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91st out of 170 books
—
133 voters
Wallflower (The Old Maids' Club #1)
by
Catherine Gayle (Goodreads Author)
The choice between adhering to a long-held pact and finally accepting love could prove Lady Tabitha Shelton’s unhinging. She is plump, plain, pleasant . . . and thoroughly unappealing to any of the men of the ton—apart from fortune hunters. A self-appointed wallflower, she has every intention of remaining one. Tabitha made a vow of spinsterhood with her cousins when they w...more
Kindle Edition, 290 pages
Published
May 6th 2011
by Night Shift Publishing
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A good read. A little long winded but good none the less.
Story: Lady Tabitha Shelton, thinks every man only wants her for her ever increasing dowery. She believes no one wants her for herself. But all she wants is to be loved for who she is.
Noah deLancie, Marquess of Devonport, always thought he would marry for love but now that his debts are slowly upon him, he has no choice but to marry for money, even if it kills his pride. But when his brother in law suggests him to court Lady Tabitha, he...more
Story: Lady Tabitha Shelton, thinks every man only wants her for her ever increasing dowery. She believes no one wants her for herself. But all she wants is to be loved for who she is.
Noah deLancie, Marquess of Devonport, always thought he would marry for love but now that his debts are slowly upon him, he has no choice but to marry for money, even if it kills his pride. But when his brother in law suggests him to court Lady Tabitha, he...more
Bought for free on Amazon Kindle on June 10, 2012 and read for the Why Buy the Cow Reading Challenge.
Very well-written and entertaining story especially to get it for free! I really loved the heroine, Tabitha, and how she was able to gain confidence in herself despite her unconventional looks. The hero, Noah, was so sweet and tender with Tabitha without seeming like a pushover. I felt for him when Tabitha kept mistrusting his motives even though he strived to prove himself to her over and over a...more
Very well-written and entertaining story especially to get it for free! I really loved the heroine, Tabitha, and how she was able to gain confidence in herself despite her unconventional looks. The hero, Noah, was so sweet and tender with Tabitha without seeming like a pushover. I felt for him when Tabitha kept mistrusting his motives even though he strived to prove himself to her over and over a...more
1.5 stars
I really wanted to like the main characters, I really did... I love rooting for the underdog and the overlooked characters, but Tabitha is a nincompop and Devonport really is a milksop.
Her attitude was just too contrived and the I-must-push-everyone-away-because-they-only-love-me-for-my-money spiel was understandable until the 6 billionth time it was slapped into my face. Perhaps I'm just being cynical and hard-hearted, but I couldn't stop from being exasperated by her actions (mainly t...more
I really wanted to like the main characters, I really did... I love rooting for the underdog and the overlooked characters, but Tabitha is a nincompop and Devonport really is a milksop.
Her attitude was just too contrived and the I-must-push-everyone-away-because-they-only-love-me-for-my-money spiel was understandable until the 6 billionth time it was slapped into my face. Perhaps I'm just being cynical and hard-hearted, but I couldn't stop from being exasperated by her actions (mainly t...more
Sometime last year I bought this book. I loved the book when I read it and I was excited that there were more to come. So, I went the authors website to find out when the next book was going to come out. No sign of when it was coming, except for soon. Ugh. (I'm not a very patient person.)
Well, last week Catherine Gayle just published book 2 of the Old Maids' Club. I have been so excited to get my hands on it. Then I went "hold up" to myself. I couldn't remember the first book. Oh no. I felt so h...more
Well, last week Catherine Gayle just published book 2 of the Old Maids' Club. I have been so excited to get my hands on it. Then I went "hold up" to myself. I couldn't remember the first book. Oh no. I felt so h...more
This is another of my free ebooks I found. I really liked this story because Tabitha is not some skinny little fainting miss. She is a plump girl and of course she does not fit into society's image of a perfect lady. She tries to hide her true self and blend into the background as a perfect wallflower. Even going so far as to choose gowns that will blend into her surroundings.
Because of a pact made as children, Tabitha, Bethanne, and Jospephine swear never to marry. The Old Maid's Club seems a b...more
Because of a pact made as children, Tabitha, Bethanne, and Jospephine swear never to marry. The Old Maid's Club seems a b...more
This one was really really good. I can't believe it was a free read. It was well written, humorous and kept me engaged the entire time. Noah was a dream I loved him from the very beginning. The only thing that keeps me from giving this five stars would be the highly insecure Lady Tabitha. It was just really quite sad actually. The girl was immature and beyond childish to the point that it was completely unrealistic that Lord Noah put up with her bull and married her. The girl runs away whenever...more
Had a hard time putting down my Kindle when I was reading this! It took awhile to get to the heat, but once I got there, OH BABY! I wasn't disappointed. I usually prefer more sex in a novel, but I was okay with there being only two scenes in this story.
Other Notes-
-I liked Tabitha, but I wanted to put her in a headlock until she gave poor Noah an effing break.
-Noah, bless his heart. He took more sh*t then a lot of men would. When he finally gets stern, I rejoiced. I hate to see a good man has...more
Other Notes-
-I liked Tabitha, but I wanted to put her in a headlock until she gave poor Noah an effing break.
-Noah, bless his heart. He took more sh*t then a lot of men would. When he finally gets stern, I rejoiced. I hate to see a good man has...more
I really wanted to like it this story... it sounded like such a great premise. However, it comes off as completely ridiculous. When she was 12, Lady Tabitha made a pact with two of her cousins to become old maids together. Now, at 29, she is still holding to that pact. She thinks of herself as fat, unattractive, and unexceptional but for her enormous dowry. She's been around the ton long enough to be an established wallflower, and easily fends off the fortune hunting members of society. Enter lo...more
I believe I have just found one of my newest favorite authors! I just absolutely adored this book and will anxiously await purchasing several more of her books to see if they are just as good!
Tabitha is one month shy of 29, no skills at the pianoforte, or watercolors, or embroidery, or stitchery. She is plump and plain and the only thing going for her is a obscenely large dowry that her father in a desperate attempt to marry her off during her twelfth season is offering. But Tabitha isn't lookin...more
Tabitha is one month shy of 29, no skills at the pianoforte, or watercolors, or embroidery, or stitchery. She is plump and plain and the only thing going for her is a obscenely large dowry that her father in a desperate attempt to marry her off during her twelfth season is offering. But Tabitha isn't lookin...more
May 30, 2011
Niki
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ahhhhhh-romance-isn-t-it-sweet
so, besides austen biographies that are missing important social issues that i feel should have been included, i also finished Wallflower (The Old Maids Club book 1) by Catherine Gayle.
Overall the book was pretty good. a meh++
the hero was so sweet, the grand gestures he made to win her over was fantastic. the problem was tabby's reticence to marry besides a pact made was not explained until 3/4 of the way through the story. there were some major plot details thrown in and randomly thrown out at...more
Overall the book was pretty good. a meh++
the hero was so sweet, the grand gestures he made to win her over was fantastic. the problem was tabby's reticence to marry besides a pact made was not explained until 3/4 of the way through the story. there were some major plot details thrown in and randomly thrown out at...more
This was unsatisfying with a confusing message. Tabitha's transformation about 2/3rds through made no sense. She suddenly realized she could have been living less frumpishly? If her cousin Jo could be Belle of the Ball, pretty as you please while keeping herself an 'old maid' why couldn't she? Oh because everyone said she was plain and plump.
Other then the 'villain' of this title, no one called her plain or plump. Not her brothers, not her cousins and definitely not Noah. Part of her self-confid...more
Other then the 'villain' of this title, no one called her plain or plump. Not her brothers, not her cousins and definitely not Noah. Part of her self-confid...more
Catherine Gayle is a new-to-me author but I will definitely be reading more of her work. This was a really sweet little story about a plump "old maid" who is being courted by a family friend after years of being on the shelf.
Tabitha was a heroine it was hard not to love. All her life she had been led to believe she would be a spinster because she was overweight. It never really was discussed just exactly how "big" she was, but from the descriptions I'm guessing she just wasn't anorexic like mos...more
Tabitha was a heroine it was hard not to love. All her life she had been led to believe she would be a spinster because she was overweight. It never really was discussed just exactly how "big" she was, but from the descriptions I'm guessing she just wasn't anorexic like mos...more
I have to say, it is refreshing to read a Regency where the heroine isn't barely more than a teenager.
That said, I like the idea of the three cousins who are really close and who have been inspired by a maiden aunt to be free and independent spirits. I loved the dynamics between the siblings and cousins and that there is this extended family who really care about each other at the same time that they sort of enjoy making each other miserable in the way that only siblings and really close cousin...more
That said, I like the idea of the three cousins who are really close and who have been inspired by a maiden aunt to be free and independent spirits. I loved the dynamics between the siblings and cousins and that there is this extended family who really care about each other at the same time that they sort of enjoy making each other miserable in the way that only siblings and really close cousin...more
Loved it!!!
I totally fell in love with Tabitha. Overweight, Old Maid, Wallflower, and Completely Insecure. This totally annoyed some readers, but I found it perfect. I think she did push Noah away one too many times, but in the real world, you don’t lose 29 years of Self Esteem issues just because the man of your dreams, who desperately needs your money, says he loves you. I would still be suspicious that it was the money and not me that was truly loved as well. Speaking of our hero… Noah is a...more
I totally fell in love with Tabitha. Overweight, Old Maid, Wallflower, and Completely Insecure. This totally annoyed some readers, but I found it perfect. I think she did push Noah away one too many times, but in the real world, you don’t lose 29 years of Self Esteem issues just because the man of your dreams, who desperately needs your money, says he loves you. I would still be suspicious that it was the money and not me that was truly loved as well. Speaking of our hero… Noah is a...more
A surprisingly delightful, well-written, and romantic novel that was a freebie and more than worth the price. This is a case where the reader gets far more than what one pays for. It is the first book in a series and begins the tales of cousins who had agreed never to marry--of course, they were all disillusioned adolescents and were yet to encounter the realities of mature living. The characters and their goings on are humorous and yet there is that sense that each of these women are needing th...more
This book is a nice addition to the Regency Romance genre. There are few books where the female lead does NOT want to marry and is not a paragon of beauty and grace. Tabitha is a plump, rather ordinary girl, with an extraordinary dowry. Were people really that harsh against ‘pump’ women during the regency period? I thought a corset could do wonders. Gayle focuses on the importance of inner beauty and finding the confidence to be yourself, which eventually comes out in her female characters. Be y...more
Tabitha and her friends make a pact to become spinsters and only do what they please when they grow up. More than a decade later, Tabitha is certainly unmarried but, weirdly enough, doesn't seem to actually *do* anything except attend balls and feel uncomfortable at them. What's the point of making a pact to be a free spirited spinster if you only make an effort to accomplish the latter half, and not the former? 50% of her pov chapters are her trying to pair her brother up with someone, and 50%...more
Tabitha, Jo and Bethanne are best friends and cousins. They are only a few years a part but soul sisters in their hearts. I did like this aspect of the Old Maid's club that they form together. We start the story with them in preadolescence and then skip head to their late twenties, with Jo as the eldest at thirty.
This is Tabitha Shelton's love story, she has a twin brother Toby and lots of male cousins that protect and love her, but believe that it is time to get married. She has a biggest dowry...more
This is Tabitha Shelton's love story, she has a twin brother Toby and lots of male cousins that protect and love her, but believe that it is time to get married. She has a biggest dowry...more
Quick Review:
Cover:interesting, but not very attractive
First Impression: Wouldn't have read this book, if life isn't too boring, it's sitting on my phone, and thought I might read it.
Plot: I did enjoy the plot, cousins promising never to marry- but found that love is hard to avoid.
Characters: The characters have different personalities, problems, and backstories. I feel in love with Tabitha and Noah's story.
Writing Style: hmm.good
Audience:Mature readers I think..since this is historical romance...more
Cover:interesting, but not very attractive
First Impression: Wouldn't have read this book, if life isn't too boring, it's sitting on my phone, and thought I might read it.
Plot: I did enjoy the plot, cousins promising never to marry- but found that love is hard to avoid.
Characters: The characters have different personalities, problems, and backstories. I feel in love with Tabitha and Noah's story.
Writing Style: hmm.good
Audience:Mature readers I think..since this is historical romance...more
This book would have gotten 5 stars if it weren't for the heroine. She had such serious body image issues that she wouldn't give the hero a break, much less herself. Her constant self-deprecation, low self-worth and self-esteem got to be grating and by midway through I wanted to punch her! I almost stopped reading, but I wanted to see how the author resolved this character's development and I understood that the author was trying to show depth of character in that the heroine wouldn't just blind...more
If I could, I'd give this book a half star.
The H needs to marry a rich woman (of course) and the h's brothers nudge him towards her. She's a bluestocking, wallflower, and old maid who insists on not marrying a fortune hunter.
I found the h to be ridiculously stupid. She's treated like shit by her father and brothers who all think they know what is best for her and yet she wouldn't stand up to them despite not taking crap from anyone else. She had all these "modern" thoughts but at the end of th...more
The H needs to marry a rich woman (of course) and the h's brothers nudge him towards her. She's a bluestocking, wallflower, and old maid who insists on not marrying a fortune hunter.
I found the h to be ridiculously stupid. She's treated like shit by her father and brothers who all think they know what is best for her and yet she wouldn't stand up to them despite not taking crap from anyone else. She had all these "modern" thoughts but at the end of th...more
Wanted to like this, but couldn't. Only thing that saved it from one star is a couple of turns late in the story that had me genuinely laughing but otherwise, the story didn't do anything for me. Beta hero and whiny heroine who I spent waaaaay too much time wanting to slap upside the head killed it for me. This seems to be the first book in a series, but it read like an offshoot to another series, since there was quite a big cast of characters, that all blended to me so it was hard to keep track...more
Very average historical romance. The basic idea for the plot is that three cousins, all around 12 years old make a pact to never marry and stay together. Tabitha, the heroine of this first novel is not your usual debutante at 29 years old. The author misses the point of her idea for me because she spends far too much time telling us instead of showing. I ended not caring if Tabby and Noah end up married and how. There are quite a few things that completely do not make sense for the time period a...more
This book, because really novel is too good of a word for this writing, is pathetic.
The writing Is awful, illformed and not suited for the time period. I detest when authors use "that" in every sentence.
The author also jumps from present tense to past tense in the same scene for the same characters! Clearly an editor was need or a better one. Half the time, because of poor editing one does not know what is happen, the scene is not set up for the reader, are they in a park? Are they at a ball?...more
The writing Is awful, illformed and not suited for the time period. I detest when authors use "that" in every sentence.
The author also jumps from present tense to past tense in the same scene for the same characters! Clearly an editor was need or a better one. Half the time, because of poor editing one does not know what is happen, the scene is not set up for the reader, are they in a park? Are they at a ball?...more
I liked the premise of the book. The characters were lovable. I felt bad for the heroine and her body image. She felt like no one could love her just for her. The hero was okay but did not do much for me. I like my men strong not unsure of themselves. I dont know it was a fun, fast read. Not the worst book but not the best either. I found some of the secondary characters a little more interesting and hope that they have their own book.
In 1798, three young girls make a pact to never get married. In 1815, now 28, Tabitha is still not married. Neither are her cousins, Bethanne & Jo. I loved these characters, Tabitha & Jo, their stubbornness and their spunk! Tabitha feels nobody, except for a fortune hunter, would want to marry her. Can Lord Devonport change her mind? I really like how you could see both sides of a scene. Wonderful story! I can't wait to read the rest in this series!
This was quite an enjoyable read. It had a bit of a different twist in that the main characters had some obvious flaws that were evident throughout the read and affected the way that they reacted to situations. I loved that the heroine was no shrinking Miss and was able to handle herself with the various men of her acquaintance. This was a well written book that kept me interested the whole way through.
I read 23% of this book and stopped -- absolutely nothing was happening. Other reviewers say it gets pretty steamy, but so far -- nothing, and I don't care. The come-on for the book sounds really good, but that's the best part. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. Spider solitare is more interesting.
This tale introduces the principal characters when they are still just kids, cousins and filled with mischief. Then the story continues as they have reached “of an age to marry.” The ladies are so totally believable and likable that the reader can’t help but cheer of gasp at the outcomes to which they are exposed. Can’t wait to see the next few episodes Ms. Gayle.
So I rather loved this.
I could relate to Tabitha's problem and Devonport was absolutely dashing and sweet and just wondrous,
I am also already head over heels in love with Leith.. *Sighs
Gayle is a brilliant author and I can't wait to read more of her books :)
I could relate to Tabitha's problem and Devonport was absolutely dashing and sweet and just wondrous,
I am also already head over heels in love with Leith.. *Sighs
Gayle is a brilliant author and I can't wait to read more of her books :)
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Catherine Gayle has been an avid reader of romance novels, as well as almost anything else she can legally get her hands on, for as long as she can remember. Her mother might say it started in the womb.
When she is not reading or writing, she can usually be found beneath her sleeping cat or chasing the Nephew Monster.
More about Catherine Gayle...
When she is not reading or writing, she can usually be found beneath her sleeping cat or chasing the Nephew Monster.
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“The beauty you have on the inside is ten times more luminous than the world could handle seeing on the outside. We'd all be blind in an instant”
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Mar 11, 2013 11:32pm