Компаньонката

by Amanda Quick

В най-добрите традиции на романтичния жанр Аманда Куик (псевдоним на Джейн Ан Кренц, авторка на множество бестселъри от класацията на „Ню Йорк Таймс”) ни поднася история за престъпление, любов и неутолими страсти

Тя ще влети като комета в подредения му живот. И ще го разтърси из основи.

Артър взе решение.

- Може би ще обмислите още едно предложение за работа от тази агенция, госпожице Лодж.

Гласът му, загадъчен, сдържан и овладян, който сякаш идваше от мрака зад нея, толкова изплаши Елинор, че тя едва не изпусна дамската си чантичка.

Обърна се и тихо ахна. Не го виждаше ясно, но веднага разбра, че който и да е той, можеше да се окаже опасен. Изведнъж изпита странно и вълнуващо предчувствие.

Граф Артър Сейнт Мерин търси жена. Намеренията му са чисто практични – трябва му здравомислеща и сравнително привлекателна девойка, която няколко седмици да представя като своя годеница пред висшето общество. Така ще отблъсне многобройните изискани дами, желаещи да се доберат до титлата и богатството му, и ще спечели време за осъществяване на тайните си планове.

Само че намирането на подходяща кандидатка се оказва по-трудно, отколкото е предполагал... докато от агенцията му представят Елинор Лодж. Безвкусното й облекло и косата й, прибрана на старомоден кок, не могат да прикрият изящното й тяло и пламъка в златистите й очи. А мечтите й за независим живот правят неустоимо щедрото предложение на графа.

Обаче Елинор не е сигурна какви ще са последствията от този маскарад. Защото Сейнт Мерин очевидно крие нещо. Не след дълго тя открива, че тайните му са още по-мрачни от потискащата му къща, и че наглед невинната авантюра ще доведе до опасни последствия. Граф Артър също прави откритие: жената, от която очаква да е покорна компаньонка, ще му стане партньорка при преследването на нагъл убиец... и ще се превърне в красавица, пробуждаща у него неподозирана страст.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Regency, Fiction

367 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Pseudonym of Jayne Ann Krentz

The author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.

She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.

Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.


Pseudonym(s):
Jayne Ann Krentz
Jayne Castle
Stephanie James
Jayne Bentley
Jayne Taylor
Amanda Glass

Reviews

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of friends loved this book but I just could not connect to the couple. You know the way that a lot of people feel about Lillian from Kleypas' It Happened One Autumn (I personally like her)? That's the way I felt about this heroine, she just rubbed me the wrong way. She's great with her take charge attitude and confidence but there was a "I'm doing it my way because no other way could be right" that made me jerk back. I love me some strong independent women but in romance books, I do tend to like them to come with a hint of vulnerability, which I didn't feel here.

Our hero had a great dry wit but I felt it bled over to his personality too much, he was dry as toast. It's obvious he likes the heroine but it was in a dry way, I needed some sweeping romance that wasn't provided. The romance didn't connect for me and this couple didn't provide me with the joy that keeps me reading this genre.

The mystery with trying to find the villain, second coming of Newton, and the Jove's Thunderbolt was a bit scattered for me and I never truly bought in to it. So, yeah, not a lot worked for me on this one, lol. It's Amanda Quick so the writing is of course good and like I said, many others have loved this, I'm just not one of them.

[Daniella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my God I would give this 10 stars if I could. The characters were lovable, the mystery well planned, the love scenes blush-worthy, and the writing compelling and flawless.

This is absolutely perfect. Perfect, damn it.

Basically a summary of my feelings about the book (because I'm too giddy to write a more detailed review):




DEAR GOD, PLEASE LET ME MARRY A MAN LIKE ARTHUR. I PROMISE I'LL BE A GOOD PERSON. THANK YOU.

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally a historical romance where I enjoyed both the romance and the actual plot! They tied in well together and I wasn’t disappointed when moving between the two.

Elenora has been left with practically nothing after the death of her stepfather. She has run her family’s estate in the country for years but after being kicked out with nothing except her clothing she is determined to land and her feet and has a plan to do just that.

Arthur, Earl of St. Merryn has recently been through a scandal where his fiancé ran away with another man. The last thing he wants is to have to deal with the Ton and the many mothers throwing their eligible daughters at him. His solution is to hire a fiancé and flaunt her at the Ton so he can go about his business in peace. Elenora wasn’t what he was expecting and the normally very reserves Earl starts to think that maybe she can actually help him in his secret quest making her much more valuable than just the ruse they are playing.

One of the things I like about Amanda Quick books and this one in particular is that we not only get PoVs from Elonara and Arthor but also from the killer they are searching for. I specifically enjoyed this killer since he is also searching for a way to make an alchemical device work using three red stones and an energy source….can we all say “Laser” together. He was so desperate and would do anything to remain undetected after already killing at least one person for the stones. It gave the story a sense of urgency and some drama to see how close yet far Arthur was from discovering the identity of the villain.

The romance between Elenora and Arthur is sweet too. She easily filled the role he set for her and became the talk of the town. Also, she is not scared of him as most people tend to find him so reserved he is scary. Elenora seems to see the man he hides under all the reserve and social graces better than most and doesn’t back down against him.

“Tell me, Miss Lodge, do you really believe that I would chase after a runaway fiancée under any circumstances?”
“Oh, yes, my lord. If your passionate nature was involved, you would pursue her into the gates of Hell itself.”

The romance builds first becoming a friendship of sorts, then an alliance and finally something more.

The other thing I liked is that AQ made a little bit of fun of the Ton. She set it right out there that most of the matches made were not for love and she was able to give a few examples throughout the story. Also she addressed in a fun manner how difficult some conversations between couples could be with such age discrepancies.

“You must look at the situation from the young ladies’ perspective, sir. I assure you, it can be mind-numbingly difficult to make conversation with a man who is old enough to be your father when you would much rather dance with a handsome young poet.”

Quick showed both sides though. How a good marriage was a way for a girl to support her family and the importance of finding a suitable husband. She brought up a few points on both sides that made me think of it a little differently.

This is one of my more liked HRs and is a stand alone. If you like HRs and haven’t read AQ before it is probably a good place to start.

[becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of the few Amanda Quick books I've read in the last month I liked this one more than the others (but that's not a great measurement since many of the others I decided to stop reading midway through). I'd say, overall, I actually did like this book - until the end. It goes a little something like this:

Her: Uh oh, love him.

Him: I want to have sex with her.

Her: I can never be with him, but I'll have sex with him.

Him: Damn, I really like having sex with her. I might even like her.

Her: Oh god, I love him so.

Him: (lightbulb goes on) Uh oh, I love her. But we can't be together.

Then something bad happens and they both somehow realize that they belong together forever and ever.

Him: I love you with my whole life. I don't know why I never told you before. I want to grow old with you and have your babies and be your duke/viscount/earl (whatever title he happened to be in this one).

Her: Swoon, and cut scene.

The only way I'd recommend any Amanda Quick novels is if you've made your way through all the other available romance novelists who write about Regency England.

[Merry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Amanda Quicks books...some better than others...this fell into the ok category. Nice story of an independent woman and a man who is perhaps too self-disciplined. The story to me is simular to others written by the author....enjoyable but plowed no new ground. Rate it 3.5*

[Starr (AKA Starrfish) Rivers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't really so much a HR as a mystery romance. I might have given it 4 stars if not for the other HR I just finished. I couldn't give this one a higher rating because it wasn't better than that one. They are good and bad in different ways. The other HR was very good until about 70% of the way. This one was meh all the way until about 70%. Then the pace picked up and I enjoyed it relatively well.

The story revolves around our Hero Arthur who is supposed to be a very calculating, logical man. Who is investigating the murder of his Great Uncle, and who decides that getting a fake fiancee would somehow help him (an excuse to be in town without actually having to pay attention to all the social swirl). I find this reasoning very convoluted, BTW.

He gets his fake fiancee from a paid companion agency. The H and h's first meeting was pretty good. The h was so persistent in her tirade against the agency owners that she seemed a bit of a termagant. But then, I like strong-willed h's (who aren't also stupid and prejudiced, and she was neither thankfully).

As they get to know each other, as Arthur realizes that Eleanora is actually very smart and helpful in his investigation, they grow closer.

Meanwhile, there's all sorts of intrigue and subterfuge going on with h's ex fiancee, H's ex fiancee and current husband, the butler, and a bunch of other people.

The mystery ramps up after 70% of the book. That's when I gave up on the "love story." This is not really a romance in the end. It's a mystery with romantic elements. As a mystery, it was OK. Not terribly predictable, but not terribly engrossing either. I don't feel like the author wanted you to solve the mystery, but rather she just wanted the reader to follow along.

H and h were both ok. I can't think of much that makes me feel strongly about them one way or the other.

Hence the middle of the road scoring of 3 stars. Maybe 3.5 for the last third of the book.

[Somia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this a number of times over the years and it remains an enjoyable light read.

This historical romance stars two main characters who are intelligent, strong and well suited. Elenora is no simpering miss, after the death of her stepfather she is left with nothing, but she doesn't break down and simply weep, rather she is determined to succeed/have a life that is not dismal. With very few occupations for respectable ladies to choose from, she becomes a companion to other ladies.

The very self-contained Earl of St. Merryn (Arthur) has recently been through a scandal where his fiancé ran away with another man, and he has no desire to deal with the Ton and having eligible daughters thrown at him by eager mothers, so he formulates a plan. And that plan involves hiring a fiancé so he can go about in peace. And as luck will have it, as he shocks the ladies of an employment agency with what he wants, Elenora storms in highly displeased with the selection of potential employers the agency has been able to locate for her.

A lovely light historical romance, with a dash of mystery.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the main characters...

I'm finding Amanda Quick's audios are quickly becoming favourites. This one entertained me from the beginning until the very end. It played out like what I would imagine a radio drama would, with characters that came to life and plenty of acting to bring emotion into each scene. Both of the main characters were original and very lovable. Arthur is arrogant, bossy and a wee bit egotistical, while Elenora is strong, opinionated and determined to be independent. Together, their confidence in themselves makes them a perfect match.

The narrator does a very good job giving each character their own distinct voice. I never struggled to work out who was 'talking' and the accents were very believable. The narrator is easy to listen to and I will definitely be looking for more of her work in the future.

The mystery was interesting and it played out at a pace that kept me engrossed and determined to help catch the bad guy. Elenora and Arthur work well together. I liked that (even though it was probably inappropriate for the time it was set) they kept each other informed and he didn't try and keep her away for 'her own protection'.

This was a fairly steamy read/listen but it was not OTT or excessive. There was a connection between Elenora and Arthur that was obvious and I never doubted they would be perfect together. The epilogue was very cute and made me love Arthur even more.

I will definitely be listening to more from this author and the narrator again.

[Izzie (on pause) McFussy · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know the expression, Want some coffee in your milk? Replace romance for coffee and mystery for milk, and there you have it.

From the blurb I expected a romance with murder and mayhem taking center stage in the third act. Nope. The villain, cloaked in a creepy Phantom of the Opera vibe, bowed in early and periodically after that. This would have been a great first book in a historical mystery series. As a romance, not so much.

I really liked Elenora and Arthur. They had chemistry, and since they teamed up to solve the mystery, their relationship was mostly paved with tea and scones…and kisses. There was a sweet secondary romance too.

[Tiziana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,8 rounded up to 5 stars. I loved it!

A historical mystery-romance where both the mystery-investigative part and the romantic and sensual part are equally well developed and both have the same weight in the story.

___THE PLOT IN SHORT__ The story begins with Elenor's sudden change of fortune: the greedy and hateful step-father has lost everything due to a bad investment and while he died of a stroke, his stepdaughter finds herself thrown out of the house by creditors , with only her clothes in an old trunk of her actress grandmother.
The only chance of survival is to roll up your sleeves and find a job through an agency.

The rich Arthur, Earl of St. Merrin, fresh from a year of gossip about the escape of his girlfriend with another man, has decided to find a fake girlfriend, turning to an agency that employs desperate women looking for a job as a companion. In fact, at the moment he is not interested in falling in love, because his goal is to find his uncle's killer.

Elenor will prove to be much more than a banal cover for his investigations, with her intelligence, in fact, she will help St. Merrin in unraveling a tangled mess of secret identities and harmful obsessions.
_______________________

Like many romances, the "historical" setting is purely superficial.
In fact there is no historical part with historical references and events, the reader only knows, thanks to some elements, that we are probably in the Regency era, but after the defeat of Napoleon or in the Victorian era, before the advent of electricity..
I consider it a "point against" because I love historical references, however the narration was so compelling in the two themes it focused on (the love story and the solution to a mystery, as well as the capture of a killer), that I turned one page after another with great enthusiasm.

I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised, I didn't expect it.

__MYSTERY and LOVE STORY __ I read many historical mystery-romances, but they are usually focused on investigations, while in the background a certain complicity and attraction develops in a "very light way" between the 2 main characters or, in the case of a romance, the development of a feeling of love and passion is in close-up, while a "weak" mystery manages to give a little suspense to the whole story.
This is not the case, indeed this author managed to enthuse the reader on both fronts: investigative and romantic.

It's a truly well-crafted and suspenseful mystery and the love story offers just as many twists, with funny scenes alternating with sensual moments.

It's my first book by Amanda Quick and if you need a light but engaging read, I recommend it.

___ THE CHARACTERS ___ I liked both main characters, because the author managed to balance the emotional traits that characterized them well.
Perhaps a woman who always thinks of the good of others seems a little far-fetched, but this is the only thing that is a little over-emphasized.
Other characteristics such as stubbornness and decision, willpower and resilience, anger and playfulness in speeches, feelings of altruism and passion, intelligence and business sense, are never too intense or too forced either in Arthur or in Elenor and this is important because otherwise they might have been unpleasant.

Then there are Bennet and Margaret, two positive secondary characters who support our heroes and add lightness and joy to the story.

A swirl of other minor characters, whose attitudes serve to describe what life was like for both high society and poor workers in the 19th century.

The whole story is made more interesting also thanks to the fact that the killer is not the only "bad guy" in the story. In fact, even if in a more subtle way, over the course of events, a couple of really mean characters will contribute to complicating things.

Nothing of what happens is taken for granted and during the narration there are various small mysteries that are revealed.
This makes the reading lively and encourages the reader to go on to read the next chapter.

The language is fluent and is clean, but there are at least 3 sex scenes, described in detail, but not vulgar, nothing that an adult doesn't already know.

Happy ending guaranteed in all respects:
no villain goes unpunished and every good person gets his reward.

Thank for reading my review and please forgive my English, it's not my native language.

[Missy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Both characters are intelligent and logical people. It's a nice change. The hero takes his responsibilities seriously and plans everything in advance. He has a knack for knowing everything that's going on around him. He surprised me twice at two of his revelations early in the book.

One of the reasons why I don't read too many books by Amanda Quick is that she tends to incorporate a mystery into her books that it sometimes overshadows the romance. I could be wrong though since I don't read too many Amanda Quick books. The murder mystery in this book kept my interest until I realized I wasn't getting enough romance, which is the reason for the 2 stars. Fortunately, I liked the writing and the main characters, so I was able to complete the book.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I blame myself for not liking this as much as I expected to. I was in the mood for a regency romance, but managed to ignore everything I know about Amanda Quick's regencies. Which made me more than usually impatient with the supernatural trappings that intruded into an otherwise fine romantic story. I liked both main characters and their banter and by-play was fantastic. I suppose the real problem is that I could easily imagine the story without the "alchemical" nonsense and I liked that story in my head much better.

So yeah, I'm going to stick with the three stars as an accurate representation of my experience but with the caveat that if you don't mind Quick's usual insertion of alchemical/fantastical elements you'll probably find this much more engaging.

A note about Steamy: Standard for the genre/Quick with two or three explicit sex scenes. I liked Quick's handling of Elenora's rising awareness and exploration and Arthur's expectations and responses were a continuation of the byplay and give-and-take of their relationship I enjoyed most.

[Lori ◡̈ · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book by Amanda Quick, and I absolutely loved it.

It was also my first historical romance with mystery involved that I made it all the way thru to the ending without cheating first to see "who-done-it". 😂

Lol, it was that good, I didn't want to cheat, but to follow thru with each chapter and absorb the story.

My favorite thing about this book was how the characters were all written. I loved the hero... a very serious, business-minded, doesn't know how to relax and have fun type of guy. Because the story was written so well, you get to see him learn how to smile, crack itty-bitty jokes and start to feel emotion. The heroine was written well too. She was a no-nonsense, take charge type of girl, but not in a bitchy way... she was actually very caring and sweet. It's not often that an author writes a strong, vocal heroine that is also caring and level-headed.

Thanks, Christina, for the good recommendation! 😘

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Paid Companion has been on my to-read shelf forever and I finally picked it up. I am not sure what took me so long, but I am glad I finally took the time to delve in.

This story had a combination of passion, mystery, and a foray into science. The first half of the novel focused more on the characters (which I LOVED), while the second half picked up the mystery element at the expense of the romance.

For those familiar with Amanda Quick, you will see numerous examples of her signature in this story. The heroine, Elenora, is spunky, brave, and intelligent. The hero, Arthur, is logical, powerful, and unapproachable. As in other Amanda Quick novels, the quirky heroine wins over the hero and they form a tight bond while overcoming a mystery together. Arthur never strays, shows interest in other women, or refuses to marry the heroine. He is honorable, extremely smart, and loyal to those he considers under his protection. His flaw is his stubbornness and often autocratic behavior, but the heroine finds a way around that ;)

Elenora for her part is also extremely loyal to others, often at the expense of her own welfare. She forms an attachment to Arthur and has no problem running headlong into danger in order to help him. What I loved most about her was her ability to remain calm despite the chaos she goes through; she is always optimistic and I enjoyed seeing how she worked through problems. Her flaw is not being able to trust her feelings with Arthur and up until the very end, she never truly believes that Arthur really wants her. I chalk this up to her less than fortunate circumstances, but Arthur is very logical (and the same time romantic) when proving his case.

If the mystery had not taken over the story in the second half, this would have been an easy 5 star book. However, I was disappointed when the mystery became so elaborate that the sparkle between the characters as they developed their relationship was cast in shadow. In the second half, the secondary characters were almost non-existent (who also had a love story going on) and the sensual tension between Arthur and Elenora disappeared. The book became a race for the truth and focused more on logic and a mad man than the budding romance. This may not bother some, but it dimmed my enjoyment a bit. The mystery was good (alchemy, madness, and old friends) and I wanted to know what happened, but I didn't want the explanation to overtake the romance. Hence, one less star.

Despite the dominance of the mystery, I still enjoyed this romance and recommend it for fans of Amanda Quick. She always creates fun leads, sweet romance, and spooky villains that keep you turning pages.

There are two sex scenes in this book, but both are rather tame. There was humor sprinkled in that allowed the characters' true natures to shine through and made the scenes unique and fun. This is not a "hot read" but it was much more like real life which I appreciated.

Here is one of my favorite parts of the story and a major turning point when Elenora mistakenly reveals more about her feelings for Arthur than she intended:

"You must not not be too hard on yourself, sir,"she said very earnestly. "Juliana was very young, very sheltered, and, I suspect, somewhat lacking in common sense. She did not realize that you would make an excellent husband."

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arthur Lancaster, the Earl of St. Merryn, wants to hire a paid companion. Since his last fiancée ran away with her lover, desperate mothers have been throwing their eligible daughters at him. He is looking for a woman to pose as his fiancée. That way the mothers will leave him alone and allow him time to figure out who murdered his uncle a few weeks ago.

Eleanora Lodge lost everything when her stepfather died and she was thrown out into the streets. She is in desperate need of a job and interviews for the position of a paid companion. She is surprised when the Earl tells her that he will pay her to pose as his fiancée; but the money is good, so she quickly agrees. Arthur is surprised to find that Eleanora is both independent and very smart. He believes she may be able to help him in his goal of finding his uncle's killer.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Bianco Amato. I thought the first twenty percent of the book was slow and I was bored with the story. But, once Eleanora was in place in the St. Merryn household, the story became interesting. I enjoyed both the romance and the unfolding mystery. My rating: 4 Stars.

[Nabilah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my 2nd Amanda Quick's novel (the first one was Ravished) and I have to say I'm pretty impressed with her work thus far. They story had a good flow and I especially adore the characters.

I love Arthur, the hero in this story (rich, titled, attractive, responsible, kind, I could go on and on with his attributes - may I have him in real life, pretty please?). The heroine, Elenora was the perfect match (spunky, intelligent, well-bred, attractive too If I'm not mistaken).

The mystery element was pretty well done here. The usage of a laser machine was interesting. The villain was a fleshed out character. So many times, you see that the villain was a caricature of himself but, not here.

I read it in one sitting and was entertained throughout. I consider this as a solid 4 star read!

[Luana ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a very big fan of mystery in my historical romances, but amongst the Amanda Quick books that I have read so far this mystery was the most interesting one.

Without the heroine our hero would have had a hard time at it and it was nice seeing them working together. But If you want romance this book is not for you. The romance was secondary and a bit different from her other books as it was not a marriage of convenience, the rest fell into her normal formula of cold hero + intelligent spinster.

That epilogue was so cute. I wish we had more.

[Mariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the second book for me to read by Amanda Quick; and I love, love, LOVED it! The only problem was that I couldn't put it down to get enough sleep. I finished within 24 hours.

The writing was witty, engaging and humorous. There were two prologues, his and hers. I literally already laughed out loud in the first one. For me, it was the perfect blend of romance, sensuality, and murder mystery.

I liked both the H and h. St. Merryn was smart, responsible, and unique. I appreciated his wit and logical thought process with very little regard to how others would respond to his eccentric choices. He was also honorable and honest. Elenora was equally likable. Most authors pair opposites. In this case, Elenora had many similarities in logical thought process. She was extraordinarily kind, thinking of others before herself. She was calm, prepared and worked toward goals without becoming discouraged; but she had just enough of her actress grandmother in her to desire excitement, both sexually and otherwise.

If you have read and enjoyed Amanda Quick before but not read this book, I highly recommend. Her writing is quite stylized, so this would definitely not be for everyone. I look forward to trying another by her.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well since I listened to the audiobook I'll split my review into two parts.

The Story

Twenty something Elanora Lodge is smart, feisty heroine who due to her stepfathers gambling and untimely death has lost her home and inheritance. She plans to own her own bookstore one day but in order to finance this dream and support herself in the meantime, she has taken up work as a paid companion.

Arthur Lancaster, Earl of St. Merryn is considered as coldly logical and a little eccentric by most. He needs a fake fiancee to shield him from the marriage hunters in society and also to distract attention from himself and free up his time to hunt secretly for the murderer of his great uncle.

Arthur believes Elanora is perfectly suited for the role. He's right and before we know it the sparks are flying between the pair!.

I was expecting quite a sappy romance and was pleasantly surprised by how light hearted and humorous this was. Witty dialog, likable characters and a nice mix of romance and suspense all lead to this being a very enjoyable book.

It was my first Amanda Quick book but it definitely won't be my last.


The Narrator

The book was superbly narrated by Michael Page who's rich cultured English accent was perfectly suited to the story. The characters were portrayed wonderfully, with clearly distinct voices.
I've found that male narrators usually have a problem performing convincing female voices but this was not the case with Michael Page who did a great job.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on audiobook while I made my Christmas cards, and it was an enjoyable read and kept me entertained while I attended to my crafting. The narrator used a voice for Arthur that was a bit stuffy, and not at all brooding and sexy, but otherwise, I can't complain. There was a good balance between mystery and romance in this book. The mystery was quite authentic, and the villain was a fiend. The reveal was suspenseful, and I hadn't figured out who the villain was until the correct time. The storyline was cute, the way that Elenora and Arthur enter each other's lives was a good setup for the building of their relationship. I like that they feel like unique people, even with some of the typical historical romance character traits they have.

Elenora was a very likable heroine. She was intelligent, independent, brave and self-sufficient. But she was also warm and open to love. I liked how she bounced back from some very difficult circumstances in her life, and wasn't going to allow anyone to bully her. She took an active part in solving the mystery, and she was a very good detective.

Arthur was sexy and manly but also gentlemanly and cerebral. That was a very nice combination. While he definitely had a dangerous aura, he was a principled person. I like that he treated Elenora as an equal and it was evident that he really respected her.

The romance was believable and I rooted for their happy ending. Their love scenes were nicely sensual (although it was a bit odd hearing the older, stuffy-sound narrator read the naughty bits).

I think Amanda Quick's book are really good audiobook listens. I feel I enjoy them in this format more than I might in reading them. I think it's because the mystery is so prominent and Quick gets the historical details just right, and her style of romance works really well in this format.

I'd recommend getting this on audio if you can. I realized today that I had a paper copy but I'm glad I did the audio. It's worth the listen.

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review from 2017

I've given this a B for both narration and content at AudioGals

This recording of one of my favourite of Amanda Quick’s books – The Paid Companion –  came out in 2014, but I didn’t immediately snap it up, because I already own a copy of the recording narrated by Michael Page that was produced in 2004, and I wasn’t sure if I really needed another version. While it’s commonplace to find more than one version of older, “classic” books (as I discovered when listening and writing my Caz’s Classics Corner posts for AudioGals last year), it’s unusual for more modern books to be re-recorded, so I was surprised when this one appeared. But having really enjoyed listening to Bianca Amato in A Dangerous Beauty, I gave in and decided to give it a whirl.

