What do you think?
Rate this book
Mutual Consent
Barbara Cribbage has been sold into marriage by her common-born father, in a bid to attain social status. The Earl of Chatsworth is forced to wed Babs, in exchange for the outstanding mortgages and his debts of honor which Mr. Cribbage has fraudently acquired.
Babs is not willing to be used as a pawn any longer. She takes a desperate gamble and strikes a deal with the earl. Despite her iron-willed father and her powerfully attractive husband, Babs fights to come into her own. A marriage of convenience Regency Romance.
Babs is not willing to be used as a pawn any longer. She takes a desperate gamble and strikes a deal with the earl. Despite her iron-willed father and her powerfully attractive husband, Babs fights to come into her own. A marriage of convenience Regency Romance.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 1991
21 people are currently reading
270 people want to read
About the author
Gayle Buck
55 books18 followersGayle Buck has freelanced for regional publications, worked for a radio station and as a secretary. Until recently, she was involved in public relations for a major Texas university. Besides her Regencies, she also writes fantasy and romantic suspense. She lives in Bandera, Texas.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
April 23, 2024
How do I rate this book?
Can one really love a love story when one of the mcs is not even very likable?
And so many triggers!
Still 4.5*ish for me as I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It has a plot that I love in Regencies (and otherwise too) – a blackmailed, hopping mad aristocratic H forced into marriage by the h’s unscrupulous tradesman father. The H, of course has been writing up the vowels/IOUs with his indiscriminate gambling and dissolute ways. And the h may have a crude common paternal parent, but is of half noble descent with a demeanor and deportment to speak for it. She goes to meet him before the ceremony and they both come to an understanding that as they both are victims of her father’s machinations, its better if they team up and find a way out – as in have a MINO where both can go about as they wish and maybe divorce in the future. All very vague but they come to an understanding.
All sounds well and that’s just how it turns out. While he carries on as before- clubbing, socializing and womanizing, she’s happy to stay home and run his house for him. I think she was content, if not happy with her lot as she had very low expectations from this marriage. But feelings and circumstances change as unexpected yearnings, jealousies and possessiveness boil over into their well-ordered lives.
**Major Spoilers Ahead**
So what was unlikable?
The H, of course! Most readers hate him and with reason.
For 2/3rds of the book, he self-absorbedly carries on with his mistress and even when he’s with the h, he’s fantasizing about the mistress. Let’s not forget he spends his wedding night with the mistress too. Surely a big trigger for most romance readers! Even if it was an agreed upon mino where the h had clearly hinted at taking up lovers herself but then never even shows any inclination or gumption to do so!
He has the bad taste to invite the mistress to his wife’s first ball. He gallivants around town parading his mistress, openly sharing glances and more with the ow. The h is mostly home so doesn't witness it even if she's aware of it.
Then he’s impatient, easily annoyed when things don’t go his way. He manhandles her on two occasions. (The mistress getting similar treatment doesn’t make me glad.)
And he’s a snob. Despite his seemingly easy acceptance of his wife, he does turn up his nose at what he sees as her inability to mix in and deal with her new, elevated station in life.
And how did he run up the debts? (Okay, even if they are just vowels.) Contrarily, he seems wealthy enough and doesn’t seem in need of money. And in his favor, unlike other such Hs, is leery of touching her dowry. (I’ve known some such Hs to spend the h’s dowry on mistresses.) And so even if he stupidly gambled on his properties and estates, why doesn't he pay them up? That was a bit confusing.
His turnabout in the last 3rd of the book and suddenly discovering love at last doesn’t inspire trust. And he’s still acting like an impatient db in the last pages.
Certainly not one for tendresse!
And he’s just 26. I couldn’t help wondering if he’d stray in the future. (That's the reason I prefer my Hs to be above 30 at least!)
What redeems him?
He is caring and protective in his own way – for his wife and his mother.
He's never intentionally cruel and even apologises/changes tack when he sees the error of his ways.
He has a sense of honor – he refuses to touch his wife’s money.
He also tells the h he’d have been bound to pay his debt even if the chits (receipts) were destroyed by the h in a quixotic bid.
And he repents and changes his ways – late but just what was the last straw in my opinion. If he hadn’t broken up with the mistress when he does, this book and he’d have been completely irredeemable.
What I loved?
The h!
She’s just the wonderful, gracious, smart and immensely relatable kind of h I love to read about. Her quiet strength of character and self-effacing behavior contrasts poignantly with her husband’s flaws and failings. She’s what makes the book so enjoyable and lifts it above averageness. Having only known an abusive and cruel father, her expectations from men and marriage is low.
The book was unputdownable! It had the soul of a true Regency without being milksop-ish. It’s been a while since I read a book in one go. I was like a dog with a bone – obsessed and growly at interruptions.
A well rounded 4.5 I-lOVE-BABS Stars!!
Can one really love a love story when one of the mcs is not even very likable?
And so many triggers!
Still 4.5*ish for me as I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It has a plot that I love in Regencies (and otherwise too) – a blackmailed, hopping mad aristocratic H forced into marriage by the h’s unscrupulous tradesman father. The H, of course has been writing up the vowels/IOUs with his indiscriminate gambling and dissolute ways. And the h may have a crude common paternal parent, but is of half noble descent with a demeanor and deportment to speak for it. She goes to meet him before the ceremony and they both come to an understanding that as they both are victims of her father’s machinations, its better if they team up and find a way out – as in have a MINO where both can go about as they wish and maybe divorce in the future. All very vague but they come to an understanding.
All sounds well and that’s just how it turns out. While he carries on as before- clubbing, socializing and womanizing, she’s happy to stay home and run his house for him. I think she was content, if not happy with her lot as she had very low expectations from this marriage. But feelings and circumstances change as unexpected yearnings, jealousies and possessiveness boil over into their well-ordered lives.
**Major Spoilers Ahead**
So what was unlikable?
The H, of course! Most readers hate him and with reason.
For 2/3rds of the book, he self-absorbedly carries on with his mistress and even when he’s with the h, he’s fantasizing about the mistress. Let’s not forget he spends his wedding night with the mistress too. Surely a big trigger for most romance readers! Even if it was an agreed upon mino where the h had clearly hinted at taking up lovers herself but then never even shows any inclination or gumption to do so!
He has the bad taste to invite the mistress to his wife’s first ball. He gallivants around town parading his mistress, openly sharing glances and more with the ow. The h is mostly home so doesn't witness it even if she's aware of it.
Then he’s impatient, easily annoyed when things don’t go his way. He manhandles her on two occasions. (The mistress getting similar treatment doesn’t make me glad.)
And he’s a snob. Despite his seemingly easy acceptance of his wife, he does turn up his nose at what he sees as her inability to mix in and deal with her new, elevated station in life.
And how did he run up the debts? (Okay, even if they are just vowels.) Contrarily, he seems wealthy enough and doesn’t seem in need of money. And in his favor, unlike other such Hs, is leery of touching her dowry. (I’ve known some such Hs to spend the h’s dowry on mistresses.) And so even if he stupidly gambled on his properties and estates, why doesn't he pay them up? That was a bit confusing.
His turnabout in the last 3rd of the book and suddenly discovering love at last doesn’t inspire trust. And he’s still acting like an impatient db in the last pages.
Certainly not one for tendresse!
And he’s just 26. I couldn’t help wondering if he’d stray in the future. (That's the reason I prefer my Hs to be above 30 at least!)
What redeems him?
He is caring and protective in his own way – for his wife and his mother.
He's never intentionally cruel and even apologises/changes tack when he sees the error of his ways.
He has a sense of honor – he refuses to touch his wife’s money.
He also tells the h he’d have been bound to pay his debt even if the chits (receipts) were destroyed by the h in a quixotic bid.
And he repents and changes his ways – late but just what was the last straw in my opinion. If he hadn’t broken up with the mistress when he does, this book and he’d have been completely irredeemable.
What I loved?
The h!
She’s just the wonderful, gracious, smart and immensely relatable kind of h I love to read about. Her quiet strength of character and self-effacing behavior contrasts poignantly with her husband’s flaws and failings. She’s what makes the book so enjoyable and lifts it above averageness. Having only known an abusive and cruel father, her expectations from men and marriage is low.
The book was unputdownable! It had the soul of a true Regency without being milksop-ish. It’s been a while since I read a book in one go. I was like a dog with a bone – obsessed and growly at interruptions.
A well rounded 4.5 I-lOVE-BABS Stars!!
June 25, 2024
28 chapters is a very long time to live through a big fat jerk parading his mistress around and hitting his wife before an "abrupt" ILY ending. Apparently, he also beds his mistress on his wedding night, invites her to his wife's first social function. I understand it's a platonic marriage of convenience but the hero has no honor or integrity, no regard to humiliating the woman that he at the very least owes some respect to in public, if not in private. Too humiliating. Despite the glowing reviews, this is not the right story for me.
August 10, 2017
Marriage, like childbirth, can be a life or death situation for a woman. It’s true now and it was true back in Regency days when this story was set. I think that’s what stands out for me in this story. There is a real menace to the heroine because of her father’s beatings and because of his ability to wreck havoc in her married life as well.
But it’s not just the father who can hurt the heroine. She is also vulnerable to her husband. When he hits her while drunk, she expects him to keep on hitting her – because that is all she knows of men. Instead, he sobers up immediately and leaves. Then sends her a note of apology the next morning. To this heroine, this is a New Age Man – someone with enough honor to apologize to a woman who is not his status.
So the hitting came about halfway through the story – and it’s not the first bit of bad behaviour by the hero. He is introduced as a hot-headed, prideful, and lascivious member of the nobility who brought on his financial ruin because of his own bad judgment. He resents having to marry the heroine, the daughter of the man who cheated him, and lets her know it. He also keeps his mistress after marriage, having sex with her on his wedding night, rather than the heroine. The heroine knows this, too. They have “mutual consent” about the hero being able to pursue women outside of their marriage of convenience. (The heroine also extracts a promise that she can take lovers, but the first time the H sees her with a “known libertine” struggling in the dark, he loses it.)
In other sins: The hero invites his mistress to the first ball they give together. He admonishes the heroine in front of his friend, causing her all kinds of embarrassment. He didn’t tell the heroine his mother was alive so she could write to her and do the social niceties. In short – he’s horrible.
But – and this is a big but – the heroine could do so much worse. Really, all the men in this story are awful. Her father, his friends, the hero.
Luckily, for the heroine, she has allies in her aunt, her mother-in-law, and her maid. They give wise counsel and remind her that she has value (because the hero certainly isn't doing that). That is the heroine's journey in this story. She learns to value herself while she learns to stand up in her marriage while never undergoing a personality transplant. The author does a tremendous job with her characterization.
The hero also has a journey - and his is longer, and not all complete by the end. He has to learn to think about someone other than himself, he has to learn to be a protector and he has to learn to listen to his wife and see beyond his own prejudices. It`s a steep learning curve and he disappoints his wife and this reader often, but he does come around by the very abrupt ending.
Their love is by `mutual consent`, which is a nice touch, I thought.
I wish their had been an epilogue. I would have liked to have seen them a little older, maybe with a chld or two.
But it’s not just the father who can hurt the heroine. She is also vulnerable to her husband. When he hits her while drunk, she expects him to keep on hitting her – because that is all she knows of men. Instead, he sobers up immediately and leaves. Then sends her a note of apology the next morning. To this heroine, this is a New Age Man – someone with enough honor to apologize to a woman who is not his status.
So the hitting came about halfway through the story – and it’s not the first bit of bad behaviour by the hero. He is introduced as a hot-headed, prideful, and lascivious member of the nobility who brought on his financial ruin because of his own bad judgment. He resents having to marry the heroine, the daughter of the man who cheated him, and lets her know it. He also keeps his mistress after marriage, having sex with her on his wedding night, rather than the heroine. The heroine knows this, too. They have “mutual consent” about the hero being able to pursue women outside of their marriage of convenience. (The heroine also extracts a promise that she can take lovers, but the first time the H sees her with a “known libertine” struggling in the dark, he loses it.)
In other sins: The hero invites his mistress to the first ball they give together. He admonishes the heroine in front of his friend, causing her all kinds of embarrassment. He didn’t tell the heroine his mother was alive so she could write to her and do the social niceties. In short – he’s horrible.
But – and this is a big but – the heroine could do so much worse. Really, all the men in this story are awful. Her father, his friends, the hero.
Luckily, for the heroine, she has allies in her aunt, her mother-in-law, and her maid. They give wise counsel and remind her that she has value (because the hero certainly isn't doing that). That is the heroine's journey in this story. She learns to value herself while she learns to stand up in her marriage while never undergoing a personality transplant. The author does a tremendous job with her characterization.
The hero also has a journey - and his is longer, and not all complete by the end. He has to learn to think about someone other than himself, he has to learn to be a protector and he has to learn to listen to his wife and see beyond his own prejudices. It`s a steep learning curve and he disappoints his wife and this reader often, but he does come around by the very abrupt ending.
Their love is by `mutual consent`, which is a nice touch, I thought.
I wish their had been an epilogue. I would have liked to have seen them a little older, maybe with a chld or two.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2017
After a quick re read I decided I had to change my rating. I couldn't stand this cheating lout!
May 19, 2022
Often annoyed by recently-written HRs, I sometimes return to old school historical romance, especially those Signet Regency Romances of the 1980s and 1990s. My favorites of these authors are not available for Kindle but there are many from my second tier of authors and Gayle Buck is one of them.
I do enjoy Buck's stories up to a point. She's not too anachronistic in dialogue and behavior of her characters and she writes well, although she does more telling than showing and often retells instead of advancing the story along. Besides this, another problem with her stories is that her 'heroes' often tend to be jerks, IMO. They're overbearing, selfish, and erratic in their behavior to the heroine, blowing hot and cold with no explanation, leaving her clueless about his feelings.
This story is no exception. Miss Barbara Cribbage is the daughter of a very wealthy, Cit businessman. He married her well-bred mother, now deceased, hoping for entrance into upper-class society, but her relatives all disowned her with the exception of one of her sisters. Barbara is refined and educated, thanks to that one aunt who refused to desert her, but she is a pawn in her horrendous creep of a father's plan to finally be accepted in the peerage. It didn't work out for him the first time, by his marrying into the peerage, so, by gosh, it had better work out by marrying his daughter off to a peer.
Enter our hero, the Earl of Chatworth. A more unheroic hero could not be found. In most of these marriages of convenience stories, the hero is not to blame for his penniless condition. It's usually the dissolute father or brother who has blown through all the money. Not this time. Our hero likes drinking, womanizing and gambling and managed to lose most all of his worth in one night of dissolution. Barbara's father is witness to this and gives him the way out: by marrying Barbara all his debts will be honored and her dowry will keep him well supplied with more money.
Well, of course they marry. Barbara is worth her weight in gold in more ways than one. She's a lovely heroine. Too bad she had to end up with this earl who does not deserve her. Yes, he sees the light at the end of the story but he's quite a piece of work, treating her cavalierly and thoughtlessly throughout most of the book. The bright moments of the book are the interactions between Barbara and her new mother-in-law. This mother is not the character you usually find in these romances and that's a pleasant surprise.
BTW, if you're like me and enjoy a good marriage-of-convenience romance of the slow developing, clean variety, you should read Georgette Heyer's CIVIL CONTRACT. It's one of my favorites. Also Patricia Oliver's LORD HARRY'S ANGEL. Oliver's Harry is a prime jerk, very much in the Buck hero vein, but the story makes up for it by being good and very well written.
I do enjoy Buck's stories up to a point. She's not too anachronistic in dialogue and behavior of her characters and she writes well, although she does more telling than showing and often retells instead of advancing the story along. Besides this, another problem with her stories is that her 'heroes' often tend to be jerks, IMO. They're overbearing, selfish, and erratic in their behavior to the heroine, blowing hot and cold with no explanation, leaving her clueless about his feelings.
This story is no exception. Miss Barbara Cribbage is the daughter of a very wealthy, Cit businessman. He married her well-bred mother, now deceased, hoping for entrance into upper-class society, but her relatives all disowned her with the exception of one of her sisters. Barbara is refined and educated, thanks to that one aunt who refused to desert her, but she is a pawn in her horrendous creep of a father's plan to finally be accepted in the peerage. It didn't work out for him the first time, by his marrying into the peerage, so, by gosh, it had better work out by marrying his daughter off to a peer.
Enter our hero, the Earl of Chatworth. A more unheroic hero could not be found. In most of these marriages of convenience stories, the hero is not to blame for his penniless condition. It's usually the dissolute father or brother who has blown through all the money. Not this time. Our hero likes drinking, womanizing and gambling and managed to lose most all of his worth in one night of dissolution. Barbara's father is witness to this and gives him the way out: by marrying Barbara all his debts will be honored and her dowry will keep him well supplied with more money.
Well, of course they marry. Barbara is worth her weight in gold in more ways than one. She's a lovely heroine. Too bad she had to end up with this earl who does not deserve her. Yes, he sees the light at the end of the story but he's quite a piece of work, treating her cavalierly and thoughtlessly throughout most of the book. The bright moments of the book are the interactions between Barbara and her new mother-in-law. This mother is not the character you usually find in these romances and that's a pleasant surprise.
BTW, if you're like me and enjoy a good marriage-of-convenience romance of the slow developing, clean variety, you should read Georgette Heyer's CIVIL CONTRACT. It's one of my favorites. Also Patricia Oliver's LORD HARRY'S ANGEL. Oliver's Harry is a prime jerk, very much in the Buck hero vein, but the story makes up for it by being good and very well written.
May 5, 2022
1.5 stars
Just plain bad! The story lacks any romance.
Marcus is blackmailed into marrying the villian's daughter. Babs (horrible name) just wants to be free of her horrible abusive father. They make a pact to have a marriage in name only.
The book is ruined by Marcus! He is just awful! He treats Babs like she's an incompetent, uncouth tradesman's daughter. He goes out every night . First to parties then to his mistress, who he flaunts in front of her. Babs ONLY has her Aunt. So she's alone while he's having fun. It wasn't till the last 30% of the book that he started to redeem himself. It was a little too late for me! You know I don't think the author realizes that people don't want to read a book where the H is a d****bag.
The worst part was the rushed ending. They finally say I love you and then Marcus tells her his plan to ruin her father. Now cut to black. That's it! We don't get to find out if the villian gets his just desserts. After reading this bad book, I deserved to witness the villian's demise!
Sidenote: I don't know if I'm willing to give this author another chance
Just plain bad! The story lacks any romance.
Marcus is blackmailed into marrying the villian's daughter. Babs (horrible name) just wants to be free of her horrible abusive father. They make a pact to have a marriage in name only.
The book is ruined by Marcus! He is just awful! He treats Babs like she's an incompetent, uncouth tradesman's daughter. He goes out every night . First to parties then to his mistress, who he flaunts in front of her. Babs ONLY has her Aunt. So she's alone while he's having fun. It wasn't till the last 30% of the book that he started to redeem himself. It was a little too late for me! You know I don't think the author realizes that people don't want to read a book where the H is a d****bag.
The worst part was the rushed ending. They finally say I love you and then Marcus tells her his plan to ruin her father. Now cut to black. That's it! We don't get to find out if the villian gets his just desserts. After reading this bad book, I deserved to witness the villian's demise!
Sidenote: I don't know if I'm willing to give this author another chance
February 12, 2022
It’s either a 5 star or 1 star read, I wasn’t enamored enough to go with the 5 stars, but appreciated it enough not to give it 1.
He’s arrogant and desperate, she’s just desperate, all caused by her father. By cheating and manipulation, the father has managed to acquire all the hero’s debt. The daughter is simply desperate to get away from the father.
Dear old dad is in trade, a commoner, and he’s forcing marriage as a debt settlement. And, the pair come up with a plan that works for them, a marriage of convenience. Only our hero isn’t smart enough to actually negotiate the financial deal, and his FIL has once again taken advantage, not quite paying everything off and holding his personal vowels over the hero’s head.
Through all of this, the arrogant earl treats her abysmally, sleeping with his mistress on their wedding night and inviting the mistress to their first ball.
Even in a marriage of convenience, this is just obnoxious. And, when he decides to play nice and invite her out with him, he manages to forget. Stood up by her husband, she decides to attend the ball anyway. The evening does not end well and in a fit of drunken anger, he hits her, and realizes how horrible he’s treated her and vows to do better.
And, he does, but better is really just a form of seduction and she falls for it.
He and his friends plan her father’s fall into debt and they have their I love you moment, the end. This needed an epilogue, because this was ridiculously rushed.
Note to self… don’t reread.
He’s arrogant and desperate, she’s just desperate, all caused by her father. By cheating and manipulation, the father has managed to acquire all the hero’s debt. The daughter is simply desperate to get away from the father.
Dear old dad is in trade, a commoner, and he’s forcing marriage as a debt settlement. And, the pair come up with a plan that works for them, a marriage of convenience. Only our hero isn’t smart enough to actually negotiate the financial deal, and his FIL has once again taken advantage, not quite paying everything off and holding his personal vowels over the hero’s head.
Through all of this, the arrogant earl treats her abysmally, sleeping with his mistress on their wedding night and inviting the mistress to their first ball.
Even in a marriage of convenience, this is just obnoxious. And, when he decides to play nice and invite her out with him, he manages to forget. Stood up by her husband, she decides to attend the ball anyway. The evening does not end well and in a fit of drunken anger, he hits her, and realizes how horrible he’s treated her and vows to do better.
And, he does, but better is really just a form of seduction and she falls for it.
He and his friends plan her father’s fall into debt and they have their I love you moment, the end. This needed an epilogue, because this was ridiculously rushed.
Note to self… don’t reread.
July 27, 2012
The plot is a fairly conventional marriage of convenience story. Marcus, the Earl of Chadsworth has to marry his creditor's daughter Babs to keep his home. Babs is only too happy to do so in order to escape her father. The sham marriage eventually turns into a real one because of true love, etc.
I enjoyed several aspects of this regency. The setting was rich and authentic with period-appropriate dialogue and behavior. Babs was likable enough, if a bit naive (and I do love a tortured heroine!). The side characters, especially the dowager countess, were highlights. My interest in the book never flagged and I read straight through.
However, I can't honestly rate this book highly when I so thoroughly detested the hero. He recklessly gambled, constantly berated Babs, and used physical force on both his mistress and wife. The transition from looking down on Babs as being beneath him to loving her was too abrupt - I didn't buy it. Her love for him was more believable because of her naivete and low expectations of men. Marcus never redeemed himself (there wasn't even a grovel scene!) and he left me completely cold. Ugh.
I enjoyed several aspects of this regency. The setting was rich and authentic with period-appropriate dialogue and behavior. Babs was likable enough, if a bit naive (and I do love a tortured heroine!). The side characters, especially the dowager countess, were highlights. My interest in the book never flagged and I read straight through.
However, I can't honestly rate this book highly when I so thoroughly detested the hero. He recklessly gambled, constantly berated Babs, and used physical force on both his mistress and wife. The transition from looking down on Babs as being beneath him to loving her was too abrupt - I didn't buy it. Her love for him was more believable because of her naivete and low expectations of men. Marcus never redeemed himself (there wasn't even a grovel scene!) and he left me completely cold. Ugh.
November 23, 2017
What a boring novel. There was nothing romantic about this story. The H was as dull as dishwater and the heroine was nice but there was little chemistry between them. The H also had a mistress who was obviously older than him since she went to great means to camouflage her age. What a waste of my time this was...
January 7, 2016
In this stunning Regency tale of love, dark secrets, sacrifice, cruelty, revenge and hope, rakish noble Marcus, the Earl of Chatworth's reckless lifestyle forces him to wed Miss Barbara Cribbage, the daughter of a noblewoman and a crude merchant. Marcus is flawed; he can be judgmental, harsh and self-centered. What made him likeable was his protective streak, his sense of what is right and his strength. He was also quick to see the error of his ways and was reformed by his bride's actions and quiet dignity.
Babs is beyond Marcus' experience despite the fact he's a charming womanizer and gamester. She's an intelligent, strong-willed young lady who's endured hardship at an early age, yet is poised, elegant and entrancing. Her self-respect was endearing and it made my heart ache for her at time. What starts off as a marriage of convenience, soon develops into sizzling sexual tension, caring and mutual respect, as both parties grow and change, learn to trust, and are willing to defend the other from their enemies.
I'm huge fan of this author. She has a wonderful way with setting, plot and character building. There's sex but it's sensuous without being raunchy, racy without being prim and prudish. Marcus has a worldly mistress who adds excellent contrast and upheaval to the budding relationship. Babs' father, Cribbage, is a brute; a mercenary, vulgar antagonist whose sinister actions make an excellent catalyst in bringing the couple closer together and providing excitement to the storyline with his villainous schemes.
Whether you're a fan of historical romance or just curious, Ms. Buck is a superior example of this genre. It's the kind of story that will draw readers in who can appreciate an author whose writing is lush and sound, and whose characters are familiar, yet unique and captivating. This a work that I actively re-read which says much.
Babs is beyond Marcus' experience despite the fact he's a charming womanizer and gamester. She's an intelligent, strong-willed young lady who's endured hardship at an early age, yet is poised, elegant and entrancing. Her self-respect was endearing and it made my heart ache for her at time. What starts off as a marriage of convenience, soon develops into sizzling sexual tension, caring and mutual respect, as both parties grow and change, learn to trust, and are willing to defend the other from their enemies.
I'm huge fan of this author. She has a wonderful way with setting, plot and character building. There's sex but it's sensuous without being raunchy, racy without being prim and prudish. Marcus has a worldly mistress who adds excellent contrast and upheaval to the budding relationship. Babs' father, Cribbage, is a brute; a mercenary, vulgar antagonist whose sinister actions make an excellent catalyst in bringing the couple closer together and providing excitement to the storyline with his villainous schemes.
Whether you're a fan of historical romance or just curious, Ms. Buck is a superior example of this genre. It's the kind of story that will draw readers in who can appreciate an author whose writing is lush and sound, and whose characters are familiar, yet unique and captivating. This a work that I actively re-read which says much.
August 16, 2018
3.5 stars
It was an enjoyable read but the ending was a bit too abrupt for my tastes.
It was an enjoyable read but the ending was a bit too abrupt for my tastes.
December 11, 2013
'Mutual Consent' is not a conventional regency marriage of convenience story where a young girl is essentially sold into marriage by improvident, but well meaning parents. Here, the heroine's father is unequivocally evil, with a history of wife and child abuse (both emotional and physical). Barbara, the heroine is wonderful and nuanced character, analytical, courageous and honest. She welcomes this business-like marriage to an arrogant and dissolute aristocrat in the hope that it will provide an escape from her abusive father.
However, Barbara's new husband, the 26 year old Earl of Chatworth is immature, resentful, and erratic. Despite his growing feelings of affection for his wife, he accidently hits her during a drunken argument. I found this scene heartbreaking. Inured to abuse by her father, Barbara "did not look at him [her husband] again, but only waited for what was sure to come. Her limited experience with men had not led her to believe that they could feel any but the crudest of emotions, and with her marriage, she had but traded one master for another".
Fortunately, Barbara's young husband is capable of remorse and emotional growth. The uncomfortable marriage of convenience gradually and believably becomes the love match that Barbara so richly deserves!
However, Barbara's new husband, the 26 year old Earl of Chatworth is immature, resentful, and erratic. Despite his growing feelings of affection for his wife, he accidently hits her during a drunken argument. I found this scene heartbreaking. Inured to abuse by her father, Barbara "did not look at him [her husband] again, but only waited for what was sure to come. Her limited experience with men had not led her to believe that they could feel any but the crudest of emotions, and with her marriage, she had but traded one master for another".
Fortunately, Barbara's young husband is capable of remorse and emotional growth. The uncomfortable marriage of convenience gradually and believably becomes the love match that Barbara so richly deserves!
September 18, 2016
Even though they had a marriage of convenience, the hero going to his mistress on their wedding night made me want to vomit.
June 1, 2014
3.5/5. It started off well and the writing is good, but H, an earl, was an irresponsible bad tempered ass, who had a tendency to blame others for his own shortcomings. The heroine fared better, the product of a union between her gently reared mother who came from a titled family and her wealthy but brutal father, who made his fortune in trade. Her mother was practically sold into marriage by her family, who then subsequently ostracized her due to her lowly marital connections. H and h were forced to marry by h's father as the latter bought out H's debts. They agreed to a MOC, which suited H and his mistress quite well. Additionally, H treated h with little respect and at times with cruelty and arrogance. When the end came, H didn't grovel enough and due to her traumatic upbringing, h had too low self esteem to demand any better. No graphic love scenes, for those looking to be titillated.
November 28, 2013
Mutual Consent owed a lot to A Civil Contract and A Christmas Promise with the major difference being that the heroine's father was a despicable cruel creature. I'm not sure the book really needed that vein of cruelty. Perhaps closer to 3 1/2 stars. The secondary characters, Babs's aunt, Marcus's mother, Marcus's mistress ... they added a lot to the plot. I enjoyed seeing how their strange businesslike marriage eventually ended up being a passionate love affair.
June 18, 2014
I did not like this. About 3/4 of the way through the book, the so-called-hero is still tumbling into bed with his mistress. He's a nitwit and quick to blame the heroine for all his faults and stupidity. Poor Barbara. She could do better.
April 22, 2024
Very easy to read & I enjoyed some of it but the H, Marcus Aurelius Alexander Chatworth (good grief!), Earl of Chatworth, is an arsehole. So he boozes, gambles & womanises, which is how he gets caught in Cribbage's trap & has to marry Barbara Cribbage to get out of debt, fairly standard stuff; & he intends to carry on with his lifestyle after marriage but that's ok because Babs has agreed to it beforehand, no worries so far, just your usual hardened rake, even if at 26 he seems a bit young for it. Unfortunately, he is abusive verbally & physically which is not generally a character trait we see in our Regency rakes, a few nasty words occasionally, even some bruising kisses, but they are not generally given to physically bruising their heroines by knocking them around.
I would have been much happier if Barbara hadn't fallen in love with him, but as a woman who had come to expect even worse from the only other man in her life, her father, she naturally fell in love with Chatworth. He did come to value her & see the error of his ways, but it would have been more satisfying if he'd been forced to do without her. Of course, this is a Regency so that would never happen permanently, & they wouldn't have been able to divorce despite the idea being bandied about prior to their agreement, but it would have suited my amour propre better.
I generally like a marriage of convenience scenario but Chatsworth has too few redeeming qualities for me to really like this one. Give me Lynton or Rule any day.
I would have been much happier if Barbara hadn't fallen in love with him, but as a woman who had come to expect even worse from the only other man in her life, her father, she naturally fell in love with Chatworth. He did come to value her & see the error of his ways, but it would have been more satisfying if he'd been forced to do without her. Of course, this is a Regency so that would never happen permanently, & they wouldn't have been able to divorce despite the idea being bandied about prior to their agreement, but it would have suited my amour propre better.
I generally like a marriage of convenience scenario but Chatsworth has too few redeeming qualities for me to really like this one. Give me Lynton or Rule any day.
April 28, 2019
This was my first book by Ms. Buck and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It was more period appropriate than the recent historical romance which was a pleasant change. The marriage of convenience trope is one of my favourites and the exploration of class differences leant the romance edges which it needed.
The main couple are generally nice people. The hero is more frivolous and careless than recent romances. It was a nice change - he won't be one of my favourites as he didn’t have the gravitas that I love but he is willing to change. He starts off the story continuing his relationship with his mistress and determined to continue his life as if his marriage never happened. However, he does change about 45% as he realises that his life does need to change and that his new wife is wonderful.
The heroine is a little bit on the passive side but it’s character and situation appropriate. I can see why people will be annoyed with her but I do think Ms. Gayle managed to make the character consistent. As a modern woman I didn’t like the fact that she didn’t challenge her husband's peccadilloes sooner but I understand the context so I gave it a pass.
Not much more to add. In summary, I enjoyed the book; I just wished the latter half which has more direct romance was a little longer. I will give another book by Ms Gayle a try though so I am happy I picked this up as this may be a go-to-author for me.
The main couple are generally nice people. The hero is more frivolous and careless than recent romances. It was a nice change - he won't be one of my favourites as he didn’t have the gravitas that I love but he is willing to change. He starts off the story continuing his relationship with his mistress and determined to continue his life as if his marriage never happened. However, he does change about 45% as he realises that his life does need to change and that his new wife is wonderful.
The heroine is a little bit on the passive side but it’s character and situation appropriate. I can see why people will be annoyed with her but I do think Ms. Gayle managed to make the character consistent. As a modern woman I didn’t like the fact that she didn’t challenge her husband's peccadilloes sooner but I understand the context so I gave it a pass.
Not much more to add. In summary, I enjoyed the book; I just wished the latter half which has more direct romance was a little longer. I will give another book by Ms Gayle a try though so I am happy I picked this up as this may be a go-to-author for me.
July 14, 2022
Story: 5 stars
Gayle Buck writes wonderful Regency romance and this book doesn't disappoint! Our protagonists are both trapped into a marriage of convenience and make a pact with one another since neither has a choice: each can live his/her own life and pursue his/her own love interest.
Normally, that would really put me off of a book, but I trust Gayle Buck and she delivered.
Barbara Cribbage (Babs) has a social climbing merchant father. He is also cruel. Babs escaped his cruelty when her mother died and has been trained by her high-born aunt in all the traits of a true lady.
The Earl of Chatworth has been well and truly caught by Babs' father, and not in an honorable way. Her father has, over much time, gathered gambling vowels and mortgages belonging to the Earl. He truly holds power over the Earl.
Babs and the Earl get along well enough because of the bargain made before their wedding.
But when the Earl's mother comes for a visit and sees the true state of things, the Earl is slowly awakened to the true character of his wife and the power of her upbringing. He is also awakened to the fact that he hasn't treated her with any sort of consideration at all.
From there on out, things become rather lovely.
Narration: 5 stars
Julia Eve is a favorite narrator of mine! She does wonderful male voices and has a number of accents at her disposal. She reads with natural expression and phrasing. It's always a treat to listen to her voice acting!
Gayle Buck writes wonderful Regency romance and this book doesn't disappoint! Our protagonists are both trapped into a marriage of convenience and make a pact with one another since neither has a choice: each can live his/her own life and pursue his/her own love interest.
Normally, that would really put me off of a book, but I trust Gayle Buck and she delivered.
Barbara Cribbage (Babs) has a social climbing merchant father. He is also cruel. Babs escaped his cruelty when her mother died and has been trained by her high-born aunt in all the traits of a true lady.
The Earl of Chatworth has been well and truly caught by Babs' father, and not in an honorable way. Her father has, over much time, gathered gambling vowels and mortgages belonging to the Earl. He truly holds power over the Earl.
Babs and the Earl get along well enough because of the bargain made before their wedding.
But when the Earl's mother comes for a visit and sees the true state of things, the Earl is slowly awakened to the true character of his wife and the power of her upbringing. He is also awakened to the fact that he hasn't treated her with any sort of consideration at all.
From there on out, things become rather lovely.
Narration: 5 stars
Julia Eve is a favorite narrator of mine! She does wonderful male voices and has a number of accents at her disposal. She reads with natural expression and phrasing. It's always a treat to listen to her voice acting!
April 20, 2020
The story was quite ok, but I didn't really like it.
Marriage of convenience plot: Marcus, the earl gambled and lost a lot of money. And Cribbage, a trademan who dreamed big, bought all of his debts and blackmailed him to have him marry his daughter Barbara in order to make her a countess, so Cribbage can access the ton.
But Barbara and Marcus stroke a deal before the wedding so Cribbage won't benefit from it.
They had a weird relationship and I couldn't really feel the love. They both annoyed me.
Marcus, who was always angry and guilty the next second. Barbara who didn't seem to know what she truly wanted. And there was another woman, the mistress, but she only brought annoyance to the story instead of angst.
What I didn't like: everytime I thought they would come together in a romantic way to start something resembling romance, something happened and ruined the mood! So the whole story was quite frustrating.
I think they had sex in the last chapter or the one before, it was after 90% and it was like a dream as Barbara said, just a couple of lines and nothing excting.
Marriage of convenience plot: Marcus, the earl gambled and lost a lot of money. And Cribbage, a trademan who dreamed big, bought all of his debts and blackmailed him to have him marry his daughter Barbara in order to make her a countess, so Cribbage can access the ton.
But Barbara and Marcus stroke a deal before the wedding so Cribbage won't benefit from it.
They had a weird relationship and I couldn't really feel the love. They both annoyed me.
Marcus, who was always angry and guilty the next second. Barbara who didn't seem to know what she truly wanted. And there was another woman, the mistress, but she only brought annoyance to the story instead of angst.
What I didn't like: everytime I thought they would come together in a romantic way to start something resembling romance, something happened and ruined the mood! So the whole story was quite frustrating.
I think they had sex in the last chapter or the one before, it was after 90% and it was like a dream as Barbara said, just a couple of lines and nothing excting.
September 8, 2025
I didn't understand the lowish ratings for this book so I read the first review. Apparently the H is unlikeable for most of the book because he did not transition from a gambling rake into a thoughtful husband quickly enough. I think my expectations for H behaviour have been influenced by MC and Mafia Hs because I did not take offense with his treatment of the h. The h's father is a prosperous man but he desperately wants to be acknowledged by the ton. He first tries to achieve that goal through marriage but his wife's family turns their back on the couple. He then tries to secure a titled match for his daughter through her debut year with no luck. Next he buys up the titles and vowels of an earl and uses them to blackmail him into a marriage of convenience. The h wants to escape her abusive father. The H wants to protect his mother from eviction. They meet prior to the wedding and agree to terms - leading discrete separate lives, a short marriage etc.
The h who has been raised by an aunt tries to find her place in society and the H tries to find his place as a husband. The book worked for me.
The h who has been raised by an aunt tries to find her place in society and the H tries to find his place as a husband. The book worked for me.
January 22, 2025
Hero is just. He has no positive qualities. At all. He's not kind, not caring, he's selfish, self-centered, undisciplined, hypocritical, abusive, both verbally and physically, cheats on his wife with zero regrets, does not take responsibility for his mistakes, blames everything on everyone else, is arrogant but not in the hot way, conceited, boring, and the only reason the heroine would fall in love with him is because he's not quite as horrible as her brutal, violent, evil father and she has no one else to compare him to.
Most of her responses to his frequent outbursts of anger, violence toward her, misplaced anger at her, sexual assault, etc. that are presented as her falling for him are in fact just a fawning response to abuse.
Like, I cannot read this because it's literally a description of an abusive relationship and I just want the heroine to get out and find an actually decent man who is capable of and does actually love her in a healthy way that includes being actually kind and considerate to her.
Currently angry-reading at 51% but do not expect to finish.
Most of her responses to his frequent outbursts of anger, violence toward her, misplaced anger at her, sexual assault, etc. that are presented as her falling for him are in fact just a fawning response to abuse.
Like, I cannot read this because it's literally a description of an abusive relationship and I just want the heroine to get out and find an actually decent man who is capable of and does actually love her in a healthy way that includes being actually kind and considerate to her.
Currently angry-reading at 51% but do not expect to finish.
July 14, 2022
Great Story!
Once again, Gayle Buck pulled me into her fascinating story about the hardships endured by Babs and her husband of convenience, Malcolm, as both of them go up against her abusive and controlling father.
I loved that in the end love won out and that they got their well deserved happy ever after.
This beautiful romance with a twist was enhanced by the fabulous narration of Julia Eve who made it so much more enjoyable.
I listened to a promotional copy of the audiobook and my voluntary review is recorded above.
Once again, Gayle Buck pulled me into her fascinating story about the hardships endured by Babs and her husband of convenience, Malcolm, as both of them go up against her abusive and controlling father.
I loved that in the end love won out and that they got their well deserved happy ever after.
This beautiful romance with a twist was enhanced by the fabulous narration of Julia Eve who made it so much more enjoyable.
I listened to a promotional copy of the audiobook and my voluntary review is recorded above.
November 6, 2022
Classic regency romance and I credit the author showing Marcus as a selfish arrogant Earl during his marriage though he turned it around late in the book. A well written book that is more realistic approach to a forced marriage between the commoner and nobility ,well done because I still didn't like Marcus as a Hero ,a very self centered man.
December 27, 2017
It would have been a much more enjoyable novel if I had liked the hero. But I mostly found him unfeeling, unapologetic, forceful and not at all charming. If it were not for that, it could have been one of my favorite romances.
January 27, 2019
This one started out strong with the heroine being pleasantly proactive but it eventually regressed into worn out clichés. Too bad.
February 5, 2017
Boring
August 3, 2016
This was my third book by Gayle Buck and even though I liked the previous two, Mutual Consent was not what I expected. Yes, the writing was intense and overall very good, except I wish the ending was not so abrupt and there were some storylines that I wish would be more explored. Also, I loved the heroine. She was neither a harping bluestocking nor an empty-headed hoyden. She was smart, perceptive and strong. The story was not a typical marriage of convenience when a brooding, penniless titled hero takes a rich cit wife to redeem his estates. Firstly, the hero was ridden in debt not because of some ancestral fault but his own. His penchant for gambling, drinking and other wises of high ton society brought him to the point. Secondly, the father of our heroine was not indulgent mild parent but truly evil man who used his daughter to obtain the entrance to the society that he thought snubbed him when he married a noble wife. Thirdly, our hero was arrogant, strong willed, rude person who treated his wife in some cases no better than heroine's father. Yes, there were glimpses of some redeeming quality in his interactions with his mother but, overall, I was not impressed. Even though the story had an obligatory happy ending , I did not feel that the couple had a chance of HEA.
September 15, 2014
Interesting, one of the few regency romances to give the scheming mistress the spanking that she deserves. However I don't condone violence toward females, and there is a lot of it in this book, which is why i didn't enjoy it as much, its a bit too real.
December 1, 2025
One of those endings you wish went on and on and a little further. But alas, it ended abruptly. The biting angst was so delicious it set my heart on fire. The hero was a first class misogynistic asshole through 2/3 of the book. Oblivious to his wife's existence, he went about in his own narcissistic ways leaving her to fend for herself, thus immersing the reader with all sorts of emotional sympathies. I loved the heroine. What she lived through with her father, she had built a strength of character that she innocently didn't even know she had. Her naivety was written so well. If you are an angst addict, you will enjoy this. There were parts that I wished were more embellished, but maybe after a 2nd read I will be more satisfied. One of my favorite marriage of convenient stories I have read. Can't wait to re-read it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews