Books for Christian Girls: "A Perilous Plan" by Melanie Dickerson

About this book:

“Penelope Hammond finds herself a widow at the age of twenty-three, having been married five years to a man she barely knew. Her husband, David Hammond, Lord Hampstead, was a member of the House of Lords who rarely said more than a few words to her in a week’s time--and often did not come home at night.

But Lord Hampstead was from a wealthy, powerful London family with no enemies, so why was he murdered?

Penelope is a penniless widow with few friends and only her cold grandmother to lean on. When she finds herself pursued by both English officials and French spies, she doesn’t know who to trust—until a handsome Member of Parliament, Henry Gilchrist, saves her from being attacked and kidnapped. Mr. Gilchrist seems so determined to help her, but can she trust him?

Henry Gilchrist seems to know more about her husband than she does--that he was unfaithful to her with a young Frenchwoman who Penelope thought was her friend, that his gambling problem had sunk him deeply in debt, and that he had stolen some very important plans that could put the entire country in danger. And now both the French and the English governments think she knows where these plans are.

Penelope had no idea that her husband stole secret plans and intended to sell to the French, but no one seems to believe her, except Henry Gilchrist. When she starts to fall in love with the handsome young Member of the House of Commons, will he be too imbittered from a former lost love to accept his own growing feelings? But first they must save themselves from those who would do them harm, or there will be no future for them, either together or apart.”

Series: Book #1 in the “Imperiled Young Widows Regency Romance” series.

Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned, remembered, & quoted; Prayers & Thanking God (including a prayer of bargaining with God); Talks about God & forgiving someone; ‘H’s are capitalized when referring to God; Mentions of God & forgiveness; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches, church going, sermons, & ministers; A mention of Godspeed; A mention of a book of sermons; A mention of sins;

*Note: Mentions of evil men; A mention of a novel with ghosts.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘damnable’ (is used to describe a group of people), a ‘shut up’, and a ‘stupid’; Some eye rolling; Penelope finds her husband’s murdered body & Recalling it (barely-above-not-detailed); Seeing someone poisoned & dying (up to semi-detailed); Stabbing someone (up to semi-detailed); Being kidnapped, slapped, & threatened with harm, torture, and death with a knife and a gun (up to semi-detailed); Shooting at enemies (barely-above-not-detailed); Drinking wine; Many mentions of bodies, how the murders happened, poison, stabbing someone, shooting someone, gunshots, blood/bleeding, killing, & murderers (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a possible war, invasion, & deaths; Mentions of mercenaries being willing to kill someone in their way; Mentions of spies & traitors, & killing the enemies (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of threats, torture/beatings, & weapons; Mentions of kidnappings; Mentions of thieves/robbers, stealing, stolen items, & a robbery; Mentions of gambling & debts; Mentions of rumors & gossip; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of wine, drinks, drinking, & drunks; A few mentions of bullies; A couple mentions of prison; A couple mentions of envy; A couple mentions of smoking; A couple mentions of manure; A mention of death by the natives’ tomahawks in America that the British has heard a lot about; A mention of a friend dying from consumption; A mention of divorce; A mention of a dog that died; A mention of using the bathroom in the trees.

Sexual Content- A hand kiss (greeting, but still barely-above-not-detailed), a forehead kiss, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and two semi-detailed kisses; Staring at another’s lips (once); Wanting to kiss someone/be kissed (barely-above-not-detailed); Dancing, Embraces, & Touches (and recalling both, up to semi-detailed); Winks & Blushes; Noticing & Staring; Penelope struggles with wondering why her late husband didn’t love her; Mentions of Penelope’s late husband having multiple affairs, paramours/lovers/ladies of the night, & not being home at night (barely-above-not-detailed, he also gives his approval for her taking a lover if she wants to do so, though she has no intention to do that; a note from a paramour saying her heart and body is his); Mentions of wondering about adultery/infidelity, husbands being faithful, & those who are not; Mentions of flirting, flirts, & being scandalous; Mentions of reputations & impropriety; A couple mentions of Penelope’s grandmother asking if they ever tried having an heir (which Penelope says in her mind that she wasn’t the one in the marriage who slept elsewhere most nights); A couple mentions of men taking a wife just for procreation & that the wife should herself more available to him; A couple mentions of a woman who slept with a married man; A couple mentions of sneaking kisses; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of a man flirting with married women & even fighting in a duel; Love, falling in love, & the emotions.

-Penelope “Penny” Hammond, age 23

-Henry Gilchrist

P.O.V. switches between them

Set in 1810

279 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

Melanie Dickerson’s prior regency trilogy “The Spies of Regency London” is probably my favorite series by her (yes, more than her fairytale series), so I was interested in this new series as well. I’m not sure if it’s for me, though, after reading this first book.

Neither Penelope nor Henry endeared themselves to me, for different reasons. I don’t fully understand why Henry thought bad of Penelope in the middle and last hundred pages of the book. She’s told him a lot about herself (such as being forced to marry) that should have given him the impression that she isn’t after money. It’s revealed his past with a woman is why he thinks that way, but I thought it was terribly wrong of him to assume that about Penelope—especially because he didn’t think that way towards her in the beginning. Suspicious, yes, but not a poor money-grabbing woman.

Some things felt strange in this time-period (such as Penelope mentioning a woman who slept with a married man (which, albeit, is accurate to say, but I’m more familiar with this being slang of today’s time, so it felt strange to see in a regency book) and Penelope wanting to punch the same woman in the face (which again, to me feels more like a reaction of current day, but maybe not?)). There was also more than a couple unlikely moments in the plot and I had a hard time keeping my interest in the story.
Overall, while this book was clean, it’s one I hesitate mentioning to girls ages 9-19 because of the plotline. I’m not sure if I’ll be continuing this series, but it feels like it’s near to the author’s heart and I hope that if those who have been in a similar situation as Penelope read it, they will find some healing within the pages.

See y’all on Friday with a new review!