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Lord Sayer's Ghost
Is he a ghost?
Outraged screams echoed through Shadow Hall, and Prudence was ready to kill...Lord Sayer. If he weren't dead already, that is. His mischievous antics made help impossible to keep. Prudence wished the seductive spirit would simply take one step beyond...and stay there!
...A rake?
But no insouciant ghost was going to drive Prudence from this castle. Sayer's will declared that any relative able to inhabit it for one year would inherit his estate. Prudence was only a distant relative to be sure, but she simply had nowhere else to go.
...Or a man to love?
Except into the arms of...Lord Sayer! The very-much-alive nobleman was just pretending to have passed on so he could unmask his would-be murderer. Now he had just stolen a kiss—and requested Prudence to host a séance. Dare she trust this rogue who was far from what he seemed? Could a spirited scoundrel properly woo her? Perhaps—with a little faith, a lot of love, and maybe some help...from the other side.
Outraged screams echoed through Shadow Hall, and Prudence was ready to kill...Lord Sayer. If he weren't dead already, that is. His mischievous antics made help impossible to keep. Prudence wished the seductive spirit would simply take one step beyond...and stay there!
...A rake?
But no insouciant ghost was going to drive Prudence from this castle. Sayer's will declared that any relative able to inhabit it for one year would inherit his estate. Prudence was only a distant relative to be sure, but she simply had nowhere else to go.
...Or a man to love?
Except into the arms of...Lord Sayer! The very-much-alive nobleman was just pretending to have passed on so he could unmask his would-be murderer. Now he had just stolen a kiss—and requested Prudence to host a séance. Dare she trust this rogue who was far from what he seemed? Could a spirited scoundrel properly woo her? Perhaps—with a little faith, a lot of love, and maybe some help...from the other side.
414 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1996
1 person is currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Cindy Holbrook
26 books23 followersBefore becoming a romance novelist, Cindy received a BFA in theater and pursued a career in real estate. She was both a broker and a general contractor and actually began writing to entertain herself while she sat open house as a realtor.
Although born in Wisconsin, Cindy moved to Florida with her family at a young age and has never left. Her home in Fort Walton, on the Emerald coast, provides Cindy with warm weather, beautiful beaches, and magnificent waters. She loves reading, pretending to cook (she says that she reads cookbooks far more often than she actually makes anything), and admiring old cars-especially Mustangs. Cindy is also a devoted dog person who maintains that dogs are actually women's best friend.
Although born in Wisconsin, Cindy moved to Florida with her family at a young age and has never left. Her home in Fort Walton, on the Emerald coast, provides Cindy with warm weather, beautiful beaches, and magnificent waters. She loves reading, pretending to cook (she says that she reads cookbooks far more often than she actually makes anything), and admiring old cars-especially Mustangs. Cindy is also a devoted dog person who maintains that dogs are actually women's best friend.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 6, 2015
Thank you Goodreads! Thank you Amazon! If it weren't for these 2 websites, I would have missed so many great books, like this one.
I devoured this book. It was so entertaining. It is the kind of Regency romance I love to read, cuz there is actually a plot, the characters have personalities, there are clever situations, the romance is believable, and clean.
So, to describe the positive things:
- Prudence: oh boy... the last Regency I read (Dangerous by Amanda Quick) has a heroine named Prudence. So the first pages I visualized this Prudence as the other Prudence, until I found out (pleasantly) that these 2 girls were completely different. This Prudence was witty, nothing annoying, had a great chemistry with the Hero, and was smart (not because the author is telling us that, but because her actions are enough reason to prove it). The times she quarreled with the Hero went smoothly, not forced, and the reader can see why the Hero falls in love with her.
- Lord Sayer: the 'negative' aspect of the Hero could be his name... Sinjun. What a name! And he is what a rake should be, at least in my eyes: charming, witty, amused with all things, especially with our heroine; a man who likes adventures, sometimes naughty (when it comes to women), a man who has mistresses but treats them well. He is not one of these heroes who has 'I cannot love her; I am cold and never have loved' attitude. And he was excellent as a 'ghost'. And oh my! the kisses they shared! All very clean of course, but so passionate.
- Plot: not predictable as most regency romance books. Prudence and her Aunt live in this Mansion, haunted by the ghost of Lord Sayer. Aunt Saraphina (who is a darling) believes in paranormal activities, but not Prudence. Then she finds out that Lord Sayer is pretending to be dead to catch his 'murderer' -someone attempted to murder him 3 times-. She joins forces with him, and she actually helps him; she is not a bother at all. When they managed to reunite all the members of the family in the mansion, it has a 'Clue' air (the murder-mystery game).
- Secondary characters: all of them were charming in some way or another. Even the rival, or the mistress, or the Dandy, or the murderer.
- Ghost: there is a real ghost in the story, something I have never read before in a Regency. And it is a nice ghost.
Negative aspect: ......... none!
Recommended to readers who enjoy GH books. There is even a cat in the story, and all the fans of Georgette know that an animal is important in a story (mostly it is a dog, but anyway...)
I devoured this book. It was so entertaining. It is the kind of Regency romance I love to read, cuz there is actually a plot, the characters have personalities, there are clever situations, the romance is believable, and clean.
So, to describe the positive things:
- Prudence: oh boy... the last Regency I read (Dangerous by Amanda Quick) has a heroine named Prudence. So the first pages I visualized this Prudence as the other Prudence, until I found out (pleasantly) that these 2 girls were completely different. This Prudence was witty, nothing annoying, had a great chemistry with the Hero, and was smart (not because the author is telling us that, but because her actions are enough reason to prove it). The times she quarreled with the Hero went smoothly, not forced, and the reader can see why the Hero falls in love with her.
- Lord Sayer: the 'negative' aspect of the Hero could be his name... Sinjun. What a name! And he is what a rake should be, at least in my eyes: charming, witty, amused with all things, especially with our heroine; a man who likes adventures, sometimes naughty (when it comes to women), a man who has mistresses but treats them well. He is not one of these heroes who has 'I cannot love her; I am cold and never have loved' attitude. And he was excellent as a 'ghost'. And oh my! the kisses they shared! All very clean of course, but so passionate.
- Plot: not predictable as most regency romance books. Prudence and her Aunt live in this Mansion, haunted by the ghost of Lord Sayer. Aunt Saraphina (who is a darling) believes in paranormal activities, but not Prudence. Then she finds out that Lord Sayer is pretending to be dead to catch his 'murderer' -someone attempted to murder him 3 times-. She joins forces with him, and she actually helps him; she is not a bother at all. When they managed to reunite all the members of the family in the mansion, it has a 'Clue' air (the murder-mystery game).
- Secondary characters: all of them were charming in some way or another. Even the rival, or the mistress, or the Dandy, or the murderer.
- Ghost: there is a real ghost in the story, something I have never read before in a Regency. And it is a nice ghost.
Negative aspect: ......... none!
Recommended to readers who enjoy GH books. There is even a cat in the story, and all the fans of Georgette know that an animal is important in a story (mostly it is a dog, but anyway...)
July 3, 2020
A ghost who happens to be very real and quite the rake? That’s Lord Sayer.
Historical romances can be hit or miss for me. I don’t know the history enough to know if the details are correct and I’d rather have the story take me away. I’d never read anything by Cindy Holbrok, so when I saw this book and there was a cat on the cover, I had to pick it up. I was intrigued by the premise. He’s pretending to be dead in order to prove someone wanted to murder him. Okay, I can go along with that. Prudence, who is sort of family, is the only one who can figure out if he’s truly been almost murdered.
I had to admit, this one was a tad slow in spots. I put it down and had a hard time coming back to it. I guess it’s because it seemed to drag. I wasn’t as caught up in the characters as I might have liked. It’s nearly four hundred pages.
Prudence could be a bit of a prude, but I rather liked her lack of experience and her getting flustered when she ended up in compromising situations. It was cute. Lord Sayer…I’m still not sure how I feel about his character. I liked that he wanted to find the person who wanted to murder him. He had money and the family didn’t like how he spent it. But he tended to get extreme with his strolls at midnight and his mood swings were a little much for me. I also had a hard time with the way the cat was treated. He isn’t hurt, but it just wasn’t my thing.
That said, there is some amusing romance in this book and the mystery was different. I didn’t figure it out until revealed at the end, so there’s that.
If you want a historical romance that’s got some mystery and a super slow burn, then this might be the one for you.
Historical romances can be hit or miss for me. I don’t know the history enough to know if the details are correct and I’d rather have the story take me away. I’d never read anything by Cindy Holbrok, so when I saw this book and there was a cat on the cover, I had to pick it up. I was intrigued by the premise. He’s pretending to be dead in order to prove someone wanted to murder him. Okay, I can go along with that. Prudence, who is sort of family, is the only one who can figure out if he’s truly been almost murdered.
I had to admit, this one was a tad slow in spots. I put it down and had a hard time coming back to it. I guess it’s because it seemed to drag. I wasn’t as caught up in the characters as I might have liked. It’s nearly four hundred pages.
Prudence could be a bit of a prude, but I rather liked her lack of experience and her getting flustered when she ended up in compromising situations. It was cute. Lord Sayer…I’m still not sure how I feel about his character. I liked that he wanted to find the person who wanted to murder him. He had money and the family didn’t like how he spent it. But he tended to get extreme with his strolls at midnight and his mood swings were a little much for me. I also had a hard time with the way the cat was treated. He isn’t hurt, but it just wasn’t my thing.
That said, there is some amusing romance in this book and the mystery was different. I didn’t figure it out until revealed at the end, so there’s that.
If you want a historical romance that’s got some mystery and a super slow burn, then this might be the one for you.
November 13, 2023
4.5. Cindy's a close friend but this review is sincere and unsolicited.
Prudence and her aunt are on the brink of inheriting from their distant relative, Lord Sayer, if they stay in his haunted mansion for a year. Then Prudence discovers Sayer is alive, posing as a ghost to discover which of his various relatives attempted to murder him. Can they figure it out together? Can the rake and the somewhat repressed protagonist resist jumping each other's bones as they grow closer?
At 400 pages, this doesn't feel padded or excessive. It's charming, with good characters and a warm heart (lots of HEA for the leads and the supporting characters). The mystery works.
Prudence and her aunt are on the brink of inheriting from their distant relative, Lord Sayer, if they stay in his haunted mansion for a year. Then Prudence discovers Sayer is alive, posing as a ghost to discover which of his various relatives attempted to murder him. Can they figure it out together? Can the rake and the somewhat repressed protagonist resist jumping each other's bones as they grow closer?
At 400 pages, this doesn't feel padded or excessive. It's charming, with good characters and a warm heart (lots of HEA for the leads and the supporting characters). The mystery works.
June 3, 2017
It was a bit long winded in spots and took me almost a year to read because I just forgot about it. It is cute.
November 3, 2017
LOVED IT!
February 20, 2013
I liked this one, but thought it was a little long. I kind of got a little bored towards the end. The romance was okay. I liked Prudence, but was also kind of sad that she felt like she had to change to win Lord Sayer. Personally, I agreed with her morals. Lord Sayer was a total rake!! I did like that being "dead" showed him how empty that kind of lifestyle was and how not only seeing how little people missed him, but Prudences goodness really changed him.
The mystery was okay, I again thought it started to drag on a bit. It was entertaining though.
Content: Clean. No bedroom scenes, but does have innuendo including mistresses. And one side character is hinted at being gay. There might have been a bit of swearing, I can't remember.
The mystery was okay, I again thought it started to drag on a bit. It was entertaining though.
Content: Clean. No bedroom scenes, but does have innuendo including mistresses. And one side character is hinted at being gay. There might have been a bit of swearing, I can't remember.
November 13, 2009
Oh my, I debated over the rating here. I knocked off a star because I figured out the culprit pretty early on but truth be told I really didn't care in the end and raised it up to a 4.5!
This was a near-perfect regency romp with lots of laughs and a devilish rake of a ghost and a wonderfully plucky heroine. There were no major surprises plot wise but it was well written and just plain fun. The author did a wonderful job in developing the relationship between Lord Sayer and Prudence in particular, they forge a lovely relationship (becoming friends even as they fall in love) despite the cliched plot.
This was a near-perfect regency romp with lots of laughs and a devilish rake of a ghost and a wonderfully plucky heroine. There were no major surprises plot wise but it was well written and just plain fun. The author did a wonderful job in developing the relationship between Lord Sayer and Prudence in particular, they forge a lovely relationship (becoming friends even as they fall in love) despite the cliched plot.
September 27, 2012
This novel was a lot of fun. It kind of reminded me of the off-beat comedic mysteries like a Fish Called Wanda and the like. The characters were amusing and the plot light. A clean read and doesn't rely on the typical bodice ripper devices and is pure storytelling. Lots of twists and turns. A lot of madcap characters and everyone is a suspect as to who would kill Lord Sayer. However, the part that couldn't be smoothed over for me is when they were in London, how Sayer could have been spotted or discovered. At his estate, sure no problem but in his townhouse...mmm...not so easy to hide. A fun read all the same.
June 29, 2012
It wasn't completely terrible, but I had to force myself to finish it. All the characters had stuttering problems.... or at least that's what I assume because of all the broken sentences ("But-but I can't", "Yes-yes I will", "We-we should go"). And the word "indeed" was WAY overused. The plot line became laughable when the "ghost" started showing himself in public areas, like pubs, barns, etc.
September 24, 2015
Excellent Regency with perfect blend of romance, humor, and mystery. I've only read two of Cindy Holbrook's novels, but I'm already hooked. I just wish they were in ebook so I could could take them all with me.
I just loved Prude, Sinjun, Aunt Saraphena, Benny Plume, Elmore, Ebony the alcoholic cat, Mr. Tremble, ah hell I loved all of them. Even Henries and his beloved brick.
I just loved Prude, Sinjun, Aunt Saraphena, Benny Plume, Elmore, Ebony the alcoholic cat, Mr. Tremble, ah hell I loved all of them. Even Henries and his beloved brick.
November 10, 2015
I really enjoyed this one. It was full of fun characters, had a bit of a mystery, ghosts (real and not so real), a very fun older woman character (Aunt Seraphina - who just KNEW the lobster salad was going to be VERY crunchy LOL)and a nice love story. It was everything I enjoy in some light reading to pass a stormy day.
October 23, 2009
3.5
Definitely better than your average regency romance these days. The intrigue. The rake. The action. Everything one desires in a good book. Plus, Lord Sayer is quite a rogue! His teasing manner towards Prudence was amusing and diverting.
All in all, a fun light read.
Definitely better than your average regency romance these days. The intrigue. The rake. The action. Everything one desires in a good book. Plus, Lord Sayer is quite a rogue! His teasing manner towards Prudence was amusing and diverting.
All in all, a fun light read.
July 11, 2014
Just a fun, delightful, funny, entertaining book. Lord Sayer is "haunting" his castle to try and discover who is trying to murder him. Tormenting Prudence is just a bonus. Not really much of a mystery but it was fun to read.
August 1, 2015
I read this book on the recommendation of another Georgette Heyer fan. It was a fun read, especially during the seance scenes - I loved the description of the drunk cat, Ebony. I wasn't a big enough fan of it, though, to track down her other works.
November 11, 2017
Regency
March 11, 2008
Yes, I liked this one too. Very silly and predictable. just the way i like them.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews