Lord Rivingtons Lady

by Eileen Jackson

LORD ALEXANDER RIVINGTON WAS THE MOST HATEFUL MAN GEORGINA HAD EVER KNOWNLord Rivington began by virtually assaulting Georgina at their first chance meeting. Then this incredibly wealthy and handsome aristocrat publicly mocked Georgina's views on the right of women while the cream of Regency society looked on. From there he went on to physically thrash Georgina's beloved brother, financially ensnare Georgina's family, not bother to deny his shameful relationship to a servant girl --- arrogantly demand Georgina in marriage.Georgina had every reason to detest this thoroughly impossible and egotistical male. She vowed that nothing in the world would make her join the list of victims of his charms. Indeed, Lord Rivington was due for a richly earned comeuppance --- and Georgina for a most unexpected awakening ...

Genres: Regency, Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Regency Romance, Fiction

Perfect Paperback

First published August 2, 1976

About the author

Having written short stories for many years, Eileen was in her late forties before she turned to novel writing and first had her talent recognised by being published in America.
It was towards the end of the 1970s, when she was taken up by the London literary agent Gerald Pollinger, that her career blossomed in the UK and then worldwide. Bringing up and caring for her family did not stop Eileen from finding the time to write each and every day – a routine she urged upon young writers whenever asked to speak or comment upon a writer’s life. She was a very versatile author, and wrote for a variety of markets - from dark Victorian mysteries to swashbuckling pirate adventures, and from Mills & Boon modern romances to tales of Regency elegance quivering with emotional turmoil.

Towards the end of her career, Eileen tackled the big book, the family saga, and produced six novels for Hodder Headline under the pen-name, Elizabeth Warne. Eileen always undertook in-depth research for all her books, to ensure historical and geographic accuracy. Her authentic handling of dialogue was also the result of careful research. A favourite setting for her family sagas was the early part of the 20th century and, for each new book, Eileen went to the people who could remember and describe life, love, good times and the problems that beset those who lived at that time.

Eileen settled in Scotland, with her husband John and her family, in 1977. For the past twenty years she lived with her husband in a Regency cottage near Straiton. She always said how lucky she was to live in such a wonderful spot in the world and talked of the kindness of those around her.

Pseudonym/s: Helen May

Reviews

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 1 out of 5]

Blech!
May review later...or not!
(Of course, I reviewed it! I always do the bad ones!! ;D)

*Spoilers, Ranting, More Spoilers, More Ranting*
A more sanctimonious, goody two shoes h I am yet to encounter. And there are plenty out there! Moreover one who’s so ineffective in actuality - she may roar outside but that turns into peeps and bleats at home. Her dyspeptic pique is laser-targeted at just one person (guess who?) and this non-stop negativity just drained me out completely.

I went into the book thinking it to be a train wreck and train wreck it was but of a completely different kind. I was given to think that the H is a super-cruel sadist-misogynist who makes her life hell and blackmails her into sordidness! But here the ‘sadism’ (mixed with stupidity - a dangerous blend) is all on the h’s part imo and the poor H was a complete masochist who comes back (why??) for more and more. I wish the H had more pride and certainly more brains to know when to give up. And then she’s no beauty and everyone from maids to dowagers to ow to her family to the H acknowledge that. So, a prickly, waspish non-beauty wins the heart of 'the most eligible man in the world/kingdom'! Realistic that!

He starts out in kind - making a pass at her and her maid (yes!) thinking them both to be maids. (Only the maid is actually prettier and better dressed but the h’s ‘beauty’ shines out when she gets angry!) So, yeah, she gets grabbed and kissed. That’s the one huge strike against him. Unforgivable and she’s in full right to not forgive him and keep a cool distance but she doesn’t have to be inflexibly obnoxious about it, especially in company of others who wonder at her obvious rudeness. Could such a behavior have left her unscathed in that society?
He tries to apologies again and again but the h is all stiff-necked sanctimony. As for the big humiliation scene at the party, I’d like to differ. As the h should allow, everyone can have a different point - enlightened or not. A bellicose and certainly half-baked speech applauding Miss Wollstonecraft and feminist views at a dinner party, in the midst of a set-in-their-ways nobility was STUPID, if you ask me. She humiliated not only herself but also her family. She’s only 19 and to presume to know better than others is pretentious. It’s a cringe-worthy scene. And she’s so silly, she walks in the trap set by the ow again and again. I see no proof of her said intelligence.

As for her ‘medicinal’ service amongst the poor, it’s so fake and self-congratulatory. I dislike when the h is given that pious space in contrast to a self-serving family. If she has to serve, she can do so without making such a hue and cry about it. And it’s good she comes back and washes herself to spare her family (including her multitude of young siblings) getting infected from whatever the prevalent disease of the day was. Of course, most diseases would be air-borne but then she’s doing as per whatever knowledge is available in those times.

And sorry, but I felt sorry for her poor, self-absorbed mother and 17 y.o. sister. They know no better. Yes, they are shallow and selfish but also eminently practical people and all they can think of is getting the younger sister married off to rich titled man as they are facing complete financial ruin otherwise. And especially as the older daughter, the h is not obliging - even knowing how things are. She’d rather go treating the poor folks, who may need her but what of her obligation to her many, many younger siblings? She almost ruins her sister’s chances with her repeated preachiness. Even when the H offers her marriage to save her brother and family from ruin and worse, she disdainfully refuses. Beggars and all, dear?

I feel she’s selfish to think of her much touted ‘morals’ and ‘principles’ *eyeroll* and wishing to marry for love and not convenience, even though she knows the chances of that are near zero. That was such BS that I wanted slap her. And when she’s considering marrying the apothecary guy? How real or practical is that? Whence love then? And certainly no care or concern that her sister’s chances would be ruined after such a move. So anachronistic and unrealistic.
And she does fall in love with the 'libertine' (against those morals, principles) and enjoys his bruising kisses while (wrongly) believing him to be a seducer of maids and begetter of 'bastards'. AND then she disdainfully throws his proposal back in his face and asks him for a carte blanche deal! Wow!

Midway, her brother wins some money- 3000 pounds, I think (by betting or whatever) and these simple souls could only think of having a season for the pretty sister to ensnare a rich groom but our h suggests improving their tenants' lot. I could just imagine the goggle-eyed looks of very real horror on the mother-daughter duo’s face. Truly a LOL moment!

[Mermarie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pride and Prejudice with a few extra slaps. :D Hahaha.

[Kagama-the Literaturevixen · Rating 1 out of 5]

When Georgina has an unpleasant encounter with a haughty man and he forcibly kisses her she should be happy if she never saw him again. As it is with these things she meets him again at a ball thrown by one of her familys neighbours. Lord Rivington doesnt even recognize her at first as he encountered a young woman in a worn dress and not a young gentlewoman dressed in her finest.

Georginas family is not precisely poor but they are not well off- and her mother and beautiful sister Penelope constantly complains and demands things. They cant understand how or why Georgina takes pleasure in helping the tenants of the estate of learning about medicine.

Despite this he manages to insult her yet once again when during a conversation the subject of womens rights Georgina rises up in defense only to have her beliefs ridiculed by Lord Rivington.

She is now firmly convinced of her dislike of the man.

When her older brother Peregrine returns home with the good news that he has won the lottery and is going to take them to London.Her mother and sister is in an alt but Georgina cautions them to invest it in the estate an advice that is dismissed as her being her usual bluestocking and boring personality speaking.

and of course she cant help but run into Lord Rivington.

If I had some reservations about Dance for a Lady , the only other book I have read by this author then I can say without any reservations that I truly disliked Lord Rivingtons Lady.

My first problem is with the love interest the Lord Rivington of the title.

From the first the "hero" Lord Alexander Rivington behaves in an appalling manner but while their first meeting appears to be similar to that of the couple of Venetia by Georgette Heyer you will be waiting in vain for the two persons in LRL to form a relationship that makes you believe in the possibility that they will end up together.

They do end up together but it seemed rather unlikely.

Georgina our heroine is not a very proactive character for all that she jumps to conclusions and throws herself into situations she dont fully understand. It was depressing to read about her as she is constantly belittled by her mother and sister,her brother ignores her advice and chooses not to listen to her when she tries to warn him about the beautiful,highborn and bitchy Charlotte Ingram.
She just couldnt catch a break.

Georgina for much of the book in addition to the other unfavorable traits of Lord Rivington believes that he seduced and abandoned a poor girl and only grudgingly took care of her and their illegitemate Child,

I have read a great many regency era romance and several of them have heroes who are autocratic and convinced of their own superbut the ones I have liked are where they show something more of themselves or in some ways change, for example Mary Baloghs Slightly Dangerous or The Duke's Wager

[Ilze · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't finish this one because of the one-dimensional characterization of everyone in the story besides the heroine and the hero. Why do the mother and sister of the heroine, not to mention other characters that have a role in the story, have to be portrayed so unrelentingly negatively?  
 
However, this writer has a good understanding of Regency society and early 19th century mores, certainly a lot more than the authors and publishers of the wallpaper novels that are passed off as "historical romances" these days.

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

'

[Alice · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book, the least liked regency I have ever read, very saddened to say I wasted hours on it and paid 15 euro for a copy, this book is for someone who hates the regency period or at least what they perceive the regency period was like. I have just finished it so my anger is fresh so my review will be harsh. The heroine is insufferable to say the least, she appeared more like a modern woman than a regency girl, it was bad enough putting up with her feminism through the book, I normally would have dropped it immediately but for some reason I kept going and wish I hadn't, to add to her unlikability, she was horrible to the hero for the entire book, the only time he was rude to her was on the very first meeting which he apologised for and even said it was out of character for him, but she kept treating him coldy, constantly accusing him of things without having any proof, she literally kept thinking he was mocking her and being rude when she was the one doing that to him, he tried constantly to become friendly with her to no avail, she constantly thought the worst of him despite not knowing anything about him, I cannot for the life of me see why he loved her and he even says it's his fault they were at cross purposes at the end, what???? it was literally her fault but I forgot women are never at fault for anything according to this book. Another thing I disliked about her and the same thing I dislike about all those kinds of characters, she thought she was so much better than 99.5% of women just because she read a book and became brainwashed by the politics in it, newsflash that does not make you better than every other woman who actually enjoy being women. This book in general was just all anti men while putting women on a pedestal, no thanks, nothing funnier than trying to portray ladies as suffering creatures, ladies who had personal maids and servants to do everything for them while lower class men fought at war so that they continue their privileged lives, ladies didn't even dress or bath themselves, must have been tough lmao. Also because of everything I've mentioned here, the romance obviously suffered greatly, there was none to speak of, and romance was meant to be the point of this book what with it being a romance novel and all.
It's safe to say I would have been on the side of the 99% of women back then who did not agree at all with Wollstonecraft.

The only people who I would recommend this book to is feminists, but I always have to wonder what a feminist would be doing reading romance novels in the first place, it's quite hypocritical in my opinion but that's nothing new there.

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The hero starts off by assaulting the heroine, forcibly kissing her because he thinks she's just a governess and therefore has to put up with it. Later, he offers a terrible apology, and harasses her for her feminist views. Of course, she finds herself drawn to him anyway. Ick.

[Libbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

a light, enjoyable read

[Donnalee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feminist woman in hateful sexist world--it works out.

[K.h.bb · Rating 1 out of 5]

A poor imitation of pride and prejudice...

[Lisa Montgomery · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author has a good sense of the Regency period's strictures. That being said, I struggled to finish this book. There are just too many "what ifs" thrown into the story line to make it believable, even to an ardent historical romance reader.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Altho not quite a keeper, this is an old*skool Regency that is worth a read. They don't write them like this any more.

[Jean]

"Lord Rivington's Lady" by Eileen Jackson Published 1977
Georgina Havard and her maid were taking a shortcut across a neighbor's property. She had been out taking medicinal mixtures and victuals to villagers who were in need. They came upon a dog who bounded to her and lay across her feet. The dog was well cared for and not a local farm dog. A moment later the owner appeared. A six foot corinthian in dark country garb stood in their way. Georgina was petting the dog when the owner called out, "Remove your hand from my dog."
Because of her dress he assumed they were maids or kitchen wenches from Kennerley where he was staying. Georgina told him they did not reside at Kennerley and that she had permission to cross anytime she wished. He accused them of trespassing. He still treated her like a servant and things came to pass until he kissed her. The next day Georgina, her mother and sister were invited to dinner at Kennerley. Here she met the man who had kissed her, The Earl of Rivington. After dinner a lively discussion broke out among the guests. Georgina was an independent young lady and upon listening to these ridiculous beliefs of the silly girls in the room, she finally could stand it no more "Flummery" She said springing to her feet. Lord Rivington leaning nonchalantly against the wall told her that he could not see the merit of the book she commented on and amazed it would fill any young woman with rebellious spirit as seemed to possess Miss Havard. He went on and on totally embarrassing her. She of course couldn't let him get away with being rude to her.
Things went from bad to worse and continued in this manner even when Georgina went to London for the season.
Georgina hated him but found with every kiss she was falling in love with him but how can she love a man who mocks her and mistreats her brother, who he got into a fist fight with. I've only just began to touch on all the happenings in the book. This is one you will enjoy. You my readers must find out for yourself how all is resolved. Happy Reading!