You did it! We figured this one out! It is a truth universally acknowledged (by me for certain) that the Bitchery pretty much knows everything, and really, it's true. Scroll down to see the solution for this HaBO - and many thanks!
This HaBO request comes from Kathleen, who is trying to find her first romance:
This was the first romance that I read outside of the Georgette Heyer books in my high school library, so I’m guessing the publication date was no later than 1995 but was probably earlier than that. It was a Regency romance and all I really remember was that the heroine was somehow related to the hero (maybe a second cousin but could have been a first, yikes) and the hero’s aunt loved to wear orange. The hero was technically the guardian of the heroine and in charge of marrying her off, but one of his friends noticed that the aunt dressed the heroine in a soft orange/peach for a ball and the hero was horrified. There was a charged learning-to-waltz scene, but it was a pretty tame romance–I only remember a kiss at the end–and the cover actually showed the heroine in a peach dress. I know that covers change so that may not be too helpful.
It was the first novel I remember hiding from my parents under the bed, so I have a fond nostalgic teenage rebellion haze over the whole book (obviously I wasn’t a very rebellious teenager). Oh, and the author’s blurb on the back showed a dark haired woman with short hair and that she was a RITA nominee for a previous book.
Hopefully, the RITA-nominated author helps narrow this one down!
Julia Quinn. Penelope Featherington is the heroine. Can’t remember title.
Romancing Mr Bridgerton? But it was published in 2002.
It sounds kind of like Romancing Mr Bridgerton by Julia Quinn but according to Amazon it came out in 2002. Penelope is the best friend of one of the sisters of the hero, her mother dressed her in orange, but Colin isn’t her guardian and I kind of think the orange dresses were in an earlier book in the series.
I have a feeling this is going to be one of those “I had no idea so many books used this plot device” type HaBo threads.
RITA award winners from the early 90s:
Jo Beverley
Loretta Chase
Carla Kelly
Mary Jo Putney
A quick glance at their book lists didn’t reveal anything that sounded right but I could have been skimming too quickly.
RITA award winners from the early 90s:
Jo Beverley
Loretta Chase
Carla Kelly
Mary Jo Putney
I took a quick glance at their book lists but didn’t see anything similar. May have missed it though.
I don’t think any of the Bridgertons were ‘tame/only a kiss at the end,’ though.
Carla Kelly would be likely since that is what she writes.
RITA nominee, not winner (necessarily). The first RITAs were awarded in 1990, so it would have to be later than that….
I was wondering if it might be a Barbara Metzger Regency…Maybe Bething’s Folly?
Thank you for helping out! it’s not Romancing Mr Bridgerton unfortunately, although I have read that one.
Gotta say, I too would be horrified by that dress as that has got to be my least favorite color.
I don’t have any clue about the answer but the pretty tame with kiss at the end comment reminds of Barbara Cartland.
I don’t think it’s Barbara Metzger or Barbara Cartland (after googling her, I think I would have remembered her unique style) but seeing Metzger’s Signet Regency Romance covers–man, I think it was a book from that publisher/imprint/whathaveyou.
@ Gloriamarie I thought of Barbara Cartland too! But I figure she predates RITAs. And a quick internet search only turned up one orange dress cover – although the search is complicated by all the crazy awesome pictures of Dame Carland herself – called Dance on My Heart, featuring a depression era dance hall girl. The next time I’m at my MiL’s, I am tracking that one down for sure!
It’s probably not this, but the orange dress made me think of Amanda Quick’s Reckless. I haven’t read it in ages, but I think that the heroine wears a horrific orange dress and has eclectic taste in general. I also think she had another heroine who was always wrinkling or tearing her very frou-frou gowns? Also likely useless, if you google regency romance + orange dress, A Garden Folly by Candace Hern comes up.
Now I’m just thinking about authors with short dark hair from that era – what about Mary Balough? That sounds like her sort of plot.
@Donna, I thought Amanda Quick/JAK as well, due to the author had short red hair.
Who knew there were so many orange and peach dresses on regency romances?
Carla Kelly has short ish dark hair and multiple covers with orange or peach dresses.
I dont’ know but i have to throw in a plug for the courtney milan i love so much, the Heiress Effect, in which Jane wears all manner of hideously bright colors including ‘fuschine’ to try to repel suitors.
It is not Amanda Quick’s Reckless. I just finished that book and it doesn’t match the HaBO.
I looked through Mary Balough and nothing rang a bell but the author’s hair was definitely that short.
I’ll check out The Heiress Effect!
Ah ha! Try Joan Overfield’s The Prodigal Spinster.
The hero’s grandmother only wears shades of orange (except at the end, where she wears purple to a costume ball and no one recognizes her) and the hero is horrified when a friend points out his grandmother has dressed his reluctant “ward” in orange & thus threatens to make her (already a bluestocking of sorts) be labeled as an eccentric.
HOLY SHIT THAT’S IT
Honestly, you guys are amazing. Thank you so much, Alea! And oh, it was a Golden Heart Award from the Romance Writers of America not a RITA. I’m sorry guys, I messed up on that.
And of course, those of us with a certain bent toward such books are all now looking for it.
Of course, I [a redhead] have a fondness for bronzes and certain shades of orange. I even drive a Sunset Orange Pearl Honda Element! And have been clinging to her since 2003, even though my husband keeps trying to steal her by dangling newer vehicles before my eyes.
http://images.dealerrevs.com/gallery/photo.php?id=38236555
And then there is Flaming June.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DaTdxC3QQQg/hqdefault.jpg
@Patricia Burroughs aka Pooks , dear friend, I objected to that Element when you first bought it based on the color alone. However, if it has been roadworthy all these years…
The more important question is how long, oh Pooks, must your fans wait for The Dead Shall Rise??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Alea, I am in awe of your HABO solving abilities! The way you said it with such confidence; “Ah ha!” You just KNEW you had it.
Karin, the orange stuck out in my memory (and I spent a little time tracking down the title within the last 4-5 years). Sometimes everything aligns! Though I think Kathleen had it right about the relative being an aunt rather than a grandmother.
Gosh, this is one of the first romances. I ever read I think I was 10 (so around 1995 as well).