An Improper Proposal [Mass Market Paperback]

Patricia Cabot (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 1999

A stormy heart

Adventurous, outspoken, Payton Dixon has two passionate dreams...a clipper ship of her own and the love of Captain Connor Drake. But both seem impossibly out of reach, since her beloved captain is about to marry another, and worse, he's been given her ship as a wedding present from her traitorous father.

A thwarted love

Out to prove she has right on her side, Payton manages to unleash a scandal and ignite all sorts of trouble. As for Drake, he can't decide whether to throttle the girl he's grown up with, or make love to the beautiful woman she has become.

An Improper Proposal

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Powered by an unorthodox heroine and colorful writing, this Victorian romance gets off to a rousing start. Englishwoman Payton Dixon has grown up aboard her family's ships, and although she's small enough to pass as a cabin boy, she aspires to become a sea captain. Her dream is hindered by her rough brothers, who consider her goal laughable, and the fact that she's fallen in love with one of her family's captains, Connor Drake. Worse yet, Connor is about to marry someone else. Payton's startling hijinks to break the engagement, and Connor's attraction to her, prove a winsome combination. When Connor is kidnapped by a vengeful pirate and Payton sneaks on board disguised as a cabin boy, Cabot's (Portrait of My Heart) plot twist, although far-fetched, offers interesting possibilities. However, Payton's somewhat childish antics eventually wear thin, and after all the adventure, the happy ending seems anticlimactic.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Ms. Cabot stirs our minds and hearts."--Bell, Book and Candle

"Witty dialogue abounds from the first page, but what sets this romance apart are the hero's charm and keen sense of humor, which immediately endear him to readers...A jewel of a romance."--Publishers Weekly on Portrait of My Heart

"I'd read a cereal box if it was written by Patricia Cabot!"--Julia Quinn, author of How to Marry a Marquis

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (November 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312971907
• ISBN-13: 978-0312971908
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #815,861 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hoyden seeks seafaring captin in riotous romance., November 7, 1999

By 

Affaire de Coeur - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Improper Proposal (Mass Market Paperback)

The Honorable Miss Payton Dixon was usually known as the Dishonorable Miss Payton Dixon. Raised on board ship by her three seafaring brothers, Payton was the most unladylike lady England had ever seen. Since she was rarely in England, no one ever thought that it would matter. So when Payton suddenly realized that she was in love with Connor Drake, the captain of one of her brothers' ships, it became important to her to act like a lady. Unfortunately, Connor Drake was marrying another, a woman who was everything Payton was not--the ideal genteel English lady. Connor didn't even realize that Payton had grown up. He had known her since she was in pigtails running around barefoot on the deck of his ship in pants and a vest and had never really thought of her as female. So why was she now acting so peculiar on his wedding day? Patricia Cabot has written a riotous, sexy romance about a seafaring hoyden trying to become a lady despite her three older brothers. Her witty and fast-faced dialogue will keep you in stitches while following Payton and Connor's adventures.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Story -made me laugh out loud!, December 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: An Improper Proposal (Mass Market Paperback)

Ms. Cabot is an original author. From the moment I read the cover, I was not able to put the book down. Payton Dixon is an absolute tomboy who lacks a female presence in her life to guide her as she matures into womanhood. She is willful, proud, and comical. Through her thoughts, actions, and reasoning I could easily relate to her. I especially loved her quick prayer bargains with God! Connor Drake was a novel character who I could easily fall for in real life, just as Payton did. He was handsome and proud with a real man's way of thinking. He charmed me since the very beginning. The story is well written, funny, and original. I was amazed at finding it full of action. The only problems I encountered with this novel is that it was rushed towards the end which caused the majority of the characters to be left hanging. However, unlike the majority of romance novels, it was very well-written with comedy, romance, action, and suspense. I still say congratulations to Ms. Cabot for a job well done!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ABSOLUTELY ENCHANTING !, November 20, 1999

By 

G.C. Larkin - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Improper Proposal (Mass Market Paperback)

While I enjoy the deepest and most provocative tales I can get my hands on I am also the first in line to read something that can entertain me with wit and imagination and not leave me feeling as though I have labored for hours. Cabot has created some of the most wildly outlandish and adorable as well as evil and unrehabilatable characters I have ever encountered. The dialouge and storyline however are equal to the task that her players find themselves facing. If you are in the mood to kick back and relax with a joyous, tender and enchanting evening's entertainment then you will not be disappointed with delightful creation.