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The Unofficial Suitor
Lady Cassiopeia Anderby's spendthrift stepbrother plans to sell her on the London marriage mart to the highest bidder. He holds a threat over her to assure her compliance. When Cassie meets Richard Hawke, a self-made man with a disastrous past, she realizes he is not a gentleman but an adventurer. Still, he promises her the best possible future she is likely to have. Can she trust him? Regency Romance by Charlotte Louise Dolan; originally published by Signet.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 1992
About the author
Charlotte Louise Dolan
10 books55 followersCharlotte Louise Dolan earned a bachelors degree from Eastern Illinois University and a masters degree in German from Middlebury College. She has lived throughout the United States and in Germany, the Soviet Union, Canada, Taiwan, and Austria. A bookworm since the age of four, she fell in love with Regency England when she read her first Georgette Heyer book. Besides writing, she has worked as a high school Germany teacher, a toymaker, a tech editor, a genealogist, and a craft designer. She is the mother of three children.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 5, 2019
I'd just read Fallen Angel, which I'd enjoyed greatly (as much for its gentle pace as anything else). Somehow, though, many of the same ingredients in The Unofficial Suitor didn't quite add up to the same satisfying whole.
There are some very good things indeed about it - the evil brother is appropriately evil, the heroine sacrifices herself nobly for others - these things worked well. What let the book down, I think, is the sheer number of ingredients that make up the plot - the good half-brother looking out for his sister, the brash young man falling for an impossible girl, the spinster shut away by her mad father, the dowager longing for a life of adventure, the outwitting of three unsuitable suitors etc etc. Amid all this, the nominally principal love affair is rather swamped, and lacks the credibility of the gentle unfolding in Fallen Angel.
I do like Dolan's restraint in portraying love affairs - she can show real love without sex scenes. Just occasionally, though - and this book is a case in point - I found myself wanting something a little earthier to convince me that the H & H were actually really attracted to each other.
I'll carry on looking out for Dolan's books, as her off-days are generally better than some others' "on-days"!
There are some very good things indeed about it - the evil brother is appropriately evil, the heroine sacrifices herself nobly for others - these things worked well. What let the book down, I think, is the sheer number of ingredients that make up the plot - the good half-brother looking out for his sister, the brash young man falling for an impossible girl, the spinster shut away by her mad father, the dowager longing for a life of adventure, the outwitting of three unsuitable suitors etc etc. Amid all this, the nominally principal love affair is rather swamped, and lacks the credibility of the gentle unfolding in Fallen Angel.
I do like Dolan's restraint in portraying love affairs - she can show real love without sex scenes. Just occasionally, though - and this book is a case in point - I found myself wanting something a little earthier to convince me that the H & H were actually really attracted to each other.
I'll carry on looking out for Dolan's books, as her off-days are generally better than some others' "on-days"!
August 26, 2012
Overall, I liked this one. Cassie’s brother Geoffrey has forced a season on her and threatened her younger sister if she did not marry who he chooses. He has narrowed it down to three men, none of which she likes. Then there is Mr. Richard Hawke, who scares her and yet intrigues her as well. Richard falls for Cassie right from the start and decides she is the only one for him. It was fun to see the creative ways Richard came up with in discouraging her suitors and dealing with her brother. I don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to say he wins in the end, I just wish it had been earlier in the story. His good friends John and Perry get their HEA thrown in rather speedily at the end, and I think if Richard and Cassie had been married earlier in the story then John and Perry could have had a little more time for their own stories. As it was, their courtships were sooooo fast it was pretty hard to swallow.
Another element that was a bit underdeveloped was the evil brother Geoffrey. His selling Cassie to the highest bidder didn’t come off as evil as it was probably supposed to. It seemed more like your typical regency where the girl is asked by her family to marry for connection and money. The threats Geoffrey makes were evil, but the way her courtships panned out were a bit bland. I guess Geoffrey ended up being a disappointment as far as villains go.
I will say that I loved Cassie’s other brother Digory. I didn’t realize that this book actually precedes The Counterfeit Gentleman. I loved Digory in that book and it was fun to see him appear in this one.
Content: Clean.
Another element that was a bit underdeveloped was the evil brother Geoffrey. His selling Cassie to the highest bidder didn’t come off as evil as it was probably supposed to. It seemed more like your typical regency where the girl is asked by her family to marry for connection and money. The threats Geoffrey makes were evil, but the way her courtships panned out were a bit bland. I guess Geoffrey ended up being a disappointment as far as villains go.
I will say that I loved Cassie’s other brother Digory. I didn’t realize that this book actually precedes The Counterfeit Gentleman. I loved Digory in that book and it was fun to see him appear in this one.
Content: Clean.
November 29, 2024
A strange book, which leaves me a bit uncertain what to make of it. There’s some truly dark stuff in the background here, and sometimes it feels as if the author threw in everything but the kitchen sink, but there’s also a wonderful romance (I love a man who knows precisely what he wants) and some amusing moments, too.
Here’s the premise: Lady Cassiopeia Anderby is living a hand-to-mouth existence since her brother, the Earl of Blackstone, has gambled away the family fortune and has been draining the estate of funds for years. But a flying visit shows him that he still has one asset left to sell, namely, Cassie herself. She’s a rare beauty, so she’ll fetch a good price on the marriage mart, won’t she? By threatening Cassie’s younger sister, he persuades her to come to London for the season.
Travelling by stage coach, Cassie, her sister and step-mother Ellen find themselves in company with three very unsavoury-looking characters and when an unexpected snow storm strands them at a country inn (cliches? In a Regency romance? Surely not!), she avoids them as much as possible. They all have to eat, however, so she makes a deal with them - if they bring in wood and see to the fires, she’ll prepare food. The three ladies survive the ordeal unscathed, to Cassie’s surprise, and the next morning the snow has miraculously vanished, so they go on their merry way.
What Cassie doesn’t know (but the reader does) is that the three (Richard Hawke, John Tuke and Perry, now a viscount) are survivors of the American wars and much other drama, returning reluctantly to London to help Perry deal with his recent ennoblement and assorted relatives, and somewhat more reputable than they look. Richard is so enamoured of Cassie’s spirited practicality that he decides on the spot that he’s going to marry her. His friends deride his choice, since he’s now rich enough to buy himself a better wife than the servant that Cassie appears to be. Needless to say, London brings surprises for both sides - she discovers that Richard and Perry are moving in society like respectable gentlemen, and they discover that the servant girl is an earl’s daughter.
The romance is therefore laid out from the start. The obstacle is Cassie’s brother, who gives her a list of three potential suitors that he will accept, and Richard’s name isn’t on it. But there’s another obstacle, too, which is that Cassie finds Richard terrifying. There’s a hint in the book that this is because she’s an innocent, and its her own feelings that terrify her, but I’m not sure I buy that, and frankly, I found her weeping and wailing at the very prospect of innocuous events like driving in the park with him irritating in the extreme. Get a grip, girl! After all, he may be an imposing sort of man, but he’s never been anything but unfailingly kind to her.
Richard being a man who’s (literally) pulled himself up from the gutter, he isn’t going to let a trifling matter like other suitors stand in his way. The stratagems he employs to get rid of them, one by one, are highly enjoyable, even if not strictly honourable. All right, not honourable at all, and his friend Perry does remonstrate with him at one point, but they justify it quite elegantly to themselves. I wasn’t convinced, but at least the author addresses the point.
The romance resolves itself just as you might expect, and there are several other pairings thrown in almost at random towards the end. Memo to authors: not every minor character needs to get their happy ever after, but if you’re going to do it, please try to make it more convincing than this. But for Richard and Cassie, all comes right very satisfactorily, and the evil brother gets his comeuppance, too. Only one major historical error - no, you can’t simply renounce your title and walk away. You don’t have to take your seat in the House of Lords, but the title is settled irrevocably on the heir specified in the original letters patent when the title was created.
