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My Lady Coward: An Episodic Regency Romance
"My Lady Coward" debuted as a serial romance, each installment posted somewhere online as it was written. "My Lady Coward: An Episodic Regency Romance" is a compilation of those ten installments. They have not been changed from the original postings, merely formatted into one file for those who desire to have the whole story in one convenient place.
Word count: 14,000
A lady knows her place, no matter what...
With Maria's vows came a title and security. At her wedding she gained a position amongst Society's elite. With her marriage Maria acquired everything a young woman could possibly desire.
Except love.
Going about her day-to-day activities, all Maria wants is Richard's love, the attentions he lavishes upon his mistress. But can she set aside her ladylike training long enough to tell him?
Word count: 14,000
A lady knows her place, no matter what...
With Maria's vows came a title and security. At her wedding she gained a position amongst Society's elite. With her marriage Maria acquired everything a young woman could possibly desire.
Except love.
Going about her day-to-day activities, all Maria wants is Richard's love, the attentions he lavishes upon his mistress. But can she set aside her ladylike training long enough to tell him?
69 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 28, 2012
27 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
Jaimey Grant
21 books167 followersI'm an author who battles ADD with sporadic doses of writing, book cover design, blogging, online promotion, homeschooling my two kids, fermenting things with my husband (mostly beer), video games, reading, and housework. (The housework suffers.) I sleep and eat when I remember.
Check out my blog, if you get the chance: Into the Mind of Jaimey Grant
Check out my blog, if you get the chance: Into the Mind of Jaimey Grant
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 14, 2014
4 stars
My Lady Coward is the story of Lady Maria, a wealthy Cit's daughter, and her new husband Richard, a handsome, but destitute duke.
As the story opens, Maria and Richard have been married but a few weeks. However, things are not rosy in their marriage. You see, Richard has had a mistress for years, and everybody knows that he still visits her. That's really tough on poor Maria who is already an outcast in society because of her low birth. But, she loves her husband and is willing to fight for him.
A lovely and romantic story! I truly liked both Maria and Richard, which doesn't happen to me all that often (liking both main characters, that is). True, there were moments when they jumped to conclusions, or failed to communicate properly, but it was completely believable (not a moment of "Really? You're going to believe/do/say that?!"). And I admire Maria for doing her best to adjust to her new life, it was far from easy, but she didn't give up or lower herself to the level of some of the "ladies" she was surrounded with.
What I did have issues with, and I was well warned, is the episodic nature of the story. The jump from episode to episode was a bit abrupt. I know, I know, it says so in the title, and in the beginning of the story - never said I was a logical creature. :-)
But even with that, I did like the story and I warmly recommended it to anyone looking for a short and sweet regency romance.
Oh yes, if anybody's interested, this is free for kindle (and probably somewhere else, but I got it from amazon).
My Lady Coward is the story of Lady Maria, a wealthy Cit's daughter, and her new husband Richard, a handsome, but destitute duke.
As the story opens, Maria and Richard have been married but a few weeks. However, things are not rosy in their marriage. You see, Richard has had a mistress for years, and everybody knows that he still visits her. That's really tough on poor Maria who is already an outcast in society because of her low birth. But, she loves her husband and is willing to fight for him.
A lovely and romantic story! I truly liked both Maria and Richard, which doesn't happen to me all that often (liking both main characters, that is). True, there were moments when they jumped to conclusions, or failed to communicate properly, but it was completely believable (not a moment of "Really? You're going to believe/do/say that?!"). And I admire Maria for doing her best to adjust to her new life, it was far from easy, but she didn't give up or lower herself to the level of some of the "ladies" she was surrounded with.
What I did have issues with, and I was well warned, is the episodic nature of the story. The jump from episode to episode was a bit abrupt. I know, I know, it says so in the title, and in the beginning of the story - never said I was a logical creature. :-)
But even with that, I did like the story and I warmly recommended it to anyone looking for a short and sweet regency romance.
Oh yes, if anybody's interested, this is free for kindle (and probably somewhere else, but I got it from amazon).
September 10, 2013
This was a very short, clean, romance. Not very exciting, as it just kept repeating the same things over and over again. I typically like Grants books, but this one was just OK. The main character is unable to communicate with her husband, and therefore misconceptions are all over the place. She lasts a year before asking questions. Lame. And her husband is no better, allowing her to believe wrong. Too dumb for me. Oh well. This one was free.
August 6, 2021
Definitely would have been better if there was some explanation as to why this guy decided to publicly shame his wife for a year. He supposedly loved her the whole time though ;(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2013
This one had potential and could have been a sweet story. The fact that I spent a dollar on this makes me irritated and so will color my review. This should have been free. It was like reading the middle of a book. Nothing gets resolved. There is a money problem that is huge and we are never told what the problem is. There is also the reason he treated her so badly. We never understand that either. Just a weird unresolved mess. This was very short, I think I read it in 15 min. Not the cleanest regency either.There is talk of sex but it is all kept behind doors but a little more info then I like. Oh and I hate the cover:{
December 2, 2012
This was a fun book. I read each of the ten installments as they were posted online. If I remember correctly, the author was participating in a writing type challenge. So, the first installment the author was suppose to use two or three certain words in her short story. She did this for the first few installments, then the characters kind of took on a life of their own and wanted their whole story told. I loved reading each installment and I had to know what was going to happen next. Fun read.
Content: Clean.
Content: Clean.
December 6, 2017
This was a charming if quick romance. Even though each chapter feels a little bit standalone from it's serialized style it was still cohesive.
January 26, 2022
very entertaining
Enjoyed this short story. The storyline was original. It was well written, the dialogue was entertaining and the characters were likeable. Very enjoyable read.
Enjoyed this short story. The storyline was original. It was well written, the dialogue was entertaining and the characters were likeable. Very enjoyable read.
September 12, 2025
Sept 2025
Rather boring not at all enjoyable, all retrospection and self pity, idiotic characters, and nothing explained or finalised just sniplets
Rather boring not at all enjoyable, all retrospection and self pity, idiotic characters, and nothing explained or finalised just sniplets
November 5, 2013
4.5
*Book source ~ Picked up for free on Amazon
Richard, an impoverished Duke, marries Maria, the daughter of a Cit. She gains a title and a position in Society and he gains a vast amount of wealth. However, what she really wants is his love. Can wishes really come true in a practical arrangement?
This story is told in 10 small installments. The writing drew me in from the beginning. It is well-written with characters that are interesting. I especially enjoyed Maria with her strengths and vulnerabilities. She despairs over the fact Richard is still keeping a mistress and that it’s a well-known fact and gossiped about. She has no idea if he feels anything for her other than the fact she brought a shitload of money to the marriage and she tries to gather her courage to talk to him about it and his mistress, but well-bred ladies just don’t do that. I know that it’s just because of the time period she’s in, but I want to shake her and tell her to pull up her big girl knickers. lol I also want to shake Richard for being a stubborn idiot and for his stupid actions that hurt Maria. However, it all works out in the end.
All-in-all this is a wonderful short historical romance.
*Book source ~ Picked up for free on Amazon
Richard, an impoverished Duke, marries Maria, the daughter of a Cit. She gains a title and a position in Society and he gains a vast amount of wealth. However, what she really wants is his love. Can wishes really come true in a practical arrangement?
This story is told in 10 small installments. The writing drew me in from the beginning. It is well-written with characters that are interesting. I especially enjoyed Maria with her strengths and vulnerabilities. She despairs over the fact Richard is still keeping a mistress and that it’s a well-known fact and gossiped about. She has no idea if he feels anything for her other than the fact she brought a shitload of money to the marriage and she tries to gather her courage to talk to him about it and his mistress, but well-bred ladies just don’t do that. I know that it’s just because of the time period she’s in, but I want to shake her and tell her to pull up her big girl knickers. lol I also want to shake Richard for being a stubborn idiot and for his stupid actions that hurt Maria. However, it all works out in the end.
All-in-all this is a wonderful short historical romance.
October 7, 2013
Jaimey Grant is a member of the Clever Fiction writing group, and that's where this book had its origins.
"My Lady Coward" is the story of Maria, who is married to a duke named Richard. As the daughter of a Cit (what we might think of as nouveau riche today), she is looked down upon by the nobility into which she has wed.
She's also madly in love with her husband ... and is afraid to tell him since, as with many such marriages, he needed money and had a title to offer in exchange.
There are many plot twists and turns, including an appearance by Hart, the male lead from Grant's Heartless (Grant often includes characters from her other books as a plot device).
The episodic nature of the story is evident, but the book is entertaining nonetheless.
"My Lady Coward" is the story of Maria, who is married to a duke named Richard. As the daughter of a Cit (what we might think of as nouveau riche today), she is looked down upon by the nobility into which she has wed.
She's also madly in love with her husband ... and is afraid to tell him since, as with many such marriages, he needed money and had a title to offer in exchange.
There are many plot twists and turns, including an appearance by Hart, the male lead from Grant's Heartless (Grant often includes characters from her other books as a plot device).
The episodic nature of the story is evident, but the book is entertaining nonetheless.
September 29, 2013
***3/4 stars (3-3/4 stars)
It's a feat to illicit a tingle in me for a hero in a short story, or in this case an episodic romance that I'm happy I could read all in one go. The plot was not thick and sticky with "oh,no!" soul scratching moments. Ms. Grant penned an eloquent vs damsel in distress tale, where lack of communication and regency period paradigms lead to misunderstanding. The author did her homework, and reflected the times and trends with validity. Did the characters remain in their roles? Yes they did. Was there a hurdle? Simple but yes. Is the writing sound? Definitely. Am I moving on to read "Heartless"? Looking for the download button, now. When you think about categorizing your library, and you need to fill a spot on the "gentle, clean and simplistic" shelf, then you might want to consider Jaimey Grant.
Love, hope & faith
Natasza
It's a feat to illicit a tingle in me for a hero in a short story, or in this case an episodic romance that I'm happy I could read all in one go. The plot was not thick and sticky with "oh,no!" soul scratching moments. Ms. Grant penned an eloquent vs damsel in distress tale, where lack of communication and regency period paradigms lead to misunderstanding. The author did her homework, and reflected the times and trends with validity. Did the characters remain in their roles? Yes they did. Was there a hurdle? Simple but yes. Is the writing sound? Definitely. Am I moving on to read "Heartless"? Looking for the download button, now. When you think about categorizing your library, and you need to fill a spot on the "gentle, clean and simplistic" shelf, then you might want to consider Jaimey Grant.
Love, hope & faith
Natasza
August 3, 2016
This story wasn't bad, but there were one or two things I just have to bring up. One is that the ending was far too abrupt (I thought there were more kindle pages to come!).
Another was that if Richard loved Maria so much, why did he go out every night without her. If he didn't have a mistress, why go out. We were not informed.
And, why did he give her paste jewellery when he could have bought her real jewels.
A quick easy read.
3*
Another was that if Richard loved Maria so much, why did he go out every night without her. If he didn't have a mistress, why go out. We were not informed.
And, why did he give her paste jewellery when he could have bought her real jewels.
A quick easy read.
3*
January 30, 2016
Maria's emotional turmoil really drew me into the story. It is difficult to turn a page and not feel her pain. Richard was harder for me to connect with yet he did gain some of my admiration towards the end. Overall an easy and quick read that will entertain while entangling one's heart and mind. 3.5 stars
October 4, 2013
You never know with a free book what you'll get. But I was very pleased with this one! Remember that this only has 14,000 words so character development is limited. I felt the novel to be well written, the female was a great Regency character and the book left me wishing for more. Well done!
January 11, 2014
This was unlike any story I have read before.... the name that was used for her may have been not correct how they were to be used in that time but I still felt as if I was there watching it happening through my own eyes. I hope to read more by Jaimey in the future
September 5, 2013
Originally released as a serial, the finished book still shows evidence of its episodic origins. The story is a little thin, but adequate.
September 12, 2013
Read this book yesterday and I really liked it. The author is very comfortable in the regency genre and it shows in her writing.
September 20, 2013
Read the complete lot of instalments in one go and really enjoyed it. Such an easy read and an enjoyable one at that
July 2, 2014
Another of those books that I just did not click with
March 27, 2014
There was potential but, being so short, there really weren't satisfying resolutions.
March 1, 2019
Short and nothing like the cover pictured here. A newly married woman is jealous that her husband still has a mistress. Originally written as a short story and then developed into a serial, I don’t think I would have bothered with the rest if I had ony read the first chapter. In its totality, it is quite sweet.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews