Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind (Avalon Romance)

Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind (Avalon Romance)

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3.47 of 5 stars 3.47  ·  rating details  ·  249 ratings  ·  100 reviews

When the dowager duchess of Marcross insists he accompany her niece, Ginny, into the country for the day to execute a special task, Sir Anthony is appalled, to say the least. Ginny, who thinks little of the fashionable Sir Anthony, is as eager to be done with the chore as he, but before they arrive at their destination they are stranded by highwaymen and launched into adve

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Hardcover, 263 pages
Published October 1st 2008 by Montlake Romance
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Community Reviews

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Jana
This was a most delightful read! It reminded me of a Regency-era version of the old Clark Gable Movie, It Happened One Night...a roadtrip story of two perfectly-matched, polar-opposite people thrown together on a journey, only to be subjected to a dizzying array of misadventures which ultimately force them together. The characters are clever and well-crafted, the scenarios are fun and unpredictable, the chemistry between the protagonists is evident early on, and the subtext is laced with sarcasm...more
Heidi
Dec 23, 2008 Heidi rated it 5 of 5 stars  ·  (Review from the author) Recommends it for: everyone
Recommended to Heidi by: I did
Okay, I confess, I have read this book--about sixteen times (which was two or three too many) but I figure I ought to say good things about my own book. I mean, really, the first twelves times through were great fun! :)
Joyce
Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind was reminiscent of the "classic" Regency romances that I grew up with. A delightful comedy of errors, filled with sparkle and wit. I read the bulk of this novel during a flight from Arizona to Utah, and literally fell into a giggling fit during one section of this book. Thankfully, the flight wasn't full and the seat next to me was empty, so I didn't have to explain my embarrassing outburst. A book that literally makes me laugh out loud is rare these days. Brava, M...more
Cathy
I really wanted to like this book but it left me rather bored and just wanting to finish it. The characters did not ring true. (SPOILER ALERT) Neither lead characters had any intention of getting married but in a less that two weeks both have completely had personality changes and are in love. I can see what the author was trying to do to bring out the best of both leads, but it went a little too far, both leaving behind the essence of who they were. The sub characters sadly lacked any charm (I...more
Rebecca Irvine
A few weeks ago I mentioned I had been reading a great book by a new author. Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind, by Heidi Ashworth, was such an enjoyable read -- I blazed through it within a day -- that I thought I would share a little more about it.

I first stumbled on Heidi's blog last summer through reading some of the Segullah featured entries. Her writing was clever, but what caught my eye was that she was coming out with Miss Delacourt (her first book) this winter. Myself being a newbie to the...more
Kelly
Giving this two stars is probably generous. The characters are wooden and unlikable, the plot is non existent, and the hero and heroine don't really speak to each other. Sir Anthony makes cold cutting remarks while Miss Delacort goes and cries. She cries a lot, by the way. A character gets chicken pox, thereby causing a quarantine, yet no one seems concerned about catching it. So either a) they've already had it, so why do they need to be quarantined? or b) they haven't had it, so why aren't the...more
Andrea
Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind was an enjoyable, fast read, reminiscent of a Jane Austen story.

Miss Delacourt is a head-strong woman, who loathes that most people defer to impeccable manners instead of saying what they really feel. She would much rather tend her to grandaunt's rose garden than attend balls with other members of high society.

Sir Anthony Crenshaw (grandson to Ginny Delacourt's grandaunt) is told by his grandmother to escort Ginny from the city back home to tend to her rose garden....more
Leila
Very enertaining!
~ my new year's treat to myself. Easily a book that can be re-read.
Jenny
For some time now, I have wanted to read Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind. Admittedly, I know the author rather well and so wanted to read her book. But I was always frantically reading other books for book clubs and things about Samantha's condition, that books-to-read from my own list never quite happened. Recently, I decided it was time to put everything else aside, sit down, and read this book from my books-to-read list, and I'm happy for it, as it really was delightful to read. Miss Delacourt...more
Janelle
This was fun and had me giggling on a snowy wintry day. What more can you ask?
Annalisa
I wasn't as enthralled as I normally am with a regency era book but it was a nice story.
From Booklist:
It was all the fault of his blasted grandmother’s roses. If the dowager Duchess of Marcross hadn’t insisted that Sir Anthony Crenshaw travel to her country estate to check up on her priceless roses, Anthony would still be comfortably ensconced in his London townhouse rather than rattling around rough country roads with the old termagant’s ward, Ginerva Delacourt. Of course, the journey is fraugh...more
Maren
I really wanted to love this book. In the end it was just too dumb and boring. It seems like a bad idea to write a story that intentionally feature only 2 characters that you are supposed to like. The heroine, Miss Delacourt, has supposedly made a name for herself as an outspoken women with a strong personality. So why does she spend the entire book keeping her thoughts to herself, trying to be meek and polite, and running to her room to cry? Lame. Sir Anthony is supposed to be a buttoned-up, pr...more
Maverick
The author is a friend of mine and I was very excited to read it. It was such a clean, humorous romantic read which I tremendously enjoyed.
Ranee Clark
Audience: Adult (clean)
Genre: Regency Romance
Length: 270 pages


The Rating: *** (Liked It)

The Pros: Regency Romance. Duh. Fab characters, really! The forthright heroine, Miss Delacourt, reminds me of some of Georgette Heyer’s quirky characters, which I always love. Lucinda (the anti-heroine? lol) is so superb. She just absolutely cracks me up. And the Squire and Mrs. Barrington are just perfect. The hunt the slipper/linen closet scene had me giggling to no end. The every-thing-always-goes-wrong pl...more
Ashley
I read a short story of hers that I loved. She should stick to short stories. He characters were confusing and had she not explained what happened and outlined the mood and meaning of every statement and action, I would not have had a clue as to what was going on. There is nothing very original in the story. Her attempts at clever dialogue are poorly done, because she has to tell you what the attitude was and it does not jive with what I thought was going to happen. Her two main characters are r...more
natty
Jul 14, 2010 natty rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Miss Delacourt
I have only to say that this book wasn't terribly good for me. The writing was lacking in detail and comprehension and the characters were bland without much depth or consistency. What bothered me the most was the plot though, and of how childish it seemed to go about, although when I had read the plot written on the back it had seemed promising.
It wasn't too bad however, and I did manage to finish it.
If anything, I'd say not to be expecting too much romance or actual wit, but perhaps just a bit...more
Braden Bell
I really enjoyed this book! I have never read a romance novel, historical or otherwise. To Ashworth's credit, this felt like a good novel that had romance in it--not the other way around. Her characters were well-drawn and cleverly created. They had weaknesses to overcome, but they were never obnoxious in the beginning, and their journey to discovering their love was one of vulnerability and awareness, not humiliation (with some very funny moments, I might add). I understand Miss D 2 is forthcom...more
Melissa
I really liked this cute story by Heidi Ashworth. The style seemed to me like a cross between Jane Austen and Oscar Wilde. I thought the humor and some of the outrageous personalities in this book were hilarious. There were times I found myself giggling and couldn't imagine what bizarre farcical situation would come up next. I loved the fact that this is a clean read and depends on the intelligence and humor of the writing rather than a lot of physical expression. It's a light, funny, classic re...more
Jami
I've been a regency romance fan for a long time. I still remember the first I ever read: Regency Gold by Marion Chesney. It didn't take itself too seriously and was laugh out loud funny. A charming heroine, a gorgeous hero, and a bunch of mischief. I was 12 and I was hooked. Good clean fun.

Not too long after my introduction to the genre, I ran into the works of Jane Austen. "Hey," thought I, "these are just like regencies. Only not quite so funny." Still I happily devoured Austen's works and eve...more
Wanda Luce
Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind is a masterfully written Regency-era romance. Its prose and dialoge are strongly reminiscent of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. With great skill, Heidi Ashworth spins a delightful and satisfying romance filled with strong and consistent characterization, extraordianry wit, and a clever and unique storyline. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately had to read its sequel, Miss Delacourt Has Her Day, and equally engaging book. Check out my review for it as well!
Jacquelyn Higgins
Wouldn't it be nice to be transported to a safe place in a simpler time for a cup of tea and a chat? Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind, with its delightful but flawed characters, can transport you to that cozy world. Miss Delacourt and her dashing hero are waylaid by thugs and confined to their rescuers home due to an outbreak of pox. It takes a bit of imagination to maintain decorum and defy boredom. The traditional Regency is distilled to a small cast in a house-bound setting full of wit and char...more
Heidi
Feb 26, 2009 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars
Shelves: pg
This was recommended to me by a blog friend as a good, clean romance novel and she was right.

Set in Regence England, it was a fun, romantic story. There was witty dialogue and unexpected plot turns. And I especially enjoyed the hero when he became more forthright.

The only hang-up I had was not quite understanding what motivated the change in how the hero and heroine felt about each other. It felt a little contrived to me, but the results were romantic, so I won't complain. :)
Susan
I think that Ashworth may have a chance to do better if she didn't write about a time that she hasn't actually lived in. This may be wonderful compared to other modern writers trying to write about the same era, but compared to the many Victorian writers I've read, it was all too obvious that the author did not actually live in the time and style she was writing about.

I'm happy to write a longer list of pros and cons (I fluctuated between 1 and 3 stars) if anyone is interested.
Katie
Ah, a delightful little regency-ish romance. Miss Delacourt (aka Ginny) is being escorted to check on her Grandaunt's roses by Sir Anthony when they are overtaken by bandits. They seek shelter at the home of Lucinda, who is just recovering from the chicken pox. When her love interest shows up and Ginny's maid comes down with the pox, the whole household is quarantined and the adventures and misunderstandings commence. I loved all the misunderstandings--they totally added to the humor of the situ...more
Cathy
Honestly, the more I read, the more annoyed I was. It just seemed to me as if the author was trying too hard to make it seem "authentic" to its place and time. The misunderstandings just piled up and seemed ridiculous to me. I didn't care a whole lot about the characters, either, because the situations seemed so over-the-top. I suppose if a reader is a big Regency romance fan, this book would be great, but I guess that's not me.
Kathy
It took me awhile to get through this one. Maybe it’s because my baby was fussy or maybe the story just didn’t grab me. Ginny and Anthony are stuck for a couple weeks with Lucinda and Avery and a few others. When a maid breaks out in chickenpox the entire household is put under quarantine. Lots and lots of misunderstandings happen, all of which could have been easily resolved if people could just speak their minds. A small pet-peeve of mine is when the POV changes randomly between main characte...more
SLK
This was a 2.5 for me. Not bad, but it was a few too many crisis situations. It seemed like there was a crisis every few pages. The silly characters, were too much comic relief for me. It really distracted from the story. Felt a bit too contrived to be real for me. The beginning of the story was promising, which is why I kept reading it, but it was a downward spiral for me from the time the sickness started... Kept hoping it would improve. I felt it was a bit too many "scandals" in progress.
Tonya
A departure for me genre-wise but such fun! I devoured it in a day! I especially enjoyed the repartee and wit between her fun characters - not that I'm hoping to be quarantined with them anytime soon...

A big plus: I got to enjoy the "feel" of Austen without having to trudge through her more difficult writing!
Taffy
Ginny is the niece of a dowager who LOVES her roses. She can not get into town to check on her roses or to make sure that some doesn't steal any clippings of her prized roses. The dowager schemes to get Ginny engaged and sends her to check on the roses with Sir Anthony as an escort. Sir Anthony is very proper while Ginny speaks her mind and neither cared for the other. But from the beginning fate conspires against the couple. The are stranded by a highwayman and thus starts their adventure.

Ginny...more
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Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind (Paperback)
Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind (Hardcover)
Heidi Ashworth is a stay at home mom who loves to be with her family, garden, read and write. Visit her author website at www.heidiashworth.com or her blog www.heidiashworth.blogspot.com

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The sequel to Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind comes out via Avalon Books in February 2011.
More about Heidi Ashworth...
Miss Delacourt Has Her Day Lady Crenshaw's Christmas A Timeless Romance Anthology: Winter Collection

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