Customer Reviews

The Husband List

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In 1818, widow Lady Gillian Marley needs to find a spouse within two months if she wants to inherit her late uncle's fortune. She draws up THE HUSBAND LIST, a compilation of nine potential spouses for her to consider as a mate in a marriage of convenience. Next to each of the candidate's name, Gillian describes their attributes, mostly negative. Because he is devastatingly handsome and responsible, Gillian selects the Earl of Shelbrooke, Richard Shelton, as the prime slab of beef.

Once quite the rake, Richard tends to his estates and cares for his family. He knows he needs money and successfully turns to painting under the nom de plume of Etienne Toussaint. Richard wants to marry Gillian, but not for her money. He wants her love. Using his Toussaint identity, he begins to woo the woman he loves.

THE HUSBAND LIST is an amusing Regency romantic romp that will delight fans that enjoy a cheerful, carefree historical love story. The characters are fully developed and understandable, even why Richard goes to the great lengths to prove his love for Gillian and not just her money. Victoria Alexander provides sub-genre fans with merriment rarely found in historical romances.

Harriet Klausner

This is a familiar story. A gentile widow - Lady Gillian - cannot inherit a massive fortune unless she marries by her 30th birthday. She asks her two male childhood friends to come up with a 'husband list'. They do it with tongue in cheek; she takes the list seriously. At the top of the list is the Earl of Shelbrooke - an impoverished lord who is keeping his head above water by selling his paintings under an assumed name. Lady Gillian approaches him, but he is hesitant because he wants her to love him. Secrets and seduction abounds. It was a delightful book and I would recommend it as a quick and easy read.

In order to claim an inheritance left to her by an uncle in America, Lady Gillian Marley must be married before she is thirty years old. She has two months to fulfill this request. She asks her two childhood friends, Robert, the Earl of Weston and Christopher, Viscount Cummings, to each compose a list of potential husbands believing that they will take her request seriously. She should have known better. None of the men Robin and Kit jot down are worthy men except perhaps one. Richard Shelton, the Earl of Shelbrooke has no idea why Lady Gillian has invited him to one of her famous salons but the last thing he expects to see is one of his own paintings being critiqued by a group of her guests. Unbeknownst to his peers, Shelbrooke paints for an income that will hopefully restore his ancestral home. Unfortunately, his alias, Etienne-Louis Toussaint, a persona created by Gillian's own brother, is just coming to attention. When Gillian puts the question of a marriage of convenience to him in order to claim a fortune they would share, he knows that this is more than he could ever have hoped for. His pride, however, refuses to allow him to be married for convenience. If he is to commit himself to Gillian forever, he wants a real marriage. In order to assure this, Shelbrooke has planned a two-pronged attack to court her as the Earl of Shelbrooke but also as the rake he used to be under the name of his convenient alter ego, Toussaint.

Victoria Alexander has written a witty, humorous, and touching story about two people who discover that love is the real reason they can't commit to a marriage merely for convenience. Unlike many women of her time, Gillian married her childhood sweetheart and had a good marriage for the short time they had together. Shelbrooke, on the other hand, began following in his father's footsteps as a rake until his father's death, which prompted a change in character in order to care and provide for his sisters. Unfortunately, it is not seemly for a peer of the realm to earn a living so, Shelbrooke turns to his childhood friend, Thomas, for assistance and support when it comes to his painting. He never expects to use the persona Thomas creates for his own means. When he does, it is both comical and revealing. Despite the atrocious French accent he must adopt, Shelbrooke feels he can voice his own uncertainties through Toussaint and can, in turn, learn more about Gillian's. For Gillian, trying to figure out her feelings for Shelbrooke and dealing with his mysterious ways, is difficult enough without Robin and Kit subjecting themselves to repeatedly asking for her hand with a great deal of reluctance but even more affection. This is the first Alexander novel I have read and I appreciated her humor, the development of the characters, and the wit she used in unmasking Toussaint.

Lady Gillian Marley doesn't want a husband but unfortunately she will inherit her late uncle's estate ($600,000 pounds, 8 ships and land in America!) only if she is married before she turns 30 in two months. She turns to her two life-long friends who each give her a "HUSBAND LIST" of marriable men. Only one name is on both lists - Richard Shelton, the Earl of Shelbrooke. Gillian decides to invite him to her home and propose a marriage of convenience. Richard (goodlooking and a hunk) was once a rake but had to settle down when his father died leaving the family almost penniless. Despite his new stability, he has a deeply guarded secret he must keep from everyone. This is a delightful book, full of fun and enjoyment.

While this is not Alexander's best book, it is a good read if you are stuck home with a miserable cold as I was the day I read it. The widow Gillian (daughter of a duke) wants to marry before her 30th birthday, 2 months away, in order to inherit a sizable fortune and not be dependent upon her family's largesse. To that end and with the help of her 2 best friends (male) she draws up a list of eligible nobleman and after one meeting decides on Lord Richard Shelton and quickly proposes marriage to him. She wants a marriage in name only out of loyalty to her deceased husband, he wants a real marriage (with sex and children). Unbenownst to art-lover Gillian (but known to her brother, Richard's best friend), Richard is financing his estates and family by oil painting under an assumed French name. Richard decides to masquerade as that painter (i.e. himself) in order to get close to Gillian and find out what she truly thinks of himself (Richard). Following this? Well, it all comes out in the wash. The by-play between the characters and witty dialogue was great fun and I especially enjoyed the arguments between Gillian and Richard and the scenes in which Richard is masquerading as himself. The plot is a little weak, but suspend your disbelief and enjoy it. A major flaw are the love scenes, which are perfunctory and routine. There are also some anachronisms that point out flaws -- Richard responds to Gillian's French conversation with a "Huh?" -- not a phrase used during the Regency period. Also -- wouldn't he have known at least school-room French given the standard education for the nobility at this time? Another anachronism is the main characers' approach to their sexual behavior -- it was far more appropriate to a contemporary romance than a Regency period book. Although I know widows had much more license in their sexual behavior than single women, Gillian had married her childhood sweetheart at a young age and had never had a relationship since his death. Therefore it seemed unlikely to me that she would have sex so quickly in their relationship-- without any real angst or fear of the repercussions. Also, given the fact that the nobility in Britain at this time numbered approx. 1200 and if Richard is her brother's best friend, wouldn't Gillian and Richard have met at least one time in the previous few years (aside from a chance meeting a decade ago in her season as a deb)? It is highly unlikely that Gillian would have had 2 best friends who are male in this period -- the societal mores and customs would have dictated against it. The followup book is The Marriage Lesson, in which the secondary characters from this book are the hero and heroine.

Lady Gillian Marley searched for the perfect husband by writing a list of potential candidates. She had narrowed her choices to those she thought were perfect. The perfect choice, in her opinion, was the elusive Richard Shelton, Earl of Shelbrooke. Richard, who had lived under the guise of a French painter, would marry Gillian but only in a marriage of convenience. He would continue his secretive life until Gillian convinced him in a unique way the marriage meant much more than convenience. Victoria Alexander's funny and clever writing takes the old, tired marriage of convenience plot to a new, different twist. Her characters are strong and engaging, but most of all, they, and Ms. Alexander's sense of humor, make this 4 ½ star book a lot of fun to read.

I have purchased a few novels by this author. Earlier works I really enjoyed by her were "The Wedding Bargain" (charming and fun), "When We Meet Again" (strong characters and plot), "The Lady in Question" (solid) and "The Pursuit of Marriage" (good). "The Husband List" is the next one I choose. Although I liked this book, it wasn't as good for me as the other ones I read.

Gillian is the heroine in this book and Richard the hero. Gillian was married for years to her childhood sweetheart and then he died in battle for the King. She was alone for many years but, recovered and her life continued with social outings, get togethers and family. She needs to find a husband by her 30th birthday or she'll loose a large inheritance. She creates a list of the best husbands in town with the help of her two best guy friends and it's off to the races. She meets with Richard as he tops the list - good looks, good manners, good family history and title etc. Little know to Gillian - Richard is a reformed rogue and rake and trying to be good since his father died. He has become honorable by taking care of his sisters, their family estate and the good family name. Richard is poor in cash - heavily in debt on the family estate - when they meet but, rich in spirit.

The story takes a number of twists and turns - who Richard really is, what he does for a living, how a famous painter Etienne and the arts plays into their relationship, why they both want the inheritance so bad and if the money can truly bring them together as a real husband and wife. I would have liked that they wait a little longer to be fully intimate and that there be more temptation and seduction before the big scene but, it was not to be. I also felt they spent a bit of time apart during their two month courtship and a bit of deception here and there but, I figure the author felt that added to the story. There was no formal engagement, wedding or follow up scene and I would have liked that to cement their relationship at the end as well.

Many of the side characters were appealing to learn about - Gillian's two male childhood friends Kit & Robin, Richards four sisters - Marianne, Jocelyn, Becky & Emma, etc. This author is good at making the characters interesting and the story develop in a detailed and enriching way. Her books are not hot, passionate and intense rather...they are light, warm, witty and usually fun to read.

You can't help but, be drawn into the story after you see the descriptions on Gillian's husband list such as: "Lord Tyndale - remarkably well spoken for a man with few teeth" or "Lord Runley - elegant in appearance but, with the intelligence of a small mutton chop" or " Lord Harkin - short bald and altogether unaware of his distinct resemblance to a hairless rabbit". See...you will smile and enjoy this story and understand why she HAD to choose The Earl of Shelbrooke and why she didn't regret it.

I look forward to reading her other stories...history has proven she's a romance author worth reading. I stretched it a little giving four stars on this one --- probably could have been 3 1/2 but...Ms. Alexander is so good over-all, she deserves the extra credit. Enjoy!

For people who enjoy light-hearted regency romances, this is the book for you. It was wonderful to watch the romance unfold between a lonely widow and a poor but hard-working Earl. They were brought together by the common goal of financial security, but soon discovered that love was more important then money or security.

Both Gillian and Richard were afraid of falling in love. Yet even when they fell for each other, they were both too afraid to admit it. Eventually they found their way to each other with a little help from Richard's many sisters and Gilian's family and friends. With Richard, Gillian found the passion and excitement that had been missing in her life. The author Victoria Alexander painted a vivid portrait of these characters. By the end of the book, I felt like I knew Richard and Gillian.

This is a wonderful book to curl up with on a Saturday afternoon. It's a fun book that isn't bogged down with historical details or great tragedy. I would highly recommend it.

I absolutely loved this book. In some of the others in this series I found the heroes a little flighty and shallow - and the women truly silly and way too overbearing. These two were perfect. what could be better than Richard, a reformed rake, with deep dark secrets? He was everything that Gillian could want in a husband thus she had him at the top of her list. But she did not even begin to know why he was the most perfect man for her. In addition to being sexy, handsome, a truly good and decent person he also had his secret life as the artist Toussaint. And Gillian was such a patron of artists - she had no idea that her two worlds would truly come together by offering Richard to share her fortune if they would marry. Richard had had some really challenging years financially which is why he had reformed and put everything into restoring his lands, paying of family debts and trying to make a life for his 4 sisters. He had always been enchanted with Gillian, but felt she was totally out of his league. She wants a marriage in name only. Well Richard could never agree to that so he agrees to court/seduce her. Actually both of his characters himself and the artist Toussaint both decide to seduce her. This to me was so interesting. It really made this book different than others - and I loved watching Gillian react to both of them - she was actually falling for both men, and it was the same man. Somehow deep down her inner self must have instinctively known that. And of course Gillian being the observant one, realizes they are the same. And when she seduces Toussaint to pay him a lesson well that was beautiful. This was not a silly book at all. It was full of heartfelt emotions and Richard proved to be what a deep, caring, sexy sensitive man he truly was - throughout. I absolutely loved this book. I found it by far the best so far in this series which I think I have read 1/2 now. I think readers of this series will find this at the top!

I really enjoyed this book. I've been reading romance novels for over 15 years now and was fascinated to find something different in this one. I love that the "lady" is the "rich hero" instead of the man this time. Also, Gillian and Richard's honesty and quick wit was quite enjoyable. I'm glad the couple wasn't caught up in some mystery or misunderstanding. The reader really has a chance to see the couple grow. This is my favorite thus far of the Effington books. I took away 0.5 a star because Richard's facade as the French artist got on my nerves a little. But, I have to give this author credit for acknowledging Gillian's common sense and allowing her to figure it out.