Belinda Goes to Bath

Series: The Traveling Matchmaker, Book 2

By: Marion Chesney / Narrated By: Helen Lisanti

Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins

Oh, Ms. Chesney (Beaton) Gibbons—Thanks for frothy little delights like this one!

First thing to get out of the way before getting to the big ol’ hulking elephant that made me gasp and whimper: Whattheheck?!? Okay so, like, Audible and one set of book covers has this series as “The Traveling Matchmaker” which is all well and good. But Amazon and a different set of book covers has it as “The Travelling Matchmaker” which is blatantly misspelled and allowed if and only if your book happens to be called, say, The Travelling Cat Chronicles (AWEsome book!) as the extra “L” there adds to the charm. Not that this series isn’t charming, I’m just saying that I’m confused and that I’m going to stick with Audible’s spelling on this one.

(UPDATE: I hear tell I’m being an ignorant American who thinks the world revolves around her when I say that traveling is “blatantly misspelled” when actually, if you live in, like, ANYwhere in the rest of the world, “travelling” is the way to spell it correctly. I am humbled by my ignorance, and my sinCERest apologies to our dear Accomplices who live in, like, EVERYWHERE else in the world!)

NOW—Big ol’ hulking elephant! MC Beaton (Marion Gibbons) who also wrote as Marion Chesney died this past December 2019. And whilst I do indeed have some of her cozy mystery series, I haven’t really gotten into them tho’ I do intend to give Agatha Raisin an extra attempt. But seriously, yes some of her Regencies are dull and flat-footed, but I’ve enjoyed treMENdously The Poor Relation and A House for the Season series, and I’m truly enjoying this wonderful series as well. So lemme just pay my respects here as a delighted fan of Regency romances, ones with wit and charm, and ones with memorable characters such as…

(Segue here to…!) Miss Hannah Pym, ex-Housekeeper and current traveler on England’s flying machines. And that she’s set herself up as a bit of a matchmaker? Well she simply can’t help herself.

Newly back from Exeter, fresh from having told the debonair Sir George Clarence of her exploits upon that route, she’s now off to Bath. This journey brings 19-year old Belinda Earle and her rumpled, frumpy, judgmental “companion” Miss Wimple. Belinda, with her unconventional looks and sensuous mouth is also rather unconventional in that she speaks her mind at the drop of a hat (Which explains why after a Season and a Little Season she “didn’t take”), plus she’s in disgrace for running off with the family’s footman. Her harsh and religious zealot of an aunt in “the Bath” is to take her in hand and make her see the error of her ways.

Naturally a drunken coachman gets all the stage’s travelers into a tremendous accident (Or as Hannah would call it? An AdVENture!!!), and the aloof and austere Marquis of Frenton saves them all and has them to stay in his humongous abode whilst their coach is repaired. AHA! Miss Pym sees that the two, Belinda and Frenton are vastly well-suited, and there the hijinks begin. There’s a somewhat slighted wannabe-betrothed, the sermonizing Miss Wimple, and always always always there’s that jaunt with the family footman to contend with. (By the way, there’s also a side-story of Mr. & Mrs. Judd—he beats the crap out of her, she “brings it upon herself” by acting the victim, and that’s not very charming, but at least Hannah can’t stand brutish ways and sets the man to rights).

What I like about Beaton’s series are that historical facts and legends are scattered here and there throughout her stories; other reviewers haaaaate it all and say it breaks up the flow, but I chuckle heartily when I hear of how women weighted their cheeks down for the Dutch Doll effect, or how they were valued for their hairiness, and I grin to hear tales of Who’s Haunting What Dungeon. I believe this book is heavier on the facts and figures than the first, but I wasn’t really counting, now was I?

Once more, I gotta ding Helen Lisanti for making Belinda sound a tad vapid, but at least Frenton, while a trifle dour, doesn’t sound like an ax murderer or anything like that. Plus, she handles the variety of travelers and servants and classes really well. And BIG Plus: As Miss Hannah Pym, she knocks it out of the park. You can’t help but adore the excitable Hannah with her flashing eyes and her, occasional, Puritanical streak.

Am so looking forward to the next one.

And am soooo sorry Ms. Gibbons will never write another Regency again.

RIP, and by the by? Thanks so very much for a few AWEsome series!