Smuggler's Lady [Mass Market Paperback]

Jane Feather (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1986

When Lord Rutherford arrives in Cornwall to appraise his newly inherited estate, he finds the coast overrun by smugglers and the countryside sadly lacking in amusements. But the dowdy young widow he dismisses as unworthy of his attention is not at all what she appears...To her neighbours, Merrie Trelawney is a poor widow who keeps to herself. But under cover of darkness, she leads a band of reckless smugglers to pay for her late husband's debts. When Lord Rutherford discovers her scandalous secret, he pursues her relentlessly, determined to prove that the thrills she can find in his bed will be far more fulfilling than her lust for adventure...

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Zebra (December 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821719483
• ISBN-13: 978-0821719480
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,550,116 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I'm in agreement with most of the reviews here, November 28, 2004

By 

IRRS (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smuggler's Lady (Paperback)

The title of this one is a bit deceiving as the heroine is really the smuggler instead of the hero. Even though it was written in 1986, the heroine is enough of a match for the hero that his tendency towards being overbearing is pretty much balanced out at the start. It's in the second half that the book falters.

Our heroine, Meredith Trelawney, has had to resort to smuggling in order to pay off the debts of her deceased, spendthrift husband and restore the family estate. But
she also relishes the challenge and excitement it brings her. Something that
Damien, Lord Rutherford notices when he spies an encounter between Merrie's
band of smugglers and the Crown revenuers. He's come to Cornwall to look
over an estate left to him by a distant relative and to try to relieve the boredom
into which his life has sunk since his involuntary retirement from soldiering in
the Peninsula.

When he meets Merrie in company, he first thinks she's a dowdy widow then
begins to see the game she plays with her neighbors to throw them off the
scent of what she really does. He's not stupid and quickly puts the pieces
together as he begins to fall in love with this unusual and delightful woman.
Merrie quickly starts to return his affections even if she resists the idea
of anything permanent between them. After all, he is the heir of a Duke
and her lineage can't begin to match his. Damien refuses to give up and
plots her downfall into matrimony. Sparks fly, wills collide, and the
action moves to London as Damien and Merrie battle each other on the
path to a HEA.

The first half of the story works better for me as the two are fairly well
matched and the strengths of one balance the weaknesses of the other.
I enjoyed watching them match wits and spar with each other while the
action kept things lively. Merrie has three younger brothers who add
to the story and give her even more reasons to risk smuggling. I liked
them quite as much as the leads. One false note was the portrayal
of the smugglers and smuggling as more Disney-like than the true
thuggishness of the trade.

Then the scene shifts to London where Damien
has the upper hand and Feather has to keep repeating Merrie's
increasingly lame reasons for refusing his suit. She won't fit into his
world, she won't be accepted by his family, he'll eventually fall out
of love with her....all are laid to rest by his clever plans and Merrie
only makes herself look stupid for turning him down. Plus her
attempts to convince Damien of her unsuitability end up making
her seem childish and petulant while his actions to counter them
make him seem highhanded and ignoring of her wishes. This drags
on for far too long before suddenly the story is wrapped up leaving
me still wondering if these two have really worked out their differences.

There is much I liked about Smuggler's Lady. If you ignore the weak
reasoning behind Merrie's resistance, their interactions, taken singly,
were clever as they countered and parried each other. It is just the
repetition of them that paled. If the action had stayed in Cornwall,
Merrie would have stayed as strong a character as she starts out
and the story would have retained it's initial drive and excitement.
The first half gets a strong B+ from me but the second half lowers
the final grade to a B-/C+.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly stunning, captivating, passion-filled novel !!!, July 23, 1999

By 

Elera Tempest "ELERA" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smuggler's Lady (Paperback)

This is one of my favorite books ever. I've read it countless times and still adore it. Who would have thought that a respectable young widow is actually a smuggler to make ends meet ? Merrie and Damian knew that they're destined for each other, but Merrie needed more convincing about marriage. The playful banter, adventures, and love scenes will definitely satisfy romance fans everywhere. Go grab this one and be impressed !!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Ms Feather's best!!!, June 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Smuggler's Lady (Paperback)

I have read almost every book she has written and this is one of my favorites. Merrie Trelawney reminded me of a milder female version of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and I loved her. As the back cover said, he considered her an insipid church mouse and that is exactly what she wanted all to think, while she was busy as a smuggler. They are a great pair and the story will keep your interest all the way. I loved it and definitely recommend it for a great read.