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55th out of 121 books
—
43 voters
A Proper Companion (Regency Rakes #1)
by
Candice Hern (Goodreads Author)
Fans of the traditional Regency Romances of Georgette Heyer, Jo Beverley, and Carla Kelly will enjoy this witty romance from award-winning author Candice Hern.
Robert, Lord Bradleigh, is a rakish earl with a recently arranged betrothal to a lovely young girl he barely knows. Emily Townsend is an impoverished spinster employed as a companion to his grandmother, the formidab...more
Robert, Lord Bradleigh, is a rakish earl with a recently arranged betrothal to a lovely young girl he barely knows. Emily Townsend is an impoverished spinster employed as a companion to his grandmother, the formidab...more
Kindle Edition
Published
April 8th 2011
(first published January 1st 1995)
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We know that we are in for a fun frolic when an author boldly begins the first chapter of a novel with a heroine climbing out a bedroom window to meet her lover during a runaway marriage. No sooner have we drawn another breath when we discover that Lady Gwendolyn Pentwick is not the heroine of A Proper Companion at all, but her mother, an earl’s daughter who has found herself in a family way and been pressured into a patched up marriage to a titled lord who lacks fortune and appeal. Phew. If thi...more
Emily Townsend is a paid companion to the dowager Countess Bradleigh. Lady Bradleigh is elderly, but by no means frail. She has taken a keen interest in Emily, who is not just another pretty face, but a quick-witted, even-tempered spinster fallen on hard times. When Robert, the current Earl of Bradleigh and Lady Bradleigh's grandson, announces his engagement, nothing will stop the dowager from quitting her home in Bath to finish out the season in London. Soon, Emily is the toast of the ton, and...more
My summary of the book - Emily is a companion to Robert's grandmother who isn't very happy when she hears about his betrothal. His grandmother starts to plot which involves taking Emily to London where she can enjoy a season. Soon Emily is the toast of the town and attracting the attention of all the gentlemen but all this attention causes trouble to come knocking.
Thoughts on the characters - Emily is happy to stay in the background and continue her life as a companion but when the dowager coun...more
Thoughts on the characters - Emily is happy to stay in the background and continue her life as a companion but when the dowager coun...more
For me the star of this book was the Dowager Countess of Branleigh. The woman got given lemons and she made lemonade.
A tale of a man (Robert, Earl of Branleigh) making the "sensible decision" of getting married, approaching like he was buying a horse and expecting said horse to impact his life in no way whatsoever or at least not all that much. The Earl figures once the deed is done and an heir is got, he can return to life as he knew it. Such regard and thought given to his fiancee. And whilst...more
A tale of a man (Robert, Earl of Branleigh) making the "sensible decision" of getting married, approaching like he was buying a horse and expecting said horse to impact his life in no way whatsoever or at least not all that much. The Earl figures once the deed is done and an heir is got, he can return to life as he knew it. Such regard and thought given to his fiancee. And whilst...more
The plot of this regency is a little too predictable perhaps, but its strength lies in the characters and the dialogue (With a dash of Charlemagne, the french pug)
To steal from the great one:
“My idea of a good novel ...is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call a good novel.'
'You are mistaken,..... 'that is not a good novel, that is the best.”
Synopsis from cover:
Robert, Lord Bradleigh, is a rakish earl with a recently arranged be...more
To steal from the great one:
“My idea of a good novel ...is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call a good novel.'
'You are mistaken,..... 'that is not a good novel, that is the best.”
Synopsis from cover:
Robert, Lord Bradleigh, is a rakish earl with a recently arranged be...more
It is so hard to find a good companion these days. You know, the kind that won't attract the first rakish grandson from London who chances to visit you in Bath to tell you about his recent engagement. I, myself, have vowed only to hire the least attractive of help, should my circumstances one day permit such extravagance. In the meantime, I quite enjoy reading about the daily trials of a woman forced by hard times to earn her keep through providing conversation and the occasional tea service to...more
May 27, 2012
Cecilia
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
at-least-it-was-cheap
I liked the premise of this book,and was looking forward to a nice, kind of stodgy classic Regency. It definitely started out that way, although the prose had a tendency to sound like an imitation or parody of a Regency, rather than giving a sense of authentic character, with voice emerging naturally from that. For example,
"My dear Emily," the dowager drawled, "you cannot begin to imagine how objectionable [the hero's new fiancee is]. Lord Windhurst [her father] can, of course, be disregarded...more
A Proper Companion by Candice Hern
Book 1 of 3
Emily Townsend is determined to make it on her own. Her mother was disowned by her parents because she eloped after finding she was with child. When Emily's mom died her father turned to drinking and gambling and died leaving her nothing. So she has been a companion for older women the last few years. The dowager Bradleigh is who she has been with the past year. The seventy-eight year old woman lives in Bath and enjoys the escapades of her rakehell g...more
Book 1 of 3
Emily Townsend is determined to make it on her own. Her mother was disowned by her parents because she eloped after finding she was with child. When Emily's mom died her father turned to drinking and gambling and died leaving her nothing. So she has been a companion for older women the last few years. The dowager Bradleigh is who she has been with the past year. The seventy-eight year old woman lives in Bath and enjoys the escapades of her rakehell g...more
The story
Emily Townsend is a companion to a dowager countess, Lady Bradleigh, when she meets the grandson. Well, we all know how these books end, but it is the getting there that is the fun. Emily is not one of those girls out to find man or mourning the life that might have been. She is practical and smart and content. Lord Bradleigh has finally decided to settle down and marry. He chooses form the years newest debs and think one will do just as well as the next. He engages himself to the best...more
Emily Townsend is a companion to a dowager countess, Lady Bradleigh, when she meets the grandson. Well, we all know how these books end, but it is the getting there that is the fun. Emily is not one of those girls out to find man or mourning the life that might have been. She is practical and smart and content. Lord Bradleigh has finally decided to settle down and marry. He chooses form the years newest debs and think one will do just as well as the next. He engages himself to the best...more
Confirmed yet again that I am definitely a Regency Romance fan!!! This is a sweet story about a genteel woman who has been left with nothing and is forced to work as a Lady’s Companion. She works hard and is appreciated by her employers and her employers’ staff who wager she is well-bred from the wrong side of the sheets. Well the story starts with her employer’s grandson announcing his engagement to a young woman whom this grandmother is not thrilled with. Matchmaking and interference with the...more
Pleasant story about a young woman who is working as a companion to an older woman, who is very kind to her, and indulges in some matchmaking. The companion, Emily, is perfect for her employer's grandson but he is already engaged . . . Emily believes she is poor, but she actually is an heiress, which is why she is being pursued by her dastardly cousin.
Familiar Regency plot points but it was enjoyable. My first Candice Hern read . . . will read more.
Familiar Regency plot points but it was enjoyable. My first Candice Hern read . . . will read more.
It seems like I'm on a roll, another book that kept me up at night. I began reading A Proper Companion shortly before going to bed, but I couldn't put it down. I was transported back to a time where the upper crust of society felt the need to meddle in their children and grandchildren's lives. I enjoyed all of it, Emily and Robert, started off as friends, they soon developed stronger feeling, but Robert being a gentleman could not give or promise anything more than friendship to Emily. I loved t...more
This was a fun easy read and I enjoyed it very much. The main characters were diverting especially the Dowager Lady Bradleigh. Her very proper companion Emily Townsend is a impovershed granddaughter of an earl. He disowned her family because her mother married someone they did't like. So when her father died leaving her with nothing she decided to work as a governess and than as a companion for the Dowager. Like any true romance there is some obstacles in the way of true love and of course the e...more
I picked up this book accidentally (not even sure how) and didn't realize it was a romance novel until I got started. I hate to abandon a book I've started so I continued on. I find that this did not have the gut-wrenching conflict that I enjoy, or perhaps more accurately, I didn't believe the conflict much. I certainly enjoyed the glimpse into old time London and the flavour that this setting added to the story, but over all I found the book to be mediocre. Many of the characters were stereotyp...more
A sweet romance that I found more interesting than most. I felt like the plot twist/ villain at the end was kind of tacked on and unnecessary. The writing was well done enough that the plot didn't need anything extra in it.
There were a few places where I got tired reading the characters' reflections rather than the events as they unfolded.
Emily remembered this drive.
Emily pulls on her gloves.
Emily remembers another drive.
Emily grabs her parasol.
Emily prepares for her next drive.
And a strikingly...more
There were a few places where I got tired reading the characters' reflections rather than the events as they unfolded.
Emily remembered this drive.
Emily pulls on her gloves.
Emily remembers another drive.
Emily grabs her parasol.
Emily prepares for her next drive.
And a strikingly...more
Overall a very enjoyable read, but up until more than halfway through the story, I was thinking that this author reminded me a lot of Georgette Heyer in the sense that it was clean romance throughout the book! Unfortunately, I encountered some instances that if put together might form a paragraph of slightly more descriptive scenes. Thankfully, it was easy to skip over and not as bad as many of the recent books in this genre.
I guess there will never be another Georgette Heyer. 3
Disclaimer: I am...more
I guess there will never be another Georgette Heyer. 3
Disclaimer: I am...more
Candice Hern, an author of multiple historic romances, follows an unimaginative pattern with this one, set in Regency England: man and woman meet, cannot be together, problem quickly and almost miraculously solved, happy ending. Although the love story follows a common script, the characters are likable and the heroine (Emily) more believable than some. The pace of the story is comfortable for the reader, not stretching the imagination too far as the characters interact and build relationships w...more
Mar 01, 2012
Amy Keeley
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of Regency romance, those who want a "clean" romance novel
Recommended to Amy by:
Amazon
It's a fun story. I really liked Emily. She never let anything get her down, even when she was in the worst of circumstances. Robert is fun and I like the dialogue between the two. The dowager is a hoot and I mean that in the best way possible. I adored her! I wish Luckett had been used more. In fact, I wouldn't mind a romance where he's the hero.
I know very little about the Regency time period, but there were things that made me raise my eyebrows more than once, like the waltz. I thought it was...more
I know very little about the Regency time period, but there were things that made me raise my eyebrows more than once, like the waltz. I thought it was...more
Jan 21, 2012
Michelle Robinson
added it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-european-fiction
This was not an unpleasant or poorly written novel but for some reason, it took me months to complete it. I generally finish a book within a few days. I have to say that I was interested enough in the characters to continue coming back to it but GOODNESS.
I have no doubt that many will enjoy it but for me this felt like a chore.
The storyline is fairly predictable what I did like was that the heroine felt comfortable to be honest with the hero as opposed to keeping her issues hidden until the en...more
I have no doubt that many will enjoy it but for me this felt like a chore.
The storyline is fairly predictable what I did like was that the heroine felt comfortable to be honest with the hero as opposed to keeping her issues hidden until the en...more
Review originally posted at Tea, Toast & Books.
In Brief: Emily Townsend, gently bred but impoverished, serves as a paid companion to Lady Bradleigh. The dowager countess is distressed when she learns that her grandson, Robert, has affianced himself to a very young lady with a very grasping family. Lady Bradleigh would rather see him marry her companion — but how to convince him of that and, worse, how can he extricate himself from his disastrous engagement? And will Emily ever believe she is...more
In Brief: Emily Townsend, gently bred but impoverished, serves as a paid companion to Lady Bradleigh. The dowager countess is distressed when she learns that her grandson, Robert, has affianced himself to a very young lady with a very grasping family. Lady Bradleigh would rather see him marry her companion — but how to convince him of that and, worse, how can he extricate himself from his disastrous engagement? And will Emily ever believe she is...more
So, this type of book is pretty predictable. That being said, it was an enjoyable read. The story or behavior of the characters was mostly natural and not annoying. The only exception being near the end where irrational behavior or weird dialogue could be written as an effect of excitability and excessive emotion.
My favorite thing about the book is that the heroine does not need a dashing prince to save her--spoiler: she gets one, but she would survive without the big strong man.
My favorite thing about the book is that the heroine does not need a dashing prince to save her--spoiler: she gets one, but she would survive without the big strong man.
This is a nice little story, but it seemed like a long short story rather than a novel. Candace Hern writes very well, and she presents interesting and entertaining characters, some of them very funny. I just wish she would flesh out the plot a bit more. (I suppose for 99 cents on Amazon, I really shouldn't ask for more, but I think she's truly talented.)
I notice that several reviewers express relief that her novels are so "clean," but I wish they were a bit hotter myself.
I notice that several reviewers express relief that her novels are so "clean," but I wish they were a bit hotter myself.
Another Candice Hern book that I thoroughly enjoyed! I just loved Emily and Robert. They were great characters to read about. I don’t care for “rakes”, but Robert was an exception. They have a really sweet friendship that grows into love. It almost had a Cinderella quality to the story. I loved all the side characters and thought the whole thing was really enjoyable.
There was only a couple minor things that kind of bothered me, but overall it was clean.
4.5
There was only a couple minor things that kind of bothered me, but overall it was clean.
4.5
Things have picked up for me and Candice Hern. I really, really liked this story from her. There is one thing about the Romance Genre whether it is Contemporary, Gothic, Paranormal, or Historical. You will always know that there will be a 'happily ever after' ending. It gives you permission to relax and enjoy the journey to getting there. This was one of those books. It was more about relationships rather than'lust'. I really loved it and recommend it to you.
Emily is the paid companion to Robert's, the Earl of Bradleigh, grandmother. When his grandmother reads in the newspaper that her grandson is marrying the daughter of a woman she despises, she decides to flaunt Emily in front of him to get him to question why he would marry a woman just for bloodlines when he can have a woman whose bloodlines may be tainted a bit by scandal but is beautiful, intelligent, and pleasant to be around.
I really liked this book, probably more the second time I read it...more
I really liked this book, probably more the second time I read it...more
My first Candice Hern book will not be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. While the heroine was a bit too perfect for my taste I found the hero to be a breath of fresh air. Robert did nothing to quell the rumors of his roguish nature, in fact he took some delight in the stories told about him. While not completely innocent, he is honorable and completely lovable. This story had a little bit of adventure to it as well, which I enjoyed. Can't wait to read Ms. Hern's next book.
This book had a lot of potential. But I guess it just wasn't quite my style. I kept worrying after the first kiss, if there would be a sex scene. I was happy there wasn't one, but a little disappointed in the graphic nature of the kissing scenes. Just a little too much info for me in those parts. I like my romances COMPLETELY clean. Then I was a little bummed there wasn't more at the end after they got together.
From the dates of publication of Ms H's novels, I deduce that this is the first one she wrote. Does it show in the writing? Absolutely not.
As there are only five (or seven) plots in the world, so there is only a limited number of Regency Romance plots. This is the companion/governess plot. Emily is lucky to have a sympathetic employer and a number of friendly people around her, and of course a few not so friendly ones to make things interesting. What makes this book stand out though is the quali...more
As there are only five (or seven) plots in the world, so there is only a limited number of Regency Romance plots. This is the companion/governess plot. Emily is lucky to have a sympathetic employer and a number of friendly people around her, and of course a few not so friendly ones to make things interesting. What makes this book stand out though is the quali...more
Thank goodness it was free, but I still wasn't able to finish this one. The writing was rather inverted...I noticed several times that things normally handled through exposition were dialogue, and things normally handled through dialogue were exposition. Disconcerting, and not quite successful, at least for this reader. The story line had promise, but I just couldn't get into it.
Jun 06, 2011
Amanda Caswell
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
regency,
clean-romance
If you stay up until the wee hours of the morning finishing a book, which day do you count it as? I read this book immediately after completing "The Best Intentions" and found that, though it was not quite as good as the other, I thoroughly enjoyed it. An engaged man falls in love with his aunt's companion. True, companion seems a little too goody-good to be real, but we have to bend the rules in romance or nobody would read them.
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Candice Hern is the award-winning, bestselling author of historical romance novels set during the English Regency period. Her books have won praise for the "intelligence and elegant romantic sensibility" (Romantic Times) as well as "delicious wit and luscious sensuality (Booklist). Candice's award-winning website (www.candicehern.com) is often cited for its Regency World pages, where readers inter...more
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“All romantic novels end the same way, but it's the process of getting there that provides all the enjoyment.”
—
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