Milord's Liegewoman [Paperback]

Elizabeth Chater (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2000

Alison's twin brother Edmond has run off and forfeited his obligation to fight a duel with the intimidating and handsome Earl of Havard. The man is an infernally good shot, as well as ruthless in meting out judgement. But Alison is sure that the duel is a farce, and that the Earl is only trying to teach her brother a lesson for inappropriately flirting with his sister. She is so sure the Earl will misfire in order to avoid killing her young brother, that she borrows Edmond's clothes and shows up at the duel, pretending to be Edmond in order to save the family honor. But the Earl of Havard easily sees through her disguise. His anger is fierce and justified by the strict code of honor that binds both houses. Now, to pay for the insult, Alison must become an indentured servant in his household, serving as his page until the debt of honor is paid in full...

Editorial Reviews

Review

-Elizabeth Chater is a treasure.- -Greg Bear --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: e-reads.com (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585861294
• ISBN-13: 978-1585861293
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,800,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Meaner hero than I expected, December 6, 2008

By 

Laura Miller ""Romance, Old School" B... (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Milords Liegewoman (Mass Market Paperback)

From the back:

COULD SHE PAY HER BROTHER'S DEBT?
Alison had never fought a duel, but her twin brother had to run out on his obligation to fight the haughty Earl of Havard. Alison was sure Havard just wanted to teach Edmond a lesson for flirting with his sister. After all, the money Edmond had lost to Havard meant nothing to the Earl. And Edmond was little more than a boy, while the Earl was a deadly shot.

So sure was she that Havard would deliberately misfire that she borrowed Edmond's clothes and showed up at the appointed spot, ready to uphold the family honor. But Havard pierced her disguise. His anger was fierce, and the plan he devised to exact vengeance was diabolical. Alison was to be his indentured servant, his page, until the debt was paid....

My opinion:

I finished this book very quickly. I actually couldn't put it down. I am disturbed, however, by what is considered romantic. The hero beats the heroine--granted, he was unaware she was a woman at the time. He is quite merciless. Then, after knowing who she is, he proceeds to treat her horribly. I was, quite plainly, horrified.

I did give this book a rating of 3, though. I happen to like Elizabeth Chater's style of writing. As usual, she does a good job with her characters and while I thought the hero unnaturally harsh--which, by the way, is never explained--the storyline is actually quite interesting. I do have to admit, it was rather exciting. :o)

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Oh. My. Heck., July 1, 2009

By 

L. Sergienko (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Milord's Liegewoman (Paperback)

A putative romance with no romance whatsoever? The book's supposed hero as well as the villans are cruel and unremorseful until the end. The Euwwwrl flays the herone bloody in the beginning of the book and utters not a single word of apology. The geuwwwrl is the doormattiest doormat in England and perhaps points beyond. He has no concience nor a single word or thought of apology and repentence. She has no spine at all. A match made in a codependent masochistic mysogenistic ballroom.

This is the sort of tripe and spleen and bile that gives romance a bad name. Useful perhaps for an academic study of gender, but not for anyone seeking a little harmless escapist reading.

I looked to see what sort of "woman' would write this apologia for domestic abusers. Not surprisingly she was born in 1910.

Read this one at your peril. Keep a 5 gallon drum of brain bleach handy.

1.0 out of 5 stars Not romantic at all, August 30, 2011

By 

eclectic - See all my reviews

This review is from: Milord's Liegewoman (Paperback)

I would not class this book as a romance at all. The only character who it is possible to like is the main female character, whose twin brother, a selfish and spoilt coward, runs away from his debts in London, leaving her to pay. This includes his debts of honour, one of which she ends up paying by becoming a virtual slave, being beaten and humiliated and eventually falling in love with the man who is responsible for it.

The Earl, to whom she must pay her brother's debt is not only horrible to her, but to everyone around him. He is completely unlikeable. As one other reviewer said, it seems that the heroine is suffering from Stokholm Syndrome, not love. I have had this problem with another of this author's books as well - there is a big difference between the sexism of the historical period, and a character who is misogynistic, abusive and a bully.