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A Bird in Hand #1
A Bird in Hand
When his efforts to save a young woman from drowning result in the near loss of his own life and a scandalous situation that leaves them spending the night together, future duke Lord Randolph Symington feels honor bound to propose, but the young lady refuses, and Symington is determined to discover why
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1999
About the author
Allison Lane
40 books36 followersAllison Lane is the author of 20 Regency novels and 6 novellas. She is a Holt Medallion Winner and the 2005 Romantic Times Career Achievement Award Winner, as well as National Readers' Choice Awards Finalist for three books.
Notes from Allison Lane:
I am not one of those who always wanted to be a writer, though I suspect I wanted to be just about everything else -- doctor, astronaut, artist, scientist, and concert pianist, to name only a few. My actual careers were not quite so exciting. Designing computer software and running horse shows gave way to motherhood, home improvement projects, and teaching piano. But books have always been one of the cornerstones of my life.
When I was growing up in the mid-west, reading and music kept me sane through frequent changes of address. As an adult, books offered a respite from the strain of daily living. Often I would finish the last page with the thought, I wish I were that creative. Occasionally it would change to, Surely even I could do better than this! So one day I tried. But this is not a fairy tale, folks. My first book was less than stellar. In fact, it stunk. Good writing is hard work. But I enjoyed the process (or maybe I just enjoy playing God) so I tried again. By the third tale, I had a publishable story.
Where am I headed in the future? I don’t yet know. For now, I write Regencies. It is a fascinating period and an entertaining genre. My work is classed as traditional though I don’t consider it in quite that way. I try to avoid clichés -- except for happy endings, of course; those are what offer us respite from that daily crisis. But I like to pose universal problems to my characters and then watch them find solutions. I have long been fascinated by how people surmount problems to find the happiness that we all deserve.
These days my spare time is limited. Writing consumes most of my day. I still read as much as ever and keep up with the world of science. And everyone knows better than to step between me and a TV during football season -- it somehow takes an extra month to complete fall manuscripts.
From: Regency Reads
Notes from Allison Lane:
I am not one of those who always wanted to be a writer, though I suspect I wanted to be just about everything else -- doctor, astronaut, artist, scientist, and concert pianist, to name only a few. My actual careers were not quite so exciting. Designing computer software and running horse shows gave way to motherhood, home improvement projects, and teaching piano. But books have always been one of the cornerstones of my life.
When I was growing up in the mid-west, reading and music kept me sane through frequent changes of address. As an adult, books offered a respite from the strain of daily living. Often I would finish the last page with the thought, I wish I were that creative. Occasionally it would change to, Surely even I could do better than this! So one day I tried. But this is not a fairy tale, folks. My first book was less than stellar. In fact, it stunk. Good writing is hard work. But I enjoyed the process (or maybe I just enjoy playing God) so I tried again. By the third tale, I had a publishable story.
Where am I headed in the future? I don’t yet know. For now, I write Regencies. It is a fascinating period and an entertaining genre. My work is classed as traditional though I don’t consider it in quite that way. I try to avoid clichés -- except for happy endings, of course; those are what offer us respite from that daily crisis. But I like to pose universal problems to my characters and then watch them find solutions. I have long been fascinated by how people surmount problems to find the happiness that we all deserve.
These days my spare time is limited. Writing consumes most of my day. I still read as much as ever and keep up with the world of science. And everyone knows better than to step between me and a TV during football season -- it somehow takes an extra month to complete fall manuscripts.
From: Regency Reads
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 22, 2017
Wow, I really struggled with this one...... left with a whole bunch of unanswered questions. My reason for being interested in reading this book was because it had rare books and rare manuscripts, I wanted to see or at least hear what happened with the manuscript, and nothing. That left me flat. In this particular book most conversations were repetitive and the hero would always forget he was supposed to be someone else (it was annoying). I may have to look up the next one in the series to see if it answers some of my questions. Maybe
January 1, 2017
Not bad; I liked the examination of the constraints a woman of the period would face when married, and the depiction of someone who doesn't want to surrender her autonomy to the whims - or even tyranny - of a husband. There are some Americanisms which irritate, and I do so wish that American authors would check all their usages - the word "fanny" was certainly current in the Regency (as in John Cleland's book Fanny Hill) but it most definitely does not mean what the author thinks it does! It gives rise to a most unfortunate bit of dialogue.
October 3, 2011
This also was well written for romance. The author put a great deal of thought into expressing ethical relationship concerns within the framework of her tale. (I dont know how to better write that, you would just have to read it yourself to see what i mean..) I read these regencies for fun, for happy endings, and to put worry to rest for the space of 150-300 pgs. So imagine my surprise when a signet brand thin little regency novel has some of the punch of a french novel style commentary on life. Its no Voltaire or Zola, its still a fluffy tale full of tea and crumpets. But it actually made me think. I credit any book that can pull that off. This one is a keeper.
October 29, 2023
This is only the second Allison Lane novel I've read, and I enjoyed it. If you're into older category romance, I think this one is worth reading.
Interestingly, A BIRD IN HAND explores an issue that most Regency romances neglect: the legal status of women. The female lead, Elizabeth, is well aware that if she marries, English law would give her husband the right to abuse her, control her money, and basically manage her life in all respects. Having witnessed her parents' abusive marriage, she wants none of it. Instead, she plans to live life as an independent spinster. (Lord Symington has his work cut out in trying to convince her to marry him.) It's always bothered me that most historical romances don't seriously address the legal rights matrimony gave husbands, so I really appreciate the way Lane foregrounds those issues here.
Being a geeky bookworm myself, I also liked the way this novel features bookish/intellectual characters. Lord Symington is an expert in rare books, and Lady Elizabeth is both a medical expert and a reader (with a secret). The side characters range from likeable to infuriating. I do wish we could have seen a longer redemptive arc for one side character, but the length of the novel (it's an old Signet) probably made that difficult.
The book is low heat, with only moderate kissing and a fade-to-black sex scene. Trigger warnings for significant emotional abuse, a single instance of domestic violence (on the part of the villain), and references to a character with claustrophobia due to a childhood trauma.
Interestingly, A BIRD IN HAND explores an issue that most Regency romances neglect: the legal status of women. The female lead, Elizabeth, is well aware that if she marries, English law would give her husband the right to abuse her, control her money, and basically manage her life in all respects. Having witnessed her parents' abusive marriage, she wants none of it. Instead, she plans to live life as an independent spinster. (Lord Symington has his work cut out in trying to convince her to marry him.) It's always bothered me that most historical romances don't seriously address the legal rights matrimony gave husbands, so I really appreciate the way Lane foregrounds those issues here.
Being a geeky bookworm myself, I also liked the way this novel features bookish/intellectual characters. Lord Symington is an expert in rare books, and Lady Elizabeth is both a medical expert and a reader (with a secret). The side characters range from likeable to infuriating. I do wish we could have seen a longer redemptive arc for one side character, but the length of the novel (it's an old Signet) probably made that difficult.
The book is low heat, with only moderate kissing and a fade-to-black sex scene. Trigger warnings for significant emotional abuse, a single instance of domestic violence (on the part of the villain), and references to a character with claustrophobia due to a childhood trauma.
October 17, 2024
Okay I have to give the author kudos for making the bad weather/storms throughout this book so realistic that it was actually stressing me out. Which was also annoying because I was trying to relax before going to bed. But dang the horrible weather, rain, storms, flooding, etc. was its own character in this book!
Good things: modern minded main characters- fmc doesn't want to get married as wives had absolutely no rights or recourse if they married an abuser at this point, or any say over their own life, etc.; mmc who doesn't want an unwilling/coerced bride, who wants his future wife to be free to choose, even if it's not him (grits his teeth lol).
But I have to say I didn't *feel* their romance/love/chemistry at all. Very much told and not shown; and both main characters ESPECIALLY were quite literally Too Stupid To Live. They made horrible life choices and kept risking their lives in bad weather for very very dumb reasons- okay, his trying to rescue her in the beginning was heroic, but he dove into a raging, flooding, crazy river in the freezing cold from a carriage. They should not have survived. And then at the end of the book? No. You have got to be kidding me.
Anyway, everything was done so dramatically with the weather, the dour, dark house, the villainous abusive father, etc. that I light gothic vibes lol.
It was mildly entertaining, but the ending especially was insanely abrupt and left a lot of loose ends. Ah well.
Good things: modern minded main characters- fmc doesn't want to get married as wives had absolutely no rights or recourse if they married an abuser at this point, or any say over their own life, etc.; mmc who doesn't want an unwilling/coerced bride, who wants his future wife to be free to choose, even if it's not him (grits his teeth lol).
But I have to say I didn't *feel* their romance/love/chemistry at all. Very much told and not shown; and both main characters ESPECIALLY were quite literally Too Stupid To Live. They made horrible life choices and kept risking their lives in bad weather for very very dumb reasons- okay, his trying to rescue her in the beginning was heroic, but he dove into a raging, flooding, crazy river in the freezing cold from a carriage. They should not have survived. And then at the end of the book? No. You have got to be kidding me.
Anyway, everything was done so dramatically with the weather, the dour, dark house, the villainous abusive father, etc. that I light gothic vibes lol.
It was mildly entertaining, but the ending especially was insanely abrupt and left a lot of loose ends. Ah well.
October 3, 2021
Fun
I wasn’t so sure about this book when I first started reading it. But the more I read the more fun it was. I would’ve liked to seen what the London season was for these characters. An epilogue would’ve been nice.
I wasn’t so sure about this book when I first started reading it. But the more I read the more fun it was. I would’ve liked to seen what the London season was for these characters. An epilogue would’ve been nice.
July 4, 2020
Decent author with grammar and intelligence; really good with a few bad choices thrown in for plot
January 15, 2016
As much as I liked the H of this piece, can I just say I was rather taken with the h's grandfather (deceased; not in the picture). He (the h's paternal grandfather) marries a woman he loves, but because he marries below himself, and she will have a hard time in society, he puts it about that he's become impoverished because of his bad decisions! And invests money in rare manuscripts, and leaves them to his granddaughter (the h). That is someone I'd wish to read about. Of course, this main plot is only 2 sentences long, and I wish someone who wrote with sensitivity and finesse would take this on... Allison Lane's plot elements and Courtney Milan's writing... ooh, that would be awesome. not gonna happen, but a girl can dream.
I did think that it was unlikely that a couple like the h's grandparents would have a son like h's father- cares only about money, is domineering, etc. But, that does happen sometimes. Nature, nurture, 3 c's and 3 e's (i do not remember them all :(), lots of things can influence what a person grows up to be.
I did think that it was unlikely that a couple like the h's grandparents would have a son like h's father- cares only about money, is domineering, etc. But, that does happen sometimes. Nature, nurture, 3 c's and 3 e's (i do not remember them all :(), lots of things can influence what a person grows up to be.
March 15, 2013
Regency Romances are typically formulaic, this one was along the fringes of the genre.
All the classic elements - Strong-willed women stuck in a crappy family and they under appreciate her or even neglect her. Abusive, neglectful father or other male figure with an apathetic or abused mother figure. And the obligatory wealthy young lord or two in a scrape. And, of course a heroic rescue!
The scrape in this book came as a result of the heroic rescue and a predictable bit of identity confusion.
I really enjoyed the story and the way Lord Randolph set Lady Elizabeth's family straight.
Everybody enjoys a happy ending.
All the classic elements - Strong-willed women stuck in a crappy family and they under appreciate her or even neglect her. Abusive, neglectful father or other male figure with an apathetic or abused mother figure. And the obligatory wealthy young lord or two in a scrape. And, of course a heroic rescue!
The scrape in this book came as a result of the heroic rescue and a predictable bit of identity confusion.
I really enjoyed the story and the way Lord Randolph set Lady Elizabeth's family straight.
Everybody enjoys a happy ending.
August 26, 2011
Haven't read a cheap Barbara Cartland-like romance in years... It was rather entertaining and much better than those read in the past. At least the characters in this one - the central characters - were not rather likable instead of syrupy and stupid - not swooning and woeful or gallant and chivalrous.... an improvement on some of the more classic romance stuff. Better characters than that heftier one I read last year... what was it?? - Shadowdance. by Julie Someoneorother.
March 11, 2016
3.5 but I'm rounding up. We never did find out for sure what Fosdale was up to hoarding money or why all the better furniture was stored in the attic. When I'm in the mood for another light read (and I don't mean that in a pejorative sense) I'll spring for the sequel. Allison Lane is a dependable author that I enjoy reading.
August 25, 2015
Pschhhh....
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews