The Plan . . .
Bored with her Midlands England hometown of Southwell, Mariah Woodhouse sought a better life: travel, excitement, society. Until she could escape, she read everything she could get her hands on. She fell in love with her favorite writer, Lord Byron.
The Intrigue . . .
And who should appear at her parents' inn where she worked. None other than the handsome, sophisticated Lord Byronin the flesh. Soon stalked by the demented Lady Caroline Lamb.
The Plot . . .
With the help of her best friend, Walter Weylons, she devises a way to bait Lord Byron into seducing her. Unfortunately for Walter, who has always loved her, the deceptive plan works . . .
LONG AND SHORT REVIEW says: I can't say enough good things about Ms. Zenk's writing. Chasing Byron is a page turner of a book not only because of the engaging characters but also by the lovely prose. In fact, I read the entire thing in one day. Reading this book was a jolly fun time all through the eyes of Miss Woodhouse, yet also one that touches the heart. It was an experience I would definitely repeat. I'm almost jealous of Ms. Zenk. She must have had a glorious time penning this story. As this is her debut novel, I hope we will be delighted with more stories from this talented author in the future.
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COFFEE TIME ROMANCE says: This is a light and entertaining story. Mariah has grand aspirations for someone of her class and the guts to try and follow through. Walter is a sweet man and much stronger than Mariah realizes. She does realize that he is very attractive and a good kisser, but has to work through her infatuation to really see him. Byron is more of a caricature than a real person in this story, but Walter, Mariah, and the rest of the residents of the village are very real; kind of like Byron does not really belong and they all do. The storyline is easy to follow and the characters are well written and likable. I enjoyed this one.
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GHOSTWRITER LITERARY REVIEW says: This was an enchanting read. A small town girl longs for the bigger world of romance and excitement, only to overlook what's already there in front of her. Great job!
"Do not get carried away, Mariah," Walter said. "A man like that is usually up to no good. P-poets cannot be trusted. T-their words are pretty but their intentions are not."
"And how many poets do you know personally, Walter?" I asked pertly. "You cannot condemn the whole lot from some silly rumors swirling up from London. I am sure there are perfectly good explanations for the more lurid details from those stories."
"D-do you intend to ask him?"
I considered the question before nodding. "Yes. Yes, I believe I will when afforded my next opportunity to speak with him."
"No, Mariah, do not!" Walter said, stammer disappearing with the vehemence of his emotions. "Stay clear of Byron. I d-do not wish to see you or y-your reputation sullied!"
"I appreciate your concern, Walter, but I can handle any situation put before me quite nicely, thank you very much."
Walter grimaced, looking as if he wished to say more. After several moments of silent shelving, he found the words. "I-I read the society pages, t-too, Mariah. I-I know what they say of Byron in London. D-do you truly want to be caught up in that? D-do you want to see your name splashed across those pages and p-people whispering about you like they do Lady Caroline Lamb?"
"Oh, Walter, do not be silly," I admonished. "No one whispers about Lady Caroline Lamb. They talk quite openly."
