The Seduction of an English Lady [Mass Market Paperback]

Cathy Maxwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 30, 2003

To seduce an English lady, a gentleman must always remember to . . .

Gaze longingly into her eyes while declaring her beauty . . .

Colonel Colin Mandland has wealth, power . . . everything but a bride. But although there is no mistress of his newly purchased manor, Maiden Hill, there is certainly a resident maiden: Lady Rosalyn Wellborne, a stubborn beauty who steadfastly refuses to leave the place she has always called home.

Hold her hand just a fraction longer than necessary...

Tantalizing Rosalyn proves to be far more difficult than any enemy he's ever met on the battlefield. She attacks by declaring Colin an upstart who is unfit for local society. He shockingly counters by offering for her hand in marriage—and she surprisingly accepts.

Or, when all else fails, conquer her.

Although this genteel lady has vowed never to succumb to unbridled passion, she quickly learns that theirs will be no marriage in-name-only, but rather a slow, sensuous and alarmingly effective seduction . . . that turns her world upside down.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Buoyed by breezy, humorous details and lively banter, this lighthearted Regency-era romance from Maxwell (Adventures of a Scottish Heiress, etc.) sustains a chipper tone even through its protagonists' most despairing moments. Lady Rosalyn, who's the daughter of an earl but impoverished both romantically and materially, has her world set unpleasantly on its head when her debt-ridden cousin sells the cottage she's living in to Colonel Colin Mandland, ambitious local boy made good. To keep Rosalyn in the only home she's ever considered her own and to give Colin's social connections an extra shine, friends of both suggest that they marry. It seems an easy solution to the attraction sizzling between them, but their relationship is fraught with stumbling blocks, such as Colin's anti-aristocrat political stance, which threatens to turn all of the local gentry against him, and Rosalyn's unbending pride, which masks her fear of falling in love. Maxwell's conventional marriage-of-convenience story line holds few surprises, but Rosalyn and Colin will charm readers with their sincere if often wrongheaded attempts to do the right thing.
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Review

"Buoyed by breezy, humorous details and lively banter, this lighthearted Regency-era romance from Maxwell sustains a chipper tone . . ."
-- Publishers Weekly (Publisher's Weekly ) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (December 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060092971
• ISBN-13: 978-0060092979
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,249,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bestselling novelist Cathy Maxwell, a storyteller since childhood, embraces her writing romance as a way to express her belief that "loving well is the greatest adventure of all," and to explore her fascination with the Regency period.

The author of twenty-five historical romance novels and four novellas Cathy's latest THE SEDUCTION OF SCANDAL, the fifth of her Scandal and Seduction novels, has just been published. The others, also set in the Regency period, are quintessential Cathy Maxwell--traditional historicals with a contemporary sensibility and a touch of humor. They are A Seduction at Christmas, The Marriage Ring, The Earl Claims His Wife, and His Christmas Pleasure. Each has appeared for multiple weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list.


Cathy received recognition from the start with her first novel, All Things Beautiful. Published in 1994, it was nominated for Best First Book by the Romance Writers of America and for Best First Historical by Romantic Times magazine. It also received first place recognition as Best Read of 1994 from the Reader's Voice

Born in Olathe, Kansas, Cathy's family roots go back to the Mayflower and the Revolutionary War. She has long called Virginia home, noting she is "a Virginian by choice, but a Kansan by nature." She worked in television news and spent six years in the Navy. She attended Air Force intelligence school, worked in the Pentagon and did a tour with Naval Intelligence.

Cathy began her writing career in 1991. Now, twenty years later, she is the author of sixteen national bestsellers and her novels appear regularly on The New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. Her books include In the Highlander's Bed, Bedding the Heiress, In the Bed of a Duke, The Price of Indiscretion, Temptation of a Proper Governess, and The Seduction of an English Lady. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Washington Romance Writers, Virginia Romance Writers, and Novelists Inc., and she is a frequent speaker at writers' conferences, libraries and special events.

She lives in rural Powhatan County with her rescued dogs Rico and Maya and with her son during college breaks, and is just a few miles from her horses, Duncan and Dinero.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LIGHT READ. FEEL GOOD ENDING..., June 4, 2004

By 

Brenda "MYSHELFDOTCOM" (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Seduction of an English Lady (Mass Market Paperback)

Colonel Colin Mandland has lead men in to battle and earned their loyalty, so how hard could it be to persuade the occupant of the Mansion he just bought to leave?

Lady Rosalyn occupies Maiden Hill. Those living in the Valley fear her and do what ever she says, just to keep the peace.

Absolutely engaging and truly delightful, _The Seduction of an English Lady_ is the kind of romance that leads its readers into a relationship, but doesn't leave them dredging through bickering and misunderstandings. From page one, emotions are stirred and characters evolve. The secondary characters are just as important to the storyline as Colin and Rosalyn. It's through them the couple learns the truth about themselves and each other. It's a quick, light read with a feel good ending. The kind I highly recommend.

Brenda @ MyShelf.Com

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book that will have you hooked!, January 26, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Seduction of an English Lady (Mass Market Paperback)

This was my first Cathy Maxwell read...something I just grabbed while in the store and definitely didn't have high expectations about. How wrong I was! This book had me hooked! I finished it in record time and was actually disappointed when it ended. I loved the characters, the romance and the story. I found it was different than a lot of the books I've been reading, and rather refreshing. Although the female character was independent and proud, she was not unreachable until the end. This book is a definite must read!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely Regency Romance, March 11, 2004

By 

M. Rondeau (West Springfield, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Seduction of an English Lady (Mass Market Paperback)

Setting - Lancashire, England 1816 ---- Lady Roslyn, resided at Maiden Hill along with a small staff and her companion Covey. Since coming to the area she had, as the daughter of an earl, though impoverished, established herself as the driving force behind the country gentry's social and charitable works. Suddenly she found that her cousin George had sold Maiden Hill out from under her to satisfy his gambling debts. The new owner, war hero, Colonel Colin Mandland, local boy made good, had come to take possession of the property. Rosalyn, shocked and furious, took the Colonel's deed, after slamming the door in his face, and refused to allow him to enter. She ran to the reigning head of the local aristocracy, Lord Loftus, to see if they could do anything to help her. Legally, there was nothing to be done but all her friends thought that a quick solution would be for the two to marry. Lord Loftus even sweetened the pot for the colonel by offering him a seat in the House of Commons, a post Colin secretly coveted.

Naturally, Lady Roslyn's automatic reaction (even though Colin is the most handsome man she's ever been attracted to) is to refuse, and so begins Colin's battle plan to court and seduce the lady. Until the first kiss, neither really wanted the other but both saw that the 'marriage of convenience' might gain them each something they did want. What they both soon discovered though was that what they both 'thought' they wanted would be eclipsed by what they both needed and love and passion was an equation that would surprise them both with a sweet and enduring intensity.

I have been a long time fan of this author and 'The Seduction of an English Lady' proves again that anyone looking for a quality Regency romance will find it easily when penned by Cathy Maxwell. Our lead protagonists are a delight even though the premise of neither wanting the other is an often-used scenario with pride and lack of communication being at the root of the problem. Readers will be delighted with the liberally sprinkled cast of well-developed secondary characters, both human and animal, that give this romance an added spark of humor and find a deep satisfaction in the sensual, lovely and deeply caring romantic love story. --- Submitted by Marilyn, Official Reviewer for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---