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The Little Lady Agency #3
What the Lady Wants
A sweet and funny romantic comedy, perfect for fans of Jo Thomas and Lucy Diamond.
Melissa is the shy, shockable sweetheart of a property tycoon. Honey is a gal on a one-woman mission to Make Men Better.
To an outsider, they're two completely different women. But they're actually one and the same. Until now, this has ticked along quite nicely - with Honey merely being Mel's professional persona, when she's running The Little Lady Agency. But now her grandmother has asked her to take on the case of a lifetime: namely improving Prince Nicolas of Hollenberg - Europe's most playboy of princes - who, despite his good breeding, is completely set on leading Melissa astray. And all this blue blood is making her fiancé, Jonathan, finally see red.
Can Mel rise to the challenge of reforming Prince Charmless? Will the Little Lady Agency survive? And has her own fairy-tale ending been there all along?
468 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 5, 2008
78 people are currently reading
4118 people want to read
About the author
Hester Browne
16 books814 followersHester Browne was born in England's Lake District, read English at Trinity College, Cambridge, and worked as a fiction editor before leaving publishing to write full time. She enjoys Scottish reeling, driving, baking, and trawling eBay for estate sale bargains. She doesn't enjoy hot weather, tax returns, or any talent programme where people have to plead to be allowed to juggle flaming chainsaws on national television.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 404 reviews
March 2, 2008
*************massive spoiler alert at somepoint**************
When I first began reading this series, I just knew that Nelson was the guy Melissa. But when the first book ended, I appreciated the fact that the author didn't go for the obvious, and Jonathan was a great, if kind of stiff, guy. He stood up to her father, and that won me over. I felt a hum of anticipation in the second, when Melissa came back from America, and her and Nelson had a moment....but then Jonathan re-enters, giving up his life in the U.S. to be closer to Melissa. Fine. As much as I enjoyed the characters this last go round, I felt as if this was a new Jonathan, not really true to his character. Selling out Melissa to her father I felt really didn't mesh with the character at all. That being said, of course Nelson and Melissa are perfect together.
When I first began reading this series, I just knew that Nelson was the guy Melissa. But when the first book ended, I appreciated the fact that the author didn't go for the obvious, and Jonathan was a great, if kind of stiff, guy. He stood up to her father, and that won me over. I felt a hum of anticipation in the second, when Melissa came back from America, and her and Nelson had a moment....but then Jonathan re-enters, giving up his life in the U.S. to be closer to Melissa. Fine. As much as I enjoyed the characters this last go round, I felt as if this was a new Jonathan, not really true to his character. Selling out Melissa to her father I felt really didn't mesh with the character at all. That being said, of course Nelson and Melissa are perfect together.
August 5, 2019
I want to say I really liked this one. And I did! Sort of. But at the same time...not really
- I love the heroine. She's your typical British chick lit character but with standards and a brain. Think a Sophie Kinsella heroine and remove 9/10ths the annoying. Melissa's character arc since the first book comes across as empowering and true. And this is a lovely conclusion for it. I really did like the last few chapters, even if they felt rushed. (Months pass in paragraphs.)
But...she's too oblivious. Whether oblivious of her own feelings, the feelings of people around her, or the innuendo lacing the conversation of her friends, it made me want to pull my hair out. It beats me how this otherwise savvy businesswoman manages to miss all the indirect (and direct!) statements made in her direction. Of course, her obliviousness is necessary to keep the book going. But the reader is not simultaneously oblivious. So it drags.
- I love love all the body positivity! Melissa is curvy and loves it. She's elegant, classy, and empowered by her tummy-tucking undergarments. I guarantee you will fight the urge to go out and buy yourself a cocktail dress after finishing this book. Or at least elbow length gloves.
- I don't remember why there are Remington Steele references but I love them anyway. Best show ever.
- Also love the writing style, except for the angst. It is light and fluffy but with character substance. Did find a few grammar errors.
Why I disliked the book mostly fell into two plot points:
So, I liked the ending. I didn't like how the book got there. I think I need to re-read all three books in a shorter space of time (not one every four years as I happen upon them) to see if the book's...treatment of a certain character came as out of left field as it feels. Maybe there have been red flags all along and I missed them. But again, the answer to a love triangle is not to remove all personality from one of the character. (Alternatively, while I'm on my soap box about Love Triangles, the answer is also not to randomly change the affections of one of the characters to a random third party. But that's a different trilogy I'm still mad at.)
- I love the heroine. She's your typical British chick lit character but with standards and a brain. Think a Sophie Kinsella heroine and remove 9/10ths the annoying. Melissa's character arc since the first book comes across as empowering and true. And this is a lovely conclusion for it. I really did like the last few chapters, even if they felt rushed. (Months pass in paragraphs.)
But...she's too oblivious. Whether oblivious of her own feelings, the feelings of people around her, or the innuendo lacing the conversation of her friends, it made me want to pull my hair out. It beats me how this otherwise savvy businesswoman manages to miss all the indirect (and direct!) statements made in her direction. Of course, her obliviousness is necessary to keep the book going. But the reader is not simultaneously oblivious. So it drags.
- I love love all the body positivity! Melissa is curvy and loves it. She's elegant, classy, and empowered by her tummy-tucking undergarments. I guarantee you will fight the urge to go out and buy yourself a cocktail dress after finishing this book. Or at least elbow length gloves.
- I don't remember why there are Remington Steele references but I love them anyway. Best show ever.
- Also love the writing style, except for the angst. It is light and fluffy but with character substance. Did find a few grammar errors.
Why I disliked the book mostly fell into two plot points:
So, I liked the ending. I didn't like how the book got there. I think I need to re-read all three books in a shorter space of time (not one every four years as I happen upon them) to see if the book's...treatment of a certain character came as out of left field as it feels. Maybe there have been red flags all along and I missed them. But again, the answer to a love triangle is not to remove all personality from one of the character. (Alternatively, while I'm on my soap box about Love Triangles, the answer is also not to randomly change the affections of one of the characters to a random third party. But that's a different trilogy I'm still mad at.)
January 10, 2009
The third in the Little Lady Series this book completes a nice trilogy arch. I did like this book more than second one, the first was still my favorite.
In this book Melissa is back in London and in charge of her little lady agency again. She is still being run ragged and pulled in multiple directions around it. She has taken on helping rebrand the image of a current Playboy Prince for her Granny. Her sister just had a baby, so she is having to help out at home with that and plan a christening, that is if anyone can ever deiced on a name for the child. While Jonathan her now fiancé is in Paris making plans for her and she can't even get herself to commit to when she is going to move over there. Melissa must deiced who she really is and what direction she really wants to go and what she wants for herself.
Now for the I feel the arc part that I mentioned is what is really important in this book. In the first book we meet who Melissa is and how she is growing and can be a strong independent woman. She then falls in love with Jonathan and allows his manipulation and her feelings to change her character. She acknowledges this with saying she can't relax with him, it is like they are always stuck on there 11th date, fancy dinners and such. In this one she finally acknowledges it and we can really see it more than we could in the second one, though it was there in the second one. Also, I never loved Jonathan's character, but didn't hate him like other characters in the book did. This one I came close to hating him though, he became more shallow and we weren't able to see the caring and vulnerable parts that we had in past books. I wish he hadn't had to go as far to the shell side workaholic that he was fighting in the first one as he did, but I do see why it was written the way it was too. Melissa does end up with her flat mate Nelson, kind of like she should have from the beginning, but it also was a to easy to neat package wrap up. It was just this is the way it is and this is the way we are suppose to be the end.
I enjoyed this whole arc, the characters, and the development of it all. I hope to see more from this author and I am sad that there is not going to be any more Melissa and Honey to read about. I think I am going to need to buy the other two after all.
In this book Melissa is back in London and in charge of her little lady agency again. She is still being run ragged and pulled in multiple directions around it. She has taken on helping rebrand the image of a current Playboy Prince for her Granny. Her sister just had a baby, so she is having to help out at home with that and plan a christening, that is if anyone can ever deiced on a name for the child. While Jonathan her now fiancé is in Paris making plans for her and she can't even get herself to commit to when she is going to move over there. Melissa must deiced who she really is and what direction she really wants to go and what she wants for herself.
Now for the I feel the arc part that I mentioned is what is really important in this book. In the first book we meet who Melissa is and how she is growing and can be a strong independent woman. She then falls in love with Jonathan and allows his manipulation and her feelings to change her character. She acknowledges this with saying she can't relax with him, it is like they are always stuck on there 11th date, fancy dinners and such. In this one she finally acknowledges it and we can really see it more than we could in the second one, though it was there in the second one. Also, I never loved Jonathan's character, but didn't hate him like other characters in the book did. This one I came close to hating him though, he became more shallow and we weren't able to see the caring and vulnerable parts that we had in past books. I wish he hadn't had to go as far to the shell side workaholic that he was fighting in the first one as he did, but I do see why it was written the way it was too. Melissa does end up with her flat mate Nelson, kind of like she should have from the beginning, but it also was a to easy to neat package wrap up. It was just this is the way it is and this is the way we are suppose to be the end.
I enjoyed this whole arc, the characters, and the development of it all. I hope to see more from this author and I am sad that there is not going to be any more Melissa and Honey to read about. I think I am going to need to buy the other two after all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2010
I wavered between 4.5 and 5 stars on this one but overall I just have such warm-fuzzies when I think about it, and I did love reading it, so I decided, in the spirit of Melissa, to be generous ;-) This is a worthy addition to Hester Browne's delightful, well-written, warmhearted and witty "Little Lady Agency" series in which the Honey side of Melissa must try to help a handsome prince find the beauty of good manners and in respecting women on a more intellectual level (which, of course, includes that he needs to get more self-respect, too) and the Romney-Jones in Melissa continues to deal with her family's various shenanigans including sister Emery's new baby! Oh, and then there's the bit about keeping up her glorious romance with her real-life Prince Charming while he is working in Paris. While I felt that the ending seemed a bit rushed and not quite satisfactory enough (unless, of course, we are going to have more in the series!) and that Browne came dangerously close to Stephenie Meye-esque/Edward-ian adjectives in describing handsome Prince Nickey and Melissa's responses to his gorgeousness, I'm really being nit-picky here and overall it is a charming book.
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I've been delighted to spend the holiday season with Melissa/Honey and her friends, who feel like my chums now, too! ;-) Though this isn't a Christmas book, I just love the cozy spirit about the story and so far it is just as good as the others.
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I've been delighted to spend the holiday season with Melissa/Honey and her friends, who feel like my chums now, too! ;-) Though this isn't a Christmas book, I just love the cozy spirit about the story and so far it is just as good as the others.
June 22, 2012
What's the point of this 3rd book?
To ruin the previous two I guess. I'm sorry to say I'm really disappointed.
To ruin the previous two I guess. I'm sorry to say I'm really disappointed.
August 17, 2022
4 stars - English Ebook
Quote: I've tried to keep my two identities apart, but my two lives have a habit of running into each other. Even the name of the business -- The Little Lady Agency -- comes from the annoying manner in which my father, an unreconstructed male chauvinist pig, would refer to my mother, and indeed any woman, as The Little Lady. If men want to engage this little lady to run their lives the way my mother runs my father's, they pay very handsome hourly rates. But in return, I sort out their problems, advise them gently on the real reasons they're going wrong socially, and ideally, leave them not only spruced up but also in a better state to tackle things themselves.
I really do love my job. As my flatmate, Nelson, says, it's a form of social work. And he should know, being the third most well-meaning person in Britain, after Bono and Jamie Oliver.
In fact, it was by shamelessly playing on Nelson's mile-wide humanitarian streak that I'd managed to enlist his reluctant help in The Little Lady Agency's first job of the day.
"You understand that I'm doing this on the sole condition that I don't tell a single lie?" he stressed for the ninth time, as he flipped through the stack of glossy mags on my office coffee table.
Nelson was my oldest friend. He looked how you'd imagine an English cricket hero should -- tall and strapping with a shock of blond hair. At thirty-three, he was a couple of years older than me, but really he should have been born around 1815, when he could have spent his time striding across some vast estate, tending kindly to his peasants, railing at the iniquities of the slave trade, and eating enormous gourmet meals.
Instead, he worked in fund-raising and administration for a charity and spent a lot of time sailing with his school friend Roger Trumpet, who, coincidentally, had the personal hygiene habits of a nineteenth-century serf.
"Absolutely," I reassured him. "I'll be doing all the talking. You just have to look patient. You're good at that."
"But what I don't understand is why Jethro Lorton-Hunter needs you in the first place," he said, furrowing his brow like a baffled Labrador. "If his girlfriend's so flaky that she can't bear to see him talking to another woman, why doesn't he just tell her to pack it in? Before he packs her in?"-
Again lovely feel good read. Chic-lit.
Making plans for her wedding to American fiancé Jonathan Riley, who now runs a prestigious Parisian real estate company,
Melissa agrees to do a favor for her beloved grandmother: transform the notorious Prince Nicolas von Helsing-Alexandros into a proper gentleman for the sake of preserving a family inheritance.
Even possessive Jonathan agrees it's a great opportunity to make social connections. But taming a prince might prove too big a professional challenge for Melissa when she's confronting so many seismic changes in her own personal life.
Jonathan needs her in Paris. Her sister Emery's newborn son needs a christening ceremony, as well as a proper name.
Emery herself needs Melissa, to protect her from their bulldog nanny who's returned to do much more than babysit. Most unsettling of all, Nelson needs her to find him a new flatmate because she'll be moving out soon.
Balancing all this with late-night dinners, polo matches, and a Mediterranean cruise with Prince Nicky, who is as charming as he is exasperating, suddenly has bride-to-be Melissa dreaming of a fairy-tale ending and not the one she expected!
Quote: I've tried to keep my two identities apart, but my two lives have a habit of running into each other. Even the name of the business -- The Little Lady Agency -- comes from the annoying manner in which my father, an unreconstructed male chauvinist pig, would refer to my mother, and indeed any woman, as The Little Lady. If men want to engage this little lady to run their lives the way my mother runs my father's, they pay very handsome hourly rates. But in return, I sort out their problems, advise them gently on the real reasons they're going wrong socially, and ideally, leave them not only spruced up but also in a better state to tackle things themselves.
I really do love my job. As my flatmate, Nelson, says, it's a form of social work. And he should know, being the third most well-meaning person in Britain, after Bono and Jamie Oliver.
In fact, it was by shamelessly playing on Nelson's mile-wide humanitarian streak that I'd managed to enlist his reluctant help in The Little Lady Agency's first job of the day.
"You understand that I'm doing this on the sole condition that I don't tell a single lie?" he stressed for the ninth time, as he flipped through the stack of glossy mags on my office coffee table.
Nelson was my oldest friend. He looked how you'd imagine an English cricket hero should -- tall and strapping with a shock of blond hair. At thirty-three, he was a couple of years older than me, but really he should have been born around 1815, when he could have spent his time striding across some vast estate, tending kindly to his peasants, railing at the iniquities of the slave trade, and eating enormous gourmet meals.
Instead, he worked in fund-raising and administration for a charity and spent a lot of time sailing with his school friend Roger Trumpet, who, coincidentally, had the personal hygiene habits of a nineteenth-century serf.
"Absolutely," I reassured him. "I'll be doing all the talking. You just have to look patient. You're good at that."
"But what I don't understand is why Jethro Lorton-Hunter needs you in the first place," he said, furrowing his brow like a baffled Labrador. "If his girlfriend's so flaky that she can't bear to see him talking to another woman, why doesn't he just tell her to pack it in? Before he packs her in?"-
Again lovely feel good read. Chic-lit.
Making plans for her wedding to American fiancé Jonathan Riley, who now runs a prestigious Parisian real estate company,
Melissa agrees to do a favor for her beloved grandmother: transform the notorious Prince Nicolas von Helsing-Alexandros into a proper gentleman for the sake of preserving a family inheritance.
Even possessive Jonathan agrees it's a great opportunity to make social connections. But taming a prince might prove too big a professional challenge for Melissa when she's confronting so many seismic changes in her own personal life.
Jonathan needs her in Paris. Her sister Emery's newborn son needs a christening ceremony, as well as a proper name.
Emery herself needs Melissa, to protect her from their bulldog nanny who's returned to do much more than babysit. Most unsettling of all, Nelson needs her to find him a new flatmate because she'll be moving out soon.
Balancing all this with late-night dinners, polo matches, and a Mediterranean cruise with Prince Nicky, who is as charming as he is exasperating, suddenly has bride-to-be Melissa dreaming of a fairy-tale ending and not the one she expected!
March 31, 2012
Book III in the Little Lady Agency series!
I've loved the first two books in the series and this one does not disappoint!
Here, Melissa's work focuses less on the variety of men she helps and more on one specific client - a client that is delightfully amusing to read about and adds to Mel's growth and arc as well.
Mel's relationships also grow and change. She becomes an Aunt, is in the processes of relocating to be with Johnathan, and has to deal with leaving darling Nelson in London.
But, of course, things don't go very smoothly on really any of these issues, and Melissa has to figure out why.
I was delighted by this last (at least at this point) book in the series and am very happy with how it ended! I think Browne laid the foundation very well for how events played out, and some of the "shocker" moments I think she'd been building to since, probably, page one of book one. Because of this, I felt that in regards to one of the plot arcs she *did* go a little overboard and took one of the characters a little too far from how they should have acted. I think Browne was trying to justify an end, but she didn't have to do so much justifying because she'd already laid such a good foundation. It's hard to explain without giving something away though, so I think I'll leave it at that.
But, there are some great lines and ideas in this book, and I still absolutely adore the characters! It's nice to have a book where you're just glad to open the pages and read about their daily lives. That doesn't happen a lot, so it's most enjoyable when it does! I'd definitely recommend this book and this series! And I think it's a series I'd sometime like to read again.
I've loved the first two books in the series and this one does not disappoint!
Here, Melissa's work focuses less on the variety of men she helps and more on one specific client - a client that is delightfully amusing to read about and adds to Mel's growth and arc as well.
Mel's relationships also grow and change. She becomes an Aunt, is in the processes of relocating to be with Johnathan, and has to deal with leaving darling Nelson in London.
But, of course, things don't go very smoothly on really any of these issues, and Melissa has to figure out why.
I was delighted by this last (at least at this point) book in the series and am very happy with how it ended! I think Browne laid the foundation very well for how events played out, and some of the "shocker" moments I think she'd been building to since, probably, page one of book one. Because of this, I felt that in regards to one of the plot arcs she *did* go a little overboard and took one of the characters a little too far from how they should have acted. I think Browne was trying to justify an end, but she didn't have to do so much justifying because she'd already laid such a good foundation. It's hard to explain without giving something away though, so I think I'll leave it at that.
But, there are some great lines and ideas in this book, and I still absolutely adore the characters! It's nice to have a book where you're just glad to open the pages and read about their daily lives. That doesn't happen a lot, so it's most enjoyable when it does! I'd definitely recommend this book and this series! And I think it's a series I'd sometime like to read again.
June 26, 2011
Why do I keep picking up crap I know I am just going to complain about later? That is defiantly my weakness when I have a library card to a library with loads of new books. I am defiantly attracted to them. So even if it’s a continuation of a story I didn’t really care about in the first place, I still read them. God, I read this book so long ago, what even happened? The girl and the dude who was kind of an ass broke up. And that was it! Kind of strange, but that part I liked. Girl finally realized that male roommate loves her and she all of a sudden did a 360 and decided she loved him too. That part was a little much. And all in the span of like 5 chapters in the book. Other stuff in the book included the Girl doing a favour (of course) for her grandmother to turn her grandmother’s friend’s son who is a Prince of some unknown country into a proper Prince. The Prince thinking that the girl liked him, which she totally DID NOT, was lame. These books keep getting more and more unbelievable. Please do not write another because I will have to read it.
Grade: C
Grade: C
April 26, 2008
This wasn't nearly as good as the first book. And while it was fun to catch up on 'the little lady' and her revolving-door of a love life it was a bit annoying to have every innuendo spelled out for the reader in this latest version of life in GB.
Like the author I care about what happens to the unpredictable and sassy heroine, although Ms. Browne gives us a very uninspired ending for Melissa Romney-Jones. This final installment offers a number of questionable plot twists toward a very predictable (although somewhat rewarding) finish. If you liked the first book you might be disappointed with this one. I suggest skimming rather than reading this book, or you can call me and I'll spill the beans on the big ending.
Like the author I care about what happens to the unpredictable and sassy heroine, although Ms. Browne gives us a very uninspired ending for Melissa Romney-Jones. This final installment offers a number of questionable plot twists toward a very predictable (although somewhat rewarding) finish. If you liked the first book you might be disappointed with this one. I suggest skimming rather than reading this book, or you can call me and I'll spill the beans on the big ending.
May 29, 2014
Hester Browne created a unique heroine in Melissa Romney-Jones a.k.a. Honey, London's ultimate freelance girlfriend, who won the hearts of readers on both sides of the Atlantic in her "charming and feel-good"("Cosmopolitan") and "funny and original" ("People") earlier adventures.
Ugh. I was disappointed. I finished the book and was like what??? That's how it ends? Why? Did not see that coming and that's not a good thing. I was annoyed and took it personal because I love Melissa. Hester Browne... you broke my heart.
Ugh. I was disappointed. I finished the book and was like what??? That's how it ends? Why? Did not see that coming and that's not a good thing. I was annoyed and took it personal because I love Melissa. Hester Browne... you broke my heart.
March 28, 2012
I loved, and I mean loved the first two books. This one as much as I hate to admit took a bit of getting in to.
I did find that I was crying along with Melissa when she broke up with Jonathan. He was so perfect and likeable in the first two books, so that when they eventually broke up it was a bit upsetting.
Maybe its just me, but I felt a bit disappointed by the ending.
I did find that I was crying along with Melissa when she broke up with Jonathan. He was so perfect and likeable in the first two books, so that when they eventually broke up it was a bit upsetting.
Maybe its just me, but I felt a bit disappointed by the ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2020
I loved the ending of the first book. I liked the second book. But reading the last book tied up all the little kinks in the plot and made everything so much better than if I had stopped after the first. An analogy for life? Probably. Ah, the beneits of literature.
August 1, 2010
This one left me flat. I enjoyed the first in the series very much. The second was ok, but the third just seemed forced. There were some comical parts, but on the whole the storyline and ending was dissapointing.
October 8, 2022
I was excited to finish this book that I started with so much excitement. It started out great and I wondered how Melissa's love story would end. But then, somewhere in the middle, I kind of struggled going through the chapters that I can barely keep track of the events that had transpired. This took me weeks to finish as my time could only fit a chapter or two or a few pages a day. Maybe, this could be the reason why I felt like the story dragged and that there was so much going on and yet felt like nothing happened. Then towards the end, the ending felt abrupt. I so much wanted more out of Melissa's heart story. All in all, it was a nice read and a good chick-lit.
October 29, 2025
Es wäre so viel besser gewesen wenn das Buch 200 Seiten kürzer wäre
March 19, 2012
this is the bad thing when buying at book sales: you never know if the book is a stand-alone story or part of a series.. i found this book while perusing for more luanne rice and got intrigued by its enchanting title and cover.. the summary just confirmed that i should buy it…
the little lady agency and the prince is the third (not sure if the last) in the little lady series.. i haven’t read the first two (the little lady agency; little lady, big apple), but i might scrounge bookstores for copies to read.. that’s how much this book entertained me: i am willing to add this to my “reservation” list (my list of series wherein i go and reserved copies from the bookstores).
anyway, Melissa Romney-Jones (also known as Honey) is engaged to American, Jonathan Riley.. she is running her own agency, The Little Lady Agency, which helps men all over london become the ideal boyfriend or husband for their ladies.. sometimes, she even acts as surrogate girlfriends like in Prince Nicky’s situation.. Prince Nicky is the grandson of Prince Alexander, a great friend of Melissa’s grandmother.. Melissa took on Prince Nicky as a favor for her granny.. she must transform the playboy prince into a dignified noble worthy of the throne of Hollenberg (wherever that is).. this book centers on the roller coater life of Melissa as she tries to become the ideal wife-to-be for Jonathan, discipline the unruly prince, but still keep her own personal identity.. a girl’s nightmare!
i don’t know what jonathan was like in the first two books, but in this one i truly didn’t like him.. he seems so cold and uncaring towards melissa.. halfway through their love story, i wished that melissa just leave him and be with nelson, her flatmate.. melissa was trying so hard to please jonathan, that she somehow forgot who she really is and she wants to be; while with nelson, she is just so carefree and natural.. i was happy when i finally reached the end where melissa and nelson finally admitted their feelings for each other.. i was also happy for nicky’s transformation and finding his match in the unlikely Leonie, who is so serious as to nicky’s playfulness.. granny also found her happily ever after with nicky’s grandfather, prince alex.. so, i’m just going to find the first two now that i might enjoy more of melissa’s adventure.. at least i know where those adventures will end…
the little lady agency and the prince is the third (not sure if the last) in the little lady series.. i haven’t read the first two (the little lady agency; little lady, big apple), but i might scrounge bookstores for copies to read.. that’s how much this book entertained me: i am willing to add this to my “reservation” list (my list of series wherein i go and reserved copies from the bookstores).
anyway, Melissa Romney-Jones (also known as Honey) is engaged to American, Jonathan Riley.. she is running her own agency, The Little Lady Agency, which helps men all over london become the ideal boyfriend or husband for their ladies.. sometimes, she even acts as surrogate girlfriends like in Prince Nicky’s situation.. Prince Nicky is the grandson of Prince Alexander, a great friend of Melissa’s grandmother.. Melissa took on Prince Nicky as a favor for her granny.. she must transform the playboy prince into a dignified noble worthy of the throne of Hollenberg (wherever that is).. this book centers on the roller coater life of Melissa as she tries to become the ideal wife-to-be for Jonathan, discipline the unruly prince, but still keep her own personal identity.. a girl’s nightmare!
i don’t know what jonathan was like in the first two books, but in this one i truly didn’t like him.. he seems so cold and uncaring towards melissa.. halfway through their love story, i wished that melissa just leave him and be with nelson, her flatmate.. melissa was trying so hard to please jonathan, that she somehow forgot who she really is and she wants to be; while with nelson, she is just so carefree and natural.. i was happy when i finally reached the end where melissa and nelson finally admitted their feelings for each other.. i was also happy for nicky’s transformation and finding his match in the unlikely Leonie, who is so serious as to nicky’s playfulness.. granny also found her happily ever after with nicky’s grandfather, prince alex.. so, i’m just going to find the first two now that i might enjoy more of melissa’s adventure.. at least i know where those adventures will end…
March 5, 2018
RE-TITLED "WHAT THE LADY WANTS"
Having read the first two of The Little Lady Agency books I was expecting good things from the third installment. Unfortunately, I found that this book was particularly hit and miss and there appeared to be gaping plot chasms between this and previous books. I did find myself wondering if the author had started writing this before the other two and then abandoned it in favour of the backstory so that by the time she returned to it nothing made any real sense at all.
The wit of the writing does salvage some of the plot shortcomings and this is most apparent with Melissa's dealings with her family and Honey's dealings with P. Nicky. As with the previous books it is the sheer joy of the disfunctionality of Mel's family relationships that bring the greatest enjoyment as well as the greatest opportunity to cringe. I did miss the scattering of useless Hooray-types that need the Agency's salvation; they are referred to but nothing like the glory of male ineptitude that there was in the first book, a generous dose of in book and just a teensy smattering in this one. Sadly this one is more about places and things than people.
The romance in this book is mixed. We have a miraculously repaired marriage, a broken engagement, a proposal and a rather bewildering passion between two characters who have gone down this route previously and decided they were more brother and sister than mr and mrs.
This book passed a pleasant few hours for me and entertained sufficiently but I did feel a little let down after the previous two.
Having read the first two of The Little Lady Agency books I was expecting good things from the third installment. Unfortunately, I found that this book was particularly hit and miss and there appeared to be gaping plot chasms between this and previous books. I did find myself wondering if the author had started writing this before the other two and then abandoned it in favour of the backstory so that by the time she returned to it nothing made any real sense at all.
The wit of the writing does salvage some of the plot shortcomings and this is most apparent with Melissa's dealings with her family and Honey's dealings with P. Nicky. As with the previous books it is the sheer joy of the disfunctionality of Mel's family relationships that bring the greatest enjoyment as well as the greatest opportunity to cringe. I did miss the scattering of useless Hooray-types that need the Agency's salvation; they are referred to but nothing like the glory of male ineptitude that there was in the first book, a generous dose of in book and just a teensy smattering in this one. Sadly this one is more about places and things than people.
The romance in this book is mixed. We have a miraculously repaired marriage, a broken engagement, a proposal and a rather bewildering passion between two characters who have gone down this route previously and decided they were more brother and sister than mr and mrs.
This book passed a pleasant few hours for me and entertained sufficiently but I did feel a little let down after the previous two.
May 27, 2012
Hester Browne finishes her 'Little Lady Agency book with this light romantic chick Lit summer read.
Melissa, Nelson and company find themselves in various romantic misadventures that finally lends itself to the finish that every reader of these books most definitely roots for.
Hester Browne captures London life and the middle classes in a very light breezy way and as you go from misadventure to the next, you can't help but smile at the forthcoming predicaments that take place.
The characters are light but well written and although it is not a meaty read it follows more along the lines of a sitcom than a well thought through dramedy. Think more Friends than The Big C.
If you looking for a fun summer read that you can rip through without alot of thought but be entertained, you can not go wrong with Hester Browne's Little Lady Agency books. High on Chick Lit, low on Pulitzer.
Melissa, Nelson and company find themselves in various romantic misadventures that finally lends itself to the finish that every reader of these books most definitely roots for.
Hester Browne captures London life and the middle classes in a very light breezy way and as you go from misadventure to the next, you can't help but smile at the forthcoming predicaments that take place.
The characters are light but well written and although it is not a meaty read it follows more along the lines of a sitcom than a well thought through dramedy. Think more Friends than The Big C.
If you looking for a fun summer read that you can rip through without alot of thought but be entertained, you can not go wrong with Hester Browne's Little Lady Agency books. High on Chick Lit, low on Pulitzer.
March 15, 2008
I finished this book this morning. It was another good one by Hester Browne. Her character Mel has just the right amount of spunk, attitude, glamour and personality to keep you turning the pages. LOVED IT! This is the 3rd book in her Little Lady Agency series and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a easy fun read. :)
August 12, 2008
Largely a fluff piece, the book did have a good bit of advice for a long term relationship: the person you are with should be comfortable to be with, but not so comfortable that you stop bothering.
At a time when I felt like I was struggling a bit in my own relationship, that particular insight struck a nerve and provided some useful guidance.
At a time when I felt like I was struggling a bit in my own relationship, that particular insight struck a nerve and provided some useful guidance.
February 7, 2010
Too much of the same, I couldn't finish.
November 18, 2014
It was okay, not great. Her other novels appear to be stand a lines, I may try them at a later date.
September 24, 2020
1.5 stars.
Skimmed sections, purely wanted to finish this just to resolve the character development since I’d invested the time of reading the first book.
2nd book can be skipped entirely. Utterly boring.
This one was redeemable, just for the ending, which I had been waiting for since about 1/3-1/2 through the first book. Series could definitely cut out a lot of overdone non-plot and have this entire story in one book.
Mel is still annoying, even after she’s realized enough to be able to amalgamate her Honey & Melissa personas/sides. She’s way too obsessed with hopping from one flirty guy to another and takes way too long to see what’s right in front of her, in a way that makes you less and less on her side as the story drags on through the series. At least she makes the right decision in the end, but wow it was an eye-rolling journey getting there.
Skimmed sections, purely wanted to finish this just to resolve the character development since I’d invested the time of reading the first book.
2nd book can be skipped entirely. Utterly boring.
This one was redeemable, just for the ending, which I had been waiting for since about 1/3-1/2 through the first book. Series could definitely cut out a lot of overdone non-plot and have this entire story in one book.
Mel is still annoying, even after she’s realized enough to be able to amalgamate her Honey & Melissa personas/sides. She’s way too obsessed with hopping from one flirty guy to another and takes way too long to see what’s right in front of her, in a way that makes you less and less on her side as the story drags on through the series. At least she makes the right decision in the end, but wow it was an eye-rolling journey getting there.
August 21, 2020
Not quite as lame as the title sounds...but nearly. The second half of the book is much better than the first. Browne has been setting up the inevitable for three books now, and though utterly predictable and unrealistic, she has a witty way of setting things forth that aren't unbearable crass, lewd, profane, etc. (thank you!) She's great with some fun vocab and actually writes "PIN" instead of the awful, redundant, "PIN number" (Thank you again!) There are some hilarious misplaced modifiers - my personal favorite being p338 "Percy, your grandfather, was sending me some special peony he'd crossbred in my honor three times a week." HA! That's awful lot of crossbreeding! She does use "invite" as a noun - an awful Millennial habit that has obnoxiously gone viral. There are some surprising little dashes of wisdom like "We all like to think we know what Our Type is, but hormones have a habit of bypassing that." Quite. Also, "I don't go in for organic food personally. Just ten percent extra for a bit of mud, isn't it?" (Even better is an organic little girl driving a diesel truck.) There are a few inadvertent contradictions (Nelson drives a Range Rover but is deeply concerned about leaving a large carbon footprint), but I don't think readers of this kind of book are going to trouble themselves with any discrepancies. Mostly, I found it all amusing, and that's really all the book is mean to be - silly amusement - so mission accomplished. I had fun on the trilogy Now time for some Mauriac.
March 22, 2020
"The Little Lady Agency and the Prince" by Hester Browne is actually the third book in the series. I didn't realize there was a second book so went from the first to the third, but it still made for a good read. Melissa is now engaged to Jonathan Riley, an Amnerican who is now running a prestigious Parisian real estate company. Melissa's grandmother asks her for a favor to help transform a notorious playboy Prince Nicolas von Helsing-Alexandros into a proper gentleman in order to preserve a family inheritance. It seems an impossible job and really does not get off to a good start, but slowly Melissa begins to see improvement and actually get to know the real Nicky. Meanwhile, her fiancé has decided to take over arranging her life and without her knowledge he has conspired with her father to set up franchising her agency, get Melissa in Paris to be his personal errand girl in the new company he is starting, and to remake her in the image he feels she should be. This comes as quite a shock to Melissa and she realizes that she really loves the company that she herself built and also is happy with the person she has become and that this fairy tale romance is not going to work. This along with her dysfunctional family, a blackmailing Nanny, her very special flatmate, and a multitude of other problems to sort out . . . . leaves Melissa wondering if she has made the right decisions.
October 11, 2021
This last book in the trilogy was definitely my favorite of the three. We really get to see Melissa/Honey in all the man-fixing and family crisis situations that we have come to love. As well Gabi gets to be a standout best friend without her own drama, and Nelson. Nelson is just a shining star of Englishness, as Melissa would say.
The shenanigans with fixing a Prince start early, and he is definitely a lot to handle. I wasn't sure I felt he was as charming as Melissa did, but in-person attractiveness really helps. Jonathan really got on my nerves from the get-go. Especially as a woman that's always prided herself on being independent and good in business, he was majorly controlling and pushy.
In the last book I was annoyed with all the family shenanigans, but they really brought everything full circle this time, showing that Melissa is a real person. Something Jonathan just couldn't accept between all the "Honey" sides of their relationship. Also, Granny was wonderful and I'm glad she's happy.
Enter again, Nelson. It's a cliche but the best friend turned lover cliche is a wonderful one. Not that we get anything graphic, of course, this is Melissa.
On a random side note, I had to keep checking the date of publication because I was surprised they didn't have smartphones. Jonathan's BlackBerry came out a lot, but everyone else still used paper planners (diaries).
The shenanigans with fixing a Prince start early, and he is definitely a lot to handle. I wasn't sure I felt he was as charming as Melissa did, but in-person attractiveness really helps. Jonathan really got on my nerves from the get-go. Especially as a woman that's always prided herself on being independent and good in business, he was majorly controlling and pushy.
In the last book I was annoyed with all the family shenanigans, but they really brought everything full circle this time, showing that Melissa is a real person. Something Jonathan just couldn't accept between all the "Honey" sides of their relationship. Also, Granny was wonderful and I'm glad she's happy.
Enter again, Nelson. It's a cliche but the best friend turned lover cliche is a wonderful one. Not that we get anything graphic, of course, this is Melissa.
On a random side note, I had to keep checking the date of publication because I was surprised they didn't have smartphones. Jonathan's BlackBerry came out a lot, but everyone else still used paper planners (diaries).
June 17, 2018
The second book left a few strands unfinished but this one went better. This one was almost as charming as the first book. Jonathan definitely became the bad guy even more than in the second book, so I’m glad he got the boot. I was happy that Melissa stood up to him finally, and that she also stood up to her awful father. God, that family was terrible! So glad that she ended up with Nelson; it definitely hinted plenty at that through all three books. He was quite swoony, wasn’t he! So was Nicky, that was fun to see him interacting with her, and growing and changing. I wish there was a fourth book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2019
A three-star rating looks worse than it is. I genuinely did like this book, and the entire series. A coworker friend recommended these to me when I needed something fun to read, and they fit the bill perfectly. The only reason I didn't give it four stars is because I didn't end up getting attached to the main character as much as I wanted to. I liked her moral character but she irritated me often. The story is fun to read, but I felt like the end was rushed and that the author dismissed one of the characters too quickly. Still, I very much enjoyed reading these and am looking forward to reading another book by this author.
October 16, 2017
Well after loving "The Little Lady Agency" & loathing "Little Lady, Big Apple" what would I make of this book the third in the series? Well, it was somewhere between the two! The novelty from the first book has worn off & the storyline for this book followed pretty much the same as the last differing only by the fact that this time Melissa had a prince to cope with rather than an actor. That said it was still preferable to the last book (but still not up to the first!) but think the series is perhaps running out of steam. Will err on the generous side & give it 3 stars.
August 31, 2019
3.5 stars
Also known as What the Lady Wants
I am so glad I stuck with this series. Things worked out wonderfully. I was hoping that things unresolved in the second book would be resolved in this book (Allegra's and Lars' drama) but that wasn't the case. So that whole plot line from the second book lost its substance in my mind. But at the same time, that wasn't such a big deal because I didn't really care about their drama, it was just a way to add stress into Melissa's life which in tern affected her various relationships.
Also known as What the Lady Wants
I am so glad I stuck with this series. Things worked out wonderfully. I was hoping that things unresolved in the second book would be resolved in this book (Allegra's and Lars' drama) but that wasn't the case. So that whole plot line from the second book lost its substance in my mind. But at the same time, that wasn't such a big deal because I didn't really care about their drama, it was just a way to add stress into Melissa's life which in tern affected her various relationships.
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