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The Necessary Series #1
A Necessary Husband
When Garrett Lynch bursts the glittering Raynewood ballroom a Wild mail, a hapless footman clinging to each powerful arm, Lucinda Devering is equally appalled and impressed. How uncivilised! How barbaric! How... stirringly strong and manly! Then she learns he's the long-lost heir of the Duke of Raynewood–and that it's her job to transform him into a proper Englishman. And if she fails this impossible task, the duke will reveal her desperate secret, ruining her forever. Lucinda Devering may be the loveliest woman Garrett's laid eyes on, but her eternal rules and regulations about proper behaviour are enough to drive a man mad. Which should he believe? That stiff spine, or those soft curls and big brown eyes? One thing is that lush, prissy mouth needs loosening up–and he knows just the way to do it! But soon he wonders which is more winning this game, or winning, Lucinda's hand?
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 30, 2002
About the author
Debra Mullins
23 books134 followers(from website)I hate writing bios. They always seem so cut and dried. But you came to my website to learn more about me, so here goes.
I’m the oldest of four sisters, and we are full-blooded Irish on our father’s side. Oh, and our house had one bathroom. If you have any questions about where I got my flair for drama, just imagine that scenario on a Saturday night when four teen-aged girls need to get ready for their dates all at the same time.
‘Nuff said.
So, I am the writer in the family, though I always had a secret dream to be a torch singer. You know, like Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys. My voice is OK, but the only place I feel comfortable singing is in the shower, so that was out. Besides, my sister Kate would kill me. She’s the singer in the family. Seriously, she sang at Carnegie Hall once (yeah, as part of a choir and with the orchestra and a bunch of other people, but Carnegie Hall! How many people can say that and be telling the truth?)
Anyway, I settled on writer and left the singing to Kate. My other two sisters are both artists, and no, they don’t have anything in the Louvre, but my sister Christine paints her house constantly, always changing the décor in her kids’ rooms. So you see? Creative impetus will out, and there’s no stopping it. Better to just give in and have the chocolate standing by for those moments of Artistic Frustration.
After giving up my torch singer aspirations (but before I fully accepted that I am A Writer) I gave serious thought to a practical career. The term “starving artist” was not conceived out of whimsy, you know, and I did have a fondness for food and shelter. So, soon after high school, I considered a career as a simultaneous interpreter for the UN.
I heard you giggle. Yes, I did. So let me clarify by adding that I have a gift for languages and had already taken several years of Spanish, French and Italian by the time I graduated high school, AND I had done the exchange thing in France, where I lived for a summer with a family, speaking nothing but French. So there.
Ahem. Anyway, in order to be a simultaneous interpreter, you need to know five languages. I had four under my belt (since I do know grammar and punctuation, I consider English the fourth language). I just had to learn one more language.
But that never happened. I chose True Love over College, then got married and started a family young.
Yes, you can laugh now.
Anyway, years pass. I gave in to my natural tendency to be a storyteller and started working on the one thing I had ever finished—a hand-written, 100 page “novel” about a Spanish pirate that I had completed in junior high. As an adult, I still felt there was a story there. That novel evolved into my first published work, ONCE A MISTRESS (Written in English, though my pirate does say cool Spanish words like mi amor and mi querida. Sigh. Swoon!) In 1996, ONCE A MISTRESS was a finalist in the prestigious Golden Heart competition run by Romance Writers of America. Two years later—OK, on January 26, 1998 at 4:06PM—Avon Books called and offered to publish my opus.
So there you go. I’ve written eight more books since then, often utilizing my knowledge of other languages for flavor. I visited the old West with DONOVAN’S BED and THE LAWMAN’S SURRENDER. (Oh, and DONOVAN’S BED was a finalist for RWA’s RITA Award for Best Short Historical in 2001, which is like an Oscar nomination in the land of romance writing. How cool is that?) Then I visited the Regency era. I won the NJ Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award for Best Historical (2003) with A NECESSARY BRIDE. In 2005, THREE NIGHTS… was nominated for Best Historical Romance in competition for Virginia Romance Writers’ prestigious Holt Medallion.
All of my Regency historicals have been optioned as featured selections by Doubleday Book Club and Rhapsody Book Club. My books have also been translated into Hungarian, Russian, and Portuguese f
I’m the oldest of four sisters, and we are full-blooded Irish on our father’s side. Oh, and our house had one bathroom. If you have any questions about where I got my flair for drama, just imagine that scenario on a Saturday night when four teen-aged girls need to get ready for their dates all at the same time.
‘Nuff said.
So, I am the writer in the family, though I always had a secret dream to be a torch singer. You know, like Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys. My voice is OK, but the only place I feel comfortable singing is in the shower, so that was out. Besides, my sister Kate would kill me. She’s the singer in the family. Seriously, she sang at Carnegie Hall once (yeah, as part of a choir and with the orchestra and a bunch of other people, but Carnegie Hall! How many people can say that and be telling the truth?)
Anyway, I settled on writer and left the singing to Kate. My other two sisters are both artists, and no, they don’t have anything in the Louvre, but my sister Christine paints her house constantly, always changing the décor in her kids’ rooms. So you see? Creative impetus will out, and there’s no stopping it. Better to just give in and have the chocolate standing by for those moments of Artistic Frustration.
After giving up my torch singer aspirations (but before I fully accepted that I am A Writer) I gave serious thought to a practical career. The term “starving artist” was not conceived out of whimsy, you know, and I did have a fondness for food and shelter. So, soon after high school, I considered a career as a simultaneous interpreter for the UN.
I heard you giggle. Yes, I did. So let me clarify by adding that I have a gift for languages and had already taken several years of Spanish, French and Italian by the time I graduated high school, AND I had done the exchange thing in France, where I lived for a summer with a family, speaking nothing but French. So there.
Ahem. Anyway, in order to be a simultaneous interpreter, you need to know five languages. I had four under my belt (since I do know grammar and punctuation, I consider English the fourth language). I just had to learn one more language.
But that never happened. I chose True Love over College, then got married and started a family young.
Yes, you can laugh now.
Anyway, years pass. I gave in to my natural tendency to be a storyteller and started working on the one thing I had ever finished—a hand-written, 100 page “novel” about a Spanish pirate that I had completed in junior high. As an adult, I still felt there was a story there. That novel evolved into my first published work, ONCE A MISTRESS (Written in English, though my pirate does say cool Spanish words like mi amor and mi querida. Sigh. Swoon!) In 1996, ONCE A MISTRESS was a finalist in the prestigious Golden Heart competition run by Romance Writers of America. Two years later—OK, on January 26, 1998 at 4:06PM—Avon Books called and offered to publish my opus.
So there you go. I’ve written eight more books since then, often utilizing my knowledge of other languages for flavor. I visited the old West with DONOVAN’S BED and THE LAWMAN’S SURRENDER. (Oh, and DONOVAN’S BED was a finalist for RWA’s RITA Award for Best Short Historical in 2001, which is like an Oscar nomination in the land of romance writing. How cool is that?) Then I visited the Regency era. I won the NJ Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award for Best Historical (2003) with A NECESSARY BRIDE. In 2005, THREE NIGHTS… was nominated for Best Historical Romance in competition for Virginia Romance Writers’ prestigious Holt Medallion.
All of my Regency historicals have been optioned as featured selections by Doubleday Book Club and Rhapsody Book Club. My books have also been translated into Hungarian, Russian, and Portuguese f
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 6, 2018
Formulaic, cheesy, funny, entertaining with a loveable h/H who have a sweet and searing chemistry.
A hot rakish pirate H who wants to bed but not wed and a prudish widow (of the unawakened kind) who tries to keep him at an arm’s length. What are his chances? And what are her chances, really!
Okay, I didn't want to like it but I did!
*With spoilers* The ‘barbaric’ pirate/trader captain H is the heir apparent to a dukedom and wants nothing of it? I sneered. Yeah, yeah! (But he surprises by being true to his word and returning to Boston, a 'city-just-like-London' dragging the till-then-digging-her-dainty-heels-in-the-London-soil h with him.)
Okay, to the beginning. So, he makes this spectacular entry at his uncivilised-piratanical best during a party at his hated and never-seen-before grandfather’s place to drag back his errant and escaped-from-Boston sister. The sister has other ideas, the grandfather has some other ideas. The guests have no idea at all. And they gape!
The h intervenes in her prim and cool way, calmly dragging (ordering) the trio to more private environs. She is a penniless, homeless widow who has been ‘employed’ (a sensitive word for her) by the old duke to mentor and polish his American granddaughter. I hated the old coot, by the way, for repeatedly blackmailing the h. He told her he’d pay her dead husband’s debts if she polishes up has granddaughter but keeps changing his conditions and then threatening to throw the h out without a penny if she doesn’t comply. Why she didn’t call him out on it or even tell the H about it, I don’t know.
After deciding to stay on as the sister refuses to leave just then, the H immediately starts pursuing the h for entertainment and more. He flirts, she ignores, he advances, she feints, he lures, she gets curious and gets caught. Their banter is full of double entendre and is fun to read. So the once-ruined-young-girl-hurriedly-married-off-and-neglected-for-years widow is actually husband hunting for a staid fellow but gets entangled with a wild untameable beast. Oh, it was fun to read.
Enter the villain who’s not unknown to the h. After all, she had once loved him- some ten years ago. He almost ruined her and then hid behind his father who refused to let his heir marry an unsuitable girl. Her admiral father threatened and the man offers his younger son. That was sad and heartbreaking. The h and her husband mutually decide to live separate lives. She alone, he with his various mistresses. He died recently, leaving her in debt and potential ruin again. The villain, over the years, has been unsuccessfully trying to seduce her. But she hates him and now even fears him as he dogs her every step.
So things hurry up towards an expected ending but the book has some surprises. Kidnappings and duels and a going away hea. Sigh, I won’t mind sailing away into a sunset with this pirate.
A hot rakish pirate H who wants to bed but not wed and a prudish widow (of the unawakened kind) who tries to keep him at an arm’s length. What are his chances? And what are her chances, really!
Okay, I didn't want to like it but I did!
*With spoilers* The ‘barbaric’ pirate/trader captain H is the heir apparent to a dukedom and wants nothing of it? I sneered. Yeah, yeah! (But he surprises by being true to his word and returning to Boston, a 'city-just-like-London' dragging the till-then-digging-her-dainty-heels-in-the-London-soil h with him.)
Okay, to the beginning. So, he makes this spectacular entry at his uncivilised-piratanical best during a party at his hated and never-seen-before grandfather’s place to drag back his errant and escaped-from-Boston sister. The sister has other ideas, the grandfather has some other ideas. The guests have no idea at all. And they gape!
The h intervenes in her prim and cool way, calmly dragging (ordering) the trio to more private environs. She is a penniless, homeless widow who has been ‘employed’ (a sensitive word for her) by the old duke to mentor and polish his American granddaughter. I hated the old coot, by the way, for repeatedly blackmailing the h. He told her he’d pay her dead husband’s debts if she polishes up has granddaughter but keeps changing his conditions and then threatening to throw the h out without a penny if she doesn’t comply. Why she didn’t call him out on it or even tell the H about it, I don’t know.
After deciding to stay on as the sister refuses to leave just then, the H immediately starts pursuing the h for entertainment and more. He flirts, she ignores, he advances, she feints, he lures, she gets curious and gets caught. Their banter is full of double entendre and is fun to read. So the once-ruined-young-girl-hurriedly-married-off-and-neglected-for-years widow is actually husband hunting for a staid fellow but gets entangled with a wild untameable beast. Oh, it was fun to read.
Enter the villain who’s not unknown to the h. After all, she had once loved him- some ten years ago. He almost ruined her and then hid behind his father who refused to let his heir marry an unsuitable girl. Her admiral father threatened and the man offers his younger son. That was sad and heartbreaking. The h and her husband mutually decide to live separate lives. She alone, he with his various mistresses. He died recently, leaving her in debt and potential ruin again. The villain, over the years, has been unsuccessfully trying to seduce her. But she hates him and now even fears him as he dogs her every step.
So things hurry up towards an expected ending but the book has some surprises. Kidnappings and duels and a going away hea. Sigh, I won’t mind sailing away into a sunset with this pirate.
July 11, 2020
Enjoyable romance where prim and proper English widow meets a charming and teasing American sea captain / heir to a dukedom
I have just recently discovered Debra Mullins' books and of the three of hers that I have read so far, A Necessary Husband is my favorite. The other two I read were Just One Touch, which I liked and would recommend, and Scandal of the Black Rose, which I didn't and wouldn't.
SUMMARY:
At the age of 18, Lucinda Northcott let her foolish trust and young love for Malcolm Devering, Viscount Arndale, lead her to an indiscretion and an unhappy marriage ... When her father, General Northcott, discovers she and Malcolm embracing, he insists that the proper thing be done. Arndale's father, the Earl of Witting, does not want his heir to marry the daughter of a mere general, however, and so instead plans are made for her to marry Malcolm's younger brother, Harry. The marriage is a loveless one and after the first year, Lucinda and Harry lead separate lives, no longer sharing a house nor a marriage bed.
When the story takes place, Lucinda is 29 years old and has been a widow for a year, her husband having died in a scandalous manner in his mistress' bed. Ever since the fateful night of her indiscretion, Malcolm has pursued her with an almost obsessive fervor, wanting to finish what they started despite the fact that she became his sister-in-law. Harry's death left behind a mountain of debts that Lucinda has no way to repay, having already sold their country home, her widow's pension, and almost all their worldly goods. By rights Malcolm should pay the debts since he was Harry's brother, but he blackmails Lucinda and says he won't pay them until she becomes his mistress. Lucinda will do anything to avoid this fate ...
Society knows nothing of what triggered Lucinda's marriage to Harry, nor does the ton know that she is financially destitute - all they see is a woman whose husband's behavior was shameful and who is thought of as a "paragon of dignified propriety," an image she has done much to cultivate ever since her recklessly giving in to passion led to her unhappy marriage. This reputation has led the Duke of Raynewood to "hire" her to help with the come out of his newly arrived American granddaughter, Meg Lynch (22) - he didn't so much hire her as blackmail her, saying that if she doesn't help in making Meg a success, he will let people know about her financial situation; if she does succeed, however, he will pay off Harry's debts.
Captain Garret Lynch (30) wants nothing to do with his grandfather, from whom his family has been estranged all his life - ever since his father married his mother, a young Irish woman whom the Duke didn't approve of, and moved to America. However, he has no choice but to sail for England when news of his mother's death reaches him while he is on one of his six ships, for he learns that following their mother's death, Meg left America to meet the grandfather they have never known. He intends to go there, pick up his sister, and depart immediately, however even the best laid plans can go awry ...
Though neither the Duke nor Meg seem tos happy with his arrival once they learn why he is there, Garrett is more focused on the attractive prim and proper young widow who is residing with them, Mrs. Lucinda Devering. The Duke's older son has died without heirs, leaving Garrett as his only chance to continue the family line, and although the sea captain is determined to spurn his English heritage and remain American through and through, the Duke is equally determined to see otherwise and adds him as one of Lucinda's charges (not much teaching really occurs and although the back summary leads one to believe that's what their interactions mainly consist of at the beginning, it's not accurate).
And so the battle begins, for what is a handsome and charming American sea captain to do when faced with a proper and reputation-obsessed young English woman but try to seduce her? The battle of wits and teasing that takes place between Lucinda and Garrett is highly entertaining and they do have chemistry, though IMO this is not Mullins' strong suit.
COMMENTS (praise and criticism):
~ Lady Agatha, the Duke's sister, is a great character and definitely adds to the book; I wish that she had had a larger role as I would have liked to see more of her.
~ Malcolm is an effective and well-done villain.
~ Mullins often includes a secondary romance and the one in this book was entertaining and had great potential, but Lady Penelope was a vapid, boring, and somewhat mindless character, which (what a surprise!) detracted from it.
~ I'm highly partial to epilogues and Mullins never includes them; since her novels end somewhat too abruptly for me, they could definitely be useful.
~ I was *extremely* bothered by Lucinda's determination to marry in order to secure her future and her opinion that she has no other options. When Garrett points out that she is being somewhat mercenary and could always work, she responds that that would ruin her family's name and reputation - very irksome! Fortunately, part of the evolution of the story is her transformation in realizing that society's opinion and one's so-called reputation should not be uppermost in her mind and finally decides they are not as important as she once thought them to be.
SIMILAR BOOKS:
Other historical romances that use the theme of the heroine having to teach or instruct the hero in some manner (though like I said, this book shouldn't really fall into that category) include: The Proposition by Judith Ivory, Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas, and Rules of Surrender (Governess Brides, Book 1) by Christina Dodd - three of my favorite historical romances of all time; and My Fair Temptress (Governess Brides, Book 7) by Christina Dodd - the only one of these books I have not yet read.
BOTTOM LINE:
A Necessary Husband is an enjoyable read and I would recommend it. I hate to add a but ... but (lol): In the three Debra Mullins books I have read, even though I found two of them enjoyable there is a certain spark, an indescribable something, that I find missing in her work. The relationships she writes do not have the depth or complexity that I prize in Mary Balogh's work, nor do they have the chemistry and sensuality that I love in Lisa Kleypas'. I love these types of plots though (kind of on-the-shelf woman who thinks she's unattractive is charmed and teased by straight-forward rogue), so I would say that this book is definitely worth a weekend afternoon.
I have just recently discovered Debra Mullins' books and of the three of hers that I have read so far, A Necessary Husband is my favorite. The other two I read were Just One Touch, which I liked and would recommend, and Scandal of the Black Rose, which I didn't and wouldn't.
SUMMARY:
At the age of 18, Lucinda Northcott let her foolish trust and young love for Malcolm Devering, Viscount Arndale, lead her to an indiscretion and an unhappy marriage ... When her father, General Northcott, discovers she and Malcolm embracing, he insists that the proper thing be done. Arndale's father, the Earl of Witting, does not want his heir to marry the daughter of a mere general, however, and so instead plans are made for her to marry Malcolm's younger brother, Harry. The marriage is a loveless one and after the first year, Lucinda and Harry lead separate lives, no longer sharing a house nor a marriage bed.
When the story takes place, Lucinda is 29 years old and has been a widow for a year, her husband having died in a scandalous manner in his mistress' bed. Ever since the fateful night of her indiscretion, Malcolm has pursued her with an almost obsessive fervor, wanting to finish what they started despite the fact that she became his sister-in-law. Harry's death left behind a mountain of debts that Lucinda has no way to repay, having already sold their country home, her widow's pension, and almost all their worldly goods. By rights Malcolm should pay the debts since he was Harry's brother, but he blackmails Lucinda and says he won't pay them until she becomes his mistress. Lucinda will do anything to avoid this fate ...
Society knows nothing of what triggered Lucinda's marriage to Harry, nor does the ton know that she is financially destitute - all they see is a woman whose husband's behavior was shameful and who is thought of as a "paragon of dignified propriety," an image she has done much to cultivate ever since her recklessly giving in to passion led to her unhappy marriage. This reputation has led the Duke of Raynewood to "hire" her to help with the come out of his newly arrived American granddaughter, Meg Lynch (22) - he didn't so much hire her as blackmail her, saying that if she doesn't help in making Meg a success, he will let people know about her financial situation; if she does succeed, however, he will pay off Harry's debts.
Captain Garret Lynch (30) wants nothing to do with his grandfather, from whom his family has been estranged all his life - ever since his father married his mother, a young Irish woman whom the Duke didn't approve of, and moved to America. However, he has no choice but to sail for England when news of his mother's death reaches him while he is on one of his six ships, for he learns that following their mother's death, Meg left America to meet the grandfather they have never known. He intends to go there, pick up his sister, and depart immediately, however even the best laid plans can go awry ...
Though neither the Duke nor Meg seem tos happy with his arrival once they learn why he is there, Garrett is more focused on the attractive prim and proper young widow who is residing with them, Mrs. Lucinda Devering. The Duke's older son has died without heirs, leaving Garrett as his only chance to continue the family line, and although the sea captain is determined to spurn his English heritage and remain American through and through, the Duke is equally determined to see otherwise and adds him as one of Lucinda's charges (not much teaching really occurs and although the back summary leads one to believe that's what their interactions mainly consist of at the beginning, it's not accurate).
And so the battle begins, for what is a handsome and charming American sea captain to do when faced with a proper and reputation-obsessed young English woman but try to seduce her? The battle of wits and teasing that takes place between Lucinda and Garrett is highly entertaining and they do have chemistry, though IMO this is not Mullins' strong suit.
COMMENTS (praise and criticism):
~ Lady Agatha, the Duke's sister, is a great character and definitely adds to the book; I wish that she had had a larger role as I would have liked to see more of her.
~ Malcolm is an effective and well-done villain.
~ Mullins often includes a secondary romance and the one in this book was entertaining and had great potential, but Lady Penelope was a vapid, boring, and somewhat mindless character, which (what a surprise!) detracted from it.
~ I'm highly partial to epilogues and Mullins never includes them; since her novels end somewhat too abruptly for me, they could definitely be useful.
~ I was *extremely* bothered by Lucinda's determination to marry in order to secure her future and her opinion that she has no other options. When Garrett points out that she is being somewhat mercenary and could always work, she responds that that would ruin her family's name and reputation - very irksome! Fortunately, part of the evolution of the story is her transformation in realizing that society's opinion and one's so-called reputation should not be uppermost in her mind and finally decides they are not as important as she once thought them to be.
SIMILAR BOOKS:
Other historical romances that use the theme of the heroine having to teach or instruct the hero in some manner (though like I said, this book shouldn't really fall into that category) include: The Proposition by Judith Ivory, Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas, and Rules of Surrender (Governess Brides, Book 1) by Christina Dodd - three of my favorite historical romances of all time; and My Fair Temptress (Governess Brides, Book 7) by Christina Dodd - the only one of these books I have not yet read.
BOTTOM LINE:
A Necessary Husband is an enjoyable read and I would recommend it. I hate to add a but ... but (lol): In the three Debra Mullins books I have read, even though I found two of them enjoyable there is a certain spark, an indescribable something, that I find missing in her work. The relationships she writes do not have the depth or complexity that I prize in Mary Balogh's work, nor do they have the chemistry and sensuality that I love in Lisa Kleypas'. I love these types of plots though (kind of on-the-shelf woman who thinks she's unattractive is charmed and teased by straight-forward rogue), so I would say that this book is definitely worth a weekend afternoon.
July 11, 2025
A man doggedly pursues you, intent on taking you to his bed (out of wedlock), despite your many pleas he leave you alone? Surprisingly I’m describing both the mmc and the villain of the story. Yet one’s a hero??
Also, all of the problems in this story were so conveniently solved by saying “I love you.” Like sure, you both have entirely different wants/needs/goals (and want to live in entirely different countries) but that doesn’t matter once the L word enters the chat??
Also, all of the problems in this story were so conveniently solved by saying “I love you.” Like sure, you both have entirely different wants/needs/goals (and want to live in entirely different countries) but that doesn’t matter once the L word enters the chat??
August 27, 2021
Am I the only person who is deeply disturbed by this book? Why is it so right to talk about sexual harassment in this day and age, but many women find this type of book arousing -reading in this day and age…
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> No means no means no means goddamn no! <
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I felt claustrophobic reading this book, not attracted to the hero whatsoever. He is an absolute predator.
Nothing -and I use this word to its fullest meaning - can redeem this guy.
I am ashamed on behalf of many comments here I’ve seen, women finding this romantic and arousing.
Rant over.
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> No means no means no means goddamn no! <
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I felt claustrophobic reading this book, not attracted to the hero whatsoever. He is an absolute predator.
Nothing -and I use this word to its fullest meaning - can redeem this guy.
I am ashamed on behalf of many comments here I’ve seen, women finding this romantic and arousing.
Rant over.
January 12, 2021
Enjoyable, well-written regency romance
4 stars
When his sister, Meg, leaves America to visit the grandfather that disowned their father for marrying an Irishwoman - Garrett Lynch races to England to bring her back where she belongs. But when he arrives he finds her safely with their grandfather, the Duke of Raynewood, being taught the rules of society by the lovely Lucinda Devering.
Lucinda is wary of the American who doesn't seem to abide by or be concerned by society's rules - even when he realises he is now heir to his grandfather's dukedom. So now not only is Lucinda having to teach Meg, she also has to keep Garret in line while keeping him from seducing her. Not to mention the fact that she has a secrets to hide and an unscrupulous brother in law to avoid.
Debra Mullins is fast becoming a favourite author of mine and this book really doesn't disappoint.
Garret is a strong hero who knows what he wants and is determined to get it. However Lucinda is just as strong and the pair are well matched as they clash and try to outwit each other.
The story is very well written and is quite casually paced so you really get to know the thoughts and feelings of the characters. The story is very much about Garret and how he comes to terms with his past and a future different than he had expected. While Lucinda has to put her own mistakes behind her and see if what she always wanted is now her heart's desire.
Overall this is an enjoyable, romantic read that has intelligent characters and interesting and believable situations. While maybe not Debra Mullins' best book - it is still one I would recommend for a light romantic read. 4 stars.
December 25, 2022
Good grief! What a mannerless arsehole Garrett Lynch is. I think it was a big mistake to make him so unlikeable for most of the book, arrogant & demanding with no thought for Lucinda's thoughts or feelings. So, the sex was good & a woman in her position has very little choice, but I don't think Garrett gave a single thought to Lucinda's happiness until the last 30 of 380 pages.
It's quite a rollicking tale & there were some amusing moments among the other characters - Lady Agatha is a treat - so not entirely without merit, I just wasn't impressed with the new-found Lord Kelton. One doesn't need to be a member of the haut ton to develop good manners.
It's quite a rollicking tale & there were some amusing moments among the other characters - Lady Agatha is a treat - so not entirely without merit, I just wasn't impressed with the new-found Lord Kelton. One doesn't need to be a member of the haut ton to develop good manners.
May 9, 2023
I did not get far into this book. I didn't like how the H spoke. It seemed out of the wrong era. I also really really didn't like how he didn't take no for an answer. I got as far as his confronting her and her spilling her drink on herself before I couldn't read any longer. It was creepy and too aggressive. It was a massive turn off.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2019
would give 0 stars if possible
August 29, 2020
Great writer. I enjoyed this book
November 9, 2021
Mullins
I love her books, the story she tells are never a disappointment. You will enjoy them, you won't be disappointed.
I love her books, the story she tells are never a disappointment. You will enjoy them, you won't be disappointed.
March 4, 2017
Lucinda is kind of working for the Duke of Raynewood to bring his estranged granddaughter out into society. In return for the granddaughter, Meg, making a good match, the Duke will pay off her dead husband's debts that she's been left with. Garrett Lynch, the Duke's estranged grandson shows up to haul his sister back to Boston, since he wants nothing to do with England or his grandfather. But he spies Lucinda, discovers she's a widow and figures she's fair game for seduction. But Lucinda has plans to marry, as soon as she finds a suitor, and cannot be burdened with the scandal that such an affair would cause. So even though she's sure she wants Garrett, she cannot afford to let her desires have control. Especially since Garrett has made it clear he doesn't want marriage and he certainly has no intention of hanging around England any longer than it takes to convince his sister to return with him.
I'm torn on this. I liked Lucinda and that she was willing to stick to her guns. The relationship between Garrett and Lucinda was fairly interesting and pretty passion-filled. Even though Garrett was something of an immature womanizer who selfishly pursued what he wanted, I could still see why Lucinda would find him attractive and endearing. I did struggle to like Garrett for those reasons actually. It irked me that, despite Lucinda making it quite clear what she wanted and didn't want that Garrett had difficulty hearing it. Or at least respecting it. At one point, when another man appeared to be pursuing Lucinda, Garrett actually got territorial, but not because he had feelings, but because he'd staked a claim before he did, so he figured he'd get her in his bed first. Which was pretty despicable. I most definitely appreciate that Lucinda managed to drive home a point that really needed to be made - using his sister as an example, Lucinda asks him if a guy was interested in making her Meg his mistress this way, whether it'd be okay. He say that of course not, because Meg is worth more than that. To which she responds, "And I'm not?" Touche and well played. It's really only the last 5% of the book that it went downhill. The sort of shenanigans at the end where Malcolm is concerned was a bit too dastardly to feel realistic, but it pales in comparison to how abruptly this book ends. This desperately needed an epilogue. Still a solid 3 book and I'll most likely be giving this author another read.
I'm torn on this. I liked Lucinda and that she was willing to stick to her guns. The relationship between Garrett and Lucinda was fairly interesting and pretty passion-filled. Even though Garrett was something of an immature womanizer who selfishly pursued what he wanted, I could still see why Lucinda would find him attractive and endearing. I did struggle to like Garrett for those reasons actually. It irked me that, despite Lucinda making it quite clear what she wanted and didn't want that Garrett had difficulty hearing it. Or at least respecting it. At one point, when another man appeared to be pursuing Lucinda, Garrett actually got territorial, but not because he had feelings, but because he'd staked a claim before he did, so he figured he'd get her in his bed first. Which was pretty despicable. I most definitely appreciate that Lucinda managed to drive home a point that really needed to be made - using his sister as an example, Lucinda asks him if a guy was interested in making her Meg his mistress this way, whether it'd be okay. He say that of course not, because Meg is worth more than that. To which she responds, "And I'm not?" Touche and well played. It's really only the last 5% of the book that it went downhill. The sort of shenanigans at the end where Malcolm is concerned was a bit too dastardly to feel realistic, but it pales in comparison to how abruptly this book ends. This desperately needed an epilogue. Still a solid 3 book and I'll most likely be giving this author another read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2014
I sat down to read this book and was finished just over three hours later. During that time I was completely involved with the characters and the story.A NECESSARY HUSBAND is more than just a story between a man and a woman, although Lucinda and Garrett are worthy adversaries in the game of love. It's a story about a man coming to terms with his past and facing the possibilities of his future. It's also a story about a woman determined to restore the honor she feels she's lost due to a youthful folly. These insights into Garrett and Lucinda's personalities add depth to a well-crafted plot and make this typical Regency story anything but typical.Though the story line is somewhat typical of a Regency, Debra Mullins keeps it fresh through the relationships of several of her key characters, especially the lead protagonists. Lucinda's vow to never cause harm to her family name after the way her father looked at her in 1805 battles with her desire to make love with the wild Garrett, whose attitude is damn the torpedoes full speed ahead in his quest. Regency readers will find A NECESSARY HUSBAND a charming read that never steps out of the box.This is an engaging tale of an American heir to a dukedom, Garrett Lynch, Marquess of Kelton, unwillingly being forced to acknowledge his title and a poverty stricken widow of respectable birth, Lucinda Devering, who is guiding his sister through a London season. The story flowed very comfortably and kept me interested all the way to its happy conclusion.
The passion between the main characters seemed very real and not at all forced. The hero was very intriguing and came with genuine obstacles to a happy ending just falling into place. Our heroine also came with her fair share of problems, including a lecherous relative in sexual pursuit of her.
The book read very smoothly and enjoyably. Wonderful passion between the leads, many engaging secondary characters and believable circumstances that prevent complete happiness until the ending, all contributed to make this a very worthwhile read.
I thoroughly recommend this novel.
The passion between the main characters seemed very real and not at all forced. The hero was very intriguing and came with genuine obstacles to a happy ending just falling into place. Our heroine also came with her fair share of problems, including a lecherous relative in sexual pursuit of her.
The book read very smoothly and enjoyably. Wonderful passion between the leads, many engaging secondary characters and believable circumstances that prevent complete happiness until the ending, all contributed to make this a very worthwhile read.
I thoroughly recommend this novel.
April 21, 2015
Lucinda, yang menjadi janda, mendapati dirinya terlilit hutang2 suaminya. sayangnya, kakak iparnya yang seorang earl, menolak membantunya menutup hutang2 tersebut kecuali jika Lucinda bersedia menjadi simpanannya.
Lucinda, memilih mencari sendiri jalan keluarnya dengan membantu duke Raynewood mengajar etiket kepantasan dalam masyarakat bangsawan Inggris pada cucunya yang berasal dari Amerika, Meg. sayangnya kakak Meg, Garret, sekaligus pewaris gelar duke kakeknya menentang kemauan sang kakek dan adiknya sendiri. ia bertekad untuk membawa adiknya kembali ke Amerika. Ketika ia bertemu dengan Lucinda, ia akhirnya mau bersikap lunak dan bersedia tinggal di Inggris selama Season bagi adiknya dengan tujuan agar bisa merayu Lucinda.
Lucinda menolak segala rayuan Garret, ia bahkan terus terang mengatakan ia sedang mencari suami. Meskipun garret tidak berniat menikah, ia tetap bertekad mengejar Lucinda untuk mejadi kekasihnya. kemudian ia mesti berhadapan dengan seorang pesaing, seorang kawan lama ayah lucinda berniat untuk menikahi gadis itu. belum lagi kakak ipar lucinda yang licik juga berniat untuk memiliki lucinda.
nampaknya debra mullin tidak mau terlalu repot memberikan narasi yang memadai, ia lebih suka menggambarkan keadaan para tokohnya dengan dialog. ada beberapa hal lucu digambarkan di sini. semisal kekesalan Garret yang tidak biasa berurusan dengan seorang valet (pelayan pribadi) dimana tugasnya salah satunya memakaikan pakaian pada masternya.
sayangnya ending ceritanya terkesan seperti sebuah cerpen. dan masih banyak hal yang sepertinya belum terselesaikan.
Lucinda, memilih mencari sendiri jalan keluarnya dengan membantu duke Raynewood mengajar etiket kepantasan dalam masyarakat bangsawan Inggris pada cucunya yang berasal dari Amerika, Meg. sayangnya kakak Meg, Garret, sekaligus pewaris gelar duke kakeknya menentang kemauan sang kakek dan adiknya sendiri. ia bertekad untuk membawa adiknya kembali ke Amerika. Ketika ia bertemu dengan Lucinda, ia akhirnya mau bersikap lunak dan bersedia tinggal di Inggris selama Season bagi adiknya dengan tujuan agar bisa merayu Lucinda.
Lucinda menolak segala rayuan Garret, ia bahkan terus terang mengatakan ia sedang mencari suami. Meskipun garret tidak berniat menikah, ia tetap bertekad mengejar Lucinda untuk mejadi kekasihnya. kemudian ia mesti berhadapan dengan seorang pesaing, seorang kawan lama ayah lucinda berniat untuk menikahi gadis itu. belum lagi kakak ipar lucinda yang licik juga berniat untuk memiliki lucinda.
nampaknya debra mullin tidak mau terlalu repot memberikan narasi yang memadai, ia lebih suka menggambarkan keadaan para tokohnya dengan dialog. ada beberapa hal lucu digambarkan di sini. semisal kekesalan Garret yang tidak biasa berurusan dengan seorang valet (pelayan pribadi) dimana tugasnya salah satunya memakaikan pakaian pada masternya.
sayangnya ending ceritanya terkesan seperti sebuah cerpen. dan masih banyak hal yang sepertinya belum terselesaikan.
October 3, 2012
Lucinda Devering’s future rides on the success of her protégée, young Meg Lynch. The Duke of Raynewood has hired Lucinda to train his American granddaughter to fit in with the nobility and position due her as a lady. However, Meg’s sea captain brother shows up with other plans. He wants to take Meg home to Boston but delays their voyage at his sister’s pleas. In the meantime, the Duke instructs Lucinda to tame this ruffian who is his only heir. Can Lucinda accomplish this difficult task when Garrett Lynch makes her heart beat faster and her hidden desires flare into life? Garrett finds himself drawn to his sister’s mentor against his will. He doesn’t want to like this life in England or take his role as Lord Kelton. But the longer he stays, the deeper the danger that Lucinda will tempt him to remain.
October 31, 2015
I don't read cheesy romance. I read A Necessary Husband.
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