In the prologue, which takes place around a year before the beginning of the story proper, we meet Arthur Lancaster, the Earl of St. Merryn on the night his lovely young fiancée elopes with another man. He’s at his club, and is surprisingly – or perhaps not so unsurprisingly, given that those who know him regard him as rather a cold fish – unmoved by the news that his intended has left him, and doesn’t make a move to go after the couple. He gives it as his opinion that the next time he considers matrimony, he might as well seek a bride from an employment agency such as those that exist for paid companions, given that the qualities exhibited by the ideal companion – they are well-bred, well-educated, possessed of a sterling reputation, steady nerves, and a meek and modest manner – are exactly the same as those a man would want in a wife.

Miss Elenora Lodge is in a bit of a bind. Around six months earlier, she was made homeless by virtue of the fact that her stepfather had lost everything he owned – including money that should have been hers – in a series of bad investments. As a result, her betrothed had called off their engagement, leaving Elenora with no other option but to seek employment in order to support herself. As luck would have it, she’s an intelligent, self-possessed young woman and was fortunate in securing a position as a paid companion to an eccentric older lady, but that lady is now leaving London for the country and Elenora needs to find another situation quickly.

St. Merryn is in London, ostensibly to conduct some business dealings, but in reality to track down the killer who murdered his beloved uncle, a man who, in his younger days, had been part of a group of three like-minded men with a serious interest in alchemy. Being titled, extremely wealthy and not unattractive, St. Merryn knows that the moment he sets foot into a ballroom or any social event, it will be believed he is looking about him for a wife, and he’ll be besieged by marriage-minded mamas and hopeful debutantes. In order to prevent that, he has hit upon the idea of presenting himself as an engaged man; that way, he will still be able to move about in society but without the pressure to do the pretty by all the unmarried ladies. So, he takes his own advice and goes to an employment agency, telling them that he wants to recruit a woman to act as companion to his aunt, who is currently staying at his London house. He has interviewed a number of ladies without success, and is about to give up when Elenora Lodge bursts into the offices of Goodhew & Willis, insisting the ladies must help her to find a new position. It’s immediately clear to the earl that this young woman is not like any he has seen so far; she is forthright, spirited and obviously not someone who would be cowed by the truth of what he is offering –or even cowed by himself, a man whose reputation for cold ruthlessness sees most people treating him with fearful respect.

I rather like the “fake-couple” trope, and this is a pretty good example of how to do it right. St. Merryn and Elenora are attracted to each other from the outset, but they know they’re up against a dangerous adversary, and don’t spend chapters mooning over each other. Their relationship evolves gradually from a mutual respect and a recognition that each has at last found someone who can truly know and understand them. I liked the way we’re shown that St. Merryn is not at all as cold as he seems; in fact, Elenora is the only person to pick up on the fact that he’s a man capable of great passion who is keeping himself on a very right rein. He’s got a wickedly dry sense of humour, and again, the author skilfully shows the listener the extent of the compatibility that exists between the couple by having Elenora be one of the few who appreciates his very dry wit and by showing her keen intelligence to be the equal of his. St. Merryn immediately realises that Eleanora’s quick mind can be of valuable assistance to him in his search for the murderer; he does not dismiss her opinions and finds himself trusting her and her judgement more than anyone’s other than his own.

Anyone who has read or listened to a few of Amanda Quick’s books before will, I’m sure, recognise that she has hit on a very successful formula with her historical mysteries. Her heroes are usually aloof, fiercely intelligent, often quite forbidding and scientifically minded, and her heroines are usually “on the shelf”, also very intelligent and perhaps a little unconventional – and if they are virgins, they’re sexually curious and certainly not averse to exploring that curiosity with the hero. There’s nothing wrong with formulaic when it’s well done, as is the case here – and The Paid Companion is one of my favourite examples.

While Bianca Amato is undoubtedly an excellent narrator, her performance here didn’t really do it for me. I should say, however, that I found it very difficult to avoid comparing it to Michael Page’s version, and I suspect that had I never listened to that, I might have been able to rate her performance more highly. Her pacing is a little on the slow side and there are lots of long gaps between paragraphs and chapters (which, to be fair, are likely not down to her), some of them so long I had to check that the battery hadn’t run out on my mp3 player. She differentiates subtly, but well between the characters; her voice falls naturally in the contralto range, so she doesn’t have trouble sustaining a slightly lower pitch for the men, but I did feel that perhaps she could have pitched St. Merryn a little lower to single him out a bit more. In fact, I didn’t really care for her interpretation of him; he’s supposed to be quite cold and harsh with most of the people around him, yet that doesn’t really come across, although she does convey his sense of ennui quite well. But I never got the sense of his being someone people feared, and some of the humour is missing, too. I can’t deny that Mr. Page’s portrayal of St. Merryn brought out the character’s sarcasm and highly developed sense of irony very well, and it’s a shame that version is no longer available (unless you can track down a second-hand CD copy), as it would be nice to have the choice.

I did enjoy listening to this edition of The Paid Companion, and I will probably listen to it again at some point, but it hasn’t improved upon the older version, which remains my favourite.

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun to listen to although I suspect I might not have enjoyed it as much had I read the book. Michael Page is one of those narrators whose name on an audiobook is guaranteed to make me take a second or third look, and even though he’s not narrated a huge number of romance novels, I’ve enjoyed those I’ve heard. (Most recently, I liked his reading of Victoria Alexander’s The Importance of Being Wicked.)

The plot in this story centres around Arthur Lancaster, Earl of St. Merryn and his search for the murderer of his uncle, who had been one of a group of three brilliant scientists who, in their younger days, had been fascinated by the prospect of constructing something called “Jove’s Thunderbolt” (which sounds to me like some type of laser) from a set of obscure alchemical plans. The project was never completed, however, as the trio moved on to more serious scientific and philosophical matters.

Eleanora Lodge is a young woman fallen on hard times since the death of her father who is forced to seek employment in order to support herself. At the advanced age of twenty-six, she reasons that her best bet is to try to find work as a lady’s companion and with that in mind, registers her interest with employment agencies that recruit ladies for such positions.

St. Merryn returns to London in order to begin his search but knowing his presence at the numerous and varied social functions that comprise the season will make him a prime target for all the match-making mamas, decides that the best way to escape them will be to arrive with a fiancée in tow. He therefore applies to an agency in order to hire a paid companion –and at first can find no-one who meets his exacting requirements.

Until Eleanora bursts in, unannounced.

So what we have here is a “pretend couple” romance, which I admit, is one of the tropes of which I’m quite fond. St. Merryn is rich, handsome and has a reputation for having a mind like a steel trap and a heart of ice. He’s autocratic and doesn’t suffer fools gladly which means that though he is generally well-respected by his peers, most of them are afraid – rather than fond – of him.

The romance progresses in a fairly predictable manner, and the author does a great job building some searing sexual tension between the couple. The sex scenes are fairly tame, but I rather liked the humourous tone, which was a nice link between their usual, day-to-day interactions and this new turn taken in their relationship. I always think that a couple that banters and teases will continue to do so in the bedroom – so the humour felt completely appropriate. I particularly liked this, from the first time they're *ahem* getting down to business:

... he casually removed a linen handkerchief from a pocket and placed it to one side. Did he expect to sneeze in the middle of this business? she wondered.

and then, later, when St. Merryn has a minor strop because he’s just found out Eleanora was a virgin (to be fair, she’d kind of led him to believe she wasn’t, but never explicitly said so either way):

"Damnation, I took you to be a lady of some experience in this sort of thing."

She smiled up at him. "I have good news, sir. As of this instant, I am, indeed, a lady of some experience."

"Do not taunt me," he warned. "I am exceedingly annoyed with you."

"Does that mean that you are not going to finish what we have started?"

His face was fierce in the firelight. "I cannot seem to think clearly at the moment."

The plot thickens, the mystery deepens and the clues start to come thick and fast. The dénouement is, I will admit, more than a bit daft, but what sustained my interest was the relationship between the two protagonists. Having employed Eleanora as a decoy so that he would be able to navigate his way around society seeking answers without being viewed as a viable marriage prospect, St. Merryn quickly realises that Eleanora’s quick mind and natural intelligence can be of valuable assistance to him. He does not dismiss her opinions and in fact finds himself trusting her and her judgement more than he has done with almost anyone; and Eleanora very cleverly works out how – on occasion – to make her ideas seem like they were his ;-)

Michael Page’s vocal characterisations are excellent and he is very good at differentiating between all the different individuals in the story. He is also one of those male narrators who is able to perform female characters convincingly by softening his tone rather than raising the pitch of his voice to a silly degree. I’ve read a criticism somewhere that his interpretation of St. Merryn was too high pitched and nasal, but I didn’t find that at all. He did adopt a higher pitch and harsher tone than he used for his narration, but I felt it was in keeping with the character because Arthur is harsh – on the outside at least. I also thought that the stern tone worked very well with the humour in the book as St. Merryn is frequently shown to have a very dry sense of humour that is of the sort apt to be missed by the less discerning among the ton. I thought that giving his voice that element of severity only served to emphasise the contrast between St. Merryn the real man and the austere and rather forbidding face he presented to the world.

Finally, here’s another of my favourite moments, from when Arthur proposes to Eleanora:

“I took one look at you and I knew that you would be the best investment I could ever possibly make."

She smiled tremulously. “Oh, Arthur, that is the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me."

"Thank you. I was rather pleased with it, myself. I practiced it during the carriage ride here today."

To sum up - I love a witty hero with a mischievous sense of humour and a heroine who doesn’t simper and who can give as good as she gets in the bantering stakes. The ending was undoubtedly silly, but I liked spending time with Arthur and Eleonora and Michael Page’s excellent narration served to make The Paid Companion a very entertaining piece of audio fluff.

[Jeanne Adamek · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Ana María · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un típico Quick de regencia: Eleonora, una dama venida a menos que trabaja de "dama de compañía", es contratada por el Conde de St. Merryn para hacerse pasar por su prometida así, él puede investigar el asesinato de su tío-abuelo en los círculos de la alta sociedad sin que las debutantes casaderas del año se le vengan encima. Pero Eleonora es una mujer inteligente y práctica que lo ayuda en sus investigaciones ... y algo más.
Como siempre, Amanda nos presenta a unos protagonistas inteligentes, seguros de sí mismos y decididos que nos muestran toda la "flema inglesa" aún en las peores circunstancias. Un científico loco con ansias de poder completa el círculo.
Ah! tres escenas hot, la primera que es la primera para Eleonora "of course", le sale medio desastrosa a Arthur. Pero me pareció mucho más realista que las vírgenes multiorgásmicas que nos suelen presentar las novelas históricas.

[Bon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, not as enjoyable as usual for me with Amanda, perhaps because it's a bit dated now.

[Sara Reads (mostly) Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not as good as Ravished. I loved her characters and their witty banter/slow burn romance, and the supporting characters were also wonderful! But the mystery part was unnecessary lol I skimmed over those parts. Hence, knocking down 2 stars

[Rosamary Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uzun bir ara verip tekrar okumaya başladığım bir kitap daha sonunda bitti :) . Bu kitabımızda eski nişanlısı aşığıyla kaçan St. Meryyn Kontu bir sonraki ilişkisini bi refakatçi ile yapacağını söyleyerek dalga geçiyor ama kader bu ya durum gerçektende böyle oluyor ve nişanlı rolünü oynaması için bir refakatçi kiralıyor. Tabi asıl amacını çok geç olmadan öğreniyor ve karakterlerimizle macera dolu bir yolculuğa çıkıyoruz. Okurken simya üzerine bir iki fikirde edinmiş oluyoruz :)
Güzel ve akıcı bir kitaptı. Ama ara ara olayların çok uzadığını düşündüm ve katilin hiç tanımadığımız biri olması canımı sıktı. Tahmin edebilmeyi daha çok isterdim. Onun dışında güzeldi

[Carol Waters · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, so I am attempting to pare down my book collection by reading and discarding the stash of books cluttering my abode. This one is from upstairs in the media room bookcases. I have no idea where it came from. It is a hardcover, new, pretty cover.

The premise is dumber than dirt. A wealthy woman of 26 gets swindled out of her inheritance, gets a job as a paid companion to a woman who dresses only in purple who unfortunately no longer needs her help, and then storms into her employer's office to demand a better job than the reprobates and lechers she has thus far had for interviews. Um, the option is starvation, whoring, or workhouse. She stumbles upon a wealthy man who wants a fake fiancée so he can solve a murder. Kinda like Pretty Woman with a bustle so far.

Anyway, the rest of the book goes like this: crap, crap, crap, plot, plot, plot, sex on the library floor(OMG, she's a VIRGIN!!) but the sex was great, crap, crap, crap, guns and bombs, oral sex (She really liked it the second time but there really wasn't a mention of rug burn in that chapter)crap, crap, crap, hostage, and MY TRUE LOVE, IT WAS YOU ALL THE TIME. I do not like the name of Arthur for a hero. Sex one more time and then --can I really provide a spoiler for a Regency Romance?- twins and she gets to open an orphanage rather than a bookstore. Given that her big issue is the scope and grandeur of the lawn on this orphanage, she still has her worries.

I am about to finish Stephen King's Blaze. That orphanage does not have a lawn.

Another inch and a quarter now exists on my bookshelf for new stuff and Goodwill has another donation. Do not give me crap crap crap about why I should donate to the Salvation Army. I give to them both. I cannot give this to the Women's Shelter because I think too many women still believe that some mean guy named Arthur is about to turn into her hero.

Two points because everything was spelled correctly.

[Elizabeth]

DNF at 61%.

I used to read and love a lot of Amanda Quick. And I probably read this back in the day.

She has feisty, smart heroines. And I like that. There’s always a mystery. And some paranormal/metaphysical stuff.

In this case, we have a virgin heroine who wants to get sexual experience now that she’s no longer part of society. Jump ahead 6 months and she’s just looking for respectable work. That was a jarring shift. But believable cause just going out on her own and getting all groovy would be dangerous. I’m with her so far. She gets hired by a handsome earl to be his temporary fake fiancée.

I’m not sure his reasons hold up… but okay.

And of course they are wildly attracted to each other.

At 61%, looks like they’re about to go all the way and my hackles start rising because of the way this is written. I think I’m super sensitive about informed and positive consent. And he’s saying “you’re ready for me” and she’s saying “yes” but THINKING “I’m not really sure what’s he’s saying”.

And I’m thinking “yikes!”

She doesn’t understand what’s going on. And they’re not married. I KNOW it’s all going to work out. But I’m stressed for her. She already would have a really hard time finding work after he’s done with her. Even if they don’t have sex. But if he gets her pregnant!?

I get way too stressed for my historical heroines when there’s sex and she’s not adequately protected. She has no family or friends to lean on if something happens. And he’s made no promises so far.

So… I’ll go to my next book. I can’t deal with the stress of this!

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Paid Companion" is the story of Arthur and Elonora.

The hero is a "cold hearted" Earl of St. Merryn who needs a practical woman. After his first fiancee ran away, he needs a level headed lady to be his pretend fiance. In the meanwhile he plants to use that as a cover to hunt for his uncle's murderers. He finds the heroine, a smart spinster to be his paid companion and they enter an adventurous charade. Living in his London home with a widowed cousin as a chaperone, attraction strikes, so does mayhem, mystery and murder..
The book is fast paced and we taken on a ride filled with mysterious stones and mad scientists. There are a couple of obviously evil characters, but the story mainly focuses of the very determined hero and the smart heroine while they work together to catch the murderer and get intimate a couple of times in between.
The chemistry was average- I have read better books by Ms Quick so my expectations were higher. Too much happened in the last quarter of this book- we could have seen more grovel and a drawn out confession but things ended rather quickly even in the epilogue.

Safe
3/5