Loving a Lost Lord

Loving a Lost Lord
1 Star

Following news of her father's death, Mariah Clarke finds herself not only in charge on an estate, but the target of an overly amorous suitor as well. As if in answer to her prayers, she discovers a man with no memory washed ashore on a nearby beach and convinces him that they are married. But what will happen when the man regains his memory and discovers that he is none other than Adam Lawford, the Duke of Ashton…

Unfortunately, this book is so badly written, the characters so one-dimensional and the plot threads so contrived that it's publication defies logic. It would have been a DNF if I hadn't been the one to nominate it for a group read.

The writing is exceedingly weak due to the author's tendency toward show more telling rather than showing, and the endless descriptions of trivialities and repeated details of events.

Mariah is a liar plain and simple. She convinces Adam that they are married and continues to keep the truth from him even after their relationship becomes intimate. While Adam's mixed English-Hindu heritage is original and compelling, it cannot compensate for his ridiculous reactions. Not only does he forgive her almost immediately for her dishonesty, but he continues to lust after her despite his admission that he finds it difficult to trust her again.

The plot is a convoluted mishmash of one incoherent revelation after another: Dead parents returning to life, separated siblings reunited, an incompetent assassin and a psychotic relative - this book has everything bar the kitchen sink.

In sum ,this is my first and probably my last Mary Jo Putney book. show less

This is a low key sweet romance, but once again I'm amazed at the variation in tales that these historical romance writers come up with. The coincidences at the end of the novel, where both hero and heroine find 'lost' families is ridiculous, so I didn't quite finish the book, but up till then, it was the usual fun escapism ... without being too silly.

My first Mary Jo Putney book, so I'm not in a position to compare it with her other work.

The main story arc had a disturbing similarity to [b:The Bourne Identity|7869|The Bourne Identity (Jason Bourne, #1)|Robert Ludlum|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165645608s/7869.jpg|859111], with an amnesiac duke dragged from the sea, cared for by a genteel lady, and regaining motor skills such as horse-riding and shooting before recalling his identity and past -- while all the time someone is trying to kill him.

The narrative was weak in concept and execution and the characterisation lack-lustre. Where the book excelled was in background detail, with passing references to early steam launches, Hindu theology, martial arts, contraception and show more dozens of other colourful sprinkles on an otherwise stodgy cupcake.

My overall impression was of a talented and well-read author dashing off a standard historical romance to order. Judging from Ms Putney's reputation, she can probably do far better than this, but after finishing [b:Loving A Lost Lord|6066533|Loving A Lost Lord (Lost Lords #1)|Mary Jo Putney|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1307205240s/6066533.jpg|6242865] I'm a little wary of dipping into her other works without first sifting through Publishers Weekly and other reviews. show less

Okay, so a LOT of this novel is contrived. I do not care. I loved the hero and heroine, especially her independence and his openness. I loved that the mysteries are not solved until the very end. I loved how everything came together. That was a HEA well-deserved.

This had heaps of ridiculously unlikely events, but it was somehow anchored by the characters so that I didn't mind going along with it. The villains were paper thin, but the main characters were likable. Putney did a good job capturing the yearning between them. It's not amazing, but it brought me enjoyment and entertained me, so I'm rounding up.

This was decent and maybe from any other author I would have rated it higher. But I know that MJP can deliver much more powerful stories. This one didn't have the depth of characterization I am used to from her nor the level of historical accuracy/depth. I do like an amnesia theme almost any time and that was fairly well done here. I have read the other 2 in the series which have been written so far and will keep on reading because even if they're not up to her very best, MJP still delivers an interesting read.

A half-Hindu man with amnesia washes up on the shore of her new home in Hartley just in time to save Mariah Clarke from the unwanted attentions of a wastrel. Her lie that they are married creates adds to the strength of the bond they feel between. When Adam turns out to be the Duke of Ashton, social obligations, as well as assassination attempts, threaten their burgeoning love. As Adam rediscovers his past, Mariah learns her own past holds secrets at which she never guessed. Putney has written a delightfully satisfying Regency romance with an interestingly different hero and just the right amount of suspense to keep the pages turning.