พิสูจน์เสน่หา

A Lady's Lessons #3

by Jade Lee, อรทัย พันธพงค์ (Translator), Katherine Greyle (Pseydonym)

เรื่องมันเริ่มขึ้น เมื่อ "เจฟฟรีย์ แรธเบิร์น" เอิร์ลแห่งทัลลิส หนีขึ้นมาชั้นบน เพื่อซ่อนตัวจากบรรดาทายาทหญิงและคุณแม่จอมจับคู่ทั้งหลาย ในระหว่างงานเลี้ยงเต้นรำฉลองวันเกิดมารดาของเขา แต่แล้วเขาก็ต้องตกตะลึง เมื่อพบแม่สาวก๋ากั่น "แคโรไลน์ วูดลีย์" ผู้กำลังปีนต้นไม้ และเข้ามาในห้องที่เขาอยู่ผ่านทางหน้าต่างชั้นสอง ... "เลดี้ แคโรไลน์ วูดลีย์" เพิ่งเผชิญกับเรื่องน่าตกใจมาหมาดๆ เรื่องแรกก็คือเธอต่อย "แฮรี" ว่าที่คู่หมั้นของเธอ หลังจากที่เขามอบจูบแย่ๆ ให้เธอ จากนั้นเธอก็ปีนต้นไม้เพื่อจะหนีเข้ามาในห้อง แล้วเธอก็มาพบกับ "ลอร์ดทัลลิส แคโรไลน์" ผู้วางตัวเองว่าเป็นนักวิทยาศาสตร์เหมือนกับบิดาของเธอ ขอร้องให้แฮรีจูบเธอ โดยหวังว่าเธอจะรู้สึก "วูบวาบ" เหมือนกับที่เพื่อนคนหนึ่งของเธอบอกว่า ผู้หญิงจะรู้ว่าตกหลุมรักก็ต่อเมื่อเธอรู้สึกวูบวาบเมื่อยามถูกฝ่ายชายจูบ แคโรไลน์อธิบายทุกสิ่งให้เจฟฟรีย์ฟัง และเขาก็เสนอที่จะจูบเธอเพื่อต่อยอดการค้นคว้าทดลองของเธอ...

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Regency Romance

295 pages

First published April 1, 2002

About the author

Librarian Note: Also writes under the pen name Kathy Lyons.

A USA Today Bestseller, JADE LEE has been scripting love stories since she first picked up a set of paper dolls. Ball gowns and rakish lords caught her attention early (thank you Georgette Heyer), and her fascination with the Regency began. An author of more than 40 romance novels and winner of dozens of industry awards, her latest series is RAKES AND ROGUES. The first one, 50 WAYS TO RUIN A RAKE, is an awesome tale of love and laughter.
And don’t forget Kathy Lyons.. She’s Jade’s paranormal half. Check out her new shifter series GRIZZLIES GONE WILD.
To find all the latest news on Jade or Kathy, visit them at www.jadeleeauthor.com or www.kathylyons.com! And find out where you can meet her at: http://jadeleeauthor.com/appearances

Reviews

[Elodie’s Reading Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a fun read but at some time I needed a pause before going back to my reading.
Was it because the heroine had me upset by her without thinking actions?
Maybe!
I liked the plot but the recklessness of Caroline Woodley during part of the story had me on edge, where do you see women kissing men during parties just for the purpose to see if she tingles!
The idea at first was funny but the heroine playing bee from one man to another without any thought for her reputation rang wrong for this time. For a clever woman, she was some times rather daft, never seeing beyond her “experiment”.
Hopefully, even if it took her a great deal of time, she understood finally she could not go and kiss every man in London.
After, she makes mistakes but she acts wisely trying to find a way out for her and Geoffrey.
Geoffrey Rathburn, the Earl Of Tallis thought he was at last out of the debtor’s prison reach. Until he learns he has to give back his sister’s dowry now she is married, but he has no money to spare, so he must find an heiress. Instead he found Caroline who is no heiress but drives him crazy with her need to experiment carnal feelings.
They will play a game of cat and mouse until they realize they love one another. But will pride be the end of their relationship?
This book had some funny and witty scenes if not crazy, plus a range of various protagonists like Caroline’s aunt and Geoffrey’s family.
A 4.5 stars read.

[Margaret Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Woodley’s Kissing Experiment is a comic Regency romance. Caroline Woodley has been classed as an ape leader and bluestocking and absorbs the slings and arrows of public opinion in deference to science. However, despite her remarkable abilities for a lady of quality in Regency times, Ms. Lee adeptly brings out Caroline’s naiveté and vulnerability. It is these qualities that attract the attention of the world-weary Geoffrey Rathburn, Earl of Tallis. Caroline is like a tornado blowing through Geoffrey’s ordered world, and like any storm, extremely difficult to harness despite his best efforts. About the best he can do is damage control. As Geoffrey sets out to refine Caroline and make her attractive to society so that she can make her own choice of husband, he makes it very clear that he would under no circumstances be able to marry her as her dowry is insufficient to cover his family’s debts. The attraction between Caroline and Geoffrey continues to grow and as they are forced to face the reality of a possibility of debtors’ prison, the story races towards a chaotic ending. It is when reading books of this nature that I have to applaud and mentally thank women like Mrs. Pankhurst and all the other ladies of the Suffragette movement who made it possible for women today to enjoy the privileges that we have. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review

[Mary Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Good premise, mostly good just dipped towards the end or perhaps that was my impatience!

[Delia Binder · Rating 1 out of 5]

There's a real problem when I pick up a Regency, or any historical romance set in the time between George III's rule and the late 19th Century - and I immediately feel the story might as well be set among the 1% now. (Yes, there are some parallels, as anybody who's seen a Whit Stillman movie knows - but women and men even of that class have many more options, too!)

I don't know what set me off - it's just the feeling that this young lady pops through a window and right off suggests our surly hero kiss her so she can know how it feels. It just didn't work at all for me....

[MyChienneLit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery in exchange for my honest review.

Geoffrey Rathburn, Earl of Tallis, has toiled ceaselessly for years and is finally within sight of overcoming his father's debts and getting his family back on solid financial ground. But when he learns that his sister, who vowed she would never marry, needs her dowry after all--and quickly at that--the only option Geoffrey has left is to marry a wealthy heiress. There are several young misses out for his title, just as he is seeking nothing more than their money, however, his heart has been captured by Caroline Woodley, an odd bluestocking with a passion for scientific inquiry. Her latest experiment? An inquiry into kissing and human carnal relations--a line of inquiry Geoffrey is only happy to assist with, but can he do so without assuring her ruin and destroying his own search for an heiress to rescue his family's fortune? Should Geoffrey sacrifice his own heart for his family's financial security, or should his own and Miss Woodley's happiness come first? Can Miss Woodley find a way to secure a fortune so that she may become both Geoffrey's heart's desire and his family's savior? Can Geoffrey indulge Caroline's scientific pursuits and assure her success in society? Can he spend time bringing her out and then allow her to marry another?

This novel is a fun romp through Regemcy London. Caroline and her suitors are archetypes that have been drawn so perfectly they approach the ridiculous, but somehow Caroline is still lovable. The plot advances quickly in this light, entertaining read. I found the madcap ending to be somewhat abrupt the unsatisfying--something that could perhaps be remedied with a short epilogue. All in all, this is a fun read typical of Jade Lee's other stories. Fans of her other works and those interested in Regency romance will enjoy this book.

[Winnifred D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've liked a few of this author's books in the past, and this one started off very well; it was quite funny, in a screwball-comedy kind of way. But then the h takes things way too far, refusing to listen to common sense repeatedly, and of course, the ever-harried H has to save her time after time. H devolves into a money-hungry idiot, supposedly fixated on "honor" and restoring his sister's dowry, when all he needed to do was talk the situation over with his family and man of affairs. SPOILER ALERT:***************** I groaned aloud when H's annoying sister and brother-in-law pop up toward the end and explain that H really didn't need to worry about the dowry after all. Also, H finds out after consulting with his man of affairs (at the last minute of course) that he could have married h--before she made a foolish investment risk out of desperation to entice him to marry her. I think the book really started going off the rails when h semi-forced herself on H with no thought to the consequences, told him she'd make a fortune in a few weeks with his help, and he refused to help her and wouldn't even admit he'd marry her if she had the money.

At the 85% point I just didn't care anymore. Everything just got way to silly, with secondary characters that could have elevated the plot never amounting to anything. The biggest letdown is how the gender roles are portrayed. The h is supposed to be intelligent, but she acts like a child 99% of the time and is scatterbrained. This author usually does a pretty good job of portraying heroes, but this H is what i call "alpha male lite." He's supposed to be a compassionate, noble guy, but his behavior is frequently jerky. There's a point in the plot when he's exasperated, grips the h's arm hard enough to bruise it, and notes admiringly that he could beat her to a pulp and she still wouldn't be afraid of him. This turned me off the character.

Language is PG rated. At times it's fairly accurate to the period, at others, it isn't. (The h's behavior is not at all true to the period). Spelling and grammar are decent, except 3 different times in the book when the word "lip" was used instead of "hip." This was distracting and should have been fixed before publication.

[Michelle Quintana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful read

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Geoffrey and Caroline's story. In today's standards, she would be considered a nerd. Since she was labeled a bluestocking, it makes me wonder how hard it was for them to find a match. After learning that his sister Sophia is getting married, Geoffrey is stressing on how he is going to come up with the money to pay for her dowry. He catches Caroline climbing in through the window and is fascinated. He thinks she is trying to throw herself at him but she is just trying to get away from her experiment. Even though he's intrigued, he knows he can't pursue her because he needs an heiress to save his family. Caroline considers herself to be a scientist so she keeps coming up with these different experiments to find out what love is. Geoffrey tries his best to dissuade her and sometimes becomes part of the experiment himself. She admits that she loves him but he refuses to admit his feelings because he needs an heiress. After losing her, Geoffrey feels despondent and it takes an intervention to force him to admit how he really feels. But will he be too late? I wish there had been an epilogue to show what happens in the future.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding, outrages, and out of this world good.
I have loved every book by Jade Lee I have read but this one is by far my favorite. Caroline Woodley and her family were outrages in such a good way I loved Papa Woodley. Harry and Loot were so outsmarted by Caroline is was not funny. Geoffrey was a great hero and I loved his mom. Caroline is smart, sassy, and completely overworked, but Geoffrey will help take of that. A bit bumpy in parts but in the end everything ended just the way it should. Before I forget had to mention Gillian and her husband Stephen are on board too. This was an excellent and fun book to read and I so recommend you checking it out. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I didn’t know quite what to make of Caroline Woodley, on the one hand she seemed very naive but then at other times very capable. Similarly, Geoffrey, Earl of Tallis needed to marry an heiress and although he said he couldn’t marry Caroline, was kissing her at every opportunity. Caroline had an unusual upbringing, helping her father with his scientific experiments and also running his estate since she was a young girl. Geoffrey was trying to recover his finances after his father had gambled them away. The ending was quite chaotic, bordering on a farce. I didn’t enjoy this as much as the previous book but this won’t stop me reading more by this author. I received a copy via eBooks Discovery and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book of Ms. Lee's series, A Lady's Lessons. It was a fun story with some comical parts which made it quite entertaining. Caroline was an interesting character, naive and a little quirky at times, but other times quite capable and intelligent. Her interactions with Geoffrey were entertaining and I enjoyed seeing them together. Both characters were well-developed and I enjoyed their dialogue and interactions. The story flowed well and kept my interest all the way through. This was the perfect fun and lighthearted read to satisfy that Regency itch.

I received a complimentary advanced reader's copy via eBook Discovery and am voluntarily posting my honest review.

[Maria Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annoying Frustrating Heroine

I had to stop from reading this book several times because I was getting increasingly annoyed by the heroine's obtuseness. I figured she wanted to conduct her experiments to prove she wasn't "mad" (nuts) like her mother. But in fact her mother was quite normal and left her self-absorbed scientist-husband because she found love and companionship elsewhere. The plot was intriguing. I just didn't like the heroine and her personality. She was lucky to find someone who loved her.

[Loreli Jessee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this wonderful book. There is never a dull moment, I especially enjoyed how Geoffrey and Caroline met, it was so entertaining. She has such a quirky way to think away her troubles. This book is full of danger, drama, intrigue, suspense and so much more, you will be turning those pages to the end. I loved how smart and unafraid of anything Caroline was. Geoffrey was in denial for so long, but when he came out of it, it was epic.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

[Zita · Rating 3 out of 5]

อ่านเล่มนี้แล้วนึกถึงวีรสตรีจอมเปิ่น & เสน่ห์สาวร่มดำของคุณแมรี่ บาล็อก พระเอกนางเอกไทป์ประมาณนั้นเลย นางเอกเป็นสาวโก๊ะที่บางทีก็ทำอะไรต๊องๆ หน่อย ตรรกะแปลกๆ ไปบ้าง ส่วนพระเอกเป็นท่านลอร์ดนิสัยดีธรรมดาทั่วไปที่พอเจอความโก๊ะของนางเอกมากๆ เข้าก็ตกหลุมรักพร้อมๆ กับอยากเขย่าตัวนางเอกเรียกสติไปด้วย 5555 เป็นเล่มที่อ่านได้เรื่อยๆ มีซีนน่ารักน่าเอ็นดูอยู่บ้าง แต่หลายๆ ครั้งก็รู้สึกว่าพระเอกนางเอกน่าเอือมระอาไปหน่อย ถ้าไม่ได้คนรอบข้างเข้ามาช่วยตอนท้ายคงไม่ได้ลงเอยกันแหงๆ

[Cecilia Rodriguez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Miss Caroline Woodley is determined to be the opposite of her impulsive mother
and uses science and logic in her everyday life.
Geoffrey Rathburn needs to marry an heiress quickly so he can afford to cover
the expense of his sister's dowry.
In spite of these complications the two fall in love.

[Holly Lenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Woodley’s Kissing Experiment is a delightful period romance about an unusual debutante and an Earl. The story is funny and charming with vibrant characters. I did not want the book to end.

Contains graphic sex sex scenes and sexual content.

"I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review."

[lorraine campeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!! Told a story while making the love scenes very believable. And a great new concept about falling in love which is very believable for that time or even now!!! Hope all her books I like this one.

[Traci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

Could not put this book down. Absolutely adorably intelligent innocent heroine. The hero caught up by her, and her aunt into funny for the reader, exasperating escapades for the hero. Wonderful read.

[Phyllis Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crazy

This book was full of crazy people. The end of the book was so full of mayhem it destroyed the whole story. I truly hoped it would end as peaceful as the previous books in this series,but I do give it credit,it was different

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

MISS WOODLEY’S KISSING EXPERIMENT: is outrageous ! Fun to read... CAROLINE the daughter of a scientist, decides to record her kissing experiences. GEOFFREY loves her spirit, especially when she kisses him in her treehouse. It’s a wild romp.

[Linda Logsdon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A crazy ride through troubles and courtship!

Another wonderful story by Ms Lee. A must unusual lady meets a most interesting man and sparks fly. This book was funny, entertaining, and romantic. A fun read and definitely recommended.

[Sammee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book free for an honest review. A little too silly for my taste but I liked the writing. It was more of a madcap romp than a romance novel. If that's what you are looking for this is the book for you.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Best

This one is the best of the three. Funny and thoroughly entertaining with characters that are charming, endearing, and adorably infuriating.
Lots of twists and turns, an edge of the seat chase, and an ending filled with madness and mayhem.
Recommend you read it asap !

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s all about the science, right?

Lovely romance about desperation, honor, trees, experimentation, and of course, true love. Madcap adventure leads to a sweet HEA. Highly recommended.

[Michele Pumphrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comedic sexy romance

This romance had comedic elements that made.me.laugh. The plotline was entertaining and the book well written. The characters were engaging.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Endearing

And enlightening. While family and friends might tolerate a restocking not many others did. But the delightful and endearing Caroline was certainly loved by Lord Tall is.

[Angela]

2 March 2020: $0.99 on Kindle

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this final outing in this series and looking forward to more books from this author.

[Celeste · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely ridiculous heroine, I had to skip to the end!

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very creative

Wow what a storytelling. Very creative. Lots of different things happening. Fascinating. Can't wait to read more books by this amazing author.

[Marg W-E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spicy Good Fun

Original. Great story. Great characters. Steamy.
This one brings the heat and great humor!
Laughed so hard I cried at times!
Quite a fun and quick read.