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Montgomery/Taggert: Publication order #22
The Heiress
An enchanting and entertaining romance from New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux!
Jamie Montgomery, an impoverished Elizabethan knight, is elated when he is assigned to escort Axia, the Lancaster heiress, to the castle of her betrothed. If only she will fall in love with Jamie—as Jamie's devoted older sister predict—the family's financial woes will be solved. But Axia, who has spent her life closely guarded by her father's servants, is not the shy, cossetted flower Jamie expects. She's a hoyden, hell-bent on enjoying her precious moments of liberty before her marriage to a man chosen by her remote, eccentric father.
After curtly informing Jamie not to bother declaring his love for her—as all poor, handsome men seem wont to do—Axia makes his life a misery, sneaking off to the marketplace, nearly breaking her neck on a runaway horse, and doing everything possible to delay the trip. Though she dare not admit it, even to herself, Axia dreads being wed to a stranger. Suddenly Jamie realizes that he savors even her most barbed words like the rarest nectar..and that he is falling desperately in love with this bold, maddening beauty. Now he must contrive a daring plan to win her freedom—and win her proud, defiant heart for his own!
Jamie Montgomery, an impoverished Elizabethan knight, is elated when he is assigned to escort Axia, the Lancaster heiress, to the castle of her betrothed. If only she will fall in love with Jamie—as Jamie's devoted older sister predict—the family's financial woes will be solved. But Axia, who has spent her life closely guarded by her father's servants, is not the shy, cossetted flower Jamie expects. She's a hoyden, hell-bent on enjoying her precious moments of liberty before her marriage to a man chosen by her remote, eccentric father.
After curtly informing Jamie not to bother declaring his love for her—as all poor, handsome men seem wont to do—Axia makes his life a misery, sneaking off to the marketplace, nearly breaking her neck on a runaway horse, and doing everything possible to delay the trip. Though she dare not admit it, even to herself, Axia dreads being wed to a stranger. Suddenly Jamie realizes that he savors even her most barbed words like the rarest nectar..and that he is falling desperately in love with this bold, maddening beauty. Now he must contrive a daring plan to win her freedom—and win her proud, defiant heart for his own!
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 1995
413 people are currently reading
2137 people want to read
About the author
Jude Deveraux
199 books7,042 followersJude Gilliam was born September 20, 1947 in Fairdale, Kentucky. She has a large extended family and is the elder sister of four brothers. She attended Murray State University and received a degree in Art. In 1967, Jude married and took her husband's surname of White, but four years later they divorced. For years, she worked as 5th-grade teacher.
She began writing in 1976, and published her first book, The Enchanted Land (1977) under the name Jude Deveraux. Following the publication of her first novel, she resigned her teaching position. Now, she is the author of 31 New York Times bestsellers.
Jude won readers' hearts with the epic Velvet series, which revolves around the lives of the Montgomery family's irresistible men. Jude's early books are set largely in 15th- and 16th-century England; in them her fierce, impassioned protagonists find themselves in the midst of blood feuds and wars. Her heroines are equally scrappy -- medieval Scarlett O'Haras who often have a low regard for the men who eventually win them over. They're fighters, certainly, but they're also beauties who are preoccupied with survival and family preservation.
Jude has also stepped outside her milieu, with mixed results. Her James River trilogy (River Lady, Lost Lady, and Counterfeit Lady) is set mostly in post-Revolution America; the popular, softer-edged Twin of Fire/Twin of Ice moves to 19th-century Colorado and introduces another hunky-man clan, the Taggerts.
Deveraux manages to evoke a strong and convincing atmosphere for each of her books, but her dialogue and characters are as familiar as a modern-day soap opera's. "Historicals seem to be all I'm capable of," Jude once said in an interview, referring to a now out-of-print attempt at contemporary fiction, 1982's Casa Grande. "I don't want to write family sagas or occult books, and I have no intention of again trying to ruin the contemporary market." Still, Jude did later attempt modern-day romances, such as the lighthearted High Tide (her first murder caper), the contemporary female friendship story The Summerhouse, and the time-traveling Knight in Shining Armor. In fact, with 2002's The Mulberry Tree, Deveraux seems to be getting more comfortable setting stories in the present, which is a good thing, since the fans she won with her historical books are eager to follow her into the future.
Jude married Claude White, who she later divorced in 1993. Around the same time she met Mohammed Montassir with whom she had a son, Sam Alexander Montassir, in 1997. On Oct. 6th, 2005, Sam died at the age of eight in a motorcycle accident.
Jude has lived in several countries and all over the United States. She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and has an additional home in the medieval city of Badolato, Italy.
She began writing in 1976, and published her first book, The Enchanted Land (1977) under the name Jude Deveraux. Following the publication of her first novel, she resigned her teaching position. Now, she is the author of 31 New York Times bestsellers.
Jude won readers' hearts with the epic Velvet series, which revolves around the lives of the Montgomery family's irresistible men. Jude's early books are set largely in 15th- and 16th-century England; in them her fierce, impassioned protagonists find themselves in the midst of blood feuds and wars. Her heroines are equally scrappy -- medieval Scarlett O'Haras who often have a low regard for the men who eventually win them over. They're fighters, certainly, but they're also beauties who are preoccupied with survival and family preservation.
Jude has also stepped outside her milieu, with mixed results. Her James River trilogy (River Lady, Lost Lady, and Counterfeit Lady) is set mostly in post-Revolution America; the popular, softer-edged Twin of Fire/Twin of Ice moves to 19th-century Colorado and introduces another hunky-man clan, the Taggerts.
Deveraux manages to evoke a strong and convincing atmosphere for each of her books, but her dialogue and characters are as familiar as a modern-day soap opera's. "Historicals seem to be all I'm capable of," Jude once said in an interview, referring to a now out-of-print attempt at contemporary fiction, 1982's Casa Grande. "I don't want to write family sagas or occult books, and I have no intention of again trying to ruin the contemporary market." Still, Jude did later attempt modern-day romances, such as the lighthearted High Tide (her first murder caper), the contemporary female friendship story The Summerhouse, and the time-traveling Knight in Shining Armor. In fact, with 2002's The Mulberry Tree, Deveraux seems to be getting more comfortable setting stories in the present, which is a good thing, since the fans she won with her historical books are eager to follow her into the future.
Jude married Claude White, who she later divorced in 1993. Around the same time she met Mohammed Montassir with whom she had a son, Sam Alexander Montassir, in 1997. On Oct. 6th, 2005, Sam died at the age of eight in a motorcycle accident.
Jude has lived in several countries and all over the United States. She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and has an additional home in the medieval city of Badolato, Italy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
January 26, 2019
Con Tode y Berengaria, prácticamente lo único bueno de este libro es su portada. El planteamiento no es malo, pero su desarrollo es un despropósito, lleno de malentendidos sin sentido, incongruente con la época en la que transcurre y con dos personajes principales a cuál más cabezon. #LCCPE
#Popsugar 2019 Reto 34. Un libro con un título de 2 palabras
#Popsugar 2019 Reto 34. Un libro con un título de 2 palabras
January 31, 2022
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡
Romance: 💞
Sensuality: 💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥 (There are 3 scenes but the second two are extremely short and vague and uncountable)
Humor: Yes, a bit, especially with the family members scenes
(These are all personal preference and may vary for you! Our steam scale follows our chart over in The Ton and the Tartans facebook group.)
Should I read in order?
Hmmmm I’m not sure! I am reading off of Jude Deveraux’s website which has her books listed in chronological order (of time period). So this says it’s #22 in the Montgomery/Taggert series. I am reading it as #7 (The order I’m reading is found here: https://judedeveraux.com/books/the-mo...)
Basic plot:
Axia is an heiress and everyone wants her for money. She’s been hidden away from everyone her whole life but her father has finally arranged a marriage for her. Jaime Montgomery has been tasked with bringing her to her betrothed. Jaime cannot stop thinking about his impoverished family though, and how much money the heiress is worth.
Give this a try if you want:
-Elizabethan England time period – this story takes place in 1572
-Lower steam – there’s 3 scenes but nothing is very detailed and it’s very brief
-Plenty of antics – like all the Deveraux books I’ve read there’s not a ton of time spent in introspection here – there’s always something happening including action, kidnappings, fights, etc
-Forbidden love trope – hero is poor and wants to marry the heiress, but he’s falling for Axia instead who he thinks is a poor companion
My thoughts:
So, I actually enjoyed the beginning of this one! I haven’t been a huge fan of Deveraux’s books, but I found the flow of this one a lot smoother than the previous ones I’ve read. But it kind of dropped off for me in the latter half.
I struggled with this one a bit because there is quite a bit of deceit that occurs from the heroine throughout the story. I don’t do well with that, it’s always something that ends up bothering me immensely. If that’s not a problem for you, you will probably enjoy it more than me.
Axia I found hard to like, her lies just didn’t seem to stop even right up at the end and I kept waiting for her to turn around her behavior. Jaime was all right, but he would say quite a few things (usually later in the book regarding his feelings) but I felt like they absolutely did not match his actions. So the whole story was a bit unbelievable to me. But still, it was better for me than some of her previous ones I’ve tried.
Some random thoughts
Content warning:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡
Romance: 💞
Sensuality: 💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥 (There are 3 scenes but the second two are extremely short and vague and uncountable)
Humor: Yes, a bit, especially with the family members scenes
(These are all personal preference and may vary for you! Our steam scale follows our chart over in The Ton and the Tartans facebook group.)
Should I read in order?
Hmmmm I’m not sure! I am reading off of Jude Deveraux’s website which has her books listed in chronological order (of time period). So this says it’s #22 in the Montgomery/Taggert series. I am reading it as #7 (The order I’m reading is found here: https://judedeveraux.com/books/the-mo...)
Basic plot:
Axia is an heiress and everyone wants her for money. She’s been hidden away from everyone her whole life but her father has finally arranged a marriage for her. Jaime Montgomery has been tasked with bringing her to her betrothed. Jaime cannot stop thinking about his impoverished family though, and how much money the heiress is worth.
Give this a try if you want:
-Elizabethan England time period – this story takes place in 1572
-Lower steam – there’s 3 scenes but nothing is very detailed and it’s very brief
-Plenty of antics – like all the Deveraux books I’ve read there’s not a ton of time spent in introspection here – there’s always something happening including action, kidnappings, fights, etc
-Forbidden love trope – hero is poor and wants to marry the heiress, but he’s falling for Axia instead who he thinks is a poor companion
My thoughts:
So, I actually enjoyed the beginning of this one! I haven’t been a huge fan of Deveraux’s books, but I found the flow of this one a lot smoother than the previous ones I’ve read. But it kind of dropped off for me in the latter half.
I struggled with this one a bit because there is quite a bit of deceit that occurs from the heroine throughout the story. I don’t do well with that, it’s always something that ends up bothering me immensely. If that’s not a problem for you, you will probably enjoy it more than me.
Axia I found hard to like, her lies just didn’t seem to stop even right up at the end and I kept waiting for her to turn around her behavior. Jaime was all right, but he would say quite a few things (usually later in the book regarding his feelings) but I felt like they absolutely did not match his actions. So the whole story was a bit unbelievable to me. But still, it was better for me than some of her previous ones I’ve tried.
Some random thoughts
Content warning:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes
June 26, 2013
When I was in high school, I was suspended for two weeks due to a fight I got into with a close friend. During that time, my sister gave me this book and told me to occupy my time with something. I read the book within a few hours and then I re-read it immediately. It was my first romance novel and probably the first book that I read for pleasure since I was child.
It was because of the setting of this book that I pursued a degree in Medieval History. I absolutely love this book. It has been 18 years since I first read it but I find myself picking it up and re-reading it.
I have to admit that the ending confused me when I initially read it. Okay, maybe it still does, but I absolutely loved the heroine and her resourcefulness. All time favorite book!
It was because of the setting of this book that I pursued a degree in Medieval History. I absolutely love this book. It has been 18 years since I first read it but I find myself picking it up and re-reading it.
I have to admit that the ending confused me when I initially read it. Okay, maybe it still does, but I absolutely loved the heroine and her resourcefulness. All time favorite book!
January 9, 2019
Resumiendo, una opereta. Giros y cambios que no tienen sentido. Un protagonista guapo, noble, con sentido del deber frente a una mujer recién sacada de su jaula de oro y que parece un caballo desbocado.
Un final atropellado. No puedo con éste libro.
Un final atropellado. No puedo con éste libro.
January 7, 2019
Leído para el reto #LCCPE de novelas con portadas "clásicas".
Desastrosa construcción de personajes que te saca de la historia :) Personajes y situaciones que se suponen graciosas, no lo son en absoluto (seamos serios, estamos en la Edad Media...). Nuestra protagonista femenina ni come ni deja comer y nuestro protagonista masculino resulta pasable. Lastimica de lectura porque la idea prometía...
Desastrosa construcción de personajes que te saca de la historia :) Personajes y situaciones que se suponen graciosas, no lo son en absoluto (seamos serios, estamos en la Edad Media...). Nuestra protagonista femenina ni come ni deja comer y nuestro protagonista masculino resulta pasable. Lastimica de lectura porque la idea prometía...
March 22, 2011
First book I have read by the author. I enjoyed it. I could not put it down, I love finding new authors for myself and this one is great.
The heroine, Axia– spitfire at its finest, smart, beautiful and can do a lot of things, dialogue is awesome. He had me laughing so many times. It has been a while that a heroine has gotten under my skin like that.
The hero, Jamie was charming impoverished earl who is in desperate need of money but is very proud to ask for help from relatives. I liked his honesty and the conflict he had between love and money. I like the banter between him and Axia a lot, I like it when she received 2 marriage proposals in front of him. You just have to read it.
Some books have a lot of description of surroundings and such and you still can not envision a place well, this book was not like that, it was lead mainly by the dialogue with very little description (except Axia’s paintings and those, especially the wagon are vivid) but the picture In my mind of the events was great. I highly recommend this book and I am on the lookout for more from this author.
The heroine, Axia– spitfire at its finest, smart, beautiful and can do a lot of things, dialogue is awesome. He had me laughing so many times. It has been a while that a heroine has gotten under my skin like that.
The hero, Jamie was charming impoverished earl who is in desperate need of money but is very proud to ask for help from relatives. I liked his honesty and the conflict he had between love and money. I like the banter between him and Axia a lot, I like it when she received 2 marriage proposals in front of him. You just have to read it.
Some books have a lot of description of surroundings and such and you still can not envision a place well, this book was not like that, it was lead mainly by the dialogue with very little description (except Axia’s paintings and those, especially the wagon are vivid) but the picture In my mind of the events was great. I highly recommend this book and I am on the lookout for more from this author.
December 28, 2018
#LCCPE #LCPECHOTE #LCLaHeredera 2.5☆ La protagonista es muy infantil e insoportable. Y él tampoco me ha encandilado, más bien es un tanto plano (sí, sumamente guapo, bondadoso y honorable con ratos de mal humor). Sinceramente me harté de esta pareja y sólo quería terminar.
Quienes sí me han gustado son los personajes secundarios Tode y Frances. El bufón deforme y la belleza tonta resultan personajes ricos y complejos. Me hubiera gustado más desarrollo de sus historias.
La historia en general tiene un buen planteamiento pero mal desarrollado. Tengo la sensación de que es muy rápida, abrupta y atropellada. Mejora hacia el final, me ha gustado esta última parte. A pesar de todo, es entretenida (si consigues aguantar a Axia)
Quienes sí me han gustado son los personajes secundarios Tode y Frances. El bufón deforme y la belleza tonta resultan personajes ricos y complejos. Me hubiera gustado más desarrollo de sus historias.
La historia en general tiene un buen planteamiento pero mal desarrollado. Tengo la sensación de que es muy rápida, abrupta y atropellada. Mejora hacia el final, me ha gustado esta última parte. A pesar de todo, es entretenida (si consigues aguantar a Axia)
May 22, 2016
An impoverished Norman knight, Jamie is assigned to escort Axia, the Lancaster heiress, to her betrothed. But Axia is bent on enjoying her last moments of liberty before her contractual marriage takes place. Suddenly, Jamie realizes that he is falling in love with this beauty, and he must contrive a daring plan to win her freedom and her defiant heart.
^^^^
The paragraph above is written on the back cover of the book, and it's very misleading. This book is filled with switched identities, child cruelty, hasty kidnaps, random lashes, stupid sisters and everything a failing writer can shove into a single book.
The story itself indeed had its appeal, and occasionally I did laugh whole heartily. But to be honest the naive and childish manner of writing is quite off-putting. It perplexes me how fully grown women would write such nonsense, and have it actually sold and liked.
The main female character was a lunatic to say the least, who isn't fit to be in company of decent human beings. She keeps throwing tantrums like a two year old.
All characters are quite ridiculous and foolish and have been written very poorly.
And we have the grand ending that the least we can say about it is fanciful.
^^^^
The paragraph above is written on the back cover of the book, and it's very misleading. This book is filled with switched identities, child cruelty, hasty kidnaps, random lashes, stupid sisters and everything a failing writer can shove into a single book.
The story itself indeed had its appeal, and occasionally I did laugh whole heartily. But to be honest the naive and childish manner of writing is quite off-putting. It perplexes me how fully grown women would write such nonsense, and have it actually sold and liked.
The main female character was a lunatic to say the least, who isn't fit to be in company of decent human beings. She keeps throwing tantrums like a two year old.
All characters are quite ridiculous and foolish and have been written very poorly.
And we have the grand ending that the least we can say about it is fanciful.
August 30, 2025
Listed as the seventh book in the Montgomery series by Jude Deveraux. It really is a stand-alone book set in Elizabethan England. Jamie Montgomery is to escort the Lancaster heiress, Axia, to her betrothed. Axia has spent her life cloistered and guarded. Now she has freedom of sorts and wants to experience so much of what she has been denied.
A fun, humorous read. Lovable characters and a delightful plot.
A fun, humorous read. Lovable characters and a delightful plot.
January 3, 2014
I just loved it!
November 17, 2020
A wealthy heiress switches places with her poorer cousin to find true love. 20 years ago this was one of my favorite historical romances. I couldn't put it down.
April 13, 2009
I am going to write the same thing for the Taggart and Montgomery series of Jude Deveraux. First, I can't believe that I read these books because they are so blatantly bodice rippers (not my style at all). And second, and more importantly, I devoured them all! Here is the scoop: We stopped at a friend's house in Tennessee on the last leg of one of our cross country trips about 11 years ago and I had run out of books. She gave me three of Deveraux's books in the Montgomery series and I kindly took them never expecting to read them (my God the covers alone were ridiculous!). Well, I gave in and read them because I needed something to do on the ride home. By the time we got home, I had already called the library and asked them to reserve all of the Taggart and Montgomery series books they had! I devoured them all and loved them? Here's the funny thing - I have never read any more Deveraux since that time (not even the last Taggart book or the last two Montgomery books). I can still vividly remember scenes from the books I read so many years ago!
April 26, 2015
4 stars.
I quite enjoyed this romance novel. Jude deveraux writes with such description that the reader can not help but be drawn into the world she has woven.
The heroine is very likeable with her sassy nature and the hero is prince charming without the wealth.
A very well written book with likeable characters.
Thank you author for the enjoyable read :)
I quite enjoyed this romance novel. Jude deveraux writes with such description that the reader can not help but be drawn into the world she has woven.
The heroine is very likeable with her sassy nature and the hero is prince charming without the wealth.
A very well written book with likeable characters.
Thank you author for the enjoyable read :)
March 24, 2008
It starts out kind of boring and slow, but it starts to pick up after like the third Chapter. It makes you sit on edge all the way to the end of the book. The end of the book makes you just want to cry because of how happy it ends. I would recommend this book to anyone
January 7, 2019
Is this #11 or #5 of the Montgomery Sage. Maybe #11 of the Montgomery/Taggart Saga. It was weird to read about Axia not ever seeing her father almost forever. But for him to do what he did at the end of this book was awesome.
December 22, 2018
Love it! Love it! Love it! Quite honestly... did not go the way I suspected at all.
February 1, 2019
Qué libro y qué portada! AMÉ Y AMO ésta portada jajaja
July 27, 2020
Read March 27, 2018
I did not care for this book. It was corny
I did not care for this book. It was corny
October 6, 2024
3.5
typ lite cringe ibland😬 men generellt sett bra story och catchight skrivande
typ lite cringe ibland😬 men generellt sett bra story och catchight skrivande
August 23, 2012
I love Jude Deveraux's books because they are fast, fun and easy to read romances. I love The Heiress because the setting in ancient English times with castles and all.
December 30, 2022
Loved it. This was a reread, but I was reminded of why I loved this book so much. Hilarious and well written side characters.
June 25, 2025
EPILOGUE - SIX YEARS LATER by Susan Ross
This is one of my all time favourite books. I have read it multiple times and will continue to do so. It is a funny wonderful romance with wonderful characters that you will fall in love with.
This year I decided to write an further epilogue for those of you who've read the book. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know in the comments.
The Heiress Epilogue
Six years later.
The woman know as the Maidenhall Heiress sat in her opulent parlour dress in silk and laden with jewels. Her father-in-law sat across from her and her husband sat on the floor playing with the son he adored. A son that was the spitting image of Tode.
Frances has never thought to live in such luxury once she left Axia. Although theirs was not a physical relationship, her husband was loving of both her and her child, a child who she dearly loved.
One would have though Perkin Maidenhall would be furious to hear that Tode’s child would inherit a part of his fortune. But that would be far from the truth. When Perkin had found the boy his heart had twisted his chest. The child was kept in a small cage. What his father had done to him was beyond comprehension. His physical disabilities where horrendous, painful and deforming. Perkin had immediately purchased the boy and sent him to his daughter. (Tode’s father, shortly thereafter, had been crippled by a fluke accident.) He knew that if anyone could reach this terrified child it would be his daughter, even though she herself was just a child. He knew Tode to be as good a man a Jamie and, although he was still not sure what had happened to cause Tode and Frances to come together to create this child, he was happy that it had occurred.
When Jamie and Axia had finally come home, they found all the Montgomery land sold by Edward was now back in Jamie’s possession and, with Tode as estate manager, the estate was flourishing. Crops had been planted and everyone looked happy and well-fed.
But the most marvellous change they found was that people no longer flinched at Tode’s appearance or mocked him. Since he had improved their lives ten-fold they gave him the respect he deserved. It was a joyous homecoming.
Berengaria and Tode had never thought to marry, never thought to have someone who loved them with their imperfections.
They marvelled at their two perfect, beautiful children and their twin nephews and niece, all of whom had brought such joy into the families’ lives. Doted on by their grandmother, who had much improved, and their aunt Jobie, the four children thrived.
Once Jamie and Axia had returned they both got to work. Axia had a new keep built, modern, with fireplaces in every room and glass in every window (a luxury unheard of in those times) so no one would every be cold again. Jamie had thick walls built around the keep and barracks for the army he had hired to protect the keep and villages under his rule.
The keep was now a fortress enclosing a stunning castle and massive gardens filled with vegetables, herbs, flowers and flourishing orchards.
They no longer relied on Perkin’s funds since Axia had made a fortune with her innate ability to turn a penny into a pound. Nothing was wasted. Surpluses of all goods were sold. But the bulk of their wealth now came from perfume. Expensive perfume for the nobility used both Berengaria’s and Axia’s skills and business was thriving. Neither Tode nor Jamie were thrilled by this enterprise but Berengaria was determined to be a part of the thriving keep and Axia saw it as another opportunity to grow their wealth.
And Joby? Joby, now a young adult, no longer terrorized the family but she did intimidate everyone else with her sharp tongue, her male attire and her surprisingly good looks, part physical, part enhanced by her vitality. She was a force to be reckoned with. She even had had a say in the design of the castle. In the ballroom there was a large stage which Joby made use of on a regular occasion, to the delight of all on the estate.
This is one of my all time favourite books. I have read it multiple times and will continue to do so. It is a funny wonderful romance with wonderful characters that you will fall in love with.
This year I decided to write an further epilogue for those of you who've read the book. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know in the comments.
The Heiress Epilogue
Six years later.
The woman know as the Maidenhall Heiress sat in her opulent parlour dress in silk and laden with jewels. Her father-in-law sat across from her and her husband sat on the floor playing with the son he adored. A son that was the spitting image of Tode.
Frances has never thought to live in such luxury once she left Axia. Although theirs was not a physical relationship, her husband was loving of both her and her child, a child who she dearly loved.
One would have though Perkin Maidenhall would be furious to hear that Tode’s child would inherit a part of his fortune. But that would be far from the truth. When Perkin had found the boy his heart had twisted his chest. The child was kept in a small cage. What his father had done to him was beyond comprehension. His physical disabilities where horrendous, painful and deforming. Perkin had immediately purchased the boy and sent him to his daughter. (Tode’s father, shortly thereafter, had been crippled by a fluke accident.) He knew that if anyone could reach this terrified child it would be his daughter, even though she herself was just a child. He knew Tode to be as good a man a Jamie and, although he was still not sure what had happened to cause Tode and Frances to come together to create this child, he was happy that it had occurred.
When Jamie and Axia had finally come home, they found all the Montgomery land sold by Edward was now back in Jamie’s possession and, with Tode as estate manager, the estate was flourishing. Crops had been planted and everyone looked happy and well-fed.
But the most marvellous change they found was that people no longer flinched at Tode’s appearance or mocked him. Since he had improved their lives ten-fold they gave him the respect he deserved. It was a joyous homecoming.
Berengaria and Tode had never thought to marry, never thought to have someone who loved them with their imperfections.
They marvelled at their two perfect, beautiful children and their twin nephews and niece, all of whom had brought such joy into the families’ lives. Doted on by their grandmother, who had much improved, and their aunt Jobie, the four children thrived.
Once Jamie and Axia had returned they both got to work. Axia had a new keep built, modern, with fireplaces in every room and glass in every window (a luxury unheard of in those times) so no one would every be cold again. Jamie had thick walls built around the keep and barracks for the army he had hired to protect the keep and villages under his rule.
The keep was now a fortress enclosing a stunning castle and massive gardens filled with vegetables, herbs, flowers and flourishing orchards.
They no longer relied on Perkin’s funds since Axia had made a fortune with her innate ability to turn a penny into a pound. Nothing was wasted. Surpluses of all goods were sold. But the bulk of their wealth now came from perfume. Expensive perfume for the nobility used both Berengaria’s and Axia’s skills and business was thriving. Neither Tode nor Jamie were thrilled by this enterprise but Berengaria was determined to be a part of the thriving keep and Axia saw it as another opportunity to grow their wealth.
And Joby? Joby, now a young adult, no longer terrorized the family but she did intimidate everyone else with her sharp tongue, her male attire and her surprisingly good looks, part physical, part enhanced by her vitality. She was a force to be reckoned with. She even had had a say in the design of the castle. In the ballroom there was a large stage which Joby made use of on a regular occasion, to the delight of all on the estate.
November 16, 2019
James (Jamie) Montgomery, Earl of Dalkeith: noble knight; cousins spread throughout Europe; impoverished, as older half brother sold off all their property and assets; 2 sisters; home to figure things out;
Axia Maidenhall: father a very rich and influential merchant; father has never met his daughter, mother deceased; father set her up at estate at Maidenhall with staff to care for her - and two companions; she has never been off the estate; but at the estate, she runs everything... orchards, gardens, fields, horses, kitchen, etc. = like her father, she can turn anything into a profit; she gets satisfaction in painting - and is a great painter;
Frances: Axia's cousin; comes from a shady, thieving, unloving family; she's beautiful, and came to Axia as a teen, determined to be what Axia neething; ed so that she could stay... and Axia needs to be needed... so she developed a spoiled persona, who needled money and jewels and clothes;
Tode: Axia's best friend; she came to him as a teen also... beaten by his father so that his legs are deformed and his face is scarred; he can play the harlequin; he has strong upper body;
Thomas & Rhys: Knights and friends of James; traveled back to his home to help... join him in protecting Axia;
Berengaria Montgomery: James' sister; blind; beautiful; intelligent; sensitive; tired of being the special sister;
Margaret 'Joby' Montgomery: 12 years old; very, very good actress; funny; imitates;
Gregory Bolingbrookes: neighbor to Montgomerys; wants to marry Berengaria; stubborn, determined but a bit on the slow side;
When Joby and Berengaria hear that Jamie has agreed to escort/protect the Maidenhall heiress to her betrothed, the decide she must make the heiress fall in love with him; he reluctantly agrees to their plans, and day before to meet Axia, he climbs the wall, and mistakes Frances for the heiress, as she's dressed beautifully and Axia is ragamuffin-looking, in her painting clothes; and Axia pretending to be Frances and Jamie don't get along...;
Axia figures how he got in, and she exits the estate the same way; she ends up in Jamie's tent - and he is expecting a prostitute - in the dark... and they make love - and he sends her to his sisters for protection, believing her to be pock scarred and down on her luck;
Axia excitedly joins the caravan (with Frances and Tode), planning to Sieze the day...
The traveling show has lots of interesting bypaths... Axia painted their traveling wagon as if they are merchants, with Jamie's gorgeous body displayed slaying a dragon... she spends a morning at a farmer's market (she'd never been to one) selling cloth she purported to be of dragon scales; she organizes the setting up/breaking down of camp;
and in some way, she cares for each person except Jamie (what they like to drink, or eat, or wear, etc)… but eventually adds Jamie to her list...
time... adventures... he keeps her with him, as the group dwindles for various reasons...
Ultimately, the truth comes out (including her alterego as prostitute)... they marry... she's afraid of her dad...she rescues him from Gregory's dungeon... Frances (who most think is Axia) escapes... she's pregnant... she takes Axia's place as bride / Maidenhall heiress (with a baby to boot - impregnated by Tode when he was the only one allowed to visit her when kidnapped) - to the rich baron who is impotent... Tode and Berengaria fall in love...
and story ends with Axia and Jaimie hiding from her dad with Scottish Montgomerys... when they get a letter from her dad telling her he was proud of her, that he had chosen Jaimie, that Frances would get a good inheritance, and the rest goes to her...
Axia Maidenhall: father a very rich and influential merchant; father has never met his daughter, mother deceased; father set her up at estate at Maidenhall with staff to care for her - and two companions; she has never been off the estate; but at the estate, she runs everything... orchards, gardens, fields, horses, kitchen, etc. = like her father, she can turn anything into a profit; she gets satisfaction in painting - and is a great painter;
Frances: Axia's cousin; comes from a shady, thieving, unloving family; she's beautiful, and came to Axia as a teen, determined to be what Axia neething; ed so that she could stay... and Axia needs to be needed... so she developed a spoiled persona, who needled money and jewels and clothes;
Tode: Axia's best friend; she came to him as a teen also... beaten by his father so that his legs are deformed and his face is scarred; he can play the harlequin; he has strong upper body;
Thomas & Rhys: Knights and friends of James; traveled back to his home to help... join him in protecting Axia;
Berengaria Montgomery: James' sister; blind; beautiful; intelligent; sensitive; tired of being the special sister;
Margaret 'Joby' Montgomery: 12 years old; very, very good actress; funny; imitates;
Gregory Bolingbrookes: neighbor to Montgomerys; wants to marry Berengaria; stubborn, determined but a bit on the slow side;
When Joby and Berengaria hear that Jamie has agreed to escort/protect the Maidenhall heiress to her betrothed, the decide she must make the heiress fall in love with him; he reluctantly agrees to their plans, and day before to meet Axia, he climbs the wall, and mistakes Frances for the heiress, as she's dressed beautifully and Axia is ragamuffin-looking, in her painting clothes; and Axia pretending to be Frances and Jamie don't get along...;
Axia figures how he got in, and she exits the estate the same way; she ends up in Jamie's tent - and he is expecting a prostitute - in the dark... and they make love - and he sends her to his sisters for protection, believing her to be pock scarred and down on her luck;
Axia excitedly joins the caravan (with Frances and Tode), planning to Sieze the day...
The traveling show has lots of interesting bypaths... Axia painted their traveling wagon as if they are merchants, with Jamie's gorgeous body displayed slaying a dragon... she spends a morning at a farmer's market (she'd never been to one) selling cloth she purported to be of dragon scales; she organizes the setting up/breaking down of camp;
and in some way, she cares for each person except Jamie (what they like to drink, or eat, or wear, etc)… but eventually adds Jamie to her list...
time... adventures... he keeps her with him, as the group dwindles for various reasons...
Ultimately, the truth comes out (including her alterego as prostitute)... they marry... she's afraid of her dad...she rescues him from Gregory's dungeon... Frances (who most think is Axia) escapes... she's pregnant... she takes Axia's place as bride / Maidenhall heiress (with a baby to boot - impregnated by Tode when he was the only one allowed to visit her when kidnapped) - to the rich baron who is impotent... Tode and Berengaria fall in love...
and story ends with Axia and Jaimie hiding from her dad with Scottish Montgomerys... when they get a letter from her dad telling her he was proud of her, that he had chosen Jaimie, that Frances would get a good inheritance, and the rest goes to her...
February 8, 2022
This HR took place in England in 1572. This # 7 in the series on Jude Deveraux’s website.The H is Jamie Montgomery and the h is Axia Maidenhall. Her father Perkin Maidenhall had her protected her by hiding her away for years. She had two companions her age that seemed to like her for her and not just her wealth, Tode and Frances. When she was old enough to be married her father arranged a marriage with a man who had been castrated whom was also from a wealthy family. He hired James and his men to escort his daughter to marry her fiancé. Everyone was afraid of Axias father. Axia knew that this trip across the country to be married to a man she had never met was her last chance to seize the day (carpe diem). She wanted freedom of being the Maidenhall heiress so she asked her cousin Frances to trade places with her so James and his two men didn’t know who was the real heiress. She pretended to be a girl from the village with pox marks and slept with James. Later Frances asked James to marry her so she would have security because she knew Axia would not need her after she was married. James said he would write her father to ask permission. She told Axia and she was going to arrange for Frances to appear to be kidnapped so James would go after Frances before her father arrived with many soldiers. Meanwhile Berengaria and Joby James sisters asked their neighbour Harvey Oliver to kidnap Frances so Jamie would go after her and learn to love her. The two sisters knew he had strong feelings for Axia. This put Axia Tode and James in a state of frenzy. Tode questioned some of the staff where they were staying and got a lead on who kidnapped Frances. He sent James a note telling him to go to his Uncle’s place and take Axia. In the end James marries Axia after she confesses to sleeping with him. James tries to get Harvey to release Frances but he locks up James in a dungeon in the cellar. Berengaria, Tode and Axia go to rescue James and they escape through underground tunnels left from Roman Occupation. Frances escapes and Perkin Maidenhall arrives to take his daughter home to marry her fiancé. He knows Axia and James are married and takes the marriage registry and sends the Priest to France and tells his daughter that he will ruin James if she stays married to him. She says goodbye to James and leaves with her father. On her wedding day to her fiancé James breaks into her place and rescues her leaving for Scotland to be hidden from her father at James Montgomery cousins. Later they receive two letters hand delivered from James’s cousins in England. Frances married her fiancé and she is content with beautiful things and the other from her father telling her that he loved her and she wasn’t disinherited. He tells her she is the only person he loves. He had chosen James for her but he wanted James to prove he truly loved her. James and Axia are soon to have a baby.
April 19, 2024
The Heiress is the seventh book that takes us inside the Montgomery family. Though this book is listed as the seventh installment it is actually a stand-alone book. The Heiress takes us back to the Montgomery family and introduces us to Janie a descendent of the Montgomery family.
Jamie is a knight with a family to care for and no money in which to do that. So in true Montgomery fashion, he sets out to earn money to care for his 2 sisters. He takes a job escorting Axia the Lancaster heiress to her future husband. Never realizing that Axia would take him on a journey of adventure, pranks, and danger.
Axia having been held prisoner in her jeweled castles all her life and told no one could love her as much as her money looks at her journey to her new husband as a chance to experience life just once before being locked up again. She looks at the journey as a way to experience everything she can and to savor every moment. She wants memories to look upon as she lives the rest of her life as a wife in another jeweled prison. What she finds is that not everyone is out for her money and that the people she loves may be stronger than she thought.
I found this book to be filled with so much fun. The pranks Axia plays on Jamie had me laughing out loud. I also thought it was interesting how Axia wasn't the only one playing a part that the two people she held closest to her were people who gave her what she needed to survive.
I thought Jamie showed a lot of restraint in not getting back at Axia for her pranks. I could tell he really wanted to protect her and that it wasn't long before he realized who the real heiress was. There were times though I wanted to be like Axia's friend Tode and shake her because I felt she used her money as a crutch and didn't see people for who they truly were.
Overall, I loved returning to the Montgomery family and enjoyed watching these two characters grow and fall in love. I was also very surprised by the letter at the end from Axia's father. That was a great twist.
Jamie is a knight with a family to care for and no money in which to do that. So in true Montgomery fashion, he sets out to earn money to care for his 2 sisters. He takes a job escorting Axia the Lancaster heiress to her future husband. Never realizing that Axia would take him on a journey of adventure, pranks, and danger.
Axia having been held prisoner in her jeweled castles all her life and told no one could love her as much as her money looks at her journey to her new husband as a chance to experience life just once before being locked up again. She looks at the journey as a way to experience everything she can and to savor every moment. She wants memories to look upon as she lives the rest of her life as a wife in another jeweled prison. What she finds is that not everyone is out for her money and that the people she loves may be stronger than she thought.
I found this book to be filled with so much fun. The pranks Axia plays on Jamie had me laughing out loud. I also thought it was interesting how Axia wasn't the only one playing a part that the two people she held closest to her were people who gave her what she needed to survive.
I thought Jamie showed a lot of restraint in not getting back at Axia for her pranks. I could tell he really wanted to protect her and that it wasn't long before he realized who the real heiress was. There were times though I wanted to be like Axia's friend Tode and shake her because I felt she used her money as a crutch and didn't see people for who they truly were.
Overall, I loved returning to the Montgomery family and enjoyed watching these two characters grow and fall in love. I was also very surprised by the letter at the end from Axia's father. That was a great twist.
May 27, 2024
Another Montgomery family re-read. This one starring an honorable (and incredibly handsome) knight and the lady who challenges him at every turn. Just to make things fun, Axia switches places with her cousin to make Jamie think the cousin is the heiress he's supposed to be guarding (and wooing since the Montgomery family desperately needs some help in the finance department), but Jamie's too darn honorable to take advantage of anyone. Well, sort of. Let's just say Jamie really is a good knight and brother and he's torn between what he thinks he needs to do to save his family and all the feelings he's starting to feel for the lady who gets under his skin pretty much by only breathing.
Yep. Jamie and Axia butt heads. Kind of a lot. Axia is smart and wily and sees opportunities in everything and they way she just picks up and does what she wants to do puts Jamie on edge. She's also kind and can make money hand over fist and she really DOESN'T want to fall for the honorable (and handsome) knight, but THINGS HAPPEN.
A little subterfuge and trickery, complicated family dynamics, a knight who doesn't enjoy lies, and a lady who finds wonder in everything. GOOD STUFF!
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
Yep. Jamie and Axia butt heads. Kind of a lot. Axia is smart and wily and sees opportunities in everything and they way she just picks up and does what she wants to do puts Jamie on edge. She's also kind and can make money hand over fist and she really DOESN'T want to fall for the honorable (and handsome) knight, but THINGS HAPPEN.
A little subterfuge and trickery, complicated family dynamics, a knight who doesn't enjoy lies, and a lady who finds wonder in everything. GOOD STUFF!
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
November 20, 2018
Axia is the lone heir to the largest fortune in all of England. Jamie is the impoverished earl who is to escort her across England to her waiting fiance. Jamie's family persuades him to try and woo and marry the heiress in order to save the family from poverty. Jamie meets Frances, Axia's poor and beautiful cousin, and assumes that she is the hieress. Axia doesn't correct him. The rest of the book is about their trip across England with lots of colorful characters in tow.
The book is very fast-paced and extremely humorous. I laughed out loud many times. Lots of twists and turns and most were not predictable, especially the epilogue -shocker! I love the way these two bickered constantly. Their machinations were hilarious. Axia really did live it up! I enjoyed the secondary characters as well, especially Jamie's sisters and the jester Tode.
I have to agree with another reviewer that the writing style is similar to Julie Garwood, thought the love scenes were not nearly as well written as I would have liked. This is my first Deveraux and it certainly won't be my last.
The book is very fast-paced and extremely humorous. I laughed out loud many times. Lots of twists and turns and most were not predictable, especially the epilogue -shocker! I love the way these two bickered constantly. Their machinations were hilarious. Axia really did live it up! I enjoyed the secondary characters as well, especially Jamie's sisters and the jester Tode.
I have to agree with another reviewer that the writing style is similar to Julie Garwood, thought the love scenes were not nearly as well written as I would have liked. This is my first Deveraux and it certainly won't be my last.
August 25, 2023
Four stars. Good, but not the best Deveraux. Above chapter one it says, "England, 1572." 16th century England is one of Deveraux's varied expertises. Goodreads tells you that this is "Montgomery, #6." (There is a fleeting reference to a Montgomery or Taggert, and it is not important. This is more a standalone than a part of the series.)
If you Google for "Deveraux, Heiress" you will find that this is either Montgomery #6 or Montgomery #22. Google's search algorithm is a prime example of Artificial Intelligence, at its best.
I'd dive into the plot, but spoilers abound. The book title gives you a hint. That and the starting chapter head tells you that this is a story about an heiress (it is) and that it takes place in 16th century England. It does.
You'll love this one if your taste runs to mystery/adventure as well as romance. I couldn't even tell you the heiress's hair color without spoiling some of your fun, so I won't.
If you Google for "Deveraux, Heiress" you will find that this is either Montgomery #6 or Montgomery #22. Google's search algorithm is a prime example of Artificial Intelligence, at its best.
I'd dive into the plot, but spoilers abound. The book title gives you a hint. That and the starting chapter head tells you that this is a story about an heiress (it is) and that it takes place in 16th century England. It does.
You'll love this one if your taste runs to mystery/adventure as well as romance. I couldn't even tell you the heiress's hair color without spoiling some of your fun, so I won't.
August 12, 2025
I have read maybe 4 of Jude’s books so far and my track record with her is barely giving her 2/3 stars in the end. Her plots and premises with history are amazing. She always gets me to read the book but how she has everything unfold is never my favorite.
Plus half the reviews are saying this was the book that they have the most memories reading — that this one is a story they devoured in the 90s.
The first half of this is so fun. I like the funny characters and the family surrounding Jamie. But Jamie himself seems kind of clueless for a hero. He reminds me of the hero from Georgette Heyer’s powder and patch. Just bumbling and clueless till he grows some.
But Axia truly is the worst mc. Lying constantly for no reason. The whole tent scene where she is ‘Diana’ made me not want to even finish this book.
Plus half the reviews are saying this was the book that they have the most memories reading — that this one is a story they devoured in the 90s.
The first half of this is so fun. I like the funny characters and the family surrounding Jamie. But Jamie himself seems kind of clueless for a hero. He reminds me of the hero from Georgette Heyer’s powder and patch. Just bumbling and clueless till he grows some.
But Axia truly is the worst mc. Lying constantly for no reason. The whole tent scene where she is ‘Diana’ made me not want to even finish this book.
October 13, 2024
Not her best work. The plot line is patchy, the emotions jump around all over the place and often not matching the action. A bit of a soup of instalove and some instahate for no reason. Felt a bit rushed and jumbled and most of the ending comes out of nowhere. And I’m never a fan of a man putting a grown woman across his lap and spanking her to humiliate/punish her/put her in her place, Ick, no. Jamie lays hands on axia quite a few times in this - spanks her, hauls her around, throws her over his shoulder to force her to go where he wants, etc. it’s unclear why she’s in love with him and honestly felt like she just was infatuated with the first guy she met.
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