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Aikenhead Honours #1
His Cavalry Lady
Alex instantly fell for Dominic Aikenhead, Duke of Calder, knowing that he would never notice her—because to him she was Captain Alexei Alexandrov, a young man and a brave hussar!
Alex longed to be with her English duke just once, as the passionate woman she truly was. To be swept off her feet, wearing the finest of gowns, would be a dream come true. But there was danger in such thoughts. What if Dominic ever found out the truth?
Alex longed to be with her English duke just once, as the passionate woman she truly was. To be swept off her feet, wearing the finest of gowns, would be a dream come true. But there was danger in such thoughts. What if Dominic ever found out the truth?
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 2008
12 people are currently reading
464 people want to read
About the author
Joanna Maitland
64 books14 followersI am a Scot, born and raised in Glasgow, one of the friendliest places in the world. Unfortunately, there were not many career opportunities in Scotland at the time I left University, and so I migrated to London. Living in England didn't stop me from hankering after the glorious wildness of the Scottish mountains and lochs, but short visits were the best I could do.
I have always been a history fan, fascinated by the detail of how our ancestors lived. I try to imagine the effects of working by candlelight rather than electricity, and how they coped with all that coal and water carrying, all that horse dung in the smelly, unswept streets. I marvel at the idea of scythe men creating a bowling green lawn, or seamstresses hand-sewing every stitch of a spider gauze gown. And I shudder at the extravagances of the rich, who could gamble away tens of thousands of pounds at a sitting, while the working poor subsisted on only a few shillings a week.
Like most writers, I have always scribbled. At school, I concocted a handwritten magazine with tiny writing that hardly anyone could read. I wrote stories and poems for school magazines and competitions. As an exchange student in France, I wrote reams of letters filled with pretty wild imaginings and some bad poetry (in rather suspect French).
When we were living abroad, I started writing children's stories. My children liked them, of course, but the publishers didn't. Then one day, I found Mills & Boon historicals, and I was hooked. I used to write on the commuter train to London and back, for about two hours a day. It was very peaceful in those days; most commuters were hiding behind their newspapers, and mobile phones hadn't been invented. At one stage, I spent several journeys playing piquet against myself with a miniature pack of cards, in order to be sure that all the scores I was quoting in my story were possible. My fellow passengers looked curiously at me out of the corners of their eyes, but nobody ever broke the silence to ask what on earth I was doing. Just as well, probably. What could I have said?
It took me nearly nine years of rejections to get one of my manuscripts accepted. It was published in 2001, as A Penniless Prospect, and short-listed for the New Writer's Award of the Romantic Novelists' Association. I'm still writing Regencies, but I've been studying medieval history since I stopped working full-time, and I'm now planning stories set in that period, too.
When we moved away from London commuterland a few years ago, we did try to find a new home in Scotland, but it didn't work out. We settled near the Welsh border instead. It's an ideal location. The countryside is full of medieval history--ruined castles, Offa's Dyke, cathedrals and churches, black and white villages--and some of the scenery reminds me of Scotland.
I have now indulged my love of Scotland a little by writing a book set there — Bride of the Solway. When I was researching the story, I spent some time in the Border country, visiting the ruined castles and admiring the spectacular scenery. You can see pictures of some of the settings I used in the book here and read some of the romantic background. There are also tales about Gretna marriages and the perils of the Solway on my research snippets page. I found it all fascinating, and I plan to write more stories set in Scotland.
I have always been a history fan, fascinated by the detail of how our ancestors lived. I try to imagine the effects of working by candlelight rather than electricity, and how they coped with all that coal and water carrying, all that horse dung in the smelly, unswept streets. I marvel at the idea of scythe men creating a bowling green lawn, or seamstresses hand-sewing every stitch of a spider gauze gown. And I shudder at the extravagances of the rich, who could gamble away tens of thousands of pounds at a sitting, while the working poor subsisted on only a few shillings a week.
Like most writers, I have always scribbled. At school, I concocted a handwritten magazine with tiny writing that hardly anyone could read. I wrote stories and poems for school magazines and competitions. As an exchange student in France, I wrote reams of letters filled with pretty wild imaginings and some bad poetry (in rather suspect French).
When we were living abroad, I started writing children's stories. My children liked them, of course, but the publishers didn't. Then one day, I found Mills & Boon historicals, and I was hooked. I used to write on the commuter train to London and back, for about two hours a day. It was very peaceful in those days; most commuters were hiding behind their newspapers, and mobile phones hadn't been invented. At one stage, I spent several journeys playing piquet against myself with a miniature pack of cards, in order to be sure that all the scores I was quoting in my story were possible. My fellow passengers looked curiously at me out of the corners of their eyes, but nobody ever broke the silence to ask what on earth I was doing. Just as well, probably. What could I have said?
It took me nearly nine years of rejections to get one of my manuscripts accepted. It was published in 2001, as A Penniless Prospect, and short-listed for the New Writer's Award of the Romantic Novelists' Association. I'm still writing Regencies, but I've been studying medieval history since I stopped working full-time, and I'm now planning stories set in that period, too.
When we moved away from London commuterland a few years ago, we did try to find a new home in Scotland, but it didn't work out. We settled near the Welsh border instead. It's an ideal location. The countryside is full of medieval history--ruined castles, Offa's Dyke, cathedrals and churches, black and white villages--and some of the scenery reminds me of Scotland.
I have now indulged my love of Scotland a little by writing a book set there — Bride of the Solway. When I was researching the story, I spent some time in the Border country, visiting the ruined castles and admiring the spectacular scenery. You can see pictures of some of the settings I used in the book here and read some of the romantic background. There are also tales about Gretna marriages and the perils of the Solway on my research snippets page. I found it all fascinating, and I plan to write more stories set in Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 10, 2017
3.5
Entertaining historical romance.
I particularly liked how the author used a real person to shape her heroine. There really was a woman at the beginning of the 19th century who disguised herself as a man in order to be a soldier in the Russian Army. She not only pulled this off but distinguished herself on the combat fields for her courage and fearlesness, and met the Tsar, who was one of the few people who knew who she was. He not only gave her a bravery medal but allowed her to join the elite group of the Hussars!
The historical setting is fascinating and provides plenty of material that is, as can be expected, twisted quite a bit to fit the romance. I also enjoyed the banter between the two main characters. Both are strong-willed and a good match for each other. A couple of times, the prose became a little too flowery for my liking, but that is a small matter.
Not revealing anything, due to this genre, a Happy Ending is of course on the cards - the focus not being on ‘IF’ but on ‘HOW’. So the couple gets eventually together but I wanted more. How would Alex adapt to being a woman once more, with all its restrictions, when she had lived for so many years as a man? How would she fit in Dominic’s family (some very colourful characters there), interact with all of them, and with society in this new role?
I’m probably asking too much of this novel. After all, Maitland did deliver a quick and fun story. It would just have been even better to get details about 'after'...
Entertaining historical romance.
I particularly liked how the author used a real person to shape her heroine. There really was a woman at the beginning of the 19th century who disguised herself as a man in order to be a soldier in the Russian Army. She not only pulled this off but distinguished herself on the combat fields for her courage and fearlesness, and met the Tsar, who was one of the few people who knew who she was. He not only gave her a bravery medal but allowed her to join the elite group of the Hussars!
The historical setting is fascinating and provides plenty of material that is, as can be expected, twisted quite a bit to fit the romance. I also enjoyed the banter between the two main characters. Both are strong-willed and a good match for each other. A couple of times, the prose became a little too flowery for my liking, but that is a small matter.
Not revealing anything, due to this genre, a Happy Ending is of course on the cards - the focus not being on ‘IF’ but on ‘HOW’. So the couple gets eventually together but I wanted more. How would Alex adapt to being a woman once more, with all its restrictions, when she had lived for so many years as a man? How would she fit in Dominic’s family (some very colourful characters there), interact with all of them, and with society in this new role?
I’m probably asking too much of this novel. After all, Maitland did deliver a quick and fun story. It would just have been even better to get details about 'after'...
February 3, 2017
Excellent historical romance with a twist - and one based in truth, at that!
January 7, 2017
Wonderful little story based around a couple of interesting real elements of history but bent to a romance plot. There really was an officer of the Hussars who was a woman disguised as a man and with the full knowledge of the Tsar during the Napoleonic Wars. (Nadezhda Durova who sounds like a total badass). The main setting of the story with the anti-Napoleon allied monarchs visiting London also really happened during 1814.
Alexandra, Alex or Alexi is a Captain of the Hussars, elite Russian cavalryman during the Napoleonic Wars which are now over. As she can speak English (her mother was Scottish), she has been assigned to the Tsar's visit to London, partly as a spy. Her main contact with the English is the Duke of Calder, Dominic Aikenhead, who she develops a horrible case of instalove for. It's even harder for Dominic because his subconscious is all over that as well (he has no idea that she's a woman) and while he develops a strong friendship with the young Russian his behavior is more protective and appreciative suitor than buddy-like.
It all plays out much as you'd expect. Alex has to protect her secret, but does get to be Alexandra for Dominic at least once. Dominic is obsessed with Alex first as an anonymous french waif that he has an encounter with and then later when Alexandra appears at a ball. And then there's concern for the suitability of the match between a Duke and an "unnatural woman".
The historical setting and events shine in the background, the romance plot, while predictable, is a lot of fun to watch play out and overall both of these characters are really interesting. I can't help but wonder what sort of life these people would have after the events of the book.
My only criticism is that it's hard to see how Alex would retain so many "girlish" sensibilities after five years of fighting a war, but I think it's necessary to make the plot work.
Alexandra, Alex or Alexi is a Captain of the Hussars, elite Russian cavalryman during the Napoleonic Wars which are now over. As she can speak English (her mother was Scottish), she has been assigned to the Tsar's visit to London, partly as a spy. Her main contact with the English is the Duke of Calder, Dominic Aikenhead, who she develops a horrible case of instalove for. It's even harder for Dominic because his subconscious is all over that as well (he has no idea that she's a woman) and while he develops a strong friendship with the young Russian his behavior is more protective and appreciative suitor than buddy-like.
It all plays out much as you'd expect. Alex has to protect her secret, but does get to be Alexandra for Dominic at least once. Dominic is obsessed with Alex first as an anonymous french waif that he has an encounter with and then later when Alexandra appears at a ball. And then there's concern for the suitability of the match between a Duke and an "unnatural woman".
The historical setting and events shine in the background, the romance plot, while predictable, is a lot of fun to watch play out and overall both of these characters are really interesting. I can't help but wonder what sort of life these people would have after the events of the book.
My only criticism is that it's hard to see how Alex would retain so many "girlish" sensibilities after five years of fighting a war, but I think it's necessary to make the plot work.
May 21, 2015
I just loved this book! Delightful from start to finish.
It's 1812, and at the start of the story, we meet Alex, a young hussar in the Russian cavalry, about to be given Russia's highest bravery award for valour in battle against the French. Ah, you think, our hero! But no! Alex is actually a woman, disguised as a man, after running away from being basically auctioned off to the highest bidder in the marriage market. She gets a commission from the Tsar himself, who's found out her secret, but it pleases his kingly whim to let her keep on serving. He's probably running a book with his ministers on how long she can pull it off.
A couple of years later, the Tsar goes to England for a state visit to meet the Prince Regent and takes along Alex as an aide-de-camp, because she can speak English. She is charged with keeping that fact quiet and reporting back on anything the English folks say thinking Alex can't understand.
She meets Dominic Aikenhead, a duke and (unknown to her) a spy, who is liaison to the Tsar while in England. Dominic and Alex become friends. He thinks "Alexei" is a delightful young fellow, she is having rather more intimate feelings for Dominic. Of course, she can't say anything about them, and just wants to get this mission over with and go home before she ends up totally blowing her secret wide open.
For reasons too involved to explain (well no, it's for a bet) Alex ends up at a ball dressed as a woman. So she's a woman disguised as a man disguised as a woman. She and Dominic meet up and since she speaks good English because of her Scottish mother, and it's a masked ball and she has on a lot of makeup and a big wig, he doesn't recognise her as his young Russian friend. But he does recognise her as one hot babe who pretty much fits the role of "woman of his dreams".
After things get hot and heavy in the gardens, she flees, knowing this is the only night they'll ever be together as man and woman. The rest of the time they spend together before the Tsar leaves, she finds it impossible not to react to his presence and his touch and Dominic starts to think his young friend has "unnatural" feelings for him, and becomes more distant, not wanting to encourage that.
When she leaves to return to Russia, she sends him a letter that he'll only get after she's gone, telling him of her feelings, and letting him know, at least hinting, of who she really is. Dominic puts one and one together to make, well, one, as in Alexei and Alexandra from the ball are one and the same person. Now he must pursue her back to Russia and persuade he to give up the life she's fought so hard to keep and become his wife.
It's such a fun story, with the Big Secret always there between them, and various littler ones too, like the fact they are both spying for their countries. Both the leads are very appealing characters and I wanted to see them get together. And because Dominic is a spy and the leader of a small spy team, which includes his brothers and their friend, Alex is not going to have to now settle down to a life of skirts and embroidery, but will become part of their group, since they certainly know she has the mettle for it. The story is also about her "awakening" too as a woman. Her situation has meant sexuality has played no part in her life so far, it's something she's had to completely repress and avoid to keep her secret. But her feelings for Dominic are too strong to ignore.
The whole thing of her being disguised as a man makes the romance tricky to handle of course. Though we want to see Dominic liking Alexei, any hint that he actually fancies "him" would just make us worry for the future after the happy ending. So it can feel a bit one sided in that she's having strong feelings of attraction and love for him, while he's innocently thinking "what a nice chap he is." So they're sort of not on the same page and he's got the catching up to do later. But it's well handled. And it's interesting that when he has tracked her down back home he kisses her before saying something to the effect of "Can I just confirm, you definitely are a woman, right?" He's pretty sure of that by that point, but he could have been wrong! Which would have been super-awkward.
His reaction to thinking Alexei has feelings for him is kind of interesting actually. He's not that shocked and just feels rather sorry for him. Later when he gets the letter, before he realises the full import of it, he's shocked only that Alexei would risk so much by putting these sentiments down on paper. In another book that might have come across as him being politically correct two hundred years ahead of his time. But for Dominic it makes sense. He's a spy and a diplomat, they don't have much truck with getting morally outraged about stuff. Their own morals are a bit on the grey side anyway. They're realists, familiar with the range of human weaknesses. To someone like Dominic this is just interesting and potentially useful information, rather than something to get his britches in an uproar about.
It's great news for me that this is the first in a series of books following the three brothers' spying adventures, I look forward to reading the others and hopefully to cameos from Dominic and Alex.
It's 1812, and at the start of the story, we meet Alex, a young hussar in the Russian cavalry, about to be given Russia's highest bravery award for valour in battle against the French. Ah, you think, our hero! But no! Alex is actually a woman, disguised as a man, after running away from being basically auctioned off to the highest bidder in the marriage market. She gets a commission from the Tsar himself, who's found out her secret, but it pleases his kingly whim to let her keep on serving. He's probably running a book with his ministers on how long she can pull it off.
A couple of years later, the Tsar goes to England for a state visit to meet the Prince Regent and takes along Alex as an aide-de-camp, because she can speak English. She is charged with keeping that fact quiet and reporting back on anything the English folks say thinking Alex can't understand.
She meets Dominic Aikenhead, a duke and (unknown to her) a spy, who is liaison to the Tsar while in England. Dominic and Alex become friends. He thinks "Alexei" is a delightful young fellow, she is having rather more intimate feelings for Dominic. Of course, she can't say anything about them, and just wants to get this mission over with and go home before she ends up totally blowing her secret wide open.
For reasons too involved to explain (well no, it's for a bet) Alex ends up at a ball dressed as a woman. So she's a woman disguised as a man disguised as a woman. She and Dominic meet up and since she speaks good English because of her Scottish mother, and it's a masked ball and she has on a lot of makeup and a big wig, he doesn't recognise her as his young Russian friend. But he does recognise her as one hot babe who pretty much fits the role of "woman of his dreams".
After things get hot and heavy in the gardens, she flees, knowing this is the only night they'll ever be together as man and woman. The rest of the time they spend together before the Tsar leaves, she finds it impossible not to react to his presence and his touch and Dominic starts to think his young friend has "unnatural" feelings for him, and becomes more distant, not wanting to encourage that.
When she leaves to return to Russia, she sends him a letter that he'll only get after she's gone, telling him of her feelings, and letting him know, at least hinting, of who she really is. Dominic puts one and one together to make, well, one, as in Alexei and Alexandra from the ball are one and the same person. Now he must pursue her back to Russia and persuade he to give up the life she's fought so hard to keep and become his wife.
It's such a fun story, with the Big Secret always there between them, and various littler ones too, like the fact they are both spying for their countries. Both the leads are very appealing characters and I wanted to see them get together. And because Dominic is a spy and the leader of a small spy team, which includes his brothers and their friend, Alex is not going to have to now settle down to a life of skirts and embroidery, but will become part of their group, since they certainly know she has the mettle for it. The story is also about her "awakening" too as a woman. Her situation has meant sexuality has played no part in her life so far, it's something she's had to completely repress and avoid to keep her secret. But her feelings for Dominic are too strong to ignore.
The whole thing of her being disguised as a man makes the romance tricky to handle of course. Though we want to see Dominic liking Alexei, any hint that he actually fancies "him" would just make us worry for the future after the happy ending. So it can feel a bit one sided in that she's having strong feelings of attraction and love for him, while he's innocently thinking "what a nice chap he is." So they're sort of not on the same page and he's got the catching up to do later. But it's well handled. And it's interesting that when he has tracked her down back home he kisses her before saying something to the effect of "Can I just confirm, you definitely are a woman, right?" He's pretty sure of that by that point, but he could have been wrong! Which would have been super-awkward.
His reaction to thinking Alexei has feelings for him is kind of interesting actually. He's not that shocked and just feels rather sorry for him. Later when he gets the letter, before he realises the full import of it, he's shocked only that Alexei would risk so much by putting these sentiments down on paper. In another book that might have come across as him being politically correct two hundred years ahead of his time. But for Dominic it makes sense. He's a spy and a diplomat, they don't have much truck with getting morally outraged about stuff. Their own morals are a bit on the grey side anyway. They're realists, familiar with the range of human weaknesses. To someone like Dominic this is just interesting and potentially useful information, rather than something to get his britches in an uproar about.
It's great news for me that this is the first in a series of books following the three brothers' spying adventures, I look forward to reading the others and hopefully to cameos from Dominic and Alex.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2009
A crossdressing heroine who actually played a part in male society. It was a surprise to come across considering all other genderbender stories of this theme. Alex was a great heroine and embodied what I think all women, especially in this century, want to embody. One problem might be that her history was only slightly commented on and all focus was concentrated on the love story. I think I would have preferred some more family history and a more eventful masquerade scene.
Dom was the perfect man. Maybe a little too perfect, except for the over-the-top spy family part (he was called 'Ace'...). His brother's stories are next. I am willing to try them, even if they are missing the genderbender theme
Dom was the perfect man. Maybe a little too perfect, except for the over-the-top spy family part (he was called 'Ace'...). His brother's stories are next. I am willing to try them, even if they are missing the genderbender theme
April 27, 2016
Based on a real historical person, the heroine in the story is serving in the Russian army during the Napoleonic Wars as a cavalry officer. Unlike the real one, she travels to England as part of the Tsar's escort after Napoleon is exiled to Elba where she meets a duke who is the liaison to the Russians. They have already met at a fire in the stables at the inn where they were staying before crossing the channel, but neither was properly dressed and both were smoke covered. But he knew she was a girl then. Neither recognizes the other when they meet again. Nor does the hero catch on to her true nature through most of the story, but then, the real Russian lady hussar served for 10 years without anyone ever knowing. When he does figure it out, he follows her to Russia. I enjoyed the story. It's definitely a good read.
September 13, 2021
Tratto da una storia vera, la versione russa di Lady Oscar, accurata l'ambientazione storica, che ruba la scena alla parte rosa.
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nade%C5... Andreevna Durova, conosciuta anche come Aleksandr Durov, Aleksandr Sokolov e Aleksandr Andreevič Alexandrov (in russo: Надежда Андреевна Дурова?; Kiev, 17 settembre 1783 – Elabuga, 21 marzo 1866), è stata un'ufficiale russa.
Fu una donna che militò come soldato nella cavalleria russa durante le guerre napoleoniche. Grazie al suo coraggio si guadagnò diverse medaglie e venne promossa ufficiale, diventando così, per quanto se ne sappia, la prima donna ufficiale della storia militare russa. Le sue memorie, Memorie del cavalier-pulzella, sono un documento rilevante della sua epoca.
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nade%C5... Andreevna Durova, conosciuta anche come Aleksandr Durov, Aleksandr Sokolov e Aleksandr Andreevič Alexandrov (in russo: Надежда Андреевна Дурова?; Kiev, 17 settembre 1783 – Elabuga, 21 marzo 1866), è stata un'ufficiale russa.
Fu una donna che militò come soldato nella cavalleria russa durante le guerre napoleoniche. Grazie al suo coraggio si guadagnò diverse medaglie e venne promossa ufficiale, diventando così, per quanto se ne sappia, la prima donna ufficiale della storia militare russa. Le sue memorie, Memorie del cavalier-pulzella, sono un documento rilevante della sua epoca.
October 12, 2008
Based on a true story, this book tells the tale of a woman, masquerading as a man, who joined the Russian cavalry. I love the strong, non-traditional heroine. I also love her equally strong, non-traditional alpha male hero who loves her because she is the way she is.
His Cavalry Lady is the first Joanna Maitland book I've read, and the first in the four book series The Aikenhead Honours. I'm certainly going to read the others.
His Cavalry Lady is the first Joanna Maitland book I've read, and the first in the four book series The Aikenhead Honours. I'm certainly going to read the others.
December 8, 2009
So far, I'm a bit disapointed. Alex is meant to have participated in war (and she'd been a war hero even) but she's acting like a simpering-16 years old- fool of a debutante. Plz, anyone who had seen the war couldn't possibly have no after-effect (bad after-effect) from it...
October 7, 2011
Utterly brilliant and convincing. This is one of the most romantic gender-bender stories - girl dressed as boy - that I've read. Highly recommended!
April 18, 2022
Johanna Maitland - la spia dello zar
Questo romanzo aveva attirato la mia attenzione per via della copertina: credevo fosse un MM storico, andando a leggere la sinossi invece lo scenario era ancora più interessante; il capitano degli ussari Alexei Ivanovich Alexandrov è in realtà l'avventurosa Alexandra, data il suo valore viene scelta per scortare lo zar in visita a Londra, e li accade l'imprevisto: il Duca Dominic Aikenhead, inizia con lui/lei una amichevole collaborazione che inevitabilmente si trasforma in altro.
Ricordavo di aver letto una storia vera proprio su una donna arruolata negli ussari a quel tempo ( a Mariupol tra l’altro, ritrovare il nome di questa città in questo momento particolare mi ha spezzato il cuore) e l’autrice nelle note a fine libro mi ha dato la conferma, entrando ovviamente più nei dettagli rispetto a quanto io ricordassi. Echi della mia infanzia mi hanno affettuosamente ricordato lady Oscar, anche se ovviamente non è lo stesso periodo nè la stessa ambientazione… ma per la mia generazione l’assonanza è inevitabile.
Se storicamente questo fatto di nascondere la propria vera identità femminile dietro una divisa maschile è possibile, ben più difficile è gestire quella che io chiamo la “sindrome di Clark Kent”
(Per essere chiari con gli occhiali sono Clark Kent senza sono Superman e tu non te ne accorgi) che aborro e punisco severamente nelle recensioni.
Diciamo che qui l’abbiamo sfiorata un paio di volte anche se tutto sommato è stata perdonabile …non siamo arrivati arrivati ai livelli offensivi di Jesse Michael nel “duca tradito”, diciamo che siamo ai limiti del sopportabile e del plausibile. ( se riesci a sembrare un uomo in divisa sei sostanzialmente bruttina o comunque mascolina non è che diventi una vera e propria dea dell’amore vestita da donna ma vabbè )
In realtà è tutto perché non si è voluto rischiare…
Dominic il duca, prova un’amicizia affettuosa ma soltanto questo per Alex il capitano. Quando Alex diventa Alexandra a una festa in maschera invece scatta l’amore. Insomma nelle vesti maschili Dominic non è per nulla attratto da Alex , non un turbamento… ogni tanto appena qualche sensazione stranita ma niente di più. Diciamo che l’autrice ha voluto preservare l’eterosessualità titanica di Dominic , quando sarebbe stato infinitamente più facile stilisticamente, e molto più straziante sentimentalmente che lui si innamorasse totalmente dell’essere umano uomo o donna che fosse ,in quanto anima e in quanto persona.
Avrebbe reso quell’amore inevitabile e tenace, insomma destabilizzante,ma puro.
Un’occasione sprecata, perché bastava davvero poco, un vero peccato perché sarebbe stata davvero una perla, invece rimane incastrato nel cliché del romanzo storico Harmony semplice.
In ogni caso piacevole.⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2023
It was great that the heroine is based in a real life heroine. In that time it’s difficult for a woman, and in this case more because she was living, breathing and behaving like a man in a hard world. The real-life cavalry lady, Nadezhda Durova wasn’t the only heroine in history, Mulan was the other, hundreds years before.
I don’t understand how he not recognized her all this time in the book, his body should recognize or his subconscious. Hell his body recognized and reacted that she was a woman instead of a boy the first time they met when he thought she was a boy, in the smoke and fire when he entangled her body to his to stop the fire. He recognized her voice when he heard her at the docks and felt almost ill when she thought she was a young man. When later he found her in the ball he recognized her as the woman of his dreams in the smoke, he couldn’t even seen her face, until she opened her mouth and started speaking in English with Scottish accent instead of French. But his subconscious knew. Hell even the names are similar, Alex, Alexandra. And how he could not recognize her face when she withdraw the mask even if it was painted, it’s the same face, and how he could not recognize her eyes and Alex's are the same. If he was so bewitched he should see it.
Much later when he thought that Alex has designs on him, he became aloof, it’s unbelievable that the H’s body reacted when he thought she was a woman and not reacted when he touched him when he was a man, the h always reacted when he touched her. It looks that his attraction to her is a illusion if he cannot feel the same in her disguise there are no sparks from his side and a lot from her.
I don’t understand how he not recognized her all this time in the book, his body should recognize or his subconscious. Hell his body recognized and reacted that she was a woman instead of a boy the first time they met when he thought she was a boy, in the smoke and fire when he entangled her body to his to stop the fire. He recognized her voice when he heard her at the docks and felt almost ill when she thought she was a young man. When later he found her in the ball he recognized her as the woman of his dreams in the smoke, he couldn’t even seen her face, until she opened her mouth and started speaking in English with Scottish accent instead of French. But his subconscious knew. Hell even the names are similar, Alex, Alexandra. And how he could not recognize her face when she withdraw the mask even if it was painted, it’s the same face, and how he could not recognize her eyes and Alex's are the same. If he was so bewitched he should see it.
Much later when he thought that Alex has designs on him, he became aloof, it’s unbelievable that the H’s body reacted when he thought she was a woman and not reacted when he touched him when he was a man, the h always reacted when he touched her. It looks that his attraction to her is a illusion if he cannot feel the same in her disguise there are no sparks from his side and a lot from her.
February 21, 2019
so far i like:
- the character backstory inspired by real life
- the girl in disguise element
Not so keen on:
- the main character was meant to be bold and brave - but most of the time was just a bit self conscious, not confident and generally a bit wimpy. It basically felt that at the beginning of chapter 1 the heroine had a personality transplant.
- unconvincing chemistry
- the bizarre and unbelievable plot twist that involved the captain having to dress as a woman... errr
etc... etc...
- the character backstory inspired by real life
- the girl in disguise element
Not so keen on:
- the main character was meant to be bold and brave - but most of the time was just a bit self conscious, not confident and generally a bit wimpy. It basically felt that at the beginning of chapter 1 the heroine had a personality transplant.
- unconvincing chemistry
- the bizarre and unbelievable plot twist that involved the captain having to dress as a woman... errr
etc... etc...
May 2, 2020
This book, I really enjoyed! It was hard to believe that the situation of a girl joined the cavalry, fought with bravery and was not discovered by the men just seemed unlikely but at the end, the author notes that this really happened with Madezhda Durova who did serve in the Russian cavalry for ten years ( 1806 to 1816) and later she was a commissioned officer!!!
March 8, 2017
Hated the cat and mouse game between the main characters.
April 5, 2018
4 stars.
May 11, 2010
So I'm a sucker for gender-bender books. Maitland's writing was well enough, but nothing particularly extraordinary. Decent book, but it could have been much more interesting, however, had Maitland chosen to focus less on the angst and more on potentially interesting situations. As it was, this book did nothing new, but it's enjoyable enough.
August 31, 2019
I really liked it. The characters were solid with good dialogue, the pace was a bit slow but in the best way. The story was interesting and engaging, and pretty credible.
It does, however have nothing to do with the real story, apart from being 'inspired by'.
It does, however have nothing to do with the real story, apart from being 'inspired by'.
May 5, 2009
Regency romance, but for a change features a Russian woman who pretends to be male to serve as a cavalry officer. Based on a true person (well, not the romance bit)
November 30, 2010
loved it!
August 16, 2011
Alex is really well done. She is strong and brave, a warrior, but also a woman. A really intriguing concept especially since the link is made to the ties of Britain and Tsarist Russia.
January 12, 2014
No other book like this. <3
March 7, 2014
This had a very slow start, thick with military information and terms. Could have been a bit lighter on that and heavier on the suspense and romance. I Just didn't feel it. Felt like it was forced.
July 11, 2014
Eh, I like the idea of this but not anything else.
May 14, 2016
A little boring though characters are sweet.
April 18, 2017
This book was my first historical romance I ever read, and it was quite good.
The beginning it's q little slow, but it's expected from a book of history so dense.
A thing that made me sad was that the conflict vetween the two main characters seemed to be resolved hurriedly, it was wonderful, but for me too fast.
The beginning it's q little slow, but it's expected from a book of history so dense.
A thing that made me sad was that the conflict vetween the two main characters seemed to be resolved hurriedly, it was wonderful, but for me too fast.
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