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Love & Temptation #2
At the Sign of the Golden Pineapple
"I DO NOT THINK I WANT TO BE MARRIED AT ALL. I WANT TO BE RICH. VERY RICH..."
Miss Henrietta Bascombe's bosom chums gasped to hear a well-bred lady talk of going into trade. For Henrietta was hell-bent on turning her pittance of an inheritance into a fortune by opening a London sweet shop to rival the famous Gunther's!
Undaunted, Henrietta proceeded to hang out the traditional confectioner's sign of a golden pineapple and soon earned the custom of the entire haute ton. That is, until the proud Earl of Carrisdowne took exception to his younger brother and his best friend ogling the girls behind Bascombe's counter. Miss Bascombe would have to be put out of business, and quickly.
But somehow, the earl looked forward to tangling with the fiery-eyed proprietor much more than he was willing to admit....
Miss Henrietta Bascombe's bosom chums gasped to hear a well-bred lady talk of going into trade. For Henrietta was hell-bent on turning her pittance of an inheritance into a fortune by opening a London sweet shop to rival the famous Gunther's!
Undaunted, Henrietta proceeded to hang out the traditional confectioner's sign of a golden pineapple and soon earned the custom of the entire haute ton. That is, until the proud Earl of Carrisdowne took exception to his younger brother and his best friend ogling the girls behind Bascombe's counter. Miss Bascombe would have to be put out of business, and quickly.
But somehow, the earl looked forward to tangling with the fiery-eyed proprietor much more than he was willing to admit....
217 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1987
74 people are currently reading
326 people want to read
About the author
Marion Chesney
147 books760 followersMarion Chesney Gibbons
aka: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, M.C. Beaton, Sarah Chester.
Marion Chesney was born on 1936 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, and started her first job as a bookseller in charge of the fiction department in John Smith & Sons Ltd. While bookselling, by chance, she got an offer from the Scottish Daily Mail to review variety shows and quickly rose to be their theatre critic. She left Smith’s to join Scottish Field magazine as a secretary in the advertising department, without any shorthand or typing, but quickly got the job of fashion editor instead. She then moved to the Scottish Daily Express where she reported mostly on crime. This was followed by a move to Fleet Street to the Daily Express where she became chief woman reporter. After marrying Harry Scott Gibbons and having a son, Charles, Marion went to the United States where Harry had been offered the job of editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian. When that didn’t work out, they went to Virginia and Marion worked as a waitress in a greasy spoon on the Jefferson Davies in Alexandria while Harry washed the dishes. Both then got jobs on Rupert Murdoch’s new tabloid, The Star, and moved to New York.
Anxious to spend more time at home with her small son, Marion, urged by her husband, started to write historical romances in 1977. After she had written over 100 of them under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, and under the pseudonyms: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester, she getting fed up with 1714 to 1910, she began to write detectives stories in 1985 under the pseudonym of M. C. Beaton. On a trip from the States to Sutherland on holiday, a course at a fishing school inspired the first Constable Hamish Macbeth story. They returned to Britain and bought a croft house and croft in Sutherland where Harry reared a flock of black sheep. But Charles was at school, in London so when he finished and both tired of the long commute to the north of Scotland, they moved to the Cotswolds where Agatha Raisin was created.
aka: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, M.C. Beaton, Sarah Chester.
Marion Chesney was born on 1936 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, and started her first job as a bookseller in charge of the fiction department in John Smith & Sons Ltd. While bookselling, by chance, she got an offer from the Scottish Daily Mail to review variety shows and quickly rose to be their theatre critic. She left Smith’s to join Scottish Field magazine as a secretary in the advertising department, without any shorthand or typing, but quickly got the job of fashion editor instead. She then moved to the Scottish Daily Express where she reported mostly on crime. This was followed by a move to Fleet Street to the Daily Express where she became chief woman reporter. After marrying Harry Scott Gibbons and having a son, Charles, Marion went to the United States where Harry had been offered the job of editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian. When that didn’t work out, they went to Virginia and Marion worked as a waitress in a greasy spoon on the Jefferson Davies in Alexandria while Harry washed the dishes. Both then got jobs on Rupert Murdoch’s new tabloid, The Star, and moved to New York.
Anxious to spend more time at home with her small son, Marion, urged by her husband, started to write historical romances in 1977. After she had written over 100 of them under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, and under the pseudonyms: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester, she getting fed up with 1714 to 1910, she began to write detectives stories in 1985 under the pseudonym of M. C. Beaton. On a trip from the States to Sutherland on holiday, a course at a fishing school inspired the first Constable Hamish Macbeth story. They returned to Britain and bought a croft house and croft in Sutherland where Harry reared a flock of black sheep. But Charles was at school, in London so when he finished and both tired of the long commute to the north of Scotland, they moved to the Cotswolds where Agatha Raisin was created.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
April 15, 2021
This had promise, but was ultimately disappointing. I really liked Henrietta and her gumption and determination to forge her own path. And I liked that she consistently looked beyond herself to help and support others. And taking an unexpected inheritance and turning it to good account by going into trade actually made sense, but only because she was clear-eyed while still being creative. Her work around to Carrisdowne's determined crusade against her was brilliant and I loved seeing her overcome those obstacles.
Less engaging was Carrisdowne, himself. He was autocratic and a bit mean. And I never did see Henrietta's attraction to the giant nosehair. So when the dark moment hit I was just completely done with him.
Add a bunch of sections from the venal villains' viewpoints and this was hard to read at times. Harder still was the betrayal and easy forgiveness of same. And seriously, did you need to foreshadow all the bad stuff so very assiduously?
So it turned out okay, but not more than three stars worth of okay, including cramming a lot of reconciliation in at the end that I didn't at all buy. I mean, Carrisdowne's groveling consisted mainly of threatening violence and Henrietta finding that attractive. Which was nearly as icky as all the cruel pronouncements about his fat sister who just loved gorging on Henrietta's sweets.
A note about Chaste: This was short and not terribly passionate, so completely chaste (for all of Carrisdowne's rather gross denigrations at crisis point, those were just name-calling, really).
Less engaging was Carrisdowne, himself. He was autocratic and a bit mean. And I never did see Henrietta's attraction to the giant nosehair. So when the dark moment hit I was just completely done with him.
Add a bunch of sections from the venal villains' viewpoints and this was hard to read at times. Harder still was the betrayal and easy forgiveness of same. And seriously, did you need to foreshadow all the bad stuff so very assiduously?
So it turned out okay, but not more than three stars worth of okay, including cramming a lot of reconciliation in at the end that I didn't at all buy. I mean, Carrisdowne's groveling consisted mainly of threatening violence and Henrietta finding that attractive. Which was nearly as icky as all the cruel pronouncements about his fat sister who just loved gorging on Henrietta's sweets.
A note about Chaste: This was short and not terribly passionate, so completely chaste (for all of Carrisdowne's rather gross denigrations at crisis point, those were just name-calling, really).