An enjoyable read, and I’m used to the plethora of Americanisms now, so that wasn’t more than a few eye-rolling moments. So why only three stars? I really found this an unsettling book. The hero has a very dark past, and although he may be unfailingly honourable in his dealings with the heroine, elsewhere his moral compass is not all it should be. He’s not an out and out evil villain, like Cassie’s brother, but he doesn’t scruple to do whatever it takes to get his own way. If he had given Cassie the option of whether to marry him or not, I could (perhaps) have forgiven him, but he doesn’t. He’s determined to marry her, whether she wants it or not (and she doesn’t; she’s hounded into it), and even though he promises not to touch her until she’s ready, I wouldn’t put any money on him holding to that if she really kept on saying no. So even though I zipped through the book at a rapid pace, and never for one moment considered abandoning it, I disapproved of the hero so much I’m going with three stars.
Here’s the premise: Lady Cassiopeia Anderby is living a hand-to-mouth existence since her brother, the Earl of Blackstone, has gambled away the family fortune and has been draining the estate of funds for years. But a flying visit shows him that he still has one asset left to sell, namely, Cassie herself. She’s a rare beauty, so she’ll fetch a good price on the marriage mart, won’t she? By threatening Cassie’s younger sister, he persuades her to come to London for the season.
Travelling by stage coach, Cassie, her sister and step-mother Ellen find themselves in company with three very unsavoury-looking characters and when an unexpected snow storm strands them at a country inn (cliches? In a Regency romance? Surely not!), she avoids them as much as possible. They all have to eat, however, so she makes a deal with them - if they bring in wood and see to the fires, she’ll prepare food. The three ladies survive the ordeal unscathed, to Cassie’s surprise, and the next morning the snow has miraculously vanished, so they go on their merry way.
What Cassie doesn’t know (but the reader does) is that the three (Richard Hawke, John Tuke and Perry, now a viscount) are survivors of the American wars and much other drama, returning reluctantly to London to help Perry deal with his recent ennoblement and assorted relatives, and somewhat more reputable than they look. Richard is so enamoured of Cassie’s spirited practicality that he decides on the spot that he’s going to marry her. His friends deride his choice, since he’s now rich enough to buy himself a better wife than the servant that Cassie appears to be. Needless to say, London brings surprises for both sides - she discovers that Richard and Perry are moving in society like respectable gentlemen, and they discover that the servant girl is an earl’s daughter.
The romance is therefore laid out from the start. The obstacle is Cassie’s brother, who gives her a list of three potential suitors that he will accept, and Richard’s name isn’t on it. But there’s another obstacle, too, which is that Cassie finds Richard terrifying. There’s a hint in the book that this is because she’s an innocent, and its her own feelings that terrify her, but I’m not sure I buy that, and frankly, I found her weeping and wailing at the very prospect of innocuous events like driving in the park with him irritating in the extreme. Get a grip, girl! After all, he may be an imposing sort of man, but he’s never been anything but unfailingly kind to her.
Richard being a man who’s (literally) pulled himself up from the gutter, he isn’t going to let a trifling matter like other suitors stand in his way. The stratagems he employs to get rid of them, one by one, are highly enjoyable, even if not strictly honourable. All right, not honourable at all, and his friend Perry does remonstrate with him at one point, but they justify it quite elegantly to themselves. I wasn’t convinced, but at least the author addresses the point.
The romance resolves itself just as you might expect, and there are several other pairings thrown in almost at random towards the end. Memo to authors: not every minor character needs to get their happy ever after, but if you’re going to do it, please try to make it more convincing than this. But for Richard and Cassie, all comes right very satisfactorily, and the evil brother gets his comeuppance, too. Only one major historical error - no, you can’t simply renounce your title and walk away. You don’t have to take your seat in the House of Lords, but the title is settled irrevocably on the heir specified in the original letters patent when the title was created.
An enjoyable read, and I’m used to the plethora of Americanisms now, so that wasn’t more than a few eye-rolling moments. So why only three stars? I really found this an unsettling book. The hero has a very dark past, and although he may be unfailingly honourable in his dealings with the heroine, elsewhere his moral compass is not all it should be. He’s not an out and out evil villain, like Cassie’s brother, but he doesn’t scruple to do whatever it takes to get his own way. If he had given Cassie the option of whether to marry him or not, I could (perhaps) have forgiven him, but he doesn’t. He’s determined to marry her, whether she wants it or not (and she doesn’t; she’s hounded into it), and even though he promises not to touch her until she’s ready, I wouldn’t put any money on him holding to that if she really kept on saying no. So even though I zipped through the book at a rapid pace, and never for one moment considered abandoning it, I disapproved of the hero so much I’m going with three stars.
October 9, 2013
Every once in a while you have to revert back to the basics for a fast, fanciful read. 'Basics' for me is a Signet Regency Romance, where a lot of authors got their feet wet. I am not sure where I got this author's name, but ordered it from Paperback Swap to check it out. It was truly fast and fanciful. Not to spoil anything, but everyone had their 'happily ever after' and I do mean everyone:) When you need a read that take you to a dream world with very little angst, go for a 'Signet' book.
August 14, 2014
I loved this book. The villain is completely despicable. The hero and heroine are capable, likeable and appealing. The supporting characters are delightful.
The heroine is being blackmailed into accepting a marriage with the richest suitor the villain can snare, so that he can benefit. The hero meets her on her way to London and decides to become one her suitors to rescue her. Hence, the title of the book.
He is a wonderful classic hero. Noble in character if not by birth.
I will read this one more than once. Highly recommended!
The heroine is being blackmailed into accepting a marriage with the richest suitor the villain can snare, so that he can benefit. The hero meets her on her way to London and decides to become one her suitors to rescue her. Hence, the title of the book.
He is a wonderful classic hero. Noble in character if not by birth.
I will read this one more than once. Highly recommended!
January 27, 2016
I really like this author and it gives you three romances in one! Okay, it's one romance with two little ones along the way. I will read it again.
March 21, 2022
First off, I didn't realize that this is a prequel to The Counterfeit Gentleman so...probably should have read this one first.
I struggled a bit with Cassie's antipathy for marriage. I understand her discomfort with her (evil) brother choosing her suitors and demanding a bunch of money for her hand in marriage--but growing up in a household where she had to subsist on very little, I would have thought that she'd see marriage as an escape out of that situation. And not just for herself, but for her stepmother and sister as well.
I would have preferred if Cassie and Hawke married around halfway through the story (less "he makes me so nervous" and more Cassie choosing her own suitor, I think), especially if it had given the other two (three?) romances a bit more breathing room.
I struggled a bit with Cassie's antipathy for marriage. I understand her discomfort with her (evil) brother choosing her suitors and demanding a bunch of money for her hand in marriage--but growing up in a household where she had to subsist on very little, I would have thought that she'd see marriage as an escape out of that situation. And not just for herself, but for her stepmother and sister as well.
I would have preferred if Cassie and Hawke married around halfway through the story (less "he makes me so nervous" and more Cassie choosing her own suitor, I think), especially if it had given the other two (three?) romances a bit more breathing room.
January 11, 2022
Sweet book
This author has mastered the good humored, quiet, yet well researched novel of the heart (and Regency time period) almost as well as my favored Georgette Heyer. I'm consistently charmed by the individual personalities for the H,h and cast of supporting characters. I especially like the attention to detail she gives to making sure each quirky, yet human, individual has good and bad traits -as do most all of us- but realistically softened through the view of affection and good humor the author illustrates throughout the story.
This author has mastered the good humored, quiet, yet well researched novel of the heart (and Regency time period) almost as well as my favored Georgette Heyer. I'm consistently charmed by the individual personalities for the H,h and cast of supporting characters. I especially like the attention to detail she gives to making sure each quirky, yet human, individual has good and bad traits -as do most all of us- but realistically softened through the view of affection and good humor the author illustrates throughout the story.
October 15, 2024
A bit darker and less sprightly than her others, this story was nevertheless steeped in deeply satisfying romance. The hero and heroine take a bit to build chemistry but their fate is so clearly marked and imperative that it’s only a matter of how they manage to defy the odds. I cheered for them all the way. And for all the couples that kept pairing off! So many happily ever afters are packed into the end that everyone must be satisfied!
March 25, 2020
All about the journey
Romance novels can be predictable... you know who is getting together with whom from the start. But this author makes the journey so enjoyable! HOW will they ever get together when he is not a gentleman and she is afraid of him.
Clean regency with clever dialogue and enjoyable side characters.
