The Last Bachelor by Betina Krahn

Title: The Last Bachelor
Author: Betina Krahn
ISBN: 0553565222Publisher: Bantam books/1994
Pages: 516

Lady Antonia Paxton, a beautiful young widow helped destitute young widows marry well. She planned and trapped London's richest young bachelors in compromising positions with her protegees and forced the bachelors to marry the concerned woman. Remington Carr, ninth Earl of Landon, had strong views on women's rights. If hel had his way, all women would have work for a living and marriage wouldn't neccessary. He was the most eligible London bachelor. Antonia's victim wanted him to help them by trapping the young widow from her shemes.

When both meet in the halls of Parliament, and a wager is made by Antonia. If Remington subjects himself to two weeks of "women's work," Antonia will do two weeks of "men's work." Remington has to take in the wager and dutifully turns up at Antonia's place and finds himself at the mercy of 12 doddering old widows, all taken in by Antonia at one point or the other. However, he sticks to the badger, despite being discomfited by the thought. Slowly he learns the problems faced by the women folks and also learns to love those strange old women.

Antonia and Reminton are attracted to each other but due to some misunderstanding Antonia pulls away. And then Remington challenges her too do her bit. THat is take the wager for doing two weeks of men's work. With quirky funny characters, and different settings, this book is a rollicking fun. A romance set in historical times and yet speaks about emancipation of women. A modern thinking powerful Earl can bring about that change. One reason, I liked this book.