At the Earl's Command

by Marina Oliver

When her dying grandfather, the Earl of Malvern, orders Kate Byford and her aunt to London after ignoring her all her life, she is highly indignant, but obeys. Angry though she is, Kate is sorry for him when they meet. However, Kate is less willing to obey his other edict, that she marries his heir, Adam Rhydd, with whom she had an embarrassing encounter during her journey to London. She is horrified when the Earl dies, leaving her a huge inheritance provided she marries Adam, and furious when Adam sends her to an academy for young ladies, where she is to learn how to behave. Determined to escape, she embroils various friends in her attempts, but Adam, as reluctant as Kate is to obey the Earl's bidding, continually foils her.

Genres: Romance, Regency

224 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2007

About the author

Marina Oliver was born in 1934. She graduated from Keele University in Politics and Economics.

Marina started published historical romances, in 1974, at Robert Hale, and since 1977 also under the pseudonym of Sally James. In 1981, she published a novel as Donna Hunt at Minstrel Books. Since 1983, she uses de penname Bridget Thorn. In 1992, she also published a novel as Vesta Hathaway and in 2000 as Laura Hart. She has published more than fifty novels under her name and her pseudonyms, plus half a dozen non-fiction books. Her novels are historical romances as well as twentieth-century sagas, contemporary romances and crime. She has edited her own quarterly magazine, and also many books and newsletters, mainly for educational organisations.

Marina was elected the sixteenth Chairman (1992-1993) of the Romantic Novelists' Association, edited its Newsletter for 3 years, and now has been elected a Vice-President and runs the R.N.A. New Writer's Scheme. She reads for and judges short story competitions, reviews historical novels, and has done appraisals for (among others) a prestigious Regional Arts board.

Married with Chris, they had four children, Jackie, Debbie, Cindy and Simon, and several grandchildren, Marina now splits her time between rural Shropshire and Madeira.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually found this book quite alarming. The heroine is threatened with sexual assault several times and abducted twice. The heroine also repeatedly tells others that she is being forced into an unwanted marriage without anyone who is supposed to care about taking her seriously. The Hero does save her several times but his behavior towards her is problematic as well. I don't think the author intended this book to be so dark.

[Heidi Fogelberg · Rating 1 out of 5]

I absolutely hated this book. I despised every character in it, and the entire misrepresentation of the social milieu of the time added to the offense. 3 hours of my life I won't get back. Dreadful book.

[Heidi Kneale · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book at all. The heroine was an immature, self-centred little chit and the hero was a mansplaining pompous ass. Neither character displayed enough loveable traits for me to want them to fall in love. What little attraction they have is based purely on chemical lust. I doubt they will realise their HEA.

[Olivia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried, but I just could not like the characters.

[Beebs · Rating 1 out of 5]

EDIT: after reading the wholllle thing: It somehow got worse. If you want to read about the exact opposite of true love, i.e. what would in any actual romance novel be the MMC's first, failed marriage to a wholly unsuitable (and vice-versa) woman, this is your book.

I will say that it DID give me a bit more sympathy for the Evil First Wife who refused to run the manor, the servants all hated, embarrassed her husband with her "improper" behavior, and probably either ran off with a sympathetic horse trainer dude, or was kidnapped and later killed by a bad guy, because no one with an iota of spirit could possibly endure the maddening, condescending, belittling, insulting, and infantilizing behavior and words of the MMC as well as others around him toward her. At the end, he STILL wants to send her to a "school" so she'll be a "proper countess" for him. What?! She was immature, headstrong, & foolhardy, but he pretty much pushed her into most (not all) of the situations she got herself into by treating her like a child.

And in the end, there was no love or hea, just a capitulation based on mutual lust/attraction. Neither of them frankly showed any characteristics worthy of admiration or love or esteem, and just argh.

And he still wants to mold her via literal training into a model wife for him. Just... ew. This is not going to end well for them. The end.

*****************************************************************************

Before finishing, about 45% mark:

Everyone in this book is either Too Stupid to Live, wishy-washy and weak-willed, greedy a-holes, rapey a-holes, or overbearing, idiotic a-holes who need to listen to the word "no," or spoiled, selfish, bullheaded, idiotic, TSTL, immature, childish girls and their mean-girl bffs. (Chloe. Who breaks the ice with FMC by mocking all the uglier girls who didn't dress well)


Like really it is infuriating. Heroine is spoiled, selfish, immature, ungrateful, with no ability to self-reflect, who keeps running around doing absolutely harebrained, stupid things that end up leaving her vulnerable to would-be rapists, would-be husbands, and the Hero, who has decided she's going to marry him whether she likes it or not, while treating her like an idiot child, ordering her around, insulting her at every turn, and doing everything he can to make her not want to marry him.

They 100% deserve each other but not in a good way.

[Lisa Bald (Gogel) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still mixed feelings about this. 3 stars was generous. I enjoyed it as a fluff read, but parts of it are still bothering me and holding me back from feeling a solid 3 or 4. Too many repetitive plot scenes and a lack of clear build up of feelings for the hero. Instant love doesn’t work well for me

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Annie Burrows · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I only discovered Marina Oliver's books this summer, but I'm going to look out for more of hers! The writing is clear and concise, the characters skillfully drawn, and the story well-paced. This does have a rather "old-fashioned" feel, in that the tension between the characters is emotional, rather than sexual, but I didn't feel that detracted from my enjoyment at all.

[Vampire-lk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Description wise it was great authentic regency romance! Still not up to par to Austen or Heyer's enthralling romantic story lines that captures one's attention from the start! Did finish, but only to finish more enjoyment to be done & be able to start a new book of the fabulous regency era that I love!!!!

[Charris Bradshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light read, with small twists here and there.