A Woman Scorned

Lorimer Family & Clan Cameron #2

by Liz Carlyle

From its opening scene to its breath-catching climax, Liz Carlyle's newest novel is a vividly etched portrait of passion and intrigue. When a woman consumed by sinister secrets opens the door to a strikingly handsome stranger, a powerful desire rushes in -- and a love she could not have imagined.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Jonet Rowland is surely that. But she is also lovely, rich, and -- it is rumored -- an unrepentant adulteress. When her philandering husband, the marquis of Mercer, is murdered in his own bed, it's whispered that Jonet is a femme fatale in more ways than one. Shunned by society, the daring widow steels herself to fight for what truly matters -- her children.
When his scheming uncle begs him to investigate the death of his brother, Lord Mercer, Captain Cole Amherst refuses. But it is soon apparent that treachery stalks two innocent boys, and Cole plunges into the viper's pit that is Jonet Rowland's life. Nothing could have prepared Cole for the lust Jonet inspires. But as danger swirls about them, he is tortured by doubt. Can an honorable soldier open his shuttered heart and let a wicked widow teach him how to truly love?

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Mystery, Regency Romance, Fiction

448 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 2000

About the author

Dear Readers,

The awful truth about novelists is that we are mostly dull, introverted homebodies who only write in order to live our fantasies vicariously. I came to writing rather late in life, and I’m still amazed I can get paid for doing something I love, and that I get to stay home while I do it.

My favorite comedian Steve Martin once said, "I believe entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art. But if you set out to make art, you’re an idiot." I have never tried to create art, but I do try to tell one heck of a good story. Yes, I try to write with a hot iron, while the heat of the story is in me. And I try, always, to entertain my readers.

Regards,

Liz

Reviews

[Merry · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book by the author and I really did enjoy it. The mystery has a small pool of villains, and this was not a strong part of the book ("yes, I figured out early who dun it"). The writing conveyed the feelings of the 2 main characters. The sexual tension and the constant feeling of anxiety...never being sure if concerns are real or imagined. I thought Carlyle's descriptions of Cole and Jonet made each character come to life for me. The book was written 20 years ago and this appealed to me as the characters seemed more in keeping with the Regency era and that not all bad deeds were punished. There was a twist that I didn't see coming. The book has some very sexy parts. The reason it is not a 5* is that some of the anxiety and sexual tension went on too long for my reading taste. I read this for my BOTM

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the third or fourth time I've read this book (over a period of a few years). It still stands up really well. A lovely and deeply felt romance, as well as two intriguing mysteries wrapped up in the story. As a repeat reader, it doesn't worry me that I already know the answer to the mysteries and I know whodunnit. It's still an enjoyable read.

Captain Cole Amherst, cavalry officer, scholar, cricketer and more..... a man of quiet integrity and intensity. Somewhat against his will, he falls in love with Jonet Rowland, a widow with a shocking (but undeserved) reputation. Jonet and her two sons are in danger from an unknown source, and she finds it difficult to trust anybody. But she and Cole form a bond. And the love and trust grow between them. As well as some very hot sex!

Cole is one of Carlyle's best MMCs. A really well-drawn and appealing character. The secondary characters are also excellent, including Jonet's arrogant friend Lord Delacourt (who later gets his own book), the servants (such as former soldier Charlie Donaldson), Cole's friends and acquaintances, and of course Jonet's two delightful sons, Stuart and Robert. The depiction of their rambunctious antics, the sibling rivalry, the night fears, all ring true to life.

This is a well-written book showing a good knowledge of the historical setting, an understanding of human nature, and a lovely layer of background detail that underlies the well-drawn plot.

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picture everyone in the book like this....



...just so over everyone and everything. Everyone was irritated and it cracked me up.


But really, the mystery was good, the romance was steamy and Liz really does write beautifully. And that cover is sexy!

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Liz Carlyle ain’t nuthin but a big tease. A motif of her writing is to dangle an attraction between two characters before the reader, and then have the characters devise reasons why it can never happen. Then she dangles a moment of lust, then someone interrupts by knocking on the door. A character will ask a question, the recipient will take forever deciding, start a reply, then the questioner will forestall the answer and apologize for asking the question. Sometimes I marvel at the skill with which these breadcrumbs pull me through the story but mostly I grit my teeth and growl,”Oh, for heaven’s sake, just get on with it!”

That happened a lot in this book and yes, it was crafty, and yes, I got impatient. The two main characters were human powder kegs and the fuse was rather long but the sizzle was entertaining and then KABOOM!

Human powder keg #1: Cole, a former scholar-turned-curate-turned-soldier-turned—tutor who left for war to escape a cold, distant wife and berates himself when she dies in childbirth during his absence. He feels unmoored and very alone until he meets Human Powder Keg #2: Jonet, Lady Mercer. Jonet is believed to be a femme fatale, a siren, a succubus with a string of lovers, who murdered her husband to be with her lover, Lord Delacorte. She is ostracized, alone, and harboring a terrible fear when Cole enters her life.

Their first meeting is overlong, overwritten, and overdramatic, with Jonet presenting as slightly unhinged and Cole as stiffly combative while the air vibrates around them.

But Liz Carlyle likes to tease, so doubts and questions and misunderstandings and red herrings abound until the moment of combustion.

Followed by pain. Jonet, who had brazenly seduced Cole, asks if he’ll be a gentleman and marry her.

“Jonet,” he said quietly. “I cannot believe we are having this discussion. You are speaking of marriage. I could not possibly marry you, and you would never be so foolish as to marry someone like me.” Gently, he dropped her hand and slid his fingers into the dark mass of her hair, to push it away from her high, aristocratic forehead. He wanted to bend his head and slide his lips across the curve of her jaw, down her throat, and lower still. He wanted to make love to her again—but this time with his mouth and with his hands, openly giving her what little he did have to offer. In short, he wanted to do whatever it might take to somehow alleviate any pain that his plain words might have caused.

But Jonet did not appear to be in any pain. Her face was smooth and emotionless. Illogically, he felt a stab of disappointment. “Of course you are right,” she said evenly. “But you are a delightful lover. Thank you for sharing a part of the evening with me.” She turned her head on the pillow, her lips curving into one of her wicked, mischievous smiles. “And for giving in to a lady’s whims with moderate grace. Can you find all your clothes, do you think?”

Her dismissal could not have been more gentle, nor more cutting. Was that what he had been? A lady’s whim? Well? Well—? What the devil had he expected? Reluctantly, Cole pulled his fingers from the tangle of her hair, rolled to the edge of the bed, and began to dress in silence.

He kept waiting for her to reach out and touch him. He kept hoping that she would retract the words she had so coolly spoken, and plead with him to return to her bed and hold her in his arms until dawn. That, to Cole’s way of thinking, had been an inherent part of their bargain, the most integral part of making love. Anything less was just having sex, and there was a big damned difference to him. But Jonet said nothing, and Cole was once again left feeling bitter and a little used.

Ouch. But Jonet hasn’t given up and Cole hasn’t given in, so stay tuned.

The characters and the development of their relationship should have been the sole focus of this book and I wish the author had kept the focus on the taming of her shrew instead of ending the book with the conclusion of the mystery/danger element, which was weak.

[Keri · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been whispered that Jonet killed her husband in order to be with her younger lover. Captain Cole Amherst has been ordered by his uncle to find out if it is indeed true that Jonet murdered her husband. Instead what Cole finds is a beautiful woman pushed to the brink of sanity trying to keep her sons safe from an unknown evil.

Cole, on the verge of taken his vows to God, finds himself pushed to the brink himself as he fights his overwhelming attraction to Jonet. For Jonet's part, no man or god is going to stop her from getting her hands on this tall, sexy, blond with the tiger's eyes.

This was an awesome read. It had an emotional depth that put it in a different class than her usual books. It was refreshing to come across a woman who knew what she wanted from her man and was fearless about going about it. Poor Cole never had a chance. :-)

1/18/2021 Re-read, this held up well to time and I stand by my initial review.

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
A whodunnit Regency HR.
And despite the mystery (mild and predictable despite the author's several red herrings), this is a regular LC style passion and play between two opposite and opposing mcs.
As one reviewer has called LC an author who never reaches her potential and i have agree after reading this book.
She has created two amazing, perfect-foil h/H, credible secondary characters, a great plot and then loses it - the plot.
There's a droning amount of rambling and filler here that is severely disappointing.

The h/H are cousins by marriage (he's her SIL's nephew), who've only met once before - on her wedding day. There's a spark and then their ways diverge for a decade.
She marries the older dissolute Marquis, her father's partner-in-crimes, has two sons and accepts, bleakly, her sad and lonely marriage. The h is Scottish (and later inherits the title of marchioness of Kildermore from her father's side as well).
He too goes on to marry. His father was a curate and he, being scholarly has similar ambitions but then suddenly decides to join the army ('muscular Christianity', he calls it ruefully) and goes to the Peninsula. His wife dies in his absence.

Now, they meet after her husband has been murdered, possibly poisoned and the ton believes her the culprit. Her habitual flirtatious and willful ways only add oil to the fire. And her regular cicisbeo, Lord David Delacourt's continuing visits don't help.
The husband's younger brother wants control of her sons but she vehemently opposes it, with help of her lawyers. So, he asks the H, his wife's nephew to apply as tutor for the boys as he tutored before joining the army, to spy on the h and help him gain control of the boys.
The H agrees to do so temporarily but goes about it in an upfront way, refusing to spy. And that's how he ends up living in her house.
The h has dismissed the old staff and brought her own staff from Scotland, along with her nanna and her cousin, Ellen. The H finds the staff too informal for his liking.

The romance -
Jonet and Cole, 32 and 28.
As expected, the spark that almost conflagrated on their one small meeting, decades ago, is also brought out to play.
“he believed her behavior had  been willful, almost malicious. Jonet Rowland had  deliberately challenged his  every masculine instinct. And his traitorous body had reacted, just as she had probably known it would. Gentlemanly deportment  be  damned. He had found  himself shaking inside with a rage which was wholly unfamiliar to him.”
So, good in a way but too many distractions and the slow-burn lessens the impact. The author plays on their opposing natures - the h, willful and provocative and the H, an upright, moralizing stuffed shirt (with a very handsome and hunky stuffing). His shaggy blonde good looks and his spectacles are enough to drive her mad. She falls for him sooner or at least she declares herself first and often. His over-cautious nature and constant pulling away are annoying but then they are the epitome of odd couple.
The mystery and the continuing threat (that looms over her boys) also decimate the romance. They are always looking over their shoulders for the next attack.

Another issue I have is that her love life is blurred out as are the details of her marriage.
Later on , the H shares details of his marriage but she's not shown to do the same. And as her (tremendous) confidence in the bedroom doesn't go with the her distant and cold marital life, one would expect her to have had few lovers but it's not cleared. But then, hs of old were never 'shown' to bed hop.

The h's sons are adorable - the serious and introspective Stuart, and the rambunctious Robert. As are their Border Collies', Rogue and Scoundrel. As expected, the H easily wins over the boys' respect and adulation.
“What's  extracurricular?" Robert looked suspicious.  "It  sounds  like  something extra. More work, belike." The boy crossed  his arms over his narrow chest.
"Well," said Cole slowly, wondering if he had  been  engaged to tutor the youthful equivalent of a Spitalfield horse trader.”

The mystery -
Lord Mercer, the 57 yo husband, died after a house party, drinking poisoned wine in his room, the wine that the h has brought from Scotland for her own use.
For suspects, we have the H's uncle, his wayward son, the dead man's mistress, a maid, political opponents and of course, her friend, Lord David Delacourt. And mostly everyone.
Lord Delacourt and her relationship is obvious as the author gives clear hint to the reader. Robert, btw, resembles him - so the gossip. The husband usually accepted him in their house until the gossip got too much.

It's pretty easy to pick out the real culprit but as I said the author throws out few red herrings to carry along the story. Again many fillers.
I find it odd that the h could find it in her heart to leave the boys at home and go out - to a cricket match or a dinner, now and then - when the boys were almost poisoned in their home apart from other such attempts. And why did they not try harder to root out the culprit?

[Julianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for THC Reviews
A Woman Scorned is yet another worthy effort from Liz Carlyle, but in my opinion, not the strongest of her novels that I have read to date. As with her other books, A Woman Scorned also contained an intriguing mystery element, this one involving the murder of the heroine's husband. The mystery was a bit more prominent in this story though, and consequently, I felt that it overshadowed the actual romance, in some ways. Aside from a strong physical attraction and mutual loneliness, I found few reasons for Cole and Jonet to fall in love. The author simply did not build the lovely friendship element or include the more swoon-worthy scenes that are often found in her other works. While their love became more evident toward the end of the story, I just did not find their feelings for one another earlier in the book to be entirely convincing. I believe that the time devoted to the mystery simply left limited space for good relationship development which was a bit disappointing, since these two characters had absolutely sparkled as secondary characters in other books. While I like a good mystery, this one did not hold my interest as much as it perhaps could have, due to the fact that I discerned the culprit very early on, though at least I was way off base on the character's motive and did not really figure that part out until the reveal. In all fairness though, I went into this book having read a later book that ties in with it, and therefore already knew that a couple of the characters who had been set up as suspects could be eliminated. Without that information, I doubt that I would have solved this part of the mystery so easily. All in all, for this only being Ms. Carlyle's second book, it was a still a good read.

I thought that the characterizations of the hero and heroine were well-done and full of interesting complexities. Cole had held a variety of positions including that of scholar, tutor and military captain, in addition to being an ordained minister. He is filled with guilt and regret over the death of his first wife with which he must come to terms. On the surface, he seems very controlled and reserved, but inside he is seething with unfulfilled passion that just the right woman can unlock. Cole is highly intelligent, regularly engaging in battles of wit with Jonet. Although she could be very willful, he never let her get the best of him and always gave back as good as he got. This made for some highly charged and amusing banter between these two characters. Jonet was not a woman who was afraid to let her passions be know, but also carried a certain reserve due to fear over her sons' safety in the wake of their father's murder. I thought her devotion to her two sons as well as other characters in the story was highly commendable, and I also liked that she lived her life according to what she thought was right instead of what society dictated. Once she began to trust Cole, she was very bold in her pursuit of him, even though he was below her in social status. I found her boldness and directness to be admirable, as well as fun and sensuous, leading to a delightful, burning hot love scene near the end of the book that one might playfully characterize as Cole's “taming of the shrew”. Also, both characters were very intuitive of the other's needs and feelings which I found quite endearing. Even though the actual romance between these two could have had a stronger foundation and they were near polar opposites, it became obvious by the end of the story that Cole and Jonet were made for each other. It was not difficult to imagine them living a long and happy life together with nary a dull moment, which is probably why they were such stand-out characters in future novels.

While I do enjoy introspection, I felt that a bit too much of it became a partial contributor to some pacing issues in the narrative of A Woman Scorned. The other part I attributed to the lack of the spirited secondary characters that I so enjoyed in Ms. Carlyle's other books. There were no scene-stealers like Kem or Bentley, and the supporting characters who were present just didn't quite have the same lively quality as some that had appeared in other stories. Even if they were a bit more reserved, there were a few notables. David, Lord Delacourt was an enigma and I'm sure I would have enjoyed his presence in this story much more if I hadn't already known his secret from reading A Woman of Virtue in which he is the hero. He also put in an appearance in No True Gentleman. I found Stuart and Robert to be very charming children with opposite personalities, Stuart being rather shy and Robert being more outgoing. I thought that they were realistically rendered in that they often argued and misbehaved like young boys do, but yet they were never obnoxious. Stuart and Robert (though much more grown up) also appear in A Woman of Virtue and The Devil You Know. Edmund Rowland was a rather distasteful character who also pops up in A Woman of Virtue, as does Lady Delacourt, and Charlotte Branthwaite, David's mother and sister respectively. Just as she does in most of her books, Ms. Carlyle also uses a few animal characters to good effect, helping to set the tone for the human characters and overall story.

As one might guess from the overlapping characters, A Woman of Virtue is the book most closely related to A Woman Scorned actually picking up the story precisely where this one left off. I personally, however, still recommend reading the books in chronological order to receive the full effect of all characters on the canvass, as I have come to the conclusion that Ms. Carlyle used her first three books, My False Heart, A Woman Scorned, and Beauty Like the Night to create three separate family groups who are then intermingled freely in subsequent books. Even though I didn't think it to be the author's best effort, I found A Woman Scorned to be a pleasant and enjoyable read. Ms. Carlyle remains one of my favorite authors and I look forward to continuing my exploration of her backlist.

Note: While none of Ms. Carlyle's earlier books seem to be officially considered a series and each seems to stand well on it's own story-wise, I would caution that reading her later books first may give away spoilers to her earlier books. Such was the case when I skipped A Woman Scorned and was left wishing that I had read it first. My suggestion for readers like myself who don't like any spoilers would be to begin with Ms. Carlyle's first book, My False Heart, and continue reading them in the chronological order in which she wrote them. It is also my opinion that the reading experience would be greatly enhanced by doing this, because Ms. Carlyle's character web is so complex. The entire backlist, in order, can be found on her website.

[Lisa Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally reviewed January, 2011.

I am actually re-reading this book again (which I find myself doing more and more with my bookshelf due to the economy) and am enjoying it. A Woman Scorned is considered a prequel to the Lorimer Family series and it is a very good beginning.

Update: I finished this book, by one of my favorite authors, and found that Cole is one of my beloved heroes by Ms. Carlyle. I’m not really into blonds, but he is an exception. He is dashing and moral and has a sense of humor. The love scenes with him were sensual.

I disagree with some critiques of Jonet as a shrew. I tried to imagine myself in her situation and believe she was, with good reason, terribly frightened. Okay, yes, she has a temper. But I have to ask myself, "What would I have done, if my children were at risk?"

The suspense is just right in this historical romance book, and the villain is a nice surprise. Knowing the villain, having read the book, I actually felt the scenes, in which the antihero was dialoguing, were filled with a different tension of which I was not previously aware. Well done!

Some GR reviewers wrote that Jonet should have told Cole about her secret...but it was not hers to tell and I respect that. In the end, I could believe the H&H could have their HEA.

Update: 4/30/11

I don't usually like cliffhangers, and especially epilogues that are dedicated solely mostly to the characters that are to be the focus of the next book in the series. I don't mind if an author puts the first chapter, or even the second chapter, of their new book at the end of the book I’m enjoying. Believe me, I'll read it! However, please don't ruin a perfectly good epilogue trying to get me to purchase only setting up the next book. I want to know what’s happening to the central characters I fell in love with.

That said, I do not really think the epilogue in this book qualifies as a cliffhanger, as some have complained. Not a true cliffhanger, anyway. I mean, Cole is a "man of the cloth" and it made me laugh that David was interrupting at such an "inconvenient" time, in the desperate need of a minister. Why on earth? To find out why, one would have to pick up the first in the Lorimer Family series, A Woman of Virtue.

[Missy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Still no luck with this author. 😩

[romancelibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Jonet, you are a sharp-tongued shrew. But you are my shrew, and I mean to keep you safe. Long may I live to regret it."

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and Jonet Rowland is a scorned woman through and through. After her husband is found murdered in their home, Jonet acquires the reputation of a femme fatale and a murderess. What society doesn't know is that behind Jonet's odd behaviour lies a woman who is angry and bent on protecting her two sons from a mysterious enemy.

Captain Cole Amherst is a religious scholar turned solider. Cole and Jonet briefly met years ago at Jonet's wedding and when they meet again years later, their interaction is positively explosive, potent with lust and mistrust. The minute he steps foot in Jonet's house, Cole knows that something evil and mysterious is afoot. His curiosity and his attachment to her sons forces him to take residence in Jonet's home as the boys' live-in tutor. But Jonet doesn't trust Cole because he is the nephew of her odious brother-in-law.

A Woman Scorned is my first Liz Carlyle book and it certainly won't be my last. Her writing is lush and elegant and it flows smoothly. Her prose is so elegant that I was absolutely shocked at how steamy the romance ended up being. Carlyle really gives you the best of both worlds: beautiful prose AND steaminess. The characterization is solid and the pairing of Cole and Jonet together is perfect. Their dynamic is so hot: she's a sharp-tongued shrew with him and he's all "you're not getting away with this kind of attitude." The pacing suffers a bit, especially in the beginning which is a bit slow-paced. The characters are also very introspective, which again affects the pacing, but luckily it's not repetitive. Keep in mind that this is a very long book for a historical romance; it is almost 450 pages long. So yea, it can be slow moving, but it has depth and a sort of intensity between the hero and heroine that really pushed me to keep reading.

As for the mystery, it was painfully predictable, but did not lessen my enjoyment of the story and the romance. The side characters, especially Lord Delacourt, are also pretty interesting in their own right. And I loved the kids even though I generally don't like kids in books (or real life lmao). Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I'm not sure if I would recommend it to readers who are new to historical romance, but I'm sure that those who have been reading this genre for a long time will appreciate this book.

"Let those bold, brash men unbutton their breeches, whip out their cocks, and measure them against one another."

[Aneca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different coverIt's been a while since I've read the other books in this series, somehow this book just escaped me at the time and it was recently that I realised I hadn't read. Since I'm a Carlyle fan I decided to pick it up asap!

Jonet Rowland, the Marchioness of Mercer is lovely, rich, and—it is rumored—an unrepentant adulteress. And when her philandering husband is murdered in his own bed, it's whispered that Jonet is a femme fatale in more ways than one. It will take a dashing and honorable soldier to get Jonet out of this one.
When his scheming uncle begs Captain Cole Amherst to investigate the death of his brother, Lord Mercer, Cole flatly refuses. But it is soon apparent that treachery stalks Lady Mercer’s two innocent children. A man of God and a scholar, Cole reluctantly plunges into the viper’s pit that is Jonet Rowland’s life, and finds that nothing could have prepared him for the lust she inspires...or the danger which surrounds them.

Jonet, the Marchioness of Mercer was once the toast of the ton but is now an outsider that most believe poisoned her husband. Cole Amherst is asked by his uncle, Jonet's brother in law, to go and work as a tutor to Jonet's sons so he can be aware of what is going on in that house. Wary at first he soon realises that someone is threatening them and that Jonet has been leaving with that fear for quite a while.

I really enjoyed reading Cole and Jonet's story. I think I liked Cole more in the beginning but it's also true that we know more about him and his thoughts than about Jonet. Jonet is more complex and tortured and guards some secrets. They are both very attracted from the start but there's a lot of distrust between them and the tension slowly builds up. Besides Cole not knowing if Jonet killed her husband and Jonet's conviction that Cole came to spy on her there are also the moral issues that Cole has to deal with since he is a Curate and the fact that Jonet has a more powerful position in society. The distrust between them goes on for most of the book even after they give in to temptation and make love. I really enjoyed reading how they solve that and decide to be together despite their different backgrounds and personalities. Cole is a wonderful hero in the sense that he is an intelligent, sensible and loving man who tries to be honest with his feelings.

There's a mystery subplot about who really killed Jonet's first husband and who is trying to kill her and her children. Although I had an immediately idea of the bad guy I wasn't really sure it was who I thought because I couldn't see the motive. Fortunately this works more to help with Jonet and Cole's relationship than to create a true mystery that might detract from the story.

Grade: A-

[Jane Stewart · Rating 1 out of 5]

So boring. Wanted it to end. No emotional buildup.

Reads like a long drawn out mystery – slowly peeling away the layers of an onion. Although, I think many readers will be able to figure out who the villain is and what the Delacourt secret it long before the author gets around to revealing them. The characters and events weren’t interesting enough. I wanted it to be over. Someone killed Jonet’s husband. Cole became a tutor for her two boys. She and Cole started falling for each other. Jonet spent a lot of time with Delacourt before her husband died and continued seeing Delacourt during her relationship with Cole. She knew Cole thought she was having an affair with Delacourt, but she made no attempt to convince Cole of the truth. She slept with Cole one night then visited Delacourt the next night. She could have stopped her visits to Delacourt, or taken Cole with her when visiting, or in some other way shown him that she merely had a platonic relationship with Delacourt. But she did nothing rational like that.

CAUTION SPOILER:
After Jonet and Cole fell in love and decided to marry, Jonet should have known he was trustworthy, and she should have told him the secret about Delacourt. But she didn’t. Instead Cole had to leave her for two days to travel to Delacourt’s home where he learned the secret from Delacourt’s mother. Cole continued to keep this secret into the future. I didn’t care for this “keeping the secret” conflict.

Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: six. Setting: London, probably 1800s. Copyright: 2000. Genre: historical romance.

To date, I’ve read one other book by Liz Carlyle. My 3 star review for her book “Two Little Lies” copyright 2006 was posted on 7/29/08.

[Debby *BabyDee* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoy Liz Carlyle as an author and this story did not disappoint. A lovely and deeply felt romance that has twists and intriguing mysteries entangled between the pages.

[Lucimar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonet Rowland, é uma jovem rica, adorável e bela e também considerada infiel e desprezada por uma sociedade hipócrita. Mas, Jonet é uma mãe abnegada e quando o marido muito mais velho é envenenado é acusada de te-lo matado. No entanto, ela não dá a minima para os rumores e tudo que ela deseja é a segurança dos filhos.
Quando o irmão do falecido marido, implora para Capitão Cole Amherst para que ele investigue a morte do irmão, ele recusa. Porem, logo volta atrás e decide aceitar e se tornar tutor dos filhos dela. Cole logo percebe que Jonet esconde algo dele e que também os filhos, principalmente o mais velho, parece aterrorizado. Mas, ele não estava preparado para o impacto cujo o nome era "Jonet", cheia de vontades, resoluta e com uma campo de atração tão envolvente que o deixava impressionado.
Logo eles se verão atrapados nessa forte atração, que os lançará num mundo de medo e ciúmes.
Jonet é um furacão em constante ebulição, sua atração por Cole, faz com que ela não meça esforços para implorar em ser possuída por ele.
Nem Jonet está preparada para atração que ele provoca nele...
Liz Carlyle criou dois personagens impactantes: Cole, com sua formação cristã era um pouco puritano e se sentia culpado por não ter feito sua esposa feliz, no entanto, tinha uma personalidade bastante forte e não se deixava manipular por Jonet, que era admirável, mas impulsiva e apaixonada, se impunha com todo esplendor sobre ele.
Suas relações eram ardentes e apaixonadamente eróticas.
Haverá quem vá considerar a história bastante narrativa, e sem muitos diálogos (embora poucos são excelentes) pois ela descreve com detalhes os sentimentos dos personagens, a paisagem; e muitas vezes, me vi entre os personagens, caminhando, sentindo e observando. Gostei? Sem dúvida.

[Mell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't care for this one. Started skimming at the 25% mark, because I found the long-winded characters and their haughty posturing to be incredibly annoying. The narrative was wordy and became tedious.

[EmpK · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes a romance novel hero appealing? Is it looks, money, power? The fact that he's irresistible to other women? That's the formula that most novelists use.

Liz Carlyle does too. But the way she does it reminds me why she is one of my top 2 or 3 historic romance novelists go-to's.

Cole, a steady soldier (soon to be vicar) and Jonet, a marchioness who is rumored to have killed her husband. She needs a tutor for her sons. He's brought in by his uncle, who is the dead marquess' brother. Sparks fly. Meanwhile, someone is trying to harm Jonet and the kids. But who and why? The mystery doesn't overpower the story, but adds enough external interest to keep the book from being purely about the romance.

Cole is handsome, sure. Strong, smart, assertive. But he's also kind, reticent and not promiscuous. He can be sexy while still keeping it in his pants. He can have deep desire AND deep affection. In many ways, Carlyle inverts the two where he's focused on love more than sex, he doesn't initiate most of the sexual encounters, and he's more reserved and cautious. The inversion of rules with Jonet being more sexually assertive, more cajoling, more open about her feelings, etc, worked. It didn't emasculate Cole. He held his own, appreciating Jonet for what she was, and calling her out on her BS when she needed it.

The challenge for me in most romance novels is balance between hero and heroine. Most authors favor one or the other, in my opinion, e.g. Kleypas writes really strong heroes, Chase writes great heroines. But the balance between the two? I think Carlyle and maybe Jennifer Ashley get the balance about right every time.

Also props for a romance featuring an almost vicar, which is my catnip.

Five stars.

[Terryls · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once I was a fan of Liz Carlyle, but re-reading this book I didn’t like the tempermental, shrewish, nutcase of a heroine. And I didn’t like the priggish, holier than thou, stick up his butt hero. The love scenes were so bad they were almost laughable. This book hasn’t aged well. However, there are secondary characters like Delacourt and Rutledge that were more interesting than the primaries.

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

After rereading the book, my initial rating stands. This is a solid 4 star book for me. The relationship between Jonet and Cole was definitely what kept me interested while the mystery surrounding Jonet's husband's death was a bonus. The mystery was not poorly done and was a good foundation for throwing the two characters together.

Cole was interesting for hero. The fact that he took orders and was meant for the church was fascinating to me. When Carlyle describes him slipping on his gold-rimmed spectacles, I admit, I swooned a little. There's something about a strong man who is also intelligent!

Jonet's background seemed a little typical other romance novels I've read: innocent woman thrust into society, becomes jaded, not as bad as she seems, etc. There wasn't anything "new" about her character, but Carlyle's skillful writing kept her from being trite. Jonet's inner monologue also kept her character interesting. When she cried after making love with Cole, I almost wanted to cry with her.

There was a lot made of Jonet's "scandalous" behavior and past relationships, but nothing was ever explained. After the reader finds out about her true relationship with Lord Delacourt, nothing else of her past was mentioned. I had two reactions to this: 1) I was glad it wasn't revealed that Jonet was in fact practically virginal. So many times the "floozy" is revealed to be innocent and I liked that it wasn't the case this time. On the other hand ... 2) I wanted to know about her past. Did she have affairs? How does Cole feel about this? He seemed to really struggle with her behavior on a moral level, but at the same time he mentions his "vast experience" with women. The double-standard, while unfair, is not unexpected of the time period (or the romance genre). He seemed to accept her relationship with Delacourt and move on.

The epilogue was a good introduction into David's book, so I'm looking forward to rereading that one too :)

[Ilze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved it! The hero Cole is totally scrumptious and Jonet the heroine is a sparkling delight, even with her temper and outbursts. Both of the main characters are incredibly well-written and alive. Love how Cole finally resigns himself (with a secret happy grin) to marrying a "shrew".

I realized who the villain of the story is almost as soon as they were introduced, but that only made the story more interesting, to see how it would unfold and how the other characters would figure out what was going on, rather than having it sprung on me at the end. I also think the author intended it that way - this is pretty clear from the scene near the end of the book where Cole has gone back to London to thrash things out with Delacourt and the family is inveigled into the barn to look for some kittens - if the reader hasn't realized by this point who the villain is, there would be no tension or suspense here at all.

Oh yes, and the love scenes are incredibly hot ...

[Netanella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the character of Captain Cole Amherst and was extremely surprised that he could keep his composure during the screaming antics of Jonet. It was refreshing, also, to have the roles reversed, and to have the female lead during the pursuing of what could be described as a nerd of a male lead. The mystery element was well done as well, and I did not suspect the true cuprit until the big reveal at the end. For my first time reading a Liz Carlyle historical romance, I am won over and will definitely pursue more of her works.

[Fiordiligii · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm there's nothing wrong with this book but it's another favourite which lost its magic ... that would be the second Liz Carlyle in my re-reading spree. Still, I am glad I did reread so many of her books as she's such a marvelous author with a simply splendid writing style. C+

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonet and Cole were amazing together!! I am sure I will be rereading this in the near future.

[Olivia Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the Marquis of Mercer is found dead at his London home, it is whispered that he may have been poisoned by his headstrong and beautiful wife Lady Jonet Rowland. The late marquis’s brother, wishing to wrest control of Jonet’s two young sons from her, sends his golden nephew, the intelligent and infuriatingly moral Captain Cole Amherst to act as tutor to the boys . . . and to investigate. Carlyle snares us with Cole from the get-go—his concern for the children (not to mention his gold-rimmed spectacles) is pretty freakin’ hot. Cole’s care for the boys drives his initial decision to act as tutor, but he is unprepared for the contradictory impulses Jonet awakens within him. Spoiler: some of those impulses are neither intelligent nor moral;)

Liz Carlyle writes well and despite a fairly long introduction to set up the characters and circumstances, once things get going, it’s easy to find yourself hooked. The children’s presence in the story coupled with the fear that they may be in danger adds some delicious tension to what would otherwise be a straightforward romance. However, the mystery itself is fairly simple as far as mysteries go. Instead, it’s Carlyle’s attention to the depth and detail of each main character that keeps this story riding high.

Regency double standards and prejudice are on full display here. Any woman who does not conform to a predetermined mould of insipid virtuosity is a witch, a viper, a shrew (these are all bad things, by the way). Did I mention that Captain Amherst has also taken orders? He’s an almost-vicar! And he is full to the brim with principles and judgments . . . but also kindness and a level of intelligence that allow him to work through the worst of his prejudice when it comes to Jonet in particular and women in general. Jonet is wilful, speaks her mind, and (something I love in a heroine) wears her heart on her sleeve. Above all else, she seeks to protect her children from the mysterious danger that seems to loom over their heads.

The chemistry between Cole and Jonet practically sizzles off the page which makes it all the more frustrating when it feels as if Carlyle draws things out a little too long. Needless to say, it was incredibly satisfying to see Cole’s principled armour finally crack under the pressure—his very unchristian bloodlust and jealousy, his physical and spiritual need for Jonet overpowering his "decency".

So to sum up, expect to invest some time and patience at the beginning, and expect some frustration as Carlyle teases you along. I’m not entirely certain the romance would be as explosive if she hadn’t drawn it out the way that she did . . . but she did . . . so enjoy!

[Leonora · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Liz Carlyle books I'd read before all featured terrible rogues with nicer women, and this one features an incredible--very nice, truly great, amazing--male lead connecting with a very hurt woman who has built huge walls up around herself based on her father's treatment of her and the marriage she was forced into.

The setup of the book is interesting, Captain Cole Amherst is cajoled into investigating the death of his Uncle's (and former Guardian's) brother, the Marquis of Mercer. He is co-guardian of the two sons from the marriage the Marquis had with Lady Jonet Rowland and has some interest there (mostly in their assets, and believing Jonet killed his brother). Cole doesn't really want to but goes thinking that Lady Jonet won't take him up for the job of tutoring her sons. They meet and instantly clash while being incredibly and immediately drawn to each other (of course).

The book is a very good read with some mysteries that aren't really mysteries and one that is, while the two hurt people are figuring out how to get around their issues with themselves and others. Both of them had unhappy marriages, dashed dreams, and so on. It takes the approach of not filling in a lot of details--we don't really know much about, say Jonet's upbringing beyond basics, or much about her marriage other than her husband was a non-stop philanderer--but you still understand everything through the people the characters are now.

[May Mostly Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Woman Scorned (90) ตามมาในเดือนพฤษภาคม 2000 หนังสือที่แม็กซ์คิดว่าจะไม่ชอบ เพราะเป็นเรื่องราวของแม่ม่ายลูกติดสอง คนที่ถูกกล่าวหาว่าฆ่าสามีของตัวเอง กาลครั้งหนึ่งเมื่อนานมาแล้ว แม็กซ์ก็ยังเป็นคนโง่ที่ปิดกั้นตัวเองเหมือนกันนะ แม็กซ์มีรสนิยมบางอย่างที่เป็นกำแพงทำลายโอกาสของตัวเอง แม็กซ์ไม่ชอบเรื่องที่นางเอกแต่งงานมาก่อน หรือมีลูกติด หนังสือเล่มนี้พิสูจน์ให้แม็กซ์รู้ว่าตัวเองโง่แค่ไหน ความสนุกไม่ได้ขึ้นอยู่กับความบริสุทธิ์ของนางเอก หรือความหล่อเหลาของพระเอกหรอกนะ โจเน็ตนางเอกของเรื่องห่างไกลจากความเพียบพร้อม เธอถูกจัดให้แต่งงานกับชายสูงวัยกว่าตั้งแต่อายุน้อย เธอยอมรับกับมัน และทุ่มเททุกอย่างเพื่อลูกชายสองคนของเธอ และเมื่อสามีของเธอตายในลักษณะที่น่าสงสาร เธอก็ยืดหน้าต่อสู้กับคำครหา เธอเป็นผู้หญิงชนิดที่แม็กซ์อยากจะเป็น เพราะเธออารมณ์ร้ายแต่ยามรักก็สุดใจ เธอไม่แคร์สังคมและทำให้สังคมหมุนรอบตัวเธอได้ เธอไม่แคร์ที่ตัวเองจะเริ่มตกหลุมรักอดีตทหารที่เป็นอดีตพระที่ปัจจุบันเป็นครูสอนหนังสือให้ลูกชายของเธอ ตอนเริ่มแรกแม็กซ์คิดว่านี่จะเป็นอีกเรื่องหนึ่งที่พระเอกปลอมตัวเข้าไปอยู่ในบ้านนางเอก เพราะโคลถูกน้าชายของเขาซึ่งเป็นน้องเขยของโจเน็ตให้เข้าไปสืบสวนการตายของสามีของเธอ แต่ลิซก็เป็นนักเขียนที่ดีกว่านั้น เพราะนั่นไม่เคยเป็นประเด็นในเรื่อง

รสนิยมชอบผู้ชายสไตล์ดีแตกก็ได้มากจากเล่มนี้แหละ

[Alexandria Tale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guessed the villain right. I tend to think the unsuspected character to be the villain because I think there might be some twist in the end. So, I'm not really surprised of the outcome. I might not know of the true relationship between Jonet and Delacourt if only I didn't read the fifth book first. So, that kinda ruined the spoiler for me.

[Olena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty headings of every chapter were surprising for me. The narration and main characters' actions were unusual for romantic stories, but I liked very much.
I should add that an unexpected detective line was a zink.

[Janee · Rating 2 out of 5]

A decent summer read. Frothy, a bit earthy. Easily forgotten.

[Pat Edwards · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started well, got a little trite, then ended ok.

[Mclaudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, but I have to confess I read it so I could enjoy some of LC's later books more (we meet at least two characters that will have their own books).