Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander

April 28, 2008
In this debut novel, librarian Herendeen creates a quirky and comic Regency romance in which Phyllida Lewis, a young, beautiful and feisty writer, agrees to a marriage of convenience with Andrew Carrington, the gay heir to an earldom. Although Phyllida is attracted to her good-looking husband, she recognizes that Andrew prefers the company of his friends in the Brotherhood of Philander, an elite \x93gentleman's\x94 club. What Phyllida hadn't counted on, however, was the physical connection between the two despite his averred status, and the concomitant difficulties that arise when a man is clueless in the ways of wooing and pleasing a woman. Phyllida expresses her newfound carnal knowledge in her role as a budding writer of \x93inferior romance\x94 and finds she must learn the ways of London society while being the object of relentless observation and gossip. Much time is devoted to Andrew and his exploits with other men as well as to Phyllida's love-hate relationship with Andrew and his way of life. But when Phyllida breaches Andrew's trust, the delightful characters in Phyllida's new world must play a part in reconciling the pair. Herendeen's book brings a breath of fresh air and creativity to the romance genre and with her humor and ability to entertain, she is sure to woo fans.

March 15, 2008
It is the usual romantic tale of a marriage of convenience: a devastatingly attractive, confirmed bachelor who needs an heir marries a beautiful, portionless gentleman's daughter who is to expect nothing from the union and be grateful for her good fortune in winning such a prize. There is, however, a twist: he prefers men to women, she is a secret authoress, and even the refreshingly open and honest marriage contract that acknowledges this cannot save Andrew Carrington and Phyllida Lewis from the pain that inadvertent misunderstandings and well-meant deceptions bring to any relationship. Sparkling with Regency wit and panache, Herendeen's debut novel, originally self-published in 2005, is a brilliant exploration of love, sexuality, class, and gender, but above all, it is a wonderful love story. Highly recommended for those readers comfortable with alternative sexual and erotic literature.Cynthia Johnson, Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, MA

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2008
Andrew Carrington had reached an important decision: it was time he got married. There was just one problem: Andrew not only needed to find a woman who wouldnt object to the fact that he didnt plan on being faithful but also a wife who didnt mind sharing her husband with other men. When Andrew proposes to Phyllida Lewis, she is more than willing to agree to his conditions of marriage, but she has one of her own. As an anonymous author of womans romances, Phyllida insists on continuing to write while she is married to Andrew. At first their marriage seems to be going simply splendidly, but things get a bit complicated once Andrew not only discovers that he is starting to fall in love with Phyllida but that after meeting Matthew Thornby, he has also found the man of his dreams! With caustic wit, some wildly original characters, and plenty of sex, Herendeen creates her own delightfully imaginative and boldly sensual take on the classic Regency marriage-of-convenience plot.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)