The Dangerous Baron Leigh (Signet Regency Romance)

Rating:
Summary: Not her best work, but a wonderful author!
Review: Emily Hendrickson is one of the few Regency authors I collect because of her outstanding work. Her books are light-hearted and entertaining, historically accurate and detailed, as well as being a wonderful escape. The series of books that this particular one follows (Ms. Timothy Perserveres, etc.) is particularly fun to read, and I eagerly searched out a copy of this book. I was a little disappointed, as the book is somewhat stilted. My first impression is that she was fulfilling a contract and her heart wasn't in this one. With one other exception, my experience with Ms. Hendrickson has been wonderful! I would highly recommend that disappointed readers browse another of her books before writing her off.

Rating:
Summary: Not her best work, but a wonderful author!
Review: Emily Hendrickson is one of the few Regency authors I collect because of her outstanding work. Her books are light-hearted and entertaining, historically accurate and detailed, as well as being a wonderful escape. The series of books that this particular one follows (Ms. Timothy Perserveres, etc.) is particularly fun to read, and I eagerly searched out a copy of this book. I was a little disappointed, as the book is somewhat stilted. My first impression is that she was fulfilling a contract and her heart wasn't in this one. With one other exception, my experience with Ms. Hendrickson has been wonderful! I would highly recommend that disappointed readers browse another of her books before writing her off.

Rating:
Summary: Incredibly boring, incredibly unlikely plot
Review: Having read this book, I've now read the reviews here for the first time, and I have to say that I agree with the majority of them. This is an incredibly boring book, riddled with errors and inaccuracies, and which shows no concern at all for the manners of the period. I'm well aware that Hendrickson is considered an expert on the Regency period, and another book of hers I've read is considerably better than this. All I can suggest is that she clearly had an off-day when she wrote this book - or her publisher has put her name on something written by someone else!

The romance, first. Lady Jocelyn meets Peter, Lord Leigh again five years after rejecting his proposal on the apparent grounds that, as a mere baronet at the time, he wasn't good enough for the daughter of a marquess. Now he's a baron and wealthy. Instead of shunning her, though, he is openly affectionate and attentive towards her. Leigh was so particular in his attentions that I actually wondered if he was attempting to get revenge by compromising Jocelyn. Apparently not. Apparently Hendrickson thinks that it was perfectly acceptable behaviour for a gentleman to: call a lady by her first name at all times; wander in and out of her private apartments without permission and without any servant or fellow (female) guest in attendance; wander off alone with said lady for hours and hours at a time, even returning late for dinner on one occasion; kiss said lady in a passionate manner normally reserved for a courtesan, and to do so on some occasions in full view of other guests. These are just some examples of Leigh's very unlikely behaviour towards Jocelyn. Her reputation would have been ruined in a matter of hours, let alone days - and the consequence wouldn't have been a wedding, but the assumption that Jocelyn was already ruined.

There is another unmarried woman who is a minor character in this book. I actually had to go back to the beginning of the book to check her marital status, because she behaved as if she was a daring widow, frequently sneaking off alone with men, practically propositioning the hero and other men, and in the end declaring her intention to go and live on the Continent since her relatives had been disgraced. A single woman? With whom would she propose to live?

Which brings me to another point: the complete lack of any chaperonage in this book. Unmarried female characters, of whom there were several, were left to do whatever they liked, and were left alone with gentlemen on many occasions, even being kissed in view of other people from time to time. Several reputations would have been ruined in this book, were the other characters not apparently all blind.

And there are secondary characters to extremes: far too many to keep track of, and none of whom aroused even the remotest interest for me. Quite simply, the characters were either cardboard cut-outs, or ridiculously exaggerated caricatures as in the case of the French cousins Henri and Pierre, and Suzanne.

And then there was the mystery plot: the theft of a necklace. Now, several times Jocelyn and Leigh discuss who would have a motive to steal it; who would benefit most from the proceeds of its sale. And yet earlier in the book we are told that the necklace is unique, so much so that it could not be sold in one piece - it would be recognised. So why do the characters assume that it would be sold? And the eventual thieves seem completely inconsistent in their motives, saying in one minute that it was stolen to allow another woman the right to wear it (how? Would it not be recognised instantly?) and the next that they needed the proceeds of its sale.

I was tempted to throw this book away after only one chapter, but persevered in the hope that it would get better. It didn't, and it represents three hours of my life that I won't get back! It is one of the most boring so-called romances I have ever read, and the anachronisms, together with errors in word usage (what on earth is a 'roughish' look??) and the grammatical mistakes with which this book is riddled, made it almost impossible to concentrate on the story. Despite earlier, better experience with Hendrickson's work, I don't think I'll be reading anything by her ever again. I'm very surprised to see an author of Anne Barbour's calibre writing here in support of a book as bad as this.

Rating:
Summary: Not her best--nor yours!
Review: If you are a true lover of the Regency genre, buy this book. I have no idea what the other readers are talking about. I was positively delighted with The Dangerous Baron Leigh. True, the book moved quickly into the romance, but isn't that what we want? Cuddle up with this book by the fire and you won't be disappointed. As always, Ms. Hendrickson delivers a wonderfully satisfying Regency romance.

Rating:
Summary: Help! This was not a good book!
Review: The Reader from Boston is, of course, entitled to her opinion, with which I heartily disagree, but she should be aware that Ms. Hendrickson is probably the premier expert today on the Regency. Her reference book is a veritable bible for authors of Regency romance. For Ms. Boston's information, btw, a woman could, indeed, be a baronness in her own right, although it was rare. They could hold other titles as well, on occasion. At least one of the Duchesses of Marlborough held that title in her own right. I, personally find Ms. Hendrickson's books a delight, and her research is impeccable.

Rating:
Summary: Difference of opinion
Review: The Reader from Boston is, of course, entitled to her opinion, with which I heartily disagree, but she should be aware that Ms. Hendrickson is probably the premier expert today on the Regency. Her reference book is a veritable bible for authors of Regency romance. For Ms. Boston's information, btw, a woman could, indeed, be a baronness in her own right, although it was rare. They could hold other titles as well, on occasion. At least one of the Duchesses of Marlborough held that title in her own right. I, personally find Ms. Hendrickson's books a delight, and her research is impeccable.

Rating:
Summary: not quite sure
Review: Well truth be told I'm not really sure what to say about this book. It wasn't quite bad enough to be BAD, but it wasn't quite good enogh to be GREAT either. The mystery itself is a great mystery. Jocelyn Robards (main Character)has been invited to her dear cousin's house to help her cousin (Lora) plan a costume ball to honor the new heir but when she arrives there (soaking wet and saved by our hansome hero Lord Peter Leigh whom she refused suit 5 years past) she learns that her cousin's family heirloom has been stolen and must be found within two weeks because Lora plans to wear it the night of the costume ball. OK so basicly that's the entire plot right there. The mystery is told perfectly. It kept my attention throughout the entire book. It was always once you felt certain that it was one person the author brough up good reasons why it could have been another which then made you start to think of another person... So that was the good about the book and here's the bad...It drove me absolutly insane that our hero, even though he had been refused 5 years ago because he had no title or fortune which he now has, everytime he speaks to Jocelyn he will call her "My Love", "Dearest", and all of the other things that would never had been stood for back then by anybody unless the people were married! It just seemed silly to hear this over and over and over! And the way Peter would just walk right into Jocelyn's sitting room without even knocking seemed just a little unbelievable to me. These are not the ONLY things that were wrong but I really don't think it fair to point out all of them because like I said before, the story itself was good. I hope the editor looks a little closer next time!!