Lady Allerton's Wager

Rating:
Summary: Definitely not her best work...
Review: I have had mixed experiences with Cornick's books. While some of them have been amazing experiences (THE LARKSWOOD LEGACY, and to a lesser extent TRUE COLORS), others have started out well and then rapidly gone downhill.

Unfortunately LADY ALLERTON'S WAGER (part of a Mills & Boons gift set) is one of these. The premise is unusual. A jaded Earl who is short of cash (having inherited from his grandfather who let things slight) runs into a lovely young Cyprian, or so he thinks. She offers him a wager for one toss of the dice - if she loses, he will win her favors for free; if he loses on the other hand, she wants an island from him. It becomes obvious both to the Earl and to us (the readers) that the Cyprian is no Cyprian, but a Lady. What is she doing at the Cyprians' Ball, and why does she want the island so badly?

Both questions are answered fairly early in the book, except that the Earl decides that he does not believe her reasons for wanting the island. This is partly because there is a long-running family feud between his family and hers; partly because he believes what his man of business says. [And this part of the plot drops out too easily as well, as does a certain secondary character who will reappear in a sequel].

I won't go into details, except to say that the subsequent plot setup strained my credulity considerably. And I couldn't root for either the heroine (remarkably immature or naive) or the hero (whose behavior ranges from dishonourable when he reneges on the wager initially to boorish when he accuses the heroine of having cheated him financially). Cornick is capable of so much more, that this book felt all the more rushed and half-baked.

If you enjoy a road romance (or an island romance), you may like this book. If you want a plot that makes sense, and characters that act consistently, you might want to pass this book up.

Rating:
Summary: She's worth every minute!
Review: I love a good road romance and when it has an original plot like this one and a fantastic, sparkling cast of characters, I really enjoy myself. Beth Allerton is impulsive but idealistic. Marcus Trevithick is a hero with depth. The writing is up to Ms Cornick's usual high standard. I can't wait for the sequel to find out what happens in Kit and Eleanor's romance!

Rating:
Summary: She's not worth it!
Review: While "Lady Allerton's Wager" may lead you on a romp through the countryside, it's far from an enjoyable one. The plot centers around Beth Allerton's attempts to regain an island stolen from her family years ago by the Trevithick family. Lord Trevithick is the current owner and he seems all too willing to hand it over and try to claim her in the process. Any man who would chase after this flighty, immature brat should have his head examined! Lady Allerton is slightly amusing at best, and highly annoying all the time. Unevenly written, with weak and convenient yet unlikely twists to the plot (many of which aren't resolved), makes this a dull and predictable read.