The Indiscretion

by Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas

Daring To Love

Lady Lydia Bedford-Browne's small rebellion becomes the adventure of her life, when her coach crashes and leaves her stranded on the treacherous Dartmoor with the only other passenger: a rugged, disarmingly attractive Texan named Sam Cody. Sam's slow, melodic drawl and dark, hypnotic eyes tempt Lydia in ways she never thought possible. But dare the lord's daughter loosen her proper English restraints any further?

Foul luck has caused the dashing American millionaire to miss his own wedding to an unforgiving bride...for the second time!Worse still,he's stuck in the middle of nowhere with a straight-laced noble beauty. But there is an unmistakable spark of courage, sensuality, and wild passion beneath Liddy's prim exterior, daring Sam to pursue even further what his heart and his soul now desperately desire -- even though both the Texan's and the lady's vastly different worlds will be rocked if thay dare surrender to...The Indiscretion

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Audiobook, Victorian, Regency, Forced Proximity

369 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 3, 2001

About the author

Judith Ivory "accidentally" acquired two degrees in mathematics, then sold her first novel in 1987 and closed up the math books for good. She lives in Miami Florida, with her two children, two cats and a dog.

"Judith Ivory" is the pseudonym of author Judy Cuevas (real name).

The pseudonym was first used by her after publication of her last book as "Judy Cuevas," in 1996 - Dance. Her first book, Starlit Surrender, which was published under her real name of Cuevas, was re-released under her pseudonym of "Ivory" in 2006 under the title, Angel in a Red Dress.

Reviews

[Merry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes an author is just not for me and that is the case with Judith Ivory. I read a book of hers last week and wanted to give the author another try with this BOTM for my reading group. Part one: the couple are lost on the moors and even suspending my disbelief for the sake of romance I just didn't see the actions of the couple happening. The writing was nice but again with this author I think there is too much detail and not enough action. Part two: of the book was like a totally different couple. the h was a dreadful snob, and Sam seemed a bit dense. I liked it more than the first half. The ending was my favorite as I think Ivory does a beautiful job tying up loose ends.

[Christina ~ Brunette Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 Stars

”I thought I was everything you’ve dreamed of in a man.”
“You are,” she said. “You just aren’t everything I’ve dreamed of in a husband.”

Devonshire, England, 1899
The cowboy and the lady. When suave Texan Sam Cody and prim and proper Lady Lydia Bedford-Browne fatefully become stranded on a desolated moor it’s a passionate, sensual clash of wits and desires from the first moment on and then... and then there was Part II, with its pointless bickering, personality shifts and unconvincing resolutions...

This time not even Miss Ivory’s brilliant writing, which was crisp and engaging as usual, was enough to make The Indiscretion rise above a barely average level for me. While the first half showed all the potential this author is capable of in terms of flawless prose, character’s building and subtle humour, the second one unravelled in an ever duller way. The smooth writing made it readable all the same, but the heroine’s turning from a woman ready to defy conventions to a snobbish prude and a hero who lost a bit of his initial charm every step of the way resulted in a stale and mechanic back and forth relationship which was uninspiring and tiresome to follow. The contrived plot-twist at the end and the anachronistic behaviours from several characters further disappointed me.
Still a worthwhile read as this author can write like few others in the genre, but absolutely not on par with her very best like Bliss and Dance, some of the most sophisticated titles I've encountered among Historical Romances, or The Proposition, one of the most endearing Victorian romantic comedies I've ever read.

[Petra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read 1/2/25
I loved it as a whole. This time though I found the first part little bit more slow but I love the ideas that Ivory is dealing with here.
What’s attractive on a basic body level and what society finds attractive. How lucky that Sam turns out to be both.

1/4/22

I realized reading this book why I love historical romances better. In one way or another they have deeper connection to nature and/or freedom and/or innocence.
And Indiscretion took all 3 to pretty unbelievable level. Lydia and Sam where lost on a moor for 3 nights living of land!

From reviews I read, I was worried I’m not going to like the second half. I’ve read Beast, and I could not put up with the second half at all.

Not here. This book was perfect from the beginning to the end in the most traditional romance way. I’ve enjoyed the independence that Lydia was so determined to find. I loved that she wasn’t sure how exactly it would look like yet, she was still pursuing it.

Considering how many romances are written by women, not many authors strive to give women independence and freedom in their HEA. Their “jobs” become the cute quirks they entertain themselves with but the majority of their role is to be with their husband, on his estate, with his family, to fit into his world.
But here Lydia simply refuses that. Read it. I don’t want to spoil it.

I love nuance Judith Ivory writes her characters with. MCs relationship and character development is first and the only plot in here. Lydia and Sam are almost on every page of the book and still have interesting, aggravating, entertaining, hot things to say and do with each other. And yet Indiscretion is not full of sex even though it is very hot. They are wild together, their emotions show up raw and unchecked. They are like two children equal to one another.

I know this is not much of a review of the book. I loved it. One of my top favorites from Ms. Ivory

Here is an example of the kind of drama that is painted almost on every page between Sam and Lydia.
(Sam is such a hottie btw.)
Lydia has been wanting to be kissed by him for a while. She’s been asking, she’s been begging and Sam is holding on to his control since they are alone lost on a moor.
Here is when he fails for the first time. At this point, he is laying on top of her.

“He’d be doggone if he’d kissed her. Sam told himself. It could only lead to trouble. So what was he thinking? That he was going to bite her? Because the next thing he knew, his mouth was touching hers. No, he wouldn’t kiss her. He’d just sort of feel if her lips were as warm and soft as they looked. See what that wide, pretty mouth was like against his. “


I’ve been saving up Judith Ivory’s books because I don’t think she writes anymore and now I have only one left😞
I am open to recommendations for authors who might be similar.

[Julianna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reviewed for THC Reviews
"1.5 stars" I'm going to preface this review by saying that I believe every book I pick up has the potential to be a great or at least good and worthwhile read. I also go into reading every book with an open mind and a desire to love it. I'm pretty good at discerning ahead of time whether I will like a book, based on the synopsis, or other readers' recommendations and reviews. The Indiscretion happened to be one of those books that I really thought I would like, mostly because a large part of the premise is based on the main characters being stranded alone together which is a theme that I usually enjoy. I also was rather taken with the idea of an American cowboy (I typically love those) in England. Anyone who reads my reviews with any amount of regularity will know that I'm not overly prone to handing out ratings that are less than 3-stars. In fact, it is an extremely rare occasion that I do, because I can usually find something positive in nearly every book I read. Every once in a while though, in spite of my very best efforts to like it, a books just simply doesn't grab me the way it does other readers. In the case of The Indiscretion, not only did it not draw me into the story, but it was so difficult to read, I would have to characterize the experience as utterly painful. I had three major problems with the story: 1. The characters were one-dimensional and so completely frustrating and confusing to me that I never gained a liking for either one. 2. The plot was tissue paper thin. 3. The author's writing style was so aggravating, I lost count of the number of times I was feeling like screaming, ripping the book to shreds, or flinging it against a wall (thankfully I realized it was only a book and none of those things actually occurred ;-)). There is a part of me that dislikes heavily criticizing someone else's work, but there is another, more primal part of me that is going relish every moment of writing this review as a way to purge the offense from my brain. So, fasten your seat belts and hang on, because it's going to be a bumpy ride.

To start with, I found Sam and Lydia, the two main characters (I call them this because I didn't find either one to be particularly good hero or heroine material) to be petty, selfish, boorish, stubborn, indecisive, immature and downright ridiculous most of the time, and they were so lacking in character development, I couldn't relate to hardly anything about them nor decipher their motivations. I honestly never figured out what each of them saw in the other one, or how they could possibly live happily ever after for the rest of their lives, without driving one another crazy, because they darn near drove me insane with their back-and-forth, I-love-you, I-hate-you, I-don't-know-why-I-want-you attitudes. In fact, I'm really not certain if they ever would have even wound up together in the end if circumstances hadn't given them an extra push. I also had trouble seeing what led to Sam and Lydia's passionate encounter in the first place. They develop an instant disliking for one another right from the start with her thinking that he is a drunk and too provincial, and he thinking that she's an uppity Englishwoman. I guess they did start to get along a little better the more time they spent together, but there still wasn't enough of a connection between them for me to believe that they could have the hots for one another in a matter of two days. Granted the author did attempt to create some sexual tension by having Sam and Lydia snuggle together at night for warmth, but it still didn't convince me. Instead it only felt like lust gone wild or Lydia using Sam to break out of her pampered, overly controlled life. One would think that with them being alone for such a long stretch of time, Sam and Lydia would have gotten to know each other pretty well, but even when they were engaging in dialog, it rarely went beyond the trivial and mundane. I never felt like I knew Sam or Lydia well at all, and as a couple they just never worked for me.

As individuals, there was precious little information that would make me see Sam or Lydia in a favorable light. Sam seemed like he was muddling through life and any success he'd had could be owed more to sheer dumb luck than his own skill. He had left two brides at the altar on three different occasions which is certainly not an endearing trait at all. Sam had a rough life growing up with a father who never appreciated or encouraged him in any way, and in fact, treated him pretty poorly. Normally, this would make him sympathetic to me, but this part of his life was never explored in enough depth. I felt like he was stuck in the circumstances of the past and not actively doing anything to grow or change. In the beginning, I thought I might like Lydia, because she seemed to have a very forthright manner, a bit of an adventurous spirit and a healthy dose of curiosity. Alas, my hopes for her were dashed when she started telling Sam tales about herself to the point that when she did reveal the truth, Sam didn't believe her, although he initially wasn't being any more honest with her. Lydia really got on my nerves though when they were rescued from the moor, and she coldly turned her back on Sam, informing him that he shouldn't try to call on her which basically affirmed his belief that he wasn't good enough for her. It seemed like he was fine for a fling when they were alone together, but once she was back in civilization, she was just throwing him away like a piece of refuse. Then when he went against her wishes and visited her anyway, she constantly either gave him the cold shoulder or sent out mixed messages. I just never understood why Sam was so taken with her and kept pursuing her when she was treating him so shabbily.

To say that The Indiscretion is a character-driven story would be an understatement. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed a number of character-driven novels, but there still has to be a plot to hold everything together and give the characters something interesting to do. I could literally sum up the plot of The Indiscretion in just two sentences: Sam and Lydia meet in a stagecoach which ends up crashing into a bog far off the main road, leaving them stranded on the desolate moor for several days where they end up sharing some passionate interludes. When help finally arrives and Lydia is taken home, Sam uses his position to gain entry to a house party at her family's country estate where he continues to attempt to woo her, but they fight incessantly. In spite of how thin this plot is, Ms. Ivory somehow managed to drag it out for 369 pages, when in my opinion, it could have been half that length or less and still effectively told the same story. The pace was so slow I think a snail could have kept up. The author accomplished this by using far too many words to say what needed to be said, making the general wording of some passages rather clunky. I had to re-read some parts multiple times to figure out her meaning. The author also uses way too much repetitive description. There were times when I thought that if Sam described Liddy's hair, breasts, bottom, etc. or if Lydia described Sam's face (especially the bruises at the beginning), physique, clothes, etc. one more time, I just might scream. With no secondary characters to play off of during the first half of the book, Sam and Lydia frequently indulge in paragraph after paragraph of stream-of-consciousness introspection. I normally like being able to get inside the character's heads, but it was just way overdone in this book and still didn't give me any genuine insights into their psyches. Finally, there was an overabundance of expository narration. Normally, I would be interested in something like archery (Lydia is a champion archer), but the way the author goes about describing the sport never drew me into the action of the moment and instead left me bored. Overall, The Indiscretion was like reading 369 pages of paint drying interspersed with an occasional tidbit of meaningful dialog or character development that only lasted for a moment.

The final thing that literally drove me to distraction was Ms. Ivory's writing style. She uses a plethora of qualifying phrases and doesn't even have a standard method of formatting them. Some come after commas, some after colons, some come within parentheses, and still others in between two dashes, but however they were written, a huge number of them were simply unnecessary. Her sentences that weren't overly long were instead too brief and simplistic, with some not even really being sentences at all, but mere phrases of one, two or maybe three words. I thought this made the narrative very choppy. I found myself constantly rewriting passages in my head to make them flow better, and wondering where the editor was. The author rambles so much, the whole thing was rather like reading really bad poetry masquerading as prose. Oftentimes, if nothing else, I can at least say that I enjoyed some steamy love scenes, but this book only had two. The first was semi-hot, but still had too much extraneous descriptions (not really of the act itself), and I had to re-read the entire scene just to be sure that Lydia had had an orgasm. The second was very brief and not particularly descriptive at all. In my opinion, Ms. Ivory spends all her time telling almost everything and showing virtually nothing. She even tells what the characters are talking about instead of giving them richer dialog. In short, her writing style simply left me bereft of any connection to her as an author or to her characters and the story she was trying to tell.

It is quite unfortunate that The Indiscretion ended up with the dubious distinction of being the first book I've rated below 2-stars. I probably would have only given it 1-star, but I bumped it up the extra half for the two or three scenes that didn't completely bore me to tears (the scene in which Sam and Lydia engage in an archery match with his potential prize being her knickers was mildly amusing). Most of the time, upon completion of a book, I feel satisfaction in having read something that was at least reasonably entertaining and sometimes have a bit of regret that it is over if it was a particularly good one. With The Indiscretion, I felt satisfaction at finally being done with it, and a small measure of pride in actually having been able to complete it. The only regret I felt was in having read it in the first place and wasting precious hours on something that was so agonizing to read. Oh, and I also regret that I don't have the talent to write a truly snarky review like the ones produced by my GoodReads friend Eastofoz (if I had a cootie shelf like her, this one would be on it ;-)) or the ladies at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. At least then I could have had some fun by making my own entertainment out of it. I know that there are readers who really like Ms. Ivory as an author and she did win a Rita award for a different book, but I'm afraid I just don't see the appeal. I really wanted to like The Indiscretion, but sadly I had to force myself to finish it in very small doses in between other better books. Normally, I try to remain open-minded about giving an author a second chance, even if they don't wow me the first time, but in this case, the pain is just too deep for me to probably ever consider reading a Judith Ivory book again.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a talented author! Loved this book. The bleak moor is still vivid after several years. Lady Lydia -- prim and proper English miss -- is stranded on the treacherous Dartmoor with Sam Cody, a rude, rich, rascally Texan.

[Irina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holding her as she drifted off, barely awake himself, he was aware of a calm settling over him, a peace he couldn’t remember knowing since he was sixteen: when he’d first left home. When he’d been full of hope for his finding a place in the world. For fitting into it.


Sam Cody is a Texan in England in 1899. On the day of his wedding, he gets into a fight and misses the ceremony, much to the displeasure of the bride and both their families. He ends up drunk at a coach station in the middle of nowhere and enters a coach to Exeter with another passenger, Lydia, the daughter of a Viscount with ties to the royal family. Because it's really not Sam's lucky day (or maybe it is!), the coach crashes on the way through the Dartmoor, with no civilization in sight, and the passengers have to spend a few days together in the wilderness. Despite their obvious differences in class and character, they fall in love and have the best of times. Of course, their time in the Dartmoor is limited and when they are found, Lydia doesn’t hesitate one second to cut Sam out of her life because he doesn’t fit in. He’s devastated and wants to return to America, but then fate strikes again. Sam has the opportunity to attend an extended house party at Lydia’s father’s country estate and jumps at the chance to finally conquer her.

The two parts of this book couldn’t be more different. In the nature, it's all about survival and their attraction, and the MCs behave accordingly. They are “two lost souls” stripped raw. They can be who they are deep down, who they wish to be, and they are magically drawn to each other and forget everything – status, conventions and manners don’t matter in the moor. This part is very slow, but wonderful and intense, especially because Ivory not only describes the landscape and events beautifully and vividly, but also the emotions and inner turmoil of the MCs. I loved this part (Lydia’s decision aside), it’s a 5 star read for me.

Unfortunately, the second part isn’t as good. While Sam was in his element in the moor, they are now in Lydia’s territory. She moves in society with a natural confidence, and it quickly becomes clear how deeply she has internalized the expectations of society and her parents. This is most obvious when Sam shows up at her father’s house party and his true identity is eventually revealed, but his status and wealth are still not enough for her to confess to him and their love. Lydia is so obsessed with the idea of marrying an English aristocrat, that Sam, despite her feelings for him, is totally out of the question. He has to fight hard for her, and it’s dragging at times. Also, I didn’t like Lydia very much in the second part, because she was so stubborn and snobbish and rejected Sam for so long. I thought she didn’t deserve him at all.

Because … how can you reject this man? It’s downright stupid. He is wonderful and swoon-worthy (though his jilted brides might disagree). I loved him from the first moment and never wavered for a second. Sam has had (and has) a busy life; he is sarcastic and outspoken, protective and fierce. His appearance is very masculine, but he’s also a bit broken and has a sensitive soul. When Lydia mistakes him for a simple cowboy in the moor, he doesn’t reveal his true identity. He enjoys the fact that she gets to know him and appreciates him just for him being himself.

I can understand if people don’t like this book because it has flaws. It drags at times (both parts in their own way), it’s a bit anachronistic (especially at the end), and Lydia is a difficult person. Her snobbishness in the second part is somehow understandable and historically justified, but not very likeable (whereas in the first part she had no problems persuading the reluctant Sam to have sex). For me, however, the first part and Sam were so strong that the book definitely deserves 4 stars.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read: 1/18/25
3.5 stars
1898
Read for Jan BOTM

I have mixed feelings about this book. The writing was well done, and the story was unique in a way. I just didn't connect with the book. I think it was my mood, so I don't want to be too harsh.

The beginning was a cute road story with the MC being stuck on the moors for 3 days. I liked the interactions between the two. The 2nd half is the H trying to get the h to change her mind and be with him. I wish this would have been a forced marriage trope. I would have loved to see the couple battle London society together. Instead, the author chose to make the h less likable. She talked the H into having sex with her but ditched him the moment they were saved. 🥶 as ice to the poor H. She believed that she owed her family to marry where they wanted. This would make sense if her parents were strict a**hole, but they weren't. The h took off on her adventure because she was suffocated by her parents. I didn't see that in the second half. They came off very reasonable. So I don't get her conflict. Still, I actually enjoyed the 2nd half more. Maybe because I'm not a road trope fan.

So, this was not my favorite JI book. I wish it had peeked my interest more.

[Lisa Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★✩ I tried this one to fulfill a challenge and I’m thrilled to find a wonderful “new-to-me-author.” (Can you believe, even with all the romances I’ve read, I haven't read any of her work? It won’t be my last!) Well narrated by Barbara Rosenblatt; I don't think I've heard her before, and she did a great job on Sam’s voice and cowboy accent.

Dartmoor is now a protected area of moorland in south Devon, England.


The book is in two parts and the first ー where they are trying to survive on the Dartmoor ー is definitely a ★★★★★ read over the second part ー it’s funny, lighthearted, sensual, and you can see growth in Lidia and the reasons why Sam is falling in love with her. Unlike other reviewers who felt Lidia was too cold in the first and shrewish in the second parts, I liked her. Maybe Ms. Rosenblatt’s reading made Lidia sound warmer and more like a young lady in search of freedom and adventure with a perplexed tone toward Sam rather than a snobbish English aristocrat. In the second part I don’t think Lidia was the only one dishing it out; Sam did his fair share. Again, maybe this just came across better in the audio than on the written page. Nevertheless, I agree The Negotiation wasn’t as good as the The English Moor.

Why? Well, in the second half I had more than a twinge of regret for whatever “growth” I felt Lidia had done in the survival portion of the novel. I also worried about the apparent “reason” these two were getting married. . . despite Sam’s efforts, she’s pregnant! Anyways tricky. Do they really love each other? Yet, the author made it work (I also liked that this was “drawn out” until Lidia was ready), and the epilogue is pretty good.

[Debby *BabyDee* · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Judith Ivory as an author but this story was just a bit too slow in the beginning. In any case, once you get beyond that it was a very good read. The characters were believable and the romance came together for both. This was a BOTM as part of my book club reading group and was well written with interesting and unique characters. My only takeaway was the lack of action and too much details. Overall, a very good read.

[guiltless pleasures · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the hands of a lesser writer, "American cowboy meets English debutante in forced-proximity road trip" could feel hackneyed -- and sure, this is probably Judith Ivory's most conventional romances in terms of setup. But of course, she is an actual genius, so it never FEELS conventional.

Sam Cody is a hapless American cowboy who keeps forgetting to show up for his own weddings. Lydia Bedford is a pampered but spirited lady who has escaped her family's overprotective embrace to attend her beloved lady's maid's wedding. She and Sam end up in the same coach, which ends up being wrecked in what I think is a pretty spectacular action scene.

And then for the first half of the book, they're alone together on a misty, treacherous moor. That may seem like a big chunk of time to spend in one place with just two people, but it was my favorite part of the book. It's dreamlike and funny and hot and tense and atmospheric -- a masterclass in writing.

Lydia and Sam are hugely appealing characters. Lydia is a captivating mix of innocence (for a while, anyway), sensuality, shyness and boldness. Sam is a handsome 6'3" cowboy with charm to spare, but there is a core of sadness running through him that made me want to cry and also take care of him.

After the dreamlike first half of the book, the second brings us back to reality. There were plenty of great moments here, but I felt the pacing was a little off -- it dragged around 85-95%ish. But the ending was perfection.

With only one of this superlative author's books left to read (SOB), this is probably her weakest. But given the strength of her catalog, it still places it among the best in historical romance.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 3 out of 5]

⤅ I should have enjoyed this a lot more than I actually did.

Lydia, a wealthy viscount's daughter, ends up trapped with an American rancher named Sam when their drunken coachman drives them into a bog. In the process they fall in love, but her absolute refusal to at least let him see her again made zero sense to me. Even when she finds out he's actually a wealthy diplomat, she says no??? Like, what gives, dude?

In the end, this book was just too long, and I skimmed the last few chapters.

[♡Karlyn P♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was a nice twist to the typical historical romance novel based around London's royalty crowd. In this novel, Sam, a rich and politically well-connected American "Cowboy" falls for Lydia, a sheltered daughter of a Viscount. They find themselves in a desperate survival situation, where they are lost and alone in the wilderness for several days. Sam is a great romantic hero. He is rough around the edges, speaks his mind regardless of who gets offended, and overall the most loyal and trustworthy person to know. His sexual passion is just as raw, which I certainly enjoyed reading. (Blush). Lydia was likable, but later in the book she started to drive me nuts. Her character was likable, especially as she matures, and you will understand what Sam see's in her. Sam really made this book for me. The story of their survival was also quite interesting.

[Grace Peck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love me a yearning cowboy 🤠

I liked this a lot, especially the first half which is a fun forced proximity/lost in the wilderness scenario. Second half is British house party, which was less fun to me.

No one does characters and running gags the way ivory does. Sometimes I read romance novels and I’m like “why do these two like each other, besides sexy times”? But there is never any question of that with her characters. I also love how she describes her characters physically- it’s never just “oh she’s beautiful” Ivory is extremely specific with how she describes her MCs. Attraction is never just looks - it’s personality, the way a person laughs, speaks, how they carry themselves, etc. and she captures that perfectly.

Sam and Lydia are infuriating at time and both extremely stubborn. I remember feeling the same frustration with “Black Silk” - like, does Ivory even want these two together lol? They both misunderstood and offend each other at times, and are even downright mean to each other, but the way the arguments are written and done show how they are leaning to communicate with each other. Part of the climax of the book is them both learning that instead of running away from an argument, learn how to communicate with each other.

Some describe Lydia as cold - “you are what I want in a man, Sam….just not what I want in a husband” (rough lmao)- which I understand, but idk it fit the setting and character. She’s a British heiress whose been raised to put propriety over everything and has a duty to her family, so it makes sense she wouldn’t want to throw all of that away for a three day escapade. Sam also is kind of a dick at points, so I don’t think it’s fair to level the cold accusation at just Lydia.

I also love how Ivory writes the differences between the English and Americans, it was very funny to me.


**spoilers***

My main criticism of the plot is that we don’t get to know Lydia’s parents until later in the book, so the whole conflict of “I can’t marry an American, I’m a wealthy British girl” felt kind of forced because her parents are fairly chill about their daughter getting pregnant by a random American guy at their house.

I wish we had spent less time in the house party and more time at the beginning getting to know Lydia’s life and family. Apparently they over restrict her, treat her like she’s weak and delicate, but we don’t really see that once Lydia gets back home. Lydia ultimately deciding that “I want the people I love to know me” is a nice message, but it felt less impactful to me because I as the reader don’t really know her family.
I do like that Lydia acknowledges that her pregnancy isn’t the worst thing ever. She’s wealthy, she has parents who love her and a brother who will support her, yes it would cause a scandal, but as Lydia realizes, she’ll know who her true friends are.

[Chels]

I'd say this is more for Judith Ivory completionists than anyone else. I highlighted some lines where Ivory does her thing (How does someone write like that? It's unfair!), but Ivory seems a bit more caught up in the absurdity of the story than anything else.

[Lyuda · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you have such promising characters as a successful Texas businessman/politician with a heart of a Wild West cowboy, and a daughter of an English viscount with a deeply hidden Annie Oakley’s spirit, and Judith Ivory as an author, you can almost bet the outcome would be a highly entertaining story.

Well, this was true for the first half of it anyway until it’s kind of disintegrated into silliness and annoyance.

The first half of the story, featuring our two vastly different protagonists lost and stranded in the wilderness of Dartmoor, was definitely a five-star read for me. It was sensual, humorous, amusing, passionate, and heartwarming. The characters were richly drawn and compelling. They became less interesting, less likable when they returned back to civilization. The story started to drag. The “I-want-you, I-don’t want-you” back-and-forth was frustrating and hard to understand. The angst, the constant bickering seemed to be manufactured out of a thin air. Whatever emotional growth the heroine had while traveling in the wilderness was lost with her return to civilization. I really didn’t like her at this point.

I’m not sure what happened but it felt like the second part was written by a much lesser author.

Overall, I would recommend the story only to die-hard Judith Ivory’s fans. If you never read her before, you probably don’t want to start with this story.

[Darbella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lydia and Sam. I loved the growth of both of these two on their hea journey. I loved the authors descriptions of the moor that included new to me whortleberries and set up such lovely images of the place where they fell in love. I really loved that Lydia grew strong enough to not settle for a marriage because it was expected or because she was pregnant. I loved the epilogue. I enjoy it when the author puts snippets of their child/children in the epilogue.

[Saly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made my Sunday afternoon!

[Susan (the other Susan) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of the best. A fainting-couch-worthy historical romance by an author who wrote too few novels before disappearing from the scene. The Indiscretion has everything. Two vividly realized characters are thrown together in the mismatch of the century (American cowboy-adventurer versus prim English heiress), share an adventure lost on the moors, engage in razor-sharp repartee, and tumble into an inconvenient love affair punctuated by supremely erotic love scenes. Splendid fun! Downton Abbey fans, do you remember when Lady Mary's father quipped that she should "find a cowboy" in America "and bring him home to shake us all up a bit"? I immediately thought of Sam in The Indiscretion. He'd shake things up, alright. Yum.

[Fani *loves angst* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very nice book, though not as good as Beast IMO, basically because the heroine was way too cold for the most part of the second half. The first half where the hero and heroine find themselves stranded in the moor was great; heartwarming, tender, sweet, passionate. I couldn't have enough of it.

In the second half, where the hero and heroine meet again, well, she kept refusing him for way longer than I thought was necessary. She did quite a turn in the end, and I was glad for it, I just wished it had happened sooner.

Not a keeper, but I'm glad I read it anyway.

[kris · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read just over half this book (meaning for my own personal metrics that's a "read and abandoned for all time' versus a 'dropped for the moment' marking), and while I'm enjoying Lydia and Sam getting to know one another but leaving the moor seems to include leaving all that emotional development behind, too.

I've got better things to do with my time.

[Sally Jask-eh · Rating 5 out of 5]

cowboy english historical romance mash up, dreamy, emotional and funny. I already love rereading my favorite parts

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Judith Ivory so it's ridiculously funny, and the humor kicks off (aside from this motherfucker being like "HERE I GO AGAIN, RUINING MY OWN WEDDING") with our intrepid heroine being like "Hey. What do you do with your penis after you pee. Also can I see it."

Honestly, the premise of "two people sorta fuck around on the moors and then FUCK AROUND ON THE MOORS for the first half then deal with the consequences in the second half" shouldn't be that entertaining, but again, it's Judith Ivory, so it's obviously going to be at min a solid romcom.

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet, sexy romance between and English beauty and a tall, blue-eyed Texan. Sam has come to England to be the Ambassador of US in negotiation of a treaty over a canal with England. Only when Lydia meets Sam he is drunk, been beat up and left a woman at the alter for the second time.

Through a weird circumstance they end up stranded on the moors for 3 days. During that time Lydia finds herself and decides that she should have her Sam for herself. At the end of that time though, Lydia becomes her cold, straight-laced self and pushes Sam away. He ends up at her parents house anyway, as it is her father that he must meet with in regards to the treaty. Eventually through alot of misunderstandings, Sam and Lydia find their HEA.

This is a funny read in some places, but JI writes a lot of angst and emotions in her books and this one is no different. The loves scenes are very satisfactory and the closet scene was steamy.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story and certainly deserving of all the awards it received. Sam Cody is a Texas cowboy in England to get married. But he missed his wedding being a good samaritan and got beat up pretty badly for his trouble. His wife and her family refused to talk to him since this wasn't the first time he had left her standing at the altar.

Lydia is a member of the British nobility and is playing hooky for three days wanting a taste of independence.

Lydia and Sam find themselves on the same ill-fated stage coach. The drunk driver somehow falls off and the coach crashes and sinks in a bog in Dartmoor in the middle of nowhere. Sam manages to save himself and Lydia and they spend the next three days in the wilds of Dartmoor.

Their relationship is a complex one but it was very entertaining to experience since they are so very different. I loved it. And, of course, I loved the eventual HEA. Great book filled with more details than one usually finds in a typical romance novel.

[Laura (Kyahgirl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5; 3 stars; B-

This is a review of the audiobook.

Something wonderful happened with this book; I came to really appreciate Barbara Rosenblat's narration talent. And that's a good thing because after listening to a book she read few years ago that I absolutely hated, I never thought I'd want to listen to her again. So yes, that was great.
Unfortunately, something awful also happened with this book; the technical aspects of the recording were so poor that I could hear every swallow, lip smack and mouth noise that the narrator made. I find that hard to ignore and I very nearly stopped the book except the quality of the narration was so fine that I overlooked it.
As for the story, this is not Judith Ivory's best historical romance but it had some good humour, adventure, and unusual activities. I loved the character of Sam but Lydia was hard to like.

[Jenny Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Good: I really liked the main characters, I liked the plot, two strangers meeting under extreme circumstances, falling in love. I liked the sexual tension, Judith Ivory does that well

The Bad: The book peaked too soon. By the second half, I was less invested in the characters, it was obvious that the two were in love, the obstacles were already solved.

SPOILER AHEAD

THE Worst: I'm so tired of "And Baby Makes Three" Why must so many romance novels use babies as a problem solver? I hate you, I'm pregnant, HAPPILY EVER AFTER!!!!!! It's lame.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good! The first half, especially, is 5-star wonderful. This is joining The Proposition as my favorite Judith Ivory. In some ways it's even better, because it doesn't cop out with a corny ending.

[Min]

DNF-ed at 40%

Unexciting tropes, superficial, and weak chemistry between the couple. While the narrator's decent, the hero, as narrated by her, sounded like a total creep. No thank you.

[Grace*dnfing books since 2022* · Rating 2 out of 5]

As with a lot of this author's books, she has very developed back stories for her characters that get gradually revealed as the book progresses. They are not disclosed up front, as with some other writers, like Lisa Kleypas. She also is quite effective at creating completely different protagonists, which is not always the case with popular writers. These are some of the reasons why she is really a seasoned writer.

In this case, the male is a very negative, defensive, angry type of male, although you are not hit over the head with this information. He is generally well crafted--in the first part of the book at least. He has moments of humor, of charm, whereas some authors try to hit you over the head with the notion of an angry hero. He's slightly more realistic than your average angry hero.

The first part of book takes place on the English moors, where their drunken coachman has disappeared off their coach at some point and they are driven into a quagmire and stuck in the wilderness for two days. It feels like a lifetime, which seems about right, because anyone stuck in the wilderness unprepared feels just like this.

"They" are comprised of frail Lady Lydia and uncouth American Sam. For most of the book, you get the notion that she is overprotected because she's been told she can't do things and that her health is frail. He, on the other hand, is a really bad bet. Not only is he uncouth, despite his rangy good looks, he has jilted three women (two of them are the same one) at the altar. Set against the very British aristocracy that is Lady Lydia, he is in the realms of an impossible match. This juxtaposition is what makes their experience in the moors extremely poignant and exciting.

Towards the end of that encounter, suddenly, the author changes into another person entirely.

I say this because the end of the book seems to be a completely different book from the first half. Suddenly, Sam has become a Rockefeller overnight. He is also an interim American ambassador sent to negotiate some South American canal treaty with Lydia's father. Suddenly the man who is completely against being tied down is super keen on her and making friends with Lydia's father over hunting. Lydia is able to jilt her dumpy Marquess of a suitor. She has also turned into a swan, this woman that was described as overly skinny and unattractive. Everything suddenly turns into a giant fairy tale without one hint of a conflict.

What happened to Lydia being in love with Sam?
What happened to Sam being the one who was less into her?
What happened to Lydia's deep-rooted aristocratic inability to being with an uncouth American barbarian?

To top it off, Lydia even won the archery competition in the end, just to make everything extremely conflict-free and peachy-keen. Yawn.

[Frances Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to rate as I would have enjoyed it more had it been pruned a bit more ruthlessly. The core story was wonderful but I did skim a lot as I felt there was just a bit too much detail