The Notorious Widow [Paperback]

Allison Lane (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 7, 2000

When a scoundrel tries to tarnish a young widow's reputation, a valiant Earl tries to repair the damage-and mend her broken heart as well....

"A formidable talent." -Romantic Times

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Signet (November 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451201663
• ISBN-13: 978-0451201669
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,245,911 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars something a little different, December 1, 2000

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Notorious Widow (Paperback)

This novel is not the ususal light regency romance fare featuring a London season, clothes and beaux; rather it is a dark tale that tells of how a young woman and her family find themselves at the mercy of a malicious and deranged man.

Catherine Parrish incurrs the wrath of Jasper Rankin when she rebuffs his amorous attentions. In retaliation, Jasper spreads vicious rumours, painting Catherine as a degenerate and a wanton. Everyone seems only all too willing to believe the tales, and soon Catherine, along with her sisters and brother, find themselves effectively ostracised by the "good" people of Exeter.

The Earl of Rockhurst is an old school friend's of William, Catherine's brother. And out of friendship, he agrees to look into these accusations and to try and expose them as the lies that actually are. But he soon finds his work cut out for him. Jasper Rankin seems, outwardly anyway, to be all that is pleasing and honourable. And everyone seems content to believe the worst of Catherine and her family. But as the Earl begins to look into Rankins background, some rather disquieting tales come to light that point to misdeeds far more serious than the spreading of malicious rumours. Will the Earl be able to expose Rankin as a liar, salvage Catherine's reputation and keep her from harm?

This novel was riverting reading -- I kept expecting Rankin to explode into one final really horrific act of violence. But Allison Lane showed her mastery here and handled the final denouncement perfectly. As I noted earlier this is not the usual comedy of manners; indeed the romance betwen the Earl and Catherine plays second fiddle to the darker subplot. However, if you are looking for something not in the usual vein, and that deals with the darker psyche of people, this novel will definitely satisfy.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Implausible, frustrating and ultimately boring., October 6, 2007

By 

Zou Zou (cape cod,ma) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Notorious Widow (Paperback)

A costume romance masquerading as a regency romance.
This plot idea had great potential; someone is spreading vicious rumours regarding the Vicar's young widow. Too bad the potential was totally unrealized.
The behavior of the 19th Century characters was distinctly 21st Century. These characters could have time travelled from last week.
The heroine's brother, William, is manipulative and deceitful. A truly useless Guardian/Protector of his family. Younger sister, Laura, is a predatory mantrap. The gossiping neighbors are all too ready to believe slanderous reports of the Vicar's widow, Catherine.
Finally, the girl fight at the Assembly rooms did it for me. Huh? Regency Romance?
The hero, Blake, was a ponderous, sanctimonious bore. Blake determines that as a "champion of justice" he must investigate Catherine and determine if she is a depraved jade or an innocent victim of lascivious rumours.
Catherine's brother has invited Blake to their home to champion Catherine's cause and to discover the originator of the rumours that are ruining Catherine's reputation.
**Spoiler Alert**
The brother's true motivation is too introduce his other sister, the lovely, unwed Laura, to Blake's attention. With Catherine receiving the cut direct from the entire community, Laura's chances of finding an eligible husband are nil. What's a brother to do?
Spoiled Laura's amazingly wanton public behavior makes one wonder why/how any of her family were ever received into polite society.
Brother William's willingness to use Catherine's persecution by a spurned suitor to advance his own agenda is repulsive.
None of these characters are sympathetic. Their outre behavior is untrue to their era. The plot resolution that deals with the villian and his punishment is feeble and truly anticlimatic. This could have been an interesting story about the extreme importance of a woman's reputation. How a campaign of slander can ostracize a person from society. Too bad.
Not recommended.

4.0 out of 5 stars Really enjoyed but not my favorite book, August 1, 2011

By 

ToolFanatic - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Notorious Widow (Paperback)

I loved this book. I had read the second book in the Seabrook Trilogy first(The Rake and the Wallflower). I thought that overall the book was great just wasn't as good as the next book.