Love and Mayhem (Signet Eclipse) (Paperback)

by Nicole Cody (Author) "The English were coming..." (more)
Key Phrases: lain glanced, dow seat, Sir William, Brother Luke, Fleet Tower (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Arm yourself for the biggest wedding of the 16th century.

Sir Iain Armstrong is trying to wed Lady Marion, a convent-raised spitfire. All Iain wants to do is fulfill his father's wishes, appease two royal courts, and do what is best for the future of Scotland by putting an end to all the troubles in his part of the Borders. All Lady Marion has to do is agree to marry him, which is the last thing on her mind when Iain arrives at the convent. Until she realizes that Iain is a man of courage, intelligence, and seductively powerful shoulders. But now her eccentric family might do what she's already failed to do-drive him away forever.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Signet (April 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451218108
• ISBN-13: 978-0451218100
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #92,664 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars fun homage to Arsenic and Old Lace, December 5, 2008

By	D. K. Stokes - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Love and Mayhem is Arsenic and Old Lace crossed with a medieval Scottish romance, and the result is lots of fun.

I do think, though, that the authors' note should have been at the front of the book, because I kept thinking "what?? this is Arsenic and Old Lace! What were they thinking??" Once I read the note though, I thought it was cool and fun.

Perceptions and expectations make all the difference.

2.0 out of 5 stars Choppy writing style, October 20, 2007

By	Gemma "bookworm" (Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews

From the back cover:

Forget the English.
Forget the Reformation.
Forget your sanity...

Try getting married when your betrothed can wield an iron pot with deadly accuracy, her mad uncle thinks he's William Wallace, and her two maiden aunts can't finish a sentence--or a thought--on their own...

Such are Sir Iain Armstrong's travails when he sets out to wed Lady Marion, a convent-raised spitfire. All Iain wants is to fulfill their father's wishes, appease two royal courts, and do what is best for the future of Scotland by putting an end to the troubles in his part of the Borders. All Lady Marion has to do is agree to marry him, which is the last thing on her mind when Iain arrives at the convent. She won't be taken without a fight. And even when she realizes that Iain is a man of courage, intelligence, and seductively powerful shoulders, will her eccentric family succeed where her temper tantrums, willful ways, and pride so far failed--and drive him away forever?

And my review:

Nicole Cody is a pen name for the husband and wife writing team of Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick, who also publish historical romance under the name May McGoldrick. Whether or not that's a selling point depends on how you feel about that author's work.

I think that the historical research has obviously been done. It shows. If you like historical fiction with some romance tacked on to "spice it up", then this might do it for you.

However, I really don't like the writing style. It feels choppy. Maybe this is a result of this book being written by two people; I usually find that to be the case with collaborations. I had to keep re-reading sections because I kept feeling lost. The character trait of the two aunts always finishing each other's sentences added to the choppy feeling. I guess it was supposed to be an interesting character trait, but instead, I found it distracting, and it made it that much harder to get drawn into the story.

I also never really felt like I knew the characters. I was watching them walk and talk and interact, but never felt like I knew who they were. So it was hard to say why they should fall in love with one another, apart from convenience and proximity. Also, the part about the heroine's temper tantrums was correct. She was so childish (granted, she was much younger than the hero, and only eighteen) that I couldn't understand what the hero saw in her. Being good-looking isn't enough of a reason for me. I found I just wanted her to grow up.

If I'd known that Nicole Cody was really May McGoldrick, I would never have bought LOVE AND MAYHEM. I felt a little tricked--I think pen names are good when an author writes in several different genres (such as Nora Roberts writing mystery as J.D. Robb), but just choosing a new name for the same genre to get a fresh start (Nicole Cody and May McGoldrick books are all historical romance) feels a bit like cheating to me.

If you're a fan of May McGoldrick books, and/or prefer your historical romance to lean more to the history rather than the romance aspect, then LOVE AND MAYHEM might interest you. If not, you might want to look elsewhere for your historical romance fix.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars CHILLING!, June 6, 2006

By	Romance Me "zarizsi" (Phoenix, Arizona USA) - See all my reviews

This was such a good and romantic start. I started it in the middle of the night and i am soooo glad that i finished it during the day. The last part of the book sent chills up and down my spine.