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No Longer a Gentleman (Lost Lords #4)

3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 · rating details · 577 ratings · 85 reviews

Grey Sommers, Lord Wyndham, never met a predicament he couldn’t charm his way out of. Then a tryst with a government official’s wife during a bit of casual espionage in France condemns him to a decade in a dungeon, leaving him a shadow of his former self. Yet his greatest challenge may be the enigmatic spy sent to free his body—the only woman who might heal his soul.
Cassie...more

Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages

Published April 24th 2012 by Zebra

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A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

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May 08, 2012 Diane rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, romance

Here's a romance in which two people have lots of sex and lots of discussions and lots of interaction...never mind the unlikelihood of a woman having casual sex in the 1800s...while several subplots are disposed of so fast that if you blink, you might miss it. For example, our hero (who remains fit and muscular and with good teeth despite ten years in a dungeon with indifferent food) has a brother who thought he was the heir all that time. Lo and behold, the brother really wants to be an actor....more

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Jan 19, 2013 Marilyn Rondeau rated it 5 of 5 stars

Grey Sommers, Lord Wyndham, had always been able to charm himself out of most predicaments. However, after being caught cuckholding a French Major’s wife during the uprising, he found himself literally tossed into a dungeon with the key thrown away. Ten years later, with the smallest hint that the long missing Wyndham might still be alive, his long time friend Kirkland sent one of his best agents into war torn France to see if her were still alive. Cassie Fox was the enigmatic spy sent to discov...more Grey Sommers, Lord Wyndham, had always been able to charm himself out of most predicaments. However, after being caught cuckholding a French Major’s wife during the uprising, he found himself literally tossed into a dungeon with the key thrown away. Ten years later, with the smallest hint that the long missing Wyndham might still be alive, his long time friend Kirkland sent one of his best agents into war torn France to see if her were still alive. Cassie Fox was the enigmatic spy sent to discover and to free Wyndham if he were still alive. Finding the man and freeing him from his dark hole was only the beginning, her greatest challenge would be freeing and healing his soul.

*** As only Mary Jo Putney can, she will sweep you up into the time period with her vivid portrayal of the scenes, the mood, and the danger of an intrepid agent who’s life’s mission has been to destroy Napoleon. Sent out on this personal quest for her superior, to discover if his friend, a nobleman, could possibly still be alive after spending ten long years in a dark dungeon, Cassie was not quite prepared for the reality of the austere beauty of Grey’s ravaged countenance, but more towards his courage and vulnerability.

Grey’s once carefree and confident aura, had undertaken a drastic change where he no longer thought of himself as presentable. After ten years of missing human touch, the first thing he craved was to hold, to hug Cassie - something that the author showed with great emotion. When one thinks of the reality of what a human goes through shut in the dark, lonely and confined by himself, I thought Ms. Putney did a marvelous job of taking her time to show the slow steps that had to be taken by Grey to pull himself together. Once the darling of society, crowds now made him nervous and I was impressed by Putney’s treatment of the steps he took to try and reaclimate himself once he and Cassie were able to make their way back to England.

Bottom line: Between the long road home, the lovely sensual romance, and careful plotting and flawless writing of this unusual storyline, I was thrilled to read another addition to Ms. Putney’s Lost Lords series and highly recommend this marvelous series and especially, NO LONGER A GENTLEMAN.

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com
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Sep 06, 2012 Once Upon rated it 4 of 5 stars

No Longer A Gentleman is a historical romance set in the early 1800's of Great Britain and France. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will read other stories in The Lost Lords series. It will appeal to the hopeless romantics and also those ladies empowered by a strong female lead.

Cassie Fox is an unlikely British spy. After she lost everything in the miserable consequence of the revolution, she is determined to help destroy Napoleon's tyranny. Her latest mission is to determine the validity of a...more No Longer A Gentleman is a historical romance set in the early 1800's of Great Britain and France. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will read other stories in The Lost Lords series. It will appeal to the hopeless romantics and also those ladies empowered by a strong female lead.

Cassie Fox is an unlikely British spy. After she lost everything in the miserable consequence of the revolution, she is determined to help destroy Napoleon's tyranny. Her latest mission is to determine the validity of a claim that Lord Wyndham, whom many presumed dead, is actually imprisoned and report back her findings. Cassie being the ever sly fox, seizes an opportunity of escape for the Lord. Escaping may have actually been the easier part. Now she must see him safely out of France and to Great Britain.

Grey Sommers, Lord Wyndham, was a handsome fair haired golden boy. He angered a high official in the Ministry of Police in France and landed himself in the confines of the officials castle dungeon. After 10 years, starvation or madness are certain when an unexpected escape gains Sommers' his freedom. He will not be safe until he flees France and returns Great Britain. A difficult journey to begin with, but compounded for Grey by his instability in a world he has not been a part of for so long. He has been without human contact during his captivity and quickly forms an attachment to his savior. Cassie helps Grey but reminds herself that this is just a mission that she must not fail. She believes their passion and chemistry is only for as long as the man needs her to readjust to present day life. However, the contemptuous French official is plotting his revenge on Lord Wyndham and Cassie may not be through with Grey as soon as she thinks.

I really enjoyed this journey. Cassie and Grey learn so much about themselves. They evaluate long held preconceived ideas that would indicate they should not be together and examine their own insecurities. They discover their true fortune isn't held in freedom, homes and estates but happiness, trust and love.(less)

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Aug 21, 2012 Yellow Rose rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a well-written solid romance; just like other Mary Jo Putney's books, this book is well written. It has an interesting story line and lots and lots of adventure. It was interesting to see the appearance of previous characters from the Lost Lords series. Although I found Kiri to be completely annoying in Nowhere Near Respectable, it was a nice addition to include her in this book as Cassie's friend.

The story was very interesting and it revolves around the loose, simpleton spy Cassie whose...more This is a well-written solid romance; just like other Mary Jo Putney's books, this book is well written. It has an interesting story line and lots and lots of adventure. It was interesting to see the appearance of previous characters from the Lost Lords series. Although I found Kiri to be completely annoying in Nowhere Near Respectable, it was a nice addition to include her in this book as Cassie's friend.

The story was very interesting and it revolves around the loose, simpleton spy Cassie whose specialty is blending into society, which helps since she is a spy. She is told to go to France to find Lord Wyndham our hero who has been missing for quite some time. She saves him and although she wears a disguise once they first meet, he becomes completely attracted to her. Moreover, once he finds out that indeed she is a woman of childbearing years he falls in love with her. In addition, Cassie although she tries to fool herself that their relationship will only last for a bit, she cannot help but fall hard for Lord Wyndham. They go through a lot of adventure, which takes them from England to France and from France to England again. Overall, I found the story adventurous and interesting. The author told her story beautifully and the story did not lack details of the time period.

Now our main characters although I found myself liking Cassie more than Kiri, Cassie did get on my nerves. First, I liked that she was a simpleton and a she knew she was a loose woman who slept around so she had no dreams of marrying Lord Wyndham, which is completely understandable. She was by no means a complainer, she was a floater no matter what came up upon her she would deal with it like an adult and did not complain like a childish. Now in a previous review someone had a problem with the fact that she was a slut and that she was sleeping around and that at that time a woman sleeping around was not believable. Well in Cassie's circumstance the whoring around was believable. Because once we hear her story how her innocence was taken away from her and then she became a reclusive spy, you definitely appreciate the character more and feel sympathy for her. Therefore, it is believable for a woman who is a nobody who works as a spy to sleep around with men. However, what annoyed me about her was that once she found out that she now was an heiress and it was obvious Lord Wyndham wanted to marry her, she still rejected him. Now that is unbelievable!! Because a disgraced woman at that time period would jump to marry any respectable man who proposed for her and in fact if he loved her. Therefore, her wanting to be alone and let him find other women was completely unbelievable.

The hero was just okay, he loved her and he was loyal to her. He had admirable hero qualities.

One really silly quote from the book that I disliked the author mentioned was when Cassie was talking to the woman in the French village.

"Men! It's amazing mankind has survived."
"Mankind survives because womankind has more sense,"

Seriously was the man bashing necessary???(less)

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Jun 13, 2012 My Book Addiction and More MBA rated it 4 of 5 stars

NO LONGER A GENTLEMAN by Mary Jo Putney is a fast paced historical romance set in 1813 London and France. It is book #4 in “The Lost Lords” series,but can be read as a stand a lone. See, “Loving a Lost Lord”,”Never Less Than A Lady”, and “Nowhere Near Respectable”. Cassie Fox,spy who lost everything finds happiness,family,and rescues the Lost Lord Wyndham. Lord Wyndham was imprisoned for ten years in a dungeon in France. Cassie rescues him and together they cross France through danger,desire,and...more

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May 22, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've really been enjoying this "Lost Lord" series so far. Grey is the latest, and inarguably the most wounded so far.

Grey has been rotting in a private French prison for a decade as an English spy (although the only thing he really spied on was his jailer's wife), the "golden boy" who has never truly faced adversity before somehow finds the strength within himself to survive his captivity and stay (mostly) sane. Cassie Fox, who has lost everything to Napoleon and his minions, is a daredevil spy-...more I've really been enjoying this "Lost Lord" series so far. Grey is the latest, and inarguably the most wounded so far.

Grey has been rotting in a private French prison for a decade as an English spy (although the only thing he really spied on was his jailer's wife), the "golden boy" who has never truly faced adversity before somehow finds the strength within himself to survive his captivity and stay (mostly) sane. Cassie Fox, who has lost everything to Napoleon and his minions, is a daredevil spy-of-a-thousand-faces who will keep running dangerous missions until Napoleon's empire is destroyed-- or she is.

Cassie's spymaster, Kirkland, was an old school chum of Grey's, and feels personally guilty that he was taken. He has never given up on finding Grey-- hopefully alive, but he'd settle for firm proof of his death. Naturally, when rumor comes of a blond Englishman in a private dungeon, he sends his most cunning agent to sniff out the truth, and get Grey out if possible.

Grey begins as just another mission... when they become lovers, Cassie knows it is purely physical comfort to a man who hasn't been with a woman in ten years. There's no future for a war orphan and the heir to an earldom... which is why she must shore up her guarded heart against this beautiful, damaged man, and remember that their idyll will have an ending as soon as she gets him home.

Thanks to Cassie's skill with disguises, Grey is somewhat appalled at first by his attraction to what seems to be a woman old enough to be his mother. Has he turned into such an animal, in those lost years? But as the disguise comes off, Grey realizes that Cassie is not entirely what she seemed... although the strength, determination, caring, and cleverness are still there in force. He can't help but fall for her. She's the only person who can truly understand him, the only person who can keep him sane. He has made her promise to stay with him until he no longer needs her... and he plans to need her for a VERY long time.

But England and France are still at war, and both of them have duties and loyalties that might still divide them... not to mention enemies.

This book was quite a ride-- even for all the excitement in the French scenes, I think the ones I loved best were with Grey's family-- dangerous ground of a completely different nature.

The only (fairly small) thing that detracted from enjoyment was a printing error-- in my copy, p. 362 was blank(and it's obvious from p.363 that there SHOULD have been print there). Happily, it wasn't a plot-critical page, but still... erm?

Overall, though, a fun, exciting, emotional read.(less)

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May 02, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-reads

Although I hadn't read the other three books in the series, this one was easy to follow (except the whole school/Hindu fighting style thing, that took a bit to figure out - Kirkland's spy network was not).

This had a very Count of Monte Cristo vibe with the "10 years in a cell with a priest to keep you company" plot device right down to Gray's penchant for revenge (although not as elaborate). Cassie was an interesting heroine and it was nice to see Putney attempt to work some of the grimmer aspec...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Bookaholics rated it 4 of 5 stars

No Longer A Gentleman by Mary Jo Putney
Historical Romance –April 24th, 2012
4 ½ stars

Mary Jo Putney continues her exciting lost Lord series with a beautiful spy sent to discover if a missing lord is imprisoned in France.

Lord Grey Wyndham’s charm, looks and wealth easily made him a favorite with everyone. But one disastrous affair with a married lady results in a jealous and vengeful husband imprisoning him in an isolated and run down castle.

It is ten years later and the intrepid spy only known a...more No Longer A Gentleman by Mary Jo Putney
Historical Romance –April 24th, 2012
4 ½ stars

Mary Jo Putney continues her exciting lost Lord series with a beautiful spy sent to discover if a missing lord is imprisoned in France.

Lord Grey Wyndham’s charm, looks and wealth easily made him a favorite with everyone. But one disastrous affair with a married lady results in a jealous and vengeful husband imprisoning him in an isolated and run down castle.

It is ten years later and the intrepid spy only known as Cassie is called to her superior. She is asked to investigate the possibility of a rumor that an English lord is captive in a castle in France. However, France is dangerous territory since the revolution. Cassie must don a disguise as an elderly peddle selling her wares to infiltrate the castle. There she cleverly finds a way to rescue Grey and a French priest. As they make the perilous journey to safety, Cassie and Grey form an undeniable attraction. Although Cassie feels herself falling in love with Grey, she wonders if he just needs her as security. The Grey that she has saved is no longer the carefree and reckless man of his youth. Suffering and torture have hardened him and being with people is no longer natural but stressful for him. Cassie promises to stay with Grey as long as he needs her but knows that it may be destructive for her. When they get news that the French priest has been recaptured, Grey insists on returning to rescue him. Cassie is determined that he will not go alone. But they are going into a trap! Will they be able to save the priest and find a real love past their insecurities?

Grey is a tortured character. Cassie is his salvation. Both have suffered. Usually in a story I find one character more interesting than the other but the author imbues each with such depth that I became deeply involved with both. Grey is understandably traumatized and the road to recovery and courage and heartening to read. I wasn’t sure if her really loved Cassie of if she represented freedom and he wanted someone who could just accept him. It made the story more interesting. Cassie has a few secrets of her own even one that her superior is unaware of. This dark secret pushes her to work as a spy and made me admire her bravery after such devastating losses. It felt as bit as if the roles were reversed. Cassie was the dashing heroine who rides in to save the hero in distress. Cassie was extremely clever, competent and confident in herself. Her one big vulnerability was how she was still emotionally damaged. As Grey and Cassie struggle to heal themselves, the story becomes more involving.

A strong and resourceful heroine and a sympathetic hero make for a charged love story.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club(less)

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Mar 14, 2012 Melanie Adkins rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lord Wyndham, Greydon Sommers, never dreamed that his dalliance would cause him to lose ten years of his life. He spent those ten years in a dungeon, alone and barely hanging on to sanity. Determined to keep himself from going completely mad, he worked out and sang. When he'd all but given up hope of ever seeing England again, Cassie enters his life. A spy working for his friend Kirkland, she was sent to check out information that he was still alive. She caught just the right time too, because...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Patty rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, lost-lords-series, romance, regency, family, fiction, friendship, france, humor, historical-romance, england

Once again, the fairy tale world of romance gives me the opportunity to leave my life behind for awhile. I know that there are folks who don't read genre fiction, but I think they are missing a lot. There are times that it is wonderful to escape the real world. I don't care if you read mysteries, science fiction, westerns, fantasy or adventure tales. I just think there are times in this modern world when it is good to leave reality behind.

Putney gave me what I was hoping for. I got a rip-roaring...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Dangermousie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: aaangst, hurt-comfort, period-romance, romance

Love love love loved this one as it's pretty much one giant h/c fic, and you know my tastes! Our hero is an English aristocrat who has spent the last decade mouldering in solitary confinement in a French dungeon (he slept with the wrong woman as a young idiot and paid a really steep price). But now the agent-extraordinaire, Cassandra Renard, has come to rescue him. Now they must both get to England while being chased by evil evil evvvvvvvilllll French dude. Greydon Sommers used to be the proverb...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Donna rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I am not going to summarize this book because it has been done already by dozens of other reviewers and I have nothing to add in that respect. I will say that the book started out strong with the capture and imprisonment of Grey. But his rescue by the intrepid Cassie was far too easy, and yet, was still the highlight of the book. The story quickly lost steam from there, and no amount of steamy love scenes could remedy that. Grey's return to England and his family went rather smoothly and his PTS...more

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May 27, 2012 Jules rated it 4 of 5 stars

I won this on a Goodreads giveaway.
I haven't read any of the other Lost Lords books and I can't remember if I have read any other of Putney's books. With that in mind, I am not sure if those two things made a difference in how I felt about the book. Sometimes when I read a series, I get bored with it after a few books. Also, with that in mind, not having read the other books did not detract from this book in any way. I felt it stood alone quite well. Onto this one.
I felt the story was a good...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Kimberly Rocha~ Book Obsessed Chicks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romances-a-la-kimberly

1803 France: After an indiscretion with a high-powered French politician's wife, the privileged Grey Sommers, Lord Wyndham, finds himself in a private dungeon for ten long years. During his captivity, the English, Grey goes from the easy going golden boy to fighting for survival and his sanity in solitary confinement. His only distraction is a French priest that was captured and placed in the next cell, and that was two years after Grey had already been there.

1813: England: Cassie Fox is a spy...more
1803 France: After an indiscretion with a high-powered French politician's wife, the privileged Grey Sommers, Lord Wyndham, finds himself in a private dungeon for ten long years. During his captivity, the English, Grey goes from the easy going golden boy to fighting for survival and his sanity in solitary confinement. His only distraction is a French priest that was captured and placed in the next cell, and that was two years after Grey had already been there.

1813: England: Cassie Fox is a spy for England. During her life she has effectively lost all. Her English father and French mother along with her brother,were burned to death in the family home at the onset of the war. She had a short respite with a neighboring family but tragedy continued to mark this young lady's life until she escaped and made her way back to England, not as the young Baron's daughter she once was, but as Cassie Fox, extraordinary female with the ability to make herself unnoticeable. Her goal in life is to destroy Napoleon's Empire.

Cassie has been sent on a fact finding mission to France to investigate rumors that Grey Sommers is still alive. After so long with no word, the heir to the Wyndham title has been written off by many, but a select few still believe in their hearts that such a determined man could survive anything. Cassie's ingenuity and her ability to blend in finds that Lord Wyndham is in fact alive and prisoner in Castle Durand. When she finds the chance in a million to actually free Grey, she takes it, escaping with the unrecognizable Lord Wyndham and the priest who kept him company.

After leaving the priest with his family, Cassie and Grey embark on their escape from France. Grey, having been without outside contact in ten years clings to Cassie as his lifeline and his warmth. Along the way Cassie and Grey slip into an affair not easily defined. One of mutual desire and mutual need, but Cassie is holding back Once returned to England, Grey is loathe to jump back into society. He finds masses of people terrify him and only Cassie's presence can calm him. He wanted to delay a family reunion until he looked more like his former self than a captive, but news from home changes that.

Once returned to the family fold, will Grey be able to take up his mantle as heir? Will be he able to live his life without his lifeline? Does he even want to? Will Grey be able to cast off the terrors that return to haunt him? Read No Longer a Gentleman by Mary Jo Putney to find out.

Surprisingly, No Longer a Gentleman was my first Mary Jo Putney book. It definitely will not be the last as this is the fourth in " The Lost Lords " series and I am rushing back to read book one. Cassie's character as the English spy is an awesome one. Plain to all see her, she has just something attractive and strong about her that makes her one of my new favorite females. Grey is not your typical Lordling either. His ten years in captivity has made him pensive and deeper than any male of his time would be. He is a great character, honest with his feelings. I didn't put down the book once Cassie freed Grey and I suspect you won't either. I highly recommend this read.

~KIMBERLY~
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May 28, 2012 Jessi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, 2012-challenge, appealing-characteristic-story, graphic-novel, part-of-a-series, romance

I've been on a Putney kick lately. I hadn't really ever gotten into her before but I'm liking the new series and I liked this update of an older novel. It was ridiculously long but I sat down and read the whole thing in one sitting.
Cassie Fox works for Kirkland, an English spymaster. It's been ten years since his friend Grey disappeared but Kirkland hasn't given up hope. There's been a report of an Englishman who was held in the dungeon of one of the Frenchman who managed to hold on to their pro...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Virginia Campbell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

"No Longer a Gentleman", Grey Sommers, Lord Wyndham, allows his misspent youth to catch up with him when he dabbles in espionage and dallies with the wrong married woman. Caught in the act by the woman's cruel husband, Grey is imprisoned without a ransom demand, and he endures a decade in the dark hole of a castle dungeon. Grey's friend, Lord Kirkland, the one who sent Grey upon his misguided mission, has never stopped trying to find Grey all throughout the long ten years. When word finally come...more

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May 11, 2012 Marcie rated it 4 of 5 stars

No Longer A Gentleman by Mary Jo Putney is the fourth book in The Lost Lords series. I have not read the previous three so let me put your mind at ease: You can read this as a stand alone if you choose. The story is easy to follow and a joy to read. No Longer A Gentleman is not only a historical romance but it's also a bit of a spy thriller. Grey Sommers has been imprisoned in France for years for his dalliance with the wrong woman. Cassie Fox is the woman who is sent to rescue him. Together the...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Deborah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: corsets-and-courtship

Maybe I've had a surfeit of these novels recently (I mark their shelf "Corsets & Courtship") but I'm getting able to predict the endings pretty well. I enjoy the idea that Good People get what they deserve and the Bad People get their comeuppance in the end... but these novels make me itchy for the new season of "Walking Dead" to hurry up and get started. You can't invest more than a cursory liking for people that you know will always be rescued in the end. That said, I liked Cassie more whe...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Belinda rated it 2 of 5 stars

Grey Sommers, Lord Wyndham, was a lost lord because he traveled to France in a spy mission, was caught in bed with the government official's wife. Grey was arrested and condemned to a decade of imprisonment, leaving him caged as an animal. Yet his greatest challenge may be the a spy sent to free him--a woman who could save his soul. Cassie Fox thought her mission of a spy would be just like any other. But Cassie couldn't help falling in love with Grey who made her long for family and peace. I li...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Laura the Highland Hussy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Review posted at Demon Lover's Books and More

3.5 flames

This book has so many things to like about it, but for some reason I really couldn’t get into it. I wanted to rate it higher, I truly did. But I just...can’t.

I don’t normally do reviews in the like/dislike format, but I really have had a hard time reviewing this book. Because it didn’t work for me, but I can see the marketability of this book, I think this format works.

I’ll start with the things I liked:

-The heroine is a spy, and a really gr...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Elis Madison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure-and-danger, era-regency, hero-damaged, hidden-identities, intrigue-is-good, mean-people, nice-twist, part-of-series, good-historical-detail

Grey Sommers, Lord Wyndham, was the kind of guy who could charm his way out of any fix…

…until he's caught in the sack with the wife of a French government bully-boy, who managed to have his family guillotined so he could inherit the castle… now he has his very own dungeon.

Ten years later, Cassie Fox, a half-English spy/messenger who has her own private bone to pick with the French, rescues Grey. Who's a little crazed by the long solitary captivity…. And hasn't had a bath in 10 years.

…and the fi...more

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May 23, 2012 Nickie Kuhn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another good book in this series. The action and adventure get more intense with each installment. I sincerely hope that this book won't be the last. There are more "Lost Lords" that still need to find love!

Grey was a great character. Despite his ten year imprisonment he has managed to hold on to both his sanity and his sense of humor. Cassie makes a wonderful heroine. Through a lifetime of struggle she has gained skills as a spy, sharp wit and her honest belief in her plainness is endearing. I...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Cammie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: give-away-books

Mary Jo Putney is an excellent tale spinner. No Longer a Gentleman is not only a rousing adventure with a strong, brave and intelligent heroine (shero?)but it gives a powerful account of the psychological results of solitary confinement on a prisoner. Mostly, though, this is a fun romp of spies, subterfuge, and sexual attraction in Napoleon's France as (insert names when I find the book)rescues (name) and smuggles him back to England only to find more plots and mysteries to be solved before true...more

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Jun 08, 2013 Nihan marked it as to-read

İsmimim anlamı "Okuduğu kitabı bitirmeden serinin bir sonraki kitabına spoilerlı review yapabilen enteresan insan tanesi" olabilir :)

(view spoiler)

N'ap...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Jenny Q rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-copy

3.5 Stars. I was excited to get a double pack of Mary Jo Putney romances for review, and not having read her before, I decided to start with her newest, No Longer A Gentleman. Besides, I have a weakness for historical spy romances, so I really wanted to read this one!

The story takes place in France and England during the Napoleonic War and follows British agent Cassie Fox as she helps break fellow agent Grey Sommers out of the French prison that's been his home for ten years. But breaking him ou...more 3.5 Stars. I was excited to get a double pack of Mary Jo Putney romances for review, and not having read her before, I decided to start with her newest, No Longer A Gentleman. Besides, I have a weakness for historical spy romances, so I really wanted to read this one!

The story takes place in France and England during the Napoleonic War and follows British agent Cassie Fox as she helps break fellow agent Grey Sommers out of the French prison that's been his home for ten years. But breaking him out was just the beginning. Now she has to get him through hostile territory to the coast and smuggle him across the Channel, evading police, soldiers, and angry citizens along the way, and all while trying to deny her feelings for Grey and the bond growing between them. After all, it's only natural that a man so long without human company would latch on to the first woman to come along. But that's all it is. Once Grey is safely back in his family's fold, he'll take up his duties as the Earl of Costain and find a rich society bride, and Cassie can go back to her life of anonymity. But Grey has other plans. Can he convince Cassie that he wants her to remain by his side as he returns to the family who's given him up for dead, and that he needs her by his side for the rest of his life? Or will he lose everything when an old enemy lures them into a trap to settle a grudge once and for all?

The thing I like best about this novel is the characterization. Simply fantastic. Cassie is utterly convincing as a woman used to blending in and fading away. She's been playing parts for so long, that no one knows who she really is, possibly even she herself does not know who the real Cassie is. And Grey is just devastating as a newly freed prisoner. Ten years in solitary confinement have taken their toll, and it is very difficult for him to readjust into society. The attachment he forms to Cassie is realistic and both touching and heartbreaking.

So, I really wanted to love this. I loved the characters and I loved the story, but this book really dragged for me. There was a lot of repetition, a subplot with Cassie's relatives that went nowhere and seemed to just eat up space, and I found myself skimming quite a bit toward the end. Still a worthwhile read for being different from typical Regency romances, but not special enough to really stand out from the crowd.(less)

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Apr 24, 2012 E_bookpushers rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, historical, series, reviewed, romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This review was originally posted at: http://thebookpushers.com/2012/04/23/...

Publisher: Kensington
Publish Date: April 24th
How I got this book: ARC from the Publisher

Grey Sommers, Lord Wyndham, never met a predicament he couldn’t charm his way out of. Then a tryst with a government official’s wife during a bit of casual espionage in France condemns him a decade in a dungeon, leaving him a shadow of his former self. Yet his greatest challenge may be the enigmatic spy sent to free his body—the onl...more

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May 26, 2012 Kathy Jund rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mary Jo Putney brings us another installment in her Lost Lords series with the highly anticipated release of No Longer A Gentleman. In an attempt to reunite all the Lost Lords, James Kirkland continues on his own personal mission to find the missing member of their elusive group; Grey Sommers, Lord Wyndham the heir and future Earl of Costain who mysteriously disappeared while in France trying to gain information (for James), during the battle between England and France over ten years ago. Kirkla...more

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May 29, 2012 Grace Fonseca rated it 4 of 5 stars

A romance that takes it time and simmers at all the right moments. For me a good historical romance to work, it has to have a dashing hero, great heroine, and a solid story. This story had a great hero and heroine and a story that actually worked.
Right from the start you get these characters back story. This is important because it helps the reader understand who they are and what their motivation is for being spies. Cassie and Grey are very likeable.

Also love how Cassie is the one who rescu...more A romance that takes it time and simmers at all the right moments. For me a good historical romance to work, it has to have a dashing hero, great heroine, and a solid story. This story had a great hero and heroine and a story that actually worked.
Right from the start you get these characters back story. This is important because it helps the reader understand who they are and what their motivation is for being spies. Cassie and Grey are very likeable.

Also love how Cassie is the one who rescues him, not the other way around. Love when gender roles are sometimes reversed. This was done brilliantly as she got Grey and the priest out of jail. Also love how this novel takes place in France, then England, then France again. You really see the beginning of respect and admiration between the two of them. Especially how creative Cassie is being at getting away.

This is a wonderful little novel. Also like the fact that they emphasized a lot of the family and how important it is to have a family. Found the reunion with Grey’s family wonderful. These scenes were so thoughtfully done and I felt that these were powerful. His family is overjoyed and they welcome Cassie as well.

Grey falls hard for Cassie or Catherine and she starts to fall for him. Yet, she denies herself the greatest pleasure. Then Cassie also gets a surprise. Cassie finds that she has relatives that are still living. This is a very nice surprise. Not to mention there were some very nice moments in this book.

The love scenes were very tender and nice. I found them to be very nice to read and that they are perfect for each other. They care for each other and respect one another. I think one of the things I look for in a romance is how well the couple gets along. Plus at times you saw real passion between them.

What I felt was good about this story was that it was a relationship built on trust, love, respect, family and how these two people found each other in a very unexpected way. A pleasant read.

Rating: 4.5 Hearts(less)

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Apr 27, 2012 Krista (One Love) (Critical) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, cfmf, fave-rom-heroine, hero-not-just-alpha-heman, heroine-would-be-my-bff, own-ab, historical-romance

I finished this yesterday and yet it feels like weeks since I've read it. Not sure what that means.

First of all, I'd have given this book four stars if Putney knew how to write anything realistically--which she does not. Granted, it is partly my own fault, because I know from past experience that I don't generally enjoy books by her with tortured heroes, simply because the heroes aren't actually tortured. The characters in the book claim the hero is tortured, and so does the hero himself, but t...more I finished this yesterday and yet it feels like weeks since I've read it. Not sure what that means.

First of all, I'd have given this book four stars if Putney knew how to write anything realistically--which she does not. Granted, it is partly my own fault, because I know from past experience that I don't generally enjoy books by her with tortured heroes, simply because the heroes aren't actually tortured. The characters in the book claim the hero is tortured, and so does the hero himself, but this is not displayed at all in the actual story. I have no problem with non-tortured heroes, but if you're going to write a TH, then at least do it right.

I am reminded of Ian from another Putney book. He spent years in dungeon which was literally a hole dug into the ground. When he was freed, he was in perfect health. Mildly underweight, but otherwise in tip top shape. We are told he is claustrophobic, but he doesn't exhibit as much. Perhaps he thinks, Damn, this darkness kinda sucks-- oh well! - It's not that I wanted him to suffer, but how am I supposed to get into his character when he feels so unreal? Same thing happened with Grey. Imprisoned in solitary confinement for TEN years. Despite this, he is in pique physical condition-- he is slightly underweight, but only by a few pounds or so, and is in stunningly perfect health. Yes, I want him healthy, but not at the cost of accuracy.

I'm supposed to believe he spent ten years in a French dungeon and can just pop out back into society totally healthy mentally and physically? Oh, sure, he claims he's insane, but is there any proof? No. Supposedly, his temper is the proof. Okay. Also, he has a mild distaste for crowds now. Whatever that means. It just felt like his character post-prison was just slapped together at random. Oh, gee, he should be scarred. Let's see...how about he wants to beat up a few people and gets a bit irritated in crowds! Perfect!

On a high note, I found Cassie a pretty likable heroine. I found it refreshing how she wasn't the typical naive virgin - not to mention the fact that she could kick major butt. Plus, she actually showed affection to her hero-- I know, you'd think romances are full of that, but really it's mostly the heroes drooling and caressing the heroines. I like some equality myself.

As for Grey, nothing new or special here. He felt like a generic hero to me. I did however enjoy the fact that he readily admitted to needing Cassie and to wanting her around. He knew what he wanted from the beginning, HER, and he wasn't afraid to tell her so. He actually asked for her to go places with him because he wanted her support. It's fairly typical for the heroes to defend the heroine's name, but it's rarer to find the alternative. Cassie, for me, is that. I loved how she wouldn't let anyone badmouth Grey, not even his own mother. She respected him and cared about him as a person, and he did the same for her. In fact, the best part about this book was that the H/h liked each other--and ADMITTED to it.

Low points include:
The reunions. Grey and Kirkland...meh. It was okay. Grey and his family...below average. I just didn't feel the emotion at all. It felt distant. Not to mention that his brother immediately did the whole (view spoiler) thing, which is just dumb. I'm getting bored of the "crappy family members care more about titles than loved ones" scenario. Especially in this case, since (view spoiler)
Also, the male friendships here should be a major point, but they came off as weak. For a guy who spent years trying to find his friend, Kirkland's reaction to his return was ho-hum. I get that they're men, but come on. (less)

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Apr 13, 2013 Jodi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-read

In the last book of the Lost Lords quartet, the missing lord, Greydon Sommers, Lord Wyndham, was located and rescued from the private dungeon he had been locked in for the last 10 years. He would have gone mad if not for a fellow prisoner, a Catholic priest, who kept him sane by educating him and singing with him. But in those 10 years, he saw no other person. His rescuer was Cassie Reynard, sent by Kirkland. The rescue was easy. The recovery was not. You don't just leave solitary confinement wi...more

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About Mary Jo Putney

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

Mary Jo Putney was born 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...more She writes young adult fiction as M.J. Putney.

Mary Jo Putney was born 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.(less)

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No Longer a Gentleman (Lost Lords #4)

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