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A Heart Too Proud
From the author of the beloved romance classic The Windflower comes a novel of seductive games, simple pleasures, and a scandalous love that breaks all the rules.Country bred and city green, Elizabeth Cordell lives a quiet life with her sisters in a humble cottage in Kent. But upon the death of their kindly guardian, the orphaned girl discovers that her happy home is now the property of a surprising new the notorious Lord Nicholas Dearborne . . .Devilishly rich, diabolically handsome-and rumored to be a despicable cad-Dearborne arrives in a grand carriage with a wicked woman and a wanton smirk. Elizabeth can't help but be flattered by Dearborne's bold flirtations, and can't refuse his offer to stay as a companion to his young ward. But how long can she resist his masterful seductions-when she craves his kiss as much as he craves hers?
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 15, 1977
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221 people want to read
About the author
Laura London
14 books96 followersLaura London is the pen name for the husband and wife writing team Tom and Sharon Curtis. Married more than forty years, Tom and Sharon published ten historical and contemporary romance novels from 1976 to 1986, many of which have come to be regarded as classics in the genre. The daughter of a petroleum geologist father and historian and magazine editor mother, Sharon was raised overseas and lived in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the Canary Islands, Turkey and Iran, and attended high school in London. As an adult, she worked in bookstore management. Tom attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison and has worked for a public television station as a writer and on-air reporter. He is currently employed as a semi truck driver for a chemical company and plays guitar with a Celtic band that includes a son on bodhran and a daughter on fiddle. Together they have played eighteen years of annual performances at the largest Irish musical festival in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 6, 2015
Elizabeth Cordell and her younger twin sisters have been raised in virtual obscurity in the Kentish countryside, at the estate of some old recluse or another (forget his name) since their father's death. The old recluse now being dead, they find themselves in the care of the new lord of the manor, Nicholas Dearborn (I think he's a marquess, and he also dabbles in working for the War Department). Along for the inspection of the 'new property' is Nicholas' young ward, Christian (Kit), who becomes fast friends with Elizabeth. Nicholas, on the other hand, has no idea what to do with this young beautiful (and oh, so innocent) young miss.
“Sweet Jesus, Nicky, will you look at that? I swear I’d have spent less time in London lately if I’d known the Kentish milkmaids had become so devilishly beautiful.”"
Well...this being the Napoleonic era and being the countryside abounds with French spies, smugglers and other evil doers you know things are going to start going bump in the night and Elizabeth and Nicholas are in the thick of it all. Plus sparks are flying between the two, but naïve Elizabeth really believe Nicholas is in love with the bitch of a mistress of his.
"She would lean over to talk or listen, gracefully managing to make some physical contact with her conversant, and let the neckline of her gown droop enough to allow the entire French army to march through on maneuvers."
Oooooooh, she's a nasty piece of work.
This is so much fun, and so funny. The quips and barbs are flying from the first page to the last with lots of twists and turns and ups and downs and what pile of poo is Elizabeth going to get herself into next. And lol, the pageant she and her cohorts put on for the village fair. The Norman conquest, with Elizabeth playing the part of Harold.
Kindle copy obtained via library loan.
“Sweet Jesus, Nicky, will you look at that? I swear I’d have spent less time in London lately if I’d known the Kentish milkmaids had become so devilishly beautiful.”"
Well...this being the Napoleonic era and being the countryside abounds with French spies, smugglers and other evil doers you know things are going to start going bump in the night and Elizabeth and Nicholas are in the thick of it all. Plus sparks are flying between the two, but naïve Elizabeth really believe Nicholas is in love with the bitch of a mistress of his.
"She would lean over to talk or listen, gracefully managing to make some physical contact with her conversant, and let the neckline of her gown droop enough to allow the entire French army to march through on maneuvers."
Oooooooh, she's a nasty piece of work.
This is so much fun, and so funny. The quips and barbs are flying from the first page to the last with lots of twists and turns and ups and downs and what pile of poo is Elizabeth going to get herself into next. And lol, the pageant she and her cohorts put on for the village fair. The Norman conquest, with Elizabeth playing the part of Harold.
Kindle copy obtained via library loan.
September 11, 2020
I loved this paperback 25 years ago. Loved it. Today, I still enjoy it, but maybe the five stars is a bit much — I’ll let it stand as a tribute to my youth. 🤪 This dynamic duo (two writers, man and woman, perhaps married) offers something different in romance world.
May 13, 2014
This is my first Laura London book. The heroine is innocent and naive, though not entirely stupid. But the crowning glory is the hero, who is understanding, patient, and really works as a guardian figure to the heroine, i.e. getting her out of scrapes and the like. The tropes in this book are probably a result of its time, but for the most part I was satisfied with how the story panned out, and really enjoyed the sophisticated, eloquent writing of tag-team Laura London.
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September 23, 2020Ha ha haaa! What on Earth did I read? I had to give this book 3 stars because I DID finish it despite it being almost a DNF. My biggest problem is that I wasn't sure what I was reading. A mystery? A madcap romance? I didn't know whether I was supposed to laugh or … something. You ever read a description of an H who goes to smile but is unsure so they sort of smile, stop, grimace, stop and end up kinda bewildered and uncomfortable? Well, that's exactly how I felt.
I forgave the fact that the h is 19 and still romping and playing with her 14 year old twin sisters. I rationalized this by saying she doesn't have access to TV and other media exposing her to more adult behaviors. She lives fairly secluded with an indulgent nanny/companion and her younger sisters. So she's young at heart. However, it was so strange to read her go from one humiliating moment to another and react by laughing loudly (apparently, it's how she reacts to embarrassment). Even that I could get past except that she then proceeds to act in such a way that even by today's standards if someone acted like her around me I would have to step away as quickly as possible. And avoid any future eye contact. In fact, I would just avoid them completely. In one incidence, while giggling hysterically she acts towards the spectators in such a way that they asked if she was drunk. In this case, her antics made the question very logical.
And the clincher! She keeps chasing after the mysterious French smuggler/villain that she runs into everywhere. I learned that apparently the French are really not very stealthy as they seem to be very visible in villages, woods, cellars... Also, they say "sacre bleu" a lot. In fact it was towards the end that I had that very reaction where I didn't know whether to laugh, grimace, roll my eyes...but I suspect I did all of the above. At one point the h is spying on the villains. The (not) stealthy Frenchman wonders whether the h saw him. The other villain says basically "I don't know. Why don't you ask her. She's right behind you." The French villain shouts "sacre bleu!"
All I could see was Pepe Le Peu from the Looney Tunes cartoons. So 3 stars because I was compelled enough to finish it and for the gratuitous use of "sacre bleu" and having the balls to write that last bit with a straight (I assume) face.
I forgave the fact that the h is 19 and still romping and playing with her 14 year old twin sisters. I rationalized this by saying she doesn't have access to TV and other media exposing her to more adult behaviors. She lives fairly secluded with an indulgent nanny/companion and her younger sisters. So she's young at heart. However, it was so strange to read her go from one humiliating moment to another and react by laughing loudly (apparently, it's how she reacts to embarrassment). Even that I could get past except that she then proceeds to act in such a way that even by today's standards if someone acted like her around me I would have to step away as quickly as possible. And avoid any future eye contact. In fact, I would just avoid them completely. In one incidence, while giggling hysterically she acts towards the spectators in such a way that they asked if she was drunk. In this case, her antics made the question very logical.
And the clincher! She keeps chasing after the mysterious French smuggler/villain that she runs into everywhere. I learned that apparently the French are really not very stealthy as they seem to be very visible in villages, woods, cellars... Also, they say "sacre bleu" a lot. In fact it was towards the end that I had that very reaction where I didn't know whether to laugh, grimace, roll my eyes...but I suspect I did all of the above. At one point the h is spying on the villains. The (not) stealthy Frenchman wonders whether the h saw him. The other villain says basically "I don't know. Why don't you ask her. She's right behind you." The French villain shouts "sacre bleu!"
All I could see was Pepe Le Peu from the Looney Tunes cartoons. So 3 stars because I was compelled enough to finish it and for the gratuitous use of "sacre bleu" and having the balls to write that last bit with a straight (I assume) face.
May 22, 2014
The story was OK. It had zest and abit of zanyness towards it but we also get a lot of characters who were superfluous.
There are surprising turn of characters, one that we were so sure were scum but turned out nope, he actually has honor.
But one of the things that bug me about this story is the problem weren't really solved, at least not to my satisfaction ( and the bad guy was pretty predictable) and man, the main female character was great...until she becomes totally STUPID.
But it was a bit of easy reading with cardboard characters put in place. Entertaining enough if you lower your expectations (or not expect anything at all).
There are surprising turn of characters, one that we were so sure were scum but turned out nope, he actually has honor.
But one of the things that bug me about this story is the problem weren't really solved, at least not to my satisfaction ( and the bad guy was pretty predictable) and man, the main female character was great...until she becomes totally STUPID.
But it was a bit of easy reading with cardboard characters put in place. Entertaining enough if you lower your expectations (or not expect anything at all).
March 2, 2017
Must have been their first book. I spent the whole book wanting to slap the heroine for being so stupid.
November 4, 2019
Objective review
Not a bad story. Considering my dislike for 1st person this was quite decent. Its not much of a romance though. Reminded me of Little Women or The Seventh Suitor. Long descriptions of everyday life, also a spy plot, pages about picnics, theatre productions etc. Pleasant-ish. The problem is (a) the heroine is TSTL -see rant- and (b) the hero doesn't feature much. I expected a romance which to me means the hero and heroine spend time together. I dont care if they're courting, solving mysteries or reading books in the library, they have to have time together. Here the hero pops a love declaration out of the blue in the last 5 pages. The heroine is surprised he loves her. So was I, the reader. Would have been good if the author had given us a clue cause till that point he appeared to be the guy trying to get into her pants, so to speak.
If the above dont bother you its a slow, light and kinda pleasant book. Its clean for anyone interested.
Rant
Heroines' intelligence or lack of it.The heroine is dumb. Beyond dumb. The author tries to tell us this dumbass is smart. The amount of Greek mythology references our smart heroine makes amazed me, a Greek. She also speaks latin, you know. And the only thing she looked like was a poseur.
Heroine's supposed bravery. There's bravery and then there's total lack of common sense. Time after time after time she gets herself into dangerous situations no reasonable person would get themselves in. Time after time after time people tell her to be careful and she never listens.
Heroine's the-adults-dont-get-me attitude.
What right had he to assume the worst just because I came home at midnight, half-naked and escorted by one of the most conscienceless libertines in London?
During the story she gets drunk, drugged, chloroformed, hit on the head, attacked, kidnapped anything you can imagine, cause as mentioned above she is "brave". Then she whines why her guardian wont trust her. I wonder...
Heroine's maturity She tucks her skirts up, puts feathers in her hair and runs around the estate (where she's a guest) playing "native americans" with her 13 year old sisters. They push her into a pond, other guest in the house stare at the 19 year old in the pond, skirts up, with feathers in her hair. She laughs like an idiot, deliberately drips water on a lady's dress, presses herself deliberately on a guy just to mess his clothes, does some other nonsense, says some other nonsense, laughs hysterically some more. This idiot is supposed to marry and run a household? This idiot needs a governess. Or a nursemaid.
So this book is the diary of a stupid teenager that you're glad is not your child.
Yup, I'm done.
Not a bad story. Considering my dislike for 1st person this was quite decent. Its not much of a romance though. Reminded me of Little Women or The Seventh Suitor. Long descriptions of everyday life, also a spy plot, pages about picnics, theatre productions etc. Pleasant-ish. The problem is (a) the heroine is TSTL -see rant- and (b) the hero doesn't feature much. I expected a romance which to me means the hero and heroine spend time together. I dont care if they're courting, solving mysteries or reading books in the library, they have to have time together. Here the hero pops a love declaration out of the blue in the last 5 pages. The heroine is surprised he loves her. So was I, the reader. Would have been good if the author had given us a clue cause till that point he appeared to be the guy trying to get into her pants, so to speak.
If the above dont bother you its a slow, light and kinda pleasant book. Its clean for anyone interested.
Rant
Heroines' intelligence or lack of it.The heroine is dumb. Beyond dumb. The author tries to tell us this dumbass is smart. The amount of Greek mythology references our smart heroine makes amazed me, a Greek. She also speaks latin, you know. And the only thing she looked like was a poseur.
Heroine's supposed bravery. There's bravery and then there's total lack of common sense. Time after time after time she gets herself into dangerous situations no reasonable person would get themselves in. Time after time after time people tell her to be careful and she never listens.
Heroine's the-adults-dont-get-me attitude.
What right had he to assume the worst just because I came home at midnight, half-naked and escorted by one of the most conscienceless libertines in London?
During the story she gets drunk, drugged, chloroformed, hit on the head, attacked, kidnapped anything you can imagine, cause as mentioned above she is "brave". Then she whines why her guardian wont trust her. I wonder...
Heroine's maturity She tucks her skirts up, puts feathers in her hair and runs around the estate (where she's a guest) playing "native americans" with her 13 year old sisters. They push her into a pond, other guest in the house stare at the 19 year old in the pond, skirts up, with feathers in her hair. She laughs like an idiot, deliberately drips water on a lady's dress, presses herself deliberately on a guy just to mess his clothes, does some other nonsense, says some other nonsense, laughs hysterically some more. This idiot is supposed to marry and run a household? This idiot needs a governess. Or a nursemaid.
So this book is the diary of a stupid teenager that you're glad is not your child.
Yup, I'm done.
March 30, 2025
Read many many many years ago when I was a teen. My mom gave me this to read during summer vacation. This book was certainly entertaining as a romance book. Nothing shocking in the pages, just an awkward teen trying to do her best and failing humorously at times. It's more nostalgia of where I was when I read it that appeals to me in that it was the first "grown up" book that my mother enjoyed that she shared with me.
Now that my mom is gone, I take this book out every few years and reread it. I can still hear an echo of my mom laughing about it.
Now that my mom is gone, I take this book out every few years and reread it. I can still hear an echo of my mom laughing about it.
October 23, 2020
I really enjoyed reading this book. It written from the first , almost like reading diary. Heroine was beautiful, innocent brave and with a great sense of humor. There’s a scene in a book where Elizabeth has a meltdown and I was laughing with her.
Two small problems: I wish I knew more about Lord Dearborn. The narrative is written from the heroine perspective.
Elizabeth is described as a blond but the picture on kindle version has a brunette.
Two small problems: I wish I knew more about Lord Dearborn. The narrative is written from the heroine perspective.
Elizabeth is described as a blond but the picture on kindle version has a brunette.
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September 19, 2021This story is written in first person POV on only heroine’s side which I think is very rare case in historical romance books And it was very effective for me to understand her thought and action because otherwise, she would be just too stupid to live.
March 29, 2023
I enjoy the writing style and humor of Laura London, but the relationship between the MCs was sadly lacking. There was more time spent in the friendships between the sisters and Kit rather than the romance. The sisters seem like a lot of fun, however.
April 1, 2018
Cute. Really appealing guardian/ward set up. Nicky was perfect. Too bad there wasn’t more sex.
July 2, 2020
Anything Laura London is worth reading for the tenderness with which she treats a relationship starting.
May 26, 2021
And Reread! One of my comfort romances
June 6, 2022
The beginning is very close to the first chapter of Venetia by Georgette Heyer: The brambles, the spaniel, the quote from Twelfth Night… and there are a couple of other Heyer-reminiscences as well (Regency Buck, Sylvester).
It’s was their first novel, which shows. Still an entertaining read!
It’s was their first novel, which shows. Still an entertaining read!
March 27, 2014
I've collected all of Laura London's books, hoping to find something that rivals or is at least reminiscent of Windflower. sigh. As yet to no avail. A Heart Too Proud reminds me of the Harlequin books of the 70s - kind of mean hero, no substantial love scenes. Still sexy, but in the context of current historical romance -- only half written. LL's writing in A Heart Too Proud is just as fabulous as The Wildflower, however. It appears to have been her next pub following Windflower. It's written in the first person, which normally I would be averse too, but worked here. I grew to appreciate first-person with the Amelia Peabody series and Deanna Raybourn's Julia Grey mysteries. So no problems there. Heroine an innocent. Hero the arrogant, reserved, rake guardian. Love both these archetypes. Book would have gotten five stars if they consummated! Someone get to it and finish this book.
June 18, 2015
This book is really a great one!
The plot is very different from the ones I already read from others regency books. The "spy" part was well told, intriguing and very entertaining.
The characters are strong and I particularly enjoy Elizabeth and Kit's brother/sister relationship.
Elizabeth and Nicky are a beautiful couple but if I would have loved to see a little more of them together.
What I enjoyed the most was the humor part though. The story is filled with good words and very funny sentences. The way Elizabeth tells us her story is simply lovely and so true that I sometimes found myself in her.
A really great book I'm sure I will reread as soon as possible.
The plot is very different from the ones I already read from others regency books. The "spy" part was well told, intriguing and very entertaining.
The characters are strong and I particularly enjoy Elizabeth and Kit's brother/sister relationship.
Elizabeth and Nicky are a beautiful couple but if I would have loved to see a little more of them together.
What I enjoyed the most was the humor part though. The story is filled with good words and very funny sentences. The way Elizabeth tells us her story is simply lovely and so true that I sometimes found myself in her.
A really great book I'm sure I will reread as soon as possible.
February 5, 2014
Love all of Laura London's books and this is one of my favorites. Orphans Elizabeth and her younger twin sisters are at the mercy of their new guardian, handsome Lord Dearborne. Their reluctant protector is guarding his teenage ward, Christopher as well. Enter a French plot, a murdered chef and a cucumber nosed villain lurking about and you have a recipe for a great regency romp. Engaging characters, tender moments, and a sweet romance make for an entertaining read. I highly recommend you read anything this husband and wife duo write. Everything else pales in the shade.
December 19, 2015
I really liked this but the story was too PG 13 for my taste. I should have read it in my early teens. The hero does not appear much in the book and his interaction with Lizzie is almost non-existent, making it very frustrating for me. There are very subtle hints of the turning points where their feelings grew for each other but for me complete indifference and believing the worst of the other person does not magically transform into love. That said, the prose was beautiful and the story flawlessly executed. Kudos to the Curtis couple.
October 2, 2014
I really liked this but the story was too PG 13 for my taste. I should have read it in my early teens. The hero does not appear much in the book and his interaction with Lizzie is almost non-existent, making it very frustrating for me. There are very subtle hints of the turning points where their feelings grew for each other but for me complete indifference and believing the worst of the other person does not magically transform into love. That said, the prose was beautiful and the story flawlessly executed. Kudos to the Curtis couple.
January 7, 2015
Rakish heroine
Violent eyed innocent heroine who needs rescuing every 20 pages or so.
Reminds me of the Barbara Cartland romances I read when I was 16
Sweet, but you have to be in the mood for the retro flavor
Violent eyed innocent heroine who needs rescuing every 20 pages or so.
Reminds me of the Barbara Cartland romances I read when I was 16
Sweet, but you have to be in the mood for the retro flavor
Want to read
July 24, 2013[image error]
March 28, 2014
3.5 out of 5
August 20, 2017
Fun and humorous, this is typical of the authors' Regency period books.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews