What do you think?
Rate this book
Effingtons #7
The Lady in Question
Identical twins, sensible Delia and mischievous Cassandra Effington were the most delicious debutantes to ever waltz across a London ballroom. They looked alike in every way . . . but no one ever expected Delia to be the one to get into trouble . . .
How did this young lady's reputation become so questionable?
Once she was lovely, respectable Miss Delia Effington, but an impulsive decision—and subsequent disaster—forces Delia to retire from society. Until one night, desperate for diversion, she attends a ball as her twin sister and finds herself dancing in the strong arms of the dashing Viscount St. Stephens.
Delia believes she has never met this man who arouses her passions, yet he seems somehow familiar. For Delia doesn't know that St. Stephens, an agent for the Crown, has been in her home, protecting her under the disguise of her butler. What will happen when this lady discovers the truth about the man she has come to love?
How did this young lady's reputation become so questionable?
Once she was lovely, respectable Miss Delia Effington, but an impulsive decision—and subsequent disaster—forces Delia to retire from society. Until one night, desperate for diversion, she attends a ball as her twin sister and finds herself dancing in the strong arms of the dashing Viscount St. Stephens.
Delia believes she has never met this man who arouses her passions, yet he seems somehow familiar. For Delia doesn't know that St. Stephens, an agent for the Crown, has been in her home, protecting her under the disguise of her butler. What will happen when this lady discovers the truth about the man she has come to love?
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
62 people are currently reading
924 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Alexander
64 books1,322 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander was an award winning television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real life. She turned to writing full time and is still shocked it worked out.
Since the publication of her first book in 1995, she has written thirty-one full length novels and six novellas. The Perfect Wife—originally published in 1996 and reissued in March 2008—hit #1 on the New York Times list. Sixteen of her books are bestsellers hitting the New York Times, USA Today and/or Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. With books translated into more than a dozen different languages she has readers around the world and has twice been nominated for Romance's Writers of America prestigious RITA award. In 2009 she was given a Career Achievement Award from RT Bookclub and was named Historical Storyteller of the year in 2003. In 2008 she was the keynote speaker for the Romance Writers of American annual conference in San Francisco. Victoria credits much of her writing success to her experiences as a reporter.
Her years as a broadcast journalist were spent in two radically different areas of the country: Nebraska and West Virginia. In West Virginia, she covered both natural and manmade disasters. She was on the scene when a power plant construction accident in a small town left 52 men dead. She once spent the night on a mountain waiting to learn of the fate of coal miners trapped in a mine collapse. Victoria was producing a newscast when her husband (who worked at the same television station) and several other journalists were held hostage by a disturbed Vietnam veteran. In Nebraska, she reported on the farm crisis and watched people lose land that had been in their families for generations. She covered the story that was the basis of the movie BOYS DON’T CRY and once acted as the link between police and a gunman who had barricaded himself in his home. Her investigative work exposed the trucking of New York City garbage to a small town dump in rural Nebraska.
During her journalism career, Victoria covered every president from Ford to Clinton. She knows firsthand what it feels like to be surrounded by rising floodwaters and inside a burning building. She’s interviewed movie stars including Kevin Costner, ridden an elephant and flown in a governor’s helicopter. She’s covered a national political convention and Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Denver as well as small town festivals celebrating everything from walnuts to Glen Miller. Her work was honored by numerous organizations including the Associated Press who called a feature about a firefighter’s school "story telling genius". It was the encouragement she needed to turn from news to fiction. She’s never looked back.
Victoria claims her love of romance and journalism is to due to the influence of her favorite comic book character: Lois Lane, a terrific reporter and a great heroine who pursued Superman with an unwavering determination. And why not? He was extremely well drawn.
Victoria grew up traveling the world as an Air Force brat. Today, she lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and her dogs. Victoria had two bearded collies, Sam and Louie (named from characters in one of her books). Sam (on the left), the best dog in the world for 13 ½ years, passed away in September 2010. Louie took on the position of loyal companion and did a fine job even though he doesn't understand that kitchen counter surfing is not allowed!
Now he's been joined by Reggie, also a faithful companion.
They all live happily ever after in a house under constant renovation and the accompanying parade of men in tool belts. And never ending chaos. Victoria laughs a great deal—she has to.
New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander was an award winning television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real life. She turned to writing full time and is still shocked it worked out.
Since the publication of her first book in 1995, she has written thirty-one full length novels and six novellas. The Perfect Wife—originally published in 1996 and reissued in March 2008—hit #1 on the New York Times list. Sixteen of her books are bestsellers hitting the New York Times, USA Today and/or Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. With books translated into more than a dozen different languages she has readers around the world and has twice been nominated for Romance's Writers of America prestigious RITA award. In 2009 she was given a Career Achievement Award from RT Bookclub and was named Historical Storyteller of the year in 2003. In 2008 she was the keynote speaker for the Romance Writers of American annual conference in San Francisco. Victoria credits much of her writing success to her experiences as a reporter.
Her years as a broadcast journalist were spent in two radically different areas of the country: Nebraska and West Virginia. In West Virginia, she covered both natural and manmade disasters. She was on the scene when a power plant construction accident in a small town left 52 men dead. She once spent the night on a mountain waiting to learn of the fate of coal miners trapped in a mine collapse. Victoria was producing a newscast when her husband (who worked at the same television station) and several other journalists were held hostage by a disturbed Vietnam veteran. In Nebraska, she reported on the farm crisis and watched people lose land that had been in their families for generations. She covered the story that was the basis of the movie BOYS DON’T CRY and once acted as the link between police and a gunman who had barricaded himself in his home. Her investigative work exposed the trucking of New York City garbage to a small town dump in rural Nebraska.
During her journalism career, Victoria covered every president from Ford to Clinton. She knows firsthand what it feels like to be surrounded by rising floodwaters and inside a burning building. She’s interviewed movie stars including Kevin Costner, ridden an elephant and flown in a governor’s helicopter. She’s covered a national political convention and Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Denver as well as small town festivals celebrating everything from walnuts to Glen Miller. Her work was honored by numerous organizations including the Associated Press who called a feature about a firefighter’s school "story telling genius". It was the encouragement she needed to turn from news to fiction. She’s never looked back.
Victoria claims her love of romance and journalism is to due to the influence of her favorite comic book character: Lois Lane, a terrific reporter and a great heroine who pursued Superman with an unwavering determination. And why not? He was extremely well drawn.
Victoria grew up traveling the world as an Air Force brat. Today, she lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and her dogs. Victoria had two bearded collies, Sam and Louie (named from characters in one of her books). Sam (on the left), the best dog in the world for 13 ½ years, passed away in September 2010. Louie took on the position of loyal companion and did a fine job even though he doesn't understand that kitchen counter surfing is not allowed!
Now he's been joined by Reggie, also a faithful companion.
They all live happily ever after in a house under constant renovation and the accompanying parade of men in tool belts. And never ending chaos. Victoria laughs a great deal—she has to.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
October 9, 2021
Ik heb de Nederlands talige uitgave gelezen : Dubbele maskerade - Candlelight Historische roman 524
Te veel blablabla te weinig actie .
Te veel blablabla te weinig actie .
March 12, 2018
Reviewed for THC Reviews
"3.5 stars" I’ve really struggled with Victoria Alexander’s books thus far. I genuinely want to like them, and there are certainly things I have liked about them. But despite that, the majority of the ones I’ve read so far have only rated in the 3-3.5 star range for me, which is just an OK read on my ratings scale. Unfortunately The Lady in Question was yet another of her books that didn’t quite make it out of that OK range. I liked the characters pretty well. Both the hero and heroine are nice people, albeit a little bland, especially given the fact that the hero is an agent of the Crown, which is why I felt that both of their characterizations could have gone a little deeper. Also the plot is pretty weak with very little happening during the first ¾ of the book. Leaving all the action until the very end is a habit I’ve noticed in some of Ms. Alexander’s others works, as well. I saw missed opportunities to liven things up and make the plot more interesting. So despite liking the main characters, I had a hard time getting into their story.
Philadelphia, known only as Delia to her family and friends, along with her twin, Cassandra are, I believe, the youngest of the Effington siblings. Cassie is the one everyone is always expecting to get into trouble, while everyone believes Delia is the sensible one. However, Delia caused a scandal when she married a man she hardly knew and then he disappeared and was presumed dead mere days later. Six months have gone by during which she’s supposed to be in mourning, but she never knew him well enough to fall in love with him and resents having to wear black and remain in seclusion for so long. Delia is a spirited girl who wants to have grand adventures. Since her husband only bedded her once, she also wants to use her newfound freedom as a wealthy widow to become a “woman of experience.” When Delia meets the mysterious Viscount St. Stephens while masquerading as her twin at a ball, she thinks he might be the perfect man with whom to begin gaining some experience, but she didn’t expect to fall in love with him so quickly and fears that history might be repeating itself. For the most part, I really liked Delia. She made one mistake and now as a result, she’s received society’s censure and even her family, aside from Cassie, are largely ignoring her, making her feel very lonely. The only issue I had is that her getting so upset with Tony over his masquerade as one of her servants when he was only looking out for her safety seemed a little hypocritical given that she was pretending to be someone else, too, when they first met. Otherwise, she was a pretty good heroine who is independent and isn’t afraid to ask for what she wants.
As the younger half-brother of the Viscount St. Stephens, Tony went into the military, which later turned into him becoming a spy and an agent of the Crown. Then his older brother died without an heir, leaving him the new viscount. When his friend, Delia’s first husband, goes missing, they believe he’s dead, but he was in pursuit of some sensitive documents which they’re still hoping to find. Then Delia’s new home is ransacked, so the powers that be put Tony in charge of a group of undercover agents who are tasked with protecting her, while still searching the house for the missing documents. However, he plans for this to be his final assignment, as he needs to take up his title. For the time being, he instead takes up the disguise of her elderly butler, and when she proves to be lonely and in need of help putting her husband's affairs in order, he unexpectedly becomes her friend and confidante. They spend long hours together working, as well as playing backgammon and simply talking, during which Tony comes to admire Delia very deeply. When she plans a trip to her family’s home in the country, he knows he can’t go as her butler, so he decides to go as himself instead. During a ball, he meets up with Delia who is masquerading as her sister, but Tony immediately realizes it’s her. He rapidly begins to fall in love with her grace and beauty and can’t resist seeing more of her outside of his servant’s disguise. I really liked Tony. His main thought is always for Delia’s safety and I enjoyed his protectiveness. He’s a real sweetheart, who romances her by trying to give her some of the grand adventures she’s craving, but ultimately he wants the grandest adventure to be falling in love with him.
I’d have to say that some of the same things I’ve both liked and disliked about Victoria Alexander’s other books are the same things I liked and disliked about The Lady in Question. I’ll start with my dislikes, one of which I mentioned before was the plotting. Considering that the agents felt there was enough of a threat to Delia’s life for her to need their protection, nothing the least bit frightening happens until the very end of the book, at which point the villain is very quickly apprehended and dispatched with little fanfare. I think the story would have been a lot more interesting if there had been more intrigue and a sense of danger throughout. Also, during the first ¾ of the book, there are a number of scenes that contain unnecessary and long-winded filler dialogue that doesn’t really advance the plot or characterizations like it should. As with the previous book of the series, the author also has a penchant for the two word rhetorical questions, such as “Have I?,” “Do you?”, “Is it?”. While not quite as plentiful as they were in the last book, there were still enough to be noticeable and a few too many in my estimation. As I also mentioned, I would have liked if the characterizations had been fuller and richer. I just didn’t feel like they got to the place where I really understood what made Tony and Delia tick. I saw some potential for going to that deeper place, but it was more like the author was skimming the surface of what they could have been.
As for what worked for me, Tony and Delia were both very likable even if they were a little bland. I could feel the all-important emotional connection between them that can really make or break a romance. The sexual tension was well-done and so were the two love scenes, one of which was a little spicy. Once things got moving, the final quarter of the book was more engaging, so that it at least ended on a fairly high note. The supporting cast was pretty good, although it appears the only character who gets a book of their own is Delia’s sister, Cassie. She becomes the heroine of the next book of the series, The Pursuit of Marriage. Overall, The Lady in Question was a cute story and a decent read, but I think that it could have been much more than that. I’ll probably read Cassie’s book, and depending on how that goes, all bets may be off as to whether I’ll continue to read more of Ms. Alexander’s work.
"3.5 stars" I’ve really struggled with Victoria Alexander’s books thus far. I genuinely want to like them, and there are certainly things I have liked about them. But despite that, the majority of the ones I’ve read so far have only rated in the 3-3.5 star range for me, which is just an OK read on my ratings scale. Unfortunately The Lady in Question was yet another of her books that didn’t quite make it out of that OK range. I liked the characters pretty well. Both the hero and heroine are nice people, albeit a little bland, especially given the fact that the hero is an agent of the Crown, which is why I felt that both of their characterizations could have gone a little deeper. Also the plot is pretty weak with very little happening during the first ¾ of the book. Leaving all the action until the very end is a habit I’ve noticed in some of Ms. Alexander’s others works, as well. I saw missed opportunities to liven things up and make the plot more interesting. So despite liking the main characters, I had a hard time getting into their story.
Philadelphia, known only as Delia to her family and friends, along with her twin, Cassandra are, I believe, the youngest of the Effington siblings. Cassie is the one everyone is always expecting to get into trouble, while everyone believes Delia is the sensible one. However, Delia caused a scandal when she married a man she hardly knew and then he disappeared and was presumed dead mere days later. Six months have gone by during which she’s supposed to be in mourning, but she never knew him well enough to fall in love with him and resents having to wear black and remain in seclusion for so long. Delia is a spirited girl who wants to have grand adventures. Since her husband only bedded her once, she also wants to use her newfound freedom as a wealthy widow to become a “woman of experience.” When Delia meets the mysterious Viscount St. Stephens while masquerading as her twin at a ball, she thinks he might be the perfect man with whom to begin gaining some experience, but she didn’t expect to fall in love with him so quickly and fears that history might be repeating itself. For the most part, I really liked Delia. She made one mistake and now as a result, she’s received society’s censure and even her family, aside from Cassie, are largely ignoring her, making her feel very lonely. The only issue I had is that her getting so upset with Tony over his masquerade as one of her servants when he was only looking out for her safety seemed a little hypocritical given that she was pretending to be someone else, too, when they first met. Otherwise, she was a pretty good heroine who is independent and isn’t afraid to ask for what she wants.
As the younger half-brother of the Viscount St. Stephens, Tony went into the military, which later turned into him becoming a spy and an agent of the Crown. Then his older brother died without an heir, leaving him the new viscount. When his friend, Delia’s first husband, goes missing, they believe he’s dead, but he was in pursuit of some sensitive documents which they’re still hoping to find. Then Delia’s new home is ransacked, so the powers that be put Tony in charge of a group of undercover agents who are tasked with protecting her, while still searching the house for the missing documents. However, he plans for this to be his final assignment, as he needs to take up his title. For the time being, he instead takes up the disguise of her elderly butler, and when she proves to be lonely and in need of help putting her husband's affairs in order, he unexpectedly becomes her friend and confidante. They spend long hours together working, as well as playing backgammon and simply talking, during which Tony comes to admire Delia very deeply. When she plans a trip to her family’s home in the country, he knows he can’t go as her butler, so he decides to go as himself instead. During a ball, he meets up with Delia who is masquerading as her sister, but Tony immediately realizes it’s her. He rapidly begins to fall in love with her grace and beauty and can’t resist seeing more of her outside of his servant’s disguise. I really liked Tony. His main thought is always for Delia’s safety and I enjoyed his protectiveness. He’s a real sweetheart, who romances her by trying to give her some of the grand adventures she’s craving, but ultimately he wants the grandest adventure to be falling in love with him.
I’d have to say that some of the same things I’ve both liked and disliked about Victoria Alexander’s other books are the same things I liked and disliked about The Lady in Question. I’ll start with my dislikes, one of which I mentioned before was the plotting. Considering that the agents felt there was enough of a threat to Delia’s life for her to need their protection, nothing the least bit frightening happens until the very end of the book, at which point the villain is very quickly apprehended and dispatched with little fanfare. I think the story would have been a lot more interesting if there had been more intrigue and a sense of danger throughout. Also, during the first ¾ of the book, there are a number of scenes that contain unnecessary and long-winded filler dialogue that doesn’t really advance the plot or characterizations like it should. As with the previous book of the series, the author also has a penchant for the two word rhetorical questions, such as “Have I?,” “Do you?”, “Is it?”. While not quite as plentiful as they were in the last book, there were still enough to be noticeable and a few too many in my estimation. As I also mentioned, I would have liked if the characterizations had been fuller and richer. I just didn’t feel like they got to the place where I really understood what made Tony and Delia tick. I saw some potential for going to that deeper place, but it was more like the author was skimming the surface of what they could have been.
As for what worked for me, Tony and Delia were both very likable even if they were a little bland. I could feel the all-important emotional connection between them that can really make or break a romance. The sexual tension was well-done and so were the two love scenes, one of which was a little spicy. Once things got moving, the final quarter of the book was more engaging, so that it at least ended on a fairly high note. The supporting cast was pretty good, although it appears the only character who gets a book of their own is Delia’s sister, Cassie. She becomes the heroine of the next book of the series, The Pursuit of Marriage. Overall, The Lady in Question was a cute story and a decent read, but I think that it could have been much more than that. I’ll probably read Cassie’s book, and depending on how that goes, all bets may be off as to whether I’ll continue to read more of Ms. Alexander’s work.
August 21, 2012
I listened to the audiobook version. The narrator was great, but the story dragged. I skipped through a lot of the tracks because it was so drawn out and I got frustrated with the writing being so long-winded and taking forever to get to the point. Had I been actually reading the book I would have been skimming through it as well to get to the important parts. There was too much unimportant fluff going on, in my opinion. **Minor Spoiler** I also had an issue with the fact that toward the beginning Tony gave away the fact that he was a spy and discussed the situation with Delia's uncle with no verification that the Duke was who he said he was and really was a part of the Department of Security, or whatever Department they're a part of. I feel like there should have been some sort of exchange of passwords, or a secret handshake in the least to establish the validity of each other's standing to each other before the exchange of important information. But maybe I've just read too many spy novels and watched too many movies/TV shows...
August 25, 2020
Siempre que hay una historia de gemelas voy a por ello de cabeza. Pero resultó decepcionante. Todo el rato se repiten las mismas ideas, varias veces, los personajes no los veo muy definidos y se da una versión mucho más machista de lo que estoy acostumbrada en este tipo de libros (se que es a causa de la sociedad pero....). Aparte la trama en sí, es molesto que continúen estirando del hilo hasta el final, cuando se podría haber resuelto mucho antes y así acortar el libro o meter un desenlace más amplio (aunque yo votaría por acortarlo). Tengo el siguiente libro ya empezado y tampoco me está entusiasmando, y no se cuál es ya la gemela interesante, pero me está pareciendo que ninguna.
October 27, 2010
Delia (Philadelphia Effington) and St. Stephens: Delia is the good twin, the quiet one who decides to embark upon a grand adventure with a rake, sleeps with him, he insists on marriage, a few days later, he is murdered. She inherits his home and a substantial fortune. Turns out her husband had been a spy who had used her in order to get close to her family in order to get to a notebook containing “The Effington Papers”, which has inflammatory (and false) information against the Effingtons and their influence. The marriage to Delia was an unexpected twist that none of the colleagues had expected and also resulted in a huge scandal for her and her family.
Upon Delia’s return to London, she takes up residence in her inherited home which has a new staff (spies) which are protecting her because now she is a suspect in the death of her husband. St. Stephens is also a spy and has been away from society for years. He is Delia’s new butler and in a disguise of an older man. Delia is supernice and the staff adores her because of it. Her twin is banned from visiting her because of her influence and she’s very much alone; she befriends her butler and they spend long hours talking. He is quite taken with her.
Delia’s family decides to welcome her back into society although she is only 6 months into her mourning period, she has attended a ball at Effington house. St. Stephens is at the party and is asked to meet with the Duke, Delia’s uncle who turns out to be the head of the agency, St. Stephen’s superior. He knows about him posing as butler and tells him to do the right thing with his neice, which I take it to mean marry her as she can’t be living in a house by herself without a chaperone. By this point he is smitten with her anyway. Delia is eager to dance and luckily, her identical twin sister has arranged for her to change into a dress identical to her own so that she do so. She ends up dancing in the Viscount’s arms and then the story drags out for a bit…she is scared to tell him she’s Delia, not Cassie which he already knows and then he needs to confess that he’s really the butler. She’s looking for a “grand adventure”, fire in the home, she finds out the truth, something else happens, I forgot…these two get married. Really sweet story.
Upon Delia’s return to London, she takes up residence in her inherited home which has a new staff (spies) which are protecting her because now she is a suspect in the death of her husband. St. Stephens is also a spy and has been away from society for years. He is Delia’s new butler and in a disguise of an older man. Delia is supernice and the staff adores her because of it. Her twin is banned from visiting her because of her influence and she’s very much alone; she befriends her butler and they spend long hours talking. He is quite taken with her.
Delia’s family decides to welcome her back into society although she is only 6 months into her mourning period, she has attended a ball at Effington house. St. Stephens is at the party and is asked to meet with the Duke, Delia’s uncle who turns out to be the head of the agency, St. Stephen’s superior. He knows about him posing as butler and tells him to do the right thing with his neice, which I take it to mean marry her as she can’t be living in a house by herself without a chaperone. By this point he is smitten with her anyway. Delia is eager to dance and luckily, her identical twin sister has arranged for her to change into a dress identical to her own so that she do so. She ends up dancing in the Viscount’s arms and then the story drags out for a bit…she is scared to tell him she’s Delia, not Cassie which he already knows and then he needs to confess that he’s really the butler. She’s looking for a “grand adventure”, fire in the home, she finds out the truth, something else happens, I forgot…these two get married. Really sweet story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2011
Cassandra and Philedelphia Effington are identical twins. Everyone keeps an eye on Cassie as she is the one who is outspoken and most likely to cause a scandal, they thought.
Seems Delia wanted the exciting grand adventure and found it in the flirting a well known rogue, Charles Wilmont. She is soon married to avoid a scandal and within four days, a widow.
Delia went into hiding with a distant aunt and now she has returned to London in her mourning clothes. It has been six months since her husbands death. She has an odd mixture of house servants. Gordan her butler becmes her close friend and confidant. Mrs Miller, the cook and housekeeper, can neither clean nor cook. And Mac, well who knows about the Scot. What Delia don't know is that they are all working for the government and watching over her. That her husband was an agent and whoever murdered him might come after her. Also she did not know that her old butler Gordan was also the handsome Anthony St. Stephens, a Viscount.
This book keeps the intrigue through out. You are never sure whether Charles really died or who may have killed him.
*sexual situations
Seems Delia wanted the exciting grand adventure and found it in the flirting a well known rogue, Charles Wilmont. She is soon married to avoid a scandal and within four days, a widow.
Delia went into hiding with a distant aunt and now she has returned to London in her mourning clothes. It has been six months since her husbands death. She has an odd mixture of house servants. Gordan her butler becmes her close friend and confidant. Mrs Miller, the cook and housekeeper, can neither clean nor cook. And Mac, well who knows about the Scot. What Delia don't know is that they are all working for the government and watching over her. That her husband was an agent and whoever murdered him might come after her. Also she did not know that her old butler Gordan was also the handsome Anthony St. Stephens, a Viscount.
This book keeps the intrigue through out. You are never sure whether Charles really died or who may have killed him.
*sexual situations
September 13, 2012
This was my first in the series, and I found it very enjoyable. Likable characters, several unexpected and fun plot twists, and classic mistaken identity switcheroos (ah yes! But she doesn't know that I know she knows!).
It started well, and had an excellent finish, but felt a little long in through the middle. At around the 50% mark, the action seemed to slow down noticeably, and there was quite a lot of dialog that didn't seem to advance the plot. This minor flaw was very excusable, since the characters were so pleasant and well drawn that it was enjoyable to simply 'hang out' with them for a while.
It started well, and had an excellent finish, but felt a little long in through the middle. At around the 50% mark, the action seemed to slow down noticeably, and there was quite a lot of dialog that didn't seem to advance the plot. This minor flaw was very excusable, since the characters were so pleasant and well drawn that it was enjoyable to simply 'hang out' with them for a while.
March 9, 2017
4.5 Stars
Identical twins in looks but nothing in manner, sensible Delia and mischievous Cassandra Effington took London by storm. No one expected Delia to be the one that got herself into trouble. On a whim Delia attends a ball posing as her sister and there meets the dashing Viscount St. Stephens. What Delia doesn't know is that as an agent for the Crown, St. Stephens has been posing as a butler in her own house.
This one was really good. I loved the interplay between the twins, Delia and Cassandra, and the mistaken identity that went along with the story.
Identical twins in looks but nothing in manner, sensible Delia and mischievous Cassandra Effington took London by storm. No one expected Delia to be the one that got herself into trouble. On a whim Delia attends a ball posing as her sister and there meets the dashing Viscount St. Stephens. What Delia doesn't know is that as an agent for the Crown, St. Stephens has been posing as a butler in her own house.
This one was really good. I loved the interplay between the twins, Delia and Cassandra, and the mistaken identity that went along with the story.
February 12, 2018
Meh.
2.5*... didn’t hold my interest, so I probably missed the main points.
I’m not really sure why everyone falls in love with Delia at the drop of a hat, not sure how they developed a relationship in a week, and REALLY not sure why there was such a convoluted story for Tony to be in her house. I think I’d have rather read about Wilmont & Mrs. Miller instead.
2.5*... didn’t hold my interest, so I probably missed the main points.
I’m not really sure why everyone falls in love with Delia at the drop of a hat, not sure how they developed a relationship in a week, and REALLY not sure why there was such a convoluted story for Tony to be in her house. I think I’d have rather read about Wilmont & Mrs. Miller instead.
August 24, 2025
Nice, entertaining romance but I would have loved to have seen a little more suspense, given the plot of the story.
November 12, 2022
The premise: Miss Philadelphia Effington, married only 4 days to Charles Wilmont, has become a widow. What she doesn't know is that her late husband was a spy trying to glean information from her during his flirtations. What she also doesn't know is that her new butler, Gordon, is really the Viscount St. Stephens, colleague to Charles. He was placed in her home by the agency to protect her.
Miscellaneous notes: The historical background to this novel was just that...background. For this time period, Delia was a true tart. Uck. Her desire to become a "woman of experience" really took me out of the time period and made me dislike her. Otherwise, I daresay I would have rated this book higher.
Now, Tony, on the other hand, I loved. Heck, I even loved "Gordon".
One aspect of Ms. Alexander's writing that bothered me was the examination of Delia and Tony's feelings and thoughts...over and over and over again. This book could have easily been three quarters as long and not lost a thing.
Miscellaneous notes: The historical background to this novel was just that...background. For this time period, Delia was a true tart. Uck. Her desire to become a "woman of experience" really took me out of the time period and made me dislike her. Otherwise, I daresay I would have rated this book higher.
Now, Tony, on the other hand, I loved. Heck, I even loved "Gordon".
One aspect of Ms. Alexander's writing that bothered me was the examination of Delia and Tony's feelings and thoughts...over and over and over again. This book could have easily been three quarters as long and not lost a thing.
January 30, 2019
Twins--double trouble--and Delia is definitely in trouble after her impulsive marriage and subsequent, almost immediate, widowhood. Good thing her sister Cassie is available to help her find a life again, although not in exactly the most respectable manner when she meets Anthony St. Stephens. I enjoyed this immensely, thanks to delightful banter and a believable, if brief, courtship between two engaging, likeable characters and a lively supporting cast. There's a mystery too, and more than one disguised identity involved, making for an entertaining read.
November 29, 2023
Delia s-a casatorit in graba, si la scurt timp soţul a fost omorât. A fost plecat 6 luni ca sa evite scandalul, si la intoarcere se trezeste singura in casa sotului ei, cu mostenirea care i-o lasat-o si personal nou... Noul majordom, un tânăr viconte, agent secret si un bun prieten al soţului Deliei, este pus sa o protejeze ... Dar totul i-a alta intorsatura si se termina cu o nunta. Dar nimic nu este usor atunci când se afla adevarul...
July 6, 2020
This is one of the most sexist books I’ve ever read. I understand that that type of thinking was common for this time period, but I wish the mindset of the main love interest was not that women are shallow and can’t do anything themselves. And, if I was living in this time and I wanted to kill my husband, the fact that I would have to wear black for a while would not stop me. Seriously.
April 11, 2024
DNF. I didn't think it was possible to have characters with so little personality. Here's a heroine who's not feminine and a hero who's not masculine - moreover, he's disguised as an old man! Whom she feels drawn to! Creepy! Very bad premise, with the disguise, the 1-week first marriage, and the twin swap.
July 24, 2017
3.5 stars
August 27, 2018
I wasn't very impressed with this story and halfway through, I just skimmed through the rest of the book. It was moving so slowly.
December 31, 2018
Twins that makes this story very interesting.
January 28, 2019
3.5 stars
Cute. 😊
Cute. 😊
November 4, 2020
This was definitely not one of my favorite of her books
November 18, 2022
A decent read. Not the most exciting story and reasonably predictable from the second chapter but a decent female lead.
May 24, 2024
Just did not hit
August 4, 2025
A little hard to read
This particular novel has a promising premise but it's very slow. Not one one Victoria Alexander's best. Read it if you have time to spare.
This particular novel has a promising premise but it's very slow. Not one one Victoria Alexander's best. Read it if you have time to spare.
November 2, 2016
2.5 Stars
January 4, 2011
Post listen review: I went into this thinking I would want to give it negative stars and chuck it out the window which is how I have felt about most of the romance books I have listened to in my effort to listen to all the fictional audiobooks at the library. But to my great surprise this one was actually ok. Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying anyone should go out and read romance books (they mostly suck really badly) but if you absolutely have to read or listen to one, this is the one you should choose. At least in the A section of the library.
The premise was pretty funny and kind of enjoyable. It's set in London in the 1880's. A woman has married a man who was killed a week later. She never loved the man and is now a widow who has a large family fortune and has been left a hefty sum by her late husband. The scandal of her running off with the husband is mostly blowing over because a. he is now dead and b. her sister is able to spin it so that she was madly in love with the husband. The truth is she never cared that much for the husband but now is labeled a "woman of experience" and figures she might as well become one.
To add to that, she is unaware of the fact that her husband was a spy for the state and killed because of it. He had been looking into her family to see if he could find some papers critical to the government before he was killed. Unbeknownst to the woman is that her butler is actually a Viscount masquerading as a butler. The Viscount is a spy and contemporary of the woman's husband and trying to finish what the husband started.
The woman, Delia, is charmed by the Viscount in public and private and confides in her butler not knowing they are one and the same. You can probably guess how that turns out. No, really you can.
This book has some funny old people in it which I always like in books. The Effington women all seem to be prone to scandal and not one of them thinks Delia's is very bad at all. They hold a whole "tribunal" to discuss scandals and the grandmother is particularly funny.
There is also some genuinely (and for once in a romance book intentionally) funny dialougue. "He really is an honorable man... What a pity." And there is a scene in Hyde park involving a camel that was truly laugh inducing. But not in an I can't believe this is so bad way.
Still it is a romance and so has the following-
A rakish rogue who may actually be rakish but is not at all a rogue.
A friend who is appalled and excited by the romance (this time it's a twin sister)
Shopping. Well ok, redecorating but it amounts to the same thing which is an excuse for women to get together and gossip. But of course this time the butler is there to hear about it and uses the whole thing to his advantage.
Rich dudes. No one in romance books is poor. This is no exception. But for a change the woman really doesn't need the money and isn't that impressed with the nice things the guy could buy for her since she is loaded too. (Well ok maybe she was impressed with the camel to some extent but that was a rental)
Happy ending. But this time I wasn't going man I would hate to meet these people.
All this earns this book an unprecedented second star from me for a romance. But don't think that means the next romance will get a second star. It's going to at least have to have a camel in it for that!
Pre-listen guess: I am guessing I am going to hate this.
The premise was pretty funny and kind of enjoyable. It's set in London in the 1880's. A woman has married a man who was killed a week later. She never loved the man and is now a widow who has a large family fortune and has been left a hefty sum by her late husband. The scandal of her running off with the husband is mostly blowing over because a. he is now dead and b. her sister is able to spin it so that she was madly in love with the husband. The truth is she never cared that much for the husband but now is labeled a "woman of experience" and figures she might as well become one.
To add to that, she is unaware of the fact that her husband was a spy for the state and killed because of it. He had been looking into her family to see if he could find some papers critical to the government before he was killed. Unbeknownst to the woman is that her butler is actually a Viscount masquerading as a butler. The Viscount is a spy and contemporary of the woman's husband and trying to finish what the husband started.
The woman, Delia, is charmed by the Viscount in public and private and confides in her butler not knowing they are one and the same. You can probably guess how that turns out. No, really you can.
This book has some funny old people in it which I always like in books. The Effington women all seem to be prone to scandal and not one of them thinks Delia's is very bad at all. They hold a whole "tribunal" to discuss scandals and the grandmother is particularly funny.
There is also some genuinely (and for once in a romance book intentionally) funny dialougue. "He really is an honorable man... What a pity." And there is a scene in Hyde park involving a camel that was truly laugh inducing. But not in an I can't believe this is so bad way.
Still it is a romance and so has the following-
A rakish rogue who may actually be rakish but is not at all a rogue.
A friend who is appalled and excited by the romance (this time it's a twin sister)
Shopping. Well ok, redecorating but it amounts to the same thing which is an excuse for women to get together and gossip. But of course this time the butler is there to hear about it and uses the whole thing to his advantage.
Rich dudes. No one in romance books is poor. This is no exception. But for a change the woman really doesn't need the money and isn't that impressed with the nice things the guy could buy for her since she is loaded too. (Well ok maybe she was impressed with the camel to some extent but that was a rental)
Happy ending. But this time I wasn't going man I would hate to meet these people.
All this earns this book an unprecedented second star from me for a romance. But don't think that means the next romance will get a second star. It's going to at least have to have a camel in it for that!
Pre-listen guess: I am guessing I am going to hate this.
March 4, 2017
Delia was the sensible twin who, in a sudden desire for "grand adventure" had sex with and married a notable rake. But she didn't know he was a spy and he got himself murdered and she's left to deal with the scandal. When she returns from her self-imposed exile, she hires a whole houseful of servants, who she doesn't know are also spies. One of them, Gordon, is really Viscount St. Stephens, who quickly falls in love with Delia and begins to court her in his regular persona. There's a lot of deception between the two of them, so a lot of confessions need to be made.
This wasn't a bad book, but it did drag at times and I had a lot of trouble connecting with the characters. I honestly didn't like Delia that much. I found myself irritated with her periodic selfishness and desire for adventure. I think I'd expected a bit more maturity and she was really cavalier about the death of her husband. And there was a lot of mention about how sensible she was not to confuse lust and love with her first husband, but then St. Stephens says something about being thankful that she wasn't able to engage in physical intimacies without the emotional trappings...and yet she already had. I didn't really have too much of a problem with St. Stephens, other than his apparent lack of a ethics, what with eavesdropping intermittently on Delia's personal conversations for no apparent reason, lying to her about who he is and marrying her without giving her the truth. I'm honestly surprised she got over it as quickly as she did. But as I said, there was a lot of deception. In fact, the deception on St. Stephens' part made it very difficult to pinpoint his personality - what was real and what was an act. And so, made it difficult to connect with him. It also made it a little weird how quickly Delia fell in love with him - she barely even knew him.
This wasn't a bad book, but it did drag at times and I had a lot of trouble connecting with the characters. I honestly didn't like Delia that much. I found myself irritated with her periodic selfishness and desire for adventure. I think I'd expected a bit more maturity and she was really cavalier about the death of her husband. And there was a lot of mention about how sensible she was not to confuse lust and love with her first husband, but then St. Stephens says something about being thankful that she wasn't able to engage in physical intimacies without the emotional trappings...and yet she already had. I didn't really have too much of a problem with St. Stephens, other than his apparent lack of a ethics, what with eavesdropping intermittently on Delia's personal conversations for no apparent reason, lying to her about who he is and marrying her without giving her the truth. I'm honestly surprised she got over it as quickly as she did. But as I said, there was a lot of deception. In fact, the deception on St. Stephens' part made it very difficult to pinpoint his personality - what was real and what was an act. And so, made it difficult to connect with him. It also made it a little weird how quickly Delia fell in love with him - she barely even knew him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2013
Original historical romance with a smart 22 year old heroine who runs off to marry an infamous rake after only a month of secret meetings (very few of those because of the strict social obligations), then after only a few days of marriage he mysteriously disappears and is probably dead which leaves Miss Delia Effington, suddenly the married then now the widowed Lady Wilmont. Strangely karma strikes quickly because Delia is the most scandalous lady of the winter because of her actions and embarrasses her powerful rich family to be punished by a very isolated restrictive widowhood grieving period dressed in black. Isolation can drive some prisoners insane, so it isn't a walk in the park for this social friendly young lady.
So after hiding out for 6 months in the lovely Lake District ( I spent two fun and damp weeks in that beautiful area! It was quite far away from London, like a foreign country) Delia arrives to open up her dead husband's house and hires a few strange but kind servants like the very old Butler, Gordon. But there is a lot things going down in the background because Lord Wilmont was actually a spy for England and his best friend (and not at all old) is spying on Delia by disguising himself as her butler, Viscount Anthony St. Stephens. We see through the POV of Tony and Delia as they trade off in the progress of the story. There are lots of secrets, but the best thing about these couple is that they talk to each other and express their love openly which is so different from other historical romances.
There are love scenes, but it is rare and earned because they know each other so well from quiet nights playing backgammon.
374 pages and bought at Jellys2 used bookstore for 3.95$
3 stars
So after hiding out for 6 months in the lovely Lake District ( I spent two fun and damp weeks in that beautiful area! It was quite far away from London, like a foreign country) Delia arrives to open up her dead husband's house and hires a few strange but kind servants like the very old Butler, Gordon. But there is a lot things going down in the background because Lord Wilmont was actually a spy for England and his best friend (and not at all old) is spying on Delia by disguising himself as her butler, Viscount Anthony St. Stephens. We see through the POV of Tony and Delia as they trade off in the progress of the story. There are lots of secrets, but the best thing about these couple is that they talk to each other and express their love openly which is so different from other historical romances.
There are love scenes, but it is rare and earned because they know each other so well from quiet nights playing backgammon.
374 pages and bought at Jellys2 used bookstore for 3.95$
3 stars
April 2, 2011
Lady Wilmont, formerly Delia Effington, was married for a little less than three days when her husband was murdered. She married him somewhat precipitously, causing a scandal, but now she's been in mourning for seven months and it's beginning to feel like punishment. What she doesn't know is that her former husband was a spy and left some very important papers hidden in her house. Now a new spy, Anthony, Viscount St. Stephens, has been installed in her house, disguised as an elderly butler. The more Tony learns more about this "scandalous" widow, the more he is interested to learn. In fact, Delia seems rather tame, if somewhat bullheaded. He decides to approach Delia as himself and finds that she is attracted to him too. How can he reveal his secret? But will she every trust him again? And where are the papers her former husband hid?
Better than Cassandra's story but definitely a book I liked better when I was younger.
Better than Cassandra's story but definitely a book I liked better when I was younger.
August 27, 2018
Identical twins, sensible Delia and mischievous Cassandra Effington were the most delicious debutantes to ever waltz across a London ballroom. They looked alike in every way . . . but no one ever expected Delia to be the one to get into trouble . . . How did this young lady's reputation become so questionable? Once she was lovely, respectable Miss Delia Effington, but an impulsive decision—and subsequent disaster—forces Delia to retire from society. Until one night, desperate for diversion, she attends a ball as her twin sister and finds herself dancing in the strong arms of the dashing Viscount St. Stephens. Delia believes she has never met this man who arouses her passions, yet he seems somehow familiar. For Delia doesn't know that St. Stephens, an agent for the Crown, has been in her home, protecting her under the disguise of her butler. What will happen when this lady discovers the truth about the man she has come to love?
September 19, 2019
another book read out of order, and in the effingtons series the plot suffers from lack of mise en scene. reading over reviews i now remember the story and have since read several more effingtons titles, giving me again, a new perspective. i may have to read this title again, but remembering a series of events am recasting my rating and encouraging those to read the series is some sequence.
Am about to read Cassandra's book and not remembering the twin was disconcerting. yes i know all of G Heyer's plots by heart but those include readings again and again over five decades. so when done with Cassandra I may return to Delia. I will comment that books one and three were highly entertaining. as i am rereading a Boscastle book read again out of order starring Emma, i must admit that having the backgrounds of these families make the plots that much more attractive.
Am about to read Cassandra's book and not remembering the twin was disconcerting. yes i know all of G Heyer's plots by heart but those include readings again and again over five decades. so when done with Cassandra I may return to Delia. I will comment that books one and three were highly entertaining. as i am rereading a Boscastle book read again out of order starring Emma, i must admit that having the backgrounds of these families make the plots that much more attractive.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews