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Regency Silk & Scandal #1
The Lord and the Wayward Lady
FROM IMPOVERISHED MISS TO RESPECTABLE WIFE
The closest milliner Nell Latham has come to high society is making fashionable bonnets for ladies. But when she's asked to deliver a message to the Earl of Narborough, she's soon swept up in a web of intrigue and scandal!
Marcus, the Earl's sinfully sexy son and heir, tracks down the messenger, little expecting to find her so attractive. Nell is a mystery --- her manners and demeanor are not those of a working girl. And as secrets are revealed and danger draws closer, Marcus has to choose between family honor and naked desire.
The closest milliner Nell Latham has come to high society is making fashionable bonnets for ladies. But when she's asked to deliver a message to the Earl of Narborough, she's soon swept up in a web of intrigue and scandal!
Marcus, the Earl's sinfully sexy son and heir, tracks down the messenger, little expecting to find her so attractive. Nell is a mystery --- her manners and demeanor are not those of a working girl. And as secrets are revealed and danger draws closer, Marcus has to choose between family honor and naked desire.
283 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 7, 2010
About the author
Louise Allen
413 books335 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
This author also writes under the name Francesca Shaw.
I have had my nose buried in a history book - fact or fiction - for as long as I can remember, but even more important to me are the places and the objects that conjure up the past. My first attempt at historical fiction at the age of eight was three pages of improbable medieval drama set in the local castle.
With a degree in geography and archaeology I love to try and 'read' the landscape and the buildings in it for clues about the past. Virtually any place can trigger ideas for plots, but I am particularly inspired by Venice, Burgundy, Mediterranean islands and the Hertfordshire and Norfolk countryside.
I live in England in a village in Bedfordshire with my long-suffering husband. He is not sure whether to be flattered or alarmed to be told he is the inspiration for all my romantic heroes! Whenever possible we escape to our cottage on the North Norfolk coast where Percy, the bossy pheasant, allows us to share the garden.
My resolution every time I start on a new plot is to plan it carefully, make copious notes first and write lots of drafts in a disciplined and orderly manner. What inevitably happens is that the story starts to write itself in my head until it gets completely out of control - meanwhile my study floor becomes a sea of open books, prints and maps and I am found sitting in the car at traffic lights, muttering dialogue. At that point I have to start writing, knowing full well that the hero and heroine are going to take over and sabotage all my attempts at discipline. It is, after all, their story.
This author also writes under the name Francesca Shaw.
I have had my nose buried in a history book - fact or fiction - for as long as I can remember, but even more important to me are the places and the objects that conjure up the past. My first attempt at historical fiction at the age of eight was three pages of improbable medieval drama set in the local castle.
With a degree in geography and archaeology I love to try and 'read' the landscape and the buildings in it for clues about the past. Virtually any place can trigger ideas for plots, but I am particularly inspired by Venice, Burgundy, Mediterranean islands and the Hertfordshire and Norfolk countryside.
I live in England in a village in Bedfordshire with my long-suffering husband. He is not sure whether to be flattered or alarmed to be told he is the inspiration for all my romantic heroes! Whenever possible we escape to our cottage on the North Norfolk coast where Percy, the bossy pheasant, allows us to share the garden.
My resolution every time I start on a new plot is to plan it carefully, make copious notes first and write lots of drafts in a disciplined and orderly manner. What inevitably happens is that the story starts to write itself in my head until it gets completely out of control - meanwhile my study floor becomes a sea of open books, prints and maps and I am found sitting in the car at traffic lights, muttering dialogue. At that point I have to start writing, knowing full well that the hero and heroine are going to take over and sabotage all my attempts at discipline. It is, after all, their story.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
October 25, 2020
Eh. This one defines ‘mixed bag.’
The overarching mystery re: the gypsy dude, the murder, + the 3 families is intriguing, & for those reasons alone I’ll continue with the Silk & Scandal books...but the romance portion didn’t do much for me. I did like heroine Nell & found her decisions to be fairly solid (aside from that truly boneheaded plan to confront Gypsy Dude alone), but hero Marcus annoyed the hell outta me—just your basic stuff-shirt, holier-than-thou aristocrat with no concept of how people need to bend to survive in the world outside entitled gentry. In short: he was equal parts cliché, zzzz, & STFU.
Sidebar: the continual affirmations of consent were simply grating. I understand his being overly careful & considerate the first time—but ffs, dude. She’s already said yes literally ten times over. STOP ASKING. It passes way beyond gentle or beta or considerate & vaults into obnoxious. And, as Jessi pointed out when I txted my frustration, it’s totally unnecessary to the story: a simple “I know you’ve been hurt, so tell me if you want me to stop & I will stop, ok?” is more than adequate because by that point she’s already slept (platonically) cuddled against him...in their nightclothes...on a bed. She obv trusts him. She even says so directly to the reader. The continual parade of permission each time he touches her boob or removes his cravat is just filler that could be better spent on mystery, or side characters, or even sexy times.
...Anyway. Each S&S novel has a stand-alone factor with different MCs, so I’ll read the ones I’ve already got & see what happens.
The overarching mystery re: the gypsy dude, the murder, + the 3 families is intriguing, & for those reasons alone I’ll continue with the Silk & Scandal books...but the romance portion didn’t do much for me. I did like heroine Nell & found her decisions to be fairly solid (aside from that truly boneheaded plan to confront Gypsy Dude alone), but hero Marcus annoyed the hell outta me—just your basic stuff-shirt, holier-than-thou aristocrat with no concept of how people need to bend to survive in the world outside entitled gentry. In short: he was equal parts cliché, zzzz, & STFU.
Sidebar: the continual affirmations of consent were simply grating. I understand his being overly careful & considerate the first time—but ffs, dude. She’s already said yes literally ten times over. STOP ASKING. It passes way beyond gentle or beta or considerate & vaults into obnoxious. And, as Jessi pointed out when I txted my frustration, it’s totally unnecessary to the story: a simple “I know you’ve been hurt, so tell me if you want me to stop & I will stop, ok?” is more than adequate because by that point she’s already slept (platonically) cuddled against him...in their nightclothes...on a bed. She obv trusts him. She even says so directly to the reader. The continual parade of permission each time he touches her boob or removes his cravat is just filler that could be better spent on mystery, or side characters, or even sexy times.
...Anyway. Each S&S novel has a stand-alone factor with different MCs, so I’ll read the ones I’ve already got & see what happens.
January 9, 2011
I quite enjoyed this one. It's the first in the series, and sets the scene for the rest. It's quite difficult for me to be fair with the review, since I read the 6th in the series before this one, before I realized it was a series, so I understood quite a lot of the outcome half-way through, but I think a 3-star "I liked it" rating is a good one.
Some things I liked about this one:
- The way the plot is related to something intriguing which happened a long time ago. I like the way it's going to be drawn out, with dribs and drabs of plot leaked out as the series progresses. I'm not particularly keen on stories which wrap all the ties up neatly at the end and in a great rush, and having this as a series stops that from happening.
- The way the villain is intriguing, but has some redeeming features also. I have a sneaking suspicion that his story is told later in more detail..
- The heroine has fallen on hard times, but is making a life for herself despite that. She seems determined to be independent, but she's also ready to admit that she doesn't necessarily want to be, and wants someone to make her safe. I like this combination of strength and vulnerability.
- I like the realistic descriptions of the heroine's life. The little details add so much to the story.
- I LOVE the way the author has gotten her geography correct. Much of the action occurs very close to real places where I grew up, and the descriptions of distances, places and even the topography are accurate. It even includes a passing reference to the actual town I grew up in (so additional points from me, for that.. ;-)
Some things I wasn't so keen on:
- It was a little bit formulaic. The plot was good, but it was the plot of the series which was fabulous, not the plot of this story. I don't know how it could have been made better, but it left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.
- The description of the hero as a responsible manager of his family's estate and the delectable man-of-action just didn't work for me in combination. I'm not saying he couldn't have been both, but I would actually have preferred it if he'd been the manager of his family's estate, and still had the heroine fall hopelessly in love with him. He was just that little bit too perfect for me.
So, overall, a good start to this series. 3 stars. Now onto the next, Paying the Virgin's Price by Christine Merrill.
Some things I liked about this one:
- The way the plot is related to something intriguing which happened a long time ago. I like the way it's going to be drawn out, with dribs and drabs of plot leaked out as the series progresses. I'm not particularly keen on stories which wrap all the ties up neatly at the end and in a great rush, and having this as a series stops that from happening.
- The way the villain is intriguing, but has some redeeming features also. I have a sneaking suspicion that his story is told later in more detail..
- The heroine has fallen on hard times, but is making a life for herself despite that. She seems determined to be independent, but she's also ready to admit that she doesn't necessarily want to be, and wants someone to make her safe. I like this combination of strength and vulnerability.
- I like the realistic descriptions of the heroine's life. The little details add so much to the story.
- I LOVE the way the author has gotten her geography correct. Much of the action occurs very close to real places where I grew up, and the descriptions of distances, places and even the topography are accurate. It even includes a passing reference to the actual town I grew up in (so additional points from me, for that.. ;-)
Some things I wasn't so keen on:
- It was a little bit formulaic. The plot was good, but it was the plot of the series which was fabulous, not the plot of this story. I don't know how it could have been made better, but it left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.
- The description of the hero as a responsible manager of his family's estate and the delectable man-of-action just didn't work for me in combination. I'm not saying he couldn't have been both, but I would actually have preferred it if he'd been the manager of his family's estate, and still had the heroine fall hopelessly in love with him. He was just that little bit too perfect for me.
So, overall, a good start to this series. 3 stars. Now onto the next, Paying the Virgin's Price by Christine Merrill.
August 5, 2024
4,5 - La Allen ha scritto il primo e il settimo volume di questa serie collettiva "IL CAPPIO DI SETA!.
Il risultato è che, al di là delle vicende d’amore centrali, si avverte che non c’è un vero finale in ciascun volume, con storie che si innestano in vicende ulteriori e che si interrompono sul più bello. Questo, a mio avviso, smorza un po’, l’apprezzamento complessivo, per quanto quest’autrice scriva benissimo, con coerenza di ambientazione e di psicologia dei personaggi.
Tuttavia, mi è piaciuta molto la storia di Nell, ultimo membro di una famiglia nobile decaduta, il cui padre conte è stato impiccato per tradimento (con il cappio di seta dovuto al suo ceto sociale); la giovane sopravvive come può, lavorando come modista, finché qualcuno non la coinvolge in un intrigo che la vede contrapposta proprio alla famiglia di chi le ha fatto condannare il padre, i Carlow.
Odio-amore con l’erede Marcus, all’interno di una trama vivace e avventurosa.
Il risultato è che, al di là delle vicende d’amore centrali, si avverte che non c’è un vero finale in ciascun volume, con storie che si innestano in vicende ulteriori e che si interrompono sul più bello. Questo, a mio avviso, smorza un po’, l’apprezzamento complessivo, per quanto quest’autrice scriva benissimo, con coerenza di ambientazione e di psicologia dei personaggi.
Tuttavia, mi è piaciuta molto la storia di Nell, ultimo membro di una famiglia nobile decaduta, il cui padre conte è stato impiccato per tradimento (con il cappio di seta dovuto al suo ceto sociale); la giovane sopravvive come può, lavorando come modista, finché qualcuno non la coinvolge in un intrigo che la vede contrapposta proprio alla famiglia di chi le ha fatto condannare il padre, i Carlow.
Odio-amore con l’erede Marcus, all’interno di una trama vivace e avventurosa.
July 21, 2010
Part of the Silk & Scandal continuity series from Harlequin Historical--Book #1, in fact. The heroine is a milliner (she makes hats) who is hired to deliver a package to an earl. The earl has a heart attack when he opens the package, and the milliner is detained. The hero, the earl's heir, interrogates the heroine, decides she's hiding something, and determines to get to the bottom of things. The package contained a silk rope--the kind of rope used to hang noblemen convicted of a crime. The trouble apparently goes back to an old scandal, when a friend of the earl was convicted of a murder (and possibly committed treason) and hanged. The heroine is tied to the scandal as well, but who hired her to deliver the package, and why??? The mystery is played out very well, as is the romance. Very good story.
September 14, 2020
A decent romance read to enjoy my time with
October 16, 2021
Neither the book's cover nor the title have anything to do with the story ...
May 26, 2012
I've read a few of Louise Allen's other books and have enjoyed them. I like her writing style and her characters are immediately clearly delineated without being drawn heavy-handedly.
This is the first in a series of eight books in the "Regency Silk & Scandal" series, in which a number of authors write different stories involving all of the characters we meet here. It's a nice idea, and this first story makes an excellent introduction to everyone, and has a strongly written romance at its centre - but the downside is that the mystery isn't solved, so there is an element of feeling just a little unsatisfied by the end. The H&H get their HEA and disaster is averted, but clearly there is more to come. Obviously, M&B want you to read all the others :)
In this one, we meet Nell Latham and Marcus Carlow. She's a lady fallen on hard times, working as a milliner in London, and he's a Viscount, the son of the Earl of Narborough. They meet when Nell delivers a mysterious package to the Earl which causes him to be taken ill. Marcus is naturally suspicious of her and is determined to find out the truth behind the odd "gift" as well as the messenger.
If I have a criticism, it is that Nell is far too intent on keeping her secrets and that she could perhaps have confided in Marcus earlier on, but then I suppose that wouldn't have made the path of true love rocky enough! That said though, I was still engrossed by the story and am off now to read the next one!
This is the first in a series of eight books in the "Regency Silk & Scandal" series, in which a number of authors write different stories involving all of the characters we meet here. It's a nice idea, and this first story makes an excellent introduction to everyone, and has a strongly written romance at its centre - but the downside is that the mystery isn't solved, so there is an element of feeling just a little unsatisfied by the end. The H&H get their HEA and disaster is averted, but clearly there is more to come. Obviously, M&B want you to read all the others :)
In this one, we meet Nell Latham and Marcus Carlow. She's a lady fallen on hard times, working as a milliner in London, and he's a Viscount, the son of the Earl of Narborough. They meet when Nell delivers a mysterious package to the Earl which causes him to be taken ill. Marcus is naturally suspicious of her and is determined to find out the truth behind the odd "gift" as well as the messenger.
If I have a criticism, it is that Nell is far too intent on keeping her secrets and that she could perhaps have confided in Marcus earlier on, but then I suppose that wouldn't have made the path of true love rocky enough! That said though, I was still engrossed by the story and am off now to read the next one!
January 15, 2018
I did not realize this was part of a series since a lot of stuff was left so open ended in the end.
Ummmm.... not sure I enjoyed this book that much. So no one in the family was going to question more about Nell's past? They are just going to accept her temporarily in the family while Marcus investigates the mysterious packages and stranger who keeps popping up.
The usual drama and plot unfolds as time goes along. Most of the focus is on Nell and Marcus' 'romance', which we all know where that leads once everyone's secrets are revealed (or in this case revealed over the course of the series). I wanted to know more about this villain but sadly no more information in this book, have to wait and read in latter series.
I like how independent Nell tries to be since she fell on hard times and how she tries hard to keep her demons at bay. Marcus is fairly understanding of her circumstances and doesn't necessarily push her too much when she is in the dark about some stuff too herself (she doesn't know the full family history until she read her mom's diary). Marcus seems a little too picture perfect and redeemable just like every other harlequin story out there.
Ummmm.... not sure I enjoyed this book that much. So no one in the family was going to question more about Nell's past? They are just going to accept her temporarily in the family while Marcus investigates the mysterious packages and stranger who keeps popping up.
The usual drama and plot unfolds as time goes along. Most of the focus is on Nell and Marcus' 'romance', which we all know where that leads once everyone's secrets are revealed (or in this case revealed over the course of the series). I wanted to know more about this villain but sadly no more information in this book, have to wait and read in latter series.
I like how independent Nell tries to be since she fell on hard times and how she tries hard to keep her demons at bay. Marcus is fairly understanding of her circumstances and doesn't necessarily push her too much when she is in the dark about some stuff too herself (she doesn't know the full family history until she read her mom's diary). Marcus seems a little too picture perfect and redeemable just like every other harlequin story out there.
October 4, 2010
I’ve never read Louise Allen before and I was pleasantly surprised. Her voice makes it easy to sink into the book and her characterizations are fully-realized without page after page of introspection. Nell is a sweet and industrious heroine who is only looking to make a living while she dreams impossible dreams in her shabby one-room home. Marcus is a take-charge hero who has a tendency to jump to conclusions and they’re invariably wrong. So the question is, will he see the error of his ways in time for a happy ending? Since it’s a romance I think you can figure that part out…
The Lord and the Wayward Lady is an entertaining read and a good start to the Silk and Scandal series. ~ Renee, www.ireadromance.com
The Lord and the Wayward Lady is an entertaining read and a good start to the Silk and Scandal series. ~ Renee, www.ireadromance.com
October 31, 2011
First book in the Silk & Scandal series, dark secrets from twenty years back has affected and are still haunting them all, in different ways. Nell Latham, a milliner all alone in the world, was once Lady Helena Waredale and had a family. Now her father has hanged for a murder he didn´t commit, her mother died from a broken heart, her brother disappeared and her sister is lost with a new name and no way of finding her.
Nell gets drawn back into the old mystery by an unknown puppet master and finds herself a guest with the family responsible for accusing her father of murder, but she can´t help her feelings for Marcus, the Earl´s son and heir.
Nell gets drawn back into the old mystery by an unknown puppet master and finds herself a guest with the family responsible for accusing her father of murder, but she can´t help her feelings for Marcus, the Earl´s son and heir.
August 15, 2012
I really enjoyed this start to the series, the characters were well fleshed out and the story line flowed nicely. The "reasons" for keeping the hero and heroine apart were well written and believable and the conclusion nicely reached. As it was book one in a series of eight, there were things left unresolved but nothing which prevented the book from being an interesting read in its own right.
September 20, 2010
I really enjoyed this book. It is the first in a series and it definitely has intrigued me to read all 8 that are in the series!
October 8, 2020
I really enjoyed reading this book. I started my library looking for the paperbacks after reading the innocent miss. I found it fascinating how Nell was dragged into a revenge not of her making. Marc Carlow was only interested in protecting his family in the beginning. As you read the story you are drawn into the plot and it is alot more complicated than you realize. It has a bigger picture that Louise does a excellent job of setting the stage for the ones that follow. You meet characters that will show up in other books as well. So she does an excellent job at starting the story that will be carried forward. Its perfect that its the oldest of 2 families that got badly hurt. I look forward to more in this series. J
June 3, 2020
The writing was pretty good bout I did not realize that it was part of a series when I picked it up. Some series books stand on their own, but this one had an over arching mystery that was not solved by the end of the book.
September 20, 2019
The mystery part of the book was not sufficiently resolved, hence the two stars.
May 29, 2020
Another sucky modern crim. cons. with unresolved mystery--yuck
August 20, 2020
Interessante come inizio della serie, che è stata scritta da vari autori, motivo per cui non riuscivo a trovarli tutti
Did Not Finish
May 6, 2022Seppur intrigante la parte mystery, la storia d'amore non riesce a coinvolgermi.
Read
January 8, 2024I want to know who is Miss Price in reality!!!
February 19, 2013
The starting book and one of the better entries in the very enjoyable Silk & Scandal series. The heroine is likable and easy to respect. The hero is dashing, if a bit irritating in his need to constantly jump to incorrect conclusions. Louise Allen has a great voice, and I found myself chuckling throughout. The romance is wrapped up satisfactorily, but be prepared for the central mystery not to be. There are still seven books to go, after all!
My only real complaints: the sex was pretty boring (This is unfortunately true of the whole series. By book 5 I was skimming over just about every sex scene.) and everything felt a bit rushed. Understandable, I suppose, given its length and nature--it's a cut above most Harlequins, but it's still a Harlequin--but it did feel a bit shallow. Still, I'm definitely not sorry I read it!
My only real complaints: the sex was pretty boring (This is unfortunately true of the whole series. By book 5 I was skimming over just about every sex scene.) and everything felt a bit rushed. Understandable, I suppose, given its length and nature--it's a cut above most Harlequins, but it's still a Harlequin--but it did feel a bit shallow. Still, I'm definitely not sorry I read it!
June 28, 2010
The Lord and the Wayward Lady by Louise Allen was boring and barely tolerable. Since I have liked all of Louise Allen's previous books, I was very disappointed. There were the usual detailed sex scenes, which seemed to be added as a formulaic requirement, a plot that crawled along to an unsatisfying conclusion, and characters who were totally unrealized, unbelievable, and unmemorable. Give me Diane Farr or Candace Camp anytime! And why did the sister team of Alexandra Bassett stop writing? Wake up, Regency publishers -- you are losing all your intelligent readers! Lillian Kollar
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December 23, 2014"Read it in an afternoon. If all the books in the series are like this one it’s going to be an amazing series. ... The mystery surrounding their families is intriguing .... I’m even more eager to get my July historicals in the mail now. I want to see what happens next." From a review posted by an eHarlequin.com member, read more Here.
August 6, 2011
I am a big Louise Allen fan. Unfortunately, I read the books in the Silk and Scandal series out of order, and that was a bit confusing. However, I liked this story on Nell and Marcus. I first met them in Hal's and Louisa's story, and somehow, I felt cheated. It was nice to fill in the blanks on how they came together.
February 2, 2012
Nice story. It has a little mystery mixed w/romance. Pleasant, but not a "knock me off my feet" type of romance. I finished reading this story feeling rather neutral about the experience. I would not consider rereading it, but it did supply an evening of pleasant entertainment.
June 16, 2010
Book 1 in the Regency Silk & Scandal series
Read
June 27, 2013now I finally know how this series started and I'm not dissapointed
September 25, 2014
Fun, reads easily, will be looking into the next book of the series
February 27, 2015
Had a good mystery attached.
September 23, 2015
I enjoyed this book. The story line was great and kept me interested. I did find it a little slow and the ending was very blah and that is why I gave it a 3 star instead of a four.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews