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A Biddable Girl?
Miss Cassandra Merton expected to be impoverished - until the new Earl Deveraux proposed marriage. Jack clearly thought this dowdy mouse would make a biddable wife.....
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
2 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Paula Marshall
125 books21 followersPaula was born in Leicester and grew up in Nottingham. After finishing school, she was employed as a research librarian, and studied for her library examinations after work.
Paula has three children, and when the third started school, she returned to work, beginning a new career as a part-time lecturer in English and general studies. After four years of teaching, it became necessary for her to gain a degree, and Paula did just that. She enrolled in the open university and spent the next four years earning a first class honors BA in history.
Paula has three children, and when the third started school, she returned to work, beginning a new career as a part-time lecturer in English and general studies. After four years of teaching, it became necessary for her to gain a degree, and Paula did just that. She enrolled in the open university and spent the next four years earning a first class honors BA in history.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 3, 2019
Like the h, the book too is 'piquant rather than pretty'!
Starts out well enough with the long lost heir returning just in time for the reading of the will and chucks out the vultures aka avaricious relatives. Amongst them is a 'scrap' of a girl, a poor relative, thrilled at the drama but aware that her situation is equally rickety. But then, the returned heir continues with his irreverence and offers marriage to 'Miss Skin and Bones' to fulfil one of the clauses of the will.
All hell breaks loose and one expects the tenor to continue.
But the things gets tamed considerably and continue in the same vein for much of the book. The mino of theirs become a strain on both of the mcs for the usual reasons. The till now invisible 'scrap' (thought to be a quiet one, is actually neither timid nor guileless) does a self Eliza-Doolittle-ing while the H remains a benign but unaware Pygmalion. She 'takes' and becomes quite the rage as her husband looks on fondly. The race at the end up the ante a bit.
All in all, a good romance between the most unlikeliest of couples.
The old scandal/mystery is equally tame. But that's a good, honorable resolution if the ending of it wasn't to my liking. Doesn't happen so in RL!
Starts out well enough with the long lost heir returning just in time for the reading of the will and chucks out the vultures aka avaricious relatives. Amongst them is a 'scrap' of a girl, a poor relative, thrilled at the drama but aware that her situation is equally rickety. But then, the returned heir continues with his irreverence and offers marriage to 'Miss Skin and Bones' to fulfil one of the clauses of the will.
All hell breaks loose and one expects the tenor to continue.
But the things gets tamed considerably and continue in the same vein for much of the book. The mino of theirs become a strain on both of the mcs for the usual reasons. The till now invisible 'scrap' (thought to be a quiet one, is actually neither timid nor guileless) does a self Eliza-Doolittle-ing while the H remains a benign but unaware Pygmalion. She 'takes' and becomes quite the rage as her husband looks on fondly. The race at the end up the ante a bit.
All in all, a good romance between the most unlikeliest of couples.
The old scandal/mystery is equally tame. But that's a good, honorable resolution if the ending of it wasn't to my liking. Doesn't happen so in RL!
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January 25, 20223.5
I meeeeeannnnn if you want something incredibly sweet...borderline too sweet, then this is for you.
I meeeeeannnnn if you want something incredibly sweet...borderline too sweet, then this is for you.
February 21, 2018
Jack the man of secrets and his supposedly biddable new wife, Cassandra aka Cass.
I wasn't expecting much but really enjoyed this one. I thought it was better written than the first book I read by this author; 'The Deserted Bride'.
Jack has a bad relationship with his family and when he finds he has inherited, he is determined to spite his father even in death. He will marry a nobody and not have any heirs... so he gets Cass to agree to a white wedding. And what choice does she have? She's a rather plain penniless orphan living in the VERY vocal sufferance of Jack's sister's charity.
They marry in the first chapter, so the book is about them getting to know each other. Jack, rather against his will, but because he is essentially a nice guy. Cass has decided that now that she's out from under his older sister's thumb, she's going to do whatever she damn well pleases and if it attracts her husband's attention, so much the better.
And he does notice, and finds it all amusing and slowly starts to appreciate her as a person and not a pawn on his chess board.
By 60% the story starts to become more of a mystery about what caused Jack's banishment from his family and if he was unjustly punished. Cass is a pretty clever girl and figures things out about Jack's past from the multitude of small clues.
There is also a despicable villain, but no OW or OM drama.
I liked both MCs but especially Cass. She's smart and stands up for herself but not pushy.
Safety is pretty good
I wasn't expecting much but really enjoyed this one. I thought it was better written than the first book I read by this author; 'The Deserted Bride'.
Jack has a bad relationship with his family and when he finds he has inherited, he is determined to spite his father even in death. He will marry a nobody and not have any heirs... so he gets Cass to agree to a white wedding. And what choice does she have? She's a rather plain penniless orphan living in the VERY vocal sufferance of Jack's sister's charity.
They marry in the first chapter, so the book is about them getting to know each other. Jack, rather against his will, but because he is essentially a nice guy. Cass has decided that now that she's out from under his older sister's thumb, she's going to do whatever she damn well pleases and if it attracts her husband's attention, so much the better.
And he does notice, and finds it all amusing and slowly starts to appreciate her as a person and not a pawn on his chess board.
By 60% the story starts to become more of a mystery about what caused Jack's banishment from his family and if he was unjustly punished. Cass is a pretty clever girl and figures things out about Jack's past from the multitude of small clues.
There is also a despicable villain, but no OW or OM drama.
I liked both MCs but especially Cass. She's smart and stands up for herself but not pushy.
Safety is pretty good
May 27, 2020
This one has a rip roaring hilarious female lead ! The greatest fun a heroine can have in a story, this girl tops the list. Cassandra, you are a darling !
She doesn't start that way in the story. She starts as the timid inconsequential mouse in a large aristocratic household which is disintegrating because the lord of the house has died. In his will, he names his absconding , ruffian son who has been banished for over a decade !! And leaves everything to him, and not a penny for the snobbish daughters who were literally waiting for papa to conk off!
But the beneficiary is missing. So there is lot of gossip on what happens next. In true heroic fashion, our delinquent hero Jack turns up exactly when the will is being read. And takes the hosuehold by storm. That includes our poor mouse, Cass in the last row silently listening to the will reading.
The will stipulates that Jack must marry to inherit. So he just walks up to the first female in sight, Cass in this case, and proposes on the spot. The best part is our Cass accepts and tells him on his face - you are doing me a favor, giving me a home. But I am doing you a favour too, by helping you fulfill the will !! So its all equal !!!
There begins her transformation - from timid mouse to daring diva. Who learns how to dress to impress, how to hold court among learned men, how to make an impression, how to enjoy oneself !!! All innocent and lovely pursuits of fun. And Jack is watching everything in awe and wonder !!!
What started as an expedient marriage turns into a lovely kinship between the much older world weary Jack and the lively, warm hearted Cass. The sexual relationship between them is just one small facet, not the most important part of their relationship.
The back plot behind Jack's banishment in the past is also well handled.
The leads are ably assisted by 2 lovely support characters - Jack's comrade from his Army days and Cass's companion of her teenage days. Both are silent, strong and lovely characters.
Not a dull moment when Cass is on the page. She just steals the show, and Jack's tired heart too.
Lovely read. Would love to reread after a few years to relive the magic !!!
She doesn't start that way in the story. She starts as the timid inconsequential mouse in a large aristocratic household which is disintegrating because the lord of the house has died. In his will, he names his absconding , ruffian son who has been banished for over a decade !! And leaves everything to him, and not a penny for the snobbish daughters who were literally waiting for papa to conk off!
But the beneficiary is missing. So there is lot of gossip on what happens next. In true heroic fashion, our delinquent hero Jack turns up exactly when the will is being read. And takes the hosuehold by storm. That includes our poor mouse, Cass in the last row silently listening to the will reading.
The will stipulates that Jack must marry to inherit. So he just walks up to the first female in sight, Cass in this case, and proposes on the spot. The best part is our Cass accepts and tells him on his face - you are doing me a favor, giving me a home. But I am doing you a favour too, by helping you fulfill the will !! So its all equal !!!
There begins her transformation - from timid mouse to daring diva. Who learns how to dress to impress, how to hold court among learned men, how to make an impression, how to enjoy oneself !!! All innocent and lovely pursuits of fun. And Jack is watching everything in awe and wonder !!!
What started as an expedient marriage turns into a lovely kinship between the much older world weary Jack and the lively, warm hearted Cass. The sexual relationship between them is just one small facet, not the most important part of their relationship.
The back plot behind Jack's banishment in the past is also well handled.
The leads are ably assisted by 2 lovely support characters - Jack's comrade from his Army days and Cass's companion of her teenage days. Both are silent, strong and lovely characters.
Not a dull moment when Cass is on the page. She just steals the show, and Jack's tired heart too.
Lovely read. Would love to reread after a few years to relive the magic !!!
January 14, 2023
this was so much fun! i loved the confidence of cass and her relationship with the H was also very nicely done! cass was also very shrewd but i enjoyed that part of her and i am still confused regarding the mystery, so there is that.
April 6, 2018
Too long. Didn’t like the hero.
August 8, 2014
Kept saying the title over and over, the characters were kind of generic. But it was cute
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews