The Admiral's Daughter: A Regency Classic

In this classic Regency Romance, reminiscent of the work of Jane Austen, Judith Harkness tells the tale of Maggie Trevor, the spirited daughter of a hero of the Napoleonic Wars. With a light touch and witty eye for human foibles, Harkness paints the fashionable world of Regency England, when styles were dictated by Beau Brummel, the Duchess of Devonshire held court, and dandies paraded in their phaetons and four. Groomed by their mamas to capture the hearts of the most eligible bachelors of the day, fashionable young ladies passed the Season in London, where they were presented at Almack’s and at an endless stream of balls in all their finery and feathers.

Ever since she could remember, Maggie Trevor had heard her dead mother’s aristocratic family dismissed as autocratic and cruel by her doting father. But when Admiral Trevor unexpectedly sends her off to visit the new scion of that very family, the arrogant Lord Ramblay, Maggie has reason to harbor her own suspicions about her cousins. Lord Ramblay’s icy, unfeeling manner and mysterious disappearances is in complete contrast to his stated desire to take care of his young cousin. And when gallant Captain Morrisson, whose welcome attentions and helpful assistance have made Maggie’s entrance into London society so much more pleasurable, alludes to a sordid affair in the Viscount’s past, Maggie is more sure than ever of his sinister intentions. Soon Maggie is in a whirlwind of suspense, left with no one but herself to trust, and no heart but her own to obey.

The Admiral’s Daughter will delight readers craving a good, old-fashioned romantic mystery in the tradition of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. From elegant London balls to majestic country estates, from gowns and curricles to brilliant hunting scenes, it brims with period detail and will immerse the reader in a true romantic escape.

Judith Harkness is the author of five classic Regency Romances: The Montague Scandal, The Admiral’s Daughter, The Determined Bachelor, Contrary Cousins, and Lady Charlotte’s Ruse, all originally published by Signet. She is the co-author of a screenplay, EMMA in New York, an updated version of the classic Jane Austen novel set in contemporary Manhattan. As J.H. Richardson, she writes non-fiction on subjects ranging from children with learning and developmental issues to profiles of notable creative artists. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband, Will Taft.

Judith Harkness writes funny and highly literate Regencies, which, like the best of any genre, manage to transcend the ordinary. In particular, she channels Jane Austen in this amusing romance.
—Carla Sarett,Ph.D. author of “Nine Romantic Stories”