The Untamed Heiress [Mass Market Paperback]

Julia Justiss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2006

Untutored, Untouched, Until . . .

Imprisoned as a child by her spiteful father, Helena Lambarth vowed upon his death to never again live under a man's rule. But to honor her mother's last wish, she journeys to London to enter society -- and finds herself a reluctant houseguest of the dashing Lord Darnell.

Adam, Lord Darnell, has little time to oversee the bedraggled hoyden he's agreed to sponsor. Saddled with his father's debts, he knows his one hope is to win the hand of wealthy Priscilla Standish. If only she weren't so Ordinary compared to the unconventional Helena -- and if only his waiflike ward hadn't suddenly transformed into a bewitching young woman . . .

The desire they spark in each other is undeniable. But can the love they try to resist conquer Helena's demons and free them both?

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Finally free of her nightmarish life under an abusive father, Helena Lambarth arrives in London a gawky, half-starved waif, but an amazingly wealthy one. With both parents dead, she is commended to the care of her mother's dear cousin Lillian and that lady's stepchildren, the handsome and enigmatic Adam, Lord Darnell; and his sister, Charis. They welcome the orphan to their home and hearts, but much as Helena tries to conform to society's dictates, she is unprepared for the malice and scheming she encounters during her season. Justiss rivals Georgette Heyer in the beloved The Grand Sophy (1972) by creating a riveting young woman of character and good humor. Helena's charm captures the hearts of several men-about-town, but she is reluctantly drawn to the honorable, if befuddled, Adam, who has recently tendered an offer of marriage to another. The horrific nature of Helena's childhood adds complexity and depth to this historical romance, and unexpected plot twists and layers also increase the reader's enjoyment. Lynne Welch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Well-written, emotional and intensely charged read." -- Romantic Times BOOKclub on The Courtesan

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: HQN Books; mass market edition (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373771134
• ISBN-13: 978-0373771134
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 3.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,314,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up near Annapolis, MD, a gem of colonial American architecture which from an early age inspired in me a fascination with history. After majoring in French and History in college, I worked as a business journalist before marrying a naval officer I met (where else?) at a Navy football game. That began a vagabond period of 12 moves in 15 years which included 2 year postings in Tunis, Tunisia and Oslo, Norway. After my husband left the service, we returned to his home in the Piney Woods of Northeast Texas where we built a reproduction Georgian house and began raising our three children and assorted dogs. We live there still on 24 beautiful acres of pine forest overlooking a small lake. Along with gardening, reading, and keeping up with children's activities, I teach French at a local high school.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-done historical, October 31, 2006

By 

Kathy Kaiser - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Untamed Heiress (Mass Market Paperback)

The heroine of "The Untamed Heiress" is an interesting character. Justiss does a good job of making her different from the run-of-the-mill heroine in that she's been physically abused by her father and cut off from the outside world since the age of 10. So, by the age of twenty she is wild and wary, but has retained some of the refinement that she gained from her mother before her mother is taken away. Helena, this heroine, is a unique mix of cultured bluestocking and untutored child. The hero, Darnell, is also a well-drawn character. He has compassion for her and honorable intentions while trying to fight his attraction for the beautiful woman she becomes. The plot moves along nicely and the dialogue is witty and true to the period. The only negative is the slightly sappy tone in the last few chapters. I could almost hear the violins playing and often wanted to roll my eyes. The two protagonists turn a bit mushy, and that's hard to take after watching their internal and outward struggles up to that point. Other than that, this is a very good offering by Julia Justiss.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Untamed Heiress-A Joyfully Recommended Title!, February 20, 2007

By 

M. Nix - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Untamed Heiress (Mass Market Paperback)

Helena Lambarth is celebrating the death of her father. She was a virtual prisoner in Lambarth Castle. Helena was abused by her father and separated from her beloved mother. Now that he is gone, Helena has traveled to London to meet with her mother's friend, Lady Lillian Darnell.

Lord Adam Darnell needs to marry a wealthy woman. His father did not take care of the estate and his stepmother Lady Darnell spends excessively. As Adam contemplates this, he heads to retrieve poor orphaned Helena. Expecting a child, he is shocked to find Helena a woman who has clearly been mistreated.

While Adam continues with his plans to marry the wealthy Lady Priscilla Standish, he is slowly coming to admire and respect Helena, who's beauty is also becoming a fierce temptation for him. Now, Adam's increasing desire for Helena is waging a war against his feelings of duty.

In The Untamed Heiress, Helena is magnificent. She is beautiful, honorable, intelligent, innocent, unconventional and sensual, and I really enjoyed watching Adam fall for her. As the story progressed I was captivated by Adam and Helena's plight. Each character in The Untamed Heiress contributes to its dramatic storyline, but it's Adam and Helena who enchanted me in this incredibly moving and romantic story.

Nannette

Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely her BEST!, September 4, 2007

By 

Cali (AZ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Untamed Heiress (Mass Market Paperback)

While this is only my 2nd book by Ms. Justiss (the 1st being "The Courtesan") I thought it was absolutely wonderful! "The Courtesan" was OK, but "The Untamed Heiress" kept me turning page after page.

I admit I thought certain things, such as the physical aspects of Adam's and Helena's relationship moved a bit slow, and Helena's continual lust for freedom cost those who truly loved her a bit to much heartache, but her plight from what she endured through her childhood to her growth of strength and independence, was very touching. Maybe I simply was able to relate to some of Helena's ordeals but this story definitely touched my emotions. And I much prefer the slow passionate old fashioned unveiling of love to the crude lust so many authors employ today.

The secondary characters were just as good! I would really like to see Priscilla redeem herself with her own story and return to the girl of her childhood and the one Adam remembered and was initially attracted to. I think Priscilla has a lot of Helena-like qualities and with the right man, perhaps, Dixon (*gRiN*), would make just as good a read as "The Untamed Heiress."

"The Untamed Heiress" was a beautiful love story! If you like charachters such as "Rhett and Scarlett" you won't be disappointed!