Customer Reviews

Miss Whitlow's Turn (Signet Regency Romance)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Miss Whitlow's Turn by Jenna Mindel
February 10, 2005

Courtesy of WWW.loveromances.com

This was a fun regency romp written by Jenna Mindel. MISS WHITLOW'S TURN is the story of George Clasby, as he desperately seeks a way to clean up his reputation. He is known to have flings with married women, and now that he sees many of his friends marrying and settling down, he realizes he wants the same thing too. Unfortunately, his reputation is well known, and no single woman that is of a decent background wants to be associated with him.

George comes upon a brilliant plan to call on Miss Harriet Whitlow, who is now out on her third season and has been known to turn down suitors left and right. He has no desire to settle down with her, but they have already been acquainted and he thinks this is an easy way to ease his way back into respectable society. Since Harriet is highly respected in society, anyone associated with her would surely be accepted into society as well.

Harriet, on the other hand, has had her eye on George ever since they had met during her first season. When George turns his attentions on her, she is overjoyed and cannot believe her luck. Unfortunately, her father hates George and will not have his daughter wed to someone of the likes of him. Instead, he has chosen for his daughter Lord Grafton, a man that Harriet finds boring and annoying and she needs to find a way to get rid of him before she is stuck with him for life! Can she find a way to stop Grafton from proposing to her and at the same time win over George's heart?

Very fun reading! Any one who loves romances and has yet to try out a regency romance needs to read this one. This reviewer really enjoys the humor that often comes with these regencies, and MISS WHITLOW'S TURN was no exception. Very humorous and well written, with characters that felt very real and not just stereotypical people from this era. MISS WHITLOW'S TURN is highly recommended to lovers of regencies, and those who have yet to read one.

Harriet Whitlow is a nice and prim lady who is starting her third season. She has had several suitors, but she is hopelessly in love with George Clasby, a notorious rake with a tarnished reputation. George is regretting the choices he has made in his life and wants what his friends have, he wants to find love and get married, but first he needs to have access to proper ladies. At a Christmas celebration they share a wonderful kiss under the kissing bough and after that Harriet decides that she has to do something, that i'ts now or never, since her father has a new and very eligible suitor interested in her: Lord Garfton.

George had always thought of Harriet as pretty and nice, but too proper for his tastes, and also as untouchable as the moon. However, he thinks that if he is seen among her suitors and acepted by her father, other parents will think him eligible too. He spoke to her father to ask for his permission to visit and asured him that he hasn't any intention on really courting her and won't stand in the way of Lord Grafton. When Harriet knows about his reasons to befriend her she is disapointed, but soon she decides to use this opportunity to try to gain his love. Now, she only has to discourage Grafton and show him that she is not right for him.

This is a delightful read! It's my first book by this author and I love it! It is the third one in a series about related characters, but stands along perfectly. Both hero and heroine have flaws, but are very likeable. George has a tarnished reputation for being in affairs with married ladies, but he is tired of that life and it's looking for something more. And personally I love a hero with red hair. Harriet has had a tendre for him for two years and thinks that the love of a woman can help him reform and she has decided to act on her feelings. If only her father wasn't so sure of what is best for her. There are many secondary characters who add to the story and I definitively have to look for the related books, since I want to read more about them.

The book has a lot of humorous moments, specially when Harriet is trying to scare away Lord Grafton, and some touching ones too. I liked to see the friendship and love between them growing. I was cheering for her and wanting her to get the man she wanted. And Lord Grafton is so full of himself that is going to be great see him get what he doesn't want in the next one in the series. I'm already eagerly awaiting for it.

Harriet Whitlow has a secret. Ever since her come out, she's been in love with her friend, George Clasby. But Mr. Clasby is a rake, completely unacceptable for a respectable girl like Harriet. Her father would not approve, even if Clasby DID think of her as more than a friend.

George Clasby knows his reputation is less than spotless, but he wants to reform. To do so, he recruits the help of his friend, Harriet Whitlow. If the ton sees him in the company of Harriet, perhaps some of her respectability will rub off on him? Over time, Harriet piques his interest in other ways. But Clasby doesn't stand a chance, as Harriet's father seems determined to marry his daughter off to a pompous earl named Lord Grafton.

Harriet is determined to win Clasby's heart, and to shake off the attentions of Lord Grafton... even if that means resorting to drastic measures.

I was looking forward to "Miss Whitlow's Turn", as it has characters from two of Mindel's previous novels, "Miranda's Mistake" and "Kiss of a Highwayman." I was looking forward to Clasby and Harriet's story, and it does not disappoint. It's a very enjoyable book, thanks to Jenna Mindel's breezy dialogue and strong storytelling. Some readers might think the book's pacing is slow, but I didn't.

However, there were a few incidents that didn't really settle well with me. Harriet, a supposed "paragon of virtue", puts herself in scandalous situations SEVERAL times throughout the book, and Mindel didn't even acknowlege all of them. I might be nitpicking, but I don't think it was acceptable behavior for a girl in the Regency period to slip off to a bachelor's town house. Harriet is a compelling character, but I think the reader was supposed to believe she was virtuous, but we're shown something entirely different.

All in all, I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a light, entertaining book. If you enjoy this, and you haven't read them, you should certainly read Mindel's other books. My personal favorite was "Kiss of the Highwayman."

Harriet Whitlow is prim, proper and totally smitten with George Clasby. Unfortunately, the handsome Mr. Clasby is quite the rake about town, and not at all the sort of man Harriet's parents have in mind for their only daughter. That, rather, would be one Lord Grafton, a suitor who's had his eye on Harriet for quite some time. Harriet, all too aware of Lord Grafton's intentions, decides to take matters into her own hands when it comes to having the man she wants.

I found Harriet to be a modern day heroine straight from the regency period, lacy pantalettes and all. Without spoiling the story, let me just say that Harriet has a mind and heart all her own, and George Clasby proves just the right match. MISS WHITLOW'S TURN is a delightful romp through the "ton". Meeting up with other favorite characters such as Artemis and Lord Cherrington was equally enjoyable. And rest assured, Miss Mindel does not disappoint. The story clips along, with sparkling dialogue and deliciously wicked plot twists. A wonderful tale and a charm of a read, MISS WHITLOW'S TURN is one of my favorite reads, by one of my favorite authors!

This book wasn't totally bad. I did like that Harriet was like the regency ladies that books usually disdain. She refuses to state her opinion and screams that she saw a mouse to avoid an unwanted situation. It was kind of unique to see the heroine of the book be so preachy and missish, at least at the begining.
And then ... neither character acts in character. The proper lady acts in a totally inappropriate manner, not the galloping in Hyde park type but the removing her underwear at a party and getting drunk every chance she got type. So much for being the most respectable lady on the marriage mart!
The rake gives up all vices over night and never misses a one. It is so easy 'cause deep down he was never really a rake- his evil humanity just made him act against his true nature. Huh?!?
This line from the book says it all.
"The apparent fact that their kiss meant nothing to him proved how much he needed her." Ahh, a definate sign of true love! No wonder she pines for two years.
This book could have been really good. The writing style was fine and the book got off to a great start but the characters stayed very one dimensional and not very bright.
I have faith that the some of the characters in this book are more filled out in their own stories than Harriet and George are in this one.

If you're in the mood for a simple tale of a young lady's attempts to spark the interest of the gentleman she's quite enamoured with, that is quite sedately paced, but that is written in a very engaging and winning manner, nonetheless, you'll want to give Jenna Mindel's "Miss Whitlow's Turn" a go.

A very proper young lady, much respected for her impeccable manners and her virtue, Miss Harriet Whitlow has been hopelessly in love with the well known rake, Mr. George Clasby for almost three years now. Living in hope that he will one day notice her, Harriet has managed to turn away her other more respectable suitors, even though she realises that her feelings for George are hopeless. For even if George were to reciprocate her feelings, her very protective father would never allow George to court her. But things are about to change. Tired of his hitherto rackety life, George has decided to turn a new leaf, and has applied to Harriet's father for permission to be part of her court -- not to court her of course but to be seen in her company, thus signaling to the ton his intention of becoming more respectable. Harriet's father is leery of this plan, but knowing of his daughter's true feelings for George, hopes that familiarity will breed contempt; thereby freeing Harriet to appreciate his choice of a good husband for her, the proper Lord Grafton. Now it is up to Harriet to show George that she is the lady who can make his life complete. But can the shy and retiring Harriet do this?

"Miss Whitlow's Turn" proved to be a pleasant read. In spite of the fact that the story was a very simple one with few frills, it was very well written and a very engaging one to boot. The author does a good job of making both Harriet and George likable, appealing and very sympathetic. How could anyone not empathise with the very proper Harriet's dilemma of how to go about with sparking the ardour of one gentleman while trying to repulse the interest of another? Light hearted and charming, this very enjoyable read proved to be just the ticket for a dull winter's evening.

This was not a bad read as it kept my attention. George Clasby, the rake who wishes to reform via help from the well thought of Miss Harriet Whitlow, was some sort of gigolo, I think. That is my issue with this story. Was he a gigolo? Seems that way but the author does not really clarify that point. Also, where is his family? He has his own estate but with him being a Mr. and allowed to Almack's there must be some noble blood in him but from where? He must have a sibling who is a Lord of something. Why the vagueness? I did not read the first two stories based with these characters, so maybe it is in them but all stories should be stand alone. Also, why in the world would Harriet's father give permission for a rake to have a pretend association with his daughter? I mean, George was using Harriet any way you slice it. Why would he help George??