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My Notorious Aunt #3
Cut From The Same Cloth
Why does the powerfully built, golden-haired, Lord St. Cleve dress like an overdone Dandy? His outlandish wardrobe belies the hard unyielding lines of his face. Whoever he is, he's ruining Elizabeth Hampton's desperate scheme to secure a rich husband. Terribly vexing, to arrive at the most fashionable Breakfast Party of the Season wearing a perfectly stunning Chinese silk gown, only to discover Lord St. Cleve clad in unmentionables cut from identical cloth.
Lord St. Cleve despises pretension of any kind. He cannot abide the self-important airs put on by some members of the Ton. He takes wicked pleasure in making a mockery of Brummell's fashion strictures. Conceited frauds! Hadn't his grandfather's snobbery made his mother's life a misery? Maddening to discover the one woman who captures his interest is the biggest pretender of all! He vows to teach Miss Elizabeth Hampton a lesson she won't soon forget.
Lord St. Cleve despises pretension of any kind. He cannot abide the self-important airs put on by some members of the Ton. He takes wicked pleasure in making a mockery of Brummell's fashion strictures. Conceited frauds! Hadn't his grandfather's snobbery made his mother's life a misery? Maddening to discover the one woman who captures his interest is the biggest pretender of all! He vows to teach Miss Elizabeth Hampton a lesson she won't soon forget.
222 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2005
851 people are currently reading
1706 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Baldwin
19 books894 followersGet ready to fall in love with the heartwarming humorous novels of Kathleen Baldwin, a Wall Street Journal, #1 Barnes & Noble, and Amazon bestselling author. Delighting readers around the globe, her stories have been translated into several languages, and more than 650,000 books sold worldwide. Baldwin's unique plots even captured the attention of a Japanese publisher who adapted her Regency Romance, LADY FIASCO, into a manga.
#1 USA Today bestselling author Meg Cabot raves that Kathleen’s A SCHOOL FOR UNUSUAL GIRLS is “completely original and totally engrossing.”
The New York Times Book Review called it “enticing from the first sentence.”
Kathleen’s love of adventure isn’t limited to her writing. She taught rock climbing in the Rockies, survival camped in the desert and in the snow, slept beside a mountain lion, and lost an argument with a rattlesnake. Later, she married her very own hero and raised four feisty children.
Kathleen is also an avid reader and adores the wit and humor of Oscar Wilde, P.G. Wodehouse, and Jane Austen. Her eclectic reading interests range from Frank Herbert to Meg Cabot, and on to the incredibly imaginative tales of Diana Wynne Jones.
News and other fun stuff at: Website, Newsletter,Instagram, Twitter, Facebook
A School for Unusual Girls , was her first historical romance for Young Adults. It is a Junior Library Guild selection, and Texas Librarians gave it the 2016 Spirit of Texas reading program award. Publisher’s Lunch listed it in their 2015 Young Adult BookBuzz. Kansas State NEA Reading Circle gave it a starred review in their 2016 “Best of the Best” for High Schools. Scholastic licensed it for book fairs. The Stranje House series is currently under a renewed film option.
#1 USA Today bestselling author Meg Cabot raves that Kathleen’s A SCHOOL FOR UNUSUAL GIRLS is “completely original and totally engrossing.”
The New York Times Book Review called it “enticing from the first sentence.”
Kathleen’s love of adventure isn’t limited to her writing. She taught rock climbing in the Rockies, survival camped in the desert and in the snow, slept beside a mountain lion, and lost an argument with a rattlesnake. Later, she married her very own hero and raised four feisty children.
Kathleen is also an avid reader and adores the wit and humor of Oscar Wilde, P.G. Wodehouse, and Jane Austen. Her eclectic reading interests range from Frank Herbert to Meg Cabot, and on to the incredibly imaginative tales of Diana Wynne Jones.
News and other fun stuff at: Website, Newsletter,Instagram, Twitter, Facebook
A School for Unusual Girls , was her first historical romance for Young Adults. It is a Junior Library Guild selection, and Texas Librarians gave it the 2016 Spirit of Texas reading program award. Publisher’s Lunch listed it in their 2015 Young Adult BookBuzz. Kansas State NEA Reading Circle gave it a starred review in their 2016 “Best of the Best” for High Schools. Scholastic licensed it for book fairs. The Stranje House series is currently under a renewed film option.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 249 reviews
December 15, 2017
3.5 stars. Kindle freebie as of 4/24/2017, for light Regency romance fans only. I whipped through this in one day and it was a pleasant little diversion with a decent sense of humor, if you're into this genre. It's third in a series but works fine as a stand-alone read. (I haven't read the others but apparently they're connected just in that the hero's aunt is in all three.)
Elizabeth Hampton and her brother are in financial straits. Since her brother, the heir, doesn't show much sign of doing anything about it, Elizabeth decides to take one for the team and is doing her best to interest some rich guy enough to marry her and save their estate. She can't afford the latest fashions, but she's (very secretly, because high society would NOT approve) an excellent seamstress and can sew amazing dresses for herself. Her one problem, well, besides the lame personalities of the rich guys who are interested in her ...
Lord St. Cleve, who goes by Valen (his full name is Valentine, so ... good call!), despises the ton, but he's promised his ailing father that he'll find a bride and get married. Partly to mock society and partly to see if he can find a woman who cares more about him than social rules, he dresses for parties in the most outlandish outfits he can put together, driving his valet to despair.
Unfortunately for Elizabeth, when they first meet he's picked the same distinctive cloth for his outfit as she's used for her dress. Elizabeth is incensed and barely manages to hold her tongue, since Valen is a friend of her brother. Valen's scheming Aunt Honore (a gem of a character!) decides to invite Elizabeth and her brother to stay in their home for a few weeks, and Valen decides Elizabeth definitely needs to be taken down several notches. What better way than to follow her when she buys more cloth for dresses, then buy the same cloth for himself so he can repeat the fun he had at the first dance where they met?
But when they get to know each other better and see the real person behind the other's façade, and then when Valen's past work in the war with France comes back to haunt both of them, the stakes are raised and the game-playing gets set aside. At least for a little while. :)
It's a pretty good read, especially for a freebie, again, if you like the genre. Elizabeth is a bit of a scold and seems cold, especially at first, but she's carrying a lot of burdens and cares, so I could sympathize with her. The ending felt rushed, but overall it has enough fun moments and enjoyment to make it worth reading.
Content note: some innuendo but otherwise clean. Kisses only.
Elizabeth Hampton and her brother are in financial straits. Since her brother, the heir, doesn't show much sign of doing anything about it, Elizabeth decides to take one for the team and is doing her best to interest some rich guy enough to marry her and save their estate. She can't afford the latest fashions, but she's (very secretly, because high society would NOT approve) an excellent seamstress and can sew amazing dresses for herself. Her one problem, well, besides the lame personalities of the rich guys who are interested in her ...
Lord St. Cleve, who goes by Valen (his full name is Valentine, so ... good call!), despises the ton, but he's promised his ailing father that he'll find a bride and get married. Partly to mock society and partly to see if he can find a woman who cares more about him than social rules, he dresses for parties in the most outlandish outfits he can put together, driving his valet to despair.
Unfortunately for Elizabeth, when they first meet he's picked the same distinctive cloth for his outfit as she's used for her dress. Elizabeth is incensed and barely manages to hold her tongue, since Valen is a friend of her brother. Valen's scheming Aunt Honore (a gem of a character!) decides to invite Elizabeth and her brother to stay in their home for a few weeks, and Valen decides Elizabeth definitely needs to be taken down several notches. What better way than to follow her when she buys more cloth for dresses, then buy the same cloth for himself so he can repeat the fun he had at the first dance where they met?
But when they get to know each other better and see the real person behind the other's façade, and then when Valen's past work in the war with France comes back to haunt both of them, the stakes are raised and the game-playing gets set aside. At least for a little while. :)
It's a pretty good read, especially for a freebie, again, if you like the genre. Elizabeth is a bit of a scold and seems cold, especially at first, but she's carrying a lot of burdens and cares, so I could sympathize with her. The ending felt rushed, but overall it has enough fun moments and enjoyment to make it worth reading.
Content note: some innuendo but otherwise clean. Kisses only.
November 14, 2017
The Amazon subtitle for this title was A Humorous Traditional Regency Romance.
So by 27% in I should have cracked a smile at least once, right? That would have me forgiving a supposed Regency gentleman wearing lace & other anachronisms. Embarrassingly unfunny & I only made it this far because of a game of Battledore & Shuttlecock. I have fond memories from when our whole family played badminton & I hoped it's precursor would provide a few laughs.
Nope. Just terrible.
Edit: Had a rethink & decided 2★ was too charitable.
So by 27% in I should have cracked a smile at least once, right? That would have me forgiving a supposed Regency gentleman wearing lace & other anachronisms. Embarrassingly unfunny & I only made it this far because of a game of Battledore & Shuttlecock. I have fond memories from when our whole family played badminton & I hoped it's precursor would provide a few laughs.
Nope. Just terrible.
Edit: Had a rethink & decided 2★ was too charitable.
September 29, 2018
Cut from the Same Cloth, third in the My Notorious Aunt series by Kathleen Baldwin, is a standalone clean and comical Regency romance. It was originally published in 2005 by Zebra, but I read the 2014 Kindle version with the gorgeous cover. I selected this book because I really enjoyed the first two books in the series.
The Heroine:
Lady Elizabeth Hampton has decided on a course of action. Her family has fallen on hard times, and it is up to her to marry a rich husband who can rescue them financially. Unfortunately, she is not enamored of any of her options. And she finds her brother’s friend Valen irritating.
The Hero:
Valen’s father is dying of consumption, and Valen, Lord St. Evert, will soon be heir to the family estate. His father has insisted that Valen marry so that he will be able to produce an heir. Valen does not care for the arrogance of aristocrats (even though he is one), nor for the social rules that are supposed to be followed. He prefers to wear comfortable rather than impressive clothing.
Valen leaves Ransley Keep and goes to London to stay at his (notorious) Aunt Honore’s home with the goal of fulfilling his promise to his father. However, he seems determined to be as difficult as possible by dressing atrociously.
Is it clean/chaste?
The book is a clean read, but there is some violence. (edited in 2018 to add: It's been a while since I read this, but I'm sure it's very mild violence.)
What I liked:
*Valen’s outrageous aunt is so much fun. There is plenty of humor to be had in this tale, and much of it is due to Aunt Honore. I thought all the characters were well done, really.
*The chapter names are cryptic, but somehow refer to what will happen in each chapter. The first few chapters titles are “Weaving Dark and Light,” “I’d Rather Be Dyed,” and “Crawling Through the Eye of the Needle.”
The author’s website has an afterword for this book, which I appreciated reading.
What I didn’t like:
*There’s a one star review on Amazon which cites several homophone errors in the book. Since this could be a sticking point for many, I wanted to mention that I believe these have been fixed. I only found one in the entire book. Furthermore, I’d consider the writing to be very slick.
*Valen’s father near the beginning says of his son, "He forgot himself. Called me … Father." I think it would have made sense to elaborate more about that at some point, even if it was much later in the book. In some sense, it was explained, but I think a more explicit explanation would have been better. I’m nitpicking here in order to put something in this section. I really loved the book.
-----------------------------
I’d recommend this to fans of Regency romance with a comic bent. I very much look forward to reading more from Kathleen Baldwin!
The Heroine:
Lady Elizabeth Hampton has decided on a course of action. Her family has fallen on hard times, and it is up to her to marry a rich husband who can rescue them financially. Unfortunately, she is not enamored of any of her options. And she finds her brother’s friend Valen irritating.
The Hero:
Valen’s father is dying of consumption, and Valen, Lord St. Evert, will soon be heir to the family estate. His father has insisted that Valen marry so that he will be able to produce an heir. Valen does not care for the arrogance of aristocrats (even though he is one), nor for the social rules that are supposed to be followed. He prefers to wear comfortable rather than impressive clothing.
Valen leaves Ransley Keep and goes to London to stay at his (notorious) Aunt Honore’s home with the goal of fulfilling his promise to his father. However, he seems determined to be as difficult as possible by dressing atrociously.
Is it clean/chaste?
The book is a clean read, but there is some violence. (edited in 2018 to add: It's been a while since I read this, but I'm sure it's very mild violence.)
What I liked:
*Valen’s outrageous aunt is so much fun. There is plenty of humor to be had in this tale, and much of it is due to Aunt Honore. I thought all the characters were well done, really.
*The chapter names are cryptic, but somehow refer to what will happen in each chapter. The first few chapters titles are “Weaving Dark and Light,” “I’d Rather Be Dyed,” and “Crawling Through the Eye of the Needle.”
The author’s website has an afterword for this book, which I appreciated reading.
What I didn’t like:
*There’s a one star review on Amazon which cites several homophone errors in the book. Since this could be a sticking point for many, I wanted to mention that I believe these have been fixed. I only found one in the entire book. Furthermore, I’d consider the writing to be very slick.
*Valen’s father near the beginning says of his son, "He forgot himself. Called me … Father." I think it would have made sense to elaborate more about that at some point, even if it was much later in the book. In some sense, it was explained, but I think a more explicit explanation would have been better. I’m nitpicking here in order to put something in this section. I really loved the book.
-----------------------------
I’d recommend this to fans of Regency romance with a comic bent. I very much look forward to reading more from Kathleen Baldwin!
September 23, 2015
3.5 stars rounded up to four.
“Oh, I see. Having a bit of fun, are we? Poking your finger in society’s eye? Throwing down a challenge for Brummel and his ilk, eh? Silly me. Here I thought you were in London to find a wife.”
The girl: Elizabeth Hampton on the hunt for a wealthy husband to save her family's finances (long story, I don't need to recap it). Elizabeth has a talent with the needle and an eye for fancy cloth so she can stand out in the crowd at any party.
The guy: Lord St. Cleve (first name Valentine, Valen for short), he's promised his ailing father to enter London society to find a bride, and one that he truly loves. His opinion of the ton isn't very high and he mocks them a bit by dressing as an overstuffed dandy.
Long story short, our pair meet and don't get along too well at the start, but being this is a romance you know that's not going to last long. There's also a bit of a mystery surrounding the merchant Elizabeth gets her cloth from and a spy from Valen's mysterious, secret past.
This was a nice, fluffy read and very clean - just a few slightly steamy kisses. My only real disappointment were some unfinished loose ends at the finish.
“Oh, I see. Having a bit of fun, are we? Poking your finger in society’s eye? Throwing down a challenge for Brummel and his ilk, eh? Silly me. Here I thought you were in London to find a wife.”
The girl: Elizabeth Hampton on the hunt for a wealthy husband to save her family's finances (long story, I don't need to recap it). Elizabeth has a talent with the needle and an eye for fancy cloth so she can stand out in the crowd at any party.
The guy: Lord St. Cleve (first name Valentine, Valen for short), he's promised his ailing father to enter London society to find a bride, and one that he truly loves. His opinion of the ton isn't very high and he mocks them a bit by dressing as an overstuffed dandy.
Long story short, our pair meet and don't get along too well at the start, but being this is a romance you know that's not going to last long. There's also a bit of a mystery surrounding the merchant Elizabeth gets her cloth from and a spy from Valen's mysterious, secret past.
This was a nice, fluffy read and very clean - just a few slightly steamy kisses. My only real disappointment were some unfinished loose ends at the finish.
May 25, 2016
3 1/2
What a fun regency this was!
I picked this up just wanting some light brain-candy. This hit the spot and I think this author will be one I come back too when I need something light and fun. :)
It's not Georgette Heyer, or Jane Austen. I don't mean that in a bad way. I don't feel like the author was trying to copy them, just get inspiration. So for me, this was good, I feel like the author put her own stamp on it without being a copycat.
This was fun! Now I wish I had the first two books. (Yes, I read it out of sequence, and it didn't take away the fun at all. This stands alone nicely)I enjoyed reading the Afterword on Kathleen Baldwin's website too, it added tied the ends nicely. http://kathleenbaldwin.com/wp-content...
Real review to come later.
What a fun regency this was!
I picked this up just wanting some light brain-candy. This hit the spot and I think this author will be one I come back too when I need something light and fun. :)
It's not Georgette Heyer, or Jane Austen. I don't mean that in a bad way. I don't feel like the author was trying to copy them, just get inspiration. So for me, this was good, I feel like the author put her own stamp on it without being a copycat.
This was fun! Now I wish I had the first two books. (Yes, I read it out of sequence, and it didn't take away the fun at all. This stands alone nicely)I enjoyed reading the Afterword on Kathleen Baldwin's website too, it added tied the ends nicely. http://kathleenbaldwin.com/wp-content...
Real review to come later.
August 2, 2013
Valen, Lord St. Clare's father is dying and makes Valen promise to find a wife who will fill his heart. Easier said than done when Valen despises all the members of the ton for their snooty ways. His mother was common born and his noble grandfather made her life miserable. Valen gives his father a half-hearted promise and heads off to London to stay with his Aunt Honore. Lady Elizabeth Hampton is in London to find a rich husband. With her father and older brother missing in America and her twin brother not mature enough to save the family, Lady Elizabeth decides she must do the right thing and sacrifice herself to rescue the family finances. Elizabeth revels in creating eye-catching dresses out of beautiful, unusual silks. Her creations have caught the eyes of a few suitors, most notably Lord "Pointy-Nose-But-Has-Thirty-Thousand-a-Year" Horton, a would-be poet. Unfortunately, her unique style has also caught the attention of Lord St. Clare, who delights in creating lurid articles of clothing from the same cloth as Elizabeth's dresses. Lord St. Clare's jokes do not amuse Elizabeth and she takes delight in telling him off. He also happens to be her brother's old friend and when Lord St. Clare and Lady Almaeda invite the twins to stay at Lady Almaeda's, Elizabeth finds herself arguing a lot more with Lord St. Clare than she ever wanted to. Valen sees though Elizabeth's ploy. He also sees the spirited girl underneath the prim and proper young lady., but Valen vows he won't be caught in Elizabeth's schemes. He thinks he's safe because he isn't rich enough but if his Aunt Honore has anything to say about it, Valen and Elizabeth will be at the alter in no time at all. The story takes a dramatic turn and Valen has to prove to Elizabeth that he is not just a fashionable fribble and she must show him that she has a heart after all.
This is an excellent, light, funny romance. Aunt Honore is my favorite character with her outrageous comments and carefully designed ploys to bring about a match between her favorite nephew and his friend's sister. The book had me laughing out loud in many places and balances the dramatic events with humor quite nicely. I could have done without the drama but it was necessary for the romance and character development. This is a nice reversal of the Pride and Prejudice plot and an original, refreshing plot which hasn't been used before. There is some brief, mild sensual language but mostly the book is kisses only and the sensuality is handled with humor and charm. Though it's not quite at the level of Georgette Heyer, I loved this book and highly recommend it for fans of the genre.
This is an excellent, light, funny romance. Aunt Honore is my favorite character with her outrageous comments and carefully designed ploys to bring about a match between her favorite nephew and his friend's sister. The book had me laughing out loud in many places and balances the dramatic events with humor quite nicely. I could have done without the drama but it was necessary for the romance and character development. This is a nice reversal of the Pride and Prejudice plot and an original, refreshing plot which hasn't been used before. There is some brief, mild sensual language but mostly the book is kisses only and the sensuality is handled with humor and charm. Though it's not quite at the level of Georgette Heyer, I loved this book and highly recommend it for fans of the genre.
January 11, 2015
While I didn't like this one quite as much as MISTAKEN KISS, I still thought it was pretty enjoyable. Elizabeth has a prickly personality which does somewhat soften as the story progresses. I thought some of the interactions between her at St Cleve were rather fun. It was a fun, quick read.
Content: Clean. Has more crude humor and innuendo, but not overly bad.
Content: Clean. Has more crude humor and innuendo, but not overly bad.
September 28, 2018
Valen and Elizabeth
Lady Elizabeth (Izzie) is hunting for a rich husband. The family finances need saving and her twin brother, Robert, isn't coming up to snuff. Izzie feels it is up to her to save the family. Valen, Lord St. Evert, has half-heartedly promised his father, Lord Ransley, that he would search for a wife and produce a grandson before his father dies. Valen does not like the arrogance of the nobility, even though he is one of them. He dresses in outrageous outfits to snub his nose at the Brummell's fashion strictures. He wears unmentionables of the same Chinese silk as Izzie's dress at a most fashionable Breakfast Party of the Season. Izzie feels humiliated. When she discovers that Valen is a good friend of Robert's, she scolds Valen instead of making polite conversation. When she finds out Robert has told Valen their financial predicament, her humiliation is complete.
Lady Alameda offers Izzie and Robert to stay at Alison Hall for the season. When Izzie sneaks out early in the morning to walk to Smythe and Sons for some fabric to sew a new dress, Valen spots her leaving and follows her. After Izzie leaves with her purchase, Valen walks into the shop and makes a deal to buy any remaining fabric from Izzie's purchases. He plans to bring Izzie down a few pegs by having the remaining fabric made into clothing for himself. Two days later Izzie walks down in the most beautiful, unique gown he has ever seen. Valen can't bring himself to wear the ugly jacket he had made from the same fabric. Later that evening, Izzie scolds Valen for wearing a jacket the same shade of green as her gown. Valen defends himself by telling her the jacket is his cousin's.
It took a while for me to warm up to Izzie. I could understand her motives, but her personality seemed cold and yet, innocent. Valen appeared as a dandy with a large, emotional chip on his shoulder. We later find out he served as a captain in the English army. Aunt Honore, Lady Alameda, is my favorite character and provides humor to the narrative. There were several subplots left untied, which Kathleen Baldwin tidied up with an Afterwords download from her website book club. The plot was predictable. The description is excellent. I've read all three books in this trilogy. I found them to be light and funny Regency reads. This is a clean romance with just kissing but has some suggestive dialogue.
Lady Elizabeth (Izzie) is hunting for a rich husband. The family finances need saving and her twin brother, Robert, isn't coming up to snuff. Izzie feels it is up to her to save the family. Valen, Lord St. Evert, has half-heartedly promised his father, Lord Ransley, that he would search for a wife and produce a grandson before his father dies. Valen does not like the arrogance of the nobility, even though he is one of them. He dresses in outrageous outfits to snub his nose at the Brummell's fashion strictures. He wears unmentionables of the same Chinese silk as Izzie's dress at a most fashionable Breakfast Party of the Season. Izzie feels humiliated. When she discovers that Valen is a good friend of Robert's, she scolds Valen instead of making polite conversation. When she finds out Robert has told Valen their financial predicament, her humiliation is complete.
Lady Alameda offers Izzie and Robert to stay at Alison Hall for the season. When Izzie sneaks out early in the morning to walk to Smythe and Sons for some fabric to sew a new dress, Valen spots her leaving and follows her. After Izzie leaves with her purchase, Valen walks into the shop and makes a deal to buy any remaining fabric from Izzie's purchases. He plans to bring Izzie down a few pegs by having the remaining fabric made into clothing for himself. Two days later Izzie walks down in the most beautiful, unique gown he has ever seen. Valen can't bring himself to wear the ugly jacket he had made from the same fabric. Later that evening, Izzie scolds Valen for wearing a jacket the same shade of green as her gown. Valen defends himself by telling her the jacket is his cousin's.
It took a while for me to warm up to Izzie. I could understand her motives, but her personality seemed cold and yet, innocent. Valen appeared as a dandy with a large, emotional chip on his shoulder. We later find out he served as a captain in the English army. Aunt Honore, Lady Alameda, is my favorite character and provides humor to the narrative. There were several subplots left untied, which Kathleen Baldwin tidied up with an Afterwords download from her website book club. The plot was predictable. The description is excellent. I've read all three books in this trilogy. I found them to be light and funny Regency reads. This is a clean romance with just kissing but has some suggestive dialogue.
November 26, 2017
After A School for Unusual Girls (which I didn't finish) I have felt that perhaps I was unfair, so I pick another novel by Kathleen Baldwin. This time it was Regency romance (no fantasy).
The idea of a story was good (the hero who was forced by father to find a wife, the heroine who searched a rich husband to save her familiy). The characters were well chosen (inteligent, but they were blind considering some matters and people). The background interesting and quite complex (the story of their parents). Classic love story, from hate/prejudice to love. A mystery that made book more engaging. And there was humor too, e.g. the way Elizabeth named suitors.
So, you are asking me what was wrong, because all those praises above should give at least four stars. I don't know, I haven't enjoyed it like I should/could have. Perhaps it was a bad moment (mood). Perhaps Baldwin's pen isn't for me. Perhaps I am spoiled by Heyer, Smith, Darcy, Chesney. Perhaps I have enough of Regency romances (I can't believe in the last ;-) )
I am not going to give it two stars only because I don't want to discourage those who consider reading it. Read it and get your own opinion.
The idea of a story was good (the hero who was forced by father to find a wife, the heroine who searched a rich husband to save her familiy). The characters were well chosen (inteligent, but they were blind considering some matters and people). The background interesting and quite complex (the story of their parents). Classic love story, from hate/prejudice to love. A mystery that made book more engaging. And there was humor too, e.g. the way Elizabeth named suitors.
So, you are asking me what was wrong, because all those praises above should give at least four stars. I don't know, I haven't enjoyed it like I should/could have. Perhaps it was a bad moment (mood). Perhaps Baldwin's pen isn't for me. Perhaps I am spoiled by Heyer, Smith, Darcy, Chesney. Perhaps I have enough of Regency romances (I can't believe in the last ;-) )
I am not going to give it two stars only because I don't want to discourage those who consider reading it. Read it and get your own opinion.
April 4, 2015
Izzie and Valen's story is fun like the others. I enjoyed their clever sparing, attraction, love/hate relationship, and moments of true caring and understanding. One of the conflicts in this one is that Izzie is that most hated fortune hunting type, and Valen sees right through it and despises her kind. Except, there's more to her. And more to him than her first impression of an irritating, horribly attired dandy. There's an excellent villan in this one. I also recommend reading the afterword write up Baldwin did for the people asking what happened to several characters - it's short but satisfying. These books are so fun!
June 5, 2016
This review is of “Cut from the Same Cloth”, book #3 in the “My Notorious Aunt” series by Kathleen Baldwin.
The Story: In chapter 1, we meet the hero of the book, Valen Ransley, Lord St. Evert. He has been ordered by his dying father to get married and produce heirs. St. Evert, however, gets most of his pleasure from mocking the ton, London’s high society. It is in this pursuit that he meets the heroine of the book, Lady Elizabeth Hampton, and her brother, Robert. Lady Elizabeth is searching for a husband with money, as she and her brother have fallen on hard times.
While Valen is making sport of the ton, he and Elizabeth begin to develop romantic feelings for each other. Those feelings are put to the test when Valen’s past comes back to affect both of them. With this, Ms. Baldwin changes the book’s tenor from a “humourous” book to a more traditional Regency romance.
Later, Valen comes up with a rather inane plan to get Elizabeth to marry him after she rejected his earlier, highly unromantic, “proposal”. After this scheme, Elizabeth decides to marry Valen and they have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: It’s a Regency Romance.
Downside: Like the first two books I’ve read by Ms. Baldwin, there is no depth or development in the characters. The story’s pivot from attempt at humor to a more serious romance is done so abruptly that it is jarring and a bit unbelievable.
Sex: Some kissing between Valen and Elizabeth. No other sexual content.
Violence: Two murders and Valen is shot. He survives.
Bottom Line: Another disappointing book by Ms. Baldwin.
The Story: In chapter 1, we meet the hero of the book, Valen Ransley, Lord St. Evert. He has been ordered by his dying father to get married and produce heirs. St. Evert, however, gets most of his pleasure from mocking the ton, London’s high society. It is in this pursuit that he meets the heroine of the book, Lady Elizabeth Hampton, and her brother, Robert. Lady Elizabeth is searching for a husband with money, as she and her brother have fallen on hard times.
While Valen is making sport of the ton, he and Elizabeth begin to develop romantic feelings for each other. Those feelings are put to the test when Valen’s past comes back to affect both of them. With this, Ms. Baldwin changes the book’s tenor from a “humourous” book to a more traditional Regency romance.
Later, Valen comes up with a rather inane plan to get Elizabeth to marry him after she rejected his earlier, highly unromantic, “proposal”. After this scheme, Elizabeth decides to marry Valen and they have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: It’s a Regency Romance.
Downside: Like the first two books I’ve read by Ms. Baldwin, there is no depth or development in the characters. The story’s pivot from attempt at humor to a more serious romance is done so abruptly that it is jarring and a bit unbelievable.
Sex: Some kissing between Valen and Elizabeth. No other sexual content.
Violence: Two murders and Valen is shot. He survives.
Bottom Line: Another disappointing book by Ms. Baldwin.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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September 9, 2015Ugh
Hated the characters...especially the guy (he says that Elizabeth is arrogant. Well, HE is more arrogant and annoying than anyone could ever possibly make up!)
Elizabeth says such stupid things, falls for him and accepted his insults?! What kind of fool is this woman?!
And of all things, which pissed me off the most, Elizabeth did not confront Miss Dimworthy of her fake lisp?! I was waiting and waiting for some sort of confrontation between these two characters!
This book was sort of humorous with the way the characters were throwing one insult after another at each other. And the clever, sly little insults that are supposedly witty were just plain out mean. I do not understand how some of the ladies, *cough cough* the aunt and Elizabeth, did not just start going at each other in an all out brawling fight?! The aunt had said numerous horrendous insults towards Elizabeth which she retaliates but sometimes she just thinks it's funny and laughs it off?
Why author? Why do you make Elizabeth seem so...accepting towards insults? Where did her wittiness go to?
And I totally forgot the main guy's name..he was not very memorable. I just remember him as a big oaf who said some very shitty things to Elizabeth. But he saved her at least, good for him.
Hated the characters...especially the guy (he says that Elizabeth is arrogant. Well, HE is more arrogant and annoying than anyone could ever possibly make up!)
Elizabeth says such stupid things, falls for him and accepted his insults?! What kind of fool is this woman?!
And of all things, which pissed me off the most, Elizabeth did not confront Miss Dimworthy of her fake lisp?! I was waiting and waiting for some sort of confrontation between these two characters!
This book was sort of humorous with the way the characters were throwing one insult after another at each other. And the clever, sly little insults that are supposedly witty were just plain out mean. I do not understand how some of the ladies, *cough cough* the aunt and Elizabeth, did not just start going at each other in an all out brawling fight?! The aunt had said numerous horrendous insults towards Elizabeth which she retaliates but sometimes she just thinks it's funny and laughs it off?
Why author? Why do you make Elizabeth seem so...accepting towards insults? Where did her wittiness go to?
And I totally forgot the main guy's name..he was not very memorable. I just remember him as a big oaf who said some very shitty things to Elizabeth. But he saved her at least, good for him.
April 27, 2018
A quick, fluffy, forgettable Kindle freebie.
I didn't realize this was #3 in a series, that may explain why the characters and some of the situations seemed under-developed. The author stated she was influenced by Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, and that was clear. I think she was also a fan of "The Godfather" and "The Big Lebowski." (Nice Marmot!)
One thing that struck me about this one was the chapter headings, all with "sewing" references to tie back to the title. I haven't seen that in a long time, I thought it was cute, like a children's book.
I didn't realize this was #3 in a series, that may explain why the characters and some of the situations seemed under-developed. The author stated she was influenced by Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, and that was clear. I think she was also a fan of "The Godfather" and "The Big Lebowski." (Nice Marmot!)
One thing that struck me about this one was the chapter headings, all with "sewing" references to tie back to the title. I haven't seen that in a long time, I thought it was cute, like a children's book.
July 16, 2021
While I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the second, it was still a fun story and a quick read.
Content: Clean, innuendo throughout
Content: Clean, innuendo throughout
April 10, 2017
Neither Romantic Nor Humorous
Aunt Hanore's only reason for existence in this book is to provide a reason to include an otherwise unrelated story in the trilogy. I found elements of this story interesting, mostly Elizabeth, but it's just not humorous. Having just read the second book, they simply don't occupy the same worlds at all. And it bears repeating that Aunt Hanore, as a character, has gone from being unhinged, but plausibly well-intentioned in the first book, to cruel in the second book, to vicious in this third.
What works about this book, the third in this series, is that Elizabeth is a rich, complicated, fundamentally good character. 70% of the way through the book a plot other than humiliating Elizabeth emerges, and it's interesting.
But in the meantime...over half of the book is spent with Valen, and the deliberately cruel Aunt Hanore, belittling and humiliating Elizabeth. Valen sees evidence of her true character and while he backs off of one form of humiliating her, continues to be verbally abusive. Her twin brother, who is supposed to be so close to her that he can hear her scream when he's nowhere around, never comes to her aid.
In theory, Elizabeth's character flaw is that she seeks to marry someone who can solve her family's financial troubles. However, first, her twin--the actual heir--isn't doing anything to solve the problem. Second, there is a mother and younger sisters to support. Third, there is a home with a roof in disrepair, and fourth, money, rank, and connections were a very real part of the marriage mart at the time. It wasn't like her beaus didn't know that a penniless woman with a title whose father had up and disappeared wouldn't be looking for someone who could afford to pay off his debts and feed her family, given that her brother wasn't doing it. If she knew what they earned per annum, they knew she had nothing.
I like the direct allusions to Pride and Prejudice. The proposal scene was perfect in that regard. Aunt Hanore's comment afterwards was the nail in the coffin for me as far as finding anything remotely funny about this character.
And the marmot? The exact nature of the animal, as conceived of by Valen, is never clarified after its initial introduction as part of a longer, explicit insult by Hanore, so when reintroduced later in the book, the intended metaphor isn't clear at all. I think it's meant to be funny, but that's the problem, by that point in the book, nothing had been funny for a very long time.
Aunt Hanore's only reason for existence in this book is to provide a reason to include an otherwise unrelated story in the trilogy. I found elements of this story interesting, mostly Elizabeth, but it's just not humorous. Having just read the second book, they simply don't occupy the same worlds at all. And it bears repeating that Aunt Hanore, as a character, has gone from being unhinged, but plausibly well-intentioned in the first book, to cruel in the second book, to vicious in this third.
What works about this book, the third in this series, is that Elizabeth is a rich, complicated, fundamentally good character. 70% of the way through the book a plot other than humiliating Elizabeth emerges, and it's interesting.
But in the meantime...over half of the book is spent with Valen, and the deliberately cruel Aunt Hanore, belittling and humiliating Elizabeth. Valen sees evidence of her true character and while he backs off of one form of humiliating her, continues to be verbally abusive. Her twin brother, who is supposed to be so close to her that he can hear her scream when he's nowhere around, never comes to her aid.
In theory, Elizabeth's character flaw is that she seeks to marry someone who can solve her family's financial troubles. However, first, her twin--the actual heir--isn't doing anything to solve the problem. Second, there is a mother and younger sisters to support. Third, there is a home with a roof in disrepair, and fourth, money, rank, and connections were a very real part of the marriage mart at the time. It wasn't like her beaus didn't know that a penniless woman with a title whose father had up and disappeared wouldn't be looking for someone who could afford to pay off his debts and feed her family, given that her brother wasn't doing it. If she knew what they earned per annum, they knew she had nothing.
I like the direct allusions to Pride and Prejudice. The proposal scene was perfect in that regard. Aunt Hanore's comment afterwards was the nail in the coffin for me as far as finding anything remotely funny about this character.
And the marmot? The exact nature of the animal, as conceived of by Valen, is never clarified after its initial introduction as part of a longer, explicit insult by Hanore, so when reintroduced later in the book, the intended metaphor isn't clear at all. I think it's meant to be funny, but that's the problem, by that point in the book, nothing had been funny for a very long time.
April 15, 2017
This book was pretty hard to read. The characters were both a-holes, basically: shallow, arrogant, and tragically stupid. Her pride is so immense (and she's so stupid and shallow) that she won't explain that she's not a snobbish mercenary, but that the fate of her family lies with her making an advantageous marriage. His grudge against the aristocracy is so immense (and he's so stupid and shallow that he doesn't wonder if there's more to her than elitist gold-digging) that he holds her in contempt. They are outright cruel to each other.
She acts brittle, hostile, and rude, but is actually a wimpy sad-sack with a moron for a brother. She just lets things happen to her-- she lets herself be dragged across England to stay with the male protag and his wretched dope of a father and his horrible shrew of an aunt. The male protag is overbearing and spiteful, and we're never made aware of why he is dressing like a fop (I think he's a spy in disguise? Who knows! The author can't be bothered to tell us!) but we sure do realize what a sack of crap he is when he specifically has clothes made so he can humiliate and mock the female protag in public.
There is literally NO reason for either of them to fall in love with the other. They draw wrong conclusions that make each dislike the other even more, and are generally awful people. All they have going for them is being good-looking, and being stupid enough to mistake attraction for genuine sentiment.
Characterization aside: the attempted humor is just not humorous, unless you're of the school that yukks it up over the ol' slippery banana peel routine: farcical and overwrought. I can't thinking of anything to say about the dialogue, other than that it's a bit stilted. Blocking, setting, mechanics... who knows? I was so preoccupied by my instant loathing of the characters that I scarcely paid attention to anything else.
The only reason I finished it is because I try to finish books whenever possible, and though I hated this book, it wasn't so repugnant that I couldn't manage to plod along to the end. So I guess that's my obligatory compliment: it wasn't so repugnant that I couldn't manage to plod along to the end.
She acts brittle, hostile, and rude, but is actually a wimpy sad-sack with a moron for a brother. She just lets things happen to her-- she lets herself be dragged across England to stay with the male protag and his wretched dope of a father and his horrible shrew of an aunt. The male protag is overbearing and spiteful, and we're never made aware of why he is dressing like a fop (I think he's a spy in disguise? Who knows! The author can't be bothered to tell us!) but we sure do realize what a sack of crap he is when he specifically has clothes made so he can humiliate and mock the female protag in public.
There is literally NO reason for either of them to fall in love with the other. They draw wrong conclusions that make each dislike the other even more, and are generally awful people. All they have going for them is being good-looking, and being stupid enough to mistake attraction for genuine sentiment.
Characterization aside: the attempted humor is just not humorous, unless you're of the school that yukks it up over the ol' slippery banana peel routine: farcical and overwrought. I can't thinking of anything to say about the dialogue, other than that it's a bit stilted. Blocking, setting, mechanics... who knows? I was so preoccupied by my instant loathing of the characters that I scarcely paid attention to anything else.
The only reason I finished it is because I try to finish books whenever possible, and though I hated this book, it wasn't so repugnant that I couldn't manage to plod along to the end. So I guess that's my obligatory compliment: it wasn't so repugnant that I couldn't manage to plod along to the end.
November 27, 2015
This was a fun regency romance. Elizabeth is determined to find a rich husband to save her family from her father’s horrible financial decisions. When she meets Lord St. Cleve, she is horrified to realize he is wearing unmentionables in the same cut of garment as her dress. Afraid the dandy will ruin her husband seeking plan, she doesn’t want to be seen with him. But when his aunt invites her and her brother to stay with them during the season—and worse, her brother accepts—Elizabeth must deal with the sarcastic, rude Valen a great deal more.
I loved this story. From the chapter headings that are all themed around sewing, to the witty barbs traded back and forth between Elizabeth and Valen, to the quirky aunt who quickly becomes the reader’s heroine because she’s so funny and confident, I was caught up in the world of imagination and romance as defensive walls around the characters’ hearts were slowly shattered so that happiness could reign eternal. You get the point. This book was a winner!
I loved this story. From the chapter headings that are all themed around sewing, to the witty barbs traded back and forth between Elizabeth and Valen, to the quirky aunt who quickly becomes the reader’s heroine because she’s so funny and confident, I was caught up in the world of imagination and romance as defensive walls around the characters’ hearts were slowly shattered so that happiness could reign eternal. You get the point. This book was a winner!
June 29, 2015
This was entertaining enought, good chemistry between the H/h, I of course wish it would have been a littler cleaner. But entertaining.
Moral Note: Innuendos, some kissing, handful of language, a murder.
Moral Note: Innuendos, some kissing, handful of language, a murder.
June 20, 2016
Entertaining
Great quick read. Aunt Honore is still quite a pill. I dislike her, but she has good intentions. There were several times I laughed out loud. You don't have to read the other books in the series before this one, but it would help.
Great quick read. Aunt Honore is still quite a pill. I dislike her, but she has good intentions. There were several times I laughed out loud. You don't have to read the other books in the series before this one, but it would help.
August 23, 2017
Meh. This tried for a "I can't fight this feelin' anymore" vibe and failed. The spy stuff felt like it was randomly tacked on. The thing keeping the H & h apart wasn't actually a thing. I failed to connect with the characters. Not my cuppa.
March 7, 2015
Delightful and thoroughly enjoyable historical romance with more than a touch of comedy without resorting to slapstick or crudeness. A very refreshing read.
June 20, 2016
Good read. Loved the banter between characters.
August 23, 2017
I might be start reading more historicals again (it all goes in cycles for me) because this was a delight. A strong woman who also seems a product of her times rather than entirely anachronistic, skulduggery, a reverse snob of a hero (I can relate, bro, I take pride in being of peasant stock myself!), and interfering family make this an engaging and entertaining read. It's far from perfect, but I think perfection would likely be boring. It's a recommend for me.
Okay for Aayesha (even if she suspects it might be on her "ugh" list she's wrong and I think she'd enjoy it).
Okay for Aayesha (even if she suspects it might be on her "ugh" list she's wrong and I think she'd enjoy it).
March 11, 2019
A very enjoyable book when you want to immerse yourself in the foibles of Regency mannerisms. Fun from beginning to end. Even a little bit of excitement, which hasn't really been the case in this series.
March 4, 2017
PG 13
I truly enjoyed this story for the humor, intelligence, and danger but feel it only fair to warn my friends and family that it pushes the limits in being clean as he is often having an internal battle to curb his carnal desires and yet it is technically clean.
I truly enjoyed this story for the humor, intelligence, and danger but feel it only fair to warn my friends and family that it pushes the limits in being clean as he is often having an internal battle to curb his carnal desires and yet it is technically clean.
July 5, 2017
A refreshing read. Kathleen Baldwin takes the regular tropes of a regency romance and uses them to serve her purpose of a creative and original story.
Elizabeth is the desperate debutante looking for a rich husband, while Valen is the cynical and wealthy lord playing the dandy; hiding a fearsome reputation from his time spent fighting Napoleon's army on the continent. Together the two clashed and matched wit, slowly falling in love even while they both fought their growing and unwanted feelings.
The story had all the makings of every other regency novel I've come across, but while it was simple, the author did a great job twisting the usuals into an interesting new story. For example, there was the plot device of the unconventional and meddling aunt, but instead of making her blunders and conspiracies endearing, the character was one you loved to hate. There was nothing soft and sweet about Lady Alameda and her not so subtle insults.
I enjoyed watching Elizabeth and Valen's interactions--they made me smile. I liked how strong Elizabeth was. She fought so strongly for what she believe; even for her misguided notions. Valen was an interesting foil to her character with his cynicism and perspective that slowly knocked down many of Elizabeth's beliefs, even as she challenged his. Neither character was perfect, or more right in the end. They both discovered truths together. The romance between the two was entertaining. There was enough sexual tension between the two characters to keep the romance alive and engaging without being explicit. I appreciated the way in which the author had the character's initial opinions of each other change. The clothing aspect was an interesting touch, I could almost see Valen's mocking peacock coat next Elizabeth's dress.
The story was interesting and fun. The villain was pretty one-dimensional in his motivation, but the other secondary characters had lurking depth that you knew was there, but didn't really get a chance to explore with everything else going on in the story.
I thought it was a great book, albeit simple. I enjoyed the different approaches to the same old. Its a book anyone can read and be comfortable with, which I really enjoyed. A good read, I'll definitely be looking at some of this author's other books.
Elizabeth is the desperate debutante looking for a rich husband, while Valen is the cynical and wealthy lord playing the dandy; hiding a fearsome reputation from his time spent fighting Napoleon's army on the continent. Together the two clashed and matched wit, slowly falling in love even while they both fought their growing and unwanted feelings.
The story had all the makings of every other regency novel I've come across, but while it was simple, the author did a great job twisting the usuals into an interesting new story. For example, there was the plot device of the unconventional and meddling aunt, but instead of making her blunders and conspiracies endearing, the character was one you loved to hate. There was nothing soft and sweet about Lady Alameda and her not so subtle insults.
I enjoyed watching Elizabeth and Valen's interactions--they made me smile. I liked how strong Elizabeth was. She fought so strongly for what she believe; even for her misguided notions. Valen was an interesting foil to her character with his cynicism and perspective that slowly knocked down many of Elizabeth's beliefs, even as she challenged his. Neither character was perfect, or more right in the end. They both discovered truths together. The romance between the two was entertaining. There was enough sexual tension between the two characters to keep the romance alive and engaging without being explicit. I appreciated the way in which the author had the character's initial opinions of each other change. The clothing aspect was an interesting touch, I could almost see Valen's mocking peacock coat next Elizabeth's dress.
The story was interesting and fun. The villain was pretty one-dimensional in his motivation, but the other secondary characters had lurking depth that you knew was there, but didn't really get a chance to explore with everything else going on in the story.
I thought it was a great book, albeit simple. I enjoyed the different approaches to the same old. Its a book anyone can read and be comfortable with, which I really enjoyed. A good read, I'll definitely be looking at some of this author's other books.
June 24, 2014
Lady Elizabeth Hampton is at a crossroads in her life. Her father went in search of his son who sailed to America and never returned. Now, her father is missing as well. As her twin brother is too immature to take over supporting her, she relies on her seamstress skills to make her own clothes. She is proud of the unique fabrics she finds to make her dresses. She is now in London in search of, hopefully, a wealthy husband.
Valen, Lord St. Clare is the son of a noble man and a commoner mother. His father is quite ill and is pushing him to get married and settled before he passes on. Unwilling to do so, he agrees to travel to London and attend some balls.
Have you ever gone to an event and found that another person was wearing your same dress? Pretty upsetting isn't it? Well, imagine that it's a man who comes into the room wearing the same fabric as your dress! Now, that's mind-boggling and exactly how Elizabeth felt when she meets Valen. He comes in dressed in pantaloons the same fabric as her dress and coordinated with some eye-popping colors. Not only is his taste is clothes absolutely atrocious, but he looks like a big oaf as well. Valen is quite amused at Elizabeth's irritation due to his dress and decides to irritate her further by following her and purchasing the same fabric that she does for his own clothes to keep up the humiliation.
Valen's Aunt Honore feels that Elizabeth is a good match for Valen and invites her and her brother to their home. Being thrown together like that has Valen and Elizabeth getting to know one another better and they both realize that their first impressions were wrong.
This is a novel that runs the whole gamut of they can't stand each other to they love each other. The story of getting to know one another is sweet and the humor is huge! Aunt Honore is a total hoot and the nicknames Elizabeth and Valen throw around for each other makes the reader chuckle. And don't miss the titles of each chapter. Another great laugh. As a matter of fact, don't miss this novel at all. You will love it.
Valen, Lord St. Clare is the son of a noble man and a commoner mother. His father is quite ill and is pushing him to get married and settled before he passes on. Unwilling to do so, he agrees to travel to London and attend some balls.
Have you ever gone to an event and found that another person was wearing your same dress? Pretty upsetting isn't it? Well, imagine that it's a man who comes into the room wearing the same fabric as your dress! Now, that's mind-boggling and exactly how Elizabeth felt when she meets Valen. He comes in dressed in pantaloons the same fabric as her dress and coordinated with some eye-popping colors. Not only is his taste is clothes absolutely atrocious, but he looks like a big oaf as well. Valen is quite amused at Elizabeth's irritation due to his dress and decides to irritate her further by following her and purchasing the same fabric that she does for his own clothes to keep up the humiliation.
Valen's Aunt Honore feels that Elizabeth is a good match for Valen and invites her and her brother to their home. Being thrown together like that has Valen and Elizabeth getting to know one another better and they both realize that their first impressions were wrong.
This is a novel that runs the whole gamut of they can't stand each other to they love each other. The story of getting to know one another is sweet and the humor is huge! Aunt Honore is a total hoot and the nicknames Elizabeth and Valen throw around for each other makes the reader chuckle. And don't miss the titles of each chapter. Another great laugh. As a matter of fact, don't miss this novel at all. You will love it.
October 14, 2019
(4.5 stars) - An entertaining conclusion to the trilogy & my favorite in the series
This book was so much fun! Valen and Elizabeth both have some important things to learn about life and love - with a bit of adventure added to the mix.
Valen is a swoony Scarlet Pimpernel/Rhett Butler type of character. And Elizabeth is like Lizzie Bennett/Scarlet O'Hara. They had some fiery exchanges that reminded me I had a pulse - and then frequently cracked me up, too.
At times, it seemed like the plot was a little less focused than the previous books. My perception as a reader was that in trying to be more than one story, it came across as if it wasn't quite settled on what kind of story it wanted to be.
Nevertheless, it's a minor note in a story that was a fun romp with engaging protagonists & succeeds as an entertaining conclusion to a delightful series; I'm only sorry to see it end.
*Clean romance level: passionate kissing,
some relatively discreet discussion of sexual desire,
no graphic descriptions or details of intimacy,
a few uses of the Lord's Name in vain though at least not with cursing
This book was so much fun! Valen and Elizabeth both have some important things to learn about life and love - with a bit of adventure added to the mix.
Valen is a swoony Scarlet Pimpernel/Rhett Butler type of character. And Elizabeth is like Lizzie Bennett/Scarlet O'Hara. They had some fiery exchanges that reminded me I had a pulse - and then frequently cracked me up, too.
At times, it seemed like the plot was a little less focused than the previous books. My perception as a reader was that in trying to be more than one story, it came across as if it wasn't quite settled on what kind of story it wanted to be.
Nevertheless, it's a minor note in a story that was a fun romp with engaging protagonists & succeeds as an entertaining conclusion to a delightful series; I'm only sorry to see it end.
*Clean romance level: passionate kissing,
some relatively discreet discussion of sexual desire,
no graphic descriptions or details of intimacy,
a few uses of the Lord's Name in vain though at least not with cursing
May 7, 2016
Lady Elizabeth simply wants to repair her family's fortune by marrying well. The problem is all the likely candidates have some failing. And there is the infuriating Lord St. Evert who is doing his best to distract her from her goal.
I have adored Aunt Honore (Lady Alameda) from the moment I first read her in the first of this series. Her way of matchmaking, which exasperated her nieces in the previous two books, is now annoying her nephew, St. Evert. This original woman's stubbornness and unique way of bringing two people together is absolutely hilarious.
Add in a French spy amidst the courting, and I was hooked. The author stated that she viewed this as Scarlet O'Hara from Gone With the Wind meeting The Scarlet Pimpernel, both books I adore. If I could rate this higher than five stars, I would!
I have adored Aunt Honore (Lady Alameda) from the moment I first read her in the first of this series. Her way of matchmaking, which exasperated her nieces in the previous two books, is now annoying her nephew, St. Evert. This original woman's stubbornness and unique way of bringing two people together is absolutely hilarious.
Add in a French spy amidst the courting, and I was hooked. The author stated that she viewed this as Scarlet O'Hara from Gone With the Wind meeting The Scarlet Pimpernel, both books I adore. If I could rate this higher than five stars, I would!
January 14, 2016
This was a fun witty read. I found the Aunt Honore a strange character. The way she would insult Izzie most people would get defensive and hold a grudge. So there was something about Izzie's character that was pretty incredible to laugh it off and find her endearing which made us as the reader find her endearing as well. I'm not sure I really grasped the reasoning behind Valen wearing wild clothing.
***spoiler****
I thought for sure that the issue of Valen's secret wealth would have been talked about since the book was woven around Izzie marrying for money, but it just ends with them being happily engaged.
***spoiler****
I thought for sure that the issue of Valen's secret wealth would have been talked about since the book was woven around Izzie marrying for money, but it just ends with them being happily engaged.
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