Romance novels can be predictable... you know who is getting together with whom from the start. But this author makes the journey so enjoyable! HOW will they ever get together when he is not a gentleman and she is afraid of him.
Clean regency with clever dialogue and enjoyable side characters.
June 4, 2022
After having had a really good experience with another book from the same author I was excited to read more of her works
...this was not it for me...
all the characters were incredibly cartoonish and their dialogues so artificial I just couldnt....
both the hero and heroine were unlikeable on account of how annoying they were
...this was not it for me...
all the characters were incredibly cartoonish and their dialogues so artificial I just couldnt....
both the hero and heroine were unlikeable on account of how annoying they were
September 27, 2018
A clean Regency
with multiple romances; dastardly characters; a perceptive, no-nonsense, adventuresome grandmother and a relation on the wrong side of the blanket. I am adding this author to my favorites list.
with multiple romances; dastardly characters; a perceptive, no-nonsense, adventuresome grandmother and a relation on the wrong side of the blanket. I am adding this author to my favorites list.
November 1, 2020
I'm getting more relaxed in my ratings these days, but I still enjoy giving 4-star ratings when the book has a little something extra beyond an enjoyable story. In this case, it's the treatment of the slave trade. Would that those days were behind us!
October 3, 2025
Utterly Delightful
I love this two book series! The characters are so interesting and well drawn. But underneath is the more serious issue of the desperate limitations of being a woman over 200 years ago. Good for thought as we see history pushing back.
I love this two book series! The characters are so interesting and well drawn. But underneath is the more serious issue of the desperate limitations of being a woman over 200 years ago. Good for thought as we see history pushing back.
April 15, 2019
It was a nice story, clean romance. The last 1/4 of the book was rushed, which was disappointing because I feel like the other characters could have had a lot more story.
September 6, 2020
I can't remember much except I thought it was cute.
December 29, 2024
This was clever with lots of interesting characters, but it didn't win me over.
December 25, 2014
really enjoyed this one. liked how Richard Hawke deals with all the other suitors and out cons the cons man. Liked Cassiopeia, unlike other regencies, her reticence actually has a believable reason behind it. Loved all the side characters (loved John Turk and his relationship with Hawke) (really enjoyed Digory and Lady Letitia) and its satisfying to see that all characters get their own ending
April 4, 2016
There was a lot going on in this short book. Too much going on. Way too much going on. Suffice to say there are three couples and an adventure.
Class issues, slavery, a bit about coal mining and kidnapping. Not to mention a very brief attempted rape scene and an evil brother, father and mistress. Did I mention there's a lot going on?
I didn't care for Cassie the main h. She was just not willing to admit that being an Earl's daughter didn't mean squat if you can't afford to heat the house or put food on the table. And marrying a man in trade was akin to living on the streets. It was an interesting juxtaposition with Grace from Carla Kelly's Marriage of Mercy who was also broke but took the bull by the horns (so to speak) and made something of herself.
Basically all the main female characters annoyed the heck out of me. I liked the vicar's daughter who makes a brief appearance, Annie the abigail and the grandmother.
Class issues, slavery, a bit about coal mining and kidnapping. Not to mention a very brief attempted rape scene and an evil brother, father and mistress. Did I mention there's a lot going on?
I didn't care for Cassie the main h. She was just not willing to admit that being an Earl's daughter didn't mean squat if you can't afford to heat the house or put food on the table. And marrying a man in trade was akin to living on the streets. It was an interesting juxtaposition with Grace from Carla Kelly's Marriage of Mercy who was also broke but took the bull by the horns (so to speak) and made something of herself.
Basically all the main female characters annoyed the heck out of me. I liked the vicar's daughter who makes a brief appearance, Annie the abigail and the grandmother.
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April 9, 2014Many of Ms. Dolan's books feature the same characters. This one features several that show up in other novels, and I must have read them out of order because I met characters in "The Counterfit Gentleman" (which I read first) that gave away the ending to this one. But it didn't matter that much. I read and enjoyed this book anyway.
September 25, 2009
Regency
March 31, 2018
What a terrific book I am now going to start another one Dolan's books. Unfortunately, she has written very few.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews