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Poor Caroline
A Most Vexatious ViscountCaptain Christopher "Kit" Meredith, recuperating from wartime injuries, learned that he had become the new Viscount of Crittendem. All he cared about was returning to Crittendem Grange and beginning a new life in peace and quiet. He was unaware that Caroline Whitlow and her two younger brothers were living at the Grange and that they would be dispossessed when he returned.When Kit learned the facts, he was happy to provide a bequest to them. But Caro was determined to refuse charity and would not be swayed.A chance encounter on the streets of London literally threw Kit and Caro together-=under the hooves of a pair of out-of-control horses. Caro was drawn to the stranger who saved her life, and Kit formulated a plan to get her to accept the bequest. He didn't realize that his subterfuge would first win and then lose the woman he most desired.
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First published July 1, 1995
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About the author
Elizabeth Mansfield
59 books61 followersElizabeth Mansfield is the author of numerous regency romances. She is an intelligent and thoughtful writer, a hidden gem whose novels deserve to be more widely read and enjoyed.
Elizabeth Mansfield is the pen name of the talented Paula Reibel Schwartz. Ms Schwartz also wrote different genres under the pen names Paula Reibel, Paula Reid, and Paula Jonas.
Elizabeth Mansfield is the pen name of the talented Paula Reibel Schwartz. Ms Schwartz also wrote different genres under the pen names Paula Reibel, Paula Reid, and Paula Jonas.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 6, 2012
It's hard to rate Poor Caroline properly. In my opinion, the book itself gets three stars, but the heroine, Caroline, gets two...or one and a half....nope, just one. She's not shrewish, or weepy, but she's the kind of stubborn that just makes you want to shoot somebody, and not even in a good way - its not funny at all. Her pride is magnified to ridiculous proportions, and it just makes her infuriating to read. You can be prideful without being an ass, or losing your dignity, you know, its not impossible. But no, Poor Caroline simply cant stomach kind deeds, can't receive them with dignity, *hates* them for some reason I can't even begin to understand. I seriously don't understand how she thinks, and she doesn't make sense to me at all. I don't think that she redeemed herself enough at the end of the book - she should have done a looooottt more groveling to get her HEA. She shouldn't have gotten her HEA after all. Her hero should have married someone else. Nothing short of outright begging and flat despair would have redeemed her, and she didn't do any whatsoever.
The book did circle on itself, however - the other characters certainly believed that Caroline's stubbornness deserved a lesson - and I can fully understand their actions, and I'm amazed at their patience, even. Kit is a darling, and Caroline doesn't deserve him.
Mansfield seems to like these sort of heroines - I wish she'd consider writing a more tempered version, since her books are usually good fun to read.
Well, all-in-all I suppose this was a way to pass the time. I've read much worse regencies in terms of plot. But argh, I hate female leads that act like this, and that's a negative billion stars in any book.
The book did circle on itself, however - the other characters certainly believed that Caroline's stubbornness deserved a lesson - and I can fully understand their actions, and I'm amazed at their patience, even. Kit is a darling, and Caroline doesn't deserve him.
Mansfield seems to like these sort of heroines - I wish she'd consider writing a more tempered version, since her books are usually good fun to read.
Well, all-in-all I suppose this was a way to pass the time. I've read much worse regencies in terms of plot. But argh, I hate female leads that act like this, and that's a negative billion stars in any book.
November 15, 2022
I just can’t with this heroine. Caroline is one of the most annoying heroines I’ve ever had the misfortune to know. I don’t mind weaknesses in people but wow, the author took this one too far. I stopped reading halfway which is sad because I liked the story and the other characters a lot.
August 23, 2016
Caroline was very annoying, but I loved Kit so...
September 22, 2020
I’ve recently been reading Regency Romances, both older and newer published novels. This is an older book that has been recently been published as an ebook. I had read other Elizabeth Mansfield books years ago but this is one that I had not read before.
The book is funny and has a cast of characters that keep bringing you back to it. Caroline Whitlow is a proud young woman. She has always been so. She can’t take “charity” from anyone. The problem is, she doesn’t always understand that what she sees as charity is, in fact, simple kindness.
She and her two younger brothers move out from the home they have been living in for twelve years when the new heir is coming home.
The heir is unaware that they even exist. Kit Meredith is a kind man and is distressed to know that he is now viewed as kicking the three individuals out. The village is up in arms against him and he goes to London to track the three down.
All sorts of hijinks ensue, including hidden identities, lives saved, evil employers are all included. While Caro is stubbornly holding onto her pride, life just may be passing her by.
This is a Regency Romance is the true tradition of the word. Regencies were clean novels while historical romances had sex and profane language. That line seems to have been crossed recently so that those of us who prefer clean stories are sometimes fooled into buying stories with sex scenes in them. That is not the case with this story. You might want to shake Caroline occasionally but you will unknowingly suddenly invade the sexual lives of the characters.
The book is funny and has a cast of characters that keep bringing you back to it. Caroline Whitlow is a proud young woman. She has always been so. She can’t take “charity” from anyone. The problem is, she doesn’t always understand that what she sees as charity is, in fact, simple kindness.
She and her two younger brothers move out from the home they have been living in for twelve years when the new heir is coming home.
The heir is unaware that they even exist. Kit Meredith is a kind man and is distressed to know that he is now viewed as kicking the three individuals out. The village is up in arms against him and he goes to London to track the three down.
All sorts of hijinks ensue, including hidden identities, lives saved, evil employers are all included. While Caro is stubbornly holding onto her pride, life just may be passing her by.
This is a Regency Romance is the true tradition of the word. Regencies were clean novels while historical romances had sex and profane language. That line seems to have been crossed recently so that those of us who prefer clean stories are sometimes fooled into buying stories with sex scenes in them. That is not the case with this story. You might want to shake Caroline occasionally but you will unknowingly suddenly invade the sexual lives of the characters.
May 14, 2018
The entire time I was reading this book I couldn’t stand the “heroine,” Caro. What an ungrateful idiot. I loved EVERYONE else in the story. Even the vicar was likeable. It really deserved 1-2 stars, but I liked the other characters so much, that I just couldn’t do it.
May 31, 2023
For the first 90% Caroline is a world class unpleasant person. She changes during the last 10% but it's a tad too late.
June 16, 2025
I had to skip to the end because Caroline was so infuriating. Plots where people are kept apart by nothing but their own stupid made up reasons make me mad, and this plot was that on steroids.
November 9, 2025
The heroine tested my patience.
December 21, 2025
I enjoyed this book but I have to say that the heroine was rabidly-prideful! It got on my nerves a bit, but after reading the entire story, everything fit. I would read again in the future.
August 24, 2014
For years, I have been searching for a Regency Romance writer as good as Georgette Heyer, the grandmother of the form. In Elizabeth Mansfield, I have come pretty close. I haven't read any of Mansfield's yet that are as good as my favorite Heyer's, the ones that I have reread at least twice--A CIVIL CONTRACT, FREDERICA, THE BLACK SHEEP, and THE GRAND SOPHIE, but I must say that I find the five that I have read to be very entertaining. She has good dialogue, of the period, and her allusions to real events seem accurate. I'm sure I'll read as many of hers as I can lay my hands on.
September 25, 2009
Regency
November 18, 2009
Another lovely read from Mansfield. I like that her novels are not really stuffy and have humor to them.
May 15, 2012
This was really a 3.5* read, but not up to 4*
August 6, 2016
Fun. A difficult heroine to like. Actually 3 1/2 stars but I probably won't reread this one.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews