The Diabolical Baron

Davenport #1

by Mary Jo Putney

Jason Kincaid, nineteenth Baron Radford, was devastatingly handsome, fabulously wealthy, and thoroughly ruthless. What he wanted, he got, and now what he wanted was to win a wager that he could make Miss Caroline Hanscombe his bride, after her name was drawn out of a hat.

True, Caroline was an innocent compared to the baron. True, the ruling passion of her life was music, to which the baron turned a deaf ear. True, she found a perfect soul mate in the gallant Captain Richard Davenport, home from the wars and laying siege to her heart.

But how could this chit of a girl defy the desires of this lord who so easily defeated her every defense as the day of her dreaded marriage came ever closer -- and her hopes of escape evaporated one by one...

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Fiction, Regency Romance, Adult

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 3, 1987

About the author

She writes young adult fiction as M.J. Putney.

Mary Jo Putney was born on 1946 in Upstate New York with a reading addiction, a condition for which there is no known cure. After earning degrees in English Literature and Industrial Design at Syracuse University, she did various forms of design work in California and England before inertia took over in Baltimore, Maryland, where she has lived very comfortably ever since.

While becoming a novelist was her ultimate fantasy, it never occurred to her that writing was an achievable goal until she acquired a computer for other purposes. When the realization hit that a computer was the ultimate writing tool, she charged merrily into her first book with an ignorance that illustrates the adage that fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

Fortune sometimes favors the foolish and her first book sold quickly, thereby changing her life forever, in most ways for the better. (“But why didn't anyone tell me that writing would change the way one reads?”) Like a lemming over a cliff, she gave up her freelance graphic design business to become a full-time writer as soon as possible.

Since 1987, Ms. Putney has published twenty-nine books and counting. Her stories are noted for psychological depth and unusual subject matter such as alcoholism, death and dying, and domestic abuse. She has made all of the national bestseller lists including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USAToday, and Publishers Weekly. Five of her books have been named among the year’s top five romances by The Library Journal. The Spiral Path and Stolen Magic were chosen as one of Top Ten romances of their years by Booklist, published by the American Library Association.

A nine-time finalist for the Romance Writers of America RITA, she has won RITAs for Dancing on the Wind and The Rake and the Reformer and is on the RWA Honor Roll for bestselling authors. She has been awarded two Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards, four NJRW Golden Leaf awards, plus the NJRW career achievement award for historical romance. Though most of her books have been historical, she has also published three contemporary romances. The Marriage Spell will be out in June 2006 in hardcover, and Stolen Magic (written as M. J. Putney) will be released in July 2006.

Ms. Putney says that not least among the blessings of a full-time writing career is that one almost never has to wear pantyhose.

Reviews

[Alba Turunen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Estrellitas. Mucho me temía por las críticas que no iba a gustarme y por eso en su momento me lo salté y leí el libro de Reggie. Pero un reto literario ha hecho que me lo lea y me he llevado una sorpresa. Se nota que es un libro primerizo, que no es el mejor de Mary Jo Putney y que han faltado cosas, pero me ha gustado mucho.

Investigando, descubrí que es el primer libro que escribió Mary Jo Putney, y se nota, pero no por ello es un libro malo, al revés, es original, no tiene los terribles clichés ochenteros (y se publicó en 1987), y por su estilo de narrativa parece que lo ha escrito ahora, así que de viejuno no tiene nada.

Lo que nos trae aquí la autora son dos historias románticas en una. El problema de que hayan sido dos en un libro de poco más de 300 páginas, es que ha faltado desarrollo.

Caroline Hanscombe se encuentra en Londres disfrutando de su primera temporada junto a su medio hermana menor. Mientras las perspectivas de Gina son excelentes, las suyas son nulas; no es hermosa, no tiene interés en casarse y la han presentado tarde. Caroline no aspira al matrimonio, sólo a disfrutar de una vida tranquila con su música.

Jason Kincaid, barón de Radford ya tiene una edad y necesita casarse, pero no ha sido su intención desde que una mujer le destrozó el corazón casándose con otro. Una noche, Jason se apuesta con un amigo que se casará en menos de seis meses con una dama bien educada, pero algo sosa y discreta que no le dé problemas, y la elegida es Caroline.

Las necesidades económicas de su familia empujan a Caroline a aceptar la mano de Jason; si no, su hermana menor no podrá ser feliz con el hombre que ama. Pero cuando todo está casi hecho, aparece otra persona que despertará el corazón de Caroline y llenará su mundo de música.

Richard Davenport ha vuelto a Inglaterra después de que su familia se exiliara por propia voluntad. Los abogados le dicen que él es el legítimo conde de Wargrave, si no, herederá el título y las propiedades su disoluto primo Reggie (el protagonista de "Pecado y Virtud"). Richard ha sido soldado y luchado contra Napoleón, no quiere el título de su familia, pero sí una propiedad menor donde asentarse. Un viaje a las tierras de su familia le hará ver lo que ocurriría con el lugar en manos de su primo, pero allí conocerá a una joven que llene de alegría y música su vida.

Visto así, parecería que tenemos triángulo amoroso, pero no, la autora trae otra historia que compartirá protagonismo y creará una auténtica trama de enredo que me ha encantado.

El problema lo he tenido sobre todo en que el libro es muy corto y siento que no he conocido todo lo bien que querría a algunos personajes, como Richard. A quien más conocemos es a Caroline y a Jason y es verdad que ella es sosa y le falta brío, por eso mismo me hubiese gustado tener algo más de romance entre ella y Richard. Pero no todo está perdido, Jason también tiene su corazoncito enterrado y no era ni tan malo ni tan diabólico.

Cierto es que lo malo y diabólico se lo ha guardado Mary Jo Putney para Reggie. Sí, es disoluto, malo, borracho y hace cosas muy malas en éste libro. Pero la autora lo redime totalmente en el siguiente y eso ha hecho que me sea imposible odiarle.

No es un libro memorable, ni de los mejores de la autora, pero lo he disfrutado mucho y en general me ha gustado, aunque sí, el siguiente libro es mejor.

[Kimberly Carrington-Fox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nuestra reseña en A la cama con... un libro

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a lovely romance of the traditional regency type. The old Signet books were wonderful reads and this is a reissue of one.
The romance, or romances I should say are very well done without any of the graphic sex scenes that are in a lot of books today.
I enjoyed the story and the problems faced by our heroes and heroines.
There was a bit too much about music in it for my liking and it got a bit melodramatic now and again. Also it has a huge cast of characters with different stories running throughout but it didn't overwhelm me and I easily kept up with it.
I believe this was the author's very first book and she did a great job on it. I'll be checking out two more of her oldies that are being given the reissue treatment.
Very enjoyable for regency fans.

I feel more or less the same about this book on this read.

[daemyra, the realm's delight · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Mrs. Giggles points out in her review of Mary Jo Putney's The Diabolical Baron, this is a traditional Regency marketed as a mainstream romance - just look at the cover and read that blurb! The blurb on GoodReads is SO misleading that it got me so excited I decided to read this instead of The Rake, which I hear such good things about.

First, it's obvious Jason and Caroline are not meant to be together. You sort of figure out early on who they are meant to be paired with so then you are waiting a while for the set-up to happen. However, I was in the mood for a romance light on sex (either fade-out or no mention at all) and The Diabolical Baron is exactly that.

I thought I would enjoy Jason's romance since Caroline was a bit of a scared ninny but Caroline's romance turned out to pack way more of an emotional punch. The development of Caroline's feelings with her hero was so much more interesting. Although Jason and his partner are fiery, their romance didn't really go to new places. It was a Second Chances story and if you read Putney's Petals in the Storm - it's eerily similar sans spy plot down to the same big misunderstanding, which here I had less patience for than in Petals in the Storm.

Caroline coming out of her shell was so sweet, and one thing that I love about Putney is her afterschool special feel - she is so admiring and supportive of all her female characters and I find in her books a vindication of all Other Women in romance novels that is so appealing. I loved how Caroline admired her aunt Jessica for being vivacious, even though she was sometimes jealous because she feared her lover was in love with Jessica. Putney does this women leaning in towards each other and gaining strength from each other's differences so well.

[Pauline Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very early Putney, possibly her first publication. My only previous contact with her work was The Rake, which I liked for the passion between the protagonists and disliked almost everything else about it. This I liked much, much more, although with a few little niggles, and one major problem.

Here’s the premise: Jason Kincaid, Lord Radford, is thirty-five years old, and is the usual sort of super-charged hero for the era - rich, handsome, a Corinthian, arrogant and completely selfish. But duty is catching up with him, and he knows it’s time he married and got himself an heir. He’s not interested in a love match, after a love affair went disastrously wrong some years ago. He’s never found anyone to compare with that first love, so he’s happy to settle for any respectable girl. He doesn’t know one from another, so he asks his friend George Fitzwilliam to draw up a shortlist and he picks a name from a hat. To spice things up, he makes a wager with Fitzwilliam on the outcome.

The name he picks out is Miss Caroline Hanscombe. He knows nothing about her, beyond her eligibility, but he sets out with single-minded determination to court and win her. Caroline is a quiet, self-effacing person, happy to lose herself in her music, which she not only plays but also composes. It’s her solace in a life that’s not particularly enjoyable. She’s going through the motions of a season, in support of her younger half-sister, Gina, but all she wants is to retire to live with her beloved aunt and write her music. Lord Radford’s pursuit confuses her, the baron himself frightens her, she doesn’t love him and she certainly doesn’t want to marry him. But her father and step-mother put her under intense pressure and she feels obliged to accept his proposal.

So far, we seem to be heading for a standard marriage of convenience story, but not so. There are two other people to play a role in this story. One is Captain Richard Davenport, returning from war to the neighbouring estate to Radford’s, who is just as musical as Caroline. The other is Caroline’s aunt, Jessica, a widow, who just happens to be Radford’s long-lost first love. And so we find ourselves in a different trope, the betrothed-to-the-wrong-person story, as Caroline gradually falls in love with Richard, and Jason finds himself just as drawn as before to Jessica, who is every bit as super-charged as he is.

In many ways, this reminds me of Heyer’s Bath Tangle, with the same two pairs, one vibrant and high-spirited, the other quiet and gentle, with a mismatched betrothal to be sorted out. Naturally, as in that book, so with this, the tangle is eventually unravelled and the characters end up in the right pairings. Even though it’s obvious that it will work out, somehow, it’s still pretty emotional for the participants as they wrestle with their consciences and try to do the right thing.

I think it could have been sorted a lot more easily if Caroline had had the gumption to go to Jason and ask him directly just why he wanted to marry her. She assumed that he must feel something for her, even though he didn’t show it, but that was pretty naive of her. Many Regency marriages were pragmatic affairs, and a man of that age and temperament might very well prefer that sort of arrangement. If she’d learnt that she was just a random choice, she could have jilted him a lot more easily. Mind you, that would have been a fairly tame ending. Putney’s actual solution was a lot more dramatic.

I mentioned some small niggles, and one major problem. Let me deal with the problem first. Richard is the heir to an earldom, but he arrives at the estate under a pseudonym while he decides whether he wants to take up the earldom or allow it to pass to the next in line. Erm… no. Big, big no-no. He’s the heir, and he doesn’t get to choose whether to take it or not. It’s his, and that’s the end of it. He can choose whether to claim the title officially or not, but he can’t pass it on or refuse it. He’s the earl, whether he likes it or not. The property is unentailed, so he can give that away if he chooses, but not the title. Unfortunately, the whole premise of the book is built around whether he becomes the earl or not.

The other niggles are trivial. There are a very few Americanisms, and also some surprising typos, which a halfway decent editor should have caught. I disliked that some of the background characters were pretty evil people, cartoonish villains without a redeeming feature amongst them, especially Caroline’s horrible father. In many ways, this would have been a more interesting and more powerful story if Caroline hadn’t been blackmailed into accepting Jason’s proposal, but had made the decision for herself, not enthusiastically, perhaps, but in a spirit of duty to help her family. I also wondered a little why Jason and Jessica gave up so easily on their early romance. He, at least, could have made some effort to find her. But that would have spoilt the whole story, so fair enough. And I suppose I could quibble about the length of time the four of them took to sort out their difficulties.

But very little of this mattered while I was reading. I was totally swept up in the story, feeling every nuance of their emotional highs and lows, quite unable to put the book down. I liked all the main characters, particularly the two ‘quiet’ ones, who were drawn with greater subtlety, I thought, and I loved all the musical detail. It made Caroline, in particular, feel very real. Putney is a powerful writer, and although this book wasn’t perfect, I can’t give it less than five stars.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story to read on a lazy Saturday. This romance has no sex in it, but you can still feel the chemistry between the characters. I really liked how music was incorporated into the story. Many authors try and fail to incorporate music as a way to enrich the story, but MJP does a beautiful job. An easy, short read and completely unlike the angsty, sexy, and deep second book in the series, The Rake (one of MJP's most popular books ever).

[QNPoohBear · Rating 1 out of 5]

Caroline Hanscombe hates the London Season. She has made all attempts to turn the gentlemen away, much to her stepmother's dismay. Her only place of refuge is with her widowed Aunt Jessica who allows Caroline to be herself. Jason Kinkaid, Lord Radford has finally decided to take a wife since he lost the only woman he could ever love long ago. He sees marriage as a business arrangement and any well-bred lady will do. After a few drinks with a friend, he makes a list and pulls Caroline's name out of a hat. When Caroline's sister makes a love match, Caroline's parents inform her that it's up to her to make a brilliant match with Lord Radford. Caroline feels forced into accepting Jason's proposal for the sake of her family. As hard as Jason tries, his fiance can barely speak to him or even manage to look at him. In an effort to get to know her better, he invites Caroline and her aunt to his estate. When Jason discovers Caroline's aunt is the love of his life, he feels honor bound to marry Caroline yet he can't stop thinking about kissing Jessica. What a dilemma! Richard Dalton, recently returned from the wars, is shocked to discover that should he accept it, he is the next Earl of Walgrave. Richard isn't sure he wants the duties and responsibilities that come with the title. After a nomadic life, he wants to settle down on a small estate and live life as a country squire. If he doesn't accept, his rake of a cousin will inherit and sell the estate. Believing that Walgrave is uninhabited, Caroline is given permission to use the music room where she loses herself in playing and composing. When she meets Richard, he is kind, gentle and shares her love of music. He supports her unladylike dream of composing music and encourages her to follow her dreams. In short, Richard is nothing like the curt, sardonic, almost elderly (he's 35 to her 22) Baron. She still feels she must marry the Baron to save her family. Richard loves Caroline and he thought he loved him back, he wouldn't hesitate to risk the Baron's wrath and offer for Caroline instead. Will any of these characters end up with their true loves?

The answer is obvious but getting there takes a long long time. This story is really slow and nothing happens. There's no relationship between any of the characters. I'm not sure why Caroline fears Jason so much. Her relationship with Richard is developed slowly and sweetly and I can see why a shy girl would be drawn to him but there's no real romance there. Jason's interest in Jessica has potential. I could see at once what drove them apart in their younger days (haven't they read Pride and Prejudice?) and what had to happen to fix things, yet nothing really did happen. There's no real romance in this novel - not even much kissing. There are a few villains who are stereotypes of Regency men. They don't really add anything to the story, but merely pad out the plot too much and complicate matters.There are quite a few typos in the Kindle edition which drove me crazy. Overall, this story is entirely unmemorable and I would not recommend it.

[eyes.2c · Rating 4 out of 5]

Memories of Heyer’s works with a tad more romancing

[Sandra R · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable early book from this author. Nicely written and very interesting to read. Lots of personal issues, drama and misunderstandings. There are 2 couples featured and multiple viewpoints - but they were all done very well.

I read 'The Rake' some time ago and it was my AL TIME favourite. Reggie appears in this book and does not disappoint. If you haven't read 'The Rake', read this book first as it sets up Reggie's story. (However both books stand alone)

[Sam I AMNreader · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was very, very difficult for me to get to the 50% point in this book, but then everything with this crazy love quadrangle clicked. That said, there are two love stories, and while I think MJP did a decent job integrating them, it often left me wanting more of one or the other couples. And the end was very enjoyable, it still wasn't enough to save this one for me overall.

[Linda (NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Reading The Diabolical Baron came about because I wanted to read The Rake. I had read The Bargain in 2015 and enjoyed the story. At the time, I intended to follow through with the series and read the other two stories but, for some unknown reason, I didn't.

Another reason I felt it important to read this story was because of Reggie Davenport's (The Rake) introduction. He flits here and there, giving the reader the impression of a drunkard, wretch and all-around obnoxious person. Other than that, the pages were consumed with two romances.

Jason Kincaid, Baron Radford, was expected to marry, but he loved years ago and lost. Now, he wagered with his friend that he would marry, but only with a few requirements. It was important to note, the reader was never led to believe he would change his amorous ways. When his friend came up with the names of women who met those prerequisites, Radford picked one at random. I wasn't too happy with the Baron.

The young woman's name was Caroline Hanscombe and she was the niece of Mrs. Jessica Sterling who just so happens to be Radford's former love of his life. Needless-to-say, drama shrouded the romance(s). It took me awhile to read The Diabolical Baron because I wasn't in any rush to find out how Radford and Caroline were going to end their betrothal without harm to all parties.

Except for the initial bet, Radford was not a bad sort. He treated Caroline with utmost respect. In turn, Caroline had to get over her introversion of men obsessing on fear. Her father did a number on her and she did not want to marry anyone. Lucky for Caroline, Richard Dalton catches her eye.

Don't worry. All's well that ends well.

[Nσҽɱí · Rating 2 out of 5]

#UnBesoAlAzar #RetoRita5 #RitaViejuna
Tenía todo los ingredientes para un buen pisto, pero me quedado con las ganas!
La trama en si, es original. Pero para mi,no han sabido enfocar o llevar la historia.
Esta bien escrito, pero me ha faltado más chicha entre los personajes,
En realidad se podría decir que son 2 parejas como protagonistas, por que toda la historia gira alrededor de ellos.
Caroline es lo más soso que pueda haber, ya me extraña que fuera a terminar con Jason.
Y Jason al comienzo te lo venden de una forma que pensé que me iba a tener enchochada y nada de nada.
La única que parece que tiene carácter la tía de Caroline, pero aún así, no es que me haya gustado mucho más y por último el Capitán Richard, que tampoco es para tirar cohetes.
Me hubiera gustado menos explicaciones en algunas cosas y más en otras, Por que habido momentos que me he aburrido.
No sé si seguiré con la serie, me lo pensaré.

[Myself · Rating 2 out of 5]

De momento se me está haciendo un poco pesado, no consigue engancharme ni terminar de empatizar con ninguno de los personajes.
Terminado. Ha remontado en la segunda mitad, que pena que le costara tanto arrancar.

[Kate McMurry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Updated review 11/14/21, for the re-release of this wonderful, classic Regency romance, MJP’s first novel

Jason Kincaid, nineteenth Baron Radford, is 35 years old and well satisfied with his bachelor status, but he can no longer delay taking a wife and securing the succession. Unfortunately, he has never felt the slightest urge to shackle himself to any woman since he was a sprig of 23, when he impulsively proposed to a beautiful young woman of 17. He was madly in love with her, and he had every reason to believe she was equally in love with him but, without any explanation as to why, she flatly turned him down. Ever since then, Jason has viewed romantic love as an illusion of the young and feckless and, for that reason, though he is devilishly handsome and not without charm, he is cynically convinced that no woman he might offer for will care about anything but the wealth and prestige he will bring to the marriage. In fact, he is so supremely indifferent to the whole process of choosing a wife, he hands over the inconvenient task to his best friend, George Fitzwilliam. But before George agrees to accept the assignment, in order to make it worth his while, he bets Jason a highly desirable season of fishing on his uncle’s Scottish estate against Jason’s peerless team of grays that Jason is wrong in his arrogant assumption that any woman he offers for will automatically accept him. Jason has no hesitance about agreeing to such an easily won bet. At George’s insistence, Jason nonchalantly provides his friend with a list of his requirements for a wife, including: an aristocratic lineage, with no serious physical or mental health issues or really offensive behavior in her family; passably good looking—no spoiled Beauty need apply; good manners and docility. Based on that criteria, George whittles down the current crop of debutantes to 20 potential choices. He scrawls their names on slips of paper, places them in a nut dish, and Jason fishes out a name at complete random: Miss Caroline Hanscombe.

Caroline Hanscombe is 21 years old, very close to being on the shelf, and more than satisfied with that possibility. She is a brilliant musician who plays many different instruments with great facility, especially the pianoforte and the harp, and she also composes complex music such as sonatas and concertos. She desires nothing more in life than to make her home with her Aunt Jessica, who is only nine years older than Caroline, remembers what it was like to be young, and understands and supports her niece, unlike Caroline’s parents, who have nothing but scorn for their daughter’s musical genius. When Lord Radford proposes, after a very short and efficient courtship, Caroline’s parents strong-arm her into accepting his offer. The only mitigating factor allowed to her is that her request is granted for Jessica to accompany her as her chaperone, when she visits Lord Radford’s estate as his fiancée.

Jessica Sterling is the daughter of a wastrel, younger son of a viscount. Around age 18, she married a major in the army who was killed four years ago on the Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. Their marriage produced an adorably precocious daughter, Linda, who is 9 years old. Jessica has no notion who Lord Radford is before leaving with Caroline to visit his estate, but in the spirit of practicality, she urges Caroline to give herself a chance to see if the marriage might offer her advantages she doesn’t yet foresee before burning her boats.

Richard Davenport is 28 years old. He is still mourning his beloved parents, who drowned in a boating accident three years ago. His father was heir to an earldom, but since he died before Richard’s grandfather died a year ago, Richard is now the putative Earl of Wargrave. However, he absolutely does not want to be an earl. Richard spent the past grueling seven years as a military officer on the Peninsula, and all he wants is to retire to a quiet, obscure life, in which he is responsible for no one but himself. The long-time family attorney, who is in charge of the Wargrave trust, informs Richard that if he does not come forth and admit formally that he is the heir apparent, when the trust wraps up six months from now, eighteen months after his grandfather’s death, the heir presumptive, Reginald Davenport, who is the son of the deceased earl’s younger brother, will become the Earl of Wargrave. The problem is, Reggie is a gamester, brawler, and rake who would make an extremely irresponsible earl. The attorney, who is exceedingly loyal to the Davenports, practically begs Richard to at least spend some time at the Wargrave estate before making a final decision. He can go incognito and pretend to be a clerk who is taking inventory for the lawyer in preparation for winding up the trust.

When Jessica meets Jason for the first time, on the way to his estate as Caroline’s chaperone, both are taken completely by surprise when they recognize each other. At Jason’s estate, he assures Caroline he will support her musical aspirations in any way he can, including purchasing her a pianoforte. In the meanwhile, he is sure that the butler at the Wargrave estate, which is located within a comfortable walking distance of Jason’s estate, will allow her to take advantage of the conservatory of the former countess, who was quite musically talented and definitely owned a pianoforte. On her first visit to the Wargrave mansion, Jessica has a amazing encounter with a kind, handsome gentleman named Richard, who is a musician almost as talented as she.

This Regency romance is the very first book that MJP published, way back in 1987. It is part of the Davenport series which includes:

The Diabolical Baron (1987).
The Rake (1998), revised from The Rake and the Reformer (1989).
Sunshine for Christmas, in the anthology, A Regency Christmas II (1990).

Richard Davenport also has a cameo in The Bargain (1999), revised from The Would-Be Widow (1988). The events in TB occur, chronologically, a year before the events in this book. Richard is good friends with David, the hero of TB, and was injured, as David was, in the Battle of Waterloo. Richard is something of a matchmaker for the starring couple in TB.

I have always enjoyed romance novels with two separate romances, and this novel is a terrific example of that type of story. I adored the artistic, musical union of Richard and Carolyn. Richard is wonderful, and the two of them are quite obviously soulmates. I was also cheering for Jason and Jessica. They too seem totally made for each other.

Reggie Davenport is an antagonist in this story, and he is utterly deplorable. He actually calls it merely “stealing a kiss” when he sexually assaults Carolyn (he does not get past kissing because he is stopped by Richard). MJP does an amazing job redeeming him when she makes him the hero of her award-winning book, The Rake.

I rate this book as follows:

Heroine Jessica: 5 stars
Heroine Caroline: 5 stars
Hero Jason: 5 stars
Hero Richard: 5 stars
Mixed-Up-Lovers Plots: 5 stars
Setting: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars

Reread 12/23/24: I really enjoyed reading this novel once again. The fact that both sets of lovers are obviously soulmates is tremendously enjoyable to me.

[Atrapada · Rating 3 out of 5]

La historia está bien hilada, tanto así que mezcla dos tramas amorosas de forma realmente asombrosa, pero me ha costado leerlo, en ningún momento he sentido esa necesidad de seguir leyendo, me temo que en esta ocasión no he conseguido “engancharme” en la lectura y, pese a ser una gran historia, he echado en falta ese punto que me hiciese ansiar leyendo, para mí obligarme a leer no es muy buena señal.
Reseña completa: https://atrapadaenunashojasdepapel.bl...

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It has 2 tangled romances. The characters are trying to do the right thing, while hoping for their own HEA. It is very well written and not a long book. This is an older book that I recently discovered and am glad I did.

[Desi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leído en Noviembre 2009

Me pareció un poco floja y por momentos aburrida

[Ana Daniela Ratiu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Multe rude, multe personaje printre care m-am pierdut la inceput, plus rangurile acestora, incat ma gandeam ca ar trebuie sa iau o foaie si sa fac o schema sau un fel de arbore genealogic pentru a intelege ceva din carte, dar imediat am început sa prind firul povestii. Mult de tot mi-a placut cartea. Autoarea si genul fiindu-mi deja cunoscute...

Baronul de Redford, Jason Kincaid ajunge la concluzia ca trebuie sa se căsătorească si sa isi asigure un moștenitor si impreuna cu cel mai bun prieten al sau, George va face o lista cu fete de familie buna si cu reputatie buna. Va trage la sorti biletelul cu numele Carolinei Hanscombe si pune pariu cu George ca o va cuceri pana la sfârșitul sezonului si se vor casatori. Dar Caroline are un tată egoist si uneori violent, iar baronul o îngrozește pur si simplu prin asprimea ochilor lui, chiar daca se poarta ireprosabil cu ea. Cand il refuza pe Jason, tatal sau care are probleme cu banii si e convins ca el va plati bine pentru fiica sa, o obliga sa se marite cu el. Cand Jason isi invita logodnica pe mosia lui sa aiba timp sa se cunoasca putin înainte de casatorie, ea il roaga ca insotitoare sa ii fie matusa ei Jessica, care e vaduva si cea mai buna prietena a ei. Surpriza vietii lui e cand descopera cine e mătușa: fata care in tinerete i-a furat inima si a refuzat sa se marite cu el. Recunosc in fata Carolinei ca s-au cunoscut in tinerete, dar doar atat.
La mosie Caroline il va cunoaste pe Richard, la mosia vecina. El e moștenitorul titlul de Conte de Wargrave, dar nu stie daca sa accepte titlul si responsabilitatile care vin cu titlul, de aceea nu spune nimănui cine e in realitate, ci doar evaluatorul proprietatii. Amândoi au aceeasi pasiune pt muzica si in secret e fiecare îndrăgostit de celalalt, dar cand prind curaj si isi declara iubirea, Caroline si Jason sunt aproape in pragul nuntii. Patru persoane care iubesc, numai ca perechile nu sunt corecte.... Ce sa va intampla in continuare? Recomand cartea iubitorilor de historical-romance ❤
🌷🌷🌷🌷

[Ms. Smartarse · Rating 2 out of 5]

So much for "great expectations" huh? I quite liked the sequel, The Rake, so I had resolved to give the prequel a real chance. The only thing I knew, was that this story dealt with Richard, and he was a rather likable character in the sequel.

It started out well too, despite the fact that throughout the entire first chapter I had the feeling I had already read this. I even went so far as to double check that I hadn't mistakenly changed the book's title. In the end, I decided to enjoy it, especially with promisingly humorous quips like:

“I can’t quarrel with how much you’ve increased the property yields,” the dowager said grudgingly.
If so, it was the first time he’d heard of something she couldn’t quarrel with.

“Do you just mean to choose one [wife], like a horse at Tattersall’s?”
“George, you do me an injustice! I spend considerably more thought on selecting my horses.”

The Honorable George was something of an authority on the subject [love] since he succumbed to the emotion at least half a dozen times a year.

Annoying old matronly relative? Check! Arrogrant and rich hero in need of a wife? Check! Frivolous and possibly funny sidekick for our hero? Once again, check!
And that's just the first chapter. Self-deprecating humor, rich men, possibility of wallflower-like heroine reforming a notorious rake? I. AM. IN!



But then we meet our tortured heroine, which apparently meant going crazy with the similes. Self-sacrificing wallflowers I can accept, but not self-sacrificing wallflowers who are secretly angelic beauties out of our realm:

She forgot her shyness only with close friends or when she was absorbed in music; then her delicate face relaxed to a dreamy, ethereal loveliness.

I know perfectly well you have been dressing as unbecomingly as possible to repel potential suitors.

Caroline Hanscombe carefully checked her appearance in the mirror. Success! She definitely looked a dowd.

After plucking several Elizabethan tunes, Caroline rippled out an Italian lullaby, singing softly in her sweet true voice.

We have to do away with unrestricted access to figures of speech... actually make that adjectives in general.

As for character development... Why is everyone so "flat" in here? Caroline is a shy musical prodigy, Jessica is so gorgeous that people get Pavlovian hard-ons reactions upon her mere appearance, Richard is God's gift to mankind (with a limp, since he WAS in a war) and Jason is... tortured and diabolical?

Speaking of Jason's satanic attributes, why does Caroline need to be so dramatic?
So he had the audacity to ask her to dance while she was doing her best 'boring wallflower' impression. Next, he charms his way into her family's heart wallet, invites her for a ride in his extravagant black and golden carriage AND tries to have a meaningful conversation during the ride.
You'd think that'd qualify him as annoying at most. Not to Caroline though, as far as our heroine is concerned the baron's earned himself an express ticket to Hell...



The most ridiculous part of it of all was Richard's past conveniently catching up to him through his grandmother.

She just so HAPPENS to have been married to the local priest, and Richard also just HAPPENS to stumble on her yearly sobbing fest and she just so HAPPENS to unburden herself to a virtual stranger because... well just because. And don't get me started on Richard's mother's back story. A more boring retelling of a rape followed by murder has rarely been witnessed outside of fanfiction.

I'm assuming this scene was supposed to be all exciting and have us on the edge of our seats, but all I could think about was the metaphorical bump on the back of my head caused by the "anvil-sized plot filler", compliments of the author.



At least we get one good parting quote:

“I once told Jessica I thought you must have drawn my name out of a hat, but I never dreamed I was so close to the truth!”
“Actually, it was a nut bowl.”

I tried, I truly and honestly did. I actually WANTED to give this book a 4 star rating, genuinely looking forward to reading it. And what do I get? A cheesy fanfiction-like drivel, without even having the decency to throw some steamy scenes our way as compensation.

What's even worse: this book actually had quite a bit of potential, if only the editor had gotten rid of the overly dramatic parts!

============================================
review of the 2nd book: The Rake

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A double-stranded romance features in Mary Jo Putney's debut Regency (from 1987). This edition has been updated for re-publication (but includes no notes about what specifically has changed).

In his late 30's, Jason, Lord Radford, realizes it is time for him to wed. But he has no interest in the search for a bride, and bets his friend George Fitzwilliam that he can persuade any suitable miss to wed him within six months. George compiles a list of eligibles, and Radford picks one out of a hat.

The selected young woman, Caroline Handscombe, a dreamy musician and composer, has no thought of marriage. Indeed, she deliberately tries to fade into the background at ton events, leaving the field to her far more vivacious step-sister. But when the the austere Lord Radford comes courting, offering her family not only a leg up in society but a much-needed infusion of cash, Caroline is forced into accepting. Her only solace is her Aunt Jessica, an understanding (and gorgeous) redheaded war widow whose first love was no other than Jason.

A parallel story focuses on Captain Richard Darby (really Davenport), who in fact is the true heir to the earldom of Wargrave. But a family estrangement meant he has no idea of his lineage until the start of the story. Trying to decide whether or not he should reveal his identity and take on the heavy responsibilities of being a landlord and peer, Richard agrees to his solicitor's suggestion that he visit Wargrave (which borders on Radford's estate) in the guise of a clerk, working to catalog the holdings at the estate before the property is settled on his cousin Reggie Davenport. (One could not not accept a title one was in line to inherit, as far as I know, so the solicitor's and Richard's actions here are not very historically accurate).

Because there is no instrument at Radford's estate, Radford makes arrangements for Caroline to practice at neighboring Wargrave, where she and the gentle Richard meet. The resulting mixed-matchings take time, and a brave effort from the usually timid Caroline, to untangle.

The book opens rather awkwardly, with Putney clearly trying (and not very successfully) to imitate the witty style of Georgette Heyer. But once she sets that effort aside, all of the hallmarks of Putney's later work are evident: intensity of feeling; women working to make a happy place for themselves both against social strictures and often their own personalities and fears; a very American dislike of social hierarchy and reluctance to celebrate or even endorse a male life without work); and a concern to call attention to the physical and sexual abuse of women (only cursorily here). Even though the story includes no overt sex, I would hardly term it a "sweet" Regency romance, as its cover proclaims; the emotions and issues are far too intense, and the humor far too occasional, for such a label, I believe.

Though I'm not that taken by the book's new cover (feels too much like two modern people dressed up—and looking awkward—in Regency-era costumes), I found this early Putney well-worth reading.

[Cathy Beckett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this first book in the Davenport Family series. There were many twists and turns in the story.
Richard Dalton is retired military. He has returned to England and is recuperating from an injured leg. He sees an advertisement asking for any news of Julian Davenport and his heirs. Richard answers the inquiry and discovers that he is the heir to the earldom. Richard isn't sure he wants the responsibility but agrees to go to the family seat to inventory the estate. While there he meets Caroline the fiancée of his neighbor, Justin Kincaid.
Jason Kincaid,aka The Dastardly Baron, has become engaged to Caroline Hanscombe on a bet. He has found out why Caroline reminds him of someone. Her aunt and chaperone, Jessica, is none other than Jason's first love. He had never gotten over Jessica. His problem is he still loves Jessica but he is engaged to her niece.
Caroline was forced into the betrothal by her father. She doesn't love Justin. She wants to marry Richard.
Eventually Caroline tells Jason that she will not marry him. He is so relieved that he admits his love for Jessica. In the end both couples find happiness with each other.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because in an author's note at the end of "The Bargain" Mary Jo Putney listed the other books where you'd find some of the same characters and learn their stories. I was intrigued. In this book we learn about the Richard Dalton who is a good friend to the hero and heroine in "The Bargain".

However, Richard Dalton is really Richard Davenport who like several of Putney's characters suddenly finds himself a member of the nobility through the death of the presumptive heir. It makes him a neighbor to Jason who is in need of a wife. He has a friend list a bunch of names and draws one out of a hat. That leads him to court and offer for Caroline, a sweet young thing with her head in the clouds and music in her heart.

Throw in Caroline's slightly older provocative widowed aunt, her daughter and an adventurous kitten to round out the story. Predictable but well told.

[Olga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me ha gustado volver a leer a Mary... Despues de tantos libros malos como lleva a mis espalda esta temporada, leer algo que gusta es un regalo...

Dos historias, cuatro personajes y a traves de la trama vez como todo va encajando como una comedia romantica...

Dos formas de ver el amor, cuatro personajes diferentes pero que encajan cuando se enamoran y una historia que hace que lo leas con gusto, no se puede pedir mas!

[Floripiquita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ni fu ni fa. La historia de amor principal me ha dejado un poco fría y la secundaria no me ha acabado de emocionar.

[Kaitlyn Dunnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old style Regency romance at its best.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Diabolical Baron is a double romance! Jason Kincaid needs to get married and produce an heir. He really has no interest in it, but then he makes a bet with a friend. He must get a randomly chosen girl to marry him within six months. Caroline's name is the one chosen, but she also has no interest in marrying. But familial duty comes first, and she finds herself engaged to Jason, whose presence she finds quite overwhelming. However, while visiting his home with her aunt, Caroline and Jason find themselves falling in love. Just not with each other.

I was not expecting what happened in The Diabolical Baron at all! I just assumed that Jason and Caroline would grow to love each other, and that there would be some drama over her being part of a bet. There's four POVs though, so it starts to become clear that these two other characters are going to be very important. And I have to say that I am so glad that Caroline and Jason don't end up together! They're just too different. He doesn't understand her passion for music at all. She is too intimidated by him to give him that push that he needs. But they do find their perfect matches elsewhere, but then spend too much time worrying about the other to call off their engagement!

The Diabolical Baron was just really sweet and a very pleasant surprise. Even though it seemed pretty obvious who everyone was going to end up with in the end, there were times when it could have gone a completely different way. I was never 100% sure who would wind up with who! I am glad things turned out the way that they did though. It's also a pretty short and easy read. Nothing drags on for too long, and the drama isn't too over-the-top.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Nickie Kuhn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun book. The characters were warm and lovable. Even the villains weren't THAT bad. It was a quick read and it never got boring. I often get frustrated reading romance because everyone's problems could usually be solved by one person opening their mouth, and there was SOME of that in this novel, but not so much as to have me screaming in frustration. I really enjoyed this one. I didn't notice until after I finished reading that the original publish date was 1987. Mary Jo Putney's stories are so timeless. I just love her books.

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should say the book did not suit me, it was just an utterly wrong book for me. I had wrong expectation for it.
I didn't even finish the book.
What was there? The huge problem is the supposed heroine did not marry the hero, instead it was her aunt who stole the lime light for the first half of the book.
The story telling was so slow that I gave up half way. It was half of the book and none of the loving stuff appeared. It can't be so wrong of me to expect such from a romance book.
Fine, I just recognized the book was published in 1987. This style is too out-dated for me.

[Ilze · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really nice "traditional Regency" romance, i.e. kisses only, no explicit sex scenes. Mary Jo Putney's first published book and quite delightful - it stands up well in comparison with her later books, and even features a lost heir, which seems to be one of her favourite plot devices ;-) One of her best characters, Reginald Davenport, appears in this book as a real jerk (this is before he is reformed and becomes a hero in "The Rake").

[Ellen B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slightly strange to see such a different Reggie after reading The Rake, but a nice little do-si-do of characters and a social comedy.