What do you think?
Rate this book
Taming the Shrew
The wealthy Miss Juliana Browne has a number of problems; she’s twenty-five, her hair is red, she’s on the shelf, life is hateful and her only known admirer is Hervey De Vere, a freckled orange haired fortune hunter who looks eighteen. After three years of continuous snubs, he’s still chasing her with endless offers of gallantry and proposals of marriage. When Juliana’s mother suggests she solve her problems by marrying the said Hervey, Juliana is revolted until her mother reveals that Hervey has a reputation as a charming, attentive and discreet lover. Assured that her married friends will turn green with envy Juliana impulsively weds the man. She quickly discovers her boyish looking husband is more than man enough to tame her contrary heart.
68 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 31, 2009
10 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Cari Hislop
10 books17 followersI’m an American married to an adorable English Goblin. I’m an artist with a degree in fashion design, but I’ve always been a story teller. Stories are everywhere; in every scent, every glimpse out of the corner of the eye. The most magical moments of my life have been born of ‘what if?’.
I’ve been making up stories as long as I can remember. At ten I started writing (it was a romance – the girl’s parents are killed by a plane falling on their house so of course she moves to England. Don’t ask me where she got the money or the passport!). I knew I was going to grow up to be an author! All my artistic talents (portrait artist, sculptor, illustrator) converge on my favorite subject; people. I find both individuals and general humanity endlessly fascinating.
I’ve been making up stories as long as I can remember. At ten I started writing (it was a romance – the girl’s parents are killed by a plane falling on their house so of course she moves to England. Don’t ask me where she got the money or the passport!). I knew I was going to grow up to be an author! All my artistic talents (portrait artist, sculptor, illustrator) converge on my favorite subject; people. I find both individuals and general humanity endlessly fascinating.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 1, 2020
A reread. Wanted to end my year on a laugh and this did the trick. Quirky couple. Quirky story. Quirky writer for that matter. Not everyone's cup of tea I'm sure. However for me Cari Hislop' s books are always good for a few laughs.
November 8, 2023
This is my first book by this author and I had no idea what to expect. I just needed something short to read before going to bed (this is a novella under 100 pages, if I'm not mistaken). I have been going through a funk with my more seriously-minded Regency romances, and this seemed interesting. I'm not sure if that influenced my enjoyment as much as the story itself, but I found it hilarious as well as heartwarming. A lot of the elements that work in this farcical story would be absolutely deal breakers for me in a book with a serious tone (the heroine being the main one), but it truly works here.
Juliana is a true shrew. She's bad-tempered and offers insults to all and sundry without an ounce of remorse. Her reasons for wanting to marry are deplorable and her choice of suitor seems completely random and wrong (there's a glimpse of something later showing us that maybe it wasn't so random after all). She thinks he's ugly, she hates his orange hair (especially because her own hair is red), and she hates his brothers. Hervey, on the other hand, is sweet, level-headed, and truly cares for his brothers (he's one of nine). He has been in love with Juliana for three years and, even though his brothers tease him mercilessly, he continues to defend his lady and his love for her.
The marriage happens quickly both in the sense of where it takes place in the story as to how it happens as part of the plot. Most of the book is Juliana wanting to consummate the marriage while Hervey demands one thing of her before he does so (it's sweet and I'm not going to spoil it). This plot point seems idiotic, but it's used to expose both Hervey's and Juliana's feelings as well as some of their own background. The author does a great job of throwing a few lines about the protagonists' family life that give you a pretty good idea or how they got to be in their present situation and how their personalities formed. Mainly though, this is about Juliana's growth through Hervey's support and love, which was very heartwarming.
I love that, at first, Hervey lets Juliana say whatever she wants to say, and slowly he starts explaining to her how hurtful she can be when she speaks to others. He also sets limits on her physical expressions of frustration. I don't believe he ever told her to stop screaming, for example, but he told her it was unacceptable to hit. Even though Juliana is one year older than Hervey (she's 25 to his 18-looking 24), he's the mature one and has to go back to the basics with her to teach her to treat others better. As I mentioned, I'd hate Juliana in another story but I couldn't help laughing at her set downs as well as feeling a bit sorry for her. In some ways too, Hervey's love for her places her in a better light.
I'm probably taking this farcical story a bit too seriously, but I do think the author was able to infuse it with a lot of heart, and Hervey is truly one of the best beta heroes I've encountered. This is technically a clean story with more talking than action when it comes to consummation, but I would not recommend it for those who like their books squeaky clean. The tone reminded me a lot of Barbara Metzger's books. I'm adding a few quotes that convey the tone of the book. I'm looking forward to reading some more of Hislop's books.
Juliana is a true shrew. She's bad-tempered and offers insults to all and sundry without an ounce of remorse. Her reasons for wanting to marry are deplorable and her choice of suitor seems completely random and wrong (there's a glimpse of something later showing us that maybe it wasn't so random after all). She thinks he's ugly, she hates his orange hair (especially because her own hair is red), and she hates his brothers. Hervey, on the other hand, is sweet, level-headed, and truly cares for his brothers (he's one of nine). He has been in love with Juliana for three years and, even though his brothers tease him mercilessly, he continues to defend his lady and his love for her.
The marriage happens quickly both in the sense of where it takes place in the story as to how it happens as part of the plot. Most of the book is Juliana wanting to consummate the marriage while Hervey demands one thing of her before he does so (it's sweet and I'm not going to spoil it). This plot point seems idiotic, but it's used to expose both Hervey's and Juliana's feelings as well as some of their own background. The author does a great job of throwing a few lines about the protagonists' family life that give you a pretty good idea or how they got to be in their present situation and how their personalities formed. Mainly though, this is about Juliana's growth through Hervey's support and love, which was very heartwarming.
I love that, at first, Hervey lets Juliana say whatever she wants to say, and slowly he starts explaining to her how hurtful she can be when she speaks to others. He also sets limits on her physical expressions of frustration. I don't believe he ever told her to stop screaming, for example, but he told her it was unacceptable to hit. Even though Juliana is one year older than Hervey (she's 25 to his 18-looking 24), he's the mature one and has to go back to the basics with her to teach her to treat others better. As I mentioned, I'd hate Juliana in another story but I couldn't help laughing at her set downs as well as feeling a bit sorry for her. In some ways too, Hervey's love for her places her in a better light.
I'm probably taking this farcical story a bit too seriously, but I do think the author was able to infuse it with a lot of heart, and Hervey is truly one of the best beta heroes I've encountered. This is technically a clean story with more talking than action when it comes to consummation, but I would not recommend it for those who like their books squeaky clean. The tone reminded me a lot of Barbara Metzger's books. I'm adding a few quotes that convey the tone of the book. I'm looking forward to reading some more of Hislop's books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2017
Not bad. A few giggles here and there.
November 3, 2016
I want to this short romance more stars. I think with an little editing and a honest first reader this writer has great promise. She has a good plot, nice dialogue, and can manage multiple characters.
However, the octave of the tone of this short is too high. It is farce like which could be okay but I really like the h and H and could like the rest of the brothers but they are not aware of the farce and it really is not needed. All the screaming was very annoying as was the over use of the word Satanic. It ruined would have been a good book. A few more chapters for the h and H really having to live with each other and more after the bed scene and the book could have been very very good. We need more motive for the H love. We get a little bit of that.
Anyway, I am always sad when something could have been good. I will try the author's later book to see if she has been learning.
However, the octave of the tone of this short is too high. It is farce like which could be okay but I really like the h and H and could like the rest of the brothers but they are not aware of the farce and it really is not needed. All the screaming was very annoying as was the over use of the word Satanic. It ruined would have been a good book. A few more chapters for the h and H really having to live with each other and more after the bed scene and the book could have been very very good. We need more motive for the H love. We get a little bit of that.
Anyway, I am always sad when something could have been good. I will try the author's later book to see if she has been learning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2013
Very amusing and different tale. Loved the banter between the main characters.
February 26, 2014
I don't know what to make of this book! It all seems so shouty and the dialogue rushed. It's certainly a different story, not the usual plot line.
April 10, 2015
It was nice... I wanted more hot scenes though!
Read
May 26, 2017There was a reason the woman was called a shrew and every readers finds out what that reason is. The main character is terribly unlikable in the beginning. But throughout the course of this short story, which is funny and fun, we learn to like the dynamic between the two lovers and the way the man treats his woman in quite funny. This is the best of Ms. Hislop's books.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews