Very Good Regency Period Novel
928088
I would give this novel four and a half stars.  The h/H are both very well-developed characters.  I loved the fact that the h found the strength at age 17 to make a life for herself on her own terms rather than throwing it away.  She gets a second chance of sorts eight years later when she meets someone from her past once again.  Can the H/h finally get together (since they were never really together eight years before in terms of having an honest, open relationship) or will the Earl get his revenge and abandon the h as she had abandoned him eight years before?  Will the secret the h has been keeping these past eight years finally destroy her?

The novel is filled with interesting characters which give the story great depth and suspense including a strong, independent H/h, trusted friends, a villain, and nosey neighbors.

Highly enjoyable.  I would read other novels by this author.
4692716
I enjoy the Regency Novels,  I love it .  I would recommend this book.  It was hard for me to put the book down.  Keep me wonering  what was going to happen next.
1357834
This was a really fun, clean, romantic, Regency novel.

Colin, the new early of Drayson, meets Lucy with the intent to kick her out of her home so that he can sell the estate. The meeting does not go well and when he falls off his horse and loses his memory, Lucy tells him that he is her servant, with the intent to teach him good manners, humility, and selflessness. What ensues is a lovely, unlikely romance with two very likeable people.

I really liked the main characters. After you get to know Lord Drayson, he is easy to fall in love with. Lucy is kind, hard working, and is a good person. They were a good match. (My only quibble with this book is that in that era, a poor woman and an earl would not fit in society together and this issue was not addressed, so be warned if historical accuracy is really important to you. It was easy for me to overlook. :) )

If you like clean, romantic, historical fiction, I highly recommend this book!

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review, but all opinions are my own.
653814
I really enjoyed reading this book.  It was well paced, had witty dialogue, and believable characters.  The whole mistress thing is way too played out in Regency romances, but it is a part of the genre and we love the genre.  Anyway, I liked this Boscastle better than all the others.  He is the most realistic.  I have the next book in the series, but am afraid I won't like it as much, so I haven't read it yet.
1440161
I found this book quite delightful - having read quite a few "Austenesque" follow ups (some best left unmentioned) - this was a joy to read.  Nicely written despite just a few minor faux pas, mostly with regard to language used (or not) in Regency times.  It kept me entertained and amused all the way to the end.
3745070
This was my first regency by Gale Buck, and having read so many regencies I have to say that Mutual Consent is one of the better ones. The heroine is admirable, her aunt and her mother-in-law enjoyable, and her father makes a thoroughly convincing villain. The story is well-fleshed out, and characters are gracefully given depth.
I do believe, though, that the issue of abuse by the heroine's father was too lightly dealt with, or not very clear, especially when the hero accidentally hits her during a fit of drunkenness - I feel as if we sort of lightly skimmed through the consequences of abuse. I think that she loses the fear of her husband, and forgives him, way too easily after the beating. While it is obvious that he is gruffly apologetic, and that she is a strong heroine, I don't see how she could recover so fast.
I also agree with another reviewer - I would have loved to see a bit more squirming done by the hero before the end of the book. There was, however, one line that made me clap my hands and squeal a little - when one of his acquaintances (they were gathered to take action against the Villainous Father) insulted the heroine, he very clearly (and sternly, mind you!) turned to him and said loudly, "That is my wife, sir." Not a very cutting remark in these times, but really! What a declaration! The implications were verrry clear, and he must have known that by the same time tomorrow the ton would be buzzing with the fact that he was supportive of the heroine and would not tolerate any slander. Declaration of love? Never clearer. Sigh.
I like how there is slight mention of the marital bed. I'm all for clean regencies, they're honestly the best (Heyer, my heroine) but if a book can brush the subject without waxing lyrical about relations like some of the 'modern regency authors' do, (i.e. the throbbing and ridiculously explicit descriptions of body parts), that's good too. Honestly, conjugal relations are a big part of the marriages of the ton. They were supposed to be marrying money or for heirs, after all. I don't see how it can be skirted, especially for marriages of convenience, and I like how it was handled in this book.
All in all, an enjoyable read, and worth the 4 bucks. Good for curling up on a lazy afternoon, when you feel the need to get your regency romance groove on.
2776719
I am a huge fan of romance novels.  Being such you always run into novels that follow the same model for the story.  This Regency romance takes that model and turns it on its ear!!!  I just loved the heroine in this story and of course her man wasn't too bad either!  Her family was just the right amount of funny that I can't wait to get the sisters stories.  All in all, this novel is a fantastic read and I would definately recommend it.
3284571
Delightful regency romance with restraint and wry humor.
864850
This was a very enjoyable Regency romance. At first the premise seemed doubtful, but Hern made it convincing and entertaining.
3748121
Georgette Heyer gave us wonderful regency romances sans sex scenes. Her characters are delightful, her settings thorough (She did her research), and her plots are clever. Her dialogue uses the slang of the period, though her biography indicates she made up a few phrases to catch plagiarism. There are the clothes, too. You won't regret spending time with Cousin Kate.
2464787
A fine regency romance which is a good clean read. The sisters in the story are opposites. The beautiful sister becomes jealous of her "plain" sister and the attention she gets after her shenanigans. Her parents are hopeful that both sisters can make good matches, but the season does not go so smoothly and they have to deal with scandles.
1648614
A fast-paced Regency based somewhat in history and with some clever twists and turns, this novel will keep you guessing and wondering. I found the characters engaging and the plot intriguing, with some nice touches of romance.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
3676375
I enjoyed the mystery in this Regency-era story. Finding out who abducted a young gentlewoman and then who killed the man suspected of being her abductor were the main plot points. But uncovering the background of the unlikely investigator, Captain Lacey, was also very intriguing. Lacey has a lot of disadvantages. He's pretty much unemployed after the Peninsular War, has an injured knee, and is in love with his former best friend and commander's wife. He also suffers from bouts of melancholia and has a temper that gets him into trouble. While this book was heavy on the explanation of Lacey's background, I look forward to his further adventures, now that the background has been established.
3057769
a very very good story ....very interesting, humorous & refreshing for regency times.... as women r portrayed as independent
thoughtful , intelligent characters....style of writing is very simple which keeps d reader engrossed ....not at all monotonous,
i fell in love with Fitz-Abigail& there 5 children...
130604
This book was true to regency form and consequence. I enjoyed reading it and will look for more books by this author.
1879763
This is one of the author's later Regency romances (her next-to-last one, in fact) and while it's not nearly her best, it's not bad at all. It could also practically be titled "Regency Road Trip." Charity Steane (but who prefers to be called "Cherry") has the misfortune to be the daughter of a con man and wastrel who essentially abandoned her to a private school when she was small -- and neglected to pay the bills. Charity was eventually packed off to the country home of her aunt, who saw her as a source of free household labor and treated her abominably. Having taken all she can stand, Charity packs her old portmanteau and sets out on foot for London, to seek assistance from her grandfather, who had cut all ties with her father. However, though she's nineteen, Charity looks and acts much younger and has almost no experience at all of the world. Cut to young Viscount Desford who has been visiting his parents and is also on his way back to London. He sees Cherry trudging along the road and, being both a gentleman and a Good Person, picks her up for her own safety, promising to escort her where she's going. When Granddad (who wasn't expecting company) is discovered to have gone off to the country himself, Des is stuck with the bewildered and panicky girl, for whom he now considers himself responsible. What is he to do with her while he tries to locate the old man? He can't take her to his own home -- people would talk. So he conveys her quickly to the home, not far from his parents' place, of his very old friend, Henrietta Silverdale. Nearly ten years before, Des and Hetta had been the subjects of a parental conspiracy to get them married off, which they had successfully resisted, but they've remained very close and have frequently come to each other's rescue. So Hetta will look after young Charity while Des pursues his quest for her relief.

That's the set-up, somewhat reminiscent of a Hollywood-style romantic comedy, and it works very well. The supporting characters are equally well drawn and the action is more pall-mall than usual in Heyer's work, as Desford, playing the gallant knight errant, hares off to Harrowgate and Bath, interviewing reluctant servants and dealing with rebellion on the part of his own butler and groom, whose sense of the social niceties are more rigid than his own. The pattern you would expect, from experience in reading Heyer's books would be for Des and Charity to discover their feelings for each other in the last chapter, but -- well, I won't give the ending away. But it's an enjoyable weekend's read.
221632
Very good regency romance.  Shows the typical ups and downs of having had other relationships which affect how you treat people in the here and now.