Customer Reviews

You and No Other

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found this one by accident. I zipped through this one in 2 days. It was difficult to put down at the end of my lunch hours. I even found myself reading at home when I had a few minutes then before bed. Anticipating the next day to get back into the story. The character development and involvement was intriguing and well done. I had a smile on my face throughout the book and was sad to see it end. Really looking forward to more of her books.

I have read a few novels by Cathy Maxwell this past year - Because of You (excellent), Treasured Vows (not bad), The Price of Indiscretion (pretty good), The Lady is Tempted (really, really good) and Falling in Love Again (my least favorite so far). I think this author is good at telling interesting stories and bringing characters to life.

This book, You and No Other, was fun as it profiled a 30 year old widowed woman with no children and that of a long standing confirmed bachelor. Caroline and James meet up and begin an interesting on again and off again attraction when her brother in law looses the deed to her house in a card game. The deed of course belongs now to James. Then it is up to Caroline to get it back so, she and her aunt and friends have a place to call home.
The interaction between the main characters is solid and believable.

I would have liked that James took a little longer to figure out how much he likes and loves Caroline as I felt he declared himself each time too soon. In turn, Caroline took a bit long to trust and learn to love James than was necessary. Like one of the critics, I felt the plot was busy in many ways and the main characters didn't get as deeply developed as I would have liked. Developments to the plot kept you busy but, it would have been preferrable to spend more time on the relationship, emotions and so on. The side characters of the aunt and her trio of society fallen friends is probably the most charming part of the book. The author did make the scandals each of these friends encountered look acceptable in a time when they would have stayed outcasts for all they did - not get accepted back to society as they did.

The humor is slight and simple but, worthy to note. Passionate love scenes are often few in Ms. Maxwell's books so, if that's what you need - this one isn't for you. If you like detailed stories with easy to follow and believable plots - this is a solid read.

Although I liked Because of You by far the most of all her novel series and The Lady is Tempted as second best, You and No Other still warrants some praise. I would have liked to give 3 ½ stars but, it's not an option. It wasn't quite to four stars standard. I look forward to other books by Ms. Maxwell as her characters are interesting, memorable and the story line always develops well. If you haven't read her yet, time to do so. She's a good choice. Enjoy!

The pursuit for love may be eternal, but social values change. The acceptance shown to Aunt Minerva and her racy friends is as historically out of place as a zipper on a corset. Parents of daughters in a young ladies' school of the period would regard Minerva, and by association, Caroline, with more horror and less tolerance than modern parents would a known child molester living with one of the teachers.

The pacing is swift, occasionally to the point of being jerky; sometimes the characters seem to be moving in fast forward. The brother-in-law Freddie appears and disappears and seems to have little purpose in the book other than as part of an homage to the Georgette Heyer novel Faro's Daughter. The borrowed plot elements seem grafted on, instead of arising naturally out of the characters' personalities and motivations.

That said, the book is amusing and highly readable. If you don't object to (or if you even prefer) historicals consisting of contemporary characters in period costume, you will enjoy it.

Something that hopefully Amazon will fix -- as of this writing, 13 of the 18 reviews are repeats. It makes the rating misleading; two-thirds of the average is one person's opinion.

This is a gem of a book. It has a well orchestrated storyline-- the author's writing flows smoothly - there wasn't a lot of flowery, descriptive narrative to drag the story down. I thought that the author brought the story together quite simply -- the characters were all likeable.

There are four funny, eccentric elderly women that add hilarity and substance to the story. The hero is delish and the heroine is a strong, intelligent, kind character.

This book was worthy of my time to read and was my first C. Maxwell book--I will read more of her books having read this one.

"You And No Other" was a joy to read, I had to force myself to put it down. The book was funny, passionate, involving and heart-breaking. I'm looking for more of Cathy Maxwell's books to force myself to put down.

This is a very interesting romance, unlike any I've ever read. It stretches regency convention to the extreme. So, if your a historical stickler -don't bother. This book is about Caroline, a widower who lives with her aunt, (an infamous mistress) who consorts with a group of women with less than stellar reputations. She (Caroline) attempts to get back the deed to her house which was lost in a card game by her unscrupulous brother-in-law. James, the hero and now in possession of the deed to the house, is a bachelor who is almost engaged to another woman. When they meet, sparks fly.

The things that happen in this book are completely unconventional and result in no repercussioons. For example: Caroline goes to Jame's home, unchaperoned and is discovered, but is she ruined? No! And that's just one of the mild ones. It didn't bother me because the story was so amusing with its twists and turns you sort of forget the time period, especially when James was kidnapped by the aunt and her crew. Hilarious!

If your not bothered by unconventional themes, you should try this one. The loves scenes are very well written and the ending is *sigh*. A fun read.

Cathy Maxwell always delivers a fun and delightful read, and You and No Other is no exception.

This action packed romantic comedy takes place over 5 days in London, mostly in the homes of the impoverished Lady Caroline Pearson and the rich James Ferrington. Caroline is a quiet but charming widow who yearns for more in life while James is also secretly lonely while he builds a shipping empire.

When Caroline's dissolute brother-in-law loses her house to James in a game of cards, the demure widow is forced to confront James to get it back. From there, her life is turned upside down, starting with James' need to pretend she is his cousin when unexpected visitors arise.

The supporting characters in the story are well drawn and delightful with all their machinations. Caroline and James are strong and likable. This is a great novel to laugh and love with!

The sexual tension and war of wills in You And No Other is a treat. The hero and heroine are wonderful, and the secondary characters are a hoot. Cathy Maxwell is a funny, funny gal, and you will love this very satisfying read. (The scene where the hero bursts into song while tied up in the cellar is one of my favorites---bondage and song, what's not to like?!)

You and No Other is such a fun read. It has plot twists and outrageously lovable characters who make you want to keep reading. You can't wait to get to the end of the book, but you are sad to be finished with the fun. A great read.