Customer Reviews

The Seduction of an English Lady

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

 

 

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

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!

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 ---

I hate to write such a rude review, but this book was absurd. The hero was such a baby...crying about his lost Commons seat, crying about his lack of knighthood, crying about his family guilt, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. Give me the strong, silent type any day over this emotional mess of a man.

The heroine had great, very real issues that I thought were nicely addressed. However, her "does he love me or not?" got really old, really fast.

The storyline with the fox was ABSURD. I could not have cared less about that fox and I cannot believe so much of the book was devoted to it. Between that and that stupid oratory contest, I just skimmed the last part of the book. It was so ridiculous, I just couldn't bring myself to finish it.

Definitely DO NOT recommend this one.

I grabbed this book at the store one day and really didn't expect it to be anything too spectacular, but I was wrong! From the first chapter, I was intrigued, and I hated putting it down. I loved each character, and found when the book ended, I was disappointed it was over! Definitely a great read with both romance, and a nice story.

In 1816 in the heart of England, war hero Colonel Colin Mandland proves to Lady Rosalyn that her cousin sold the home she has lived in for the past few years to him. Separately both run off to see the top local aristocrat in the area, Lord Loftus, to plead their case. Loftus sends for solicitor Shellsworth who reads the deed and states that Colin owns the property. Fearing time away from his favorite pastime hunting if Rosalyn has to leave because Loftus knows he will have to then escort his wife to London. By bringing class to events in the area, Rosalyn has enabled Loftus to stay home and hunt. He proposes that Colin and Rosalyn marry. To sweeten the pot, he offers a seat in the Commons to Colin; this angers the solicitor. However, it becomes moot as Rosalyn says no.

Encouraged by Loftus and the support of his brother the vicar, Colin begins courting the lady who makes it clear that his blood lines are beneath hers. Still she cannot deny at least to herself that his kisses leave her desiring more. Surprisingly Colin finds that his goal of knighthood that he feels he earned during the Napoleonic War is no longer as important as winning the hand of the woman he now loves.

THE SEDUCTION OF AN ENGLISH LADY is a fine Regency romance that fans will be grateful for due to a strong cast though some important secondary players seem too stereotyped. The lead couple is a delight as neither wanted the other until that first kiss, but neither will retreat from that initial stance as pride stands in the way of love. Readers will have a good time following Colin's pragmatic battlefield seduction that turns into a shared deep need for one another.

Harriet Klausner

You know, I have been having trouble lately finding quality regency/historical novels to read. This one, with the plot of the famous marriage of convenince thing, was very annoying starting on page 22. Our hero, Colin Mandland, a war Colonel, buys a home from George, Rolalyn's cousin and real owner of the house she has been living in. Her father, the Earl, had died without a son of his own so the title and all that goes with it went to the cousin George. George sells the property to Colin legally. Colin goes to move into his new home and comes upon Rosalyn. The reality is that the deed was in Colin's possession as he showed her. Her companion also told her she recieved a letter from George that the companion forgot to give her so she goes and reads it that also lets her know George sold the property to Colin. The property was noot entailed. So all of this is legal; so what does she do? She slams the door on Colin for him to leave. So he goes to his brother, the vicar. Again, unreasonable actions on the part of the heroine seems to many writers and, unfortunately for me, too many readers equal with being entertaining, spunky or smart...which is too bad as it is annoying instead.

Maxwell's writing is very elementry. There is no substance to her books, it feels like a debut novel even tho she is considered a seasoned author. Rosalyn was an annoying character with too much pride. Why is that always the reason behind romance novels? I felt the story was thrown together with no depth to any character. Rosalyn was a pathetic woman who was afraid to show her feelings because her mother left. And then instantly she does a one eighty. Oh please.Colin's character is alittle better but there is no background to the story or people. He was just cardboard image. There is no story here. No depth. No true love. I felt the author wrote what I what expected but I never felt anyhting for the story or the characters that were portrayed. I have tried this author in the past and she seems to fail on all levels of romance for me.

Not my favorite Cathy Maxwell book. The protagonists are pleasing enough, but their fussing over the house becomes old, but their growing feelings for each other carry the story along as do Colin's political ambition and their struggles with their families. The house itself is nothing but a device, really.

The book is pleasant enough, but not nearly as engaging as Maxwell's usual fare, and there is something about it that almost seems unfinished. Thus, it is merely okay.

I've read alot of romance novels so it takes a really fresh plot to keep my interest, with interesting characters of course... this novel had neither. I didn't even finish this ho-hum effort. It is not badly written, but I've read this plot and met these characters before. I was losing interest rapidly and had to force myself to finish it.