The Weaver Takes a Wife

Weaver #1

by Sheri Cobb South

Haughty Lady Helen Radney is one of London's most beautiful women and the daughter of a duke, but her sharp tongue has frightened away most of her suitors. When her father gambles away his fortune, the duke's only chance for recouping his losses lies in marrying off Lady Helen to any man wealthy enough to take a bride with nothing to recommend her but a lovely face and an eight-hundred-year-old pedigree. Enter Mr. Ethan Brundy, once an illegitimate workhouse orphan, now owner of a Lancashire textile mill and one of England's richest men. When he glimpses Lady Helen at Covent Garden Theatre, he is instantly smitten and vows to marry her. But this commonest of commoners will have his work cut out for him if he hopes to win the heart of his aristocratic bride.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Regency, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Marriage Of Convenience

269 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle freebie romance time! This is a charming, light Regency romance, in the Georgette Heyer style. It’s fairly standard as RR’s go except for one truly major difference: the hero, Ethan Brundy, is a lowborn man who’s risen to great wealth. He doesn’t fit in at all in high society, with his common speech and ill-fitting clothes. He's pleasant-looking, but not really handsome.

But when Ethan sets eyes on Lady Helen, the elegant and sharp-tongued daughter of a duke, he falls instantly in love and determines to marry her. She, on the other hand, is absolutely appalled by the idea, but her father the duke has managed to gamble away his entire fortune, and Ethan’s offer looks to the duke like a Godsend.

Recommended (especially if it’s still a freebie) if you like this sort of read.

Content notes: clean. Some use of the Lord's name.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cut this some slack for an incredibly bad beginning. I mean, Ethan pretty much buys Helen directly from her father in a meeting where they dicker over price. And it turns out that Ethan fell madly in love at first sight and that never changes despite her being fundamentally mean.

The thing is that neither character really works at all. Ethan is unfailingly kind and generous, including instigating lifestyle and safety reforms at his factories. Which all should have had the opposite effect of making him one of the richest men in England, frankly. But fine, wish-fulfillment whatever I'll roll with it.

But Helen is just mean. Ethan rolls with it because he's "in love". And there's something to be said for kind treatment healing a wounded soul. So I kind of wanted to see that happen and persisted way, way longer than I was inclined to just to see it happen. And yeah, Helen softens. But even though she finds herself in love with him, she still a) doesn't show him any kindness b) doesn't give him any affection, and c) doesn't trust him with helping her out of problems. The entire last third of this story is her doing one stupid thing after another, including lying to Ethan to get money that will go to the man who is openly scheming to sleep with her! And time and again she encounters a situation where talking to Ethan will pretty much solve everything. But no. She decides to do one dumb thing after another instead. It reached the last straw when she decides to rob the scheming letches house in dead of night to retrieve a necklace he stole. Because that has any chance of actually working! And the potential for being caught in that bastards house, at night, just makes this stupid beyond all possible reason. This woman is too stupid to have nice things. And that includes Ethan.

So yeah, Helen is a dead loss. I find her as intolerable when she's in love with Ethan as I did when being a jerk was her default mode. All the period errors I passed over, all the opaque motivations I skipped, all the broad east-ender patois I just rolled with . . . all in vain. I'm left not only with a distaste for the novel itself, but I doubt I'll give anything by Sheri Cobb South a second look in future.

[Merry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am working on reading books that I own (most of these are free and worth the price paid). This one I rate at 3.55* So it gets bumped up to a 4* read. It starts off fun and sweet, bogs down in the middle and ends on a sugar high as we go sweet again. No new territory but a fast light read.

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very pleasantly surprised with this one, it is one of the cutest regency books I’ve read. I really enjoyed the story line and our two main characters Ethan and Helen. Helen is not too excited about her marriage to Ethan, but slowly she begins to see what a catch this non-gentleman is. At first I was not that impressed with him, I think the way he spoke really turned me off (a part of my was hoping it was just a pretending), after awhile I didn’t notice it as much and I fell for him along with Helen. He really is such a sweet guy, but also isn’t afraid to stand up for himself or his wife if the need arises. Overall, this was just a fun regency read, well written, fast paced and lighthearted. Definitely recommend it to all regency fans!

[Kremena Koleva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheri Cobb South e използвала сарказма на Марк Твен, ироничната нотка на Джейн Остин и цялата смазваща реалност на днешния ден, за да разкаже историята на лейди Хелън Радни и собственика на тъкачница Етан Брънди. От съвременна гледна точка някои от перипетиите на героите може да изглеждат като излезли от раклата с нафталина. Но дали е така? Драмата на нашето съвремие е изборът ни на титулуван елит в обществото. Мнозина не са заслужили тази чест нито с талант, нито с упорит труд , а по - рядко с някое човеколюбиво деяние. По - честичко елитът ни се състои от физиономии, явявали се в съмнителни по смисъл и съдържание реалити продукции, в политически борби или привлекли вниманието с пълната си дебилност. А когато такава звезда блесне и с някой спечелен лев, тя започва да поучава публиката си чрез блогърски и влогърски страници.
По времето на Регентството смесването на прослойките е било повод за припадъци. Смесването на паричните средства донякъде е било като размахването на ароматни соли пред носа на припаднала матрона. Тоест, бързо е премахвало някои съмнения в произхода на джентълмена с дълбоки джобове. Дори, ако не е роден със сребърна лъжичка в устата, ами, например, е син на перачка. Особено пък, ако въпросният джентълмен, идващ от низините на обществото, е в състояние да изплати сума, дължима от хазарт на джентълмен с титла на осемстотин години. Такава една сума, която иначе може да поддържа малка енория в разцвет близо 10 години.
Даааа!!! Парите са отваряли врати и са затваряли усти в продължение на векове! Купували са и жени! Особено такива, като лейди Хелън Радни. Чийто език на пепелянка й оставя избор на съпруг само в лицето на собстветика на тъкачница Етан Брънди. Който, по случайност, е един от най - богатите хора в Англия.
Браво на Господин Етан Брънди, бих казала аз! С хладнокръвието си и с безкрайната му незаинтересованост от подводните течения на елитното лондонско общество, той използва всички свои добродетели, за да постигне целите си. За разлика от родените с титла джентълмени, които стигат нивото на комарджии, изнудвачи и крадци, за да задоволят всяка низка страст, за която се сетят.

* " Love...levels all ranks, and lays the shepherd’s crook Beside the scepter. "
/ EDWARD BULWER-LYTTON,
The Lady of Lyons

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This thoroughly charming Regency Romance, originally published in 1999 and now re-issued in digital formats, features a type of hero rarely found in historical romance. Mr Ethan Brundy isn’t titled, he isn’t a gentleman or a snappy dresser and while not unattractive, is no well-muscled Adonis. The one thing he does have in common with many an aristocratic hero, however, is that he’s incredibly wealthy.

The owner of a cotton mill and various other businesses in the north of England, Ethan is on a rare visit to London in the company of a couple of friends, when he espies the most beautiful woman he has ever seen and immediately determines to marry her.

His friends try to warn him off. Lady Helen Radney, daughter of the Duke of Reddington might be beautiful, but she is widely known for her shrewish disposition and her ability to wound an unwanted suitor at twenty paces with her sharp tongue.

But Ethan is well and truly smitten, and won’t be deterred. He discovers that the duke’s finances are in dire straits, and offers to pay him a large sum of money in exchange for Helen’s hand in marriage. Unsurprisingly, the lady herself is appalled – by Ethan’s working-class accent, his ill-fitting clothes and most of all, his lowly origins - and makes it abundantly clear that while she has no alternative but to obey her father’s instruction and marry him, she dislikes him intensely and has no intention of being an affectionate spouse.

The story follows a predictable course, it’s true, but what makes The Weaver Takes a Wife so enjoyable is the characterisation, the way the author develops the central relationship and most of all, Ethan himself, who is a truly captivating hero.

Ethan is a self-made man, a workhouse boy who, having shown an aptitude for the work to which he was assigned, was subsequently adopted by his employer who had no son of his own. Ethan learned the business, took the man’s last name – having none of his own – and eventually inherited his ‘father’s’ mills and other businesses. He refuses to be cowed by the haughty disdain of the members of the ton and one of the most attractive things about him is that he is a man who knows who he is and is comfortable in his own skin.

Helen is proud and cold, and has no intention of being anything else toward her husband, but can’t help being surprised by his kindness and generosity. Still, the idea of her coming to feel anything for her husband looks unlikely at best. When, on their wedding day, her bridegroom tells her that it would please him were she to call him Ethan, she replies –

”I wonder, Mr Brundy what makes you think pleasing you must be an object with me?”

- and takes every opportunity she can to slight him. Her progress from scornful bride to loving wife is accomplished beautifully as she comes to see what the reader has seen from the outset – that her husband is a true diamond in the rough – and that she (like the reader) wouldn’t want him any other way.

The Weaver Takes a Wife is a delight from start to finish; a real feel-good, pick-me-up read and one I’m sure I’ll be revisiting in future.

[Wollstonecrafthomegirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a lovely little story. Nothing at all too challenging about it and I read it straight through in a few hours. Very working class factory owner falls in love with Duke's daughter at first sight and, essentially, buys her from her Father who is in serious financial difficulties. Probably not a realistic story (for a Duke, that is) until later in the 19th century but, other than that, it felt very period appropriate.

I liked Ethan's easy confidence and the sense that none of the tons set downs could really get to him, given his tragic background - a bit of mockery over his clothes is nothing. Helen (or, 'elen to Ethan) is less easy to like but good as the imperious Duke's daughter with the witty, cruel tongue (although Cobb had an unfortunate habit of feeling the need to explain her set downs - just let the reader get there on their own).

The book falls down significantly because I didn't buy Helen's transformation to loving wife, or, it's not that I didn't buy it, exactly, I'm just not sure why it happened. Ethan's nice and all, buuuuut, not super attractive or super intelligent, or super funny. I think we're supposed to believe it was his kindness and openness that did it, but there could have been a more interesting examination of a woman with one of life's coldest and most aloof backgrounds discovering how to see people in new ways through the eyes of a very open, honest man, - the idea just never quite got there. I was left with the sense Helen fell for him because he was nice to a kid at his factory which seemed a little too easy for me.

The romance generally was ok. I was very disappointed (although not surprised) that the sex was fade to black.

I enjoyed this, but I loved the premise and wish there had been a bit more meat to the actual book to really get the bet out of the characters, the story and the romance.

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4 stars!
An absolutely charming and heartwarming story with some really original elements - like the H who's a true blue working class fella with an accent to go with it.
“Lady 'elen."
"My name is Helen, Mr. Brundy," she said coldly.
“Very well—'elen," said Mr. Brundy, surprised and gratified at being given permission, and on such short acquaintance, to dispense with the use of her courtesy title.

*Spoilers* A single glance and he falls for the cold and haughty h and decides on the spot he would marry her. He more or less 'buys' the h's hand in marriage from her impoverished duke father. Mind you, her noble bloodline and her social eminence has nothing to do with his decision.
So, the choosy lady who has decimated and scared away many a suitors in the three years since her come out finds herself shackled to a man who is not only a lowly (albeit a very wealthy) tradesman with a common accent but one who is nondescript looking and a shabby dresser - a complete embarrassment, in other words.

But she falls for his kind heart and warm, winsome ways pretty soonish and herein lies the problem. She is portrayed as a very haughty and fastidious person and her falling for him seems too easy and convenient and well, too soon. I wasn't convinced with her falling in love or her thoughts taking us there.

But, in all a thoroughly delightful read.

[seton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: light traditional Regency
Sensuality: kisses only

A mill owner falls in love with the haughty daughter of a duke and buys her for marriage. He eventually wins her over with his smarts, good humour, and gentleness.

One of the best trad Regency I've read in a decade or so. I prefer the comedic Mary Balogh or Marion Chesney to Georgette Heyer but if you like any of the three, you should like this.

Rating: 4.25

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Mr. Brundy," she said with a nod, making the most perfunctory of curtsies to her father's guest.
He made no move to take her hand, but merely bowed and responded in kind. "Lady 'elen."
"My name is Helen, Mr. Brundy," she said coldly.
"Very well- 'elen," said Mr. Brundy, surprised and gratified at being given permission, and on such short acquaintance, to dispense with the use of her courtesy title.”

I got this audiobook from the author. I first read this 17 years ago when it first came out and remembered it fondly. I love a romance between unequal partners particularly when the heroine is in a higher position than the hero. It did not disappoint on the second reading. Sheri has a nice way with a humorous turn of phrase. The narrator was very good, but sometimes let the Weaver's plebian northern accent bleed into his narration. Also, with most male narrators, his female voice tended to be affected and simpering. I look forward to reading the audio version of In Milady's Chamber,the first in her John Pickett regency mystery series.
3.5 stars

https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....

[Sofia]

Greatly enjoyed reading this - was great company on my Saturday. Whilst writing this I've already started the second book.

I found Cobb South's mix of wit and brevity a great combination. Whilst reading some of the vocabulary, turns of phrase used reminded me very much of My Fair Lady.



Fits slot 2. of my reading challenge - a book that's been on your TBR list for way too long

[Abigail Bok · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ethan Brundy is a young but successful mill owner in Regency Lancashire. On a trip to London, we meet him at Covent Garden in the company of a few aristocratic friends; there he espies Lady Helen Radney, the beautiful but shrewish daughter of a duke. Not a man given to roundaboutation, he declares on the spot that she is the woman who will become his wife.

We quickly learn a little about Brundy's background: raised in a London workhouse, he was sold to a mill owner as a youth to work the looms. But the mill owner takes a shine to him and brings him up to manage the business, then conveniently dies, leaving Ethan fabulously wealthy at the age of twenty-eight.

For all his wealth, Ethan is not a man who craves to enter the ranks of the haut ton; he has simple tastes and a straightforward approach to life. Lady Helen regards him as an insect. But her father, the duke, is in financial straits and is willing to entertain Ethan's suit.

This being a Regency romance, you can guess the rest, dear reader. There is an antagonist of a rather cardboard variety, some sweet but uncomplicated common folk, and a few more aristocrats thrown in to help the story along. The gradual rapprochement of Ethan and Lady Helen was charmingly achieved but I felt we were only skimming the surface of the characters' potential. And the climactic events were pretty preposterous--in general, the plot was full of logical holes.

For me, this book was a pleasant diversion for an afternoon, but it did not rise to the level of Georgette Heyer.

[Jacqueline J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this sweet regency. It is light on character development. The author does not delve all that deeply into what the characters are feeling. The hero was particularly well done with his sense of humor hinted at by the expressions on his face. His actions were kind and his words to her were lovely. The heroine was a bit less enjoyable but it didn't take her long to come around to appreciating him.

The story line was both novel and well used. The hero here was a textile mill owner, which was different since he was not a duke or what have you. On the other hand, the plot which has the heroine hiding a gambling debt from the hero is quite often used in regencies but it wasn't too onerous to read and the resolution was quick and fairly well done.

All in all a light but satisfying quick read.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Regency in the tradition of Georgette Heyer. It borrows heavily from April Lady and also from Pygmalion. (There's even a Col. Pickering!) Mr. Brundy isn't a dashing hero but he's a nice man and likable in his own way. Helen is spoiled and not very likable in the beginning but her character has depth and as the story goes on she grows and matures. There's a slight element of danger to make things more interesting but mostly this is a quiet book about life as a married couple. For me, this story was only average. I'm not crazy about misunderstanding plot and arranged marriage plots. I think fans of Georgette Heyer's more quiet, mature stories will enjoy this one though.

[gottalottie · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was a fine, straightforward marriage of convenience story but it was a little bit low effort, like the author has to say “their camaraderie grew during this time” but we don’t really get to see much of that

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, this was utterly charming. I would have actually given it five stars if not for the numbskull escapade near the end of the book (those just aren't my favorite). But, yes, it was so cute and it made me chuckle a number of times. A fast and highly entertaining read, I recommend it!

Kindle freebie.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This was so delightful, fun, and really lighthearted. Loved every moment of it.

The writing is good, the pacing is steady and even, the characters are a lot of fun, and the romance is so pure. Ethan was great. I loved how from first sight he was head over heels in love with Helen. If you’re worried that this is a insta-love romance, it’s not because Helen takes a while to come around to him. Helen is such an Ice Queen and I loved her from the beginning. I love Ice Queen characters when done right and she definitely was. Watching her melt and fall for Ethan was wonderful even though she was so stubborn about it. Also, this is a marriage of convenience which is my kryptonite. Love it. This was such a lovely read and I cannot wait to continue on with the rest of the series.

[Mela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok. Perhaps the main plot is a cliche:

A good man falls in love in a more or less spoiled girl, thanks to his money marries her, and of course, with time she starts to see his good heart and falls in love too. Add to this some misunderstandings and you have a classic plot for a romance.

But all depends on that if it was well used. And it was done very good here.

It is a rather short novel and it made for me a funny, enjoyable Sunday. And when I finished it I had a big, sweet smile on my face.

If you want more information and deeper analysis (with which I agree) read a review of Emilia Barnes.

[BJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a sweet gem. The spoiled h is sold by her arrogant father to the H. He's in trade, physically and culturally unattractive - at first, but then while the h is beautiful, she's a very unattractive character too - at first. We see them learn about each other, and while he fell in love at first sight, the h takes a while to see and accept his qualities. I loved this book although I really would have liked some steam, sadly it's all off page. I'm a fan and will buy the next book.

[Zena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful. I loved every minute of this engaging story.
While Sheri Cobb South weaves colorful pictures in ones mind, Noah Michael Levine tells this tale in the audiobook with so much gusto and feeling that he totally brings it to life.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was simply a delightful fun romance. It kept me flipping pages well into the night because I had to finish it. My only complaint would be that it wasn't five times as long!

[Melanie (lemonyreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was perfectly darling! It's been a while since I read a book so quickly.

After about 40% I started to feel pulled into the story and it got better and better.

The romance was a bit like a feral cat and its loving owner for a while. Eventually it turns around to mutual affection but expect her to be vicious for a bit.

Ethan is a sweetheart, and he charmed me. If Helen wasn't going to accept him, I'd take him off her hands.

The pace was wonderfully steady, and I can't believe how fast the time flew by.

The dialogue was funny and sweet. I found myself feeling giddy and blushing on the inside.
"...having at last heard his name upon her lips, he lost no more time in kissing it off."

THOUGHTS:
I wanted a bit more meat to the story. Her personality turn around felt unnaturally fast, but could be perfect for readers who don't like to wait.

I would have liked for her to show that she really deserves him, but she didn't fully prove herself to me. Maybe I'm just jealous and want Ethan for myself. Haha!

OVERALL:
If you love fast paced regency/Victorian romances and want to swoon and laugh, then this is the book for you. Be patient with Helen. Shes a brat but somehow comes through in the end.

(Closed door romance)

[Seon Ji (Dawn)]

Note to self. Hero very very sweet and very honorable. Insta love with h. Has only eyes for her

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite story lines in Historical Romance is that of a romance that crosses the classes of society and boy did this one ever. A wealthy mill owner with the lowest of pedigrees falls in love at first sight with the daughter of an impoverished duke. The Lady Helen despises him on sight, but this does not detour Ethan Brundy. Yep, and when the bell rings come out of your corners fighting... except that oddly dressed, quietly assertive gentle man didn't give Helen the fight she was aiming all her clever plots and verbal barbs for. Instead, he set out to gain the love of his wife by being himself.

Any one of Manchester's dozens of cotton mills could produce calico and gingham, but this one produced a man. He had been tempered in the fires of poverty and hard labor, forged into a man unlike any Town beau she had ever known. He was the gentlest of men, yet he had held his ground against the Duke of Reddington's towering rage. He was an astute businessman, yet he treated his workers with consideration and fairness. He debated labor reform with members of Parliament, yet he took the trouble to buy peppermints for a child in his employ...The great irony was that there was no place in Society for such a man. Loc 1355 Lady Helen from The Weaver Takes a Wife

This was a lovely, sweet and heartwarming story with enough romp to it to keep it interesting. A story of which Georgette Heyer would be proud. In fact, reading this one reminded me so much of a Georgette Heyer Regency right down to the sparkling characters and the cunning dialogue.

The story opens with Ethan Brundy out with his two London friends to the theater, but it is not the play that grabs his attention. In a confident tone, he informs Lord David and Sir Aubrey that he will marry the beautiful Lady Helen and will Lord David please get him an introduction. Ethan Brundy is a nice fellow, but Lord David doesn't want to see him cut down by the shrewish tongue of one of the Ton's bluest of bluebloods. His friend's speech, dress and manner smack of his merchant class origins, but David is finally persuaded to help Ethan. And low and behold, it is not much longer that Ethan gains his bride to the shock of upper class society.

Helen is appalled that her father's gambling debts have emptied the family coffers to the point that she is sold to the mushroom Cit who is now her husband. She is determined to teach the upstart Mr. Brundy a thing or two about reaching above himself and trying to think himself the equal of his betters. Her every waspish word and cold mannered scheme is met with gentle kindness and generosity. He even agrees to not touch her for at least six months to allow her a chance to adjust to him. Plotting against her husband and even gaining a few possible triumphs become hollow victories because he seems pleased for her to do as makes her happiest. The only time her husband becomes agitated is when she allows one of her previous suitors to lead her into the waltz and monopolize her time. She soon learns that using Lord Waverly might have been a mistake because her former suitor isn't finished with her it seems.

As time goes on, Ethan tries to be patient especially as he sees his wife softening toward him and he is warmed beyond belief when she wishes to accompany him on his trip north to deal with some mill business. Helen starts to accept that her marriage might be a good thing when her family's gambling weakness lands her in trouble again. She suddenly doesn't want to lose the admiration of her husband so she lies to him and plots around him to rescue her brother from debt only to be hit with blackmail and an offer that disgusts her.

This was a sweet gentle romance between two unlikely people. I loved the juxtaposition of their places in life, but also that the story is told against two opposite settings of London society and Manchester mill life. Ethan was bought out of a workhouse to work in a mill and Helen is raised in the most pampered worlds. The whole story is about how these two connect across the divide. The historical backdrop was very authentic without bogging down the story and I loved that. The pacing is slower, but steady. The characters were not deeply sketched, but they were wholly drawn so that one could know them. Helen isn't likeable at first when she is like Shakespeare's Shrew, but I loved seeing her change. Ethan is a doll from cover to cover. Although, I wished he had gone with his basest instinct and punched the jerk Waverly a good one.

The romance in this one is as chaste as it comes so that this book could be read by a young girl or a sensitive spinster great-aunt. It totally relied on the plot and characters to carry it and these held strong.

All in all this was an engaging bit of distraction that I would recommend to lovers of Sweet Historical Romance that takes place in an authentic setting.

My thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely regency romance. Our hero sees a beautiful lady and falls insta love. Luckily her father is deeply in debt and our hero is very rich. Unfortunately he is also among the working class.
At first our heroine hates him and never lets him forget that she is a lady. But with time and mountains of his patience, they fall in love.

[OLT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our hero here is not titled. As a matter of fact, he spent a good deal of his youth in the workhouse for the poor, never knew who his father was and never got much of an education. He's not tall and handsome, has terrible taste in clothing and doesn't pronounce his h's. So, blimey, that's not much of a romance novel 'ero, is it?

Well, now you know what he isn't. So what is he? For one thing, he's very rich, having worked his way up from the poorhouse all the way to owning his own textile mill and also has invested wisely on the Stock Exchange. But that's not as important as the fact that, gosh darn it, he's downright noble, honorable, kind, hardworking and thoughtful.

Heroine Lady Helen is not so nice. Although beautiful, she's haughty, aloof and alienating. So when her father, the Duke of Reddington, loses most of his money recklessly, what can he do but sell his daughter off to our hero, who had seen her across a crowded theater and knew she was The One for him.

Well, just sit back and enjoy this short romantic tale, not exactly either "The Taming of the Shrew" or a "My Fair Lord". It's just a cute little rather improbable love story with a more unique hero than you usually find in a Regency. This is, BTW, from 1999 and is one of those clean, closed-bedroom-door romances but it's charming. It's not perfect, perhaps because it is very short. I didn't find Helen to be as haughty or off-putting, even at the beginning, as the description of the book had made it seem she would be, but I suppose a very radical change on her part would have required a much longer book.

This was my first book by this author. Don't know how I had missed her back in the day, but better late than never, as they say. That's the wonder of e-books.

[Mary - Buried Under Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

My feelings on this are pretty much the same as that of Old Latin Teacher's review on Amazon.

Her review is here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2WQV7RV...

[ꕥ Ange_Lives_To_Read ꕥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much. A sweet, gentle, good-natured Regency romance with all the elements I enjoy about the genre.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Sheri Cobb South Book. Now I am a huge fan!! This book was so much fun to read!

[starryeyedjen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes you just want a fun romp into historical romance, and that's exactly what I got with this book when I grabbed it via the ARP. The summary is what caught my attention, having never read anything by Sheri Cobb South previously. I do so enjoy a romance where the two love interests come from different walks of life and have to overcome the obstacles associated with a difference in class. This one was sweet and the narration done well. It sort of reminded me of a Marion Chesney/M.C. Beaton novel, and I'll definitely be checking out more from the author when I'm looking for a quick foray into this genre.