A Lady Never Tells

This author was a new one for me, and I hadn't read anything about her work before I checked two of her books out the library. I really enjoyed this novel, especially because the heroine and her sisters weren't swanning English misses -- they rough and tumble American women who just happened to be the granddaughters of an earl. And the way the romance blossomed was well handled as well. I thought the "mystery" left something to be desired as it was fairly clear who was the culprit, but a couple neat twists at the end made of for that lack. I have already placed a hold on the next in this series, and I am starting another series from this same author.

Mary Bascombe is a woman on a mission. With her father died her mother confessing, moments before dieing, she is granddaughter to the Earl of Stewkesbury. Now Mary must cross the dangerous waters of the Atlantic with her three sisters in hopes for a better life. They leave behind all they know, including a sinister step-father who wishes to sell the girls for profit. The four young woman are an independent and wildly bunch who stick together when danger arises and someone tries kidnapping their sister, Rose.

Sir Royce Winslow is a man in the right place at the right time. When the girls papers are stolen, which will prove who they are to the Earl, Royce apprehends the culprit. He lays eyes on the four feisty woman but it is Mary that show more pulls at his heart. When he learns of their lineage, Royce brings them to see the predecessor to the Earl, whom is his step brother through marriage. The girls are then sent to Willowmere, the earl's country estate, to be polished and learn the ways of an English Lady. However, Royce can't help himself and he joins them. Mary is a welcomed relief to the stuffy and rule abiding ladies he's used to. Now, if only he can only keep the girls safe and win Mary's heart, the world would be perfect.

I was very submerged in this novel. Actually, today I looked for the followup to it so that I can put it on my TRL (to read list). Being one who has read very few historic novels, I found Ms. Camp's rendition of the time knowledgeable and believable. I could see the dresses and male attire clearly, hear their way of talk and understand what was expected of them during this age of time. The emotional and sexually pull between the two main characters was brilliantly played out and I didn't mind having to wait close to 230 pages for them to finally consummate their yearnings. I can fully admit, I appreciate a good sex scene and I wasn't disappointed. All and all, the book was a wonderful read which had me thirsting for more. show less

Having read just a small stack of historical romances I think I am beginning to understand the common plot elements that most novels in the genre possess. I have also begun to see what is unique to each story and I think in A Lady Never Tells that would be the strong sense of family.

Right away we are introduced to the four Bascombe sisters, headed by eldest sister Mary. They are right off the boat from America and aren't afraid to use their mouths and weapons (seriously) to stop a thief from taking a satchel of important papers. They are a refreshing family, unlike any I have seen so far in the historical romances I have read. They are a great match for the refined Sir Royce Winslow and his brothers. They are amused by each other show more because they are so very different. I never got tired of these characters! There are also secondary characters, cousins and friends that were really great as well!

The relationship between Mary and Royce while not an uncommon one in the genre is a lot of fun! It seems whenever these two are alone naughty things happen. So it should be said that A Lady Never tells is higher on the steamy scale. While their arguments were typical I still really enjoyed reading their story and carried it around with me everywhere I went most of the few days I was reading it.

I think this book is a great set up for the Willowmere trilogy and I simply cannot wait to read the next book, A Gentleman Always Remembers. I will be getting it as soon as it comes out! show less

From my blog: http://currentscene.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/my-cure-for-writers-block/

I’ve only ever read one other book by Ms. Camp, and that was A Very Special Favor, which was published under a pseudonym, Kristin James. It’s a sweet little book about a lonely legal secretary who falls in love with her boss. I adore this book and have read it to death, so I picked up A Lady Never Tells when I was at Books-a-Million because I remembered that Candace Camp was Kristin James’s real name and the story sounded like fun. I figured anyone who’d written A Very Special Favor couldn’t possibly write something I wouldn’t like.

Boy, was I wrong.

All About Romance gives the book a “C.” They are usually tougher graders than I am, but show more this time I agree completely. The first thing I noticed is that Camp’s grasp of honorifics is very, very tenuous and it got annoying rather quickly. To wit: the late Earl of Stewkesbury is occasionally referred to as Lord Reginald. WRONG. The current earl is referred to as Lord Oliver. WRONG. The daughter of a country vicar who married a duke’s brother is referred to as Lady Sabrina. WRONG. The only one she got right is Lady Vivian, who is the daughter of a duke. I had to flip back and forth constantly to figure out who she was talking about.

The plot itself had potential, but it wasn’t well executed. The main character, Mary, is an American who, with her 3 younger sisters, flees an evil stepfather and goes to London to find her mother’s noble relatives. Her mother married a poor younger son for love and was disowned by her father, the late Earl of Stewkesbury. So yes, I think it had potential. She meets Sir Royce Winslow and (of course) sparks fly. He asks her to marry him after they’ve slept together, and she says no. She says no repeatedly. And vociferously. Personally, I didn’t find Mary to be all that lovable — she’s very controlling and very, VERY annoying. I could never figure out what Sir Royce saw in her. Other characters were far more interesting, but I don’t know if I can get the bad taste from this one out of my mouth and read the other 2 books in the series. We’ll see.

I hate making such a snap judgment (well, maybe I don’t hate it, but…), but I really can’t help thinking that Ms. Camp should stick with modern books and leave historicals alone. Final grade: C-

I gave it away to Goodwill. Maybe someone else will like it. show less

Great start and nice ending. Seriously lagged in the middle, with the hero being too stupid to know he was in love, and a supposedly determined heroine melting in his arms. The smex scenes used as filler, started to get annoying. 3/5 stars

A found it a fun read that contrasted the English aristocracy to their American cousins, who were quite unsophisticated,unpretentious and free wheeling( as free wheeling as girls could be at that time).

7/10. Will find the rest of the series. I think I missed the part about them being sold to the highest bidder. That seemed to be a big part of the back of the book but not so much in the story. Anyway, it was still really good and I enjoyed it very much.