Rose Trelawney

by Joan Smith

Sir Ludwig called her "Rose Trelawney" because she had no memory of who she was. Awaking in a ditch in a snowstorm, "Rose" had eventually found safe haven at Sir Ludwig's home as his sister's governess. But she found herself not unfamiliar with ordering servants about--or the physical desire she felt for Sir Ludwig. Did that make her a married woman or a harlot?

Not knowing where she belonged in this dangerous game of kidnapping and art thievery could prove dangerous indeed.

Genres: Historical Romance, Traditional Regency, Historical, Regency, Mystery, Romance, Regency Romance

220 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Joan Smith is a graduate of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, and the Ontario College of Education. She has taught French and English in high school and English in college. When she began writing, her interest in Jane Austen and Lord Byron led to her first choice of genre, the Regency, which she especially liked for its wit and humor.
Her favorite travel destination is England, where she researches her books. Her hobbies are gardening, painting, sculpture and reading. She is married and has three children. A prolific writer, she is currently working on Regencies and various mysteries at her home in Georgetown, Ontario.
She is also known as Jennie Gallant

Reviews

[Cecilia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another sharp witted story by Joan Smith. Subtle romance amid lots of banter, and very amusing secondary characters.

Edit: I reread this in 2023, and it did not stand up as well. The protagonist’s abrasiveness was less amusing, more tiresome this time around.

[Claire S · Rating 1 out of 5]

Joan Smith is a very talented writer and her books always seem very different from each other and very unique in their premises. That said, this is my least favorite book of her so far. I found none of her wit and humor. I have to disclose that I usually don't like first person narration in books but her two other books I read in first person were very good. Of course, for it to work, the reader has to like, sympathize, or relate to the narrator and I felt none of these things. "Rose Trelawney" was judgmental, managing, and mean spirited. In a different book, she would have been the rival. The one who visits the H's home and decides she's going to change everything when she becomes his wife including him. I kept on reading to find out Rose's identity and the reason why she was so obsessed with everyone being thin and her feelings of superiority over other nationalities but, at the point when the mystery starts to unravel, I just didn't care anymore. I skimmed through the rest of the story and didn't find any satisfactory answer to her attitudes (granted I might have missed something since I had lost interest). In the end, I felt sorry for Ludwig and his family to be saddled with such a person and all her baggage. I highly recommend Joan Smith as an author but, sadly, not this particular novel.

[Linda C · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young woman awakes in a snow filled ditch with no memory of who she is or how she got there. She walks to a small village vicarage for help. After an unsuccessful week trying to figure out who she is, the vicar tired of her managing ways and afraid she will put a strain on the vicarage funds, palms her off on the local Lord. Lord Ludwig hires her to polish his young sister’s French and art, while helping to solve the mystery. I really liked this romance because of the logical way they precede trying to investigate and for the banter and veiled sarcasm that happens between the h/h. He has a dotty aunt and is stuck in a rut. She wheedles, cajoles, and manipulates everyone into better eating habits and updating their clothing and furnishings. Very funny in places.

[Maud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny!
Original plot.
The stranded woman with a severe case of anmesia is named Rose Trelawney by the eccentric aunt of the hero. Just because she always fancied to know a person with that name.
From that moment on this book is a funny romp with witty dialoge and a bit of suspense.
I could not but laugh out loud at some scenes. The 'great piece of lumber' of a desk really had me in stitches.

[MissKitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice. A lighthearted amusing read. It’s a combination madcap caper and mystery.

The heroine has lost her memory, seemingly after an accident, so we have to deal with the mystery of who she is. There has also been a kidnapping of an heiress who lives in the vicinity.

The author keeps up the interest in the mystery, while the tale is sprinkled with a lighthearted romance. The heroine manages the gruff Hero pretty well, so it makes for a very entertaining story.

[Megzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Sally B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I once went on a Joan Smith bingefest and out of all the books, this one stood out as a favourite. Second time reading and I will be putting this on my bookshelf to read again at a future date. When authors can bring each character to 3-dimensional life,from the main characters to the laundrymaid, you know they have a whole level of skill that separates them from the pack. There could be fantastic plots, beautiful, creative and descriptive writing, main characters with amazing qualities but if the secondary characters are cookie cutter with nothing to distinguish them other than good or bad qualities, the story falls flat. Joan Smith doesn't disappoint. The depths of chemistry and constant sparring between the heroine and hero, the younger sister who is a plot moppet but somehow isn't, the funny alzheimers grandma, the bitch SIL who is somehow a hero and antagonist as well, the gossipy village sisters who we are never to meet but still retained a place in the cast, the randy cousin who propositions her all add color to a seemingly second rate forgotten dime novel. Now this is not a really authentic and deep book, with descriptive and human soul searching like Austen or highly researched like Heyer, but it has that stamp of credibility with a large entertainment factor without seemingly trying to hard. A solid entertaining read.

[Patrizia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non mi aspettavo da JS un romanzo così complesso, così vicino alla narrativa inglese di fine ottocento: i personaggi ben disegnati, il graduale recupero della memoria della protagonista, il cui caratterino emerge fin dalle prime parole (sì, perché è lei la voce narrante), la ricostruzione fedele dell'ambientazione. Mi ha ricordato un po' la Du Maurier di Jamaica Inn... fino a quando la storia si è tinta di gotico, e l'autrice ha dimostrato di non essere assolutamente in grado di gestire la suspence: è così corsa a precipizio verso la conclusione, risolvendo le situazioni più complicate (rapimenti, tentativi di omicidio, truffe, sostituzioni di persona) con un semplice schioccar di dita.

[Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book getting to the top of my favorite Joan Smith’s. An intriguing, witty, funny, and fast paced story without a boring moment from cover to cover. It had a mystery that kept me guessing until the end and still surprised me with hidden details. It was even educational in art and architecture that kept me googling some information. And the romance was sweet and convincing and utterly enthralling. I loved both the hero and the heroine and enjoyed their banter. The secondary characters were amusing and strongly presented. The main highlight was the heroine with her intelligence, strength, and even her manipulative ability. A highly recommended read.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

an amnesia tale, a tangled one with an Italian triptych. a lady is found in the snow with no memory of her past. She is given the name Miss Smith, which might be a joke on the author's name, She is taken in by a German fellow as a governess for his daughter. She recovers her memory suddenly, and the denouement proceeds apace.

[Darien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though set in the regency period this is a cozy mystery, with a little amnesia, kidnapping, fraud and mistaken identity. Some very keen and witty observations about social rules and gender roles made this very enjoyable for me.

[Elen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing read with quite unique hero&heroine, some heartwarming moments thrown in! Not one of Joan Smith's best, but I think I have found the middle one between her bests and mehs.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a good read at first, but the heroine was too straight forward for me and a bit rude in her thoughts. The Romance element was next to none, so I couldn't go further then 40% of the book.

[Z. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Everyone in this book is so annoying. I shouldn't have finished it, but I wanted to find out how the mystery would be solved. Boo! Hiss!

[Kell Andrews]

Saucier than most Joan Smith books

[Judith Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a Typical Romance.

I loved this book. The plot was a bit different from your typical romance novel, the characters have depth and personality, and the dialogue was witty.

[Prizm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Heroine was annoying, DNF at 27%

[Kagama-the Literaturevixen]

Hero wears a monocle

[Sandra Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread