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12th out of 68 books
—
25 voters
The Courtesan's Daughter (The Courtesan Chronicles #1)
by
Claudia Dain
Young Lady Caroline's prospects for a suitable match are severely limited by her mother's infamous past. Before Lady Sophia Dalby entered London society, she was a highly desired courtesan. What man of title, position, and wealth would marry a courtesan's daughter?
Sophia's solution is to purchase a husband for Caroline-the Earl of Ashdon-agreeing to settle his gambling deb...more
Sophia's solution is to purchase a husband for Caroline-the Earl of Ashdon-agreeing to settle his gambling deb...more
Paperback, 327 pages
Published
October 2nd 2007
by Berkley Trade
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“Claudia Dain’s emotionally charged writing. . .will take your breath away.” – Sabrina Jeffers
Jeffers’s statement might be true, but I wouldn’t know because Courtesan’s Daughter didn’t have any. Or any wit. Or any heat. Or any lukewarmth.
And I’m pretty sure Dain used the word “delicious” more than Rachel Rae uses it in a decade.
The basic premise of the book is that men can be manipulated by sex, and only by sex; and that women can manipulate with sex, and only with sex. I don’t care if this is...more
Jeffers’s statement might be true, but I wouldn’t know because Courtesan’s Daughter didn’t have any. Or any wit. Or any heat. Or any lukewarmth.
And I’m pretty sure Dain used the word “delicious” more than Rachel Rae uses it in a decade.
The basic premise of the book is that men can be manipulated by sex, and only by sex; and that women can manipulate with sex, and only with sex. I don’t care if this is...more
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I was originally attracted to this book because of the cover and the word “courtesan” on the cover. I was looking for smutty and figured with a courtesan you can’t get any smuttier. Boy was I wrong! This was very mild in comparison with other smutty books I’ve read.
First off, the word “courtesan” became annoying after the fifth page or so. It was mentioned again and again and again thanks to the daughter’s magnificent idea of becoming one herself. I won’t even get into that plot line. Secondly,...more
First off, the word “courtesan” became annoying after the fifth page or so. It was mentioned again and again and again thanks to the daughter’s magnificent idea of becoming one herself. I won’t even get into that plot line. Secondly,...more
"I am ruined, Lord Ashdon, for any other man. I am ruined, and you are the man who has ruined me. Will you not take the spoils of your conquest?"
This book was a good book to read while I was bored. It isn't anything I will remember but it definitely kept me occupied enough to eat it all in one go.
Lady Dalby was far too clever which was amusing to read but I found it hard to take in. She irritated me in a way and I found it unbelievable. Especially how she didn't want her daughter to be a court...more
This book was a good book to read while I was bored. It isn't anything I will remember but it definitely kept me occupied enough to eat it all in one go.
Lady Dalby was far too clever which was amusing to read but I found it hard to take in. She irritated me in a way and I found it unbelievable. Especially how she didn't want her daughter to be a court...more
I wish I could reward 1/2 stars here as I'd probably rate this book between 2 and 3 stars. It wasn't quite in the "I liked it" category because I spent at least half the book wondering if I wanted to continue with it. However, once I had read that far, I wanted to see how things turned out and I did finish it wanting to read the next book so it seems to deserve a smidge more than "It was ok."
My main issue with the book was that the heroine is way too young. I see a few others had issues with her...more
My main issue with the book was that the heroine is way too young. I see a few others had issues with her...more
This is a genre I don't read too often anymore having moved on to gritty contemporary fare. If this is the quality of what's out there, I'll be going back for more. This was a nice break from urban vampires and murder and mayhem fests. The plot is well thought out and, except within the constaints of the happy ending genre, not terribly predicatable. The dialogue witty and well thought out. There is probably more actual dialogue in this book than any of the last ten I've read, and I enjoyed ever...more
Our heroine's ability to get hitched is severely limited because Mama used to be a courtesan. Mom did eventually make good, married a count, had some kids, but now all these years later, poor Caroline can't seem to get wed.
So Mom, being an incredibly intelligent and conniving former-courtesan, finds a way to purchase a husbands for daughter but girl is all, "who wants a hubs? This is the early 1800s and I want to be a fierce independent woman just like my mom. Which means, I'm gonna be a whore!...more
So Mom, being an incredibly intelligent and conniving former-courtesan, finds a way to purchase a husbands for daughter but girl is all, "who wants a hubs? This is the early 1800s and I want to be a fierce independent woman just like my mom. Which means, I'm gonna be a whore!...more
This is not Jane Austen’s Regency England. Lady Sophia Dalby, an ex-courtesan, is trying to get her daughter, Lady Caroline Dalby, married. And she does it through an intense, and I mean intense, amount of manipulation. There was so much set-up for the rest of the books in the series, so many extra characters, so many viewpoints that I think it took away from the romantic plotline. Which I’m not that upset about, cause I wasn’t very fond of the hero and I’m undecided on the heroine. I will proba...more
As with so many romances, I heard about this one (actually the whole series) on the Smart Bitches podcast, where the discussion was about nonconformist women and how much Sarah enjoys reading about them, and how good this whole series is.
I really liked Lady Sophia Dalby, the former courtesan of the title. In this, the first book, she is cool and calculating, keenly observant and trenchantly witty, and clearly loves her family and her friends. I was a little less keen on her daughter, Lady Carol...more
I really liked Lady Sophia Dalby, the former courtesan of the title. In this, the first book, she is cool and calculating, keenly observant and trenchantly witty, and clearly loves her family and her friends. I was a little less keen on her daughter, Lady Carol...more
2.5 stars
This was hard for me to grade. There was a lot to like and some very amusing moments. Sophia (the Courtesan of the title) was a very intriguing character but the romance was between Caro (the daughter of the title) and Ashdon and there just wasn't enough of it. In the end, I didn't totally buy the HEA - there just wasn't enough depth to the relationship - lust yes? but love? I wasn't convinced. I didn't understand why they were in love. I didn't see it happen - there just wasn't enough...more
This was hard for me to grade. There was a lot to like and some very amusing moments. Sophia (the Courtesan of the title) was a very intriguing character but the romance was between Caro (the daughter of the title) and Ashdon and there just wasn't enough of it. In the end, I didn't totally buy the HEA - there just wasn't enough depth to the relationship - lust yes? but love? I wasn't convinced. I didn't understand why they were in love. I didn't see it happen - there just wasn't enough...more
This wasn't the first Claudia Dain story I've read and since I got a feel of her writing, I expected the same twists and turns. What I didn't expect was to enjoy the story a lot, sure I didn't connect with the characters much, just like a spectator in the periphery, but although the whirlwind affair lasted only three days before Caroline and Ashdon faced the altar, it seemed like weeks. It had a promising start.
First, I want to say this book was quite different from other Regency romance novels...more
First, I want to say this book was quite different from other Regency romance novels...more
I kept going back and forth on my ratings for this book.
The Good Points:
On one hand the writing here was fantastic. The dialogue was witty and had me laughing out loud a few times. There are a lot of twists and turns and nothing is what you expect. Expect a lot of surprises. Most of the characters, even secondary ones were well fleshed out and interesting. The ending leaves you satisfied and I would like to read more by the author.
The Bad Points:
Sometimes Caroline (the heroine) acted like an...more
The Good Points:
On one hand the writing here was fantastic. The dialogue was witty and had me laughing out loud a few times. There are a lot of twists and turns and nothing is what you expect. Expect a lot of surprises. Most of the characters, even secondary ones were well fleshed out and interesting. The ending leaves you satisfied and I would like to read more by the author.
The Bad Points:
Sometimes Caroline (the heroine) acted like an...more
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I don't have very much to say about this book, hence my short review note in the title...I didn't like Caro, I didn't even really like Lord Ashdon, but, I loved Sophia. Even though she did seem a little too perfectly clever at times, I couldn't help but like her. Sometimes you just need to get to know/read someone like her. She knew what was best, and she knew how to get it done. I'm not too excited about book 2 in this series, but I am looking forward to finding out what Sophia will do next and...more
I bought this book because it was on clearance at the used book store and had an interesting cover! It turns out that might have been the only interesting thing about it. I found the story line predictable and also childish and silly. The whole thing seemed to move entirely too fast and the characters incredibly one dimensional. I finished it mostly out of guilt since I hate to stop in the middle of things! It was a fun read but I certainly wouldn't go back for more!
There are lots of overlapping story lines in this one. Caroline Trevelyan is the daughter of a duke but is ineligible for matrimony because her mother is an infamous courtesan. Sophia Dalby, the mother, bought up the 38000 pound debt of the Earl of Ashton. She tells him she will forgive the debt if he will marry Caroline. Add to that, Ashton's father Westlin once loved Sophia and paid for her favors. The story has its twists and turns and is never dull.
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A very different take on the regency romance -- lots of different points of view, and a far edgier (or sexist, perhaps?) construction of relations between the sexes -- sexual manipulation rather than romance. More problematic for me was the difficulties I had keeping straight whose head I was supposedly in at different times in the narrative, as well as understanding the motivations of the characters.
So the book was just about Caro and Ashdon fighting over their attraction, Sophia smiling coyly and giving out confusing advices, people jumble in and out of every chapter, and somehow at the end the Ashford "ruins" Caro and they admit their love for each other.
Sophia gave me a headache. This entire book did. Too many characters to account for and not enough interaction between the main characters.
Sophia gave me a headache. This entire book did. Too many characters to account for and not enough interaction between the main characters.
Pearls. A book about manipulating a man to get what the heroine wants, which is certainly where the humor lay. That said it was boringly predictable after a while with little substantial character development and I found myself not really caring about the "revenge" aspect once it had been mentioned so many times. However I didn't pick it up expecting some well thought out piece but as a quick romp between books and for that it was rather fun.
Caroline is of marrying age, but her prospects of getting a man with title, money, and of a good standing ar limitied. Before her mother, Sophia ecame a countess, she was a very popular courtesan. Sophie will do anything to make sure that her daughter gets the husband she feels she deserves, so she pays the Earl of Ashton's gambling debts so he will marry her daughter. Caroline is completely offeneded, until she meets the handsome man. She struggles to be more like her mother to attract him, he...more
Ever read a novel set a few centuries ago and become a little bored by the stiff and proper characters? Not going to happen with an ex courtesan and her daughter who decides to become a courtesan running around. Overall, quite satisfying if this is the genre you're looking for.
Sophia manipulates the men like a master puppeteer. Although some of it seemed outrageously improbable, it was still enjoyable to see what Sophia would come up with next. I wouldn't read this book again, but I wouldn't mind reading the next to find out how Louisa gets her pearls back from Lord Dutton.
I heard the author refer to this book as a “romp,” and I couldn’t agree more. The playful, fast-paced back and forth between the large cast of characters will keep you turning pages and laughing as you go. Enjoyable read, well done, and lots of fun!
This book was fun and somewhat unexpected. I did not know when I picked it up at a library sale that it was part of a series but I think I may just read a few more. The characters were fun. The love story was eh but all that circled around them was great.
Not a huge romance reader, but I enjoyed this book. Lots of humorous, engaging dialogue, definite sexual chemistry and nicely fleshed-out characters. I thought it was a little light on conflict, but it was a fun, uncomplicated read.
Eesh this was bad. To create conflict, the heroine would start yelling at the hero as soon as things started to go well. Seriously, seriously, annoying...no motivation...no point...no logic for any of the heroine's actions.
Ah finally, in my quest for mindless entertainment, I stumbled upon a book not only worth reading, but worth rereading! Delightful irony, witty dialogue, and a multi-layered plot. That the author found something new to do with a regency, while remaining true to its heart, is quite a feat. Utterly delicious!
A decently written time period romance with an entertaining story-line. The protagonists Lady Dalby and Caro are likeable but the male lead character, Ashton is a bit underdeveloped. Overall a fine read.
2.5 stars
The H/H had chemistry but just when I thought I was going to start loving the book bam! Boring! The book lacked any drama. Caro's (not sure if I loved this name)
mother could have been over the top and she was just blah. Maybe I just didn't get the whole thing. The scene with the 3 pearl necklaces could have been written as such a farce but it was so darn blah!
So I guess I pretty much feel that everytime it started to get good it just fizzled again. Oh and did I mention it was BLAH.
The H/H had chemistry but just when I thought I was going to start loving the book bam! Boring! The book lacked any drama. Caro's (not sure if I loved this name)
mother could have been over the top and she was just blah. Maybe I just didn't get the whole thing. The scene with the 3 pearl necklaces could have been written as such a farce but it was so darn blah!
So I guess I pretty much feel that everytime it started to get good it just fizzled again. Oh and did I mention it was BLAH.
Fun read but felt repetitive in some parts but I did find myself laughing out loud every now and then at the things Caroline and Ashdon got themselves into.
Utter trash. I don't want to see Caroline get married, I want to see her grow up. Well, not really. I'm not that interested in either possibility.
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It was while writing a descriptive essay in seventh grade English (that was the assignment, to write a 'descriptive essay') that Claudia first fell in love. With descriptive essays. Boys being what they are in seventh grade, there was hardly much choice.
By her ninth grade year, Claudia was spending hours each week in her bedroom writing descriptive essays that heavily featured older boys (elevent...more
More about Claudia Dain...
By her ninth grade year, Claudia was spending hours each week in her bedroom writing descriptive essays that heavily featured older boys (elevent...more
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