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13th out of 120 books
—
42 voters
Lily
The Maid
She arrived at Darkstone Manor without friends or fortune, welcomed only by the hiss of the sea in the midnight hush. Lily Trehearne had been born a lady, but now she resigned herself to a life of backbreaking drudgery, inescapable poverty . . . and unquestioning obedience to the lord of the manor.
The Master
Tormented and brooding, Devon Darkwell threatened Lily's s...more
She arrived at Darkstone Manor without friends or fortune, welcomed only by the hiss of the sea in the midnight hush. Lily Trehearne had been born a lady, but now she resigned herself to a life of backbreaking drudgery, inescapable poverty . . . and unquestioning obedience to the lord of the manor.
The Master
Tormented and brooding, Devon Darkwell threatened Lily's s...more
Mass Market Paperback, 448 pages
Published
September 3rd 2000
by Leisure
(first published 1994)
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Jun 16, 2008
Eastofoz
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Readers who enjoy endless pages of useless narration
Shelves:
books-with-cooties,
historical-regency
Sheer, unadulterated BOREDOM (and I can't stress that enough!)—that’s what comes to mind after having read this beyond tedious story. It is endless. The author is in desperate need of a competent editor because this book could have been shortened in so many areas and easily whittled down to 300 pages tops.
Things happen but don’t happen and take forever to happen and when you think something good is going to happen you’re left saying: “That’s it???!” It is filled with pages and pages of annoying...more
Things happen but don’t happen and take forever to happen and when you think something good is going to happen you’re left saying: “That’s it???!” It is filled with pages and pages of annoying...more
view all 15 comments
I cried with this story!
Mrs. Gaffney is a true master at writing dark, Gothic stories with brooding and wounded heroes.
Although, I personally prefer my stories with a little bit less of angst and misunderstandings, the story was very well crafted. But to speak frankly, if I were Lily, I would never have forgiven Devon for the horrible things he did to her; he was a true ¡*^@*!. Sorry to say, but I am just not that forgiving.
Mrs. Gaffney is a true master at writing dark, Gothic stories with brooding and wounded heroes.
Although, I personally prefer my stories with a little bit less of angst and misunderstandings, the story was very well crafted. But to speak frankly, if I were Lily, I would never have forgiven Devon for the horrible things he did to her; he was a true ¡*^@*!. Sorry to say, but I am just not that forgiving.
I first caught on to this book via a brief and complimentary namedropping by http://www.readreactreview.com, whom I always respect. This review at dear author pushed me over: http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ov...
So- As a vehicle for much angst, wandering hungry and cold over the moors a la Jane Eyre, and being pregnant and alone in the world, Lily rocks. And I am not knocking any of these tropes- in fact, they are some of my favorites. The drama/melodrama was delicious. I was a little worried...more
So- As a vehicle for much angst, wandering hungry and cold over the moors a la Jane Eyre, and being pregnant and alone in the world, Lily rocks. And I am not knocking any of these tropes- in fact, they are some of my favorites. The drama/melodrama was delicious. I was a little worried...more
How to explain how I feel about this book?
I'm very very sick of BIG MISUNDERSTANDINGS, angst-ridden alpha heroes, virginal--can do no wrong--really really good and beautiful heroines who endure terrible circumstances and STILL have a heart of gold. STILL keep returning to the poor hero who had some horrible woman in his past that did him wrong thereby justifying the crappy way he treats the current heroine.
Why is it that the heroines can have the suckiest of lives and always still maintain thei...more
I'm very very sick of BIG MISUNDERSTANDINGS, angst-ridden alpha heroes, virginal--can do no wrong--really really good and beautiful heroines who endure terrible circumstances and STILL have a heart of gold. STILL keep returning to the poor hero who had some horrible woman in his past that did him wrong thereby justifying the crappy way he treats the current heroine.
Why is it that the heroines can have the suckiest of lives and always still maintain thei...more
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This is one of those "golden oldies", bodice ripper type romances. Other reviewers have more than adequately covered the synopsis, so no point rehashing it.
When I read this years ago, I loved it. I loved the dark, Gothic, windswept feel of it. But reading it for a second time I'm more ambivalent regarding Lily, I suppose my tastes have changed somewhat over the years. It is one of those books that you'll either love it to bits or hate it. Devon was one of those over the top, dark, brooding, repr...more
I sobbed and I sighed a countless times whike reading this. A lady who became a maid. Not just a maid who lures her master while serving the tea. No. She toils. She wears coarse clothes. And she never lures him like a cheap hussy. No she just happens to join her friend for a midningt dip that night and the master happens to walk by the lake and saw her naked and beautiful by the moonlight. But this man is not easily convinced by her body and beauty and the emotion she can stir within him. He has...more
Lily is one of a small class of books that I thought absolutely outrageous when I read them, yet which lingered in my memory so compellingly, they actually became prime favorites. It’s a very over the top, old skool, bodice rippery type of romance (though not the kind in which the heroine is raped or has sex with other men, which tends to be where I personally draw the line, bodice ripper-wise.) It’s the sort of romance that either has you wanting to stomp on the hero’s face or clutching your st...more
the book was a good read, Lily the main character runs away from her home after she thinks she killed someone, she tries to get far from the town she was in and ends up employed as a maid in Cornwall. the story tells about the housekeeper who is very mean and violent to the other servants, and how Lily copes with that. Then there is Devon the master of the house and how he sets off to seducing her because she reminds him of his dead wife. the books then goes to Devon more so and then back to Lil...more
GREAT descriptions of how hard life was for the servants during this time period in history. I loved the realistic descriptions and portrayals of work life, and the struggle for existence. It made me feel as if I were truly living during that time.
In addition, I also liked the book's storyline, but I got very frustrated with Lily's wimpiness when it came to Devon's brutish treatment and mistrust of her. Instead of the turbulent love story, where the hero and heroine fight against the odds to be...more
In addition, I also liked the book's storyline, but I got very frustrated with Lily's wimpiness when it came to Devon's brutish treatment and mistrust of her. Instead of the turbulent love story, where the hero and heroine fight against the odds to be...more
The back cover of this was so promising: "She arrived at Darkstone Manor without friends or fortune, welcomed only by the hiss of the sea in the midnight hush. Lily Trehearne had been born a lady, but now she resigned herself to a life of backbreaking drudgery, inescapable poverty and unquestioning obedience to the lord of the manor."
It was published in 1991, and alas bears the hallmarks of those books from that time. Lily suffers such lurid, lavish abuse. Devon Darkwell's cruelty is totally jus...more
It was published in 1991, and alas bears the hallmarks of those books from that time. Lily suffers such lurid, lavish abuse. Devon Darkwell's cruelty is totally jus...more
I really enjoyed reading this book. At first, I was unsure of even finishing it. But after a few chapters it hooked me in. The relationship between Lily and Devon was sometimes so angsty and other times you could actually feel how much they loved each other. There was a few times when I wanted to slap some sense into Devon by how he treated Lily in certain parts of the book. Sometimes he treated her lovingly, the next disrespectful and then horribly cruel. I felt so bad for Lily after what Howe...more
Very nicely written, and I enjoyed the Gothic overtones of the opening chapters. After awhile, though, I was rather fatigued with the sheer quantity of trials and tribulations the heroine endured, and how she never just went, "Fuck it, I'll take the money." I mean, I know I'm reading romance, and I know that's totally against the rules for the romance heroine to take a pragmatic attitude, but her determination to just 'give her body' out of "love" for the hero (meanwhile being a drudge in his ho...more
This was a fairly painful read in many respects.
The heroine Lily, finds herself at the mercy of her uncle, a religious zealot, upon her father's death. He tries to force her to marry his son and threatens to accuse her of theft if she fails to do so. There is an altercation and he is knocked out. Lily flees in a panic, with hardly any money and no clothes.
She ends up gaining employment as a maid to an evil housekeeper, Mrs Howe. The housekeeper is miserly and deliberately cruel to the staff, s...more
The heroine Lily, finds herself at the mercy of her uncle, a religious zealot, upon her father's death. He tries to force her to marry his son and threatens to accuse her of theft if she fails to do so. There is an altercation and he is knocked out. Lily flees in a panic, with hardly any money and no clothes.
She ends up gaining employment as a maid to an evil housekeeper, Mrs Howe. The housekeeper is miserly and deliberately cruel to the staff, s...more
As my 1st book of Patricia Gaffney surely this is unforgettable. It had caught my mind from the start. Using unusual premise, Lily "The Maid" and Devon Darkwell "The Master" of Darkstone Manor, Viscount of Sandown absolutely marvelous. This theme remind me with "To Beguiled a Beast" by Elizabeth Hoyt.
After her father died, Lily has no alternative after her uncle came to force her to marry his son. She refuse and have a fight with her uncle until there is an accident and he collapse. She run awa...more
After her father died, Lily has no alternative after her uncle came to force her to marry his son. She refuse and have a fight with her uncle until there is an accident and he collapse. She run awa...more
Lily herself was the only redeeming quality this book had. Devin was a nightmare of a hero and I found it difficult to even get through this one......
Devin was burned by his first wife and now has sworn off love forever. He is instantly attracted to his maid Lily, but after being burned by his first wife, knows that he only wants her and will never love her. This book was PAINFUL to read. Devin's seduction followed by his dismissal's went on and on. I found myself chapter over chapter hoping he...more
Devin was burned by his first wife and now has sworn off love forever. He is instantly attracted to his maid Lily, but after being burned by his first wife, knows that he only wants her and will never love her. This book was PAINFUL to read. Devin's seduction followed by his dismissal's went on and on. I found myself chapter over chapter hoping he...more
This is an old school romance (although 1995 doesn't feel that old!!) and I enjoyed it for the most part, although the hero was, of course, a complete jerk throughout and the heroine loved, loved, loved him even so. Plus so many bad things happened to the heroine--everyone was mean and out to get her and did so successfully, which got old. But I read it in the bath over a succession of nights so that was good :)
Another Patricia Gaffney winner. Though this wasn't quite as good as "To Have and To Hold", it came close. Gaffney is a good writer, and she does a great job of describing the hardships of an English servant in the 19th century. The romance is great in this novel, though the poor heroine has to suffer extreme pain throughout. The end is worth it, though.
For a romance, this book had too much emphasis on emotional turmoil (sadly, a spiral of same repeated agony) and too little on the sexual events, which were positively skirted around. Lots of unresolved story lines (was she a virgin? can she go back to her town?). The narrative is pretty though giving a glimpse of better novels to come from the author.
Lily arbeitet für Devon, während zwischen den beiden zarte Gefühle entstehen. Die Handlung ist grundsätzlich bekannt, doch es gibt ein paar neue, überraschende Details. Grundsätzlich ist der Roman interessant zu lesen, doch es kommen leider immer wieder langweilige, sich dahinziehende Szenen vor.
Fazit: schnell gelesen und schnell vergessen!
Fazit: schnell gelesen und schnell vergessen!
I decided to read this book because there was so much buz about it on the Amazon threads. For about the first 150 or so pages I thought..."what is so amazing about this book?" It's not that the begining was bad or anything just nothing out of the ordinary. Soon after though, it became a book that I just couldn't put down. Devon has few redeeming qualities, but thats how I like them.lol He's loving with his family but has had a scared heart and will never love another woman again. That is until L...more
Keeper...Born a lady, Lily Trehearne now lives a life of backbreaking drudgery, poverty, and complete obedience to the lord of Darkstone Manor, but despite her despair, she discovers tempestuous passion in his arms, while he learns of her deep, dark secrets. Original.
I just can't get past the "hero's" transgressions, like the heroine seemed to do rather quickly. I don't know… He was physically violent, so yeah… more villain than much of a hero.
I love this book. So dark that it becomes a near parody of itself, I loved the whole "what the hell will happen next to this poor woman?!?!" vibe. Just fantastic!
I enjoyed the story, but thought it went on a little too long. I like some groveling by the hero but thought it got boring after a while. Still, a good read.
Mar 13, 2013
Pam
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historic-romance,
tbr-dtb-s
I loved this book. The best book I've read in a long time!!!! It has so many twist and turns and hardships for poor Lily but...through it all she triumphs in the end. A wonderful story about a gently born woman who is being forced to marry her awful cousin by her religious uncle. She flees and goes into hiding as a maid in a big household. Eventually she makes friends with the Master of the house who is a wounded man by his horrible dead wife and dead child. He is a mess!
So many things happen .....more
So many things happen .....more
Great story, but it seemed a bit drawn out to me.
good old fashioned romance.
Lily by Patricia Gaffney is a well-written book full of twists, turns and subplots. While all this makes for an engrossing read at the start, as the book progresses they become repetitive and far-fetched. All kinds of bad things seem to befall Lily all the time, which both makes the reader feel sorry for her but also annoyed. As for Devon, he's not a bad person, but he does behave really badly most of the time so the reader can't really root for him.
This was a bit more women's fiction instead of romance.
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Patricia Gaffney was born in Tampa, Florida, and grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy from Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York, and also studied literature at Royal Holloway College of the University of London, at George Washington University, and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
After college, G...more
More about Patricia Gaffney...
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