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The Earl and the Pickpocket
Heloise Edwina Marchant longs for the beauty and comfort of her former life, before she was forced to flee her family home. Coming to London in the guise of a boy, she has learned the hard way how to survive among the hovels and alleyways of St. Giles. There is a shame in having to pick the pockets of unsuspecting passersby, and the inevitable happens--she is caught!
The gentleman who seizes hold of her is not angry for long. In fact, his firm kindness is almost her undoing. For he has come to St. Giles with a purpose--and she will help him if she doesn't want to be reported to the authorities. But how can she agree, when at any moment this good-looking man could find out that he is a she?
The gentleman who seizes hold of her is not angry for long. In fact, his firm kindness is almost her undoing. For he has come to St. Giles with a purpose--and she will help him if she doesn't want to be reported to the authorities. But how can she agree, when at any moment this good-looking man could find out that he is a she?
296 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 2, 2018
2.5 stars.
This started off well and the concept was great but the storyline tended to lag a lot during the middle portion of the novel. This was set during the Georgian period, but at least I was spared from reading about the H wearing powdered wigs ! That would've been a total failure because I have this phobia for wigs ( wigaphobia ) and for wearing other peoples' hair and hair pieces, weaves, extensions etc. I cannot ever find a H sexy if he's wearing a wig because it will me the creeps. The heroine was the more likable of the main characters. She had more personality and did a lot more to further the plotline. The H just seemed to exist and brood all the time. He was an Earl who was also a portrait artist; he'd been doing that field of work before he'd inherited the title from his evil cousin. The main thing he did was to save the heroine from a life of starvation as a pickpocket. There were aspects of the storyline that I found questionable, such as the heroine's tendency to walk in and out of a brothel ( to visit her friends who were members of the Fashionable Impure aka whores ) and still maintain her reputation. The heroine wasn't a whore but the prostitutes had cared for her after she'd been beaten by the villain. I understood why she felt grateful to these ladies because they were very kind to her, but I couldn't comprehend why the rest of the Ton ignored the heroine's comings and goings from the brothel. The H, who was an Earl, was also good friends with the 50 something yr old owner of the brothel. That lady had been his family's housekeeper during his childhood, so I understood that he was loyal to her but it's weird ( to me ) that he'd invited her to his art exhibit. I mean, how likely was it for members of the Ton to mix socially with a whore ?
The villain appeared to be more of a caricature than a character but at least he got his just desserts by burning to death at the end. I felt that the heroine's uncle should have punished for his treatment of her; she merely forgave him when he apologized. That was so unfair because it had been his bullying cruelty that had led to her running away from home and to her subsequent life of suffering on the streets. The one entertaining aspect of the story, however, was the heroine's role playing: she had cut her hair and donned men's wear in order to survive in St. Giles. The wannabe OW Barbara got her comeuppance, but it was also weird that the H had been escorting her to public functions in the first place since she was the niece of the former housekeeper turned brothel owner. I couldn't fathom why Barbara ( the niece of a prostitute ) would've thought that an Earl ( the H ) would ever want to marry her. The H also lost major points when he decided to marry the heroine only after he discovered that she was a noblewoman. He was in love with her but he would have never married her if she had been an ordinary woman. He was content to live with her as his mistress and she had seemed happy with that too. Both MC's were very unconventional but the epilogue was nice and it was good to see that the heroine's late cousin's son was rescued from St. Giles.
There was no cheating. The H had never been intimate with the wannabe OW Barbara.
Oh, and I hated the name of the H's title: he was the Earl of Taplow. Taplow ? Really ? That sounds so bland and ordinary; why couldn't the author have chosen a sexier or more impressive title ?
This started off well and the concept was great but the storyline tended to lag a lot during the middle portion of the novel. This was set during the Georgian period, but at least I was spared from reading about the H wearing powdered wigs ! That would've been a total failure because I have this phobia for wigs ( wigaphobia ) and for wearing other peoples' hair and hair pieces, weaves, extensions etc. I cannot ever find a H sexy if he's wearing a wig because it will me the creeps. The heroine was the more likable of the main characters. She had more personality and did a lot more to further the plotline. The H just seemed to exist and brood all the time. He was an Earl who was also a portrait artist; he'd been doing that field of work before he'd inherited the title from his evil cousin. The main thing he did was to save the heroine from a life of starvation as a pickpocket. There were aspects of the storyline that I found questionable, such as the heroine's tendency to walk in and out of a brothel ( to visit her friends who were members of the Fashionable Impure aka whores ) and still maintain her reputation. The heroine wasn't a whore but the prostitutes had cared for her after she'd been beaten by the villain. I understood why she felt grateful to these ladies because they were very kind to her, but I couldn't comprehend why the rest of the Ton ignored the heroine's comings and goings from the brothel. The H, who was an Earl, was also good friends with the 50 something yr old owner of the brothel. That lady had been his family's housekeeper during his childhood, so I understood that he was loyal to her but it's weird ( to me ) that he'd invited her to his art exhibit. I mean, how likely was it for members of the Ton to mix socially with a whore ?
The villain appeared to be more of a caricature than a character but at least he got his just desserts by burning to death at the end. I felt that the heroine's uncle should have punished for his treatment of her; she merely forgave him when he apologized. That was so unfair because it had been his bullying cruelty that had led to her running away from home and to her subsequent life of suffering on the streets. The one entertaining aspect of the story, however, was the heroine's role playing: she had cut her hair and donned men's wear in order to survive in St. Giles. The wannabe OW Barbara got her comeuppance, but it was also weird that the H had been escorting her to public functions in the first place since she was the niece of the former housekeeper turned brothel owner. I couldn't fathom why Barbara ( the niece of a prostitute ) would've thought that an Earl ( the H ) would ever want to marry her. The H also lost major points when he decided to marry the heroine only after he discovered that she was a noblewoman. He was in love with her but he would have never married her if she had been an ordinary woman. He was content to live with her as his mistress and she had seemed happy with that too. Both MC's were very unconventional but the epilogue was nice and it was good to see that the heroine's late cousin's son was rescued from St. Giles.
There was no cheating. The H had never been intimate with the wannabe OW Barbara.
Oh, and I hated the name of the H's title: he was the Earl of Taplow. Taplow ? Really ? That sounds so bland and ordinary; why couldn't the author have chosen a sexier or more impressive title ?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2014
I was all set to love this book - interesting plot, great heroine, nice writing style etc... except I didn't. The problem starts with the development of the "romance".
While I am sure that it is probably in line with the behaviour of the gentry class back then, my romantic sensibilities were offended. Other readers may not mind this at all.
While I am sure that it is probably in line with the behaviour of the gentry class back then, my romantic sensibilities were offended. Other readers may not mind this at all.
August 15, 2017
two of the most unappealing characters
The story started out well. A young lady runs away from her guardian to escape an unwanted marriage. She ends up in the slums of London, disguised as a boy and part of a gang. A little farfetched but entertaining. The story goes downhill when an arrogant, controlling and violent "hero" saves her and discovers she's an 18 year old girl. He seems to bring out the worst in her. She's stubborn, fast to judge, jumps to conclusions and is immature. Although if her uncle and the hero ever took the time to be honest with her, some of the negative emotions might have been avoided.
The story started out well. A young lady runs away from her guardian to escape an unwanted marriage. She ends up in the slums of London, disguised as a boy and part of a gang. A little farfetched but entertaining. The story goes downhill when an arrogant, controlling and violent "hero" saves her and discovers she's an 18 year old girl. He seems to bring out the worst in her. She's stubborn, fast to judge, jumps to conclusions and is immature. Although if her uncle and the hero ever took the time to be honest with her, some of the negative emotions might have been avoided.
September 11, 2018
2+ ?? mixed feelings
I liked parts but it never gelled for me. I was jarred from the start with the rapid head-hopping, something I fell in better rhythm with as I got used to it, but never fully enjoyed. And then the plotting (pacing) was just off. The story ran in a lot of circles, and had a lot of back-forth jerks of ott emotion, to quite settle into itself (and me into the read).
Her being disguised and mistaken for a lad-- not a new angle. But him being a painter and unexpected heir-- bit different. He's mercurial but not cruel-- good. She's young but not impulsively recklessly dumb-- good. They go in a lot of circles too, covering ground I thought put behind them or staying way to shallow in ground never well explored-- less good.
Some of the descriptive prose was great. Some of the prose got loopy and dense and I waded thru or skimmed past.
Their lust-into-action-into-love was abrupt. Each step. But the craving interest was palpable on both sides, so. Okay. There's a lot of telling in this book, of several kinds. Leads' internal thoughts telling us x, y, z instead of telling their counterpart. Secondary characters we don't see much of but who arrive to impart necessary exposition and leave again that the leads react to, separately, and then rush to say 'yes I know, that's covered' when it's broached between them. Got a bit clumsy, and kept happening--maybe sit over a cuppa and get some of this background naturally.
Flipside, I really liked both leads. I liked that they had tempers and imperfections, that she's headstrong and smart and unconventional, that he's a secret softie only she can reach and he lets her, that instead of flouncing, they discussed and explained and listened. That's a big strength for me, as I loathe the contrivance of conflict that a five-minute convo would cure.
The linchpin that started everything (the young cousin) was almost throwaway throughout; I'm glad he was rescued and will live much better life, but they sure dallied in the meantime with continual reminders it was utmost of import to find him.
Lovely epilogue.
Good parts. But a not-quite-there whole, for me.
I liked parts but it never gelled for me. I was jarred from the start with the rapid head-hopping, something I fell in better rhythm with as I got used to it, but never fully enjoyed. And then the plotting (pacing) was just off. The story ran in a lot of circles, and had a lot of back-forth jerks of ott emotion, to quite settle into itself (and me into the read).
Her being disguised and mistaken for a lad-- not a new angle. But him being a painter and unexpected heir-- bit different. He's mercurial but not cruel-- good. She's young but not impulsively recklessly dumb-- good. They go in a lot of circles too, covering ground I thought put behind them or staying way to shallow in ground never well explored-- less good.
Some of the descriptive prose was great. Some of the prose got loopy and dense and I waded thru or skimmed past.
Their lust-into-action-into-love was abrupt. Each step. But the craving interest was palpable on both sides, so. Okay. There's a lot of telling in this book, of several kinds. Leads' internal thoughts telling us x, y, z instead of telling their counterpart. Secondary characters we don't see much of but who arrive to impart necessary exposition and leave again that the leads react to, separately, and then rush to say 'yes I know, that's covered' when it's broached between them. Got a bit clumsy, and kept happening--maybe sit over a cuppa and get some of this background naturally.
Flipside, I really liked both leads. I liked that they had tempers and imperfections, that she's headstrong and smart and unconventional, that he's a secret softie only she can reach and he lets her, that instead of flouncing, they discussed and explained and listened. That's a big strength for me, as I loathe the contrivance of conflict that a five-minute convo would cure.
The linchpin that started everything (the young cousin) was almost throwaway throughout; I'm glad he was rescued and will live much better life, but they sure dallied in the meantime with continual reminders it was utmost of import to find him.
Lovely epilogue.
Good parts. But a not-quite-there whole, for me.
December 12, 2022
I wish she ran away more I loved the drama of it
Want to Read
March 10, 20121770s
November 19, 2013
Rolig!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews