The Lady Most Likely...: A Novel in Three Parts [Mass Market Paperback]

Julia Quinn (Author), Eloisa James (Author), Connie Brockway (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 28, 2010

Three of the brightest stars of historical romance invite you to a party at the country home of the Honorable Marquess of Finchley

Hugh Dunne, the Earl of Briarly, needs a wife, so his sister hands him a list of delectable damsels and promises to invite them— and a few other gentlemen—to her country house for what is sure to be the event of the season.

Hugh will have time to woo whichever lady he most desires . . . Unless someone else snatches her first.

The invitation list includes:

• The horse-mad but irresistibly handsome Earl of Briarly
• The always outspoken Miss Katherine Peyton
• The dashing war hero Captain Neill Oakes
• The impossibly beautiful (and painfully shy) Miss Gwendolyn Passmore
• The terribly eligible new Earl of Charters
• The widowed Lady Georgina Sorrell (who has no plans to marry, ever)

And your hostess, Lady Carolyn Finchley, an irrepressible matchmaker who plans to find the lady most likely . . . to capture her brother’s untamed heart.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

A near-fatal accident with one of his beloved horses prompts Hugh Dunne, the Earl of Briarly, to realize it is time to get married. The only problem is that while Hugh might know horses, he knows nothing about women, which is why he turns to his sister Carolyn, the Marchioness of Finchley. Not only does Carolyn compile a select listing of the season’s most sought-after ladies, including the delightfully blunt Katherine Peyton and reigning beauty Gwendolyn Passmore. She invites them, as well as war-hero Captain Neill Oakes and newly titled Alec Darlington, to a country-house party. Now all Hugh has to do is select his bride, but he had better hurry, because it turns out he has some serious competition for the ladies. Quinn, Eloisa James, and Connie Brockway, three RITA Award winners, team up to create a novel in three parts, and the resulting book is a truly original, delightfully amusing treat. The Lady Most Likely . . . sparkles with wit, sizzles with sensuality, and, most important, is superbly satisfying. --John Charles

Review

“A truly original, delightfully amusing treat....Sparkles with wit, sizzles with sensuality, and, most important, is superbly satisfying.” (Booklist )

“Flirty, joyful, and just plain fun.” (Library Journal )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon; Original edition (December 28, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061247820
• ISBN-13: 978-0061247828
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #82,022 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 3 authors, 3 romances, and 1 seamless novel., December 29, 2010

By 

Old Latin teacher (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Lady Most Likely...: A Novel in Three Parts (Mass Market Paperback)

(Correction: Make that 4 romances because the married couple who host the house party, setting for the novel, also have a lovely and romantic relationship.)

I don't often enjoy book compilations by various authors because the books are usually made up of individual and separate stories. This one, besides being written by 2 of my favorite HR authors and 1 that used to be a fave, is actually one novel with 3 romances woven into it pretty seamlessly. Everything takes place at a country house party given by Lady Carolyn Finchley to find a wife for her brother Hugh Dunne, the Earl of Briarly. Many eligible young ladies are invited and also worthy gentlemen to round out the numbers. The book is great fun, light-hearted and romantic with very likeable characters. The plot is not at all unusual. It's the formulaic house party romance, but it is developed deftly and humorously and is well written because all the contributors are skilled and experienced writers of HRs.

Those readers who are familiar with the writing styles of these 3 authors will be able to tell where one author's contribution merges into the next one's (especially the transition from Quinn to Brockway) but it is not too obvious or awkward, but rather a smooth transition that maintains the characters' personalities and way of behaving throughout the novel.

This is a book to read when you're in the mood for a feel-good, warm, romantic story. No angst, no Big Understandings, no Dark Secrets, no villains or abductions. Nothing but character-driven love stories. Keep in mind that because there are three romances in one novel, they are not in the depth that you might like. I enjoyed the book for the novelty of it and the skill of the authors.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable with a few caveats, December 28, 2010

By 

Maria Cocco "geek, nerd and dweeb" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Lady Most Likely...: A Novel in Three Parts (Mass Market Paperback)

More 3.25 stars than 3 stars, the story as a whole is enjoyable. It's light and fluffy fun, which is the most I ask for for a novel like this. Because it's 3 romances told in one book, there isn't much focus on any one character. That's a drawback when you quite like a character as I did Gwendolyn. She was completely refreshing and not at all a typical heroine. The rest of the heroines were less interesting to me. The romances were fast, but two of the three couples had history. I'm not totally sure I buy Alec and Gwen's HEA but I'll buy their infatuation. I think their story would have been better told in a full length novel devoted to them.

There's a small error that took me right out of the book. For a small portion of the book Carolyn becomes Caroline. Small annoyance but if it's only in the Kindle version perhaps it can be corrected? She's a major character, so it's a bit distracting and took me right out of the fantasy of the book itself.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not Essential, December 30, 2010

By 

E. A. Montgomery (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lady Most Likely...: A Novel in Three Parts (Mass Market Paperback)

I like all of the authors involved in this project, in fact I can't stop raving about Storming the Castle: An Original Short Story with Bonus Content, but this novel in three parts left me with mixed feelings. The Lady Most Likely is at least as good as a selection of unconnected novellas. Compared to an older Signet Regency collection it holds up fine. As a full length novel it's connected well and the 'voice' of the book works well as a group. The problem is that as enjoyable as some paces are, others feel rushed. Each section needs more - instead of three novellas making the novel, it reads like three novels cut to novella size. I would still recommend it, I really did enjoy it, but it's not greater than the sum of it's parts. (Dropping another star was a tired cliche used for one of the characters past love interests. It is so far past the time to retire that one, I can't tell you. But it's a personal peeve and may not affect other's enjoyment.) 3 1/2 stars really, not quite a 4.