Fifth Daughter [Mass Market Paperback]

Elaine Coffman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2001

Synopsis Given the choice between saving the life of his wife or his unborn child, Lord Strathmore chooses the child, hoping to finally gain a son -- and is shattered to discover he has sacrificed the wife he adored merely for a fifth daughter. Within hours he has taken his four older children and fled to London, leaving the tiny, unwanted babe in the care of servants. Knowing she is unloved, believing herself the cause of her mother's death, that fifth daughter, Maresa, treasures the friendship that grows between her and her lifelong neighbor Percy Bronwell. When she is still too young to understand the complexities of love, she refuses Percy's suggestion of marriage, fearing to alter the friendship that, she believes, makes them closer than any husband and wife could ever be. Later, Maresa travels to Italy to visit her mother's family -- and fate brings Percy into her life once more. The dashing naval officer is chilled to learn that Maresa has accepted an offer of marriage from a man she has come to fear. After a string of broken engagements that have damaged her reputation, her father is demanding that this time she must wed -- and Percy realizes that the only way to keep Maresa safe is to marry her himself. But, after only one night of bliss, the fortunes of war part the lovers, and Maresa will need all the courage Percy's love inspires to secure their future together. Though the story of The Fifth Daughter is at times bittersweet, it has nice touches of humor, drama, and romance -- and a terrific hero.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Rejected from birth by her father, who blamed her for her mother's death, Maresa Fairweather grows up without the love of a real family. But she finds a satisfactory substitute in her neighbors, the Bronwells, whose younger son Percy becomes Maresa's best friend and confidant. Unaware that Percy is in love with her, Maresa blossoms into a beautiful young woman with a reputation as a flirt who leaves behind a trail of broken engagements. When Maresa once again finds herself engaged to a man she does not love, this time while she is in Italy visiting her mother's family, she turns to Percy, who is an officer in the British navy, for help in breaking the engagement. Now Percy must decide if he is willing to become involved again with the one woman he is trying to forget. Coffman is particularly good with characterization, including the delightfully stubborn, willful Maresa, while the wild Yorkshire moors and Tuscan countryside settings give this regency historical a refreshingly different flavor. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Mira; 1ST edition (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551668424
• ISBN-13: 978-1551668420
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,969,655 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars engaging historical romance, November 16, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fifth Daughter (Mass Market Paperback)

In 1795 England, the gypsy informed Lord Strathmore that his wife will soon give birth to a son. He is pleased that he will have a male progeny after siring four daughters. However, complications occur and Strathmore must decide between the life of his beloved spouse and that of his yet unborn heir. Anguished, he chooses the baby, but the prophesy was slightly off as the newborn is female. Strathmore blamed his fifth daughter Maresa for the death of his wife and had nothing to do with her over the years.

Maresa ran wild, never quite learning how to become a lady. Only her neighbor and friend Percy Bronwell kept the scandals to a minimum, but he joined the navy when he realized she failed to return his love. Without his influence, Maresa's latest debacle leads to exile to Italy where she promptly screws up with another unwanted betrothal. Percy offers Maresa a marriage of convenience, which she accepts. However, when Percy's life is endangered, Maresa risks her life for the man she now knows that she loves with all her heart.

THE FIFTH DAUGHTER is a character-driven Regency romance starring two enticing lead protagonists. Though the story line remains inside sub-genre boundaries, readers will relish the tale because Maresa is a refreshing individual while Percy is the type of hunk the audience wants in their lives. Elaine Coffman furnishes an engaging historical romance that makes for a pleasant experience for readers.

Harriet Klausner

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars a snorer!, November 23, 2001

By 

ktkat1949 "ktkat49" (BC CANADA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fifth Daughter (Mass Market Paperback)

don't bother with this book unless you have trouble sleeping.
no romance no plot no character development. no good!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I am forced to give it one star., August 6, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Fifth Daughter (Mass Market Paperback)

I was so looking forward to reading this book and in fact, when I bought it I was reading another that I finished with hasty anticipation of The Fifth Daughter. I was misled by this book. First, Elaine Coffman wrote The Italian, which I loved, so I expected much more when I read this. Second, on the back of this book it says it is a stunning love story and on the binding it advertises itself as a historical romance. Where is the romance? And unless I've missed something, how is this a stunning love story? Throughout the entire book, Percy appeared only a handful of times and then he was nothing but a doormat for Maresa. She was nothing but a spoiled brat who treated him horribly. I'm not sure why he even bothered with her because she had not one redeeming quality about her. She was immature and selfish. I could have done without the history lesson and maybe a little more romance. Napoleon and his escapades were constantly crammed down my throat and I began to wonder if this was his story and a story about the war and that of Percy and Maresa's romance was nothing but a subplot. I did read the entire book and agree with the reviewer that said the writing was choppy. The dialogue was bad. And the much anticipated love scene amounted to a couple sentences. As much as I enjoyed The Italian, this book wasn't worth the paper it was printed on.