What do you think?
Rate this book
Inconvenient Trilogy #1
An Inconvenient Ward
Although this book is part of a trilogy, each book is a stand-alone story in its own right.
Lord Michael Dunham is bored of Society, bored of fickle women, but above all that, he is afraid. His father suffered from madness and Michael is terrified that he will inherit the same affliction. He scrutinises his every mood swing, his every expression, to see if he can detect any signs that he is developing the symptoms. It blights his life. He has determined that he will never marry, putting a wife through the same that his mother suffered and he certainly will never have children. The disease will die with him.
Miss Elizabeth Rufford is a young lady who is more comfortable managing an estate as far away from Society as she can possibly be. She would rather being planting crops, than dancing a Quadrille, rather be building walls, than playing cards. She did not seek a London season when she came out of the schoolroom and would be happy never to visit the capital.
A line in a will force the two together. Lord Dunham is Elizabeth’s guardian whether she likes it or not, and she really does not like it! Bounding into his life in the most outrageous way possible, Elizabeth makes an impact she never intended to. Michael is drawn to the feisty woman and suddenly finds that it is hard to fight one’s demons when Elizabeth Rufford is a part of your life.
Lord Michael Dunham is bored of Society, bored of fickle women, but above all that, he is afraid. His father suffered from madness and Michael is terrified that he will inherit the same affliction. He scrutinises his every mood swing, his every expression, to see if he can detect any signs that he is developing the symptoms. It blights his life. He has determined that he will never marry, putting a wife through the same that his mother suffered and he certainly will never have children. The disease will die with him.
Miss Elizabeth Rufford is a young lady who is more comfortable managing an estate as far away from Society as she can possibly be. She would rather being planting crops, than dancing a Quadrille, rather be building walls, than playing cards. She did not seek a London season when she came out of the schoolroom and would be happy never to visit the capital.
A line in a will force the two together. Lord Dunham is Elizabeth’s guardian whether she likes it or not, and she really does not like it! Bounding into his life in the most outrageous way possible, Elizabeth makes an impact she never intended to. Michael is drawn to the feisty woman and suddenly finds that it is hard to fight one’s demons when Elizabeth Rufford is a part of your life.
263 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 14, 2014
244 people are currently reading
530 people want to read
About the author
Audrey Harrison
137 books136 followersAudrey Harrison was born about two hundred years too late. She wants to belong to a time when men were men and women were dressed in gowns and could float, simper and sigh.
In the real world she has always longed to write, writing a full manuscript when she was fourteen years old. Work, marriage and children got in the way as they do and it was only when an event at work landed her in hospital that she decided to take stock. One Voluntary Redundancy later, she found that the words and characters came to the forefront and the writing began in earnest.
Her ideal would be to write Regency Romances, but more modern characters are insisting on being heard, hence the release of’ ‘A Very Modern Lord’, a contemporary romance.
So, although at home more these days, the housework is still neglected and tea is still late on the table, but she has an understanding family, who usually shake their heads at her and sigh. That is a sign of understanding, isn’t it?
In the real world she has always longed to write, writing a full manuscript when she was fourteen years old. Work, marriage and children got in the way as they do and it was only when an event at work landed her in hospital that she decided to take stock. One Voluntary Redundancy later, she found that the words and characters came to the forefront and the writing began in earnest.
Her ideal would be to write Regency Romances, but more modern characters are insisting on being heard, hence the release of’ ‘A Very Modern Lord’, a contemporary romance.
So, although at home more these days, the housework is still neglected and tea is still late on the table, but she has an understanding family, who usually shake their heads at her and sigh. That is a sign of understanding, isn’t it?
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
April 21, 2016
I always feel sad when I give a story one star, especially since it started very well. But I found the relationship between Elizabeth and Michael very irritating. They were single people and, for me, there was no solid reason why they couldn't declare their feelings for one another. This 'will they-won't they' theme can become very tedious after a while and I wanted them to get on with it. In effect, except for this story line, nothing really happened in the story. I was very relieved that Violet came in at the end and put things right; at least Michael had a sensible sister.
Michael's fear of going mad was unfounded. His sister had married and had children and seemed unconcerned. It was unbelievable that he had never spoken to her of their father's illness and got the facts straight. He lived in the time of George III and the country knew that the king was 'mad'. Since the Prince of Wales was now regent, Michael must have seen that madness didn't always manifest itself in other members of the family.
I did raise my eyebrows when Michael used a fountain pen. Although the concept was being bandied about during the early years of the nineteenth century and there had been prototypes, they didn't come into popular use for another thirty years.
I did like Elizabeth and as a woman, she lived against the norm of society, wearing breeches on her estate and living an independent life. I thought she had a lot of potential as an interesting heroine. It's so sad that she was let down by an ineffectual hero.
Michael's fear of going mad was unfounded. His sister had married and had children and seemed unconcerned. It was unbelievable that he had never spoken to her of their father's illness and got the facts straight. He lived in the time of George III and the country knew that the king was 'mad'. Since the Prince of Wales was now regent, Michael must have seen that madness didn't always manifest itself in other members of the family.
I did raise my eyebrows when Michael used a fountain pen. Although the concept was being bandied about during the early years of the nineteenth century and there had been prototypes, they didn't come into popular use for another thirty years.
I did like Elizabeth and as a woman, she lived against the norm of society, wearing breeches on her estate and living an independent life. I thought she had a lot of potential as an interesting heroine. It's so sad that she was let down by an ineffectual hero.
February 19, 2016
This is a review for the audio book.
This is a well-told and believable regency story. Elizabeth is a good female character who is engaging and authentic at the same time. Michael can be a little annoying at times but also pretty real. The plot has some twists and a fiendish antagonist but is fast paced and mostly light and funny. The fact that Elizabeth stands out from society (mainly by not wanting to conform to her designated role in society but by doing something she really likes and is good at) is, uncharacteristically for light regency books, met with a strong rejection by society, so this is not a book about how the female character wins everybody with her odd ways and magically becomes the centre of a doting group who initially rejected her. It’s a believable story specifically because all the strictures and limitations of the regency period are in place and Elizabeth and Michael have to find their way and what they want (he is also a bit of an outsider from society) despite these strictures. Even so, it’s still an easy and light read with some genuine and funny characters, leaving a good felling about it.
I was given a copy of the audio book to review and I would recommend it to everyone who enjoys regency novels. The narration is outstanding with an excellent range of voice and tone, greatly improving the listener experience. Elizabeth Klett has a way of bringing the regency period to life in her narrations, leaving the listener even more pleased with a book.
I look forward to listen to the other books of the trilogy
This is a well-told and believable regency story. Elizabeth is a good female character who is engaging and authentic at the same time. Michael can be a little annoying at times but also pretty real. The plot has some twists and a fiendish antagonist but is fast paced and mostly light and funny. The fact that Elizabeth stands out from society (mainly by not wanting to conform to her designated role in society but by doing something she really likes and is good at) is, uncharacteristically for light regency books, met with a strong rejection by society, so this is not a book about how the female character wins everybody with her odd ways and magically becomes the centre of a doting group who initially rejected her. It’s a believable story specifically because all the strictures and limitations of the regency period are in place and Elizabeth and Michael have to find their way and what they want (he is also a bit of an outsider from society) despite these strictures. Even so, it’s still an easy and light read with some genuine and funny characters, leaving a good felling about it.
I was given a copy of the audio book to review and I would recommend it to everyone who enjoys regency novels. The narration is outstanding with an excellent range of voice and tone, greatly improving the listener experience. Elizabeth Klett has a way of bringing the regency period to life in her narrations, leaving the listener even more pleased with a book.
I look forward to listen to the other books of the trilogy
March 11, 2020
3 stars for the arrogant and rather stupid H, the sweet and smart heroine deserved four and a better hero. She investigated the issues around his reluctance to marry her. She was so in love with him, she was willing to give up her life's work for him, and he refused to marry her anyway. Ridiculously stoic really meant silly, and super clean story. Shame about that.
May 20, 2016
Audiobook
Narration - Elizabeth Klett, Fabulous! This is a historical romance involving London Society so it is narrated with a British accent - aaaaaannnnddddd, anyone who knows me, I can listen to that all day (so long as it's not being butchered) and Elizebeth does NOT butcher. She just has a lovely voice and is a wonderful storyteller.
Such a joy to listen!
The story has a lot of the typical elements you would find in a typical romance - I want you but I can't have you, because...
Danger, Danger!
Near death experience.
Big misunderstanding.
Great communication, coupled with frustrating lacks of communication (on the things that keep them apart)
BUT, I did enjoy the fact that our h, Elizabeth is not just feisty (because we all know the book heroine is usually feisty) but she's a real hmmmm...not sure what the word would be - tomboy maybe? She is actually NOT interested in society, can't stand idle gossip, would rather be out in a pair of jeans - oh, excuse me - breeches workin' the land. My kinda girl.
So it's a lovely little romance with even lovelier narration and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I received a copy of this audiobook free of charge from audiobookboom in exchange for an unbiased review
Narration - Elizabeth Klett, Fabulous! This is a historical romance involving London Society so it is narrated with a British accent - aaaaaannnnddddd, anyone who knows me, I can listen to that all day (so long as it's not being butchered) and Elizebeth does NOT butcher. She just has a lovely voice and is a wonderful storyteller.
Such a joy to listen!
The story has a lot of the typical elements you would find in a typical romance - I want you but I can't have you, because...
Danger, Danger!
Near death experience.
Big misunderstanding.
Great communication, coupled with frustrating lacks of communication (on the things that keep them apart)
BUT, I did enjoy the fact that our h, Elizabeth is not just feisty (because we all know the book heroine is usually feisty) but she's a real hmmmm...not sure what the word would be - tomboy maybe? She is actually NOT interested in society, can't stand idle gossip, would rather be out in a pair of jeans - oh, excuse me - breeches workin' the land. My kinda girl.
So it's a lovely little romance with even lovelier narration and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I received a copy of this audiobook free of charge from audiobookboom in exchange for an unbiased review
April 23, 2016
An absolute delight. I was really pulled into this most enjoyable sharing of two peoples lives and their quest for love.
Don't we all wish we could find our perfect partner? Sometimes he or she eludes us, sometimes we are just too blind or stubborn to believe that we have found him or her. But then, just occasionally, we acknowledge that spark and enjoy the experience.
This author is really talented and her story is interesting and most enjoyable.
I also loved the competent narration. Thank you for sharing this lovely product.
This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.
Don't we all wish we could find our perfect partner? Sometimes he or she eludes us, sometimes we are just too blind or stubborn to believe that we have found him or her. But then, just occasionally, we acknowledge that spark and enjoy the experience.
This author is really talented and her story is interesting and most enjoyable.
I also loved the competent narration. Thank you for sharing this lovely product.
This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.
June 15, 2023
2.5 stars
I was in the mood to read a romance and this one was on my Kindle. I think I had gotten it for free at one time. Anyway, I decided to try it. It had me hooked from the beginning and it was going really well, despite the usual annoying romance novel tropes. Then somewhere around the halfway mark it just became utterly ridiculous.
I enjoy a drawn out romance of the "when will they finally get together" type, but it has to be plausible. A character yearning for someone he can't have can be good in a book. It builds tension between the characters and longing for the reader. But this went on for too long and for a ridiculous reason. At some point characters need to talk to each other instead of make assumptions, and well before the end of the book. I didn't like the back and forth that we were treated to with Michael's character. Michael made some assumptions and based everything on them as if they were facts. It was incredibly annoying. The first one had to do with why he thought he couldn't be with Elizabeth. For this big assumption, all he had to do was talk to his sister. He could have done that years before the events in this book and saved himself a lot of worry and anguish. The other really annoying one had to do with why he didn't ask Elizabeth to marry him, after he had decided he would.
Somewhere in the middle of the book, there is a pretty hot and heavy make out session between them and some confessed feelings as well, and it seemed pretty obvious how they both felt about each other at that point, so some of the assumptions and confusion about feelings later in the book didn't make much sense to me, but Elizabeth's confusion was more understandable than Michael's assumptions. He later stupidly asks Elizabeth why she needed to get away from him, and calls her a foolish girl for being confused about how he felt. By the end of the book I wanted to throw something at him! Also, the make out session was a little too much for my liking, and felt a little out of place.
The other thing that I thought was ridiculous was the part with the plotting relatives and all that happened with that. In my opinion, it just went a bit over the top. So, 2.5 stars because I enjoyed parts of the story, but it had some pretty big flaws as well.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader and on Facebook.
I was in the mood to read a romance and this one was on my Kindle. I think I had gotten it for free at one time. Anyway, I decided to try it. It had me hooked from the beginning and it was going really well, despite the usual annoying romance novel tropes. Then somewhere around the halfway mark it just became utterly ridiculous.
I enjoy a drawn out romance of the "when will they finally get together" type, but it has to be plausible. A character yearning for someone he can't have can be good in a book. It builds tension between the characters and longing for the reader. But this went on for too long and for a ridiculous reason. At some point characters need to talk to each other instead of make assumptions, and well before the end of the book. I didn't like the back and forth that we were treated to with Michael's character. Michael made some assumptions and based everything on them as if they were facts. It was incredibly annoying. The first one had to do with why he thought he couldn't be with Elizabeth. For this big assumption, all he had to do was talk to his sister. He could have done that years before the events in this book and saved himself a lot of worry and anguish. The other really annoying one had to do with why he didn't ask Elizabeth to marry him, after he had decided he would.
Somewhere in the middle of the book, there is a pretty hot and heavy make out session between them and some confessed feelings as well, and it seemed pretty obvious how they both felt about each other at that point, so some of the assumptions and confusion about feelings later in the book didn't make much sense to me, but Elizabeth's confusion was more understandable than Michael's assumptions. He later stupidly asks Elizabeth why she needed to get away from him, and calls her a foolish girl for being confused about how he felt. By the end of the book I wanted to throw something at him! Also, the make out session was a little too much for my liking, and felt a little out of place.
The other thing that I thought was ridiculous was the part with the plotting relatives and all that happened with that. In my opinion, it just went a bit over the top. So, 2.5 stars because I enjoyed parts of the story, but it had some pretty big flaws as well.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader and on Facebook.
December 3, 2019
I liked the book, but Michael took forever to get to the point! I did love Elizabeth's spirited character.
March 27, 2016
THIS WAS AN AUDIOBOOK. Michael Dunham, nephew to his uncle of the exact same name, becomes Lord Dunham when his uncle dies young without an heir. The identical name creates a mishap regarding legalities resulting in the younger Lord Dunham becoming Guardian to Ms. Elizabeth Rufford. Ms. Rufford, having lost her father and as a consequence his estate to her cousin Herbert Rufford, the heir, was fortunate in that Herbert was not content to run his uncle's estate and therefore allowed Elizabeth to stay on and manage it as unofficial estate agent. All was well until Herbert married and his wife wanted Elizabeth off of the estate. Elizabeth then officially becomes the Ward of Lord Michael Dunham, a fate highly disagreeable to both parties.
Elizabeth, like Lord Dunham, is content with country life and is not interested in doing the season in London. Her desire, which she relates to Lord Dunham, is to acquire her own country estate and run it, in a similar way that she'd done for her father and then her cousin. Lord Dunham is not averse to her request, however he offers a compromise which Elizabeth hesitantly accedes to. She will reside in London for a year, taking up residence with Lord Dunham's sister, Violet, do the season, and then if she is still without a husband she can move to the country and run her estate. Within a relatively short time though, Lord Dunham's impression of his ward begins to change from adverse to highly agreeable. He develops a fondness for the high-spirited, feisty young lady, and her feelings appear mutual. However, as far as Michael is concerned, a union can never take place. Michael has a secret, and that secret threatens to derail any hope for future happiness together. In addition, a sinister plot may further serve to seal Michael and Elizabeth's seemingly doomed fate.
I enjoyed An Inconvenient Ward. One of my favorite audio narrators, Elizabeth Klett, did an excellent job conveying the feelings of the main characters, which certainly enhanced my enjoyment of the story. An entertaining Regency romance that I would recommend for lovers of the genre.
Elizabeth, like Lord Dunham, is content with country life and is not interested in doing the season in London. Her desire, which she relates to Lord Dunham, is to acquire her own country estate and run it, in a similar way that she'd done for her father and then her cousin. Lord Dunham is not averse to her request, however he offers a compromise which Elizabeth hesitantly accedes to. She will reside in London for a year, taking up residence with Lord Dunham's sister, Violet, do the season, and then if she is still without a husband she can move to the country and run her estate. Within a relatively short time though, Lord Dunham's impression of his ward begins to change from adverse to highly agreeable. He develops a fondness for the high-spirited, feisty young lady, and her feelings appear mutual. However, as far as Michael is concerned, a union can never take place. Michael has a secret, and that secret threatens to derail any hope for future happiness together. In addition, a sinister plot may further serve to seal Michael and Elizabeth's seemingly doomed fate.
I enjoyed An Inconvenient Ward. One of my favorite audio narrators, Elizabeth Klett, did an excellent job conveying the feelings of the main characters, which certainly enhanced my enjoyment of the story. An entertaining Regency romance that I would recommend for lovers of the genre.
January 11, 2018
Michael Birchall never imagined that he would now be Lord Dunham. For the twenty-eight years of his life, he was both satisfied and happy at being known as just plain Mr. Birchall. A sudden death changed it all. He was now Lord Dunham and tied down with all the duties, responsibilities, and obligations that the title entails. One of these was to act as guardian and protector of Miss Elizabeth Rufford. This obligation was arranged many years ago between Michael’s uncle and Elizabeth’s father, which had been close friends since their school days. Michael wouldn’t shirk his duty but hoped that it wouldn’t interfere with his personal plans or private life.
The first time Michael met Elizabeth, she literally burst into his drawing room dressed in the most atrocious combination of contrasting and unappealing colors. He saw just an orange and purple blur and a bubbling tirade of a nonsensical monolog. Elizabeth, thinking that Lord Dunham was an elderly gentleman, didn’t realize that Michael had recently ascended to the title, wasted no time in explaining the reasoning behind her flamboyant attire. She hopes to shock Lord Dunham into sending her back to the country, where she feels more at home. The unexpected show and this mysteriously enticing creature in the awful attire fascinated Michael, and a strange attraction shocked him.
This book reminds me of stories by the Bronte sisters, Anne, Emily, and Charlotte, or works by Elizabeth Gaskell. Eventually, the strict Victorian censorship under which they wrote, fades away adding a bit more spice than those old and dated classics, and Audrey Harrison succeeds in developing colorful and credible characters. Although the erotica is constantly felt, it takes on a suggestive form rather than an explicit one; making it suitable for all readers.
The first time Michael met Elizabeth, she literally burst into his drawing room dressed in the most atrocious combination of contrasting and unappealing colors. He saw just an orange and purple blur and a bubbling tirade of a nonsensical monolog. Elizabeth, thinking that Lord Dunham was an elderly gentleman, didn’t realize that Michael had recently ascended to the title, wasted no time in explaining the reasoning behind her flamboyant attire. She hopes to shock Lord Dunham into sending her back to the country, where she feels more at home. The unexpected show and this mysteriously enticing creature in the awful attire fascinated Michael, and a strange attraction shocked him.
This book reminds me of stories by the Bronte sisters, Anne, Emily, and Charlotte, or works by Elizabeth Gaskell. Eventually, the strict Victorian censorship under which they wrote, fades away adding a bit more spice than those old and dated classics, and Audrey Harrison succeeds in developing colorful and credible characters. Although the erotica is constantly felt, it takes on a suggestive form rather than an explicit one; making it suitable for all readers.
June 12, 2014
This is a well-told tale. It's very thorough but not too wordy in an annoying, boring way. Elizabeth's candour is refreshing. She always strives to be honest in her communication which is such a nice change from young women of that era. Lord Dunham was almost annoying as he, at first, refused to declare himself to his ward, Elizabeth, due to misplaced honour. Grrr! I felt like tearing my hair out at times due to his stubbornness but of course everything works out by novel's end. He did not want to marry as he thought he might inherit his father's madness which turned out to be something else altogether but I shan't spoil the plot for anyone. Overall, this is a compelling read. It is well-paced right to the end. There is a kidnapping scene and some trauma for Elizabeth but the author does a good job in never crossing the line into inappropriate descriptions. There are a few pulse-racing scenes but nothing too steamy or explicit and it never progresses to a highly inappropriate situation. Kisses and embracing, that's about it. A very pleasant read over a couple of days. I'm looking forward to completing the trilogy.
November 29, 2014
Didn't mind this book. The element of conflict (i.e. the reason that prevents the protagonists living happily-ever-after as soon as they meet) seemed a little thin at times, especially when it was repeated for the umpteenth time.
I loved the evil characters (no matter how unlikely they were); they made excellent villains.
I loved the evil characters (no matter how unlikely they were); they made excellent villains.
October 28, 2014
Poorly written and edited
Dialogue is wooden and contrived. Punctuation is absent or misplaced. Regency details are anachronistic. Gratuitous rape scene is awkwardly written and almost as embarrassing as the "torrid" passion scene. Don't waste your time.
Dialogue is wooden and contrived. Punctuation is absent or misplaced. Regency details are anachronistic. Gratuitous rape scene is awkwardly written and almost as embarrassing as the "torrid" passion scene. Don't waste your time.
January 19, 2016
I found this author on here (Goodreads) and I'm glad I did. I have devoured all five novels. I normally read a lot of murder mystery novels and need a good romance to counterbalance all the murder-death-kill! These stories are witty with some action and a strong female character. (Which I love)
July 3, 2016
Nice regency romance. No smut thank goodness. Reasonably predictable but pleasant non-the-less.
May 23, 2016
Well there were lots of highs, lows and angst. At one point they got more intimate than they needed to.
November 26, 2024
A hard one for me to rate. I *loved* the heroine so damn much. She was just so plain spoken and funny and straight up honest about hating the London season. None of this 'I'll make the best it' nonsense, she's pretty much 'God these balls are BORING I'm fed up, time to go'.
So, on the heroine alone I would have given it five stars.
But the hero. God damn, what a tedious, boring, annoying man. He spent the whole book pushing the heroine away because he loves her so much (I know it's the stupidest and most worst trope imaginable) and when he isn't wasting all of our time by doing the 'honourable thing' he's constantly misunderstanding everything, misjudging everyone, and doing his best to alienate the heroine.
It was a case of me screaming at the heroine to marry the other man, because he was miles better looking and more interesting, and the story would have been more fun if she had to go live with fancy pants man.
So, on the heroine alone I would have given it five stars.
But the hero. God damn, what a tedious, boring, annoying man. He spent the whole book pushing the heroine away because he loves her so much (I know it's the stupidest and most worst trope imaginable) and when he isn't wasting all of our time by doing the 'honourable thing' he's constantly misunderstanding everything, misjudging everyone, and doing his best to alienate the heroine.
It was a case of me screaming at the heroine to marry the other man, because he was miles better looking and more interesting, and the story would have been more fun if she had to go live with fancy pants man.
July 9, 2017
Excellent romance
Audrey Harrison gets it right. Clear, distinct characters, and a satisfying tale with just enough villainy at the right time to bring about the happy ending. If I were to set up an author's work as a model of the classic romance novel, this would be the one. She finds the perfect balance between drawing scenes out to tedious lengths, or notching the tension up to nail biting levels. She also seems to find the balance between pornographic scenarios and the near absence of sex. Classic romance.
Audrey Harrison gets it right. Clear, distinct characters, and a satisfying tale with just enough villainy at the right time to bring about the happy ending. If I were to set up an author's work as a model of the classic romance novel, this would be the one. She finds the perfect balance between drawing scenes out to tedious lengths, or notching the tension up to nail biting levels. She also seems to find the balance between pornographic scenarios and the near absence of sex. Classic romance.
January 16, 2018
A clean romance with a strong storyline reserves a high recommendation
I don't much care for romances that are strictly angst with no action, or that are filled with bedroom scenes that seem to be tossed in to add words without doing anything for the story. However, I really do appreciate an entertaining, clean romance that has enough action to keep me engaged in the story line. I also appreciate women with a bit of backbone and this heroine definitely does! I highly recommend this book!
I don't much care for romances that are strictly angst with no action, or that are filled with bedroom scenes that seem to be tossed in to add words without doing anything for the story. However, I really do appreciate an entertaining, clean romance that has enough action to keep me engaged in the story line. I also appreciate women with a bit of backbone and this heroine definitely does! I highly recommend this book!
October 3, 2023
Elizabeth Rufford would rather avoid Regency society and manage her own estate, but a line in her fathers will makes her the ward of Lord Dunham (Michael) who is determined that she’ll have a London season and find a husband. It’s pretty obvious right from the start that guardian and ward are attracted to each other but Michel (stubbornly) will not declare himself because he’s worried that he might follow his father into madness. Yes, of course they resolve it in the end, but there are a few interesting twists along the way.
October 6, 2024
A reclusive gentleman forced to be a ward to a woman until she reaches her majority finds himself entranced by the gregarious nature of t her. He talks her into a season and will give her an estate afterwards. He finds himself in love with her. The story is intense in parts and the Earl is a remains a gentleman even when his desire for her gets him to kiss her or run off gentleman from her side. You can feel the chemistry between the two as the story progresses and know that the Earl will wait for her majority. I’m glad the the author kept him to his moral code
January 21, 2025
A regency romance, entertaining but just. I wasn't too caught in the story or in the romantic relationship, but it wasn't bad either. Perhaps there were too many things happening to get the story going and prevent the two main characters (who are almost instantaneously attracted to each other) from getting together. It was a bit like having many novellas in one: the serious aristocratic ward and the spontaneous ward who doesn't adhere to society's standards, the young heiress in danger from her avaricious distant relatives, the reserved man with a secret...
October 26, 2019
Not a favourite
To me this book is more chicklit than regency romance. Chicklit is always from some alpha female's viewpoint. I particularly want to get away from where the main male character gets lost in the effort pander to the woman. I bought this by mistake as it was mixed in with the Georgette Heyer list. No modern writer can capture the time before women take centre stage in everything.
To me this book is more chicklit than regency romance. Chicklit is always from some alpha female's viewpoint. I particularly want to get away from where the main male character gets lost in the effort pander to the woman. I bought this by mistake as it was mixed in with the Georgette Heyer list. No modern writer can capture the time before women take centre stage in everything.
May 12, 2021
I can’t help but feeling a little disappointed with this book. I have quite liked the previous books by this author as I found them to be a little different. Although I really liked the main characters I couldn’t help the feeling that I’d read a few to many books along the same vain. I will read the other two books in the series as I bought the trilogy but I’m hoping that all together the series will be more like the authors other books.
October 18, 2021
Entertaining, but needs commas!
I quite enjoyed this book. The characters are interesting and the story well plotted. I confess to frustration with Michael and his stubbornness regarding his father's history. Otherwise it was a good read, EXCEPT for the puzzling absence of commas! I'm sorry to take issue with the proofreader, but any good grammar reference will show her to be woefully misguided!
I quite enjoyed this book. The characters are interesting and the story well plotted. I confess to frustration with Michael and his stubbornness regarding his father's history. Otherwise it was a good read, EXCEPT for the puzzling absence of commas! I'm sorry to take issue with the proofreader, but any good grammar reference will show her to be woefully misguided!
May 14, 2025
Even though I thought that Michael's reasons for refusing marriage could have been taken care of much earlier, the story was quite fun to read. Michael was attracted to his ward Elizabeth from the beginning and she to him. The fun part was how hard they tried to keep their hands off each other. I enjoyed having a young heroine who hated the whole social scene and just couldn't wait to get back to the farm. It gave a new perspective to the main characters.
July 2, 2018
An Inconvenient Ward By Aubrey Harrison
Three stars, took me forever to finish this book..The suppose illness of Michael which if he love Elizabeth would have put what kind of mental disease his father had...He kept putting Elizabeth off..Elizabeth was stupid also letting Michael constantly being rude and by waiting..Happy ever after ending.
Three stars, took me forever to finish this book..The suppose illness of Michael which if he love Elizabeth would have put what kind of mental disease his father had...He kept putting Elizabeth off..Elizabeth was stupid also letting Michael constantly being rude and by waiting..Happy ever after ending.
November 22, 2018
Great read
I loved the characters in this book (not Miranda, George or Herbert obviously). It was written without the usual Americanisms that I have found in other books by American authors, like the word gotten, which we don't use in England, and certainly not in regency times! Can't wait to read the other 2 books
I loved the characters in this book (not Miranda, George or Herbert obviously). It was written without the usual Americanisms that I have found in other books by American authors, like the word gotten, which we don't use in England, and certainly not in regency times! Can't wait to read the other 2 books
August 7, 2021
Excellent Story teller
This is a well written and comprehensive story. The characters were interesting and their backgrounds believable. The story is similar to others, but it included all of the necessary ingredients that others lack. The author writes to keep you interested and excited.
keep you interested and excited.
This is a well written and comprehensive story. The characters were interesting and their backgrounds believable. The story is similar to others, but it included all of the necessary ingredients that others lack. The author writes to keep you interested and excited.
keep you interested and excited.
June 15, 2022
This book considering its just over 200 pages long took me forever to read. It did not engage me and I'm not sure why. The characters were ok but a bit pretentious and the plot had an exciting moment in the middle but where it was positioned in the story meant that the ending took too long to get going.
July 13, 2017
3.5 stars. This was a good book but could've been improved some with less back and forth and more honesty. I started getting quite frustrated with Michael by the ending. I did enjoy Elizabeth's character immensely though!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews