to become a financial disciplinarian. Not expecting to marry -- her older sisters both have married due to minor scandals (one eloped to Gretna Green; horrors!) -- she nevertheless finds an interesting man in Bath while visiting to try to help her other family members get settled. (One of the annoying uncles needs to be married to stop mooching off the rest of the family, basically.)Anyway, I don't want to give the whole plot away, so I'll just say this: I enjoyed Margaret's adventures, I enjoyed her love story (all unlooked for, at least by her), and I plan to read many, many more books by Christina Dudley over time. (Ms. Dudley really knows how to write!)Five stars, highly recommended.Barb Caffrey

Nice plot, but I liked the two previous books better, but I think it’s worth reading the following books as well.

The books were well written, but the question is the squire and his wife were both terrible parents, their characteristics and tempers, they only cared their own pleasure, and almost did not spent anything on their daughters education and nurturing. However, 4 daughters were all becoming nice and capable persons without any guidance and examples. Really, not very realistic.

Margaret's story was expectedly most interesting, she being the most piquant of all the sisters. Mr. Waite was superbly matched to her. Other characters lent their able support towards the marvelous finish. The author never fails to surprise with the turns in her plot.