The Incomparable Cassandra

by Laura Paquet

Can a bashful scholar win a belle of the ton? Lord Benjamin Rowland, the shy but wealthy Earl of Winchfield, wants only to be left in peace to pursue his studies of animals. He has little desire to be thrown together with a boisterous Incomparable like Lady Cassandra Blythe, lovely as she may be - particularly since her brother brought scandal on both their families by eloping with Benjamin's sister ten years ago.

Genres: Romance, Regency, Historical Romance

300 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2004

Reviews

[Donnalee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine; dumb middle; gets better

[Catsalive · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet & amusing & I enjoyed it very much. Lady Cassandra Blythe & Lord Benjamin Rowland, Earl of Winchfield, are both likeable characters. The business with the ants is ridiculous, myrmexology [sic] or not, & the shenanigans with Georgina Wells & Lady Louisa would have left them both utterly ruined & beyond the pale, but there you go, I enjoyed it all anyway.

This is a late Regency (2004) so I was pleased to see that all the emotions were thrown into a kiss rather than intercourse. Around about this time romantic Regencies started to become sexy Regencies instead. I don't mind reading sex scenes, but I don't think they are Regency Romances anymore.

I read a paperback, Thorndike Chivers large print, isbn: 0786284129/9780786284122, 2006.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Cassandra Blythe is an Incomparable but she's also intelligent and a playwright, which is why she remains unwed at the advanced age of 24. She enjoys the social activities of London and her witty friends and isn't too concerned with finding a mate for herself. In contrast, her older brother has been happily wed for ten years to the lovely Elinor. Sadly, Elinor has been estranged from her only brother Benjamin Rowland, Earl of Winchfield, since her elopement with Cassandra's brother. Elinor has extended an olive branch to her brother and he has finally decided to come to London in search of a wife. Recently recovered from a broken heart, Benjamin Rowland, Earl of Winchfield is in search of a wife. The Earl's duties were thrust on him at a young age and he would like nothing better than to stay in the country and study ants, however, he is an Earl and knows his duty. He is in search of a quiet, biddable wife, certainly not an Incomparable like Lady Cassandra. At first Cassandra and Ben don't get along; he thinks she's sharp-tongued and she finds him boring and stuffy. As they come to know each other better, Cassandra and Ben learn that each has hidden qualities and deeper emotions than what is present on the surface. This is a quiet, sweet romance that is quite different from the typical Regency plot. It could be described as a reverse Pride and Prejudice with a dash of Emma. It's a refreshing change to read about a hero who is not a rake. At first, like Cassandra, I found Ben boring and too mild but the character development in this novel is so good that I learned to appreciate his good qualities just as Cassandra does. The plot develops nicely at a good pace to make the story realistic and a very good read. I enjoyed this one quite a lot.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected a formulaic regency with this title. I love Regencies. I gave this book a review of "amazing" because it included loads of Regency life detail, you can tell the author did her research. The heroine was likable, the chemistry was believable and I when it looked like the couple were not going to work it out, I am afraid I had to skip some pages. Loved this book, so fun. Now I have to find more by Laura Paquet.

[Spazfungus · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh

shes lively, he is scared of outgoing women (having had a bad experience with them before) wants a quiet plain mouse, but he is consistently attracted to the bright shiny. she thinks he is dull, but then realizes he is real and solid, but is worried he thinks her flighty. communication finally occurs, HEA

[Sylvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Regency