An Improper Companion

by April Kihlstrom

Genres: Regency, Romance, Historical, Historical Romance

220 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1983

Reviews

[Sarah Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh, what a snooze.

I was hoping this would be some kind of HQN/Regency hybrid (because the "guy mistakes girl for prostitute" plot is classic WTFery), but it's just plain dull. The heroine is dumb as a stump (I daresay stumps have more common sense) & the hero is a bland man-child who sulks because his nosy sister likes to visit. Sexy!

Seriously, this heroine is one of the most immature 18-year-olds I've ever had the displeasure to encounter. I don't care how inexperienced, impoverished, or desperate you are. FFS, don't take a job without at least learning what the requirements are. That's not difficult or unreasonable. If you're willing to let some guy take you as mistress, go for it -- but don't act like a twatwaffle just because YOU failed to look out for yourself in the most basic ways possible & the guy assumes you're fully aware of the job description. YOU STUPID WOMAN. Then, when the guy tries to make it right by marrying her afterward & offering a (pretty damn sweet) marriage of convenience, she throws tantrums & makes spiteful comments & acts like a dunderhead. So obnoxious. WTF would any guy fall for a woman like that, let alone an older, sophisticated rich dude? Only in shitty romance novels. *facepalm* Sir Leslie is a mimbo with pathetic abandonment issues, but he doesn't deserve that kind of shrew.

Anyway.

Nothing remotely interesting happened after the rape scene (which was all of three sentences & took place on pg 19). By pg 40 they were married. The remainder of the book was Heather's meddling in the household affairs, dancing with other guys (while being completely clueless about the social niceties she'd have learned in that stupid finishing school), & a pair of Big Misunderstandings. I can't even.

The one positive is that the author's writing was straightforward, if somewhat drab. I might try another book by her. Maybe. Some oldie Regencies are enjoyable, but others are just as boring as the new crop.

[KatieV]

I won't rate something that I didn't finish. The reason I didn't finish is because life is too short and my tbr list is too long to continue with something that doesn't grab me. I'm not saying it was awful, I just got bored once the marriage occurred. Also it's in first person and while I think it can be done well, it's not my favorite style.

Actually it's a plot that is well used in Harlequin Presents novels. Hero thinks heroine is a prostitute, etc. has sex with her and then realizes she's a virgin and decides he must marry her - even if he has to force her to do so (and lie that he only wants a MOC). He's instantly attracted/smitten, but it takes her a while to admit to the yearning of her traitorous body. Lots of big misunderstandings where he thinks she hates him and she thinks he has mistresses, etc.


This is an old Signet Regency, therefore any sex (there's only the rape scene) is very much behind closed doors. I'm not a fan of the older, shorter Regencies that used to be so numerous, but I know others love them. So, that that into account when considering my thoughts.

[Lynne Tull · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was good. The hero was wonderful. The heroine was too angry, petty, argumentative, abrasive. I know she was only eighteen, but she acted like she was five. I like to read some of these old Signet books, but this one was not entertaining.

[Spazfungus · Rating 2 out of 5]

written in the first person, interesting plot, frustrated at all the character's stupidity and inability to talk, the emeralds were a nice touch

running away from the only option of being an unpaid teacher, Heather decides to find a domestic agency and become a companion, sadly no one explains to her what it means to be a man's companion, she is ravished. When sir Leslie Kinwell realizes that she was a virgin, he marries her, but promises a marriage of convenience. of course he falls for her and tries to make life easier for her, bringing her absent father to recognize his daughter, buying her gifts (though books about child rearing were a little premature) and gifting her with the Kinwell emeralds, jewels only gifted if the husband comes to love the wife, not just because she is lady kinwell, Heather misinterprets all of Leslie's gestures and was about to run away when Leslie, thinking she is running away with one her beau, confronts her and she confesses her love, hea

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

ended abruptly

[August · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would love to know why stories like this were so prevalent in the 80s. The writing itself isn't bad, and the story is interesting enough, but the set-up for the conflict is so bizarre and at odds with how the male character behaves that I really have to wonder why the story had to include SA at all. The author easily could have contrived some other reason for the sham marriage, but for some reason a lot of historical romances in the 80s and 90s thought it was totally reasonable for a girl to fall in love with the man who had assaulted her.

[Donnalee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can't read my notes fully, but it says one of them raped the other on page 19; forced marriage; yuck

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just when it got good, it was the last page. So much build up for nothing. If there was at least two more chapters I would have truly liked the book.