What do you think?
Rate this book
Moonlight and Mischief
Headstrong Mariah Thorncroft is none to pleased with her forced betrothal to the rakish Lord Haverstone, but when she finds herself drawn to the handsome Haverstone, she wonders if she can truly trust her heart. Original.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 7, 2004
4 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Rhonda Woodward
7 books17 followersRhonda Woodward is the author of six Signet Regency romance novels, and is happily working on her next. Among other accolades, Rhonda’s novels have been nominated for RWA's RITA and RT Reviewer's Choice awards and won the Book Sellers’ Best Award.
You can connect with her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RhondaWoodwa...
You can connect with her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RhondaWoodwa...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 21, 2018
3.5 stars
This is a charming, clean traditional regency romance with great MC's and entertaining minor characters to propel the smaller storylines. The plot is like a comedy of errors that develops from the time the H lost 17 000 pounds in a card game. The H is Stone, so-called because of his titled as the the Earl of Haverstone. Stone is a rakehell who has no intention of marrying anybody until he's at least 40 yrs old. He was first introduced in The Wagered Heart, where his bumbling drunken stupidity led him to inadvertently create chaos for the MC's of that story. This novel was a lot better than The Wagered Heart, though and I actually grew to like Stone a lot more than the H of that book.
What does Stone do after he loses 17 000 pounds gambling ? Well, his friends commiserate with him by helping him to get drunk:
After he leaves the club, he's followed by Steven Thorncroft. Steven is the son of a wealthy merchant and all he wants is to be welcomed by the aristocracy and socialize among the Ton. Steven is the heroine's older brother and he tells the drunken H that his sister's huge dowry will more than cover the gambling loss:
"You see, my lord, when I saw you lose such a vast sum, I immediately thought of my sister.”
At this odd comment Stone almost guffawed. “Why? Does she go about losing fortunes as well?”
“No. She hates gambling,” Mr. Thorncroft said quickly. “I thought of her because not only is she quite pretty, but my father has settled an enormous sum upon her. More than enough to recoup a fortune lost in gambling.”
Moonlight and Mischief. Rhonda Woodward (Kindle Location 150-150). Kindle Edition.
Stone then replied:
“Damn me, are you offering your sister as a way to save me from ruin?”
Moonlightand Mischief. Rhonda Woodward (Kindle Location 152). Kindle Edition.
That's how this whole comedy of errors begins: with a weird drunken conversation and a big misunderstanding. The intoxicated H failed to inform Steven that he's so wealthy that 17 000 pounds is a mere drop in the ocean. Stone does, in his drunken gaiety, invites Steven to bring his family to a house party at the H's country estate in a few months' time during October. The funniest thing is that Stone forgets all about this invitation so he is shocked when the Thorncrofts turn up at his country estate. He's not rude though, because he recalls the conversation after he sees Steven so he welcomes the heroine and her family to stay for the 6 week long house party.
The heroine Mariah didn't want to attend the house party but her social climbing mother forced her because that lady's big dream in life is for her only daughter to marry an aristocrat. The Thorncrofts are social misfits at the house party because all the other attendees are aristocrats and they're force to tolerate some snobbery from the meaner fellow guests. In fact, a jealous OW called Lady Walgrave goes so far as to insult Mariah:
“Good.” Lady Walgrave nodded approvingly. “I do not mind telling you that all of Stone’s friends have been wondering what he could have been thinking in inviting you and your family here. You must admit it has been rather awkward. But I feel better now that we have had this chat.”
Moonlight and Mischief. Rhonda Woodward (Kindle Locations 1744-1746). Kindle Edition.
