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Rendezvous
From the elegently appointed drawing rooms ofLondon's most exclusive clubs to an imposing countryestate in the heart of Dorset, comes a provocativetale of a free-thinking beauty, a dignified lord,and a mad impetuous love that defied alllogic . . .
Augusta Ballinger was quite sure that it was all a dreadful mistake. The chillingly pompous and dangerous Earl of Graystone could not possibly wish to marry her. Why, it was rumored that his chosen bride must be a veritable model of virtue. And everyone knew that Augusta, as the last of the wild, reckless Northumberland Ballingers, was a woman who could not be bothered by society’s rules.
That was why the spirited beauty had planned a midnight encounter to warn the earl off, to convince him that she would make him a very poor wife indeed. But when she crawled in through his darkened study window, Augusta only succeeded in strengthening Harry’s to kiss the laughter from those honeyed lips and teach this maddening miss to behave! How could he possibly know that it was he who was in for a lesson . . . as his brazen fiancée set out to win his heart—and an old and clever enemy stepped in to threaten their love, their honor, and their very lives?
Augusta Ballinger was quite sure that it was all a dreadful mistake. The chillingly pompous and dangerous Earl of Graystone could not possibly wish to marry her. Why, it was rumored that his chosen bride must be a veritable model of virtue. And everyone knew that Augusta, as the last of the wild, reckless Northumberland Ballingers, was a woman who could not be bothered by society’s rules.
That was why the spirited beauty had planned a midnight encounter to warn the earl off, to convince him that she would make him a very poor wife indeed. But when she crawled in through his darkened study window, Augusta only succeeded in strengthening Harry’s to kiss the laughter from those honeyed lips and teach this maddening miss to behave! How could he possibly know that it was he who was in for a lesson . . . as his brazen fiancée set out to win his heart—and an old and clever enemy stepped in to threaten their love, their honor, and their very lives?
360 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 1991
631 people are currently reading
2,108 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Quick
116books5,401followersPseudonym of
The author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.
She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.
Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.
Pseudonym(s):
The author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.
She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.
Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.
Pseudonym(s):
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 337 reviews
December 31, 2024
Please note that I gave this book 3.5 stars and rounded it to 4 stars on ŷ.
Another older Amanda Quick book. I read this for romance bingo and honestly I am glad that I finished up the other Quick book. Her writing style after a while starts to grate. I realize that all of the females in her books are "quirky" and the heroes are long suffering and either want the heroine to fall in love with them or are obtuse to the heroine being in love with them and railing against it while needing to have sex with said heroine all of the time. Did you follow that? I know, it's confusing.
This book had more plot than "Scandal" did, and there was actually a nice look and see for the hero/heroine at the end of this one (you get a flash forward so to speak a few months after the end of the book, and then again a few months later). That said, the heroine (Augusta Ballinger) was annoying because of her constant need to go on and on about her ancestors. The hero (Harry, the Earl of Graystone) I liked okay, but I started to get twitchy because the guy was going around demanding loyalty from her while going on about how he would need to take her in hand to make her act like she should. I so would have been burned as a witch in Regency era days.
Augusta Ballinger goes on and on about her family tree of the Ballinger family located in Northumberland. I hope you like reading the phrases "Northumberland Ballinger" and how they are the best, smartest, bravest, daring people ever. It was so stupid. I really wanted to kick Augusta by the time we got to the end of the book. I started to loathe the word Ballinger because Northumberland was lurking around. Augusta is orphaned and alone after the murder of her brother years before this book takes place, so I can see why she wants to make her family the best thing ever. But geez Louise, at least let someone call her out on it. Thank goodness though Harry does at one point.
What gets me most about these type of books though, Augusta in her current style of going about things would have been cut from society long ago. This to me was just one misstep that Quick really had. Augusta starts a lady salon that is based on gentlemen's clubs. And like those clubs they have betting and play cards, etc. Not that there are anything wrong with those. I just cannot imagine any father or brother being okay with their sister or wives going to a club like this back then without getting in trouble.
Harry though he is bright, also seems to be a bit dense. He comes back home married to his daughter and commands her to start calling Augusta "Mama" and is ticked when she doesn't comply. Forget understanding kids, how do you not understand maybe your new wife wouldn't be feeling awesome about that as well.
Augusta and Harry are not my favorite romance couple ever. There are a lot of back and forths between them. But besides their hot and heavy sex, I was bored by them both. There is a conflict in part of the book that is taken care of by the author in a few short pages, and then it suddenly becomes about Augusta wanting to be close to Harry and be a real family.
There are some fun side characters in this one that I wish we had been able to follow around. I realize now maybe that is why Quick in her Lavinia Lake and Tobias March books started to tell POVs from every character in the book (that got old quick though). I loved the character of Peter, Claudia (Augusta's cousin and part of a different branch of Ballingers) and Sallie as well.
The initial plot really is that Harry is looking for a virtuous woman to marry since he realizes he needs a mother for his 9 year old daughter Meredith. All of London are gossiping about Harry and who is on his famous list of potential wives since he apparently has criteria for the best wife ever. Augusta Ballinger for no reason at all finds herself attracted to Harry due to him being around more and more to talk to her uncle who is also interested in history as well. Then the plot shifts again a bit to talk about the fact that our hero did something dark and mysterious during the Napoleonic Wars and he still is after a spy that was called the Spider who a lot of deaths are attributed to. That latter plot takes up most of the book and includes Augusta in a rather odd way. It honestly didn't fit much I think, but Quick tries to tie things together.
The writing gets really repetitive after a while though. And sometimes certain plots or comments made don't seem followed up on. Harry is looking for a virtuous woman to marry since he realizes he needs a mother for his 9 year old daughter Meredith. All of London are gossiping about Harry and who is on his famous list of potential wives since he apparently has criteria for the best wife ever. Augusta Ballinger for no reason at all finds herself attracted to Harry due to him being around more and more to talk to her uncle who is also interested in history as well. Then the plot shifts again a bit to talk about the fact that our hero did something dark and mysterious during the Napoleonic Wars and he still is after a spy that was called the Spider who a lot of deaths are attributed to. That latter plot takes up most of the book and includes Augusta in a rather odd way. It honestly didn't fit much I think, but Quick tries to tie things together.
The flow for this one was actually pretty good. The story moves along at a good pace (one of the reasons why I gave this 3.5 stars) but there are some issues here and there. And I did enjoy the aspect of Harry being a widow with a daughter. Meredith was a nice side character to have, and all of her interactions with Augusta were so good. I wanted more of her with Augusta and also with Harry just being a family. She pretty much disappears at the end of the book which sucked, especially because we know a member of Harry's household is gone for good and I wanted to know who was in charge of Meredith's education now.
I read this for Romance Book Bingo 2017 and read this for the Historical Romance square. For those looking for a book to fit the key to my heart square, due to the cover for Rendezvous, this book would fit for that as well.
Another older Amanda Quick book. I read this for romance bingo and honestly I am glad that I finished up the other Quick book. Her writing style after a while starts to grate. I realize that all of the females in her books are "quirky" and the heroes are long suffering and either want the heroine to fall in love with them or are obtuse to the heroine being in love with them and railing against it while needing to have sex with said heroine all of the time. Did you follow that? I know, it's confusing.
This book had more plot than "Scandal" did, and there was actually a nice look and see for the hero/heroine at the end of this one (you get a flash forward so to speak a few months after the end of the book, and then again a few months later). That said, the heroine (Augusta Ballinger) was annoying because of her constant need to go on and on about her ancestors. The hero (Harry, the Earl of Graystone) I liked okay, but I started to get twitchy because the guy was going around demanding loyalty from her while going on about how he would need to take her in hand to make her act like she should. I so would have been burned as a witch in Regency era days.
Augusta Ballinger goes on and on about her family tree of the Ballinger family located in Northumberland. I hope you like reading the phrases "Northumberland Ballinger" and how they are the best, smartest, bravest, daring people ever. It was so stupid. I really wanted to kick Augusta by the time we got to the end of the book. I started to loathe the word Ballinger because Northumberland was lurking around. Augusta is orphaned and alone after the murder of her brother years before this book takes place, so I can see why she wants to make her family the best thing ever. But geez Louise, at least let someone call her out on it. Thank goodness though Harry does at one point.
What gets me most about these type of books though, Augusta in her current style of going about things would have been cut from society long ago. This to me was just one misstep that Quick really had. Augusta starts a lady salon that is based on gentlemen's clubs. And like those clubs they have betting and play cards, etc. Not that there are anything wrong with those. I just cannot imagine any father or brother being okay with their sister or wives going to a club like this back then without getting in trouble.
Harry though he is bright, also seems to be a bit dense. He comes back home married to his daughter and commands her to start calling Augusta "Mama" and is ticked when she doesn't comply. Forget understanding kids, how do you not understand maybe your new wife wouldn't be feeling awesome about that as well.
Augusta and Harry are not my favorite romance couple ever. There are a lot of back and forths between them. But besides their hot and heavy sex, I was bored by them both. There is a conflict in part of the book that is taken care of by the author in a few short pages, and then it suddenly becomes about Augusta wanting to be close to Harry and be a real family.
There are some fun side characters in this one that I wish we had been able to follow around. I realize now maybe that is why Quick in her Lavinia Lake and Tobias March books started to tell POVs from every character in the book (that got old quick though). I loved the character of Peter, Claudia (Augusta's cousin and part of a different branch of Ballingers) and Sallie as well.
The initial plot really is that Harry is looking for a virtuous woman to marry since he realizes he needs a mother for his 9 year old daughter Meredith. All of London are gossiping about Harry and who is on his famous list of potential wives since he apparently has criteria for the best wife ever. Augusta Ballinger for no reason at all finds herself attracted to Harry due to him being around more and more to talk to her uncle who is also interested in history as well. Then the plot shifts again a bit to talk about the fact that our hero did something dark and mysterious during the Napoleonic Wars and he still is after a spy that was called the Spider who a lot of deaths are attributed to. That latter plot takes up most of the book and includes Augusta in a rather odd way. It honestly didn't fit much I think, but Quick tries to tie things together.
The writing gets really repetitive after a while though. And sometimes certain plots or comments made don't seem followed up on. Harry is looking for a virtuous woman to marry since he realizes he needs a mother for his 9 year old daughter Meredith. All of London are gossiping about Harry and who is on his famous list of potential wives since he apparently has criteria for the best wife ever. Augusta Ballinger for no reason at all finds herself attracted to Harry due to him being around more and more to talk to her uncle who is also interested in history as well. Then the plot shifts again a bit to talk about the fact that our hero did something dark and mysterious during the Napoleonic Wars and he still is after a spy that was called the Spider who a lot of deaths are attributed to. That latter plot takes up most of the book and includes Augusta in a rather odd way. It honestly didn't fit much I think, but Quick tries to tie things together.
The flow for this one was actually pretty good. The story moves along at a good pace (one of the reasons why I gave this 3.5 stars) but there are some issues here and there. And I did enjoy the aspect of Harry being a widow with a daughter. Meredith was a nice side character to have, and all of her interactions with Augusta were so good. I wanted more of her with Augusta and also with Harry just being a family. She pretty much disappears at the end of the book which sucked, especially because we know a member of Harry's household is gone for good and I wanted to know who was in charge of Meredith's education now.
I read this for Romance Book Bingo 2017 and read this for the Historical Romance square. For those looking for a book to fit the key to my heart square, due to the cover for Rendezvous, this book would fit for that as well.
April 6, 2017
Odlična knjiga za ljubitelje istorijske romanse, da se opuste u kasnim večernjim satima. Zaista ne znam koliko sam puta do sada pročitala ovu knjigu, verovatno 4-5 puta. :)
June 26, 2017
Rendezvous
3 Stars
In the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, Harry, Earl of Graystone, returns home with one purpose - to marry and sire an heir. But Graystone's chosen wife must be a woman of virtue. Obviously, August Ballinger with her hoydenish ways is completely unsuitable. So why has the Earl set his sights on her, and why is she even considering his proposal when they are quite simply wrong for each other?
Amanda Quick's historical romances are renowned for their endearing heroines, brusque yet honorable heroes, witty banter and exciting mysteries. While Rendezvous contains all of these ingredients, each somehow manages to miss the mark.
Augusta is vivacious, caring and loyal, but she is also quite foolish and yields too easily to Harry's demands. Harry, in turn, is overbearing, condescending and not a little bit misogynistic. His attitude toward women in general, and his expectations of Augusta in particular, leave much to be desired.
Nevertheless, Augusta and Harry's chemistry is off the charts and their sex scenes are sizzling hot. Moreover, Quick's trademark dialogue is in full force although the constant repetition of Augusta's Northumberland ancestry is tedious and unnecessary.
The minor mystery revolving around the identity of "The Spider", a traitor working for the French, has excellent potential. Unfortunately, the villain is obvious from the start and the resolution is anti-climactic.
All in all, not one of Quick's better stories but it is light and fun.
3 Stars
In the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, Harry, Earl of Graystone, returns home with one purpose - to marry and sire an heir. But Graystone's chosen wife must be a woman of virtue. Obviously, August Ballinger with her hoydenish ways is completely unsuitable. So why has the Earl set his sights on her, and why is she even considering his proposal when they are quite simply wrong for each other?
Amanda Quick's historical romances are renowned for their endearing heroines, brusque yet honorable heroes, witty banter and exciting mysteries. While Rendezvous contains all of these ingredients, each somehow manages to miss the mark.
Augusta is vivacious, caring and loyal, but she is also quite foolish and yields too easily to Harry's demands. Harry, in turn, is overbearing, condescending and not a little bit misogynistic. His attitude toward women in general, and his expectations of Augusta in particular, leave much to be desired.
Nevertheless, Augusta and Harry's chemistry is off the charts and their sex scenes are sizzling hot. Moreover, Quick's trademark dialogue is in full force although the constant repetition of Augusta's Northumberland ancestry is tedious and unnecessary.
The minor mystery revolving around the identity of "The Spider", a traitor working for the French, has excellent potential. Unfortunately, the villain is obvious from the start and the resolution is anti-climactic.
All in all, not one of Quick's better stories but it is light and fun.
December 31, 2024
I loved this book! I got tired reading about rakes (or man-whores) , jealous mistress and anything pertaining to rakes. This book has a very decent hero, Harry, a widower with a 9-year old daughter. The heroine, Augusta is an almost-on-the-shelf spinster and bluestocking. Formulaic but nonetheless, a very enjoyable read. This one has a pretty decent mystery as well. I just noticed that the heroes in Ms. Quick's books are pretty upstanding guys. When they meet the heroine, they will pursue the heroine with a single-mindedness. So, if you're in the mood for decent heroes, read this one. This is one of Ms. Quick's better books.
November 4, 2019
"Rendezvous" is the story of Augusta and Harry.
Well, this left me disappointed.
Our heroine is Augusta Ballinger, the last descendant of the wild and reckless Northumberland Ballinger- an impulsive and emotional spinster, happy to be on the shelf and guide her cousin to a successful season. Her life changes, when the pompous and intellectual Earl of Graystone, Harry Flemming- who is also a single father and haughty aristocrat-propositions to marry her. She is appalled, and does everything in her power to deter him. But as passion flares between them, compromises lead to a hasty wedding.
However, Augusta has always craved a home and someone to love. Will the Flemming family be able to provide her with the same? Her journey after marriage and dealing with being a Countess forms the story.
Aaaagh. This left me so frustrated. The heroine forgave SO EASILY!! Gah, I wanted her to fight, create a ruckus, and make the hero grovel at her feet..but noooo.. she cried, got involved in silly antics, and had to be chastised by the hero at every turn, making her seem childish and foolish. The hero was unfeeling throughout most of the book, and I really felt bad for the heroine. Yes, the characters were well written, the mystery sorta intriguing and the plot engaging, but the MCs frustrated me to a point where I wanted to shake them both.
WIHIDHIDJIJDOIWE!@###@$!@$!!!!
Safe
2.5/5
Well, this left me disappointed.
Our heroine is Augusta Ballinger, the last descendant of the wild and reckless Northumberland Ballinger- an impulsive and emotional spinster, happy to be on the shelf and guide her cousin to a successful season. Her life changes, when the pompous and intellectual Earl of Graystone, Harry Flemming- who is also a single father and haughty aristocrat-propositions to marry her. She is appalled, and does everything in her power to deter him. But as passion flares between them, compromises lead to a hasty wedding.
However, Augusta has always craved a home and someone to love. Will the Flemming family be able to provide her with the same? Her journey after marriage and dealing with being a Countess forms the story.
Aaaagh. This left me so frustrated. The heroine forgave SO EASILY!! Gah, I wanted her to fight, create a ruckus, and make the hero grovel at her feet..but noooo.. she cried, got involved in silly antics, and had to be chastised by the hero at every turn, making her seem childish and foolish. The hero was unfeeling throughout most of the book, and I really felt bad for the heroine. Yes, the characters were well written, the mystery sorta intriguing and the plot engaging, but the MCs frustrated me to a point where I wanted to shake them both.
WIHIDHIDJIJDOIWE!@###@$!@$!!!!
Safe
2.5/5
October 21, 2010
Definitely not as good as some of her other books. I never felt a true connection between the hero and heroine. The hero was arrogant and acted like a jerk through 99% of the book. I don't see why the heroine was in love with him at all. I enjoyed the heroine's spunk, but why did she have to refer to her Northumberland family so many times throughout the book. If I had a nickel for every time she said it...Book started off well, funny moments, it just never evolved into a great love story for me.
April 24, 2025
3 stars
Classic Amanda Quick, just a touch below the usual excellence, while Rendezvous followed the tried and true 'adventure romp' formula as many of her historical romances, the disparate elements didn't quite come together—still an engaging read, but its mystery and romance both lacked the usual substance and surprise.
While the (stoic but horny) hero and the (fiery and confrontational) heroine were well fleshed-out as individual, their romantic relationship didn't feel earned—the conflicts were mostly superficially resolved, and I was unconvinced at how their relationship could be sustained, when their big personalities never seemed compatible from the get go (and didn't evolve enough thereafter). On the other hand, I was very charmed by the secondary romance!
An Amanda Quick historical romance often involved a mystery/suspense subplot, and Rendezvous featured one as well. Unfortunately, it felt like a watered-down version of her usual plotting, with the villain's identity being an obvious no-brainer. I still did enjoy the various buildups (spies, women's club, solving codes, etc.), but the final reveal was a little anti-climatic.
All in all, Rendezvous contained all the Amanda Quick trademarks (such as inserting its title in character dialogs), but just not the best version of them—would easily place Ravished, Reckless and even Surrender over this!
***Historical Hellions Book Club | April 2025 Selection***
Classic Amanda Quick, just a touch below the usual excellence, while Rendezvous followed the tried and true 'adventure romp' formula as many of her historical romances, the disparate elements didn't quite come together—still an engaging read, but its mystery and romance both lacked the usual substance and surprise.
While the (stoic but horny) hero and the (fiery and confrontational) heroine were well fleshed-out as individual, their romantic relationship didn't feel earned—the conflicts were mostly superficially resolved, and I was unconvinced at how their relationship could be sustained, when their big personalities never seemed compatible from the get go (and didn't evolve enough thereafter). On the other hand, I was very charmed by the secondary romance!
An Amanda Quick historical romance often involved a mystery/suspense subplot, and Rendezvous featured one as well. Unfortunately, it felt like a watered-down version of her usual plotting, with the villain's identity being an obvious no-brainer. I still did enjoy the various buildups (spies, women's club, solving codes, etc.), but the final reveal was a little anti-climatic.
All in all, Rendezvous contained all the Amanda Quick trademarks (such as inserting its title in character dialogs), but just not the best version of them—would easily place Ravished, Reckless and even Surrender over this!
***Historical Hellions Book Club | April 2025 Selection***
April 24, 2025
3.5 stars. A light, entertaining read with a nice romance and a fairly simple mystery. The identity of the bad guy was hinted at pretty broadly, early on in the book, and there were no twists or surprises at the end. But it was a still a satisfying HEA for our lovers, and the bad guy came to a bad end.
Augusta the MFC is depicted as a bold character with ideas about women's rights that were ahead of her time. I often find this tedious in HRs, but this author managed to pull it off, with Augusta coming across as mostly a woman of her times, but with an intelligent interest in women's history and rights. The author wasn't proselytising, which I appreciated. Although, I did grow a bit tired of the somewhat repetitive mentions that Augusta was from the adventurous 'Northumberland Ballinger' branch of her family. Alright already. We get it. It didn't need to be repeated so many times LOL.
Harry the MMC was a likeable enough character. A widower and a former spy for England, now that the (Napoloenic) war is over, he still wants to find and punish a traitorous enemy from the past. Along the way, he and Augusta fall in love and marry. Augusta brings a breath of fresh air into his life and that of his daughter, whose life till then had been restricted and lacking in much joy and fun. Their romance developed nicely, and their characters were well-suited.
So, while not a brilliant, complex or outstanding book, it was an enjoyable and entertaining read that was well-written. Although published way back in 1991, it didn't feel particularly dated. Must have been quite spicy for those days of HRs, I imagine. A book that is suited to those who like a serve of light mystery along with their romance.
Augusta the MFC is depicted as a bold character with ideas about women's rights that were ahead of her time. I often find this tedious in HRs, but this author managed to pull it off, with Augusta coming across as mostly a woman of her times, but with an intelligent interest in women's history and rights. The author wasn't proselytising, which I appreciated. Although, I did grow a bit tired of the somewhat repetitive mentions that Augusta was from the adventurous 'Northumberland Ballinger' branch of her family. Alright already. We get it. It didn't need to be repeated so many times LOL.
Harry the MMC was a likeable enough character. A widower and a former spy for England, now that the (Napoloenic) war is over, he still wants to find and punish a traitorous enemy from the past. Along the way, he and Augusta fall in love and marry. Augusta brings a breath of fresh air into his life and that of his daughter, whose life till then had been restricted and lacking in much joy and fun. Their romance developed nicely, and their characters were well-suited.
So, while not a brilliant, complex or outstanding book, it was an enjoyable and entertaining read that was well-written. Although published way back in 1991, it didn't feel particularly dated. Must have been quite spicy for those days of HRs, I imagine. A book that is suited to those who like a serve of light mystery along with their romance.
August 13, 2020
To be honest, I had to take a break from Rendezvous because it was starting to blur with a few other Amanda Quick novels I had read in quick succession. When I recently went back to Rendezvous, I found it was very enjoyable to read. I read it all the way through to the end without skimming but it's still 3-stars because I just never got into Augusta or Harry and I didn't really care about finding out who the Spider was or the death of Augusta's brother.
Augusta Ballinger, the last of the Northumberland Ballingers, is a modern woman who rather enjoys frivolous amusements. One of her amusements is Pompeia's, a ladies' club she founded. Pompeia's is the coolest idea and I wish there was more done with this. Harry Graystone is an old-fashioned man, a classics scholar, who is on the hunt for his next wife. Augusta does not think that they will suit but Harry does. For Augusta, she cares about family and belonging while Harry wants loyalty in his wife but not love because he doesn't believe in it. They are embroiled in a murder mystery where Augusta is trying to find out who killed her brother.
Augusta Ballinger, the last of the Northumberland Ballingers, is a modern woman who rather enjoys frivolous amusements. One of her amusements is Pompeia's, a ladies' club she founded. Pompeia's is the coolest idea and I wish there was more done with this. Harry Graystone is an old-fashioned man, a classics scholar, who is on the hunt for his next wife. Augusta does not think that they will suit but Harry does. For Augusta, she cares about family and belonging while Harry wants loyalty in his wife but not love because he doesn't believe in it. They are embroiled in a murder mystery where Augusta is trying to find out who killed her brother.
January 29, 2014
Ugh. The hero of this book is its downfall. Harry has decided to marry and he’s decided that Augusta is the one he wants because she is loyal. The problem is that Augusta is a free thinker and doesn’t necessarily follow the tight rules of the ton or Harry. Harry has decided that when they marry he will force Augusta to behave in the manner he wishes. So, he seduces her, rushes the wedding along, and controls every aspect of her life.
Fine, I understand the upstanding, overprotective, controlling character; however, I would have expected Harry to grow somewhere along the way. He had moments of enlightenment where he stopped and thought, “Maybe I shouldn’t be telling my wife what she can and can’t wear.� But, the key is that Harry would have these moments, but then would just up and continue along his merry domineering ways. It’s like Alice in Wonderland says, “I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it.� With all of that being said, the story is engaging with a women’s club, murders, and a spy. If Harry’s character grew at all, it would have been a completely different and likeable story.
Fine, I understand the upstanding, overprotective, controlling character; however, I would have expected Harry to grow somewhere along the way. He had moments of enlightenment where he stopped and thought, “Maybe I shouldn’t be telling my wife what she can and can’t wear.� But, the key is that Harry would have these moments, but then would just up and continue along his merry domineering ways. It’s like Alice in Wonderland says, “I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it.� With all of that being said, the story is engaging with a women’s club, murders, and a spy. If Harry’s character grew at all, it would have been a completely different and likeable story.
April 5, 2024
Books I Own. Regency Romance, Romance Mystery, Spy, Rom Com. MC's Earl of Greystone, Harry (widower w 9 yr old daughter Meredith, Augusta Ballinger 24, last of the Northcumberland Ballingers.
Harry is looking for a wife and has a list. He is a scholar and has published several books about Greek, Roman and Egyptian history mainly about males. Augusta is a socialite and has started a ladies club Pompeia's at her friend Sally A's place. Sally is also a friend to Greystone and Peter Shelldrake who were all spies during the Napoleonic War. Harry's spymaster name was Nemesis and his one last wish was to capture the Spider the French Spymaster like him. Richard Ballinger, Augusta's late brother was killed on his way home after the war and he gave Augusta a note which was a code about the spider. Getting back to Harry's list, apparently Augusta was at the top of his list but they were so different, Augusta didn't think they would suit. Throughout the book there is a lot of humour between Harry and Augusta, adventure, some arguments, sexy seduction scenes, 2 weddings a kidnapping and a murder and revenge.
Review I liked:Another older Amanda Quick book. I read this for romance bingo and honestly I am glad that I finished up the other Quick book. Her writing style after a while starts to grate. I realize that all of the females in her books are "quirky" and the heroes are long suffering and either want the heroine to fall in love with them or are obtuse to the heroine being in love with them and railing against it while needing to have sex with said heroine all of the time. Did you follow that? I know, it's confusing.
This book had more plot than "Scandal" did, and there was actually a nice look and see for the hero/heroine at the end of this one (you get a flash forward so to speak a few months after the end of the book, and then again a few months later). That said, the heroine (Augusta Ballinger) was annoying because of her constant need to go on and on about her ancestors. The hero (Harry, the Earl of Graystone) I liked okay, but I started to get twitchy because the guy was going around demanding loyalty from her while going on about how he would need to take her in hand to make her act like she should. I so would have been burned as a witch in Regency era days.
Augusta Ballinger goes on and on about her family tree of the Ballinger family located in Northumberland. I hope you like reading the phrases "Northumberland Ballinger" and how they are the best, smartest, bravest, daring people ever. It was so stupid. I really wanted to kick Augusta by the time we got to the end of the book. I started to loathe the word Ballinger because Northumberland was lurking around. Augusta is orphaned and alone after the murder of her brother years before this book takes place, so I can see why she wants to make her family the best thing ever. But geez Louise, at least let someone call her out on it. Thank goodness though Harry does at one point.
What gets me most about these type of books though, Augusta in her current style of going about things would have been cut from society long ago. This to me was just one misstep that Quick really had. Augusta starts a lady salon that is based on gentlemen's clubs. And like those clubs they have betting and play cards, etc. Not that there are anything wrong with those. I just cannot imagine any father or brother being okay with their sister or wives going to a club like this back then without getting in trouble.
Harry though he is bright, also seems to be a bit dense. He comes back home married to his daughter and commands her to start calling Augusta "Mama" and is ticked when she doesn't comply. Forget understanding kids, how do you not understand maybe your new wife wouldn't be feeling awesome about that as well.
Augusta and Harry are not my favorite romance couple ever. There are a lot of back and forths between them. But besides their hot and heavy sex, I was bored by them both. There is a conflict in part of the book that is taken care of by the author in a few short pages, and then it suddenly becomes about Augusta wanting to be close to Harry and be a real family.
There are some fun side characters in this one that I wish we had been able to follow around. I realize now maybe that is why Quick in her Lavinia Lake and Tobias March books started to tell POVs from every character in the book (that got old quick though). I loved the character of Peter, Claudia (Augusta's cousin and part of a different branch of Ballingers) and Sallie as well.
The initial plot really is that Harry is looking for a virtuous woman to marry since he realizes he needs a mother for his 9 year old daughter Meredith. All of London are gossiping about Harry and who is on his famous list of potential wives since he apparently has criteria for the best wife ever. Augusta Ballinger for no reason at all finds herself attracted to Harry due to him being around more and more to talk to her uncle who is also interested in history as well. Then the plot shifts again a bit to talk about the fact that our hero did something dark and mysterious during the Napoleonic Wars and he still is after a spy that was called the Spider who a lot of deaths are attributed to. That latter plot takes up most of the book and includes Augusta in a rather odd way. It honestly didn't fit much I think, but Quick tries to tie things together.
The writing gets really repetitive after a while though. And sometimes certain plots or comments made don't seem followed up on. For example, it is heavily implied that Augusta's mother was The initial plot really is that Harry is looking for a virtuous woman to marry since he realizes he needs a mother for his 9 year old daughter Meredith. All of London are gossiping about Harry and who is on his famous list of potential wives since he apparently has criteria for the best wife ever. Augusta Ballinger for no reason at all finds herself attracted to Harry due to him being around more and more to talk to her uncle who is also interested in history as well. Then the plot shifts again a bit to talk about the fact that our hero did something dark and mysterious during the Napoleonic Wars and he still is after a spy that was called the Spider who a lot of deaths are attributed to. That latter plot takes up most of the book and includes Augusta in a rather odd way. It honestly didn't fit much I think, but Quick tries to tie things together. unfaithful, and her father was constantly fighting duels and somehow that was ignored in later chapters for the fact that her mother was devoted/in love with her father and Augusta seems to be in the dark about her mother's affairs and her father's duels. Also Augusta's brother does not have a good reputation prior to his death, but Augusta seems blind to that. I really wish she either acknowledged what a hot mess her family was, or someone just said it to her.
The flow for this one was actually pretty good. The story moves along at a good pace (one of the reasons why I gave this 3.5 stars) but there are some issues here and there. And I did enjoy the aspect of Harry being a widow with a daughter. Meredith was a nice side character to have, and all of her interactions with Augusta were so good. I wanted more of her with Augusta and also with Harry just being a family. She pretty much disappears at the end of the book which sucked, especially because we know a member of Harry's household is gone for good and I wanted to know who was in charge of Meredith's education now.
Harry is looking for a wife and has a list. He is a scholar and has published several books about Greek, Roman and Egyptian history mainly about males. Augusta is a socialite and has started a ladies club Pompeia's at her friend Sally A's place. Sally is also a friend to Greystone and Peter Shelldrake who were all spies during the Napoleonic War. Harry's spymaster name was Nemesis and his one last wish was to capture the Spider the French Spymaster like him. Richard Ballinger, Augusta's late brother was killed on his way home after the war and he gave Augusta a note which was a code about the spider. Getting back to Harry's list, apparently Augusta was at the top of his list but they were so different, Augusta didn't think they would suit. Throughout the book there is a lot of humour between Harry and Augusta, adventure, some arguments, sexy seduction scenes, 2 weddings a kidnapping and a murder and revenge.
Review I liked:Another older Amanda Quick book. I read this for romance bingo and honestly I am glad that I finished up the other Quick book. Her writing style after a while starts to grate. I realize that all of the females in her books are "quirky" and the heroes are long suffering and either want the heroine to fall in love with them or are obtuse to the heroine being in love with them and railing against it while needing to have sex with said heroine all of the time. Did you follow that? I know, it's confusing.
This book had more plot than "Scandal" did, and there was actually a nice look and see for the hero/heroine at the end of this one (you get a flash forward so to speak a few months after the end of the book, and then again a few months later). That said, the heroine (Augusta Ballinger) was annoying because of her constant need to go on and on about her ancestors. The hero (Harry, the Earl of Graystone) I liked okay, but I started to get twitchy because the guy was going around demanding loyalty from her while going on about how he would need to take her in hand to make her act like she should. I so would have been burned as a witch in Regency era days.
Augusta Ballinger goes on and on about her family tree of the Ballinger family located in Northumberland. I hope you like reading the phrases "Northumberland Ballinger" and how they are the best, smartest, bravest, daring people ever. It was so stupid. I really wanted to kick Augusta by the time we got to the end of the book. I started to loathe the word Ballinger because Northumberland was lurking around. Augusta is orphaned and alone after the murder of her brother years before this book takes place, so I can see why she wants to make her family the best thing ever. But geez Louise, at least let someone call her out on it. Thank goodness though Harry does at one point.
What gets me most about these type of books though, Augusta in her current style of going about things would have been cut from society long ago. This to me was just one misstep that Quick really had. Augusta starts a lady salon that is based on gentlemen's clubs. And like those clubs they have betting and play cards, etc. Not that there are anything wrong with those. I just cannot imagine any father or brother being okay with their sister or wives going to a club like this back then without getting in trouble.
Harry though he is bright, also seems to be a bit dense. He comes back home married to his daughter and commands her to start calling Augusta "Mama" and is ticked when she doesn't comply. Forget understanding kids, how do you not understand maybe your new wife wouldn't be feeling awesome about that as well.
Augusta and Harry are not my favorite romance couple ever. There are a lot of back and forths between them. But besides their hot and heavy sex, I was bored by them both. There is a conflict in part of the book that is taken care of by the author in a few short pages, and then it suddenly becomes about Augusta wanting to be close to Harry and be a real family.
There are some fun side characters in this one that I wish we had been able to follow around. I realize now maybe that is why Quick in her Lavinia Lake and Tobias March books started to tell POVs from every character in the book (that got old quick though). I loved the character of Peter, Claudia (Augusta's cousin and part of a different branch of Ballingers) and Sallie as well.
The initial plot really is that Harry is looking for a virtuous woman to marry since he realizes he needs a mother for his 9 year old daughter Meredith. All of London are gossiping about Harry and who is on his famous list of potential wives since he apparently has criteria for the best wife ever. Augusta Ballinger for no reason at all finds herself attracted to Harry due to him being around more and more to talk to her uncle who is also interested in history as well. Then the plot shifts again a bit to talk about the fact that our hero did something dark and mysterious during the Napoleonic Wars and he still is after a spy that was called the Spider who a lot of deaths are attributed to. That latter plot takes up most of the book and includes Augusta in a rather odd way. It honestly didn't fit much I think, but Quick tries to tie things together.
The writing gets really repetitive after a while though. And sometimes certain plots or comments made don't seem followed up on. For example, it is heavily implied that Augusta's mother was The initial plot really is that Harry is looking for a virtuous woman to marry since he realizes he needs a mother for his 9 year old daughter Meredith. All of London are gossiping about Harry and who is on his famous list of potential wives since he apparently has criteria for the best wife ever. Augusta Ballinger for no reason at all finds herself attracted to Harry due to him being around more and more to talk to her uncle who is also interested in history as well. Then the plot shifts again a bit to talk about the fact that our hero did something dark and mysterious during the Napoleonic Wars and he still is after a spy that was called the Spider who a lot of deaths are attributed to. That latter plot takes up most of the book and includes Augusta in a rather odd way. It honestly didn't fit much I think, but Quick tries to tie things together. unfaithful, and her father was constantly fighting duels and somehow that was ignored in later chapters for the fact that her mother was devoted/in love with her father and Augusta seems to be in the dark about her mother's affairs and her father's duels. Also Augusta's brother does not have a good reputation prior to his death, but Augusta seems blind to that. I really wish she either acknowledged what a hot mess her family was, or someone just said it to her.
The flow for this one was actually pretty good. The story moves along at a good pace (one of the reasons why I gave this 3.5 stars) but there are some issues here and there. And I did enjoy the aspect of Harry being a widow with a daughter. Meredith was a nice side character to have, and all of her interactions with Augusta were so good. I wanted more of her with Augusta and also with Harry just being a family. She pretty much disappears at the end of the book which sucked, especially because we know a member of Harry's household is gone for good and I wanted to know who was in charge of Meredith's education now.
July 5, 2015
Rendezvous wasn't as good as Ms. Amanda Quick's other books but it wasn't very bad, either.
The pacing kept on fluctuating from being too fast and too slow, and this inconsistency prevented the story to unfold in a more natural and smoother manner. Harry and Augusta's romance wasn't very convincing, mainly because there was a lack of proper buildup (again, the pacing problem). There was also the matter about some slight inconsistency in the characterisation of the two; on some occasions, they didn't act the way they were established in the book. The mystery wasn't very interesting, as well. Unfortunately, it didn't really draw me in.
And another thing I found irritating was the fact that Augusta's Northumberland heritage was mentioned in almost every damn chapter. Seriously, girl, we get it; you're from that Northumberland family and you have a code of honour of some sort blah blah blah. Gad. It reminded me about St. Hermione's body parts in another Quick novel, Desire. Ugh.
What is it with the writer and repetitive outbursts?
But overall, despite its flaws, I liked it. What saved this book, I think, were the lovable secondary characters, cute subplots, and sexy love scenes.
The pacing kept on fluctuating from being too fast and too slow, and this inconsistency prevented the story to unfold in a more natural and smoother manner. Harry and Augusta's romance wasn't very convincing, mainly because there was a lack of proper buildup (again, the pacing problem). There was also the matter about some slight inconsistency in the characterisation of the two; on some occasions, they didn't act the way they were established in the book. The mystery wasn't very interesting, as well. Unfortunately, it didn't really draw me in.
And another thing I found irritating was the fact that Augusta's Northumberland heritage was mentioned in almost every damn chapter. Seriously, girl, we get it; you're from that Northumberland family and you have a code of honour of some sort blah blah blah. Gad. It reminded me about St. Hermione's body parts in another Quick novel, Desire. Ugh.
What is it with the writer and repetitive outbursts?
But overall, despite its flaws, I liked it. What saved this book, I think, were the lovable secondary characters, cute subplots, and sexy love scenes.
May 26, 2020
Las novelas de esta escritora siempre me entretienen. Me gusta como escribe. Puede que sea repetitiva como he leído en reseñas de otros libros, pero no por eso dejan de tener buenos diálogos, intriga y romance.
Un plus, los nombres de las protagonistas.
Un plus, los nombres de las protagonistas.
May 14, 2019
The proper former spymaster Harry Flemming, Earl of Graystone pairs up with the unconventional Augusta who is his exact opposite.
Harry is a logical man who wants to get back to his life now that the war is over. He is not happy that he never managed to discover who his nemesis with the code name Spider really was, but he has a duty to his title to marry and get an heir. After careful consideration, he has settled upon Augusta as his future wife, believing that with some careful handling, she'll be exactly what he wants.
Augusta is one of the notoriously reckless Ballingers and despite her attraction to Harry, she knows she's nothing like the respectable proper woman that Harry must be looking for to become his next wife, especially after the virtuous paragon of a woman his late wife reportedly was. She wants love and family, while Harry doesn't believe in love and only wants loyalty.
Harry's intention to .
Apart from finding their way in their marriage, the two have to deal with loose ends from their pasts, with .
Another meh story that did not deliver on the warm and fuzzies despite the happy ending.
Harry is a logical man who wants to get back to his life now that the war is over. He is not happy that he never managed to discover who his nemesis with the code name Spider really was, but he has a duty to his title to marry and get an heir. After careful consideration, he has settled upon Augusta as his future wife, believing that with some careful handling, she'll be exactly what he wants.
Augusta is one of the notoriously reckless Ballingers and despite her attraction to Harry, she knows she's nothing like the respectable proper woman that Harry must be looking for to become his next wife, especially after the virtuous paragon of a woman his late wife reportedly was. She wants love and family, while Harry doesn't believe in love and only wants loyalty.
Harry's intention to .
Apart from finding their way in their marriage, the two have to deal with loose ends from their pasts, with .
Another meh story that did not deliver on the warm and fuzzies despite the happy ending.
October 22, 2014
Bleh. This was not one of Quick's stronger books. I struggled to get through it and skimmed the last 30%. Quick employed her signature impetuous heroine and cool hero formula, but in this book it just didn't quite work. The heroine leaned on her ancestry as a crutch for foolish behavior (I won't even mention the family name here since I am so sick of seeing it in print), and the hero was so uptight about rules that he came across as a complete boor. This characterization never changed throughout the entire story. The heroine does something rash and the hero lectures her about it. Why the hell did these two people get married?! There is no back story to explain why the hero pursued the heroine and once they are together, there are some passionate scenes that come out of nowhere and leave me scratching my head in confusion.
There are a lot of other threads in the story that try to compensate for the lack of chemistry between our leads. There are two secondary romances, a spy plot that involves our hero's nemesis and our heroine's dead brother, and there is a women's club modeled after a gentlemen's club. These external plot lines kept me sort of turning pages, but the resolution to all of these threads could be seen coming a mile away.
Take away message: there is a lack of chemistry between the leads, there is a spy plot that is so obvious it it insulting, and the secondary characters are more fun, but can't carry the story. I would recommend Ravished instead for the quirky heroine and dark hero match-up. Skip this one. 2 stars.
There are a lot of other threads in the story that try to compensate for the lack of chemistry between our leads. There are two secondary romances, a spy plot that involves our hero's nemesis and our heroine's dead brother, and there is a women's club modeled after a gentlemen's club. These external plot lines kept me sort of turning pages, but the resolution to all of these threads could be seen coming a mile away.
Take away message: there is a lack of chemistry between the leads, there is a spy plot that is so obvious it it insulting, and the secondary characters are more fun, but can't carry the story. I would recommend Ravished instead for the quirky heroine and dark hero match-up. Skip this one. 2 stars.
December 15, 2020
Augusta and Harry. Harry is looking for a wife. Augusta is a Northumberland Ballinger. The mystery in this one is easy for the reader to solve. This one is more of an easy breezy take me away for a few hours read. I liked it. Having said that it is not worth $8.99 (today's price) to own. The story is good, but not those prices good. kwim?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2010
First book I have read by her and it was really good.
Read
September 18, 2022I last read this almost 20 years ago, and rereading it was not a good idea. I already had issues back then with the autocratic hero who was trying to 'tame' the heroine, and the way the heroine ended up giving in every time, but it was still a B for me. Now I just couldn't even get through the book. I found it too heart-breaking. A DNF.
August 2, 2016
I have to say that I loved it, I'm starting to get more in to Amanda Quick novels.
First, this book was mostly different from the first book I read Dangerous, well mainly in the characteristics in the main couple, where in here it was the usual of opposite attracts, where in Dangerous the main couple were vastly alike. But both parties were written in a most compelling way.
- As usual I like the child part, as I keep saying I'm a huge sucker for single parents.
- liked the little matchmaking projects.
Overall, it was an amusing, cute, page-turner of a book so *thumps up*
First, this book was mostly different from the first book I read Dangerous, well mainly in the characteristics in the main couple, where in here it was the usual of opposite attracts, where in Dangerous the main couple were vastly alike. But both parties were written in a most compelling way.
- As usual I like the child part, as I keep saying I'm a huge sucker for single parents.
- liked the little matchmaking projects.
Overall, it was an amusing, cute, page-turner of a book so *thumps up*
July 21, 2022
Well, this was not good. I mean, there were elements of it that were fine. I really liked the supporting cast. The main couple had great chemistry. But the set-up is problematic, and it's very clear this was written in the 90s. This is just a lot of the female lead being portrayed as overly emotional and reckless, the male lead as hyper-logical, and him essentially lecturing and criticizing her about everything she does. And I thought at the start that this was going to be fun, because the heroine was going to push back, but the narrative voice/the plot choices consistently seems to contor the narrative to make it seems like she's in the wrong, and the hero's position is the more logical, and she literally concedes on just about everything, and by the end I was just tired of it all.
This is one of those books that is so close to being super fun (I love the idea of it), but because the balance of it is off, it fell really, really flat for me. Do not recommend.
This is one of those books that is so close to being super fun (I love the idea of it), but because the balance of it is off, it fell really, really flat for me. Do not recommend.
June 11, 2014
I think this book was all over the place as if it couldn't make up whether it wanted to be a spy novel or a romance. I wasn't bowled over the romance. There was just a disconnect. I wasn't charmed by the characters. In fact, I felt the romance was too forced. She protested over his serious nature always saying he would not marry someone like her. As far as I knew, they don't have too many interactions. It was just kind of weird for her to imagine his plans or lack of plans of marrying her. Also, there was way too much title dropping. Yes, I know the name of the novel is Rendezvous, I couldn't take it seriously when Harry kept dropping the line. I could almost imagine him breaking the fourth wall and saying Rendezvous dramatically after a pause.
The story revolves around Augusta and Harry. Augusta is from the impulsive family branch of the Ballingers. She is reckless and is prone to trouble. Harry, the straitlaced scholar who is also an ex-spy, chose Augusta to be his wife. He tries to reform her for his perfect wife but things go awry.
The first part involves their "courtship" or lack thereof. He announced his marriage without asking her. She thought he meant Claudia and offered to retract. He did not want that and slightly seduced her. He used that to bind her to the marriage.
When she got into trouble with Lovejoy, she tried to save herself. He continually popped in to make sure she is safe. This involved breaking into Lovejoy's house and stealing her marker. They make love that night in a carriage and cemented their marriage.
She moves to the country and meets his daughter. The daughter warms slowly to her but eventually grows to like her. She infused his household with laughter gaining the loyalty of his staff. The marriage is happy for the most part except for their disagreement on her brother's past.
She is a loyal person who values those she cares about with great importance. Her brother is accused of possible treason and she could not clear his name. She thought he was working as a spy, which Harry refutes on the account that he was a high-ranking official and would have known his subordinates. One of these disagreements culminated in a two day fight that revealed just how much she affected the household. They made up and she gave up the poem that was a clue to the Spider's identity.
The second part of the novel involves the mystery of Spider. He was a spy who have killed many men. Harry never found out his identity and it was a sore point. However, this clue reinvigorated his search where he found out that it was Lovejoy. Sarah got murdered along the way since she was the one who procured the list. She left the Pompeii club to Augusta. Everyone was sad since she was loved dearly.
Lovejoy kidnapped Meredith and took Augusta when she tried to rescue the child. He tried to make an escape in the wharf but Harry and Peter caught up to them. They found him out just in time.
This book was underwhelming. I even found writing the summary to be quite boring but I suppose this is where I need it most. I am bound to forget because it wasn't really that memorable. I don't dislike that I read it but rather I don't care that I had. It didn't charm me and I should have listened to my gut and put down the book. I had a feeling it wasn't that good and it really wasn't. It was just alright. It doesn't leave too much impression. I was expecting something more because I liked reading Ravished. The heroine on this novel was just too impulsive with no real charm. She did not have funny quirks like an unwholly obsession with fossils, but just a penchant for trouble. It felt too artificial. The hero was also equally unimpressive. He was a straitlaced scholar who was way too overbearing. I wasn't sold on the romance. They came off as opposites with no real reason to be together. There weren't any scenes written that gave off the idea that they had crazy chemistry together. It was the author's words that bound them together and it wasn't convincing enough for me to follow along.
So story brief: Augusta breaks into a home to steal a journal from a friend, Harry helps her while admonishing her, she returns to the club to return the journal, they gossip about Harry's matrimonial, out of nowhere she says he won't marry her (who asked? the reader didn't ask, why say it? this was just as bad as Harry repeating the line rendezvous), Harry asked Augusta's uncle for Augusta's hand in marriage, Augusta thought there was a misunderstanding, she offers to retract, he declines, they passionately make out, they are interrupted, she leaves, she dances with Lovejoy, Harry is wary, she gambles with Lovejoy, she pawns off her necklace to pay the debt, he refuses monetary payment, he asks for her body, he wants to compromise her to hinder the marriage, she steals back her marker, Harry helps, they make love in a carriage, they marry, the move to the country, she meets Meredith, they go on picnics, they bond, Harry and Augusta fight over Richard's memory, she gives up Richard's poem, Harry reopens the investigation of the Spider's identity, they throw a house party, Claudia and Peter hook up, they go to London, Sarah is murdered, they retrieve the list of the Saber club members, the women are sent to the country, Harry and Peter figure out who Spider is, Meredith is kidnapped, Augusta rescues her, Augusta is taken, they fight at the docks, fast forward in time, she is pregnant and she co-owns Pompeii with Claudia. He tries to manage her again. Finito.
The story revolves around Augusta and Harry. Augusta is from the impulsive family branch of the Ballingers. She is reckless and is prone to trouble. Harry, the straitlaced scholar who is also an ex-spy, chose Augusta to be his wife. He tries to reform her for his perfect wife but things go awry.
The first part involves their "courtship" or lack thereof. He announced his marriage without asking her. She thought he meant Claudia and offered to retract. He did not want that and slightly seduced her. He used that to bind her to the marriage.
When she got into trouble with Lovejoy, she tried to save herself. He continually popped in to make sure she is safe. This involved breaking into Lovejoy's house and stealing her marker. They make love that night in a carriage and cemented their marriage.
She moves to the country and meets his daughter. The daughter warms slowly to her but eventually grows to like her. She infused his household with laughter gaining the loyalty of his staff. The marriage is happy for the most part except for their disagreement on her brother's past.
She is a loyal person who values those she cares about with great importance. Her brother is accused of possible treason and she could not clear his name. She thought he was working as a spy, which Harry refutes on the account that he was a high-ranking official and would have known his subordinates. One of these disagreements culminated in a two day fight that revealed just how much she affected the household. They made up and she gave up the poem that was a clue to the Spider's identity.
The second part of the novel involves the mystery of Spider. He was a spy who have killed many men. Harry never found out his identity and it was a sore point. However, this clue reinvigorated his search where he found out that it was Lovejoy. Sarah got murdered along the way since she was the one who procured the list. She left the Pompeii club to Augusta. Everyone was sad since she was loved dearly.
Lovejoy kidnapped Meredith and took Augusta when she tried to rescue the child. He tried to make an escape in the wharf but Harry and Peter caught up to them. They found him out just in time.
This book was underwhelming. I even found writing the summary to be quite boring but I suppose this is where I need it most. I am bound to forget because it wasn't really that memorable. I don't dislike that I read it but rather I don't care that I had. It didn't charm me and I should have listened to my gut and put down the book. I had a feeling it wasn't that good and it really wasn't. It was just alright. It doesn't leave too much impression. I was expecting something more because I liked reading Ravished. The heroine on this novel was just too impulsive with no real charm. She did not have funny quirks like an unwholly obsession with fossils, but just a penchant for trouble. It felt too artificial. The hero was also equally unimpressive. He was a straitlaced scholar who was way too overbearing. I wasn't sold on the romance. They came off as opposites with no real reason to be together. There weren't any scenes written that gave off the idea that they had crazy chemistry together. It was the author's words that bound them together and it wasn't convincing enough for me to follow along.
So story brief: Augusta breaks into a home to steal a journal from a friend, Harry helps her while admonishing her, she returns to the club to return the journal, they gossip about Harry's matrimonial, out of nowhere she says he won't marry her (who asked? the reader didn't ask, why say it? this was just as bad as Harry repeating the line rendezvous), Harry asked Augusta's uncle for Augusta's hand in marriage, Augusta thought there was a misunderstanding, she offers to retract, he declines, they passionately make out, they are interrupted, she leaves, she dances with Lovejoy, Harry is wary, she gambles with Lovejoy, she pawns off her necklace to pay the debt, he refuses monetary payment, he asks for her body, he wants to compromise her to hinder the marriage, she steals back her marker, Harry helps, they make love in a carriage, they marry, the move to the country, she meets Meredith, they go on picnics, they bond, Harry and Augusta fight over Richard's memory, she gives up Richard's poem, Harry reopens the investigation of the Spider's identity, they throw a house party, Claudia and Peter hook up, they go to London, Sarah is murdered, they retrieve the list of the Saber club members, the women are sent to the country, Harry and Peter figure out who Spider is, Meredith is kidnapped, Augusta rescues her, Augusta is taken, they fight at the docks, fast forward in time, she is pregnant and she co-owns Pompeii with Claudia. He tries to manage her again. Finito.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2018
La review en el blog
June 30, 2014
I adored this book. Harry and Augusta were great characters and I loved seeing their clashes. Watching the "frivolous" bride take the "conservative" husband down a few pegs is a trope I dearly love reading. I will say I actually enjoyed their relationship a bit more before they married, when Augusta was doing her best to convince Harry why she was unsuitable for him. I loved how upset he'd get with some of her schemes. After they married, there was still plenty of that, but it seemed like after the wedding Augusta was trying a little harder to please her new husband. Even though she still got into plenty of trouble (the scene where she was coaching her cousin in how to "train" a husband had me laughing out loud) she wasn't seeking it out quite as much and did a bit more apologizing than I cared for afterward.
There were a few reasons I took a star off the score. For one, Harry was a bit autocratic and far too happy to try to change Augusta, considering her wildness was part of the reason he had decided on her as his wife. Also, like Harry, I found the constant references to the Northumberland Ballingers as an excuse for Augusta's behavior to grow very tiresome. It was like she didn't even think of herself as a person with her own thoughts and desires -- rather, she was just an extension of the Northumberland Ballingers. I also felt that the identity of Spider was rather obvious from the beginning -- although maybe it was supposed to be.
It's worth noting here that by the end of the book both characters had made some compromises and changes for the other, so the above gripes were not that big a deal. The bottom line is that this book was incredibly fun and I found myself not wanting to put it down. I enjoyed the heck out of it and, as I have not read much Amanda Quick (yes, I'm aware it's one of Jayne Ann Krentz's many pseudonyms, but I haven't read much of the stuff she's done as Amanda Quick), I look forward to reading more.
There were a few reasons I took a star off the score. For one, Harry was a bit autocratic and far too happy to try to change Augusta, considering her wildness was part of the reason he had decided on her as his wife. Also, like Harry, I found the constant references to the Northumberland Ballingers as an excuse for Augusta's behavior to grow very tiresome. It was like she didn't even think of herself as a person with her own thoughts and desires -- rather, she was just an extension of the Northumberland Ballingers. I also felt that the identity of Spider was rather obvious from the beginning -- although maybe it was supposed to be.
It's worth noting here that by the end of the book both characters had made some compromises and changes for the other, so the above gripes were not that big a deal. The bottom line is that this book was incredibly fun and I found myself not wanting to put it down. I enjoyed the heck out of it and, as I have not read much Amanda Quick (yes, I'm aware it's one of Jayne Ann Krentz's many pseudonyms, but I haven't read much of the stuff she's done as Amanda Quick), I look forward to reading more.
June 19, 2019
One and a half stars. This book could have been tolerable if the author did not feel the need to bring up that Augusta was descended from the Northumberland Ballinger side of the family on nearly every page. Did Ms. Quick think that her readers are unintelligent and cannot remember that the family members tend to be a reckless and emotional lot? There is no reasonable explanation for the amount of times it is brought up. It became unbearable and I would skip the portions that mentioned it. The mystery was also very easy to guess. The book did pass the time, but I would not recommend or re-read it.
June 4, 2011
Disc 10 of 11
What a jerk. Unfortunately I suspect the interaction of the hero and heroine is much more likely to reflect the reality of the time as opposed to the utter romanticism in other historical romances. I'd shoot the son of a bitch.
--I can't say I actively disliked the book but I didn't like it. Aside from the above, it was too long.
What a jerk. Unfortunately I suspect the interaction of the hero and heroine is much more likely to reflect the reality of the time as opposed to the utter romanticism in other historical romances. I'd shoot the son of a bitch.
--I can't say I actively disliked the book but I didn't like it. Aside from the above, it was too long.
April 28, 2010
I've read this one a few times now and probably will again. It's very funny and I highly recommend it.
December 5, 2019
ref ISBN : 9782290342695
June 11, 2013
Weak heroine - let the guy control her in every way and never does anything about it. The guy is a horrible person with a stick up his ass. Bad book. Bad story. Bad characters.
March 24, 2018
Harry and Augusta
This was an interesting read. Spying and intrigue combined with an irrepressible heroine who through her sheer energy teaches the hero to love.
I enjoyed it!
This was an interesting read. Spying and intrigue combined with an irrepressible heroine who through her sheer energy teaches the hero to love.
I enjoyed it!
Shelved as 'dnf'
April 23, 2025DNF @ 35%
Are you f*cking kidding me right now?!?! Seriously?!?! Listen, I know old school HR tends to have some questionable “consent� but that is NOT what I expected out of an AQ novel. And it’d be one thing if it was a bit dubious but otherwise fine (for fiction) but this UTTER PIECE OF HUMAN SH*T WHO DARES CALL HIMSELF A MAN has spent this entire book so far being a classist, uptight, manipulative, gaslighting twat and I have had it.
And listen, she’s not much better. Very naive. Very stupid. She’s quite literally TSTL. Bless her heart�
But I could forgive her naivety and stupidity (maybe). But HIM?!?! F*CK. THAT.
He manipulates her into an engagement. He manipulates her into some heavy petting in his library. He manipulates her into staying engaged. He then manipulates her into actual intercourse in the heat of the moment in the midst of berating her (for admittedly stupid actions on her part), and then has the AUDACITY to be a two pump chump????? And then tells her they have to get married immediately by special license because he can’t wait to “have her� again?!?! AND THIS IS THE HERO?!?!
I am not finishing this. I hope he gets hit by a bus. Or whatever the 1810s equivalent of a bus is.
Are you f*cking kidding me right now?!?! Seriously?!?! Listen, I know old school HR tends to have some questionable “consent� but that is NOT what I expected out of an AQ novel. And it’d be one thing if it was a bit dubious but otherwise fine (for fiction) but this UTTER PIECE OF HUMAN SH*T WHO DARES CALL HIMSELF A MAN has spent this entire book so far being a classist, uptight, manipulative, gaslighting twat and I have had it.
And listen, she’s not much better. Very naive. Very stupid. She’s quite literally TSTL. Bless her heart�
But I could forgive her naivety and stupidity (maybe). But HIM?!?! F*CK. THAT.
He manipulates her into an engagement. He manipulates her into some heavy petting in his library. He manipulates her into staying engaged. He then manipulates her into actual intercourse in the heat of the moment in the midst of berating her (for admittedly stupid actions on her part), and then has the AUDACITY to be a two pump chump????? And then tells her they have to get married immediately by special license because he can’t wait to “have her� again?!?! AND THIS IS THE HERO?!?!
I am not finishing this. I hope he gets hit by a bus. Or whatever the 1810s equivalent of a bus is.
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