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To Catch a Husband…
Impoverished husband-hunter Kitty Wythenshawe knows what she must achieve by the end of her London Season—marriage to a wealthy gentleman will save her mother from a life of drudgery. After all, love doesn't pay the bills.
Wealthy landowner Daniel Blackwood is proud to be an industrialist, even if it means he's not quite what the ton expects. And as for young ladies like Kitty, who care only for a man's fortune, well, they just ought not to feel so temptingly irresistible when you kiss them….
Wealthy landowner Daniel Blackwood is proud to be an industrialist, even if it means he's not quite what the ton expects. And as for young ladies like Kitty, who care only for a man's fortune, well, they just ought not to feel so temptingly irresistible when you kiss them….
Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
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About the author
Sarah Mallory
210 books117 followersSarah Mallory is the pen name for Melinda Hammond.
Born in Bristol, England, UK, she grew up telling stories. She would make up adventures to relate to her school friends during break times and lunch hours, and she was once caught scribbling a story instead of listening to the French lesson. As a punishment, her teacher made her translate the story into French! She left school at sixteen and worked in offices as varied as stockbrokers, marine engineers, insurance brokers, biscuit manufacturers and even a quarrying company.
She married at nineteen, but continued to work until the birth of her first child. It was at that time that she decided to try her hand at her first love—writing, and shortly after the birth of her daughter she had her first book, Fortune's Lady, published under the pen name of Melinda Hammond. This was quickly followed by two more historical novels, Summer Charade and Autumn Bride, but with the birth of her twin sons the demands of family life meant that writing had to take a backseat for a few years. A compulsive scribbler, she never stopped writing and continued to work on research for her novels, experimenting with contemporary scenarios as well as writing pantomimes for her children's school. In 1989 the family moved to an isolated Pennine farmhouse in West Yorkshire, not far from Brontë country, where the family expanded to include a dog, two gerbils and a dozen chickens. The growing family needed funding and she went back to work full-time. The writing had to be put on hold.
Then, in March 2000, Sarah stepped off a curb and landed in hospital with one ankle broken and one badly sprained. This laid her up on a sofa for twelve weeks and gave her the time she needed to finish a novel. She wrote as Melinda Hammond and Maid of Honour was published the same year. Since then she has never looked back. She's published more than a dozen books under this pen name and has won the Reviewers' Choice Award in 2005 from Singletitles.com for Dance for a Diamond. Her novel Gentlemen in Question was a Historical Novel Society Editors' Choice Title in November 2006. In 2012 her novel The Dangerous Lord Darrington won the Love Story of the Year by the Romantic Novelists' Association. She is now concentrating on writing romantic historical adventures for Mills & Boon.
Born in Bristol, England, UK, she grew up telling stories. She would make up adventures to relate to her school friends during break times and lunch hours, and she was once caught scribbling a story instead of listening to the French lesson. As a punishment, her teacher made her translate the story into French! She left school at sixteen and worked in offices as varied as stockbrokers, marine engineers, insurance brokers, biscuit manufacturers and even a quarrying company.
She married at nineteen, but continued to work until the birth of her first child. It was at that time that she decided to try her hand at her first love—writing, and shortly after the birth of her daughter she had her first book, Fortune's Lady, published under the pen name of Melinda Hammond. This was quickly followed by two more historical novels, Summer Charade and Autumn Bride, but with the birth of her twin sons the demands of family life meant that writing had to take a backseat for a few years. A compulsive scribbler, she never stopped writing and continued to work on research for her novels, experimenting with contemporary scenarios as well as writing pantomimes for her children's school. In 1989 the family moved to an isolated Pennine farmhouse in West Yorkshire, not far from Brontë country, where the family expanded to include a dog, two gerbils and a dozen chickens. The growing family needed funding and she went back to work full-time. The writing had to be put on hold.
Then, in March 2000, Sarah stepped off a curb and landed in hospital with one ankle broken and one badly sprained. This laid her up on a sofa for twelve weeks and gave her the time she needed to finish a novel. She wrote as Melinda Hammond and Maid of Honour was published the same year. Since then she has never looked back. She's published more than a dozen books under this pen name and has won the Reviewers' Choice Award in 2005 from Singletitles.com for Dance for a Diamond. Her novel Gentlemen in Question was a Historical Novel Society Editors' Choice Title in November 2006. In 2012 her novel The Dangerous Lord Darrington won the Love Story of the Year by the Romantic Novelists' Association. She is now concentrating on writing romantic historical adventures for Mills & Boon.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
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June 20, 2022DNF- maybe the snob heroine got better, but I don't want to waste my time waiting for things to turn around because I AM a self-admitted book snob!
August 11, 2023
3.85 stars
October 9, 2024
4, 5 - Romanzo vecchiotto (15 anni) e non tanto amato (almeno scorrendo le recensioni), però l'ho trovato tra i più freschi in un genere che ormai osa le trovate più improbabili per differenziarsi.
La Mallory imbastisce una trama sulla più classica delle trame, ovvero la ricerca di un marito "ricco" come unica salvezza a una vita di povertà e vulnerabilità sociale.
Kitty, neanche ventenne e senza Stagioni nel curriculum, è l'unica figlia di una famiglia decaduta: la madre, di alto lignaggio, ha scelto l'amore al posto di nozze prestigiose, ritrovandosi vedova, senza mezzi e piena di rimpianti.
Ecco quindi che Kitty viene spedita a Londra, con pochissimi vestiti cuciti di sera e investendo il poco che resta, con un'unica missione: trovare un marito nobile (sì, i nobili, pur decaduti, restano snob) per poter mantenere lei, madre e zia inferma.
Non un peso da poco sulle spalle di una giovane che ha avuto un'educazione esemplare, con tanto di ideali anti-schiavisti, ma non è mai uscita dal villaggio dove è nata.
Logico che sia confusa e terrorizzata, tanto da risultare superba e glaciale, respingendo il legame con un imprenditore borghese, davvero ricco ma senza una goccia di sangue aristocratico.
Eppure, lui ce la mette tutta per superare le incomprensioni.
Eppure, lei ce la mette tutta per compiere le scelte sbagliate e farsi male da sola.
A parte il finale un po' veloce, ne risulta un romanzo delizioso, un po' avventura di una ragazza ingenua tra le vipere del Ton e un po' svelamento delle ipocrisie londinesi.
La Mallory imbastisce una trama sulla più classica delle trame, ovvero la ricerca di un marito "ricco" come unica salvezza a una vita di povertà e vulnerabilità sociale.
Kitty, neanche ventenne e senza Stagioni nel curriculum, è l'unica figlia di una famiglia decaduta: la madre, di alto lignaggio, ha scelto l'amore al posto di nozze prestigiose, ritrovandosi vedova, senza mezzi e piena di rimpianti.
Ecco quindi che Kitty viene spedita a Londra, con pochissimi vestiti cuciti di sera e investendo il poco che resta, con un'unica missione: trovare un marito nobile (sì, i nobili, pur decaduti, restano snob) per poter mantenere lei, madre e zia inferma.
Non un peso da poco sulle spalle di una giovane che ha avuto un'educazione esemplare, con tanto di ideali anti-schiavisti, ma non è mai uscita dal villaggio dove è nata.
Logico che sia confusa e terrorizzata, tanto da risultare superba e glaciale, respingendo il legame con un imprenditore borghese, davvero ricco ma senza una goccia di sangue aristocratico.
Eppure, lui ce la mette tutta per superare le incomprensioni.
Eppure, lei ce la mette tutta per compiere le scelte sbagliate e farsi male da sola.
A parte il finale un po' veloce, ne risulta un romanzo delizioso, un po' avventura di una ragazza ingenua tra le vipere del Ton e un po' svelamento delle ipocrisie londinesi.
March 13, 2021
A nice little romance, and anyone who knows me knows I love a nice sweet romance... I think! Yes, I like to read historical action and history non-fiction as well as fantasy, but I always fall back on a few Regency romance to give me that lift we all need in times we feel a little less than joyous! This gave me a warm feeling, I liked the characters and the setting - more could have been done with the atmosphere of the moors, I think, but other than that, there's no criticism I can level at this book. I enjoyed reading it, the writing is good, the story is easy to read and full of interesting and unconventional characters, plus some sweet scenes and loving moments - along with some confusion, as you'd expect, a little sex scene I must admit I skipped as I'm not keen on those (too prim, maybe?), and an ending that gives satisfaction to the reader.
Thanks xx
Thanks xx
April 7, 2018
3.5🌟✨🌟
May 4, 2018
A good and charming story
December 9, 2011
This must be the sixth or seventh Sarah Mallory book I've read, and I've enjoyed them in the same way you enjoy a long-running TV series: similar situations, similar characters, but just enough originality to keep you wanting a little more.
To Catch a Husband… bears most of the trademarks of a Sarah Mallory historical romance, especially the push-pull, love-hate, will-she-won't-she tension between the romantic couple.
I note that Ms Mallory garnered a few prizes for some of her earlier works and I'm curious to see how much her style has changed since then.
Before I go back to those early works, however, I need to take a break and sample other books by other authors.
To Catch a Husband… is well-writen and enjoyable, but I confess that when I sat down to write this review I had to refresh my recollection of the story by re-reading the publisher's blurb.
To Catch a Husband… bears most of the trademarks of a Sarah Mallory historical romance, especially the push-pull, love-hate, will-she-won't-she tension between the romantic couple.
I note that Ms Mallory garnered a few prizes for some of her earlier works and I'm curious to see how much her style has changed since then.
Before I go back to those early works, however, I need to take a break and sample other books by other authors.
To Catch a Husband… is well-writen and enjoyable, but I confess that when I sat down to write this review I had to refresh my recollection of the story by re-reading the publisher's blurb.
December 25, 2012
Really liked the heroine whose intentions are good even if it doesn't come across that way at times. She gets it wrong sometimes which makes her more believable. The hero is a sexy workin' man with a toe in the ton, nice change from the done-to-death duke, earl, viscount etc. Memorable characters, great interaction between them and interesting story.
June 14, 2011
Harlequin historical about a poor gentlewoman who looks down her snotty nose at the interested rich industrialist.
Read
December 8, 2012Interesting.
April 25, 2013
This book was stupid. The ending was even worse too, what was the point of Blackwood getting engaged if it was just going to be broken again 20 or so pages later.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews