Books like A Loyal Companion

This little gem of a book is so precious!! It was absolutely adorable, from Sonia and Darius's sweet courtship, to the little girls drawing pictures of Fitz the dog for Sonia, and everything in between, including promenades in the park and ballroom dances. This was a romance that made me giddy, and ooh-ing and aaah-ing constantly (I am crazy, I know). I loved the hero, the heroine, the secondary characters, the three little girls, the dog, the setting, everything!!!Coming straight from the country into the elegance of her grandmother's fashionable circle in London, Miss Sonia Randolph is a beautiful, charming and unaffected young woman. She likes to move, she likes to be independent, she knows her own mind, and she has no delight in boring afternoons sipping tea and chatting idle nothings with her grandmother's friends. She would much rather go play in the park with her dog, and befriend a certain gentleman ostracized by society for a supposedly scandalous past, and his three adorable nieces. I thought I didn't like children in Regency novels (and I generally don't), but those three have a way of growing on you and there is no shaking them off. Sonia doesn't care that Major Conover is apparently too much of a scoundrel for her innocent company, because heck, he rescued her dog okay, and ain't nobody gonna get in the way of a friendship between Miss Sonia and whoever rescues her dog, scoundrel, rake, bastard, monster, or whatever the devil he may be. She. Will. Be. Friends. With. Conover. Lady Atterbury (I seriously had to dig out my copy to remember what her name was, because there are so many Lady-Atterbury-Arnside-Arkdale-Arkright-Allandale-A-I-don't-know-what in Regency romances, that it gets really confusing.) will just have to learn to live with a few frustrations. Because apparently Major Conover is all that is improper and bad ton and there is NO way that he will so much as cross the threshold of her respected Atterbury House, yet next thing you know, he's seated in her drawing-room for tea, charming the old ladies. Haha. ;) Lady Atterbury is all bark no bite. She puts up a disagreeable façade and pretends to be all strait-laced and starchy, when really, she is excited when there is a fight in her front hall, she is delighted with Conover, she hates his mean cousins, and all the supposedly unconventional characters have a way of growing on her that she can't help but relent and be pleasing. I found her so funny. She would tell Sonia to watch her language, then exclaim things like "'By Jupiter, if he's sending you the deeds to a love nest, I'll have his liver and lights!'". Every chapter of A Loyal Companion begins with Fitz's thoughts. Fitz is Miss Sonia's beloved dog, and the story is told through his point of view at the beginning of each chapter. I found that quite entertaining! He was so smart, quoting Greek philosophy and all, and raising good points that make you seriously question human ways and manners back in the Regency era. "Of all the courtship rituals I have studied, the London Season sounds the most bizarre.""For one thing, the proper breeding age is arbitrarily set - by a committee, mind you - regardless of individual maturation. Then all of those selected (debutantes) to meet the most eligible males (catches) are herded together (the Marriage Mart) and dressed alike.""The brightest colours, the most sparkly jewels, the finest plumage, are reserved for those who already have a mate!""But the young women are not permitted to view these activities [fisticuffs, swordwork, marksmanship contest, races ] or the unclad males, so how can they select the mate who is strongest, fittest, fastest, best able to protect them and their children?""The sexes are kept so firmly apart because chastity in females is valued above beauty or intelligence. There are chaperons and open doors and enough rules to choke a Chihuahua.""A man does not have to be as brave as a bull, as strong as a stag, as fast as a falcon, as smart as a dog, to win the maiden of his choice. He has to be rich. The wealthier the female, the wealthier the male has to be to prove he can provide for her."Yup. The dog is all:So he takes it upon himself to find a good catch for Sonia, one whom she will be able to love, cherish, respect and be content with for the rest of her life. Good dog, Fitz.I don't know what exactly makes Metzger's books so endearing to me; it's like an odd combination of cuteness and adorableness mixed with wit, dry humour and funny situations. There's just something about her books...Definitely a keeper, this one. :) PS- Someone got a bit excited with Downton Abbey gifs...Sorry :P