Product Description

Beautiful and feisty Henrietta Barrett has never followed the dictates of society. She manages her elderly guardian's estate, prefers to wear breeches rather than dresses, and answers to the unlikely name of Henry. But when her guardian passes away, her beloved home falls into the hands of a distant cousin.William Dunford, London's most elusive bachelor, is stunned to learn that he's inherited property, a title...and a ward bent on making his first visit his last. Henry is determined to continue running the Cornwall estate without help from the handsome new lord, but Dunford is just as sure he can change things...starting with his wild young ward. But turning Henry into a lady makes her not only the darling of the town, but an irresistible attraction to the man who thought he could never be tempted.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #67671 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Review
"'Smart, funny' - Time Magazine"

About the Author
Julia Quinn started writing her first book one month after finishing college and has been tapping away at her keyboard ever since. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling Bridgerton series which begins with The Duke and I. She is a graduate of Harvard and RadcliffeColleges and lives with her family in Colorado. Please visit her on the web at www.juliaquinn.com

Customer Reviews

Light and enjoyable read
Henry is an independent woman but also insecure outside her domain in Cornwall. She wears mens clothing and knows nothing of the ton. Dunford however, upsets her life and security but arriving to view his unexepcted inheritace - Stannage Park - Henry's home. Initally she sets out to scare him off but after they make friends and he discovers she is his ward! he takes her to London.

There begins the ugly ducking - beautiful swan story. And old one but always enjoyable to read (I am such a romantic!)

As the other reviewers siad there are a number of misunderstandings. However, the only critisism I have is that they resolved the last conflict awfuly quickly. I just felt it needed more pages to adequately resolve. But a great book. I give it 4 stars in its genre.

Charming
After brief, but brilliant, appearences in both 'Splendid' and 'Dancing at Midnight', William Dunford returns for a starring role of his own. Wealthy, handsome and irrepressibly charming, Dunford has always been a much sought after member of the 'ton', but when he comes into an unexpected title, life as he knows it is about to change. And not just because he's now even more eligible.

Henrietta ('call me Henry, everybody does') Barrett has been running the Stannage estate for years. She loves the life she leads, loves Stannage Park, love Cornwall and isn't about to let some society fop saunter in and ruin everything. So, even though Dunford is far from what she expected, she launches a campaign to drive him screaming back to London.

But Dunford isn't so easily fooled, and he sets about charming his young estate manager in a counter offensive of his own. For a young woman who wears breeches and lacks any knowledge of how to be a young lady, it's so nice for Henry to have someone pay attention to her. When he buys her new dresses, seeming to care for the person inside, she is so overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness that she can't help falling a little in love with him.

Dunford finds himself equally charmed by his little estate manager - until he discovers that she's his ward. Duty and responsibilty, both new concepts to him, crowd in to ruin the easy friendship that has grown between them.

Yet, when he drags Henry to London, it is him rather than her who soon begins to regret it.

This tale of transformation - from country hoyden to society miss, and carefree rake to responsible landowner - manages to combine humour, humiliation, love and heartbreak as both main characters discover that their previously perfect lives have in fact been flawed all along.

This tale is sweet and charming - although Henry's transformation is a little too quick and smooth, and as other reviewers mention, the 'conflict' is quite pointless - but in traditional JQ style, it's still enjoyable. For lighthearted Regency, you can't go far wrong.

(Oh, and fans of Ned Blydon should get hold of the 'Where's My Hero?' anthology, to see him find a HEA of his own.)

A wonderful book which I gobbled in one sitting
I disagree with the other readers with regard to the "conflict". Misunderstandings are all part of the genre. The characters are warm, fully developed and very funny. Move over Catherine Coulter - a new contender is entering the ring!