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His Compromised Countess
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304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 12, 2012
Wonderful old-fashioned Regency about a well-meaning couple who decide to give love a second chance.
December 5, 2017
L’ho abbandonato anche se è scritto bene, perché i personaggi sono costantemente in lotta fra loro. Commettono molti errori. È normale che sia così e questo rende tutto molto realistico, però mi danno uno stress continuo. Sono piuttosto ingenui e inetti, sia nel loro rapporto coniugale che nei confronti del figlio. Comunque penso che sia un romanzo molto fedele rispetto ai tempi, ma a me non appassiona.
November 8, 2019
This is essentially a second chance romance, but includes the breakup, and is more about a couple resolving their marital issues than "falling in love." That's a good thing, and makes for a rich and realistic story, but it's more intense than many romances. Still a HEA ending. Scenes such as discovering your child has overheard you arguing with your spouse will be uncomfortably familiar to many readers. Hale models great parenting, in general and for separated couples.
November 6, 2019
This is the first book I have read by Deborah Hale. I really enjoyed it. She made the characters so realistic. Bennett and Caroline, a married couple who seemed to have grown apart. It was well written from beginning to end. I look forward to reading more by Deborah.
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May 8, 2022I am so so so so weak for romance novels that start with the protagonists already married, weaker still when there is a child/children involved, and EVEN WEAKER when the hero is a serious fellow who has difficulty expressing himself.
September 3, 2023
I struggled getting into this one. Starting with the way the husband wouldn’t give his wife a chance to explain, then he banished her, their cold aloofness towards each other then they were in love? Nope not my favorite book at all.
October 26, 2022
It was wonderful!
May 4, 2023
London, April 1817
Bennett, once infatuated with Caroline, catches her kissing the enemy. The doomed couple has one reason to be civil…their son.
I rooted for Bennett and Caroline to confront their failures. Bennett needs to resolve past issues, he is afraid of being hurt again.
As for Caroline, she feels incompetent also due to past hurts. She has to learn how to fight for what she believes even when faced with opposition.
One problem, they come from different worlds with different expectations. They need to talk about the state of their marriage, or Bennett will choose divorce.
A character-driven story. The writer positions the family on a small island, away from distractions where they must learn the "meaning of love." Also forgiveness, trust, and honest communication to heal wounds or the marriage will fall apart because it’s not built on a strong foundation.
What I like about the author’s writing style is her prose. I felt the story was clear and she focused on character development. She is known for heroines who want to carve out a place in society that is not restrictive and patriarchal.
My first read by this author, sadly I cannot find many of her books. I want to read the Duke’s marriage mission.
Bennett, once infatuated with Caroline, catches her kissing the enemy. The doomed couple has one reason to be civil…their son.
I rooted for Bennett and Caroline to confront their failures. Bennett needs to resolve past issues, he is afraid of being hurt again.
As for Caroline, she feels incompetent also due to past hurts. She has to learn how to fight for what she believes even when faced with opposition.
One problem, they come from different worlds with different expectations. They need to talk about the state of their marriage, or Bennett will choose divorce.
A character-driven story. The writer positions the family on a small island, away from distractions where they must learn the "meaning of love." Also forgiveness, trust, and honest communication to heal wounds or the marriage will fall apart because it’s not built on a strong foundation.
What I like about the author’s writing style is her prose. I felt the story was clear and she focused on character development. She is known for heroines who want to carve out a place in society that is not restrictive and patriarchal.
My first read by this author, sadly I cannot find many of her books. I want to read the Duke’s marriage mission.
August 27, 2016
There is great psychological depth in this story about a married couple who have misunderstood each other for years. I am rather demanding about this kind of plot, too often in romance novels misunderstandings seem a bit artificial, but here I found it all very realistic, and heartbreaking.
Caroline and Bennett have had different childhoods but neither was very well equipped to deal with the realities of a relationship. Both analyzed the other's actions from their own perspective, which led to massive misunderstandings, notably about each other's feelings for their young son.
The story is told from both points of view, so we find out rather quickly that each character is quite wrong about the other, which in some stories would become boring, but Hale successfully keeps it interesting with gradual revelations, and the slow beginning of a different relationship between them. The difficulty of changing one's old habits and ingrained reactions is very well described.
I also liked it very much that their son is central to the story and actually there with them, not just as a narrative tool but as an actual character with his own feelings about the situation.
Caroline and Bennett have had different childhoods but neither was very well equipped to deal with the realities of a relationship. Both analyzed the other's actions from their own perspective, which led to massive misunderstandings, notably about each other's feelings for their young son.
The story is told from both points of view, so we find out rather quickly that each character is quite wrong about the other, which in some stories would become boring, but Hale successfully keeps it interesting with gradual revelations, and the slow beginning of a different relationship between them. The difficulty of changing one's old habits and ingrained reactions is very well described.
I also liked it very much that their son is central to the story and actually there with them, not just as a narrative tool but as an actual character with his own feelings about the situation.
August 27, 2013
When he catches his wife, Caroline, in a compromising situation with his enemy at Almack's, Bennett Maitland, Earl of Sterling, banishes her from London. Afraid that he will also forbid her to have contact with their young son, Caroline takes Wyn and flees to the Isles of Scilly and Tresco off the coast of Cornwall. Expecting a manor house, they were unprepared to find an abandoned manor house. And here is where she hoped to stay? Worse, Bennet caught up to her the next day, told her that she had a month and then he was taking Wyn and returning to London without her. Do they have the time to put their marriage back together?
This was a very difficult book to read. Both the hero and heroine had very difficult childhoods even for the aristocracy. Then there were the strictures of the Ton which affected their interaction with each other. There was a lot standing in the way of HEA. It took me a lot longer to read than normal.
This was a very difficult book to read. Both the hero and heroine had very difficult childhoods even for the aristocracy. Then there were the strictures of the Ton which affected their interaction with each other. There was a lot standing in the way of HEA. It took me a lot longer to read than normal.
August 22, 2014
I don't typically like this type of stories in romances (husband suspects wife of cheating on him, throws her out, then realizes he was wrong). But based on the glowing reviews, and the fact that there were no spoilers saying 'oh he cheated on her with ow', I figured I might give it a go. I am so glad I did! This was a wonderfully written novel. Somewhat trite, but for the genre, it was really good.
The H follows his wife right away after sending her to a far out estate because she takes their son with her. (The h's issues with son's nanny are not addressed now that I think of it, but it doesn't matter towards the end.) The son falls ill, and after he recovers they want to make sure he won't fall sick again, so they stick around for a week, then decide on a month of pretending to be a happy family, and ta-da... some communication and we have a HEA. *sigh* Now I can go sleep peacefully.
The H follows his wife right away after sending her to a far out estate because she takes their son with her. (The h's issues with son's nanny are not addressed now that I think of it, but it doesn't matter towards the end.) The son falls ill, and after he recovers they want to make sure he won't fall sick again, so they stick around for a week, then decide on a month of pretending to be a happy family, and ta-da... some communication and we have a HEA. *sigh* Now I can go sleep peacefully.
May 28, 2012
I was completely spellbound by the realistic emotions of Bennett and Caroline as they faced the truth about themselves, each other, their marriage, and roles as parents. Much of the story centered on their family relationship while living on a small isle off the coast of Cornwall far from reminders of a humiliating scandal. I was fascinated by their attempts to leave their previous mistakes in the past so that they could forge something new for the sake of their child. Truly, it was their son that brought them back together. How refreshing to witness the courage to surmount their deep-seated insecurities; the compromises they made were very satisfying.
This story was a steady-paced account of the rebuilding of their marriage, and while not overly sensual, their reconciliation was still romantic in the truest sense. 4 stars.
This story was a steady-paced account of the rebuilding of their marriage, and while not overly sensual, their reconciliation was still romantic in the truest sense. 4 stars.
May 19, 2012
The book is an extended meditation on two characters who have done nothing but big- and little-mis themselves for seven-odd years of marriage. While I normally do eat this stuff right up (discovering the person you've married is not who you've assumed them to be = rad = sooo excited about Sherry Thomas's uncoming book) here the narrative structure is boring as dust. Long pages of maundering- perhaps I've misjudged him/her. Maybe he/she is not the grim hater/flighty whore I've always thought him/her to be... followed by, naaaah, I'm sure I'm just imagining things. Rinse, repeat. Several times. Snooze. Which is too bad, because I adored the angst here- I just wish it had been better executed.
May 1, 2013
Wonderful story, really departs from your usually HEA and gives you a different glimpse at a true love story. On this one you have two people married for the wrong reasons and who have grown apart and feel there's no longer hope for their relationship, but have a child and like so many modern marriages, want to do what's best for their child. The way circumstances bring them together and the steps they take to make things work, will give them a second chance at a relationship they didn't know they could have.
I've read only a few books by Ms. Hale, but I've been really impressed by the stories. Guess I'll have to keep reading them as her writing is very much within my favored style for this genre.
I've read only a few books by Ms. Hale, but I've been really impressed by the stories. Guess I'll have to keep reading them as her writing is very much within my favored style for this genre.
September 5, 2012
This story is a real lesson to all of us... to simply listen to each other and showing the people around us how we really fell. This is a delightful in dept story of two broken hearts linked together for the same cause. Until eventually they share, talk and trust each other with their feeling to over come any kind of heartache for the one they love.
March 12, 2012
Horrible. The dialogue was repetitive and did not make logical sense. The entire story was poorly thought out. I was bored.
April 26, 2012
Love the historical stories and how they find their love.
June 19, 2017
It's emotionally a heart wrenching story. I like that it start off unusual and straight away hooked you in.
I love that nothing insta about their relationship and their struggle to come to terms with it. It's also nice or picture their surrounding and made you feel like you're there in the island with them.
I wish they would communicate better but I guess it's close to real life where we often making assumptions and jumping Into conclusion so quick when it comes to others.
I love this story overall and how two people who has been hurt and had their own struggle to come terms and face their obstacle.
It would be nice to see how they face the society together but the epilogue is good enough.
Overall.. 4.5 stars
I love that nothing insta about their relationship and their struggle to come to terms with it. It's also nice or picture their surrounding and made you feel like you're there in the island with them.
I wish they would communicate better but I guess it's close to real life where we often making assumptions and jumping Into conclusion so quick when it comes to others.
I love this story overall and how two people who has been hurt and had their own struggle to come terms and face their obstacle.
It would be nice to see how they face the society together but the epilogue is good enough.
Overall.. 4.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews