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No Proper Lady (Englefield #1)

3.26 of 5 stars 3.26 · rating details · 452 ratings · 123 reviews

When a half-naked woman suddenly appears on his country estate, Simon Grenville doesn't have time to be shocked. Demonic beasts are hot on his heels until the beautiful stranger unsheathes several knives strapped to her skin-tight trousers and kills them. As he stares at her fierce, heart-stopping face, Simon knows he's in a hell of a lot of trouble...

Joan is from a time...more

Paperback, 329 pages

Published September 6th 2011 by Sourcebooks Casablanca (first published September 1st 2011)

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Dec 21, 2011 slayra rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, in-english, uf-and-pnr, historical-romance

RATING: almost 2.5 stars?

No Proper Lady was an impulse buy (I know I have a lot of those, gah). I wanted to read an historical romance, but somehow I also wanted a bit of paranormal. So when I read the synopsis for this book, I thought it was exactly what I was looking for.

And it was, in a way. The idea is still pretty good. The execution (yes, you read right, it's one of those... sigh), however...

I was okay with time travel and Joan being a though female. Very good. I did not like the way her...more RATING: almost 2.5 stars?

No Proper Lady was an impulse buy (I know I have a lot of those, gah). I wanted to read an historical romance, but somehow I also wanted a bit of paranormal. So when I read the synopsis for this book, I thought it was exactly what I was looking for.

And it was, in a way. The idea is still pretty good. The execution (yes, you read right, it's one of those... sigh), however...

I was okay with time travel and Joan being a though female. Very good. I did not like the way her first encounter with Simon (the hero) went down. It appears Simon is a wizard and doesn't frown on bright lights and women from the future... which means he pretty much took it in stride and didn't doubt her. There was no fights, no disbelief, no period of adjustment. It was like: "Oh right I'll help a strange woman, give her dresses and all". I just... didn't feel like it was realistic behaviour.

Also it bugged me that the focus of the book was Joan learning to fit Victorian society. Half the book is about that (and the instantaneous attraction between her and Simon) and I was kind of bored, because, well it was boring and the interactions were not very interesting. Or conductive to attraction. Basically, the protagonists had no chemistry.

After this first half, Joan and company move to London to meet their foe (Simon's former friend), who could have been a layered, complex character but ended up being the villain of the jour. As mean as they come and strangely with a tendency for self-pity (Woe, no-one understands my evilness) that made me roll my eyes. The part where the heroes deal with this very dangerous villain is short and anti-climatic after all the talk of him being so powerful and so dangerous. It was like Cooper was tired of the story and decided to end it abruptly after spending much of the book focusing on Joan and how she couldn't dance or eat properly.

I think the major problem with this book is that it tries to be too much: time-travel story, mystery and thriller, paranormal fiction, historical romance... and consequently none of these are very well developed. Same for the characters.
I did like the descriptions of Joan's world (great setting for gritty urban fantasy) and her flashgun. I did not, however, like Joan that much. I didn't connect with any of the characters, really.

Overall: No Proper Lady could have been an interesting book (it certainly had an interesting idea behind it) but the author seemed to want to cram so much into the story it ended up being underdeveloped. And generally boring, except for a few select parts. Not a "time-travel romance" I would recommend. (less)

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Jan 13, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction, romance

Fish-out-of-water time travel stories are incredibly overdone, but I still like them anyway. Joan was prepped for her mission, so she's not completely ignorant, but her future is so shattered that they didn't have much good information to give her. So her clothes are horrifying and her manners not much better. But because she's a soldier with a mission and enough sense not to let her pride get in the way, her no-nonsense approach to learning skills she thinks are silly is refreshing.

Also refres...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Mara rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, pnr

I'm quite happy I read Lessons After Dark, the second book in this series, first. I wouldn't have bought it otherwise.

No Proper Lady is as boring as the proper lady she isn't. The idea behind the story was an intriguing one, but I would have liked it a lot better if it had more action and less training on how to be a lady. Both book and characters are dull. Only Joan has some moments of vitality in an otherwise dead world. But she should be a kick ass assassin from the future, clearly "some vita...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Felicia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

I forgot this book on my Kindle and the cover certainly just seems like it's a traditional "oh woe is me please marry me I'm a spinster at 21" Historical romance so I didn't pick it up until vacation. HOWEVER it is NOT that at all, much to my surprise/appreciation. A post-apocalyptic woman goes back in time to the 1880's to stop her society from becoming the horrible place it becomes because of a magic user from the time. Yeah, nutty but kind of amazing in the beginning especially.

My favorite p...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Jeanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

The story: Joan, a young yet seasoned warrior from a dystopian future, is sent back in the past, more specifically to Victorian England, to get rid of the evil magician who will be the cause of humanity's ruin. She lands in the vast estate of Simon Grenville, an aristocrat who has recently retired to the country to protect his young sister, Eleanor, from his old buddy-turned-bad (who is, of course, none but the evil magician himself). Grenville, who deals with magic too, agrees to help Joan out,...more The story: Joan, a young yet seasoned warrior from a dystopian future, is sent back in the past, more specifically to Victorian England, to get rid of the evil magician who will be the cause of humanity's ruin. She lands in the vast estate of Simon Grenville, an aristocrat who has recently retired to the country to protect his young sister, Eleanor, from his old buddy-turned-bad (who is, of course, none but the evil magician himself). Grenville, who deals with magic too, agrees to help Joan out, while Eleanor is in charge of teaching her how to be a "proper lady", or at least how to fake being one.

This is an original and well played-out story. You'd think with elements from so many different genres, at least one would suffer from the mix. I didn't think so. Everything was there, and believable: Joan's dystopian world, Simon's Victorian one, their love story, their strategy to achieve her mission. It was all there, perhaps even too explicitly. Though I liked the random and natural quality of Joan and Simon's conversations, they often seemed to serve the only purpose of "dealing with this inevitable issue between people from different times". AKA women's place in society. As a feminist, I agree wholeheartedly with Joan. Yet I found it thickly layered, and almost off topic from the general plot. It was like a neon flashing sign going, "THERE IS A FEMINIST MESSAGE IN THIS NOVEL"... Yes. Thank you.

"We protect ladies. Which means they can take shocking advantage of us if they're so inclined and we're unwary."
Joan's mouth quirked again. "When you chain a dog, you shouldn't be surprised if it barks."
"You do have a flattering opinion of your own sex."
"Women are people," she said calmly and cheerfully. "People are bastards. And someone who's caged―no matter how pretty the bars are―is going to get bored and restless and go for the only entertainment she can. Even if that's catching men."

Another weakness which struck me in hindsight, is the lack of external conflict between the protagonists. As Simon gets the role of mere assistant in Joan's mission, he also becomes quite forgettable. A good guy, to be sure, but when all is said and done, where are the sparks, where is the passion? In comparison with the mind-boggling adventure they find themselves swept into, their romantic story seems almost too realistic: ordinary, sensible, bland. What worked for me, on the other hand, was the metaphysical reflection on duty, freedom, good and evil. I regretted the book wasn't longer, with more development on this topic, which in the end only comes up sporadically, rather than directs or underlies the whole story.

"Our Lord gave us free will, the ability to choose good or evil. He could have compelled us from the start. He did not. Not even at the greatest of costs. Who are we to contradict him? [...] Where there is life, there is hope―the hope of redemption, the hope that each man has a role to play in the greater part of things and that any role might yet be for good. [...]
"But redemption means choice. You may offer, yes. You may hold him to his word, once given, as only a fool would not, but you cannot force his hand. Only evil will come from that."

On the whole, though, No Proper Lady really has many things going for it, and is very promising for the rest Ms. Cooper's career. She had to have guts to blend romance with such an original mix of other genres, to marry what is often thought of as fiction for women to what is considered fiction for men. And the best part is that she held up to my expectations! If I had one advice, it would be to make such emotions/issues/action-filled novels longer. Less than 350 pages is not enough, and methinks it's what made some elements stick out as "random", "off-topic" or too obvious, rather than smoothly, subtly and slowly introduced.(less)

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Jul 22, 2012 Arianne rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was a very frustrating book to read. The premise is pretty cool: female warrior from a dystopian future sent back in time to stop the villain who unleashed Lovecraftian demons on the world, aided by a Victorian amateur magician. It was in the execution that everything fell flat. I was disappointed because it could have been SUCH a good book, I caught glimmers of cleverness and creativity, but they were all too fleeting. In the end, "No Proper Lady" is just another urban fantasy with its coo...more This was a very frustrating book to read. The premise is pretty cool: female warrior from a dystopian future sent back in time to stop the villain who unleashed Lovecraftian demons on the world, aided by a Victorian amateur magician. It was in the execution that everything fell flat. I was disappointed because it could have been SUCH a good book, I caught glimmers of cleverness and creativity, but they were all too fleeting. In the end, "No Proper Lady" is just another urban fantasy with its cookie cutter heroine, feisty and foul-mouthed, and a haphazardly put together world. Several review sites recommended this book as steampunk or fantasy-of-manners. It is neither. I would lump it in under urban fantasy/paranormal or paranormal romance.

What frustrated me?

First, jarring use of language. Often I was thrown out of the book by a badly written sentence with phrases like "done in Simon" or "set her cap for him". If you're going to use "period" slang to colour your dialogue, for heaven's sake, do your research and get it right! I would reach the end of a paragraph without a clue what it meant and I'd have to read it again. I hate to be a member of the grammar police, but sometimes subject-verb disagreement and run-on sentences can really detract from an otherwise enjoyable reading experience.

Second, world-building was half-hearted at best. Cooper threw in a stock post-Apocalyptic underground world and an equally stock Victorian England. We didn't really get to see much of either. I think the book would have vastly improved if we could have seen more of the world Joan left behind and WHY it was so painful for her to leave it, e.g., interaction with family and friends. I finished the book with only a vague idea of how things like magic "worked". Does the magic come from the gods, or belief in the myths, or the demons themselves? How did Joan get thrown back in time? If she was in America, how did she end up in England? What exactly had Alex been doing in his house? What was he attempting to achieve?

Third, slow, the plot was slow as heck. The entire denouement and climax occurred in the last 20%, everything before was Joan acclimatising to the 1880s and Simon fighting his attraction to her. Actually, when I think about it, Simon and Joan spend A LOT of time apart. I find it difficult to believe that they could actually fall in love with each other.

It wasn't the worst book I've read, just rather amateur and shallow. Though the heroine was forgettable, the hero Simon was sufficiently Beta to set himself apart from the packs of Alpha heroes scurrying about the urban fantasy/paranormal genre and his sister Eleanor was unique in her apparent frailty. I would pick up a book about Eleanor, though with much trepidation and from a library.

2.5 stars(less)

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Mar 31, 2012 CB rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I wanted to like this book. I really, really wanted to like this book. And Publishers Weekly put it on their top books of 2011 list!

But....

The premise is original. Joan, daughter of Arthur and Leia (and I loved the author's explanation that in the dystopian future, people named themselves after legendary heroes, even though every time I saw "Leia" it completely threw me out of the story) is a warrior from a time when dark demons and black magic have enslaved most of the planet. Joan is the Free...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Sharon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: time-travel, urban-fantasy, 1800-s, witchcraft, couldn-t-put-it-down, england, paranormal, apocalypse, reviewed

I picked this book up on a whim. That night I jumped into the prologue. and thought, "ah hell". not my kinda story. Closed it right back up.

A couple of days later I received a notice that another book I requested was in, so I took this book and headed back to the library. Since I was too early, I sat outside and read the 1st chapter till the doors opened.

This book came right back home with me.

4.5*

This is a time travel (which I liked) - futuristic urban fantasy (which I've read once or twice and...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars

This time travel/paranormal historical is a delightfully refreshing change from the usual demon-fighting tales. Here the world is a disaster after the dark ones came through from the void. Cities are ruined and people are terrorized in a post-apocalyptic environment. The only fix is to send an assassin back in time to stop the one man who started it all.

Joan is ready to pay the price of losing everyone she knows and loves. She is hurtled back to 1888 and to a society whose moral standards and c...more

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Dec 25, 2011 drey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, romance-historical-regency

drey’s thoughts:
Every time I look at this cover, I wonder why the girl has a tattoo–it’s so not in keeping with historical romances… Then I realize “duh!” she’s not from the times, she’s just in the times. Or there wouldn’t be a story!

Joan comes from “our” world, but a version of our world that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemies… Or yours. Demonic hordes are systematically wiping out humanity, and the last survivors are flagging and running out of options. Their last-ditch effort? Sending Joan...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Elena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult

3.5 stars. I had a good long mental debate over whether to give this 3.5 or 4 stars. Thinking about the book's individual qualities, it seems like a 4-star read. It's very unique, and it does a pretty good job at blending genres. It's an intriguing mix of historical romance, time travel romance, and paranormal romance--it could be labeled with any of those categories, but none of them really do the book justice.

In the novel, Joan is sent back in time from her apocalyptic, demon-infested future i...more

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Sep 19, 2011 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, fantasy, historical-regency-romance

RATING:4.5)NO PROPER LADY by Isabel Cooper is a delightful historical paranormal with a touch of urban fantasy romance set in 1888 England. It is written with details,depths and has characters that will take your breath away. It has black magic,spells,sweet sensuality,romance,martial arts,mysticism,secrets, betrayal ,lost friendships,evil vs good,time travel,tragic glimpses into the future,danger,passion, and making things right. It is likely the story of a female version of Terminator meets a m...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, paranormal, non-erotic, historical, science-fiction-fantasy

Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...

Hearing this book called The Terminator crossed with My Fair Lady got my attention. This book certainly lives up to that claim, making it quite interesting and unique.

Joan is a great character, tragic, due to the hellish world she comes from and what she¹s gone through; still she lives to help others. So here we have this badass chick going back to Victorian England on a mission to save the future.

Now, imagine what happens when she se...more

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Sep 15, 2011 Karen rated it 2 of 5 stars

I've heard NO PROPER LADY described as "Eliza Dolittle meets the Terminator;" I'd agree with the second half, certainly (although she's more a fantasy Terminator (on oh-so-many levels) rather than a sci fi one), but the "Eliza Dolittle" half, which I'd rather been looking forward to, was rather skimpy. I'd call this more "The Terminator and the Golden Dawn vs. Aleister Crowley."

I went back and forth between two and three stars for this one. The plot was an intriguing enough concept: sometime in...more I've heard NO PROPER LADY described as "Eliza Dolittle meets the Terminator;" I'd agree with the second half, certainly (although she's more a fantasy Terminator (on oh-so-many levels) rather than a sci fi one), but the "Eliza Dolittle" half, which I'd rather been looking forward to, was rather skimpy. I'd call this more "The Terminator and the Golden Dawn vs. Aleister Crowley."

I went back and forth between two and three stars for this one. The plot was an intriguing enough concept: sometime in the future, a very evil book written by the sorceror Alex Reynell is read, and opens our world to the destruction and domination of the Dark Lords. This is the world that Joan grew up in, and that bleak future, where humanity fights for its very survival in underground warrens, is all she has ever known. In a desperate attempt to save themselves from extinction, her people unstitch Joan from time itself and send her back before any of this has happened-- to England of 1888-- to destroy the book and its maker.

Simon Grenville was once Alex Reynell's friend, and studied the sorts of things with him that most people believe to be superstition and myth. But Alex chose a darker path, and involved Simon's sister in something that almost destroyed her. Simon still believes that the good man he once knew is still in there somewhere, so when the half-naked stranger appears within the standing stones on his property and saves his life, he agrees to help her complete her mission-- if she will allow him to attempt a non-lethal method of stopping his friend, first.

But as he helps the stranger fit in to his time and get close to his former friend, he comes to know and admire her, and to desire her in ways he should not desire any proper lady. But Joan, of course, is no proper lady....

As I said, the plot and the concept were pretty intriguing. The problem, I think, is that it tried too hard to be too many things at once, and didn't do any of them particularly well because of it. Part of what I looked forward to the most was seeing how Joan would shoehorn herself into the role of a proper Victorian lady and relate to the people of that time. That aspect, unfortunately, is what the author spent the LEAST amount of time on. Simon pretty much accepts Joan without blinking. He's intrigued to watch her reactions to his world and watch her progress (which is, naturally, brilliant-- really, she could have stood to struggle with things a bit more), but the progress itself has sort of an A-Team montage feel to it... I never really felt the tension of her attempting to conform to what, to her, should have been an entirely alien and nonsensical culture. And yes, Simon is a magician and all, but he's *awfully* modern in his thinking, for a Victorian gentleman.

The description of the magic was pretty intriguing (although a bit of a hodge-podge). The sexual aspect was a little surprising to me at first, but it made the continued sexual tension between Simon and Joan a little confusing (why WAS Simon resisting? What would it have mattered?).

A satisfying enough read, but a bit by-the-numbers and not without its logical flaws. 2 1/2 stars, if GoodReads allowed halves.(less)

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Sep 08, 2011 Debbie added it

You might have noticed that I did not give a rating for how I felt about this book. To be honest I have no clue, I didn't hate it and I didn't love it. There was nothing in it that made me think this is horrible and painful and yet it was a struggle to finish and I almost gave up a few times. Perhaps I just was not in the right mood for it because the synopsis was great. Talk about a Terminator sort of story mixed with romance. So please bear with me as I ramble through my feelings about this bo...more You might have noticed that I did not give a rating for how I felt about this book. To be honest I have no clue, I didn't hate it and I didn't love it. There was nothing in it that made me think this is horrible and painful and yet it was a struggle to finish and I almost gave up a few times. Perhaps I just was not in the right mood for it because the synopsis was great. Talk about a Terminator sort of story mixed with romance. So please bear with me as I ramble through my feelings about this book.

I would probably have to say it was the characters that was lacking most. Joan is supposed to be this kick ass assassin from the future but other than shooting a couple other wordly beings and the fact that she swears and speaks like a modern day woman we don't see much else of her supposed fighting/killing abilities. I also felt indifferent towards her because although we know she came from a harsh world and has parents that were still alive when she left for this mission we don't learn much more about her. Same thing with Simon and the villain Reynell. We know both practice magic and were once best friends but now are at each other's throats. Hints are given about why they became enemies but nothing other than Reynell making some choices Simon disagreed with and Reynell being jealous of Simon for some reason that enmity wasn't really fully developed either.

As I write this I am realizing the main fault was there were so many bits and pieces that held potential but nothing was ever fully fleshed out. For instance, the world Joan comes from is obviously horrible but she makes references to traitors and the Dark Ones "pets" but this world isn't painted in much more detail besides those types of references. It would have felt so much more real if we could truly see what she has traveled back in time and abandoned all hope of returning to her family in order to change.

All in all not a book I would read again and probably one you will have to check out for yourself. I've seen a couple other people rave about it so perhaps I was just in the wrong frame of mind going into this one.(less)

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Sep 04, 2011 SOS Aloha rated it 4 of 5 stars

The product description refers to NO PROPER LADY as "It's Terminator meets My Fair Lady in this fascinating debut of black magic and brilliant ball gowns, martial arts, and mysticism." The movie comparison is an oversimplification of this story that does, indeed, blend several genres – time travel, Victorian Romance, Urban Fantasy, and a dab of girl power on top.

NO PROPER LADY sends a modern heroine back to Victorian England to stop a dark magician from destroying the future. The heroine, Joan,...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Bookaholics rated it 5 of 5 stars

No Proper Lady by Isabel Cooper
Paranormal/Historical Romance – Sept. 1st, 2011
4 1/2 stars

Joan has a mission and only one mission: to travel back to England 1888 and prevent the destruction of the world. Except that when she gets there, she’ll have to learn how to fit in the society and all its rules. Thankfully, the very first person she meets is the handsome and troubled Simon Grenville.

When a beautiful stranger appears named Joan in the middle of the woods, claiming that Alex Reynell will bri...more

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Sep 28, 2011 Heather Pearson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Joan's world is very ill and it's going to take more, much more, than a few simple spells and incantations to heal it. It's going to take sending her back two hundred years to 1888 to effect the changes needed.

While wandering in the woods near his estate, Simon Grenville happens upon the long neglected standing stones he vaguely remembers from his youth. As he approaches, he can feel an unearthly power building, radiating from the stones. Moments later, Joan appears in the circle, poised for bat...more Joan's world is very ill and it's going to take more, much more, than a few simple spells and incantations to heal it. It's going to take sending her back two hundred years to 1888 to effect the changes needed.

While wandering in the woods near his estate, Simon Grenville happens upon the long neglected standing stones he vaguely remembers from his youth. As he approaches, he can feel an unearthly power building, radiating from the stones. Moments later, Joan appears in the circle, poised for battle.

As it turns out, these two have a common adversary and they determine that they will work together to vanquish him.

This does pose certain challenges. Joan comes from a broken, live by the skin of your teeth society. She is essentially unaware of Victorian propriety and customs. While she is a most proficient assassin, she hasn't the slightest idea of how to approach her target. It was interesting to see how different present day society and mannerisms are from 1888. Clothing, manners, forms of speech, so much for Joan to learn for that she can fit in. I felt that author Isabel Cooper did a good job at portraying the differences in women's positions in the two time periods. She didn't imply that one was right and the other wrong, just that they were different.

I was surprised to learn that this is a debut novel. There was enough depth to Joan and Simon that I felt comfortable with them and that I could almost anticipate their interaction. I liked Simon's few friends that were introduced and am happy to hear that Isabel is working on a follow-up No Honest Woman. Eleanor makes for an interesting young woman. She develops a substantial backbone through her involvements with Joan. I wonder if it was there before? How much was influenced by her brother's actions. Hope to learn more of her in the next book.

I enjoyed this book. Very entertaining. I had to keep reading to find out how the romance could proceed in light of their serious quest and the societal restrictions.

(less)

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Jun 14, 2012 Lindsay rated it 3 of 5 stars

More of a solid 3.5 stars.

Yes, it's Terminator meets My Fair Lady. That's kind of WHY I even picked it up (that and it was on the PW list of best genre books from 2011), so don't even think about giving me crap.

I struggled a bit with the rating, and I may go back and knock it up to a 4. Here's why:

This is a well written book - the characters are compelling, the plot is interesting, the concept is fun and the pacing is good. I liked the fish out of water aspect as well. I'll read historical ficti...more

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Dec 15, 2012 JA rated it 2 of 5 stars

I wanted something light and fluffy to read, and this qualified. As some of the other reviewers have noted (in spoiler-laden detail), there are some failures of plausibility. But if you're going to read a romance novel, especially one with elements of both science fiction and fantasy, you better check your disbelief at the door.

Having said that, I can't resist pointing out that box-step waltz was not popularized until the 20th century (as an aficionado of Victorian waltz, I spent a silly amount...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book

Full Review will be up on ashleysgotbookcitement.blogspot.com in the next few weeks

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. The concept and idea behind it is very interesting and intriguing. It's an interesting mash-up of many things I enjoy, magic, a bleak future, the 1800s, and a kick-butt female character.
The characters in the story were really strong. Joan was tough and her transition from tough girl of the future to a woman living during 1888 was well done and believable. The character Simo...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Janusz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Professional assassin Joan is sent back through time to murder the aristocratic Victorian magus whose dabbling in the dark arts will eventually open the gates of hell and create a dystopian future. Her time trip deposits her in exactly the right place at the right time and next to the right person -- another aristocratic magus who befriends her and helps her make the Pygmalion transformation from skinny, battle-hardened warrior to shapely, elegant Victorian lady.

An audacious plot with fine actio...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Anna Marie added it

I did not finish this book. It thought the premise sounded good - a futuristic dystopian heroine goes back in time to Regency England to stop an evil from awakening that would eventually destroy the Earth.

But this book embodies the very concept that I've been coming to terms with, lately: and that's that mankind has more knowledge than ever before, but is not wise enough any longer to deal with any of it. So it is with this book. It's demons, summonings, possessions, sexuality, violence... but t...more

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Sep 26, 2011 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was an "OMG-AWESOME" book. It was truly Terminator meets My Fair Lady but so much more fantastic. Ms. Cooper created a world and premise that was so original and engaging, it is by far one of my favorite reads of the year. I was so impressed by how she made a time traveling assassin fit into Regency society and how having Joan learn to fit into this world made me as a reader so much more engaged in the story.

Isabel Cooper has just made my auto-buy list. I will read her grocery list even if...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Lisa Borbeck rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I read the description of “No Proper Lady” by Isabel Cooper I think I actually squealed with excitement. Think Terminator meets Buffy meets Harry Potter meets Emma. This book can fit into so many genres that someone would have to come up with a whole new category... like historical science fictional supernatural romance. Jane has traveled back in time 200 years (she comes from 100 years in our future) to stop an evil wizard from completing the book that will bring an end to the world as we...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Gerry Bartlett rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, paranormal

I found this book in my tobe-read basket. I must have picked it up last year at the RT Conference. I was glad I waited to read it since Cooper has a new book coming out this month. A time travel with a twist! And the challenge of stopping a man who has ruined the future, turning it into a dystopian nightmare. Yes, it's a love story too. Set in Victorian England, it pitches Joan from a dismal future into the past to try to stop a madman from unleashing the forces that make everything go so badly...more

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Dec 24, 2011 Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic, scifi

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/12/...

When Joan travels back 200 years and lands in 1888 England, a la Terminator, she’s immediately greeted by snarling cerberi and an English Gentleman by the name of Simon Grenville. Joan is in search of the man that’s at fault for causing the fall of civilization, and the horrid world she lives in, and plans to destroy him, in hopes of saving mankind. Turns out that Simon has his own agenda involving the evil Alex Raynell, a...more You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/12/...

When Joan travels back 200 years and lands in 1888 England, a la Terminator, she’s immediately greeted by snarling cerberi and an English Gentleman by the name of Simon Grenville. Joan is in search of the man that’s at fault for causing the fall of civilization, and the horrid world she lives in, and plans to destroy him, in hopes of saving mankind. Turns out that Simon has his own agenda involving the evil Alex Raynell, and he agrees to help Joan in her mission.

The opening scene, when Joan arrives in a dark, rain swept field and must fight numerous beasts to save herself and Simon, really got me excited for this book. Honestly, I expected lots of action, fighting, etc., but the reality was somewhat different than I expected. That wasn’t a bad thing though! In fact, I was surprised at just how much I enjoyed reading about the lengths Joan goes to in order to fit in to proper society and get close to the man that’s she’s after. On the back of the book, it says “It’s Terminator meets My Fair Lady”. Well, the beginning certainly was Terminatoresque, but we really don’t see any real action until the last quarter of the book, but like I said, that’s ok, because I really liked the characterizations, especially how Simon is drawn to Joan in spite of her rough exterior and less than delicate sensibilities. Joan is hard not to like, and Simon enlists his younger sister, Ellie, in helping Joan fit in, with hopes that it will bring her out of her shell, for it’s Ellie that Reynell had brutalized, bringing about Simon’s wrath and the end of what was a close relationship between Simon and Alex. Simon is a skilled magician, which is part of why he has no problem believing Joan’s story as to where and when she came. There are definitely some sexy bits, so No Proper Lady will definitely appeal to romance fans, but I believe it should appeal to anyone that enjoys a well written story, and the juxtaposition between Regency England and the not so distant future might appeal to fantasy/light sci-fi fans as well (if you don’t mind some serious sexy with your sci-fi.) I’ll definitely look forward to Ms. Cooper’s next novel, No Honest Woman, in April 2012!(less)

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Sep 27, 2011 Alexia Chantel rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars!

Cooper has blended historical romance with paranormal and created something new and fresh that needs a brand new category to contain it.

The paranormal side of No Proper Lady is dark. Demons being summoned and released on the world resulting in the apocalypse. Enough descriptive detail to give you the chills.

The historical romance side is beautiful in that Joan is a woman who takes nothing for granted and is able to see the world through the eyes of a child yet at the same time with eno...more

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May 28, 2012 Trayana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: demons, fantasy, pnr, romance

Много въпроси си задавах преди да започна да пиша това ревю. На първо място – трябва ли то да бъде написано и публикувано в този блог? Книгата е доста далеч от тези, за които обикновено ви меля на главата. Не е фантастика или фентъзи, определено не е за мъже. Обаче аз съм жена и вече излязах на светло и си признах, че чета любовни романи. От друга страна – No Proper Lady, не може да бъде поставена строго в рамките на любовните романи, защото носи основни белези на няколко поджанра на фантастикат...more Много въпроси си задавах преди да започна да пиша това ревю. На първо място – трябва ли то да бъде написано и публикувано в този блог? Книгата е доста далеч от тези, за които обикновено ви меля на главата. Не е фантастика или фентъзи, определено не е за мъже. Обаче аз съм жена и вече излязах на светло и си признах, че чета любовни романи. От друга страна – No Proper Lady, не може да бъде поставена строго в рамките на любовните романи, защото носи основни белези на няколко поджанра на фантастиката. Затова реших, че – да, мога да си позволя една забежка към паранормалните романси.

Колкото и да е глупаво липсата на точно преводно заглавие също ме затрудни. Изгубих доста време в опити да намеря една единствена дума на български, която да носи смисъла на „такъв, какъвто трябва/се предполага да бъде”. Proper не е нито „подходящ, нито „благоприличен”, нито „уместен”, нито „истински”. По-скоро е някаква мешавица между всичките изброени. Наблагодарна работа е това преводачеството и реших да си го спестя.

Не на последно място си задавах въпроса – наистина ли ми хареса този роман? Както почти винаги съм донякъде раздвоена в оценката си за книгата. Т.е. хареса ми достатъчно, за да я препоръчам на хората, които са фенове на романтичната литература, но не мисля, че би привлякла някой друг читател за каузата. Все пак реших, че No Proper Lady има интересна концепция и си струва да бъде ревюирана.Още...(less)

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Jan 21, 2012 Rauli rated it 3 of 5 stars

Nicely put especially the logistics and consequences of time travel, it was an interesting read but I must admit that I was more intrigued by Joan's apocalyptic world than it Victorian counterpart. The beauty of the British world in 1888 just paled in comparison to the brief glimpses Isabel Cooper gave us of the crumbling, dank future that awaits humankind if Joan fails her mission. The pacing of the book was also a bit awkward, with most of the action occurring in the last couple chapters and l...more

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About Isabel Cooper

Isabel Cooper lives in Boston, Massachusetts with her boyfriend and a houseplant she's managed to keep alive for over a year now—a personal best. By day, she's a mild-mannered editor at a legal publishing company. By night, she's really quite a geek: polyhedral dice, video games, and everything. She only travels through time the normal direction, and has never fought any kind of demon, unless you...more

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