Harlequin (paperback), ISBN 0-373-83443-8
I met an old friend the other day in the supermarket. As I cruised the aisle where all the magazines and books reside, I saw her. I couldn't believe my eyes. It had been years since the last time I saw her, yet she looked even better than the first time we met.  

I must admit to a certain amount of apprehension. Would things still be the same between us? I mean, it'd been years since… Sternly quelling any nervous qualms that I wouldn't like her anymore -- I reached out and plucked Harlequin's new release of Frederica from the shelf. Two pages into the book I knew I needn't have worried. Freddy, I can only say one thing -- you're better than ever. 

For those of you who never experienced the delights of Georgette Heyer, I strongly recommend that you hie yourself immediately to your nearest bookstore and pick up Frederica. If you're a Regency fan -- and even if you're not -- you'll love this tale of a determined young woman and the bored and cynical Marquis who suddenly finds himself in the middle of launching Frederica and her younger sister into the haut ton. 

In Frederica, Georgette Heyer does what she does best -- plunge her reader into the heart of the season in Regency London. You almost feel as if you're dressed in your best silk gown sipping tepid lemonade at Almacks or sitting behind a spirited pair of matched grays while a handsome lord takes you for an afternoon's drive through Hyde Park. 

Sparkling conversations, large helpings of humor, characters so real that you almost expect to turn and find them at your elbow form the heart and soul of any Georgette Heyer book. Yes, Freddy and I shared a wonderful afternoon together. And in March, I can revisit The Nonesuch. Gee, I wonder if I should wear my new sprigged muslin or perhaps go for broke with new French evening gloves and a pomona green silk ball gown? 

Harlequin, thank you for bringing back six of my all-time favorite author's books. But why only six? Why not all of Heyer's regencies? I mean what about Faro's Daughter? Or These Old Shades? Or Powder and Patch? Or Regency Buck? Or Arabella…. 

Teri Dohmen

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