REVIEW: The Baron Next Door by Erin Knightley

The Baron Next Door by Erin Knightley is the first book of Erin’s “A Prelude to a Kiss” series. The heroine is Charity Effington, who first made her appearance in Knightly’s “A Taste for Scandal.” Charity is in Bath with her grandmother for the summer, playing her music (she is a very accomplished pianist) and getting over the scandal she caused by not marrying an earl during the previous season. Living in the adjacent townhouse is Hugh Danby, Baron Cadgwith, a former army officer who was gravely injured at Waterloo. His injuries were not only external, but his brain was injured during the incident, and he suffers from severe headaches—headaches that are aggravated by light and noise. He is summering in Bath in the hope that the waters will help him. Despite the fact that he can appreciate that Charity is a superior musician, hearing her play through their shared wall causes him a great deal of pain and nausea. Things get worse when Charity joins up with two other musicians to form a trio for a music festival; Sophie who plays the oboe, and May, who plays the Chinese zither. When Hugh demands that she stop playing, without explaining why, Charity decides that it’s going to be war between the two of them, and sets out to make his life miserable. Of course, things don’t always work out as planned!

She plopped down on her bench with a complete lack of elegance and paused only long enough to lace her hands together and stretch out her muscles. Then she spread her fingers out over the keys and smiled. This, Lord Cadgwith, means war.

In general, I really enjoyed all the characters in this book. Sophie and May are very interesting supporting characters, and obviously destined to their own books. A musician myself, I can understand and appreciate the obsession that Charity, Sophie and May have for music and for performing. Charity is a fun, spirited and kind heroine, who can be a tad reactionary at times. Hugh, and how he is written, truly shines. At times you can really understand the pain that he is going through, and the relief he occasionally feels. Charity’s grandmother is also wonderful, and very perceptive. Although she is described as once being very harsh, she had been sick, and changed after her illness. The dowager Lady Effington is a key character who clues in the sometimes self-centered Charity that there is more to their neighbor than meets the eye. Early on she mentions to Charity how Hugh reminds her of her husband:

…Grandmama was developing a soft spot for the one man in all of Bath whom Charity could happily do with never seeing again. “Is that so? I wonder why.” She lifted the tea for a sip, anxious to move onto some other topic without sounding rude. “The wounded heart.” Charity’s gaze snapped up at the unexpected words. “Wounded heart?” Yes, he was clearly scarred, but when it came to his heart, well, she assumed he simply hadn’t one.

This is pleasant and enjoyable book and I recommend it. I liked the summer setting in Bath, and the more relaxed atmosphere it gives a Regency novel. The conceit of a music festival is unique, and one I haven’t read before, so that lends an added cachet. Although it’s about three hundred pages it flows well, and doesn’t ever really drag. The characters, the setting, and the story all work together, and this is a book that most historical romance readers will enjoy!

Book Info:

Published June 3rd 2014 by Signet

Charity Effington learned two valuable lessons from her first betrothal:

1) When one loses the attention of an earl, one gains the attention of every gossip in London.
2) Despite the lingering scandal, she’s not prepared to marry for anything less than love.

After an exhausting Season, Bath’s first annual music festival offers Charity the perfect escape. Between her newly formed trio and her music-loving grandmother, Charity is free to play the pianoforte to her heart’s content. That is, until their insufferably rude, though undeniably handsome, neighbor tells her to keep the “infernal racket” to a minimum.

Hugh Danby, Baron Cadgwith, may think he’s put an end to the noise, but he has no idea what he’s begun. Though the waters of Bath provide relief from the suffering of his war injuries, he finds his new neighbor bothersome, vexing, and… inexplicably enchanting. Before long, Hugh suspects that even if his body heals, it’s his heart that might end up broken.