You And No Other

by Cathy Maxwell

When Lady Caroline Pearson learns that her brother-in-law has idiotically, and illegally, gambled away her house, she decides that enough is enough. Boldly she confronts the new owner in person. But not only does the dashing rogue, James Ferrington, refuse to return Caroline's deed, he tries to take scandalous advantage of her as well.

Sheepish and repentant, James arrives on Caroline's doorstep to make amends --- unaware that she is now intent on retaliation. James merely meant to seduce the bewitching minx and have done with it --- and suddenly, he's a kidnapped prisoner in Caroline's cellar. But most shocking of all, James realizes that he has no desire whatsoever to be free --- for the audacious Caroline has inflamed his senses, destroyed his reason ... and completely captured his heart.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Adult

375 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

CATHY MAXWELL spends hours in front of her computer pondering the question, "Why do people fall in love?" It remains for her the mystery of life and the secret to happiness.

She lives in the Austin, TX area where she is having the time of her life.

Visit her on Instagram, Twitter, FB, and TikTok at maxwellcathy (Yes, some other Cathy Maxwell nabbed the handle. However, she does own www.cathymaxwell.com and she'd love for you to swing by.)

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Caroline Pearson was in a bind. Her brother-in-law has just lost the deed to her home in a card game. If she doesn't get it back, she and her aunt will be turned out onto the streets. So, Caroline decides to meet with the man who won the title, Lord James Ferrington. James doesn't know what to make of the widow on his doorstep. Is she just another woman wanting to become the mistress of a rich man? The only thing James is sure of is that he can't stop thinking about Caroline since he met her.

This is a cute historical romance that was sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. Caroline and James meet and are immediately attracted to each other. The problem is Caroline has sworn off men after her ill-fated marriage. James hasn't had time for women because he has been busy making his fortune. Their relationship ends up being a series of misunderstandings. Helping push the couple together is Caroline's Aunt Minerva and her three best friends. This story sometimes read like a 1930's screwball comedy. I enjoyed the balls, kidnappings, seductions, and misunderstandings throughout this story. My rating: 4.5 Stars.

[Drea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caroline’s no-good brother-in-law gambled away her house along with his dead brother’s fortune. Her house. Not the house her now husband gave her, but the house that came with her dowry. She’ll have to deal with it because reneging on a game of chance just isn’t done, so sayeth the brother-in-law. Well, she’s not going to sit idly by and let that stand…or become the companion to her harpy of a mother-in-law simply to have a place to live. She’ll get her house back from the winner.

Only…James is gorgeous, rich, and busy planning to topple the East India Trading company. Not too busy to hand over the deed and leave Caroline alone. No, he’s taken with her and though he had every intention of doing the honorable thing, he can’t seem to hand over the deed to her house unless she agrees to have a little fun. More than fun isn’t an option since he’s all but engaged to the daughter of an influential minister…the swing vote for his trading plans.

In steps Caroline’s meddlesome and scandalous, but well meaning aunt-in-law and all the old pariah friends auntie brings with her. They’re not above kidnapping to help their favorite out of a bind.


Plots like these (destitution because of honor) are why I adore historical romance. I specifically picked this book up because I love when the heroine kidnaps the hero. In this instance, the heroine has nothing to do with the kidnapping, but it was still a fun read. James is a bit of a romantic and Caroline is more down-to-earth—the reverse of many historical romances. I found myself smiling as he wore his heart on his sleeve. Ah, poor James. Fortunately he, and Caroline, get their happily ever after.

So why didn’t I give it five stars? The antics of the aunt and her friends were a little much. And I was so done with the drama with the lisping fiancée before it even started.

Grab this if you need a quick and frothy read with a charming hero and down-to-earth widow.

[Netanella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slapstick comedy historical romance. It left a big, goofy smile on my face.

[Maura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is most definitely my favorite Cathy Maxwell book ever. It has drama, angst and comedy. Lady Caroline Pearson is a widow who has just lost the deed to her house (which her brother-in-law lost in a game of cards). So she heads to see the new owner, Mr. James Ferrington. James has never been in love, but he is instantly smitten and in lust with Caroline. Through a series of interactions and misunderstandings, mostly brought about by Caroline's eccentric aunt Minerva and her cronies, James comes to believe that Caroline wants to be his mistress and makes an offer. Caroline is too honorable to sell herself that way and is highly offended at the suggestion. Fearing that he'll never see her again, James holds her deed for ransom and things sort of snowball from there. While the characters are genuinely good people, their desire for one another doesn't bring out the best in them - they lie, kidnap, etc, but all with the best of intentions and all with comic results. And the love between these two characters feels so strong and at times so painful - so it's a very angsty read, especially in the last half. I could re-read this one over and over again.

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked how Caroline held back from her feelings for James. She valued herself and was not frivolous. James suffered from "minimum communication syndrome" and thought Caroline could read his mind. Poor James. I loved the scene where he's in the cellar singing. James was a good man and a charming hero. I liked Caroline but didn't love her character. She was quick to think the worst of James without asking for explanations. While James thought Caroline could read his mind, Caroline thought she could, read his mind, but got it wrong.

I felt as if the happy ending happened by Chapter 14 but the story was strung along needlessly. A viper of a woman tries to derail their HEA and the last five chapters are a roller coaster ride of drama spiced with gross assumptions that made me groan. All the loose ends get tied up but I felt jerked around by the excessive melodrama.

As much as I like James, I don't think this will be a re-read. Hence, the three stars.

[Ashley Schuster · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started out loving at first. It reminded me of books written by Lisa Kleypas. However, half way through, I became bored with the "middle school" shenanigans and it took me quite some time (enough time to read a Kresley Cole novel) to bring myself to finish it. It did, however, get more interesting later in the book. And I mean two or three chapters from the end.

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Caroline Pearson is happy to be widowed and independent at 30. When she finds out her scoundrel brother-in-law has gambled the deed to her house away, she goes to the winner, James Ferrington, to ask for it back. James is a self-made wealthy man who's trying to challenge the East India Co. for rights to trade in India.

The attraction between the two is electric but several obstacles arise, before they get together. Light, quick read - enjoyable. Several descriptive love scenes.

[Sunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the single most bonkers book I've ever read in my entire life. I don't know whether I loved it or hated it, but I will say that, to me, the romance was very unbelievable, and the characters were pretty one-dimensional. But it was a wild ride that kept me reading.

[Ellyn (Mrs. Darcy in my Dreams) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was more sweet than sizzling. The four older ladies were funny but a little far fetched too.

[ReadWithE]

Dnf. Not feeling it. #tryachapterchallenge

[Olga Warachim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bardzo przyjemna pozycja ☺️

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caroline is furious when her cousin loses her home(which isn't his to lose) in a poker game to James Ferrington, she decides she will go to James and ask for it back. James is instantly infatuated with the beautiful widow and ultimately confused by his feelings when she turns him down.
This was fun how aggressively these two go at each other in every sense, and the group of older courtesans who treat her as a god daughter are very entertaining.

[Natalie Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.2 stars. The story has potential, but the side characters were more Interesting and made more sense than the main characters.

[Elis Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Widowed Caroline Pearson learns that her brother-in-law has gambled away everything he has—meaning that the small stipend she's been living on is gone. But worse, he also—illegally—gambled away the little house that was the one bequest her very fortunately dead hubby left her.

The house wasn't his to lose, so Caroline approaches the man he lost to, wealthy businessman James Ferrington, and asks him to return the deed.

James hasn't had a woman for awhile. So his brains have basically migrated to another part of his anatomy. Here he is at the brink of a business deal that could either make or break him, but the minute he sees Caroline, he's all



The guy makes her feel like she's been dropped naked into a tub of champagne, but Caro's had a husband—it sucked. All she wants is her home. Unfortunately, the guy is not keen to give it back. Oh, and he's also not especially interested in being her husband, as it turns out. He plans to marry a business associate's daughter—thereby winning the man's support for his venture—but he wouldn't mind keeping Caro on the side.

Caro has some scandalous friends—her husband's elderly Aunt Minerva rocked society in her day when her failed elopement ended in her lover's death, and she compounded that scandal by taking a married lover in Europe. Minerva's three cronies are also infamous for their various peccadilloes. When Caro is hurt, insulted and potentially left homeless, they decide to step in.

Next thing Cari knows, James is bound and locked in her cellar. If he misses an important business meeting, he'll lose his shirt; surely he'll hand over the deed before he'll face financial ruin. Right?



There's a nasty vendetta that complicates the plot at an opportune moment, bumping this by a half star to 3.5.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun ensemble piece. Loved the premise and was carried off beautifully.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book more than I expected I would. It's a reissue of an older title, and I wasn't sure that it would hold up due to its age. However, after a bit of a slow start, it turned out to be a solid, funny read. The scene that takes place the morning after the Andrews ball, when Caroline (the heroine) finds out that her aunt and friends have kidnapped James (the hero) in an effort to blackmail him into returning the deed to Caroline's house, is particularly well done and humorous. There are several places where the story could have turned into a rehash of the standard "big misunderstanding" plot, but fortunately, Maxwell manages to avoid that for the most part.

One thing that really bugged me about this book is that James kept pushing Caroline to become his mistress until very late in the book. He really seemed convinced that they could be happy together even as he planned to marry his business associate's daughter. If he truly loved Caroline, he should have known that she wasn't the type of woman who would be happy with such an arrangement. It bothered me that James' impulse was to try to have his cake and eat it too, rather than try harder to extricate himself from the unwanted betrothal. In the end, his erstwhile betrothed, Lady Lena, is the one who manages to break the engagement, with the help of Caroline's aunt and her friends.

It's been a long time since I've read any of Cathy Maxwell's other books, but I don't remember them being quite so funny. I think I'll go check out a few of her newer books to see if they are similar. I'm always looking for funny reads to fill the time between Julia Quinn's and Eloisa James' newest releases!

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot was kind of (very) ridiculous, but in a fun way.

There were title errors galore, which was very annoying. There were also some points of historical inaccuracy. One, impoverished widows of lords do not get jobs as teachers if they want to remain socially acceptable. They just don't. Two, the widow of a rich lord shouldn't become impoverished, even if her brother-in-law inherits, because her father should have worked out her jointure in the marriage contract. That would get her a certain percentage of the estate's profits, and she wouldn't have to start worrying until said brother-in-law lost everything gambling.

[Barbara ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

James Ferrington did something incredibly stupid and chased away the woman he is quickly becoming infatuated with. Widow Caroline Pearson, has never been in love; was an emotional slave to her husband; and is fearful of marriage and being put in the same situation again. She resists James to the best of her ability but hence it is not enough. The courtship is interesting and quite comical when Caroline's scandalous aunt adds her two cents. An amusing tale with a sweet ending.

[Victoria Hrenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

A silly, silly book. It was so very cheesy. The plot was fluffy and cliche, the stuff of junior high fantasies. I laughed so much toward the middle of the book when the group of four old women kidnapped the hero and locked him in the cellar. That was my favorite part. I didn't dislike this book... but it was utter trash. A guilty pleasure. I would never admit to liking it enough to recommend it to someone else!

[Krissy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uggh.... the worst Cathy Maxwell book yet. I usually love her books but this one fell waaaay short. This was a total "skimmer" meaning about 3 chapters in I lost interest and started just skimming through the book. I would not recommend this to anybody looking to read Cathy Maxwell for the first time. Please do not choose this one! She has so many other novels that are so much better!

[Jean Gobel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished this in Mar 2013 - A fun, quick read. A widow, too long in mourning black, meets a handsome man of means, whom she decides is a rake. Four well-meaning elderly friends decide to help Caroline in the main objective of the story, but without her knowledge. As expected, things go from bad to worse, but we all know, love wins in the end. Good read for a rainy day.

[Fadekemi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best Cathy Maxwell book ever written as far as i am concerned. Was very funny, witty and charming. The book starts slowly, but trust Cathy to make you love the characters, understand their reasons why they do what they do and find a way to bring them together.

[Josie]

I was very disappointed with this book. The blurb promises a major plot event (the hero ended up locked in the heroine's cellar) yet this didn't happen for over 200 pages. By this point, the slow pacing just made me irritated. This was a DNF for me.

[Jae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts off very well with good chemistry between the leads and charming secondary characters but it devolves into a comedy of errors that is more annoying than funny. It also relies heavily on several coincidences that simply stretch credulity and some extreme turn-arounds from the dude.

[Dancer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took this story too long to develop. It is the Hatfields and the McCoys (or Romeo and Juliet) set in Regency England.

[Jan (the Gryphon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't believe I didn't have this entered already.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

The entire plot of this book was just nonsense. But I did like the tightknit group of older women who just didn't give a crap.

[Etty Kurnianingsih · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suka dengan Minerva dengan teman-temannya yang eksentrik. Benar-benar kelompok wanita tua yang unik.

[Karyn Gerrard · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Cathy Maxwell to date. Everything clicked, humor, deep emotion and very readable. Bonus~sexy Nathan Kamp on cover doesn't hurt! Highly recommend.

[Patricia Carstairs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Justo lo que esperaba