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Augusta
Impetuous Lady Augusta Marie, the penniless and orphaned daughter of a peer, is fleeing from England to escape a marriage arranged by her aunt and uncle to some rich old earl. Without any particular talent or skills, the enterprising young Augusta decides her only choice is to set herself up as a courtesan in Paris.
Awaiting the Channel packet boat in Dover, she encounters Justin St Clare, rude and dictatorial, who suspects "Mrs Barry" is not the worldly-wise woman she claims. Circumstances throw them together, and St Clare, who is likewise leaving England to avoid marriage to some penniless relative of his sister's husband, agrees to help Mrs Barry find a suitably rich patron in Paris.
Awaiting the Channel packet boat in Dover, she encounters Justin St Clare, rude and dictatorial, who suspects "Mrs Barry" is not the worldly-wise woman she claims. Circumstances throw them together, and St Clare, who is likewise leaving England to avoid marriage to some penniless relative of his sister's husband, agrees to help Mrs Barry find a suitably rich patron in Paris.
179 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
About the author
A.S. Harrington
7 books3 followersA.S. Harrington, born in Texas, raised in West Africa, spent her childhood in a culture rich in the story-telling tradition. With a professional career that spanned everything from teaching piano to software engineering and owning and operating a helicopter charter service, her life experience has been great background for what she loves best: writing novels. Who knew that five years as a reference librarian would come in so handy!
In addition to historical fiction she has published as A.S. Harrington, she also writes modern romantic suspense as Sydney Harrington ("Ordinary Secrets" was published in 2017).
Harrington lives and writes in the Oakland Hills overlooking San Francisco Bay.
In addition to historical fiction she has published as A.S. Harrington, she also writes modern romantic suspense as Sydney Harrington ("Ordinary Secrets" was published in 2017).
Harrington lives and writes in the Oakland Hills overlooking San Francisco Bay.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 14, 2017
I've been on a A.S. Harrington reading binge. All her Regencies have a 2014 copyright date so I have no idea when she wrote each individual story. (There are six of them.) I've enjoyed the five I've read so far, including this one, (JUST LANTA is on my Kindle still unread) and have been impressed by the author's writing skills and excellent dialogue. Most of the books have 4- to 5-star writing in them, but there's always some plot device or character's behavior that keeps the whole read from being a 5-star one.
This one has a lighthearted feel to it (for the most part, although there's some adventure and suspense involving spies and French soldiers). Young Lady Augusta, in the care of her aunt and uncle, is of the peerage but a penniless orphan. Her aunt and uncle are planning to marry her off to a rich (and, she believes, old and unpleasant) earl. So Augusta runs off to escape to Paris, where she plans to set herself up as a courtesan. (Don't ask why she thinks this is a better option.)
Justin St. Clare is a handsome, rich, 30-something earl. His family are trying to get him married to a young, penniless woman of the peerage who's related to his sister's husband To avoid this, he sets off for Paris. (Don't ask why he can't just say, "Leave me alone. I'll marry whomever and whenever I decide.")
So both characters are on the same boat from Dover to France. She has adopted the persona of widowed Mrs. Barry. He is not using his title, just calling himself St. Clare. Sparks fly as their personalities clash. He decides to take her under his wing, recognizing that she's a very innocent widow who doesn't seem to know what she's doing. She doesn't want his help. They are both unaware of each other's identity. She remains ignorant for the whole book, until the denouement, although he twigs on to who she is much earlier. You do know by now who they are, right?
And so it goes. They have a big adventure, complete with a highwayman, spies, French soldiers, a stash of gold which must be kept out of Napoleon's hands, bodily injuries, and also life in glitzy 1815 French society. It's fun, but because I've read several Harrington novels now, I compare this one unfavorably to the others with regard to the quality of the writing. What are the problems for me?
1) The dialogue is not as clever and fun.
2) The characters are only sketched out broadly. More caricatures than characters, they needed more development.
3) The secondary romance of a Harrington book is usually as good as, sometimes better than, the main romance. This one was just so-so, probably having to do with the lack of depth of all the characters.
4) The writing is clunkier and less polished than in her other books and there are too many grammar errors for me. One I particularly dislike is the use of "whomever" when "whoever" is the correct form. That happened several times in this story. There were more grammar problems, mostly of the usual variety, such as "lie/lay", etc.
5) I did not appreciate the H's lack of disclosure of his identity, leaving the unsuspecting heroine to suffer until the final pages of the book. Not kind.
I wish it were possible to know the order in which the author wrote her six unrelated stories. I'd like to think this is an early one and that she had polished up her writing skills for the others, rather than to think she devolved in this one. Having said that, I will also say this was a fun, light farce, a nice escape read, and not too expensive, even available free on KU.
This one has a lighthearted feel to it (for the most part, although there's some adventure and suspense involving spies and French soldiers). Young Lady Augusta, in the care of her aunt and uncle, is of the peerage but a penniless orphan. Her aunt and uncle are planning to marry her off to a rich (and, she believes, old and unpleasant) earl. So Augusta runs off to escape to Paris, where she plans to set herself up as a courtesan. (Don't ask why she thinks this is a better option.)
Justin St. Clare is a handsome, rich, 30-something earl. His family are trying to get him married to a young, penniless woman of the peerage who's related to his sister's husband To avoid this, he sets off for Paris. (Don't ask why he can't just say, "Leave me alone. I'll marry whomever and whenever I decide.")
So both characters are on the same boat from Dover to France. She has adopted the persona of widowed Mrs. Barry. He is not using his title, just calling himself St. Clare. Sparks fly as their personalities clash. He decides to take her under his wing, recognizing that she's a very innocent widow who doesn't seem to know what she's doing. She doesn't want his help. They are both unaware of each other's identity. She remains ignorant for the whole book, until the denouement, although he twigs on to who she is much earlier. You do know by now who they are, right?
And so it goes. They have a big adventure, complete with a highwayman, spies, French soldiers, a stash of gold which must be kept out of Napoleon's hands, bodily injuries, and also life in glitzy 1815 French society. It's fun, but because I've read several Harrington novels now, I compare this one unfavorably to the others with regard to the quality of the writing. What are the problems for me?
1) The dialogue is not as clever and fun.
2) The characters are only sketched out broadly. More caricatures than characters, they needed more development.
3) The secondary romance of a Harrington book is usually as good as, sometimes better than, the main romance. This one was just so-so, probably having to do with the lack of depth of all the characters.
4) The writing is clunkier and less polished than in her other books and there are too many grammar errors for me. One I particularly dislike is the use of "whomever" when "whoever" is the correct form. That happened several times in this story. There were more grammar problems, mostly of the usual variety, such as "lie/lay", etc.
5) I did not appreciate the H's lack of disclosure of his identity, leaving the unsuspecting heroine to suffer until the final pages of the book. Not kind.
I wish it were possible to know the order in which the author wrote her six unrelated stories. I'd like to think this is an early one and that she had polished up her writing skills for the others, rather than to think she devolved in this one. Having said that, I will also say this was a fun, light farce, a nice escape read, and not too expensive, even available free on KU.
June 20, 2025
Engaging story and characters
A comedy of errors and manners with a willful heroine and determined hero. We have a couple who are escaping from each other being manipulated into marriage .
A comedy of errors and manners with a willful heroine and determined hero. We have a couple who are escaping from each other being manipulated into marriage .
May 28, 2015
Augusta Marie flees England to escape an unwanted betrothal, and she plans to set herself up as a courtesan in Paris. Even before she sails she meets the hero who promises to introduce her to someone who will take her under his protection. The story begins just before Napoleon's escape from Elba. The backstory, which is just as interesting, but not really discussed, concerns spies, betrayal and treason, and stolen gold. There is a harrowing and exciting chase from Paris to the coast as Napoleon marches on Paris. My only complaint is the constant bickering between the protagonists.
August 25, 2014
Enjoyable Regency romance, first I've read by this author. A fleeing heiress,a hero with integrity, mistaken identity, spies, and the threat of Napoleon resuming power, all in all, an engaging story.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews