Customer Reviews

Pickpocket Countess (Harlequin Historical)

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

 

 

I like the concept of this novel, as it implies an intelligent, sexy, and strong heroine. Nora definitely lived up to all my expectations. The hero was also very attractive for similar reasons. The plot itself was interesting enough, but I'm still questioning the pace of the novel. Honestly, after the very intriging first chapter I found myself skipping around a bit - which I never do! But after I found out what was going on a few chapter's later, I went back and reread it all. The ending was great, too.
Now I think I'll attempt to explain why there was a sence of lagging in the story..it's not exactly what you'd call a spoiler (especially since you find out in the first chapter anyways) but I thought I'd give fair warning since there has yet to be mention of it here on Amazon: Nora, aka "The Cat", is aka "Miss Habersham", who is her eccentric spinster alter-ego. During the parts where she was dressed as this woman, I found it quite dull, even if she was interacting with the hero. I understand the necesity of it for the plot, but it just fell flat inbetween these exiting and sensual encounters Nora had as The Cat.
Regardless, it is a fun, adventurous book with a humanitarian twist and, I should mention, a very real romance - that in and of itself deserves four stars! I'm very interested in trying other novels by Scott.

Okay, this book was a fast read and it was pretty fun overall. Really it does have some good solid characters that are enjoyable. But overall it was also predictable. You knew what was going to happen before it happened. And while that doesn't matter sometimes and is a small issue, with this book for me it was a slightly big issue.

But, over all it was not a horrible book. And if someone doesn't mind something slightly predicable I would recommend it. "The Cat" is a fun character a bold heroine who has fun being the Robin Hood of her area. She steals from the greedy rich men and feeds poor families with her bounty. The Earl of Stockport takes a little bit to warm up to. He's cocky, to full of himself and won't even admit when he's been robbed. Or at least that the woman broke into his house while he was in it.

But eventually you warm up to him. You learn to see his point of view and have to respect how he feels about things. He's torn between caring for the thief and wanting to see justice done. By the end of this book he did get my respect. And over the entire book was an okay read.

I liked the plot and "flirty" cover so much...I actually bought this book twice. As I'm reading it the second time I'm thinking...this sounds familiar. But once again, it was so entertaining that I just kept reading through to the end. When the end didn't surprise me as much as it should have, I went back to my box of books (we are moving) and yup...there it was! LOL
Well, I'm okay buying it twice cause now I can pass a copy along to my friends. :-)
It is not super amazing or "deep"...it is just an entertaining romance novel. The characters play off each other well and I enjoyed Nora's personality and her strength. A good quick read for a rainy Saturday afternoon.

When the Cat (notorious burglary/Robin Hood) breaks into the Brandon Wycroft the Earl of Stockport - she kisses him (& a few other things) and escapes out the window. Brandon spends the rest of the book tracking her down and trying to protector from being hung for stealing. This was a good book - Enjoy!

I am also looking forward to Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady (Harlequin Historical), Gentlemen Behaving Badly (Pleasure Emporium) and At the Bride Hunt Ball

First time reading a book from this author. This was a good book, and had some funny parts to it. I like a book I can cry, laugh and can not put down.

I have to agree with a previous reviewer who said that this book had an interesting premise, but ultimately didn't deliver. I found it to be lifeless. No real passion. "Brandon" was completely enthralled from the first few pages, and I couldn't figure out why. Yes, I like a good, strong heroine as much as the next person, but I also like a good, strong hero, and "Brandon" wasn't it. We never saw his "strong" side because as soon as he became aroused by "The Cat," he started acting like an idiot. That "The Cat" could so completely overpower this guy was another reason I couldn't get into this book. I have a feeling Bronwyn Scott wanted us to see Brandon as a strong character, but I just couldn't. I can't stand books that make the heroes into wimps who are controlled by their groins. You don't have to make the hero a wimp in order to have a strong heroine.

It was a lot of fun to read about a daredevil heroine with more on her mind than marriage. I liked Cat's concern with social justice and thought the pacing moved along quite nicely. The sex scenes were also well done. A quick, enjoyable read.

The author advises at the beginning of the research she did for the novel to provide an authentic novel. Well I am afraid that this novel falls short in many areas for authenticity. One might wonder what a Mills & Boon editor does for these novels. However the sex scenes are quite nicely done.

Overlooking the problems I outline below, it was not as awful as some and the main characters were bearable. The addition of a bit of social history was in some ways interesting but also tends to dispel the rom-glow that I think is important. A difficult choice to make. Perhaps reading the Georgette Heyer Regency novels would help in seeing how much real life should be enough in a a great novel.

Plot. I cannot but wonder why the heroine, desparate to stop a mill being built, did not blackmail, or reveal to the other investors, that two of the leading lights in the syndicate were going to build shoddily and then burn the mill for insurance. Would seem a very sensible course of action given we are told early on the heroine has stolen incriminating papers from one of the villains safe.

Food. The hero and heroine share strawberries and fudge sauce after Christmas. I am not sure how one got fresh strawberries in 1831 but I suspect you wait for June to arrive. Eager to make us much use of her stolen funds the heroine buys oranges for food parcels for the poor. Oranges would be available but cheaply in Manchester in December I doubt greatly.

Bank notes. The heroine pays for food using notes. Until 1863 Bank of England notes were hand-signed and numbered. Not used for common transactions at all. Country banks could issue notes however they were not legal tender until 1833 and even then would be in very restricted circulation as a person could choose to accept them or not. Curiously the heroine extorts three £100 notes from the hero. Imagine trying to use a $10,000 bill in current America.

Trees. Not once but twice trees are vital to the plot. The heroine throws herself seven feet onto an oak branch to escape a room 30ft up. Consider that with light being provided by candle why anyone would wish to plant large trees adjacent to a building to block what daylight there was. At the Squires house it is even worse as apparently branches brush the study windows! Other things such as roots disturbing the foundations, falling branches, easy access for rogues should not be ignored.

Windows and Doors. In an era without double glazing and central heating it was customary to have large wooden shutters inside the window to close off the cold and drafts once daylight faded. Even if the house had no shutters [unlikely] there would be very large heavy curtains to fulfill the same role. However not in the Earl's house where the heroine leaps in and out easily during the night unhindered.

Etiquette. the Earl invites his best friend to come to his aid - however the friendship does not extend to him staying at the Earls house but the Viscount is staying at a local innn. How unbelievably rude.

I thought this book had a really good premise but it just didn't quite deliver. It started going in many different directions and I found myself skipping pages to get to the end...

I read a lot of historicals and I have to say, Harlequin has found a fantastic new author. Ms. Scott's writing is fresh and original, not to mention hot and sassy. I would only hope other authors stand up and take notice of this writer. Ms. Scott is the new voice of historical romance!