Customer Reviews

The Wild Baron

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The Wild Baron is quite simply one of the most delightful booksI've read. I applaud the panache and aplomb with which CatherineCoulter has created this diverting Regency-era tale of romance andsuspense. While the spine of the book calls it simply a novel, it is part romance, part mystery, part pure farce. It is pure delight, especially for those ex-or-about-to-be-ex Catherine Coulter fans. This book will change your mind. It changed mine.

At the start of this clever tale, Rohan Carrington, Baron Mountvale, sets out to uncover a mystery. How is it possible that his cold fish of a younger brother supposedly "ruined" one Susannah, whom he wed and left penniless before he died? After all, it is Rohan who is the family rake, upholding the reputation of both his studly father and magnificently debauched mother, known throughout England for their charm and philandering ways.

But Rohan is not at all what he seems. Trust me. He is a delightful, wonderful hero who gets caught up in a mystery and falls in love along the way with Susannah, who wasn't at all lucky with his dead brother George. Susannah, her younger brother, and her little daughter Marianne , are gathered up by Rohan and moved to his country estate, where he plans to look after them and falls in love along the way.

As does Susannah, her younger brother, and her little daughter Marianne, because Rohan is, as I said, a pretty wonderful fellow. Unfortunately, someone wants something that Susannah has, only she doesn't know what it could be. As the mystery unravels, we meet Rohan's beautiful and youthful mother, a close friend of Rohan's who could well be the hero of a sequel, along with some of George's unsavory friends, who, along with another brother to Rohan, are up to absolutely no good, no good at all.

What with cat races, a limerick-singing horse trainer, a miniature map and tiny key, dead Bishops, reliquaries, etc., Catherine Coulter takes the reader on a fast-moving ride throughout the English and Scottish countryside. There's a mystery to be solved and Rohan must prove to Susannah that what men and women can do for each other is lovely, not disgusting.

Say what you will, but Catherine Coulter can write a great love scene when she wants to. Surprisingly, this book seemed a bit tame , but my sense is that this book is being marketed more toward the mainstream, so perhaps that's why.

The Wild Baron is utterly captivating. It is a quick, funny, suspenseful read filled with lovable lead characters, enjoyable secondary characters, and a cast of villains that will lead you on a merry chase. The end result of the mystery is outlandish, but this is fantasy and I had no trouble accepting the outcome Ms. Coulter presented.

If you have given up on this author or had contemplated doing so, I suggest giving this author another try and reading this book. If you want to read another Coulter book that presents a wonderful, good-guy hero, I'd suggest Night Fire.

The reason this book won't be joining my all-time keeper list? Not quite enough sizzle shown between Rohan and Susannah. Though referred to quite a bit and shown in little ways, there weren't enough actual love-making scenes for this book to earn 5-hearts from me. While love scenes don't usually make or break a book for me, it's something I've come to expect from this author. When she does it right, she does it better than practically anyone else. When she does it wrong, it is about as stimulating as a trip to the OB-GYN, as my old friend Leslie McClain wrote in her review of Rosehaven for The Romance Reader.

In the case of The Wild Baron, the love scenes were great, but there weren't enough. Still, this is a terrific book that should satisfy readers who appreciate good humor, great characters, and fine suspense.

TTFN, Laurie Likes Books

Publisher, All About Romance END

Since I wasn't reading the book I can't make a judgment on the book.

I was listening to the audio book and I can say this..Never in my life have I been subjected to a more dry and lifeless naraiton. Save yourself much agrivation and don't get the audio version. I would have loved a chance to get into the book but unfortunatly I couldn't stand the book long enough to have the oppritunity.

REGENCY TIME - it was change of pace to actually read about an uperclassman [English] who was trying to maintain a lurid reputation while actually not living so.

His courtship and handling of a precarious reputation had him juggling very difficult situations. How could he be a notorious rake and yet know how to handle children?

As for pure farce? where? It turned out to be a very entertaining plot - not supposed to be real - just entertainment.

Well worth the money - Highly recommended - especially compared to the junk put out nowadays.
Judge for yourself -

The Baron was the first book of Cathrine Coulter I had read. My sister had been reading her for a while. she she Bought The Wild Baron for me while i was sick and thats were it all started. I loved the mystry of the noval. Rohan is dashing and smart. But Susannah is just as smart. Rohans not at all what she made him out to be. If she had only looked beyound his reputation she probably would have seen this. But i guess thats what make Cathrine Coulter a great author. I have recommended her to all my friends!!!!!!

I loved the main characters. Rohan was so sensitive and Susannah was charming. I love the fact that she puts characters from other books into all of her stories. This one was an adventure that could drift you into another world far from your own.

Saw that coming a mile away... Kind of cheesy, but very well written and nicely described. Coulter's usual work, with wonderful lovable characters and an exciting action storyline. The mystery thing just kind of made me grin a little, I mean, come on, a romance novel heroine finds a long-sought-after historical artefact? :) I mean, it's the first book in a series (and has crossover characters from the Bride series as well - Sinjun and Colin Kinross), how is she going to top this?

Either way, the book was very enjoyable and I would highly recommend it to fans of Coulter's who may have missed it!

I really loved the book. But I agree with some of the reviews, what happened to the Vicar is just too much. And there are some questions that I would like to ask. What happened to Rohan's mother and the footman Augustus? Did they get together or was she just using him because he was manly???? Hope you can answer my questions with a sequel.

Rohan and Susannah were absolutely wonderful characters as were Phillip, Toby and Marianne but the rest of the characters in the book could have been left in a ditch along the side of the road. I found Rohan's mother disgusting and no, it's not because she owns her sexuality but because she felt she had the absolute right to push it on her children to the point that all three were not what they appeared to be. In fact, 90% of the problems in the books were probably the fault of Rohan's parents. If I could give a rating for the secondary characters of the book, I would. Luckily, I can't.

The plot was decent if some what far fetched and I wasn't all that bothered by it. As a fan of science fiction, I enjoyed it. The real reason to read this book though is the romance between Rohan and Susannah. It was wonderful and these two characters aren't the normal hero/heroine pair up which makes them even more enchanting. Rohan, despite his reputation, turns out to be a really good,sweet guy and Susannah is delightful.

This is one of my favorite Catherine Coulter novels. The hero is an original. The product of 2 feckless rakish parents, Rohan dutifully fakes the rake reputation expected of him by society and his doting Mama, while secretly living a modest life caring for his plants and grounds. He's really an endearing hero, no jerk moments at all. The heroine is no virgin, she claims to be the widow of Rohan's allegedly sober and straight-laced brother. There's yet another brother and it turns out none of the 3 are what they seem. There's a diverting mystery to stir things up. Things get a bit fantastical for my taste towards the end but it's an enjoyable romp overall.

I thougth that this book was very good. I liked the characters and how she added a lot of humor that made me laugh. It was different then what she usualy writes, but was still a good story with a lot of fun. Its really good.