Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Amanda Quick - Rendezvous

From the elegantly appointed drawing rooms of London's most exclusive club to an imposing country estate in the heart of Dorset comes a provocative tale of a free-thinking beauty, a dignified lord, and a mad impetuous love that defied all logic....
Augusta Ballinger was quite sure that is was all a dreadful mistake. The chillingly pompous and dangerously disturbing 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 with 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 resolve to kiss the laughter from those honeyed lips and teach the maddening miss to behave! How could he possibly know that it was he who was in for a lesson...as his brazen fiancee set out to win his heart -- and an old and clever enemy stepped in to threaten their love, their honor, and their very lives?

Comment: Another book by this author.
Like always, I feel this type of book makes me forget things around me because I'm sure to get a romance with unlikely situations but many funny moments.

This is the story of Harry, the earl of Graystone and Augusta Ballinger. Harry is a cynical person and wants to lead a normal life after a life in the war as the leader of spies for the crown. He knows he needs a wife and makes a list of characteristics his bride to be must have, among them loyalty.
Augusta is a young woman living with her uncle and cousin since her parents and older bother died. She clings to their memory and by helping her cousin. She also lives to be adventurous and reckless.
Normally, these two would be the most unsuited for each other, but Harry sees something in Augusta and eventually proposes. She's surprised because everyone was talking about Harry's list and he wanted a virtuous and proper lady and she believes she's nothing of that kind, but the truth is, with time and adventurous for both of them, things change and Harry sees his perfect bride was there all along.

I liked this book. the two main characters didn't seem to see the other in the best way but with time they realized the other was much different from what they thought. I liked seeing harry believing in love although at first he didn't consider it a valuable thing while entering a marriage. Augusta also seemed suspicious about how Harry proposed to her, she believed him to make a mistake but from the moment we met them we see how they care for each other. With time, their feelings changed and increased and it was great to watch.
The story is rather predictable, but it offered many funny moments and interesting scenes, specially when the couple would discuss the roles of man and women in society and what was expected of them.
There is a kind of mystery to find and the end is surprising not because of who the villain is, but how he was found. I'm also happy to have seen the main couple talking about what they meant for each other and how they've worked out their issues in order to be happy.

In the end it was a good book, predictable yes, but entertaining enough for me to keep my faith in this author's talent to make me spend a good time reading.

1 comment:

  1. Oh! I swear I read this book a long time ago! Also, I think I had the book at home and gave it away recently (last year to Nath?). Now I have to check. But anyway, I recognize the cover and title, but frankly I don't remember anything about the story! Ugh!

    I do remember going on an Amanda Quick gloam years ago and really enjoying her books. :)

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