Um Cavaleiro para uma Dama

Brides by Chance #3

by Elizabeth Bailey, Lorena Csenger (Translator)

Apaixone-se por essa encantadora aventura da Regência! Perfeita para os fãs de Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh, Jane Aiken Hodge e Jane Austen.

Pode um coronel experiente do exército tornar-se um cavalheiro galante?
1804, INGLATERRA

Depois de herdar inesperadamente um condado, o coronel Niall Lowrie tem de gerir as suas propriedades negligenciadas enquanto aprende a comportar-se como um cavalheiro.
No entanto, rapidamente começa a sentir falta da liberdade e da aventura da sua antiga vida no exército.
O tédio de Niall diminui quando ele conhece a espirituosa e intrigante Edith Westacott, sobrinha do vigário. Recém-chegada de Bath, ela se sente sufocada pela vida na aldeia e busca independência.
Mas parece que Edith foi seguida por uma figura sinistra de seu passado. Com seu futuro em turbulência, ela recorre a Niall em busca de ajuda...
Niall conseguirá assumir suas novas responsabilidades? Edith conseguirá seguir em frente com sua nova vida?
Ou ambos ficarão presos pela escuridão do passado?


UMA CAVALEIRO PARA UMA DAMA é o terceiro livro da série Noivas por Acaso, um conjunto encantador de romances regenciais ambientados na Inglaterra georgiana.

SÉRIE NOIVAS POR ACASO – AVENTURAS NA REGÊNCIA
LIVRO Vinculados pela Honra
LIVRO Uma Chance Perdida
LIVRO TRÊ Um Cavaleiro para uma Dama
LIVRO Uma fuga louca de Inverno

Genres: Regency Romance, Romance, Historical Romance

328 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 20, 2015

About the author

An avid reader from an early age, Elizabeth Bailey grew up in colonial Africa under unconventional parentage and with theatre in the blood. Back in England, she trod the boards until discovering her true métier as a writer in her thirties, when she fulfilled an early addiction to Georgette Heyer by launching into historical romance. Eight years and eight books later, Elizabeth joined the Harlequin Mills & Boon stable, fuelling her writing with a secondary career teaching and directing drama, and writing plays into the bargain.

With 18 historicals published, Elizabeth turned to other genres, producing two titles (Fly the Wild Echoes and For One More Tomorrow) in the cross-genre literary/paranormal field as well as a suspense novella (Silence of a Stranger). She has several short stories available too and a guide for writers on editing.

Continuing her foray into other genres, but returning to her favourite historical period, Elizabeth turned to mystery. She placed her female sleuth in the late Georgian world of intrigue, elegance, aristocrats and rogues, where privilege rubbed shoulders with the harsh realities of making ends meet. While Ottilia moves in the upper echelon of Society, she is thoroughly at ease in the lower, which allows Elizabeth to cross boundaries with impunity. These novels are now published with Sapere Books and the list continues to grow.

Sapere also publish her Brides by Chance Regency Adventures, a series dedicated to the countless women who could not ordinarily hope for romance and marriage: poor relations, dowerless females, those who did not "take", orphans. In a word, the classic Cinderella heroine.

Now retired from teaching, Elizabeth concentrates on writing and promotion, with a sideline in running an assessment critique service for writers.

Reviews

[Debra Martin]

I haven't read any of the previous books in this series so I'm not sure if that would have helped understand these characters better, but I found this book dragged in places . It started out well with the mystery of what happened to Edith Westacott in Bath and who she was running from, but it didn't take long to uncover his identity. I liked Colonel Niall Lowrie better. He was doing his best trying to run an earldom he never expected to inherit in the first place. As a soldier, he knew his place in the world, but as an Earl, he was clueless, but willing to learn as much as he could in a short amount of time. He first comes across Edith when walking in the woods. She lay in a faint and his first instinct is to help and protect her. As his feelings grow for her, he tries hard to understand what she's so afraid of as she reluctant to speak of it. There was some good tension filled moments as the villain stalks Edith, but I thought his ending a little unrealistic especially Edith's role in it.

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.

[Kitcatscratch]

A decent story but not Bailey's best


Honestly I was unsure how to rate it. I suspect it's more of a 3 but because I like the author I had to rate it on a bell curve! The story put me much in mind of "Quiet Meg" by Sheryl Lynn Ferguson. Where Quiet Meg had a much more surreal almost fairy tale quality to it (by no means a bad thing as she is/was a masterful writer) it is different from Bailey's which is a bit grittier. It's interesting to view stalkers in a historical setting before the term stalker or the illness behind it was known. My only complaint is that I would have thought the villain would have operated more stealthily. Perhaps due to his rank he was also full of a feeling of invulnerability.

Worth a read of you're a Bailey fan. Just know it's not her best.

[Melanie S]

Creepy evil villain, stalked and kidnapped heroine, and the old soldier who wins the war

When a notorious lothario of a lord targets her, Edith escapes with her life and virginity, but her position as a teacher is forfeit. She runs home to her uncle, the vicar. Niall has had to give up his military career in order to assume an earldom. Meeting Edith and gradually getting to know her situation calls up his sense of duty, his chivalry, and eventually, his love. Edith's stalker is persistent. Niall uses all his military experience to plan a campaign to defeat him, because she refuses his offer of marriage until they are free of threats. Lots of dramatic tension, suspense, subterfuge, fisticuffs and forks enliven this Regency era romance.

[Zena]

A hero, a heroine, a pair of strange, giggling young ladies, a Vicar/uncle and his house keeper and the support of a whole town and of course a villain.
These all mesh together in an extremely easy to read and most enjoyable historical novel which I thoroughly loved.
The best was the honor, trust and growing love between the two main characters which warmed my heart.
A beautiful story, well told by Elizabeth Bailey.
I read an Advance Reader's Copy of this book and this is my honest and unbiased review.

[Meg]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The main characters, a teacher and an earl, are not unusual in historical romances. But this story is not a usual one. It deals with a serious issue in a sensitive way and makes a rattling good tale of it. The friendship and love is beautifully portrayed developing through the story. (No insta-lust here!) I like Elizabeth Bailey's books as she captures the 'spirit of the age' and everything flows together seamlessly. Read it!
I received an ARC. This is my honest opinion.

[Carol]

Good

While the plot is a good one, and the main characters portrayed well, I found certain aspects hard to accept.
Why not tell her uncle the truth when her tormentor put in an appearance?
Actions around her protection were convoluted to say the least.
Edith appeared on occasion to be far too good to be true, although a generally great character.
However - I enjoyed the story and happily suggest you read it.

[A]

Great romance

This was an exciting romance with great characters. Niall is a strong, practical, capable hero who actually communicates and allows no misunderstandings. Edith is a smart and witty heroine in a frightening situation. The villain is so evil. One of the best scenes in the story was the exciting race where the villain chases Niall and Edith. I enjoyed reading this book very much.

[BJ]

Good story. The H is a good man, lonely, bewildered and poorly prepared for his unexpected inheritance. The h is being followed by an evil OM, and while she too is bewildered, she is smart and feisty and unwilling to let him win. I liked the plot very much, but missed the steam that I prefer, so won't continue with the series.

[Amy]

Love this author but you should skip this book

Painfully slow... not worth the time to read it. Page after page of details and conversations that had no effect on the story. Recommend the authors other books but def skip this one

[joyce ryder]

Disappointed

I was disappointed with this book, normally I read a book in 2/3days but I just couldn't get into the story of the characters.It was over a period of 2weeks that I did finally finished it.

[Stephanie]

So So

Not much of a mystery --more of an adventure. Story and characters only average in this series. Prefer the real mystery series.

[weaverannie]

Best aardig boek, maar aan het eind werd het wat langdradig en onwaarschijnlijk.

[Diane Pope]

The strength to go on.

This was one of the most exciting stories I have read in a long time. This is one of those books you stay up all night to read because you can't put it down.

[Flavia Pena]

Sigo me questionando o quanto uma história pode representar emoções e coração cheio de amor.
Esse vilão foi o pior que já li. Diria que é o melhor da série. E amei ler todos os anteriores!Adorei!

[MrsMascara]

Elizabeth Bailey never disappoints, she always writes believable and interesting characters with a story that feels realistic for the time period, and her research is good.

This story is focused around the impact the suspected loss of virtue and reputation would have to a lady of that time.

Niall is a career soldier, who due to a number of deaths due to illness, unexpectedly inherits an earldom and has to sell out. He is trying to get to grips with the needs of his estate and the people that depend on him, whilst trying to fund neglected work from his limited soldiers income as he waits for probate to release estate funds. His neighbour and friend Lord Tazewell is coaching him, along with his steward Eddowes in his responsibilities. As part of this relationship he is escorting Jocasta Lady Tazewell, and her friend on a walk,They come upon a woman who has fainted in the woods, and Niall military training comes into play at once. Once he manages to revive her and ascertains she hasn’t broken any bones, he discovers she is Edith Westacott, niece to the vicar in the village. She is very thin and wasted and struggles to stand and walk, so Niall escorts her home. He realises she is unwell, and struggling under a great strain, but he is immediately struck by her wit and sense of humour.

Edith is struggling under a huge fear of the father of two of her pupils in the school she taught in. He was determined to have her, despite being married, and used everything in his power to have her as his mistress, including force. This has caused her to be unable to eat, and she has wasted away. Used to her independence and autonomy she struggles at the vicarage, because her uncle and the housekeeper are inclined to fuss over her, and she struggles to balance her desire for freedom with her fear of the wicked Lord Kilshaw, who is excited by her resistance. She doesn’t know how to tell her uncle any of this, and so it preys on her mind.

Niall soon discovers her fear, and works with her and eventually her uncle to try and protect her. Increasingly attracted to her, he so9n discovers he loves her, but she is worried about what will happen to her, and whether her reputation will be ruined, and therefore make her unsuitable to marry Niall. She also suspects he doesn’t believe her. She also won’t discuss her feelings for him, which are growing stronger every day. Will Lord Kilshaw succeed or will Niall prevail, and they get to their happily ever after?

What I enjoyed was the detail the author was able to include. They relationships between Niall and Eddowes, and Edith’s with Jocasta and Miss Burloyne, were nicely done, and also the servants were rounded characters, who were properly involved in the story. I also really liked both the main characters.

Recommended.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

[Faith]

This is a story of a young governess, who although unwell, comes to stay with her uncle, a vicar; she is also running from something.

There is a gentleman, returning from serving in India, to take up the reins of an unanticipated Earldom, its lands and estates. He is also hampered by legalities in settling his inheritance and wanting to begin highly needed repairs to his tenants homes.

Enter this scene another of the peerage, only this man has no intention of being either discrete or honorable. He feels he has the authority, power and wealth to force this lady into a “new occupation”. So certain is he that he will succeed he informs the Earl of his plans, warming him off.

Now the gauntlet has been thrown, what schemes will develop as one plans to whisk the lady away, setting her up in a London establishment while the Uncle is unaware of these developments. Both niece and he who is certain he is winning hide the unfolding events from the Vicar who would never continence such an arrangement.

With her uncle now aware of what is happening, the Earl takes a hand and along with the villagers are now taking on the role of watching out for the Niece, spying on the lord and reporting to the Earl.

This tale is one that is both common of the times and true to life in small towns. I was most pleased that descriptive events were tastefully written and language true to the times. All in all a good read, one that is easy to read and enjoy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Sapere Books through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

[Sonya Wasden]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There was witty banter, suspense, drama, romance, evil and sinister purposes and finally true love. The characters were well developed and the story flowed easily.

Edith Westacott was the vicar's daughter who had taught at a school in Bath. She had left suddenly when she had become seriously ill, but there was more to that story than anyone else knew. She had returned to her uncle's home, the local vicar. She had come to heal from both the physical and emotional afflictions she had suffered.

Colonel Niall Lowrie had just inherited his cousin's earldom. He was a soldier. That is what he knew and now he needed to learn how to run an estate. He was intrigued when he was introduced to Miss Westacott. She was intelligent and beautiful and yet she couldn't see her own beauty. But, there was something pained that he saw, as well as fear. He wanted to help her and to protect her, but he needed to discover what burdened her so.

When a sinister figure from her recent past threatened to destroy the future Niall longed to have with Edith, Niall had to prepare for battle. He was not going to lose what he had just found. He would become the victor; he had to for both their sakes.

I was given an arc copy of this book and I willingly offer my honest review.

[Beryl Scott]

The plight of Regency Women

This well written book gives a glimpse into the hazards facing an unprotected woman in the Regency era. I found myself angry at the arrogance of the man who thought he had the right to treat her as he wanted. I also applauded the heroine and her strength to try to defend herself. And of course there is a hero who wanted to protect her. An enjoyable read.

[Jill Long]

I enjoyed reading this story but felt it was missing something. The characters were very guarded with their words and actions. I need more passion.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author. I received a free ARC for my honest review.

[Margherita Morgante]

Too long winded. Edith quite boring. Hero attractive. An interesting plot wasted.