Stone has his hands full with 3 other women vying for his attention ! Two of them are widows who want to be his wife and the 3rd is the vicious married Lady Walgrave, who threw herself at the H even when her husband was right in the room. Lady W had been Stone's penis polishing mistress before the H had met Mariah but he broke off the relationship the first night of the house party. There was one scene, on the first night of the house party, when the heroine saw Stone kissing Lady W in the gardens. The MC's hadn't been involved with each other then and Stone had given Lady W her walking papers after this incident. The kissing scene was a little annoying but the story was going so good that my attitude was simply:
I enjoyed the way author developed the romantic storyline between the MC's. It wasn't done via passionate kissing and lovemaking but through eye contact, verbal communication and sharing their deepest dreams with each other. The tropes are a bit Austenesque since the author spent a lot of time exploring issues related to social interaction and the age old societal divide within the wealthy British classes: the titled peers of the Ton and the rich merchant class. Mariah also reminds me of a Jane Austen heroine because she's determined to go against her mother's plans for her future and she doesn't bow and scrape in her dealings with the aristocrats. The H finds her refreshing because she's the first woman who he can talk to about anything. Stone doesn't have to pretend to be a rakehell Earl when he's alone with Mariah. He talks to her about his family, his past, his art hobby and his disillusionment with his jaded lifestyle.
Mrs Thorncroft ( Mariah's mother ) was irritating but very likable. She's the kind of gregarious lady who means well, has a big heart, loves everybody but makes an unwitting fool of herself by revealing her social climbing goals in the silliest ways. She tells people how much she has spent on everything, she wears too much jewellery and she boasts about the size of Mariah's dowry to all the eligible aristocratic men. This came back to bite her in the ass when a gold digging Baron called Lord Stothart corners Mariah, proposes to her in a bullying fashion and then tries to rape her after she refuses to marry him. It's the H who ended up saving Mariah because he arrived in time to land a sucker punch on the Baron and then kick the guy out.
The MC's budding romance is complicated by another OW called Lady Charlotte who lies and tells the heroine that she's unofficially engaged to the H. There were lots of comic moments provided by these 3 other women, while they competed with each other and tried to bully the heroine into staying far away from Stone. But, the biggest obstacle to the MC's relationship was the heroine's prejudice against the H. Mariah refused to think of Stone as a productive member of society she's unlucky when the H overhears her bad mouthing him to her brother Steven:
“I do not care!” With mounting agitation she threw down her muff on the bench next to Steven and continued to pace.
“The earl may be handsome and charming, but there is nothing to recommend him to any self-respecting young woman. I would be in constant fear of having to sell the silver to cover his gambling debts. And who would wish to live with the possibility of stumbling over his latest mistress around every corner? I could never entrust my heart to such an unabashed, unmitigated rakehell.”
Moonlight and Mischief. Rhonda Woodward (Kindle Locations 1848-1852). Kindle Edition.
But Stone redeems himself in the most magnificent way ever ! They're separated for a couple weeks after Mariah leaves the house party to return hom, but the H devised a splendid way to show her how much he loved her for herself and not for her dowry. Not only did Stone grovel at her feet and beg her to marry him, but he also despatched his lawyers and accountants to her home with a detailed pre-nuptial contract that will be all to the heroine's benefit. Stone proved that he's not an impoverished gold digging Earl but that he's wealthier than Mariah's father. He also told her that her entire dowry was hers to spend as she wished and he signed over unentailed properties and a massive annual income that will remain in her possession in the event of his death. I wish all H's could be so forthcoming with a woman before they marry her. After all, a girl's future financial security is of utmost importance, especially in historical romance novels where women aren't independent.
Mariah's 10 yr old brother George also provided a lot of laughs and it was fun to see the 20 something yr old Lord Mattonly go gaga over Mariah's 40 something yr old mother. Mrs. Thorncroft didn't encourage him though, because she loved her husband.
Safety: There are 3 other women; one of whom is the H's former mistress. However, there is no actual cheating because the H dumped the mistress right after the kissing scene. There are a few wannabe other men but they're all fortune hunting aristocrats who were more obsessed with Mariah's dowry. There is no sex or heavy lovemaking scenes in this novel. It was mainly kissing and mild making out scenes. And the MC's are both celibate during their short separation.
This is the H, the Earl of Haverstone:
This is the heroine, Mariah:
This is a charming, clean traditional regency romance with great MC's and entertaining minor characters to propel the smaller storylines. The plot is like a comedy of errors that develops from the time the H lost 17 000 pounds in a card game. The H is Stone, so-called because of his titled as the the Earl of Haverstone. Stone is a rakehell who has no intention of marrying anybody until he's at least 40 yrs old. He was first introduced in The Wagered Heart, where his bumbling drunken stupidity led him to inadvertently create chaos for the MC's of that story. This novel was a lot better than The Wagered Heart, though and I actually grew to like Stone a lot more than the H of that book.
What does Stone do after he loses 17 000 pounds gambling ? Well, his friends commiserate with him by helping him to get drunk:
After he leaves the club, he's followed by Steven Thorncroft. Steven is the son of a wealthy merchant and all he wants is to be welcomed by the aristocracy and socialize among the Ton. Steven is the heroine's older brother and he tells the drunken H that his sister's huge dowry will more than cover the gambling loss:
"You see, my lord, when I saw you lose such a vast sum, I immediately thought of my sister.”
At this odd comment Stone almost guffawed. “Why? Does she go about losing fortunes as well?”
“No. She hates gambling,” Mr. Thorncroft said quickly. “I thought of her because not only is she quite pretty, but my father has settled an enormous sum upon her. More than enough to recoup a fortune lost in gambling.”
Moonlight and Mischief. Rhonda Woodward (Kindle Location 150-150). Kindle Edition.
Stone then replied:
“Damn me, are you offering your sister as a way to save me from ruin?”
Moonlightand Mischief. Rhonda Woodward (Kindle Location 152). Kindle Edition.
That's how this whole comedy of errors begins: with a weird drunken conversation and a big misunderstanding. The intoxicated H failed to inform Steven that he's so wealthy that 17 000 pounds is a mere drop in the ocean. Stone does, in his drunken gaiety, invites Steven to bring his family to a house party at the H's country estate in a few months' time during October. The funniest thing is that Stone forgets all about this invitation so he is shocked when the Thorncrofts turn up at his country estate. He's not rude though, because he recalls the conversation after he sees Steven so he welcomes the heroine and her family to stay for the 6 week long house party.
The heroine Mariah didn't want to attend the house party but her social climbing mother forced her because that lady's big dream in life is for her only daughter to marry an aristocrat. The Thorncrofts are social misfits at the house party because all the other attendees are aristocrats and they're force to tolerate some snobbery from the meaner fellow guests. In fact, a jealous OW called Lady Walgrave goes so far as to insult Mariah:
“Good.” Lady Walgrave nodded approvingly. “I do not mind telling you that all of Stone’s friends have been wondering what he could have been thinking in inviting you and your family here. You must admit it has been rather awkward. But I feel better now that we have had this chat.”
Moonlight and Mischief. Rhonda Woodward (Kindle Locations 1744-1746). Kindle Edition.
Stone has his hands full with 3 other women vying for his attention ! Two of them are widows who want to be his wife and the 3rd is the vicious married Lady Walgrave, who threw herself at the H even when her husband was right in the room. Lady W had been Stone's penis polishing mistress before the H had met Mariah but he broke off the relationship the first night of the house party. There was one scene, on the first night of the house party, when the heroine saw Stone kissing Lady W in the gardens. The MC's hadn't been involved with each other then and Stone had given Lady W her walking papers after this incident. The kissing scene was a little annoying but the story was going so good that my attitude was simply:
I enjoyed the way author developed the romantic storyline between the MC's. It wasn't done via passionate kissing and lovemaking but through eye contact, verbal communication and sharing their deepest dreams with each other. The tropes are a bit Austenesque since the author spent a lot of time exploring issues related to social interaction and the age old societal divide within the wealthy British classes: the titled peers of the Ton and the rich merchant class. Mariah also reminds me of a Jane Austen heroine because she's determined to go against her mother's plans for her future and she doesn't bow and scrape in her dealings with the aristocrats. The H finds her refreshing because she's the first woman who he can talk to about anything. Stone doesn't have to pretend to be a rakehell Earl when he's alone with Mariah. He talks to her about his family, his past, his art hobby and his disillusionment with his jaded lifestyle.
Mrs Thorncroft ( Mariah's mother ) was irritating but very likable. She's the kind of gregarious lady who means well, has a big heart, loves everybody but makes an unwitting fool of herself by revealing her social climbing goals in the silliest ways. She tells people how much she has spent on everything, she wears too much jewellery and she boasts about the size of Mariah's dowry to all the eligible aristocratic men. This came back to bite her in the ass when a gold digging Baron called Lord Stothart corners Mariah, proposes to her in a bullying fashion and then tries to rape her after she refuses to marry him. It's the H who ended up saving Mariah because he arrived in time to land a sucker punch on the Baron and then kick the guy out.
The MC's budding romance is complicated by another OW called Lady Charlotte who lies and tells the heroine that she's unofficially engaged to the H. There were lots of comic moments provided by these 3 other women, while they competed with each other and tried to bully the heroine into staying far away from Stone. But, the biggest obstacle to the MC's relationship was the heroine's prejudice against the H. Mariah refused to think of Stone as a productive member of society she's unlucky when the H overhears her bad mouthing him to her brother Steven:
“I do not care!” With mounting agitation she threw down her muff on the bench next to Steven and continued to pace.
“The earl may be handsome and charming, but there is nothing to recommend him to any self-respecting young woman. I would be in constant fear of having to sell the silver to cover his gambling debts. And who would wish to live with the possibility of stumbling over his latest mistress around every corner? I could never entrust my heart to such an unabashed, unmitigated rakehell.”
Moonlight and Mischief. Rhonda Woodward (Kindle Locations 1848-1852). Kindle Edition.
But Stone redeems himself in the most magnificent way ever ! They're separated for a couple weeks after Mariah leaves the house party to return hom, but the H devised a splendid way to show her how much he loved her for herself and not for her dowry. Not only did Stone grovel at her feet and beg her to marry him, but he also despatched his lawyers and accountants to her home with a detailed pre-nuptial contract that will be all to the heroine's benefit. Stone proved that he's not an impoverished gold digging Earl but that he's wealthier than Mariah's father. He also told her that her entire dowry was hers to spend as she wished and he signed over unentailed properties and a massive annual income that will remain in her possession in the event of his death. I wish all H's could be so forthcoming with a woman before they marry her. After all, a girl's future financial security is of utmost importance, especially in historical romance novels where women aren't independent.
Mariah's 10 yr old brother George also provided a lot of laughs and it was fun to see the 20 something yr old Lord Mattonly go gaga over Mariah's 40 something yr old mother. Mrs. Thorncroft didn't encourage him though, because she loved her husband.
Safety: There are 3 other women; one of whom is the H's former mistress. However, there is no actual cheating because the H dumped the mistress right after the kissing scene. There are a few wannabe other men but they're all fortune hunting aristocrats who were more obsessed with Mariah's dowry. There is no sex or heavy lovemaking scenes in this novel. It was mainly kissing and mild making out scenes. And the MC's are both celibate during their short separation.
This is the H, the Earl of Haverstone:
This is the heroine, Mariah:
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2011
I've learned after reading many books that sometimes I like a story because even though there are number of factors, when you combine all of the reasons, it makes the romance interesting. MOONLIGHT AND MISCHIEF is one of those fictions that has plucky main characters, the tension is good and the plot gets better the more you read.
The downside to reading too many Regencies is there can be only so many dukes/earls/viscounts that are handsome and witty. Realistically every heroine can't be beautiful and charming. Not all can be true matches but with MOONLIGHT AND MISCHIEF you want this to be the case. Enjoy Lord Haverstone and Mariah Thorncroft butting heads. It is simple reading at its best.
The downside to reading too many Regencies is there can be only so many dukes/earls/viscounts that are handsome and witty. Realistically every heroine can't be beautiful and charming. Not all can be true matches but with MOONLIGHT AND MISCHIEF you want this to be the case. Enjoy Lord Haverstone and Mariah Thorncroft butting heads. It is simple reading at its best.
February 7, 2014
After Lord Haverstone loses a fortune gambling, he is approached by a young tradesman's son, a Mr. Steven Thorncroft who offers up his sister and her dowry as a solution to Stone's gambling debt. Stone is surprised and a bit offended but decides the younger man amuses him and invites Steven and his sister to a house party on his estate come October. Mrs. Thorncroft is delighted with the invitation and is anxious to marry Mariah off to a peer and believes Stone may "come up to scratch." Mariah is furious and annoyed with her family but reluctantly joins her mother and two brothers at the house party, despite the fact that no formal invitation was issued. Stone had forgotten the invitation, but graciously allowed the Thorncrofts to stay, though hoping they'd leave early so he and his guests could have fun in the manner in which they were accustomed. When Mariah discovers her host in an embarrassing situation, they agree to be fully honest with one another and Mariah and Stone soon finds themselves sharing intimate secrets they've never shared with anyone else. She struggles to protest against her growing feelings for Stone and her realize her desire for independence. Mariah manages to stay true to herself and her desires and find happiness at last.
I really admired Mariah for that and empathized with her dream of independence. The romance was very realistic and the characters actually got to know one another's dreams and desires. The writing was not up the the mark of Georgette Heyer or even some other copycats, but still good and the story interesting and enjoyable.
I really admired Mariah for that and empathized with her dream of independence. The romance was very realistic and the characters actually got to know one another's dreams and desires. The writing was not up the the mark of Georgette Heyer or even some other copycats, but still good and the story interesting and enjoyable.
November 15, 2025
Fluffy brain food. Enjoyable enough, despite some minor annoyances with the writing or phrasing, but probably not a repeat read; and after reading another of Woodward's, I'm disinclined to read more.
February 22, 2019
Predictable but enjoyable
The story of Mariah Thorncroft and the Earl of Haverstone is worth the time and a nice way to pass an afternoon. The characters are part of another of Ms. Woodward' s novels, so this story is more or less a continuation of another book. The point of view is chiefly Mariah's, who is the daughter of a wealthy tradesman and has a consuming fear of never being accepted by a man for more than her hefty dowry. The point of view occasionally switches to the Earl, so it obvious early on that he is destined to win Mariah, in spite of their rough beginning.
I had a little trouble warming up to the Earl, given the quantity of his dalliances in the beginning. Hard to believe that he could just drop that lifestyle cold turkey after his brief acquaintance with Mariah, but love overcomes all, I guess. His efforts to persuade Mariah of his sincere affections later in the story are charming and romantic, and go a long way to repairing my initial bad opinion of him. The
Although the book was enjoyable, the amount of errors of spelling and punctuation, and even the strange way the text is laid out became very distracting, and definitely interrupted the flow of the story.
The story of Mariah Thorncroft and the Earl of Haverstone is worth the time and a nice way to pass an afternoon. The characters are part of another of Ms. Woodward' s novels, so this story is more or less a continuation of another book. The point of view is chiefly Mariah's, who is the daughter of a wealthy tradesman and has a consuming fear of never being accepted by a man for more than her hefty dowry. The point of view occasionally switches to the Earl, so it obvious early on that he is destined to win Mariah, in spite of their rough beginning.
I had a little trouble warming up to the Earl, given the quantity of his dalliances in the beginning. Hard to believe that he could just drop that lifestyle cold turkey after his brief acquaintance with Mariah, but love overcomes all, I guess. His efforts to persuade Mariah of his sincere affections later in the story are charming and romantic, and go a long way to repairing my initial bad opinion of him. The
Although the book was enjoyable, the amount of errors of spelling and punctuation, and even the strange way the text is laid out became very distracting, and definitely interrupted the flow of the story.
August 8, 2020
3.5 rounded up.
Fluffy stuff.
Didn't think much of the male main character and his decision making. The female main character lets him have it and sort of turns him around. The ending was very sweet.
A bit of violence, some makeout scenes, mild language.
Fluffy stuff.
Didn't think much of the male main character and his decision making. The female main character lets him have it and sort of turns him around. The ending was very sweet.
A bit of violence, some makeout scenes, mild language.
December 7, 2017
Moonlight and Mischief
I loved this book from start to finish. I wish I had at least ten more books by Rhonda Woodward to read.
I loved this book from start to finish. I wish I had at least ten more books by Rhonda Woodward to read.
April 15, 2023
This is now among my favorites. An absolute re'read.
April 2, 2015
I really enjoyed this story. I've read a few of Ms. Woodward's novels and have enjoyed them all. To date my favorite book by her has been, A Spinster's Luck: Signet Regency Romance, although I also enjoyed her The Wagered Heart: Signet Regency Romance very much. BTW, WAGERED HEART is the story of the romance between the best friends of the H and h of this book, and takes place before the events in MOONLIGHT AND MISCHIEF. Ms. Woodward is one of those authors whose books clearly shows the time and effort she takes to research the regency period in which her stories are set. While I am by now means a Regency purist, I do prefer that the historical stories I read be as authentic as possible, so I appreciate Ms. Woodward's efforts. Moreover, Ms. Woodward is a well written, talented author. Her stories never fail to delight and IMO are thoroughly engaging. That is very much the case with MOONLIGHT AND MISCHIEF. Additionally, the story includes a cast of well-developed characters, in particular the protagonists, Stone and Mariah.
After losing a large sum of money playing cards, Stone is inexplicably approached by Mariah’s brother who offers to introduce Stone to his well situated sister, Mariah. Steven, Mariah’s brother, suggests that a marriage between Stone and Mariah might be just the thing to help Stone recoup his losses. It’s not as mercenary as it sounds. Steven is actually a very caring brother, but he is aware that it is their parents’ dearest wish that his sister marry a title. Ugh In any event, in response to Steven’s suggestion, Stone casually invites Steven and Mariah to his house-party which is to take place in a couple of months. He then promptly forgets his invitation, so imagine his surprise when Steven shows up, not just with Mariah in tow, but also his mother and ten year old brother, George!
Stone is flabbergasted, but is way too polite to let on that he had never really intended that Steven take his invitation seriously, or that he had forgotten all about it, so he graciously bids the Thorncrofts welcome to his home and has his staff see them settle. The story that follows is fairly standard fare Regency romance set at a house-party. In true Regency style, the romance relies more on quiet comments, shared glances, and very few private significant moments. As a matter of fact, IMO the story suffered from a lack of those private moments. The majority of the story takes place at the Earl’s house-party and during that entire time, Stone and Mariah have approximately two private interludes, one during which he kissed her, and two semi-private moments; moments when they shared a quiet conversation under the watchful eyes of the other houseguests. Somehow, by the time the book ended, as entertaining as I found the story, I felt a decided lack of connection between the couple. Don’t get me wrong; they got their HEA and I was happy for them, however, I would have loved to have seen more interaction between the couple.
Nonetheless, overall this was a very entertaining read for me and one that I readily recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre of books. Ms. Woodward’s books bring to mind those of Jane Austen; not necessarily in terms of the writing, but as far as the feel of her stories. They have a more formal atmosphere; the behavior and speech of the characters, are for the most part, very true to the times in which the story is set. As a result, in keeping with the Regency period, this is a clean romance. Mariah and Stone do share one or two kisses, but other than that there is absolutely no sexual content. Happy reading!
After losing a large sum of money playing cards, Stone is inexplicably approached by Mariah’s brother who offers to introduce Stone to his well situated sister, Mariah. Steven, Mariah’s brother, suggests that a marriage between Stone and Mariah might be just the thing to help Stone recoup his losses. It’s not as mercenary as it sounds. Steven is actually a very caring brother, but he is aware that it is their parents’ dearest wish that his sister marry a title. Ugh In any event, in response to Steven’s suggestion, Stone casually invites Steven and Mariah to his house-party which is to take place in a couple of months. He then promptly forgets his invitation, so imagine his surprise when Steven shows up, not just with Mariah in tow, but also his mother and ten year old brother, George!
Stone is flabbergasted, but is way too polite to let on that he had never really intended that Steven take his invitation seriously, or that he had forgotten all about it, so he graciously bids the Thorncrofts welcome to his home and has his staff see them settle. The story that follows is fairly standard fare Regency romance set at a house-party. In true Regency style, the romance relies more on quiet comments, shared glances, and very few private significant moments. As a matter of fact, IMO the story suffered from a lack of those private moments. The majority of the story takes place at the Earl’s house-party and during that entire time, Stone and Mariah have approximately two private interludes, one during which he kissed her, and two semi-private moments; moments when they shared a quiet conversation under the watchful eyes of the other houseguests. Somehow, by the time the book ended, as entertaining as I found the story, I felt a decided lack of connection between the couple. Don’t get me wrong; they got their HEA and I was happy for them, however, I would have loved to have seen more interaction between the couple.
Nonetheless, overall this was a very entertaining read for me and one that I readily recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre of books. Ms. Woodward’s books bring to mind those of Jane Austen; not necessarily in terms of the writing, but as far as the feel of her stories. They have a more formal atmosphere; the behavior and speech of the characters, are for the most part, very true to the times in which the story is set. As a result, in keeping with the Regency period, this is a clean romance. Mariah and Stone do share one or two kisses, but other than that there is absolutely no sexual content. Happy reading!
July 30, 2012
ANother Signet Regency recently released for ebook. I enjoyed this book in the way that I enjoyed many young adult novels when I was young. Nothing earth shattering happened, in fact the plot was somewhat thin. I enjoyed both characters and wanted to see them end up together and live happily. An enjoyable read, but not memorable or groundbreaking.
Like many novels set in Regency England, the story is about class stratification. Our heroine, Mariah, is the daughter of a very wealthy woolen merchant (who apparently owns a lot of sheep) but is a commoner. Her father sets her up with a dowry in the hope that her mother’s wishes of a marriage into the aristocracy might happen.
After our hero, Lord Haverstone, loses a significant amount of money gambling, Mariah’s brother, Mr. Thorncroft, seizes the opportunity and wrangles an invitation to a house party at Stone’s mansion, in the hope that his sister might find an aristocratic husband.
Many aspects of the story are predictable. Not surprisingly, Stone is a good looking gent not interested in settling down at the moment and with a penchant for married women. Mariah and her family are more sophisticated than one might expect given their social scheming. Some members of Stone’s party are rude to the Thorncroft because of their status while others, including Stone, develop an affection for them.
The book was repetitious at times (Yes, I know, she has a big dowry, got it) but the characters were so likeable that one can ignore that fact. The most enjoyable aspects of the book are the scenes with Stone and Mariah, although they have no interaction for the first four chapters. I especially appreciate that Mariah made Stone work for his happy ending.
February 14, 2021
Lovely, delightful read.
I must admit I was not totally enamoured with the Hero when I encountered him in the previous book ( he was a total douche) but he improved upon acquaintance.
He promises, at an inebriated moment, to invite the brother of the heroine and his family to his house party. Of course he promptly forgets about this but when they arrive he is polite enough to make good on his word.
The brother thinks the Hero needs to marry into a fortune because of his immense gambling loss and so he brings his sister who has a hefty dowry and his mother. They are hoping that at least she can land one of the gentlemen in the house party. Her mother’s true wish is that her daughter marry a title. Though she realizes that setting their sights on the Hero (he is an Earl) might be too high. The heroine wants none of this but she doesn’t want to upset her mother so she doesn’t protest too much.
The house party is a bit wild with no less than 3 OW vying for the earl’s attention. Since the heroine is one of the few not fawning I’ve him, the earl is intrigued. During the course of their stay, there is a lot of interaction between the Hero and the heroine. I liked this moments, because it showed that they were both getting to know each other better and developing a real intimacy.
Not all is smooth sailing but they weather their storms well and the Earl eventually does one of the best offers of marriage I’ve read. He totally proves to her he doesn’t need her dowry, but he needs her in his life.
Sigh... this was a good one.
I must admit I was not totally enamoured with the Hero when I encountered him in the previous book ( he was a total douche) but he improved upon acquaintance.
He promises, at an inebriated moment, to invite the brother of the heroine and his family to his house party. Of course he promptly forgets about this but when they arrive he is polite enough to make good on his word.
The brother thinks the Hero needs to marry into a fortune because of his immense gambling loss and so he brings his sister who has a hefty dowry and his mother. They are hoping that at least she can land one of the gentlemen in the house party. Her mother’s true wish is that her daughter marry a title. Though she realizes that setting their sights on the Hero (he is an Earl) might be too high. The heroine wants none of this but she doesn’t want to upset her mother so she doesn’t protest too much.
The house party is a bit wild with no less than 3 OW vying for the earl’s attention. Since the heroine is one of the few not fawning I’ve him, the earl is intrigued. During the course of their stay, there is a lot of interaction between the Hero and the heroine. I liked this moments, because it showed that they were both getting to know each other better and developing a real intimacy.
Not all is smooth sailing but they weather their storms well and the Earl eventually does one of the best offers of marriage I’ve read. He totally proves to her he doesn’t need her dowry, but he needs her in his life.
Sigh... this was a good one.
September 5, 2020
Hmm, I’m wavering on this one. Parts of it were great, especially some of the moments between Stone and Mariah. In a lot of these regency stories the “hero” has had mistresses in his past (and sometimes present), Stone is no exception. The problem I had with Stone was that instead of going after single women or widows, he had a fancy for married women. That was a HUGE turnoff for me. Aside from that he was great. I really liked Mariah, I thought she was very likable and had good morals. The last part of the book Stone does redeem himself and he does some great wooing. There were also a few things that seemed a little repetitive or overly detailed; otherwise it was an enjoyable story. I did like that there were characters from Woodwards other books that made an appearance, that was fun.
Content: Clean.
Content: Clean.
February 23, 2016
I adored the maturity of the heroine in this book. Encouraged by her mother to "make a good match," her head could easily have been turned by someone with social standing, wealth, good looks, wit, intellect, etc., but she recognized what was was happening and made decisions to protect herself. Way to have your act together, Mariah! The poor libertine of an earl didn't have a chance.
This was a clean romance. It was my first Rhonda Woodward book, and I think I'll try again.
This was a clean romance. It was my first Rhonda Woodward book, and I think I'll try again.
February 10, 2013
I read this after hearing a NPR article on the romance novel industry. The program piqued my curiosity, so I decided to read a few romance novels to see what they were about
January 2, 2016
Stultifying, tedious, boring, really poorly written . Cereal boxes have more character and better plots.
November 16, 2020
Rarely are two people's reservations about each other so believably handled.
October 13, 2013
Ultimately a 2.5 that rounded up to 3 stars. Moments of "huh" interspersing a lot of "meh."
June 7, 2017
4.60 stars - pg13?
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews