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The Unsuitable Miss Martingale
Sent to London by her country family in the hopes of finding a respectable husband, Lili Martingale, an independent, sensible, and outspoken young lady, finds herself out of place amid London's aristocractic society, until she attracts the attention of the eligible Viscout Halpern, whose own parents find Lili an unacceptable choice. Original.
96 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2001
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About the author
Barbara Hazard
57 books15 followersBarbara (Booth) Hazard, a resident of Exeter, NH, died on October 25, 2019 in Boston, MA surrounded by family. Born in 1931 in Fall River, MA, the daughter of Albert L. and Lillian (Holland) Booth, she was raised and educated in New England. She graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in 1953 and was briefly employed by Ginn & Company in Boston as a Technical Editor. She married Donald T. Hazard in 1954 and next worked as a Graphic Designer/Artist for a Concord, NH advertising firm.
Originally trained as a musician, Mrs. Hazard also studied oil painting with Amy Jones and for a time had several shows in New York and Vermont. She began to write historical fiction in 1978. First published in 1981, she went on to write and publish 48 books, several of which are also in circulation abroad. She won several awards for her writing.
Mrs. Hazard wrote that there were several things in her life that she was most proud of; being Concertmaster of the MA All State Orchestra in Symphony Hall in Boston, having a successful career as an artist and as a writer, which was her greatest love besides her husband, three sons and their wives.
She loved New England and in particular, Cape Cod, which she visited every year for most of her life. Her other loves included her family, reading and music. She also wrote under the pen name of Lillian Lincoln.
Originally trained as a musician, Mrs. Hazard also studied oil painting with Amy Jones and for a time had several shows in New York and Vermont. She began to write historical fiction in 1978. First published in 1981, she went on to write and publish 48 books, several of which are also in circulation abroad. She won several awards for her writing.
Mrs. Hazard wrote that there were several things in her life that she was most proud of; being Concertmaster of the MA All State Orchestra in Symphony Hall in Boston, having a successful career as an artist and as a writer, which was her greatest love besides her husband, three sons and their wives.
She loved New England and in particular, Cape Cod, which she visited every year for most of her life. Her other loves included her family, reading and music. She also wrote under the pen name of Lillian Lincoln.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 29, 2020
3.5 stars.
A lovable, mouthy, 18 year old hoyden heroine gets the opportunity of a lifetime, when her benefactors take her to London for her coming out season. Social Prejudice is the main trope that's explored in this novel. The orphaned and dowerless heroine, while she's related to minor aristocracy, isn't exactly placed in a position to marry into the peerage. At the same time, her guardians don't want her to marry a gentleman farmer either.
In the course of this novel, Lili struggles to find her way in London's upper echelons, where she often feels like a social misfit.
Lili Martingale is an orphan who, at the age of 13, was rescued from a dreary French convent by her distant relative, Cornelia. That story's written in The Wary Widow. After the events of that novel, Cornelia and Alastair Russell had placed the young Lili in the care of a wonderful gentry family who owned a prosperous little farm.
At the start of the novel, Cornelia has returned to collect Lili because the excitable young heroine is being courted by a young farmer, named Ben, and her guardians decide it's time she's introduced to men who are more *suitable*.
This is the heroine, Lili:
Lili is a very naive heroine, who often speaks without thinking and doesn't know how to interact properly with the opposite sex. She's such a kindhearted soul that she might actually get herself into a troublesome situation, to avoid hurting the young farmer's feelings when he declares that he's madly in love with her and wants to marry her.
I even felt sorry for farmer Ben, because he's such a handsome alpha male that I almost wanted him to be the H. There's this sad scene, further down in the story, when Ben follows Lili to London and is emotionally devastated when she rejects his marriage proposal for the second time. By that time, though, the heroine's already in love with the H - even though she's been told she's got little chance of marrying him, since he's the Marquess of Brayborne's heir.
And, the only thing that's *wrong* with Ben is the fact that he's a gentleman farmer who's a little lower than the heroine, on the social ladder. Why do authors create such awesome minor characters and leave them to an unhappy romantic fate ?
Lili's first meeting with the H ( Viscount Halpern ) is an unmitigated disaster. His parents' country estate is located right next to Wyckend ( the Russell's estate ). Lili and Cornelia's travelling carriage is blocked by a roadside accident, that's caused by the loutish actions of the H's friends. A young peasant child, who'd been shepherding a small flock of sheep, was knocked unconscious when the H's dumbass friends jumped a hedge carelessly.
Lili sees the little boy lying on the road and immediately jumps out of her carriage to go to his assistance. The heroine is clad in a cheap country dress, so the H and his uppity pals ( who haven't yet seen Cornelia Russell ) thinks she's an insignificant servant. When Lili sees them, dressed in their expensive clothing and staring dumbfoundedly at the unconscious child, she is immediately filled with disdain...
This is the H, Viscount Halpern:
The H, who thinks it's unseemly for aristocrats to engage in public displays of emotion, hides his genuine concern for the injured shepherd boy and is unimpressed by Lili's passionate entreaties on behalf of the child.
This unfortunate incident is the catalyst that triggers further animosity between the MC's, who can barely tolerate each other when they meet at social gatherings. Lili believes he's an unfeeling cad and the viscount thinks she's just an annoying country bumpkin. His father, who isn't blind to her fresh, natural beauty, also warns him to be careful around her, since she's the *type* who's liable to try and trap him into marriage.
It's only when they meet again in London, for the season, that the H's feelings undergo a startling change. He's totally bowled over by Lili when he sees her after her fancy London makeover...
Lili takes London by storm and many other debutantes are jealous and resentful, when the eligible H begins to pay a lot of attention to her. While the MC's are slowly falling in love with each other, malignant forces are at work; the mean spirited dowager Countess of Wyckend spreads lies throughout the Ton, in an effort to destroy the heroine's marital prospects.
This bitter old woman ( who just happens to be Cornelia Russell's former mother-in-law ! ) soon has everyone believing that the heroine is Mrs. Russell's bastard daughter. The morons in the Ton don't even stop to consider that Cornelia would've had to have been at least 12 years old to be Lili's biological mother. All they see is the startling physical resemblance between the two women. The Russell's fight back against these lies and the heroine reigns triumphant when the besotted H, who's been jealous of Lily's other admirers, proposes to her.
The dowager countess is punished, by Alastair Russell, for her attempts to destroy his wife's and Lili's reputation. He knows that she's the type of old lady who loves attention and enjoys having Cornelia at her beck and call, so he kicks her out of her beloved Wyckend estate and she's banished to spend the rest of her life living in a smaller London townhouse with just a couple of her bitchy old cronies for company !
Everything seems to be working out well for the happy couple, until the heroine receives threatening hate mail from the H's mother, who also employs emotional blackmail to coerce Lili into dumping her son. The imperious marchioness believes that romance is unimportant in dynastic aristocratic marriages and refuses to sanction her lovestruck son's sudden betrothal to a socially insignificant Lili.
Lili is now distraught and filled with guilt, because:
1. She knows that the H and his mother share a very warm relationship and doesn't want to cause problems for them;
2. She blames herself for the scandal and chaos that's descended into Alastair and Cornelia Russell's lives.
Without consulting her guardians or her fiancé, Lily leaves a cryptic note of apology and runs away. Ironically, she seeks sanctuary at the home of the garrulous and motherly Mrs. Alva Potter. Mrs. Potter is a rich merchant's widow who ingratiates herself shamelessly with the Ton, even though most aristocrats refer to her as a pushy *mushroom* and refuse to socialise with her. The Russells, who had known Mrs. Potter from The Wary Widow, are the only ones to give an open invitation, to this lady.
Mrs. Potter's townhouse just happens to be right next door to the H, so it's frustrating that Lili should be so close to him while he's rushing all around the town trying to find her !
Mrs. Potter plays a central role in the MC's reunion and it was nice to see the formerly snobbish H ( who had never previously acknowledged her existence ) treat her with the warmth, respect and consideration that she deserves.
After a lot of explanation and begging from the a newly humble H, Lili finally agrees to go along with the wedding.
It's interesting to note that it's his father who encourages him to follow his heart. The ailing marquess tells his son that he sometimes regrets his own arranged marriage and that's why he's changed his mind about Lili's suitability as a daughter-in-law.
I was disappointed that the H's mother received no significant comeuppance for her actions, because the selfless heroine refused to tell the H about the letter and thus destroy the bond between mother and son. However, the marchioness did count her blessings ( especially after a severe scolding from her husband ) and accepted the MC's marriage with surprising grace. And, there was even a short epilogue where the happily married MC's are portrayed living in harmony with the H's parents.
Safety: No sex, both MC's have a few unimportant admirers and there's no cheating.
NB: In case anyone's interested, the little shepherd boy recovered from his accident and the H ensured that his family was compensated.
A lovable, mouthy, 18 year old hoyden heroine gets the opportunity of a lifetime, when her benefactors take her to London for her coming out season. Social Prejudice is the main trope that's explored in this novel. The orphaned and dowerless heroine, while she's related to minor aristocracy, isn't exactly placed in a position to marry into the peerage. At the same time, her guardians don't want her to marry a gentleman farmer either.
In the course of this novel, Lili struggles to find her way in London's upper echelons, where she often feels like a social misfit.
Lili Martingale is an orphan who, at the age of 13, was rescued from a dreary French convent by her distant relative, Cornelia. That story's written in The Wary Widow. After the events of that novel, Cornelia and Alastair Russell had placed the young Lili in the care of a wonderful gentry family who owned a prosperous little farm.
At the start of the novel, Cornelia has returned to collect Lili because the excitable young heroine is being courted by a young farmer, named Ben, and her guardians decide it's time she's introduced to men who are more *suitable*.
This is the heroine, Lili:
Lili is a very naive heroine, who often speaks without thinking and doesn't know how to interact properly with the opposite sex. She's such a kindhearted soul that she might actually get herself into a troublesome situation, to avoid hurting the young farmer's feelings when he declares that he's madly in love with her and wants to marry her.
I even felt sorry for farmer Ben, because he's such a handsome alpha male that I almost wanted him to be the H. There's this sad scene, further down in the story, when Ben follows Lili to London and is emotionally devastated when she rejects his marriage proposal for the second time. By that time, though, the heroine's already in love with the H - even though she's been told she's got little chance of marrying him, since he's the Marquess of Brayborne's heir.
And, the only thing that's *wrong* with Ben is the fact that he's a gentleman farmer who's a little lower than the heroine, on the social ladder. Why do authors create such awesome minor characters and leave them to an unhappy romantic fate ?
Lili's first meeting with the H ( Viscount Halpern ) is an unmitigated disaster. His parents' country estate is located right next to Wyckend ( the Russell's estate ). Lili and Cornelia's travelling carriage is blocked by a roadside accident, that's caused by the loutish actions of the H's friends. A young peasant child, who'd been shepherding a small flock of sheep, was knocked unconscious when the H's dumbass friends jumped a hedge carelessly.
Lili sees the little boy lying on the road and immediately jumps out of her carriage to go to his assistance. The heroine is clad in a cheap country dress, so the H and his uppity pals ( who haven't yet seen Cornelia Russell ) thinks she's an insignificant servant. When Lili sees them, dressed in their expensive clothing and staring dumbfoundedly at the unconscious child, she is immediately filled with disdain...
This is the H, Viscount Halpern:
The H, who thinks it's unseemly for aristocrats to engage in public displays of emotion, hides his genuine concern for the injured shepherd boy and is unimpressed by Lili's passionate entreaties on behalf of the child.
This unfortunate incident is the catalyst that triggers further animosity between the MC's, who can barely tolerate each other when they meet at social gatherings. Lili believes he's an unfeeling cad and the viscount thinks she's just an annoying country bumpkin. His father, who isn't blind to her fresh, natural beauty, also warns him to be careful around her, since she's the *type* who's liable to try and trap him into marriage.
It's only when they meet again in London, for the season, that the H's feelings undergo a startling change. He's totally bowled over by Lili when he sees her after her fancy London makeover...
Lili takes London by storm and many other debutantes are jealous and resentful, when the eligible H begins to pay a lot of attention to her. While the MC's are slowly falling in love with each other, malignant forces are at work; the mean spirited dowager Countess of Wyckend spreads lies throughout the Ton, in an effort to destroy the heroine's marital prospects.
This bitter old woman ( who just happens to be Cornelia Russell's former mother-in-law ! ) soon has everyone believing that the heroine is Mrs. Russell's bastard daughter. The morons in the Ton don't even stop to consider that Cornelia would've had to have been at least 12 years old to be Lili's biological mother. All they see is the startling physical resemblance between the two women. The Russell's fight back against these lies and the heroine reigns triumphant when the besotted H, who's been jealous of Lily's other admirers, proposes to her.
The dowager countess is punished, by Alastair Russell, for her attempts to destroy his wife's and Lili's reputation. He knows that she's the type of old lady who loves attention and enjoys having Cornelia at her beck and call, so he kicks her out of her beloved Wyckend estate and she's banished to spend the rest of her life living in a smaller London townhouse with just a couple of her bitchy old cronies for company !
Everything seems to be working out well for the happy couple, until the heroine receives threatening hate mail from the H's mother, who also employs emotional blackmail to coerce Lili into dumping her son. The imperious marchioness believes that romance is unimportant in dynastic aristocratic marriages and refuses to sanction her lovestruck son's sudden betrothal to a socially insignificant Lili.
Lili is now distraught and filled with guilt, because:
1. She knows that the H and his mother share a very warm relationship and doesn't want to cause problems for them;
2. She blames herself for the scandal and chaos that's descended into Alastair and Cornelia Russell's lives.
Without consulting her guardians or her fiancé, Lily leaves a cryptic note of apology and runs away. Ironically, she seeks sanctuary at the home of the garrulous and motherly Mrs. Alva Potter. Mrs. Potter is a rich merchant's widow who ingratiates herself shamelessly with the Ton, even though most aristocrats refer to her as a pushy *mushroom* and refuse to socialise with her. The Russells, who had known Mrs. Potter from The Wary Widow, are the only ones to give an open invitation, to this lady.
Mrs. Potter's townhouse just happens to be right next door to the H, so it's frustrating that Lili should be so close to him while he's rushing all around the town trying to find her !
Mrs. Potter plays a central role in the MC's reunion and it was nice to see the formerly snobbish H ( who had never previously acknowledged her existence ) treat her with the warmth, respect and consideration that she deserves.
After a lot of explanation and begging from the a newly humble H, Lili finally agrees to go along with the wedding.
It's interesting to note that it's his father who encourages him to follow his heart. The ailing marquess tells his son that he sometimes regrets his own arranged marriage and that's why he's changed his mind about Lili's suitability as a daughter-in-law.
I was disappointed that the H's mother received no significant comeuppance for her actions, because the selfless heroine refused to tell the H about the letter and thus destroy the bond between mother and son. However, the marchioness did count her blessings ( especially after a severe scolding from her husband ) and accepted the MC's marriage with surprising grace. And, there was even a short epilogue where the happily married MC's are portrayed living in harmony with the H's parents.
Safety: No sex, both MC's have a few unimportant admirers and there's no cheating.
NB: In case anyone's interested, the little shepherd boy recovered from his accident and the H ensured that his family was compensated.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2023
Read: 4/30/23
4.5 Stars
I loved this story! The h reminded me of one of Julie Garwood's h. Just adorable and so sure she's right. The H was your typical pompous H, but of course, the h melts his prig of a heart. 🩷
This was a clean book, but the humor makes up for it. I was a little sad it had to end. It's been awhile since I had such a fun, lighthearted read. This is my first book by this author and won't be my last!
Sidenote: I do wish the h was older. He's 28, and she's 17. Even the characters acknowledge this is young.
4.5 Stars
I loved this story! The h reminded me of one of Julie Garwood's h. Just adorable and so sure she's right. The H was your typical pompous H, but of course, the h melts his prig of a heart. 🩷
This was a clean book, but the humor makes up for it. I was a little sad it had to end. It's been awhile since I had such a fun, lighthearted read. This is my first book by this author and won't be my last!
Sidenote: I do wish the h was older. He's 28, and she's 17. Even the characters acknowledge this is young.
March 19, 2020
Ah one of my faves! I love how smitten the Hero is, in fact he is in despair at their age gap. The heroine is 17 to his almost 29! Not so bad but its amusing how she thinks he is too old.
Available on Open Library.
Available on Open Library.
February 20, 2018
I had read this before....Okay. As predictable as most of this genre...
January 7, 2016
If I had liked any of the characters this would have been a good book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews