Noble Intentions (Noble series Book 1)

Pay attention to every one star review written about this book - they are all true! I only made it half way through and then realized I was embarrassed reading it and dreading turning to the next page. Thank goodness I only spent .99 on it.

Interesting characters with a good story line...quick wit, funny believable situations and price was right. Cute story was so good I purchased the other two. 3 storys at .99 each and a good read...WoooWhooo what a deal!

I really liked this book. The author is funny and her characters are endearing. Really, I couldn't put it down, so if you are looking for a quick read with good characters and a good story, download it now!

I agree with the negative reviewers. I loathe when an author writes that a character has thought something, but oops, the character said it aloud! Oh how funny, how silly....no, actually it's not. It wasn't funny the first time or the thirtieth time. The author called it an "Unfortunate Habit", but I found it unfortunately irritating.

The heroine's other "unfortunate" habit was creating far-fetched, ridiculous situations, such as burning the draperies in someone's drawing room or touching wet blue paint and then transmitting that paint to everything and everyone else. The story seemed to focus on these contrived, unrealistic situations rather than on plot development or the romance.

It is difficult to write comedy, especially farce, and the author did not do it well. I grew up watching farcical comedy (Abbott and Costello reruns, etc.) and "Noble Intentions" was a poor attempt at this genre. There was one scene where characters were hiding in a bedchamber and they would pop out at various times. I kept thinking it should be a funny scene, but it wasn't. The scene felt contrived and the conversation was not humorous. I was really hoping the book would be funny at some point, but it never happened.

A story has a big problem when flatulent dogs are the only funny characters. Even at 99 cents, the dogs just aren't worth it!

WOW! Can not believe how many good reviews this book got!! Started out OK, but then it was hard work just to make it halfway through! I NEVER quit a book, but I just couldn't force myself any longer. The main charachter makes Jessice Simpsom look smart! And the way she thinks something in her head, but accidentaly says it out loud was stupid and confusing. DO NOT waste oyur time or money!

i NEVER leave reviews..and normally i think people exaggerate on how horrible a book is when after I read it i think "that wasn't that bad".. but this is probably the worst book i have EVER read.. the story just didn't make much sense, it was so poorly written and the characters reactions just didn't add up. I read the first chapter that was sent as a sample to my kindle and thought it was not that bad. But soon after I realized just how BAD this book actually was.. don't be fooled and don't waste your money

Very silly. Seems the author was attempting to be funny. No one could be so absent minded and not get on your nerves. It is also silly that after one dance, this couple marries in four days. I did not waste my time any longer. I read 20% of the book and moved on. Thank goodness I only paid $.99

Gillian whom was raised in America came to England to help her cousin have a season. While doing so she ended up married for he dark duke. While she is honest , spunky, impulsive and witty it tends to get her in wee bit trouble. Now she is on the go of helping her husband with his past since he rumored to kill his wife. With a little help from her cousin, her husband ex mistresses ,and an old mysterious man she get into a lot of mischief .

Noble has been cut from the tin due to his past. Finds his new bride refreshing until she cause disorder in his life . While he slowly fall for her he must always lecture her on order in life.

Funny book and lot of mystery .highly recommend

Reviewed by Amy W
Book provided by NetGalley
Originally posted at Romancing the Book

Where has author Katie MacAlister been all these years? I consider myself a rather experienced romance reader, but I can probably count on my hands the number of times I have experienced wild bursts of laughter while reading one. Noble Intentions adds a completely new dimension to the world of romance thanks to a writer with an incredible sense of humor.

On the surface, it appears that this is going to be another Regency romance since the first scene opens at one of the ton’s social events. It doesn’t take long, though, to figure out that these characters are quite different from those typically depicted in romance novels.

Gillian Leigh has all the makings of an Original given her half-English/half-American heritage and penchant for speaking her mind. She catches the attention of Noble Britton, Lord Wessex, who has a rather checkered past involving the death of his first wife. What follows is a side-splitting adventure as Gillian introduces complete chaos into the earl’s rather uneventful life. Combine her lack of worldliness with a tendency to speak without a filter, and the story line almost takes a dip into the world of the absurd.

Just when you think there couldn’t be anything else to top the previous side-splitting scene, the author throws in a twist with the most off-the-wall descriptions. Gillian’s dogs, for example, “have a little problem with their inner workings.” From broken man parts to ladybuds, this rollicking tale will make a lasting impression…especially if you start laughing out loud while reading.

The only drawback is that the story is riddled with typos, so many that I couldn’t in good conscience give it the top score. I am not sure if the original paperback version, published in 2002, had this problem. Some TLC with a line editor would push this story right over the top.

A super fun, absolutely hilarious, delightfully romantic read, Noble Intentions was a fantastic romance. I really liked this book. It was so funny and sweet and adorable and I really enjoyed reading it.

Gillian was a fun heroine. She got herself into crazy situations, always with the best of intentions, and it was so entertaining to see. She had a tendency to some epic clumsiness and it made for some really funny scenes. Like the one where she tries to say yes to Noble's proposal with a passionate embrace and ends up nearly giving him a concussion. She was very sweet and genuinely nice and truly likable. I thought she was lovely.

Noble was also wonderful. He seemed formidable at first, with his sternness, but it didn't take long before he showed himself to be a sweet man who put up some serious walls after his first wife screwed him over. Multiple times. He could be a bit of an ass when he got mad (which was frequently) and that made me want to whack him upside the head. But, overall, he was adorable and I really liked him.

The romance was lovely. Gillian and Noble were so sweet together. They balanced each other out, with Noble's ordered calmness and Gillian's unfettered exuberance. And, there was definitely some steaminess in this book. These two could barely keep their hands off of each other and it frequently got super hot. I thought they were a perfect couple.

The plot was well paced. I wasn't totally hooked, but I was definitely kept interested the entire way through. The story was so much fun. There were so many hilarious antics by the characters that had me laughing throughout the book. I really enjoyed the story and the ending was adorable.

Noble Intentions was a fantastic historical romance read. I really liked this book. It was fun, sweet, romantic, and very enjoyable. Romance lovers, you really should read this book.

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Read on March 03, 2014

Book Info
Mass Market, 384 pages
Expected publication: May 6th 2014 by Sourcebooks Casablanca (first published February 1st 2002)
original title Noble Intentions
ISBN 1402294360 (ISBN13: 9781402294365)
edition language English
series Noble #1
characters Gillian Leigh, Noble Britton - Lord Wessex
setting London, England (United Kingdom)
other editions (15)
Source:Netgalley EARC

Book Buy Links
the store
B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Having suffered at the hands of his first wife, Noble Britton refuses to fall into the same trap again. He wants to marry a quiet woman who will not draw attention to herself. Half-American Gillian Leigh attracts Noble, but this accident-prone beauty wreaks havoc on his orderly life. Reissue.

My Thoughts

There is a trend amongst authors right now that I am enjoying immensely, they are re-issuing/re-releasing some of their older works and allowing fans to discover them and this series is one of those as the first three all have re-issue dates prior to newest book in August 2014.

This particular books back cover synopsis does not manage to convey even half of just how much is going on inside it’s pages, the reading was fast-fun and purely enjoyable while also using quite a few of the more well known formulas of a historical romance.

The way in which this is most unique however is the amount of times you will laugh out loud at some of the more outrageous exploits that Gillian Leigh manages to always find herself embroiled in throughout the story.

Noble Britton, Lord Wessex, is purely a typical romance hero in many respects but he has a vulnerable side that will appeal to any woman who finds themselves drawn to the tall quiet type with a devastatingly wicked sensual side!

As someone who has previously enjoyed paranormal romance works by the author this was a refreshing change of pace with an outspoken out-of-the-box historical romance heroine that was truly a joy as she managed to capture the hearts of everyone including myself as the story unfolded.

If you are looking for a break from the normal rather too serious historical romances you have found the perfect book, filled with the silly humorous mishaps that seem to follow Gillian no matter where she goes you will fall as deeply in love with her as the "Black Earl" Lord Noble Wessex long before the tale is told! Either that or you may feel it to be too much of a fluffy piece and give up, either way you will not be unaffected.

I look forward to maybe one day reading more of this series as still have Charlotte, Harry and Leo’s stories to enjoy.

[EArc from Netgalley in exchange for honest review]

Read for Fun /Listened for Review (Tantor /Library)
Overall Rating 4.75
Story Rating 4.50
Character Rating 5.00

Audio Rating 4.50

Fun Rating: 5 X a billion. Quite frankly it has been awhile since I have read something just downright delectably fun!

First Thought when Finished:Nobel Intentions by Katie MacAlister was hands down one of the most unique Historical romances that I have read!

Quick Thoughts: This was all about the FUN! Gillian's unfortunate habit. Noble's inability to tame her. All of that plus a great cast of characters made this one of my favorite historical romances. It won't work for some but it certainly worked for me!

Audio Thoughts:

Narrated By Alison Larkin / Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins

Allison nailed it! I really thought she was a perfect match for Nobel Intentions. I am pretty happy with the narration and hope to get the rest on audio.

Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, DONE! Reviews

I must admit to the odd chortle of laughter escaping my lips as I read this thoroughly delightful, charmingly disingenuous romp. Ok I was more than occasionally convulsing with laughter, tears streaming down my face at our heroine's actions and commentary. A commentary that sometimes, oops! was said out loud, to the startlement of all, including herself.
Nobel Britton, Lord Wessex, known as The Black Earl, (or as Gillian Leigh calls him, The Lord of Lusciousness) is stark raving mad if he thinks the woman whom he claims as his bride, this harem sacrum original, was going to calmly do his bidding.
I must admit Gillian's innocent comment about his broken man parts had me rolling in the aisle. Hilarious!
Warm impulsive Gillian takes to heart Noble, his son and all his endeavours. She sails through all adversity with nary a second glance, endearing herself to all, including Noble's mistresses.
A delightful escapade!

A NetGalley ARC

The handsome and notorious 'Black Earl', Noble Britton, has decided to come out of rustication and into London society in search of a bride to provide an heir and be a mother to his illegitimate son. Accident-prone and frank-talking spinster Gillian Leigh doesn't exactly fit his criteria, but nonetheless something attracts him to her and soon a wedding is in the works. Gillian is aware of Noble's shady past (the fact that society believes he murdered his first wife), but after meeting the Earl she's convinced of his innocence and soon makes it her mission to prove it. The bulk of the book revolves around a blackmail plot, murder investigation, kidnapping, and of course, the growing attraction between the H/H. Mixed in is the heroine's antics which have her, among other things, setting fire to curtains, knocking out her fiance accidently, falling into a waterfall and having tea with Noble's former mistresses. And lets not forget her dogs, who travel everywhere with her, and their certain odorous problem.

I liked this book, but its not for everyone. Its really a romantic comedy of sorts (not exactly a deep emotional read -although there are moments). The writing to me was very funny and ridiculous at the same time. You can't take a book like this too seriously, Gillian is .....well.....Gillian. Maybe a bit naive, silly, outrageous, but definitely not stupid. Everything she does is for the love of her family and her determination that they truly become one. Noble is a hero thats in serious need of some good lovin'. He's had a difficult few years after his disasterous first marriage and is practically shunned by polite society. So he needs Gillian (although he doesn't realize it at first) to bring back the light and love into his life.

If you like Lynsay Sands writings then you'll probably like this one. But if your a big fan of complex plots that contain heart-wrenching romance, then you should probably skip this one.

Just a light-hearted romantic comedy thats full of many ridiculous/not-so-believable scenes and will leave you either laughing and begging for more or disgusted with its own stupidity. And yes, there are serveral loves scenes and they are humorous too.

I love Katie Macalister's humor. Whether she's writing contemporaries or historicals you can bet they won't feature faint hearted simpering heroines and empty headed alpha males. Oh to be sure she's got the alpha males, but they aren't one dimensional and they all seem to appreciate the complex women they fall in love with.
In Noble Intentions, Noble Britton is looking for the opposite of his first wife, a sweet biddable woman who will have his heirs and stay in the country while he cats around the capitol. But when he meets Gillian Leigh, a woman who simply blurts out whatever she's thinking, a woman who is accident prone and at 25, considered off the shelf all of those wishes go out the window because Gillian doesn't care that her husband wants her in the country.
What follows is hilarious. As always, her characters are wonderfully quirky and interesting. The triplet Tremayne brothers who are constantly brawling, the pirate butler with the hook, Gillian's cousin Charlotte, the union of mistresses - all serve to remove this book from the usual circle of regency romances and make it stand apart.
Gillian, though accident prone and lacking in an ability to obey her husband blindly (a good quality), is a great heroine. She's no blushing virgin and she's a match for Noble, who despite his arrogance, is human and his appreciation for Gillian never wavers.
This book is absent the misunderstandings that cause estrangement that are so often typical in these books. A moderately interesting mystery surrounding the murder of Noble's first wife threads the love story together.
If you like to laugh and you enjoy female characters who are real women who are strong, I think Noble Intentions is a book for you.

Gillian is an the store spinster who doesn't have an ounce of grace in her body. She has no plans of marrying until she meets Noble at a ball. Noble is the town's social outcast after a scandal with his first wife. They fall for each other and we are taken on their journey of love, hate, revenge, and murder. I was laughing within the first few pages of this book. There were times when I had to shake my head, because I could not accept that Gillian was such a ding bat!!! While at times she was quite entertaining, I had a hard time believing someone would do all off the ridiculousness she had in this book. I agreed with Noble she was a very bad influence on Nick and I couldn't believe she would take a child on half of the outings she did. She had none of the qualities he wanted in a wife. She was foolish and clumsy, she didn't listen, she wasn't obedient, and I guess this is why I loved the book. She was not predictable. If you are looking for a fun and hilarious Historical Novel then I would recommend this book. (FYI this is not your classical historical novel so don't expect to see everything flow with the period.)

Noble Britton (yes, that's his name) has been deeply scarred by his first wife's betrayal, and locks all emotion behind high walls. Gillian Leigh is honest, forthright, and incredibly loving. When these two acknowledge their instant attraction and marry, Gillian, now Lady Wessex, vows to bring down her new husband's emotional barriers, love her new stepson, and have lots of hot sex. Okay, so she doesn't vow the last bit, but it happens anyway.

I loved Katie MacAlister's contemporary romances, but the first time I gave this book a try I had a hard time with it. This time, however, I loved it. I got caught up in the story (a mystery regarding Noble's first wife, Elizabeth, and the circumstances surrounding her death). I laughed out loud throughout the book (which made reading half of it in the library rather difficult). Though the sex scenes aren't as graphic as in her contemporary romances, I understand the difference now - the difference in the attitude of the characters - and I like the book all the better for it.

To anyone who has read any of Katie MacAlister's other novels (either under that name, or under her YA pseudonym Katie Maxwell), I say: you will not be disappointed. Heck, I say that to anyone looking at this book! It's got romance, interesting characters, a (murder) mystery, and plenty of humor.

Noble Britton had this perfect vision of all that a wife should be. She would be demure and biddable, calmly accepting his directives in all things. His prospective bride would adhere to the strict rules of the ton as though they came naturally, never daring to enter a gentleman's club or other restricted establishment.

Nonetheless, Noble found himself instantly drawn to Gillian Leigh. She was the light to his darkness in many ways. Independent and free spirited, Gillian did not balk at the secrets surrounding the demise of his first wife, nor shrink from his son, Nick, who now no longer spoke. Instead, she confronted those demons head on! Unfortunately, in the process, Gillian arouses the interest of a depraved madman, someone who will stop at nothing to kill -- and kill again. Can Noble save Gillian before the killer closes in?

Fast paced and filled with humor, I romped through this book in a single day! Delightful read.

Most of the story is a wacky romp/murder mystery (someone killed the hero's late, unlamented first wife a few years ago, and a lot of people think it was him.) This part was fine, if a bit silly.

But then, in the last few chapters, it randomly turns into a screed against BDSM, denouncing its "perversion" and explicitly linking a character's liking for being whipped in bed with their urge to be maniacally abusive and mean to their family and defenseless animals. This is gone on about at length

I found it confusing, weird and utterly out of the blue. And no, I don't even like BDSM! But still.

Five years ago Noble Britton's wife mysteriously died. Unable to resist putting a scandalous label to events without supporting facts, the Ton "logically" concludes that Noble was involved in the death. Dubbed the "Black Earl" by his peers, Noble rusticated for the last few years, but now seeks a new wife, one who is mousy and behaves with proper decorum.

Gillian Leigh does not want a coming out, but though too old at twenty-five, too American by a half, too tall by a head or more, and too accident prone she has no choice. So why does Noble want to meet and marry this the store paragon who literally sets the Ton on fire if he seeks an unobtrusive spouse? Love works in mysterious ways.

NOBLE INTENTIONS is a very amusing Regency romance that will delight sub-genre fans especially since Noble lives up to his name as he is the victim of Gillian's pratfalls. The lead couple is a delightful pairing whose story line remains true to its basic slapstick like theme. Fans who enjoy a jocular look at the foibles of the Ton will want to read Katie MacAlister's humorous tale - just keep ice packs and bandages handy in case one falls while laughing.

Harriet Klausner

Gillian Leigh has come to London to stay with her family. At five and twenty she has no intentions of having a season, and really no plans on marrying. But because her younger cousin, Charlotte, is being introduced into her first season, Gillian finds herself embarking on just that. Who would have ever guessed that at her first ball, even after the `unfortunate incident', she'd meet Lord Adonis?
Lord Wessex, Noble Britton, has decided it is time for him to find a wife for himself, and a mother for his son. He's come to London with a plan, and very exacting requirements for his wife to be. After the scandal he's still living down that occurred with his first wife, he wants a woman who will be quiet, unassuming, biddable, and will not draw attention to herself. But when Noble sees Gillian, he's immediately drawn to her by her refreshing attitude, and the fact that she is so open and honest.
As Noble begins to court Gillian, he quickly finds out that `unfortunate incidents' follow his potential bride around--why, a simple carriage ride turns into a great adventure where you may risk your life! But he finds himself drawn to her in a way that he can't escape...
Kudos, Katie MacAlistar! This is probably the most humorous, moving regency I've ever laid my hands on. Every page was filled with hilarious scenes, to the point I found tears rolling down my eyes-yet she continually pulled at my heartstrings with the slights Noble receives, and how Gillian is quickly at his defense. It was wonderful seeing these two find their way to love!! Ms. MacAlistar weaves the story with wonderful secondary characters I just can't wait to read about, and a plot to uncover to boot!!
This is a not to be missed regency-you'll find yourself unable to put this book down!!

I just love this book about Gillian and Noble!! Gillian's innocent humor is do funny!! Noble has never been outright accused of his first wife's murder but his young son has not spoken since that day!! He meets Gillian who is half American and half English and they marry. She tries to help his young son and also find out what really happened to his first wife. Gillian will have you laughing with all her antics. Such a good read!!!

Noble Intentions is one of the funniest and most thoroughly entertaining books I have ever read. My husband couldn't understand why I was laughing so while reading a "romantic novel." Buy it, read it and be prepared to enjoy. Gillian is one of the best heroines ever. She's accident-prone, but she's honest, funny and not at all annoying like most heroines are. You'll love the scenes involving Gillian and her fire starting at balls, her blue paint disaster, the problems of trying to disembark from a small carriage while on a visit to Lord Carlisle, the Oils of Araby therapy with her husband, her exchange with pirate butler Crouch in the bedroom while Noble was asleep - I could go on and on. By all means, buy this book. I am looking forward eagerly to more of the same by author Katie MacAlister.

Normally I like books that have plenty of racy scenes, and if they don't have them I'm pretty upset. Well this book was light on the racy parts but I was not bothered. That is because this book was crazy and very funny. The characters had me in stitches. I can't wait to see if the other books in this series are just as funny. Great start.

Get ready for a wild madcap ride into the Regency world where an unconventional Lady Jillian and a devilishly handsome Noble spin you from one zany antic to another. Can Noble calm the chaos that follows her everywhere? - does he want to?? Well - strap your seat-belt on as this fun filled romance takes you on a roller coaster ride of a lifetime !! Oh, by the way, did I mention there's a murder to solve.......

OMG this is awful. I love silly romantic books, but this is just way to silly even for me! This is probably the worst historical novel I have ever read. The plot is unbelievable, the reader cannot believe even for a tiny moment that the misterious Noble will fall in love with Gillian.

The caracters are another disaster starting with our heroine, I'm sure the author wanted her to be the different, authentic, independent american in austere England much like Henry Jame's Isabel Archer in Portrait of a lady, but Gillian is just STUPID, she is more of a 13-year-old girl of the 21st century that somehow got stuck in this novel.

I did not like this at all. Read it at your own risk.

Normally, romance novels are not my sort of thing, but a co-worker who is also a very discerning writer recommended this and another co-worker loaned me her copy so I read it. And...it surprised me. It was funny, funny, funny, with a slightly daft and yet too clever for her own good heroine. I'm almost...ALMOST...tempted to read another of this author's books, but I haven't read Homer's Odyssey yet!

I discovered this book while searching the names of some of my favorite authors to see if they had new books out. What a delight to discover a series done before I had discovered this author. All three of the books were laugh out loud funny! Thank you Katie MacAlister for more books for my "go-to" shelf when I need to brighten my day.

This book came very highly recommended to me, by friends who I thought knew what I like to read. They certainly missed on this one! It took me two days to get to page 49, and I am seldom without a book in my hand! Thus, I decided my time would be better spent in trying to read something else. I found it rather overwritten and over wrought, with a heroine I could best describe as silly beyond belief, and a supposed hero not much better. I kept getting lost in the longer paragraphs, until finally, I just simply gave up. I really didn't give a darn about either of them, or their past or their future. I'm on the side of all the other reviewers here who gave it only one star. I couldn't give it less. I've not tried anything else by this author, and don't think I will, either, as I'm not into vampires and such. They may well be much better, but are still not my cup of tea.

Ah, well. To each his or her own, as they say.

Noble and Gillian's story is not only heartwarming with plenty of interesting characters.
Be prepared for Gillian's Unfortunate Affliction. It is great and so is she. She is unaffected and warm just the thing the Noble and his son Nick need in order to heal a wound from the past.
An entertaining read from start to finish.

I picked up Noble Intentions expecting Katie Macalister's normal wit but I was not expecting a laugh-out-loud bit of a romp. For those of you who enjoy reading Historicals, or perhaps hystericals, I highly recommend this bit of a novel. There is suspense, romance, high jinx and just plain fun between the pages.

I was really looking forward to Noble Intentions by Katie MacAlister. Having read her hilarious contemporary books, I had high expectations that her historical novel would follow suit.

Alas, it did not.

In brief: Noble, Lord Wessex had trouble with his previous wife, what with her adulterous nature and getting herself killed. Moreover, society thinks he was the one who offed her. But he must brave the perils of the ton to find himself a new wife. He is instantly attracted to Gillian Leigh, a long-in-the-tooth half-American who is chaperoning her younger cousin. But Gillian isn't exactly the most coordinated of souls, and her Unfortunate Habit tends to get her into trouble.

I like a spunky heroine as much as the next girl. Naivety I can take; stupidity I cannot. In Noble Intentions, Gillian goes for a ride with Noble; suddenly, she demands he stop his phaeton and promptly dashes across a busy road. Why? Because there's a little Arab urchin huddled on the side of the road that simply needs her help. It is no surprise to anyone when the urchin takes the coin offered, spits a curse, and dashes off, unwilling to be helped. This is not the actions of an intelligent heroine.

And this is merely one example.

Gillian finds the idea of identical twins and triplets unbelievable at first, and then uproariously funny. I find it hard to believe that in all her years, she's never once crossed paths with identical twins (triplets, I can understand, as they are less common). However, I do like how she calls them Tremayne One, Tremayne Two, and Tremayne Three. It's that quirky MacAlister humour that I love.

Our heroine believes she and Noble are `soul mates, intended from the very beginning of time for each other'. Um, should I mention this is only page seventy-three? With such a brief acquaintance? I think not.

Her dogs are named Piddle and Erp--I'm assuming this is an attempt at humour, but flops. Majorly. This isn't even the worst regarding her mutts. Apparently, they have little control over their bowels, and excrete frequently, loudly, and fragrantly. I find this foul, not funny.

The tone is decidedly different to any Regency I've ever read. Which is usually a good thing. Not so much here. It is all very rushed--Gillian and Noble meet each other only three times, very briefly, and bam! They're married. Doesn't really work for this novel.

Not to mention there is absolutely no chemistry between our protagonists. None. Nada. Zip. Which is strange, as Ms MacAlister's contemporary characters have oodles of it. Perhaps this is a fault as one of her earlier novels (prior to the contemporaries)?

There is an astonishing rate of head-hopping--when they make love for the first time, it changes every paragraph. I kid you not.

And then there's the act itself. From the moment Noble actually does the deed, it's all over in two paragraphs. A disappointment to be sure, given Ms MacAlister's longer, spicier contemporary love scenes.

You know, I think the whole problem with this story lies in the fact Ms MacAlister writes sassy, independent, modern heroines. This simply doesn't translate across the genres.

My recommendation: give this one a miss, and turn instead to her funny, quirky, enjoyable contemporaries.

I have never laughed so hard while reading a book! There were so many laugh~out~loud moments...especially when Gilly thought her husband's equipment was broken! Everyone who loves great laughs, romance, and a mystery to solve will definitely need to purchase this book! You will not regret it!

Gillian Leigh appears to have been raised in a barn! She manages to set the drapes on fire at the ball she is attending, but does she go home to set herself to rights and write an apology to her hostess? No, she stays in all her sooty glory to make the acquaintance of Lord Wessex (Noble Britton)(apparently a very handsome man)and refers to him as a rouge (which is a cosmetic to add color to the cheeks). I suppose she meant rogue (a masterful man who is disdainful of societies strictures) but still behaves and is accepted by the Ton due to his wealth, etc. Throughout the book, the author refers to Lord Wessex as the Black Earl and rarely uses his name. Gillian uses a lot of slang when speaking or thinking such as "God's Toes"! Has flatulent dogs! And suffers from "Unfortunate Accidents" which are just ridiculous. Gillian speaks her mind, but what is she thinking? "Virgin's row"? Men might use that term to describe the young ladies who are being presented for their inspection as prospective brides, but not a girl! Even one who is five and twenty and from America! It sppears that she suffers from ADD!

The author just tries to hard to be entertaining and forgot that a good story is its own entertainment. And this novel has the bones of a good story. But they are covered up by fat details which do nothing to keep my interest. In short, it is about as interesting as a soggy, blob of dough. The author forgot or never knew or tried to find out exactly how people did behave in the Regency Period. Besides her sex scenes border on the pornographic and were offensive to me. If I wanted to read that, I wouldn't pick up a regency romance, but would go to a modern mystery!

This book should carry a warning lable:
DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IN A PUBLIC PLACE UNLESS YOU WISH TO EMBARASS YOURSELF BY LAUGHING SO HARD THAT YOUR BELLY HURTS.
(That is exactly what happened to me.) If you like humor, read this book. You will not be disappointed. This one is a keeper. I have re-read it now about 5 times, and every time I laugh myself silly. I love this book!!!!

This book was well written. Good plot, good pace, but best of all, it made me laugh out loud in numerous places. Excellent book and a great price. Kate Macalister, you are as much of an Original as your heroine, Gillian!

I do not usually leave reviews for anything, even if I REALLY like something but I just had to leave a review for this book. Many times the reviews are what convinces me to give a book a try even if it seems a little iffy. With the rating this book had (average of four stars after eighty-six reviews as of the day I am writing this) I really thought I'd like this read. And hey, 99 cents? Who wouldn't want to try with that kind of rating?

I tried so hard to finish this book and I just couldn't do it. My breaking point was the proposal. I just couldn't take anymore. Many reviewers have compared the main female character to a silly thirteen-year-old girl and I completely agree. I just couldn't get a grasp on her reasonings for anything and the same for the "hero" as well. Maybe if I stuck through it it would have gotten better but I just couldn't handle it. I have read many MANY historical romances, some not so good, but at least I could get through them with only a handful of groans. I wish I had saved my 99 cents.

Absolutely loved it.
I bought this book because I read a review by someone else who hated this book and hated another book I loved.
So I thought I couldn't go wrong.
Very entertaining.
Some people simply have no sense of humor and complain about things not being funny, when all that happens is they just don't get the jokes.

I really enjoyed the characters of this book. Gillian is refreshing and funny. She and Noble are a wonderful match. Some of the things Gillian gets herself into are most unbelievable, but so hilarious for a romance/mystery.

This is a wonderful Regency romance. The hero and heroine are folks you enjoy spending time with. Plenty of humor that had me laughing out loud. Feeling a bit down? This will be a pick-me-up for sure.