April 4, 2021
Absolutely in my Top Ten of Marion Chesney's delightful romances. I love that Henrietta takes her small inheritance and, instead of hiring a chaperone and doing the Season to find a husband, she sets up shop as a confectioner. And she's good, too! She comes to fame by making a marzipan Beau Brummell and having it sent to his house! She makes a scene from a recent win against Napoleon out of spun sugar. And, knowing that she will need to have the prettiest showgirls, she takes her two beautiful but impoverished friends with her, along with her retired schoolteacher, who dreams of having the most elegant funeral you can imagine!
Chesney's Regency romances definitely follow a pattern. It's not hard to know that soon Henrietta will meet an infuriating man, they'll fight, he'll fall for someone else, they'll end up in each other's arms, etc. But what makes this one stand out is the setting and the characters. There's a chapter where, after "giving birth" (aka, being fitted for leather trousers), a young suitor is then nearly killed when those same trousers get wet and shrink, cutting off his circulation. I can still remember it in detail!
Chesney's Regency romances definitely follow a pattern. It's not hard to know that soon Henrietta will meet an infuriating man, they'll fight, he'll fall for someone else, they'll end up in each other's arms, etc. But what makes this one stand out is the setting and the characters. There's a chapter where, after "giving birth" (aka, being fitted for leather trousers), a young suitor is then nearly killed when those same trousers get wet and shrink, cutting off his circulation. I can still remember it in detail!
August 12, 2020
This is one of Marion Chesney's funniest novels with captivating characters and a storyline that always kept my interest. Marion Chesney's biggest talent, in my opinion, is her ability to craft a wonderful and diverse ensemble cast of characters. In this story, the heroine Henrietta Bascombe is an impoverished 19 yr old member of the gentry who has just inherited 5000 pounds from the local squire. Henrietta's an orphan who lives in her late parents' cottage with only her former governess turned companion, Miss Hissop. These 2 women are celebrating Henrietta's good fortune at the start of the story:
Miss Hissop is a 40 something yr old spinster who is quite an amusing and eccentric character ! She thinks Henrietta ought to use the money as a dowry in order to get herself a husband but Henrietta has more revolutionary plans. The heroine thinks that a gold digging husband might just end up marrying her and then gambling away her money or spending it on loose women. Henrietta's big plan is to do the unthinkable ( for a gentle woman of the gentry ) and go into trade ! Miss Hissop is appalled because this will make Henrietta ineligible for a husband from the aristocratic class but the heroine has plans to open a confectionery shop to rival Gunther's in London. Henrietta gets 2 other impoverished village gentry women to go with her and Miss Hissop to London. The other young ladies, Charlotte and Josephine, aren't exactly fond of going into trade but it's better than suffering all alone in the village. These 2 are a bit different from Henrietta because they still have romantic dreams of finding the perfect husband. The kooky Miss Hissop, however, is only obsessed with one thing: planning her perfect funeral !
Only Henrietta knew that behind this formidable exterior lurked the soul of a rabbit. All Miss Hissop wanted out of life was to pay for her own funeral and not to be buried in a pauper’s grave. In the way that young girls had a “bottom drawer” or wedding chest for their trousseau, Miss Hissop had a funeral closet in which she kept the little money she had saved in a tin box, a hand-embroidered shroud, black armbands for the mourners, and a long list of instructions as to the funeral arrangements.
The funniest thing about Miss Hissop is that her funeral plans would become grander and more ostentatious each time she managed to acquire more money. That made me laugh a lot because normal folks would tend to want to spend any extra funds on making their present life better. Henrietta was a smart and unconventional heroine. She had a keen mind for business and after an initial difficult start, her confectionery shop Bascombe's started to make a lot of money. The 4 women used inventive marketing methods to attract customers and soon, 2 eligible noblemen started coming everyday because they were interested in Charlotte and Josephine. These men were Guy Clifford and Lord Charles Worsley. Charles was the younger brother of the snobbish hero. The H is Rupert, the Earl of Carrisdowne. When Rupert hears about the other 2 men's interest in the ladies at Bascombe's, he's amused initially because he thinks that shopgirls are only suitable as mistresses. Then, when he discovers that Guy and Charles are thinking in terms of marriage, he is scandalized, especially after they inform him that the women are members of the gentry:
“Are you trying to tell me that these tonnish ladies have taken to trade?” demanded the earl.
“Well, I suppose that’s it,” said Mr. Clifford awkwardly. “Ain’t that just what I’ve been saying?”
The earl cast a cold blue eye on his friend.
“I thought you were looking for a wife, not a mistress,” he remarked.
Mr. Clifford flushed. “Surely running a respectable establishment like a confectioner’s don’t put a female beyond the pale?”
“Yes, it does, my friend,” said the earl gently. “And well you know it.”
Rupert was such a stuffy and entitled type of H. When he realized that he couldn't prevent Guy and Charles from courting Charlotte and Josephine, he decided to spread bad rumours to make people stop visiting Bascombe's. When that failed, because Henrietta had such mad marketing skills, he decided to get to know the women personally. That's where the romantic storyline started to develop and the H's plan backfired because he soon found himself falling in love with Henrietta. Their sweet little romance was proceeding smoothly until a jealous wannabe other woman called Lara Clara intervened. Clara wanted the H to propose to her and she thought he'd liked her until Henrietta came into the picture. The jealous OW schemed with her drunken brother, Alisdair, and they paid a couple of men to set fire to Bascombe's:
“Only a sovereign to get rid of that Bascombe?” Lady Clara smiled, a slow, catlike smile.
“The only bargain to be found, little brother, in these expensive days. Very well. Burn her out! Carrisdowne hasn’t yet proposed, evidently, or we’d have heard of it, and without a place to stay she will need to return, even if temporarily, to where she came from. That will leave the field open for me.”
The H arrives in time to stop the fire from spreading but the 4 women are traumatized by it since they could've died if he had not arrived and seen the 2 men running away after setting the blaze. The most entertaining result of this near tragedy was Miss Hissop's response:
“So terrifying,” gasped Miss Hissop. “We might have all been burned to a crisp, and then what would have happened to my funeral? Oh, to think all my dear funeral instructions might have been burned with me! Henrietta, my funeral instructions must from now on be lodged at the bank.”
The MC's seemed well set for their happy ending after the fire, because Rupert decided to propose marriage to Henrietta. But the adolescent shopboy, Esau, whom Henrietta had saved from the workhouse was afraid that if Henrietta married the H, then Bascombe's will be closed and he will be forced to return to the workhouse. I felt sorry for Esau since he'd suffered so much in the workhouse, but I wanted to punch him when he pulled a nasty stunt and split up the MC's. Esau lied and told the H that Henrietta provided sexual services to a certain elderly duke and a couple other titled men. The jealous and enraged H didn't stop to investigate these accusations properly. He was heartbroken because he thought he'd been about to marry a slutty woman so he said a lot of nasty things to Henrietta. The MC's are separated for a few months and the depressed Henrietta closed down the London shop and moved to Bath to open her new store there. As time passed, however, Rupert continued to pine over Henrietta and concluded that he'd been too hasty and unfair to her:
As the longing to see Henrietta became stronger and stronger, as he became more convinced he had damned her without a hearing, he became determined to find her. But inquiries at livery stables and coaching inns drew a blank. It was as if there had never been a Bascombe’s, as if Henrietta, Josephine, Charlotte, and Miss Hissop had never existed.
The wily Lady Clara also got her first comeuppance because the H flat out told her to get lost !
Lord Alisdair Sinclair returned home one evening to find his sister, Lady Clara, in tears.
“Haven’t seen you cry this age,” he said. “What’s to do?”
“It is Carrisdowne,” said Lady Clara. “He told me if he found me waiting outside his door again, he would need to order his servants to tell me to go away. He said… he said he was tired of being annoyed by me.”
That didn't stop Clara, though. She started stalking the H and followed him down to Bath when he went to reconcile with Henrietta. Her big revenge plan entailed poisoning a huge cake that Henrietta had catered for the H's dinner party. The evil OW thought that the H would end up dying and her nemesis Henrietta would be jailed for murder. It's the smart Miss Hissop who saved the day by jumping on top of the cake to prevent the diners from eating it ! Clara was discovered wandering alone in a rural pathway and was placed in an asylum. Her conspirator brother Alisdair managed to escape; he probably had to leave the country because the authorities were looking to arrest him. The servant boy Esau was contrite after the MC's confronted him about his lies but he wasn't punished because they understood that he was just a scared child who didn't want to be sent back to the workhouse. This was a marvellous story ! At the end of it all, Henrietta decided to keep Bascombe's but she compromised with the H and decided to hire supervisors and other employees to see to it on a daily basis. Josephine and Charlotte also got their happy ending with Guy and Charles while the awesome Miss Hissop became a rich lady whose funeral plans started to rival that of royalty !
This is the heroine, Henrietta:
This is the hero, Rupert:
Miss Hissop is a 40 something yr old spinster who is quite an amusing and eccentric character ! She thinks Henrietta ought to use the money as a dowry in order to get herself a husband but Henrietta has more revolutionary plans. The heroine thinks that a gold digging husband might just end up marrying her and then gambling away her money or spending it on loose women. Henrietta's big plan is to do the unthinkable ( for a gentle woman of the gentry ) and go into trade ! Miss Hissop is appalled because this will make Henrietta ineligible for a husband from the aristocratic class but the heroine has plans to open a confectionery shop to rival Gunther's in London. Henrietta gets 2 other impoverished village gentry women to go with her and Miss Hissop to London. The other young ladies, Charlotte and Josephine, aren't exactly fond of going into trade but it's better than suffering all alone in the village. These 2 are a bit different from Henrietta because they still have romantic dreams of finding the perfect husband. The kooky Miss Hissop, however, is only obsessed with one thing: planning her perfect funeral !
Only Henrietta knew that behind this formidable exterior lurked the soul of a rabbit. All Miss Hissop wanted out of life was to pay for her own funeral and not to be buried in a pauper’s grave. In the way that young girls had a “bottom drawer” or wedding chest for their trousseau, Miss Hissop had a funeral closet in which she kept the little money she had saved in a tin box, a hand-embroidered shroud, black armbands for the mourners, and a long list of instructions as to the funeral arrangements.
The funniest thing about Miss Hissop is that her funeral plans would become grander and more ostentatious each time she managed to acquire more money. That made me laugh a lot because normal folks would tend to want to spend any extra funds on making their present life better. Henrietta was a smart and unconventional heroine. She had a keen mind for business and after an initial difficult start, her confectionery shop Bascombe's started to make a lot of money. The 4 women used inventive marketing methods to attract customers and soon, 2 eligible noblemen started coming everyday because they were interested in Charlotte and Josephine. These men were Guy Clifford and Lord Charles Worsley. Charles was the younger brother of the snobbish hero. The H is Rupert, the Earl of Carrisdowne. When Rupert hears about the other 2 men's interest in the ladies at Bascombe's, he's amused initially because he thinks that shopgirls are only suitable as mistresses. Then, when he discovers that Guy and Charles are thinking in terms of marriage, he is scandalized, especially after they inform him that the women are members of the gentry:
“Are you trying to tell me that these tonnish ladies have taken to trade?” demanded the earl.
“Well, I suppose that’s it,” said Mr. Clifford awkwardly. “Ain’t that just what I’ve been saying?”
The earl cast a cold blue eye on his friend.
“I thought you were looking for a wife, not a mistress,” he remarked.
Mr. Clifford flushed. “Surely running a respectable establishment like a confectioner’s don’t put a female beyond the pale?”
“Yes, it does, my friend,” said the earl gently. “And well you know it.”
Rupert was such a stuffy and entitled type of H. When he realized that he couldn't prevent Guy and Charles from courting Charlotte and Josephine, he decided to spread bad rumours to make people stop visiting Bascombe's. When that failed, because Henrietta had such mad marketing skills, he decided to get to know the women personally. That's where the romantic storyline started to develop and the H's plan backfired because he soon found himself falling in love with Henrietta. Their sweet little romance was proceeding smoothly until a jealous wannabe other woman called Lara Clara intervened. Clara wanted the H to propose to her and she thought he'd liked her until Henrietta came into the picture. The jealous OW schemed with her drunken brother, Alisdair, and they paid a couple of men to set fire to Bascombe's:
“Only a sovereign to get rid of that Bascombe?” Lady Clara smiled, a slow, catlike smile.
“The only bargain to be found, little brother, in these expensive days. Very well. Burn her out! Carrisdowne hasn’t yet proposed, evidently, or we’d have heard of it, and without a place to stay she will need to return, even if temporarily, to where she came from. That will leave the field open for me.”
The H arrives in time to stop the fire from spreading but the 4 women are traumatized by it since they could've died if he had not arrived and seen the 2 men running away after setting the blaze. The most entertaining result of this near tragedy was Miss Hissop's response:
“So terrifying,” gasped Miss Hissop. “We might have all been burned to a crisp, and then what would have happened to my funeral? Oh, to think all my dear funeral instructions might have been burned with me! Henrietta, my funeral instructions must from now on be lodged at the bank.”
The MC's seemed well set for their happy ending after the fire, because Rupert decided to propose marriage to Henrietta. But the adolescent shopboy, Esau, whom Henrietta had saved from the workhouse was afraid that if Henrietta married the H, then Bascombe's will be closed and he will be forced to return to the workhouse. I felt sorry for Esau since he'd suffered so much in the workhouse, but I wanted to punch him when he pulled a nasty stunt and split up the MC's. Esau lied and told the H that Henrietta provided sexual services to a certain elderly duke and a couple other titled men. The jealous and enraged H didn't stop to investigate these accusations properly. He was heartbroken because he thought he'd been about to marry a slutty woman so he said a lot of nasty things to Henrietta. The MC's are separated for a few months and the depressed Henrietta closed down the London shop and moved to Bath to open her new store there. As time passed, however, Rupert continued to pine over Henrietta and concluded that he'd been too hasty and unfair to her:
As the longing to see Henrietta became stronger and stronger, as he became more convinced he had damned her without a hearing, he became determined to find her. But inquiries at livery stables and coaching inns drew a blank. It was as if there had never been a Bascombe’s, as if Henrietta, Josephine, Charlotte, and Miss Hissop had never existed.
The wily Lady Clara also got her first comeuppance because the H flat out told her to get lost !
Lord Alisdair Sinclair returned home one evening to find his sister, Lady Clara, in tears.
“Haven’t seen you cry this age,” he said. “What’s to do?”
“It is Carrisdowne,” said Lady Clara. “He told me if he found me waiting outside his door again, he would need to order his servants to tell me to go away. He said… he said he was tired of being annoyed by me.”
That didn't stop Clara, though. She started stalking the H and followed him down to Bath when he went to reconcile with Henrietta. Her big revenge plan entailed poisoning a huge cake that Henrietta had catered for the H's dinner party. The evil OW thought that the H would end up dying and her nemesis Henrietta would be jailed for murder. It's the smart Miss Hissop who saved the day by jumping on top of the cake to prevent the diners from eating it ! Clara was discovered wandering alone in a rural pathway and was placed in an asylum. Her conspirator brother Alisdair managed to escape; he probably had to leave the country because the authorities were looking to arrest him. The servant boy Esau was contrite after the MC's confronted him about his lies but he wasn't punished because they understood that he was just a scared child who didn't want to be sent back to the workhouse. This was a marvellous story ! At the end of it all, Henrietta decided to keep Bascombe's but she compromised with the H and decided to hire supervisors and other employees to see to it on a daily basis. Josephine and Charlotte also got their happy ending with Guy and Charles while the awesome Miss Hissop became a rich lady whose funeral plans started to rival that of royalty !
This is the heroine, Henrietta:
This is the hero, Rupert:
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2017
Started as a spirited story with a spunky heroine. But she fell in love too fast and there was a little bit of crudity in the end which totally jarred with the rest of the book.
June 2, 2018
Miss Hissop was the best part of this story. Her concentration on a preparing her own funeral was simply hilarious. I burst with a laugh a few times. Also, the scene with Charles' leather breeches, when they became too tight was marvelously funny ;-)
Besides it, the love story was nice.
The idea of a confectioner was original.
The characters were like they should be in Regency romance.
So, I liked the book but this time the fast pace of the story (so common in Chesney's romances) didn't work well. E.g. I can understand fast falling in love but I have doubts about how the confectioner business went.
The idea of this story could have been a basis for a really good (longer) novel (there were glimpses of such a novel, e.g. showing the way aristocracy did/didn't pay the traders, showing the lot of young women that should rather die than 'degrade' and work).
Besides it, the love story was nice.
The idea of a confectioner was original.
The characters were like they should be in Regency romance.
So, I liked the book but this time the fast pace of the story (so common in Chesney's romances) didn't work well. E.g. I can understand fast falling in love but I have doubts about how the confectioner business went.
The idea of this story could have been a basis for a really good (longer) novel (there were glimpses of such a novel, e.g. showing the way aristocracy did/didn't pay the traders, showing the lot of young women that should rather die than 'degrade' and work).
January 15, 2020
I recently reread this book and enjoyed it much more this time than I did when I read it before, so I was surprised at the amount of bad reviews it got.
To be honest, you really have to be a Marion Chesney fan to read her romances. They're not the usual sort of romance wherein the angst goes on for days without end, with the heroine staring at herself in the mirror, beating on her breast, and crying out "woe is me!" Her plots are fast-paced and ever forward-propelling. A lot of people will think that her characters don't seem to be fully fleshed out in their motivations, or what there is of their motivations is pretty cut and dry. I think all those criticisms are valid, but there are few enough authors who DO write like Marion Chesney that her writing style--always combined with extremely detailed historical factoids--are is a little rare gem. Might I also remind people that everyone loves Jane Austen, but she didn't imbue her characters with an overabundance of internal commentary either--and that was just how it went. I suppose if you only live to a maximum of 40-50 years of age, you don't spend most of that time bemoaning the fates.
What I appreciated about Marion Chesney is that even though this book is old, it has Chesney's usual feminist commentary of the times. The thing about Marion Chesney is that she doesn't take any of her characters too seriously and whenever I read her books, I think to myself that I really like Marion Chesney because she's so clear-eyed about people and her humour is sometimes so tongue-in-cheek that it's delightful.
This book was a comment on the age that Chesney thought she was writing, and Henrietta was someone who aspired to work and work hard for her living. I really felt for her, because she was the only person who propelled the scheme ever onward. To me, it wasn't outside the realm of impossibility for a woman who eschewed men and marriage to be taken in by a rich, handsome man. They say it's as easy to fall in love with a poor man, but I disagree. It's actually easier to fall in love with a rich man, and for someone like Henrietta who had to push and scrape to get anywhere in the world--it would have been difficult for her to resist in today's world, much less two hundred years ago. Someone who was willing (even to fake) being nice to her and give her gifts that she needed (ice cream machine)--it would have taken a heart of stone to resist.
Maybe I've read too many historical novels, because I do appreciate books that leave a lot unsaid so that the readers can formulate these thoughts and feelings for themselves. That's not to say that this type is better, but it's just something I personally prefer. If you are the sort of person who always wants a sequel or who always wants a book written, but from the male's point of view, this kind of book is not for you.
To be honest, you really have to be a Marion Chesney fan to read her romances. They're not the usual sort of romance wherein the angst goes on for days without end, with the heroine staring at herself in the mirror, beating on her breast, and crying out "woe is me!" Her plots are fast-paced and ever forward-propelling. A lot of people will think that her characters don't seem to be fully fleshed out in their motivations, or what there is of their motivations is pretty cut and dry. I think all those criticisms are valid, but there are few enough authors who DO write like Marion Chesney that her writing style--always combined with extremely detailed historical factoids--are is a little rare gem. Might I also remind people that everyone loves Jane Austen, but she didn't imbue her characters with an overabundance of internal commentary either--and that was just how it went. I suppose if you only live to a maximum of 40-50 years of age, you don't spend most of that time bemoaning the fates.
What I appreciated about Marion Chesney is that even though this book is old, it has Chesney's usual feminist commentary of the times. The thing about Marion Chesney is that she doesn't take any of her characters too seriously and whenever I read her books, I think to myself that I really like Marion Chesney because she's so clear-eyed about people and her humour is sometimes so tongue-in-cheek that it's delightful.
This book was a comment on the age that Chesney thought she was writing, and Henrietta was someone who aspired to work and work hard for her living. I really felt for her, because she was the only person who propelled the scheme ever onward. To me, it wasn't outside the realm of impossibility for a woman who eschewed men and marriage to be taken in by a rich, handsome man. They say it's as easy to fall in love with a poor man, but I disagree. It's actually easier to fall in love with a rich man, and for someone like Henrietta who had to push and scrape to get anywhere in the world--it would have been difficult for her to resist in today's world, much less two hundred years ago. Someone who was willing (even to fake) being nice to her and give her gifts that she needed (ice cream machine)--it would have taken a heart of stone to resist.
Maybe I've read too many historical novels, because I do appreciate books that leave a lot unsaid so that the readers can formulate these thoughts and feelings for themselves. That's not to say that this type is better, but it's just something I personally prefer. If you are the sort of person who always wants a sequel or who always wants a book written, but from the male's point of view, this kind of book is not for you.
June 13, 2014
I keep seeing scathing reviews for the author's Regency romances and people comparing them, unfavorably, to Georgette Heyer's similar genre. While I love Heyer's books too, I also love these. What I love most about Chesney/Beaton's series of Regency Romances is the education she includes, almost off-handedly, about the period. She has obviously done her research and has a great knowledge of the customs, behaviors and many other minutiae, and includes them in her stories so that it makes the time period truly come alive. I remember many times reading Heyer's descriptions and names and phrases in which she just assumes that you know what they are or mean without any real explanation. This, especially for an American audience was confusing and sent me, then, to the encyclopedias (time before the internet!), yes, well, not a bad thing. Also, from what I remember, Heyer didn't go into a lot of detail describing little things of period interest or that would stand out. Chesney/Beaton's stories themselves, while maybe light and fluffy, are universal and familiar which make them so much fun to read when everything turns out for the good. Boy meets girl, there's an impediment, challenges, then they are overcome and everyone lives happily ever after. As I said, Chesney/Beaton, however, includes such period detail--this one has a fascinating description of how men of the time were fitted for leather breeches, and how they could nearly kill you if you get them wet, that is hilarious along with much information about the confectionery businesses of the time!
February 10, 2023
If I had read this In 1987 when it was first published, I may have given it more stars. But my tastes have become more sophisticated and this cozy romance fell a little flat for me. I was hoping the heroine, Henrietta, would resist the guile’s of her pursuer who I don’t think had the best morals. I loved the idea of a young girl with gumption gathering her misfit friends together to create a successful business in stuffy old chauvinistic England. Henrietta’s honesty and business sense plus her desire to succeed, and initially having no intention to marry, could have gone farther. Poor girl gives it all up when the handsome gent tells her “you will marry me or I will wring your neck!” She swoons and says yes.
Yeah, no.
M.C. Beaton is a good and prolific writer. The narrator’s genteel accent was pleasant enough to fit the story.
If you like clean and cozy romance. You’ll probably enjoy this little book.
Yeah, no.
M.C. Beaton is a good and prolific writer. The narrator’s genteel accent was pleasant enough to fit the story.
If you like clean and cozy romance. You’ll probably enjoy this little book.
April 1, 2012
I was looking for a regency romance in the style of Georgette Heyer and thought I'd give Marion Chesney a try. She's also a prolific mystery writer under the name M.C. Beaton. I was quite disappointed in this story. I didn't expect much of the plot but was at least hoping for some witty banter. The characters were underdeveloped and uninteresting. *Sigh* I don't know why it's so difficult to find decent books in this genre.
I'm now a little worried about the quality of writing in her famed Hamish McBeth series which I've been looking forward to trying for a long time but will probably give the first one a shot.
I'm now a little worried about the quality of writing in her famed Hamish McBeth series which I've been looking forward to trying for a long time but will probably give the first one a shot.
April 13, 2021
I really started to enjoy the characters and forgot just how short this book actually is. I would give it a 4 but I think the ending came so quickly and wrapped up so fast that I was a little disappointed. The description of the confection store and treats were wonderful to read and made the main character stand out.I guess a good way to describe the experience it was like a tatsey slice of cake and it sort made me wish for more. The story was quick, cute, and funny. I would recommend.
April 11, 2019
I loved Henrietta Bascombe’s intelligent and practical way to turn a pittance of an inheritance into a real “fortune” by employing her excellent baking skills to open a sweet shop in London good enough to rival the famous Gunthers. Particularly enjoyed the detail of the Beau Brummell figure Henrietta creates to drum up interest and business as well as the loving detail she imparted to the Earl of Carrisodowne’s dinner table centerpiece: a sugar recreation of the Battle of Salamanca. What is more perfect, after all, for a former solder now aristocrat than a battle in which he fought. Of particular humor in this one was the Earl’s friend’s new leather breeches which eventually had to be excised surgically for fear of cutting off his oxygen and circulation as well as the fashion color names for gentlemen’s breeches like “mud of Paris” and “Emperor’s Eye.” The other source of humor was Miss Hissop’s obsession with details of her planning her own funeral. Of course, this is MC so there is a rival for the earl’s affections in the form of another woman who, like Maria the Murdering Mistress, has a fondness for using arsenic to further her plots/schemes.
I didn’t like the Earl’s (Rupert) stuffy snobbery about “ladies in trade” and his superficial reasons for sabotaging Harriet’s sweet shop. I also was a little disappointed when Harriet’s intelligence quotient dropped a dozen or so points after she “fell in love” with stuffy sabotaging Rupert.
I didn’t like the Earl’s (Rupert) stuffy snobbery about “ladies in trade” and his superficial reasons for sabotaging Harriet’s sweet shop. I also was a little disappointed when Harriet’s intelligence quotient dropped a dozen or so points after she “fell in love” with stuffy sabotaging Rupert.
April 23, 2021
Really good until the end. Then the winner for WORST proposal ever. I'm disappointed she didn't turn him down and cover him with pie. He needed to do some serious groveling and there wasn't any. I don't know any reason she would have forgiven him with his groveling, let alone without it. Such a disappointing ending.
September 28, 2020
3.5 out of 5 stars
April 12, 2024
I love these crazy little British romance novels by Marion Chesney (aka MC Beaton). I have read so many, quite often bursting out with laughter along the way. Such adorable characters. They are also all clean reads.
August 20, 2023
A delightful romantic comedy that is one of MC's better Regency romances
I particularly enjoyed this MC Regency romance because the main plot is a satisfying romance, which is quite unusual for MC. All too often, a melodramatic murder plot takes over her novels, or a colorful band of eccentric characters massively overshadows the relationship between the romantic protagonists.
The heroine of this story, Henrietta, is an admirable young woman who shows a great deal of maturity, gumption, and compassion for someone who is only 19 years old.
The 33-year-old romantic hero, Rupert, Earl of Carrisdowne, is rich and handsome, but he is initially quite pompously full of his own importance. However, over the course of the novel, his pomposity decreases in direct proportion to his increasing respect and love for Henrietta. Refreshingly, unlike the vast majority of MC's romantic heroes, Rupert does not try to hide his regard from Henrietta or the world at large.
Best of all, Henrietta and Rupert are on stage together more than 50% of the book. This is an expected feature of the romance genre in general, which is almost always delivered by other romance authors but, unfortunately, is routinely lacking in the vast majority of MC romance novels.
There is a subplot with two murderous villains, which is another common theme for MC. And normally in MC novels, such plots overshadow the entire book, leaving the romance in the dust. But refreshingly, in this novel, attempted murder and mayhem do not come into play until the last third of the book, and they do not consume more than 10% of the story as a whole. MC's restraint in not laying it on thick with sudsy melodrama allows this story to consistently maintain a pleasantly amusing tone.
Contributing greatly to the humorous feel of this story as well is a quirky coterie of three loveable female friends who are Henrietta's business partners at her confectionery shop. The younger two are Charlotte, who is 20, and Josephine, who is 22. Each enjoys a delightful romance with two adorable young aristocrats. Their love stories were big hit with me, in particular, because secondary romances are among my favorite subplots in a romance novel.
Henrietta's third female friend is the 40-something, prudish spinster, Mrs Hissop, whose comedic kookiness steals the show every time she appears. Her greatest ambition in life is to depart this world with a flourish by financing as fabulous a funeral as possible. As a result, every scene in which she is dramatically involved elicits comedic comments from her either celebrating the expansion of or bemoaning limitations on the extent and quality of her proposed funeral celebration.
All in all, this is one of the better romance novels I have read from MC.
I particularly enjoyed this MC Regency romance because the main plot is a satisfying romance, which is quite unusual for MC. All too often, a melodramatic murder plot takes over her novels, or a colorful band of eccentric characters massively overshadows the relationship between the romantic protagonists.
The heroine of this story, Henrietta, is an admirable young woman who shows a great deal of maturity, gumption, and compassion for someone who is only 19 years old.
The 33-year-old romantic hero, Rupert, Earl of Carrisdowne, is rich and handsome, but he is initially quite pompously full of his own importance. However, over the course of the novel, his pomposity decreases in direct proportion to his increasing respect and love for Henrietta. Refreshingly, unlike the vast majority of MC's romantic heroes, Rupert does not try to hide his regard from Henrietta or the world at large.
Best of all, Henrietta and Rupert are on stage together more than 50% of the book. This is an expected feature of the romance genre in general, which is almost always delivered by other romance authors but, unfortunately, is routinely lacking in the vast majority of MC romance novels.
There is a subplot with two murderous villains, which is another common theme for MC. And normally in MC novels, such plots overshadow the entire book, leaving the romance in the dust. But refreshingly, in this novel, attempted murder and mayhem do not come into play until the last third of the book, and they do not consume more than 10% of the story as a whole. MC's restraint in not laying it on thick with sudsy melodrama allows this story to consistently maintain a pleasantly amusing tone.
Contributing greatly to the humorous feel of this story as well is a quirky coterie of three loveable female friends who are Henrietta's business partners at her confectionery shop. The younger two are Charlotte, who is 20, and Josephine, who is 22. Each enjoys a delightful romance with two adorable young aristocrats. Their love stories were big hit with me, in particular, because secondary romances are among my favorite subplots in a romance novel.
Henrietta's third female friend is the 40-something, prudish spinster, Mrs Hissop, whose comedic kookiness steals the show every time she appears. Her greatest ambition in life is to depart this world with a flourish by financing as fabulous a funeral as possible. As a result, every scene in which she is dramatically involved elicits comedic comments from her either celebrating the expansion of or bemoaning limitations on the extent and quality of her proposed funeral celebration.
All in all, this is one of the better romance novels I have read from MC.
May 31, 2017
This was terrible I normally at least like Marion Chesney work, I think I have only really liked one or two books. But I at least like reading them they are normal quick, cute, and entertaining. They are light and fluffy which is sometimes just what you need in a book. I was soooo disappointed by this book. First off, why even have them go into trade and have that be such a big part of who Heneritta is if she is just going to abandon it as soon as she meets a man. Also, the characters seem completely devoid of true depth and character. He just decides to make her fall in love with him and after one smile at her she is his? And he suddenly magically loves her an can't stand to be without her after a terrible date. I was so disappointed with this. The reason I read her books is because the romance is sweet and budding until full bloom, but not this book. Also, the villians just came out of no where this lady was with him once the whole book then all the way at the end she goes made and murderous this was ridiculous. I hope the rest of the books are more like the Dreadful Debutante which was exactly what a regency romance should be like.
February 8, 2024
3.5
I liked the heroine in this one. She was generous and enterprising especially at a time in history when it was difficult for ladies to go into trade.
She decides to put up a coffee shop with an inheritance she has been willed. She also wants this business to be successful so she can take care of her friends who are in the same impoverished state that she is in.
The Hero is a boor who thinks ladies should not go into trade and those that do, are one step away from social ruin. He resents that his younger brother and good friend frequent the coffee shop because they are attracted to the friends of the heroine. He even tries to destroy the reputation of the shop to put them out of business.
Thankfully he does not succeed for long. So he takes a different tactic by trying to make the pretty heroine fall for him. It backfires and he falls for her, but the path to happiness is not so smooth and its a rocky road to their happy ever after.
I liked the heroine in this one. She was generous and enterprising especially at a time in history when it was difficult for ladies to go into trade.
She decides to put up a coffee shop with an inheritance she has been willed. She also wants this business to be successful so she can take care of her friends who are in the same impoverished state that she is in.
The Hero is a boor who thinks ladies should not go into trade and those that do, are one step away from social ruin. He resents that his younger brother and good friend frequent the coffee shop because they are attracted to the friends of the heroine. He even tries to destroy the reputation of the shop to put them out of business.
Thankfully he does not succeed for long. So he takes a different tactic by trying to make the pretty heroine fall for him. It backfires and he falls for her, but the path to happiness is not so smooth and its a rocky road to their happy ever after.
April 11, 2018
Good plot, poor delivery
The story was nice, but the whole thing read like a draft. It was stilted and poorly executed. As an outline for a book, I enjoyed it. However it was intermixed with historical lectures which while interesting were not fitting in a novel.
All in all it was hard to read and not enjoyable.
The story was nice, but the whole thing read like a draft. It was stilted and poorly executed. As an outline for a book, I enjoyed it. However it was intermixed with historical lectures which while interesting were not fitting in a novel.
All in all it was hard to read and not enjoyable.
November 2, 2014
A bit of Regency fluff that I listened to on audiobook while sewing and doing mundane work tasks. I enjoyed the period details and descriptions of middle-class ladies trying to set up a confectionary shop.
February 24, 2023
A fun, quick romance, but the phrase “Marry me or I’ll wring your neck” is not the way to propose. So glad romances written today don’t have that BS. The downside of reading romances from the 80s. Rampant misogyny!
July 28, 2020
Some of Chesney's heros are such jerks. I usually like the ladies, though.
February 22, 2025
Marion Chesney at her best. Don't forget though, this book is from 1987! If you are interested in historical accuracy about Regency England and/or reading romance novels from different decades as a form of historical research about the Regency Romance genre over time, then this might be for you.
This book is a sugary sweet retelling of Pride and Prejudice, but instead of an embarrassing family, Henrietta's objectionable problem is that she - A LADY - wants to be in trade making candy and sweets, instead of shivering in genteel poverty until a husband turns up.
This review contains some light spoilers.
What I liked:
- Chesney takes her historical accuracy very seriously. The diligent research is clear; the ladies of the Golden Pineapple aren't just slopping ice cream into bowls and calling it a day, they are serving a variety of period-appropriate menus, they are dressed in Regency fashion, and the characters are in correct settings (ex. certain churches have sections for different social classes, there are places tradespeople cannot go - like through front doors of fancy houses, etc, which causes awkwardness for the characters).
This historical accuracy matters to me as a reader because inaccuracies take me out of the novel - I don't mind it all the time, but when it is well done, the book is more relaxing because I completely trust the author. It may not matter that much to you, but if it does, Marion Chesney is a balm to your Regency Romance soul.
- The plot still felt fresh! It was entirely predictable, but in a comforting way, not a boring way.
-It has held up pretty well over time (EXCEPT see below for the TWs). For a book that was published almost 40 years ago, this is a great example of a 1980's Regency Romance. Romance tropes evolve over time and change with societal tastes and norms, even for a stable genre staple like Regency.
Not for you if:
- You aren't into predictable plot lines
- You need super-developed characters
- You want spice. This one is pretty much no spice.
- You would prefer trigger warnings for fat-shaming, some minor dubious consent (unfortunately this is pretty standard for 80's romance in general), mention of sex work (not respectful), or attempted arson.
I picked it up because I was taking out both of the author's murder mystery series (Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth) from the library and the algorithm suggested I try a romance by her. I figured why not, as I'm interested in how these genres evolve over time. Glad I read it just to have context/perspective, but I don't think I'd read it again and I'm not sure I'd recommend it unless someone was also looking to read something representative of a good, solid 1980's Regency Romance.
This book is a sugary sweet retelling of Pride and Prejudice, but instead of an embarrassing family, Henrietta's objectionable problem is that she - A LADY - wants to be in trade making candy and sweets, instead of shivering in genteel poverty until a husband turns up.
This review contains some light spoilers.
What I liked:
- Chesney takes her historical accuracy very seriously. The diligent research is clear; the ladies of the Golden Pineapple aren't just slopping ice cream into bowls and calling it a day, they are serving a variety of period-appropriate menus, they are dressed in Regency fashion, and the characters are in correct settings (ex. certain churches have sections for different social classes, there are places tradespeople cannot go - like through front doors of fancy houses, etc, which causes awkwardness for the characters).
This historical accuracy matters to me as a reader because inaccuracies take me out of the novel - I don't mind it all the time, but when it is well done, the book is more relaxing because I completely trust the author. It may not matter that much to you, but if it does, Marion Chesney is a balm to your Regency Romance soul.
- The plot still felt fresh! It was entirely predictable, but in a comforting way, not a boring way.
-It has held up pretty well over time (EXCEPT see below for the TWs). For a book that was published almost 40 years ago, this is a great example of a 1980's Regency Romance. Romance tropes evolve over time and change with societal tastes and norms, even for a stable genre staple like Regency.
Not for you if:
- You aren't into predictable plot lines
- You need super-developed characters
- You want spice. This one is pretty much no spice.
- You would prefer trigger warnings for fat-shaming, some minor dubious consent (unfortunately this is pretty standard for 80's romance in general), mention of sex work (not respectful), or attempted arson.
I picked it up because I was taking out both of the author's murder mystery series (Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth) from the library and the algorithm suggested I try a romance by her. I figured why not, as I'm interested in how these genres evolve over time. Glad I read it just to have context/perspective, but I don't think I'd read it again and I'm not sure I'd recommend it unless someone was also looking to read something representative of a good, solid 1980's Regency Romance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2020
I've never read a romance that starts off so beautifully pure and ends so heart-stoppingly unromantic. I mean like Pamela level unromantic.
Super simple premise here: Young gentlewoman decides to work for a living and open up her own confectionary shoppe. Rich handsome Earl is flabbergasted (verbiage seemed appropriate) that she chose to degrade herself. Tries to sabotage her business. Falls in love with her.
Cute, right? Well, the first 98% of it was.
I'm sure Chesney knew of this trope while writing, but I'm just going to spell it out.
Step 1: Gent is an egotistical rake because he has lots of money;
Step 2: Gent falls in love with a lady below his class;
Step 3: Gent changes his ways and is no longer an egotistical rake;
Step 4: Gent gets the lady.
Simple. Overdone. Tasteful. I love it.
And then there is this book:
Step 1: Gent is an egotistical rake because he has lots of money;
Step 2: Gent falls in love with a lady below his class;
Step 3: Gent is still an egotistical rake with lots of money;
Step 4: Gent gets the lady.
LOVE.
Super simple premise here: Young gentlewoman decides to work for a living and open up her own confectionary shoppe. Rich handsome Earl is flabbergasted (verbiage seemed appropriate) that she chose to degrade herself. Tries to sabotage her business. Falls in love with her.
Cute, right? Well, the first 98% of it was.
I'm sure Chesney knew of this trope while writing, but I'm just going to spell it out.
Step 1: Gent is an egotistical rake because he has lots of money;
Step 2: Gent falls in love with a lady below his class;
Step 3: Gent changes his ways and is no longer an egotistical rake;
Step 4: Gent gets the lady.
Simple. Overdone. Tasteful. I love it.
And then there is this book:
Step 1: Gent is an egotistical rake because he has lots of money;
Step 2: Gent falls in love with a lady below his class;
Step 3: Gent is still an egotistical rake with lots of money;
Step 4: Gent gets the lady.
LOVE.
July 9, 2021
A joy to read! Though, it's not my all-time favorite book this year, I have to say that this story brought me a lot of happiness (and only a little frustration).
Such a lighthearted and silly story of Henrietta and her confectionery shop! All of the characters made me giggle in some way and, although I usually hate misunderstandings, these were almost like a joke and I was able to deal with it.
I loved the descriptions of the clothes, food, and people. I had no idea that the cozy mystery books I read in the past were written by the same author, M.C. Beaton/Marion Chesney. So fun!
I'm definitely going to continue with the other books in this "series". I don't think that the characters are the same, but they all fall under the "Love and Temptation" heading. I didn't realize that this was the second book in the series, so I'm reading the first one now.
Highly recommended if you're looking for a light, quick, and amusing read. I loved the Regency theme and sheer absurdity of it all.
Such a lighthearted and silly story of Henrietta and her confectionery shop! All of the characters made me giggle in some way and, although I usually hate misunderstandings, these were almost like a joke and I was able to deal with it.
I loved the descriptions of the clothes, food, and people. I had no idea that the cozy mystery books I read in the past were written by the same author, M.C. Beaton/Marion Chesney. So fun!
I'm definitely going to continue with the other books in this "series". I don't think that the characters are the same, but they all fall under the "Love and Temptation" heading. I didn't realize that this was the second book in the series, so I'm reading the first one now.
Highly recommended if you're looking for a light, quick, and amusing read. I loved the Regency theme and sheer absurdity of it all.
May 4, 2023
MC Beaton's books are always a pleasure to read.This book was very enjoyable with no unnecessary drags. Henrietta the heroine is alone in the world except for her friend miss hissop with whom she shares s house. Henrietta comes across an inheritance and decides to open a confectionery in London rivaling Gunters. She offers job to 2 of her known people Josephine and Charlotte whi are having a hard time in the village and together all four come to London and start their venture.
The shop is a success and Henrietta is a born baker.The hero Rupert earl of carrisdowne is against them as his brother and his best friend have fallen for Josephine and Charlotte and he doesn't approve their relationship as they are women in trade.But he himself cannot stop from falling in love with Henrietta and finally all ends well. I found the entire story a delight and fast paced and quite enjoyable especially the character of Miss hissop and practicality of Henrietta.
The shop is a success and Henrietta is a born baker.The hero Rupert earl of carrisdowne is against them as his brother and his best friend have fallen for Josephine and Charlotte and he doesn't approve their relationship as they are women in trade.But he himself cannot stop from falling in love with Henrietta and finally all ends well. I found the entire story a delight and fast paced and quite enjoyable especially the character of Miss hissop and practicality of Henrietta.
February 15, 2018
A group of down-on-their luck ladies decide to escape their troubles and open a confectioners in London. This is risky because the merchant class is not looked upon the same way as the gentry, but with a lot of flair and fashion they just might succeed. Of course, the brains behind the scheme, Henrietta, wants nothing to do with love and marriage but discovers that she must alter her behavior in order to protect the other ladies under her care. This means an involvement with an Earl. Of course.
Some of the best researched and craziest writing from Marion Chesney here - including the Earl getting stuck in his new leather breeches requiring an emergency "surgery" and close call indecent exposure, a mad ex who tries to burn down the confectionery and poison a centerpiece, as well as the former tutor and older companion of the ladies constantly planning her own funeral. Funny!
Some of the best researched and craziest writing from Marion Chesney here - including the Earl getting stuck in his new leather breeches requiring an emergency "surgery" and close call indecent exposure, a mad ex who tries to burn down the confectionery and poison a centerpiece, as well as the former tutor and older companion of the ladies constantly planning her own funeral. Funny!
January 15, 2022
Miss Henrietta Bascombe has been forced to live a simple, humble life since being left almost destitute after the death of her father, but when she inherits some money, it is the key to not only changing her own life, but the lives of three of her friends. An amazing baker and confectioner, she opens a shop in London with her friends helping her, the only problem is that gently bred ladies are not supposed to be in trade. But when the Earl of Carrisdowne sees that his brother and best friend have had their heads turned by two of the ladies, he sets forth on a mission to ruin her business.
Such a fun book, and I loved Henrietta and her spunk and determination. The only thing I didn't love was how some of the story came together at the end - parts felt odd and rushed, but otherwise a very fun read.
Such a fun book, and I loved Henrietta and her spunk and determination. The only thing I didn't love was how some of the story came together at the end - parts felt odd and rushed, but otherwise a very fun read.
July 20, 2025
I'm so conflicted because I enjoyed Henrietta, her friends and the boy. With hard work and integrity, they built new lives for themselves. The story was funny, clean and I cared for all those characters just mentioned.
What I didn't care for was the supposed "hero" of the story, Carrisdowne. I didn't see one reason why Henrietta should care for him. He is a pompous, prideful, unpleasant man who didn't really change in character. Yes, he eventually realized he'd "damned her without a hearing" but it didn't seem like he was all that apologetic. And, honestly, giving her a choice between "wringing her neck or marriage"? And the other two men? Do they only follow the lead of Carrisdowne? Yuck. None of them seemed worthy of those women.
But even with all that dislike of those male characters, I did enjoy the story :)
What I didn't care for was the supposed "hero" of the story, Carrisdowne. I didn't see one reason why Henrietta should care for him. He is a pompous, prideful, unpleasant man who didn't really change in character. Yes, he eventually realized he'd "damned her without a hearing" but it didn't seem like he was all that apologetic. And, honestly, giving her a choice between "wringing her neck or marriage"? And the other two men? Do they only follow the lead of Carrisdowne? Yuck. None of them seemed worthy of those women.
But even with all that dislike of those male characters, I did enjoy the story :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2022
A great journey, great characters, a delightful tangle of romances that had me giggling.
I'm only rating it so low because the ending absolutely sucked balls. It was so curt and unromantic. I was in full on denial checking to see if I missed a page of something. But that sucky ending was it.
**Ending Spoilers Below**
Dude called his working class girl a slut and asked her to be his mistress. She threw a pie at him. I'm all for it. But then he just comes back and very crudely demands forgiveness and she's all swoony and falling into his arms. Dude was too cheap to even spring for a bouquet of flowers. And then it ended. That was it. Good bye folks. I just felt gut punched. That was a terrible and very short ending. WTF?!
I'm only rating it so low because the ending absolutely sucked balls. It was so curt and unromantic. I was in full on denial checking to see if I missed a page of something. But that sucky ending was it.
**Ending Spoilers Below**
Dude called his working class girl a slut and asked her to be his mistress. She threw a pie at him. I'm all for it. But then he just comes back and very crudely demands forgiveness and she's all swoony and falling into his arms. Dude was too cheap to even spring for a bouquet of flowers. And then it ended. That was it. Good bye folks. I just felt gut punched. That was a terrible and very short ending. WTF?!
September 17, 2017
What Do Men Really Want?
This book processes to think that a male member of the tin will never even look at a young woman unless she practices all the many things that prove a young lady to be very rich as that's what a true female member of the ton must never hold a job or even think for herself! If he wants to miss her, she must be a prostitute! This book does it's best to prove that; however , the three men in this story seem to truly love these three shop girls, don't they?
This book processes to think that a male member of the tin will never even look at a young woman unless she practices all the many things that prove a young lady to be very rich as that's what a true female member of the ton must never hold a job or even think for herself! If he wants to miss her, she must be a prostitute! This book does it's best to prove that; however , the three men in this story seem to truly love these three shop girls, don't they?
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