Paid Companion [Paperback]

Amanda Quick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 3, 2005

The Earl of St. Merryn needs a woman. His intentions are purely practical - he simply wants someone sensible and suitably lovely to pose as his betrothed for a few weeks among polite society. He has his own agenda to pursue, and a false fiance will keep the husband-hunters at bay while he goes about his business. The simplest solution is to hire a paid companion. Finding the right candidate proves more of a challenge than he expected. But when he encounters Miss Elenora Lodge, her feisty manner and golden eyes sway him to make a generous offer. Elenora's sorry financial circumstances - and dreams of a life of independence - leave her little choice but to accept. But St. Merryn appears to be hiding a secret or two, and things seem oddly amiss in his gloomy London home. Elenora soon discovers that this lark will be a far more dangerous adventure than she'd been led to believe. And the Earl of St. Merryn will find that the meek and mild companion he'd initially envisioned has become a partner in his quest to catch a killer - and an outspoken belle of the ball who stirs a bothersome passion in his practical heart.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With 41 bestsellers to her credit, Jayne Ann Krentz (aka Quick) still approaches a new project as if novel writing were a just-discovered pleasure she can't wait to share. This late Regency romance offers her signature goodies. Elenora Lodge loses the manor to which she was born and thus becomes the eponymous paid companion. She is, of course, plucky, intellectual, democratic, lovely and unabashedly eager to surrender her virginity to the right man: "Sensation whipped through her; a glorious, heady, dizzying whirlpool of passion. She knew that if she did not explore these thrilling emotions with him she would carry the regret with her for the rest of her life." The source of the whirlpool is Arthur Lancaster, earl of St. Merryn, cranky, quirky, decent to the death, with a sizable fortune and lusty nature to match. Although a happy ending is never in doubt, a murder mystery is threaded through the love story, allowing the besotted couple to sleuth in dark alleyways between tumbles in bed. Quick draws on Regency fascination with science to inform villainous madman Parker, who styles himself "England's second Newton" and terrorizes Elenora with a precursor of the laser. Masked balls, upper-class gambling, women who manage their own affairs and marry for love: if this is familiar territory, it still satisfies. And when Arthur proposes, readers will be right there with Elenora: "The most delicious sense of joy unfurled within her."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Elenora Lodge is in quite a fix. Her stepfather lost her farm and all of her possessions in a mining venture, and her fiance dumps her faster than the proverbial hot potato. But Elenora is practical and pragmatic. So when Arthur Lancaster, earl of St. Merryn, offers her a position as a paid companion, she accepts. St. Merryn is in a bit of a fix himself. His favorite uncle has been murdered, and he's sworn vengeance on the killer, a mad alchemist intent on perfecting the ultimate weapon of mass destruction. Unfortunately, St. Merryn's fiancee has also dumped him, and his renewed status as one of London's most eligible bachelors is interfering with his quest for justice, hence his paying Elenora to pose as his new fiancee. Once again, the incomparable Quick (Jayne Ann Krentz) has whipped up a delectable Regency romance that mixes humor, suspense, and tantalizing historical detail with all the savory ingredients her fans have come to expect: a feisty, resourceful heroine; a hero with a decidedly dangerous edge; witty repartee; and strongly appealing secondary characters. Another winner from a major romance star. Shelley Mosley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Piatkus Paperback (March 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0749935545
• ISBN-13: 978-0749935542
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,873,193 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

With a string of bestselling Regency and Victorian Era romantic-suspense novels under her quill, AMANDA QUICK (who also writes under the pen names JAYNE ANN KRENTZ and JAYNE CASTLE) entered the world of a highly secretive paranormal group, the ARCANE SOCIETY, with her novel SECOND SIGHT. The series moved into a contemporary setting when JAYNE ANN KRENTZ (Amanda's contemporary alter-ego) released the second book in the series, WHITE LIES.

This winter, the ARCANE SOCIETY continues with THE LOOKING GLASS TRILOGY. It begins with IN TOO DEEP by Jayne Ann Krentz this December. Amanda is working on QUICKSILVER, her Spring 2011 contribution is book 2 in the series. The trilogy will conclude when JAYNE CASTLE releases CANYONS OF NIGHT, the futuristic novel, in Summer 2011.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars She's Baaack!!!!, May 3, 2004

By 

Elaine C McTyer "avid reader" (Dawson, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Paid Companion (Hardcover)

Wow! I just finished "The Paid Companion" and it is great. This book has all the things you look for in an Amanda Quick novel.

Unlike her last three books, we have a wonderful heroine, Elenora Lodge, who has lost everything because of her step-father. Like the best Quick heroines, she doesn't take it lying down. She has a PLAN.

A little (very little) downcast, she is seeking a new job as a paid companion, when our hero, Arthur, the Earl of St Merryn enters.
He is seeking a lady to play his bethrothed.

Through twists and turns, with humor and wit, we follow the adventures of the merry pair. Arthur is hunting the killer of his uncle, and plans to detour the marriage minded ton away, by introducing Elenora to them as his fiancee.

Both soon discover they are well matched in the brains department and Elenora becomes Arthur's partner in the search for a killer. They not only find adventure, they also find each other.

I really enjoyed this book. From the descriptions of a weary, marital-minded aristocracy, to the passionate love scenes, this is pure Quick.
Thanks Amanda!

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars engaging light read, but not sparkling, May 21, 2004

By 

Deborah MacGillivray "Author," (US & UK) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Paid Companion (Hardcover)

I adore Jayne Ann no matter if it is Krentz, Castle or Amanda Q. But sigh, her last few half dozen books have been dull, only the Castle "After Glow" showing Jayne Ann can still razzle-dazzle with the best. This book is not JAK at her best - far from it - but it is a big improvement from the last two Quicks and two JAKs, that you tend to want to rate it higher than it deserves.

I liked the characters - and REALLY wanted to love the book - and after the fire works on "After Glow", I really hoped she would keep that power. It starts out well, but sort of loses steam quickly (no pun intended!). This book is JAK formula all the way. I love the formula, so I don't mind that. But I do mind a rather boring mystery slowing the book down. Since JAK moved from "Romance Writer" to "Mainstream Writer", she has lost "THE ROMANCE" and it's killing her books. She almost rises to the level, but not quite. She needs to rediscover the power of emotional bonds. Her toning down the emotional tension between her leads and making it more a comedy of manners with a week mystery tossed in for diversion is watering down the JAK Magic. The mystery is hardly a mystery, and almost falls into the old trite Who Dun It style of introducing the evil villain at nearly at the last minute.

I thought Eleanor and Arthur quite charming, they engaged my attention to the end, but they just did not sizzle with JAK's witchcraft.

It's a good solid read, just not a great one. Nice book for the beach.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More Romance, less mystery, June 13, 2004

By 

Alena "alenabean" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Paid Companion (Hardcover)

Amanda Quick has come into the realm of Historical Mysteries as of late. I didn't like her last set of novels featuring Tobias and Lavinia but was pleased to see that this was out of that series so I gave "The Paid Companion" a shot.

Now, this book was better than "Don't Look Back" or the rest of the aforementioned series, but it didn't have the sparkle of Quick's earier novels (those characterized by one word titles). I always did feel like her books always (as the quintessential idea of romance novels) were where the lovely virgin meets the "rakish roque" and he wants to ravish her so he marries her. Quick's trademark has always been that one of them is flawed in some way (a scar or a limp or glasses, etc). Later some figure from one of their past comes back to haunt them (usually from her past) and someone is obliged to come in and save the day (sometimes she even saved herself). In this book I can tell that Quick stayed with the typical formula but tried to add more mystery. Her female characters are getting more and more assertive which is a plus. I still, somehow, like the old books better. This sems strange because they were somewhat cookie-cutter, but I still really liked them and re-read them occasionally when I am waiting for her to come out with a new novel.

I cannot put my finger on what exactly abotu this book is lesser than some others, but it is better than her more recent efforts and I did read it in one day - and did enjoy it. It just didn't have the sparkle or chemistry of some of my Quick favorites such as Seduction, Reckless, and Rendezvous. If you really like mystery with your romance you will probably like this book. A warning to romance readers - the romance comes late. If you are a Quick fan you will like this book I think!