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The Cardross Luck
.The Cardross Luck by Janet Louise Roberts - DELL 132 - A Candlelight Regency 2087, "In aristocratic Regency England, it was most common for a young lady to propose marriage -- but there was nothing common about beautiful, headstrong Heather Mallory. Since only a ..
207 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1987
28 people want to read
About the author
Janet Louise Roberts
73 books34 followersSee pseudonyms Louisa Bronte, Rebecca Danton & Janette Radcliffe. Some of the listed titles are more straight romance than romantic suspense.
Janet Louise Roberts was born on January 20, 1925, in New Britain Connecticut, the daughter of a missionary in a conservative church. She wrote contemporary, historical, and gothic romances, as well as occult horror romances such as The Devil’s Own, Isle of the Dolphins, Lord Satan, and Her Demon Lover. She used pseudonyms for several of her works.
Roberts died on June 11, 1982 in Dayton, Ohio.
Janet Louise Roberts was born on January 20, 1925, in New Britain Connecticut, the daughter of a missionary in a conservative church. She wrote contemporary, historical, and gothic romances, as well as occult horror romances such as The Devil’s Own, Isle of the Dolphins, Lord Satan, and Her Demon Lover. She used pseudonyms for several of her works.
Roberts died on June 11, 1982 in Dayton, Ohio.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 3, 2020
THE CARDROSS LUCK by Janet Louise Roberts was originally released as Candelight Romance #132, published by Dell in Feb. 1974, which is the edition I have. (It was also later re-released as Candlelight #248 in 1978, with a new cover that correctly illustrates the heroine's hair as blonde, unlike the brown-haired heroine on the cover of this edition.) The novel is a traditional Regency but with a few steamy (and problematic) scenes of the hero Ian and heroine Heather in bed together where he forces himself on her. From page 111: "He pulled her to him, and his grip was like steel, his arms like cords. One arm behind her back, one arm around her neck, he held her tight. Even as she cried out, he was ruthlessly pressing his mouth to hers. Their open lips met, held, clung. Heather felt something melting inside her.... He was bending her so that her whole body was flowing against his.... [S]he felt the intense heat of him thrusting at her body, urgently, possessively, as he gripped her and held her voiceless with his ardent lips on her lips. She could fight no longer. She would have had to fight herself as well as him." Pretty steamy stuff for a category romance in early 1974.
The plot concerns Heather's attempt to arrange a marriage of convenience with Ian in order to prevent her fortune from being taken by a relative, the scheming Joseph Bannister. Ian needs the money in order to save his castle home and Heather needs a husband. So she boldly proposes this idea to him and he accepts, although informing her that he has a young nephew, Daniel, that he takes care of. The beginning of the book moves along very quickly, with Heather and Ian getting married on page 38 and they immediately set off for his castle. Heather soon becomes a mother figure for Daniel, and the tender relationship between the boy and her is actually the highlight of the book.
I enjoyed reading this novel, but the hero's tormenting of the heroine with his actions, his apparent flirtation with another woman, his bringing a bunch of jerky "friends" to their home for an extended stay without consulting her about it, was highly annoying. Roberts is able to manipulate the reader's emotions to keep the story interesting, but at the expense of the likability of the hero. There were moments that I hated this guy for what he was doing to the heroine, and even though I was confident that there would be some explanation at the end to justify his callous behavior, it's a little hard to forgive and forget after witnessing the cost of his "plan." Sure, it would have been less suspenseful if Ian had informed Heather about what he was doing from the first, if the two characters had communicated their thoughts to each other rather than jumping to conclusions, but at least it would have felt less manipulative -- both to Heather and to the reader. The same goes for Heather allowing Bannister to also stay at the house; his stirring up trouble heightens the drama of the story, but also makes the reader wish Heather would kick him out the door, and her failure to do so looks like taking politeness to an unreasonable extreme. If Roberts hadn't contrived to make Ian so cruel in his actions, I could have rated this book 3.5 stars, but instead it will have to be only 3 stars. It's a quick read at only 207 pages, which I consumed in one sitting (of almost 5 hours).
The plot concerns Heather's attempt to arrange a marriage of convenience with Ian in order to prevent her fortune from being taken by a relative, the scheming Joseph Bannister. Ian needs the money in order to save his castle home and Heather needs a husband. So she boldly proposes this idea to him and he accepts, although informing her that he has a young nephew, Daniel, that he takes care of. The beginning of the book moves along very quickly, with Heather and Ian getting married on page 38 and they immediately set off for his castle. Heather soon becomes a mother figure for Daniel, and the tender relationship between the boy and her is actually the highlight of the book.
I enjoyed reading this novel, but the hero's tormenting of the heroine with his actions, his apparent flirtation with another woman, his bringing a bunch of jerky "friends" to their home for an extended stay without consulting her about it, was highly annoying. Roberts is able to manipulate the reader's emotions to keep the story interesting, but at the expense of the likability of the hero. There were moments that I hated this guy for what he was doing to the heroine, and even though I was confident that there would be some explanation at the end to justify his callous behavior, it's a little hard to forgive and forget after witnessing the cost of his "plan." Sure, it would have been less suspenseful if Ian had informed Heather about what he was doing from the first, if the two characters had communicated their thoughts to each other rather than jumping to conclusions, but at least it would have felt less manipulative -- both to Heather and to the reader. The same goes for Heather allowing Bannister to also stay at the house; his stirring up trouble heightens the drama of the story, but also makes the reader wish Heather would kick him out the door, and her failure to do so looks like taking politeness to an unreasonable extreme. If Roberts hadn't contrived to make Ian so cruel in his actions, I could have rated this book 3.5 stars, but instead it will have to be only 3 stars. It's a quick read at only 207 pages, which I consumed in one sitting (of almost 5 hours).
June 25, 2024
Wife catches husband forcing kisses on OW (which OW enjoys) and he gets angry at...his wife! He is angry at his wife for having disturbed his private moment with OW. LMAO.
April 13, 2015
the beginning was good, a marriage for convenience for the both of them, cute and witty, ....and then he changed, became overbearing, secretive, and forceful and she welcomed it and blamed herself, made it hard to read
April 26, 2022
I considered this a true regency with sex when I read it in 2012. Now it has none of the characteristics of what I consider essential. These include emphasis on history, dialog, humor, and period authenticity. Think Jane Austin, Georgette Heyer, and the early books of Mary Balogh.
February 12, 2013
simply a good love story.... nothing more... nothing less...
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews