The Paid Companion

Rating:
Summary: 5 stars: a wonderful read
Review: "The Paid Companion" heralds the return of Amanda Quick's original style of romance novels -- the ones with the intriguing plots that were threaded with high levels of simmering sexual tension and lively banter between the plucky and more imaginative heroine and the silent, stoic, and more logically minded hero. And this time around, the hero has matured a little! For in creating the Earl of St. Merryn (Arthur), Amanda Quick has also provided us with a logically minded hero who also possesses a healthy sense of humour to go with all that suppressed sexuality, and a hero who is able to admit that he may need the heroine's help and who actually listens!

In order to catch a murderer, the Earl of St. Merryn has to move about in society at the height of the Season. And in order to avoid being hunted by matchmaking mamas and their equally predatory daughters, St. Merryn has decided to hire a paid companion -- an impoverished lady who must work for a living -- to pretend to be his fiance. And when, at the employement agency of Goodhew & Willis, he spies the vibrant, intelligent and competent Miss Elenora Lodge, he knows that he has met exactly the kind of lady he needs for his scheme. Reduced to working for a living when her stepfather lost her family estate in a failed venture, and her fiance backed out of their engagement, Elenora has always longed for adventure. And it looks as if she's finally going to have her adventure after all. The one thing she hadn't factored in, however, was the attraction she'd feel for her employer and his feelings for her. But to dream of anything more than an affair with the rich and powerful Earl of St. Merryn would be pure foolishness -- or wouldn't it?

I thoroughly enjoyed "The Paid Companion" and not because of the murder subplot -- to tell the truth I got rather annoyed with this subplot as it kept getting in the way of my enjoying the clever and lively banter between Elenora and St. Merryn. Some readers may get annoyed that Elenora trusts St. Merryn so completely; and truth to tell if he had been any other hero, I might have been too. But because St. Merryn repays the favour by also trusting Elenora completely, even going so far as to ask her for advice and to act on it, it made "The Paid Companion" an all the more romantic read (for me anyway). The novel developed smoothly and briskly, and with plenty of simmering and sensual exchanges to keep every romance reader happy. And if other characters were not so well developed, this really wasn't a detraction since "The Paid Companion" was Elenora's and St. Merryn's story, and what a story it was too.

Rating:
Summary: This book paid up!!!!!
Review: A most amusing book from beginning to end. Two individuals who are singular and strong personalities, hitting heads and falling in love. Arthur was most amusing and Elenora was a match for him!

This is a first Amanda Quick for me, I believe. Found it in the New Book section of the library. Finished it in two days. Fast reading, interesting mystery and lovely romance. Even tho you know how it will end, getting there was a good thing.

Very enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: More Romance, less mystery
Review: Amanda Quick has come into the realm of Historical Mysteries as of late. I didn't like her last set of novels featuring Tobias and Lavinia but was pleased to see that this was out of that series so I gave "The Paid Companion" a shot.

Now, this book was better than "Don't Look Back" or the rest of the aforementioned series, but it didn't have the sparkle of Quick's earier novels (those characterized by one word titles). I always did feel like her books always (as the quintessential idea of romance novels) were where the lovely virgin meets the "rakish roque" and he wants to ravish her so he marries her. Quick's trademark has always been that one of them is flawed in some way (a scar or a limp or glasses, etc). Later some figure from one of their past comes back to haunt them (usually from her past) and someone is obliged to come in and save the day (sometimes she even saved herself). In this book I can tell that Quick stayed with the typical formula but tried to add more mystery. Her female characters are getting more and more assertive which is a plus. I still, somehow, like the old books better. This sems strange because they were somewhat cookie-cutter, but I still really liked them and re-read them occasionally when I am waiting for her to come out with a new novel.

I cannot put my finger on what exactly abotu this book is lesser than some others, but it is better than her more recent efforts and I did read it in one day - and did enjoy it. It just didn't have the sparkle or chemistry of some of my Quick favorites such as Seduction, Reckless, and Rendezvous. If you really like mystery with your romance you will probably like this book. A warning to romance readers - the romance comes late. If you are a Quick fan you will like this book I think!

Rating:
Summary: A Solid and Intreguing Historical Mystery
Review: Arthur Lancaster is the Earl of St. Merryn and he has a problem. His fiancee has run off. The next time he has a go at it, he say, he'll just hire a paid companion, which he does and it keeps society at bay while he does his business. The woman he hired, Elenora Lodge, got into the paid companion biz, because her step-father wasted away her inheritance. She plays her part so well that nobody suspects she is anything but his real fiancee.

While all this is going on, Arthur is secretly investigating the murder of his great uncle and he believes an ancient alchemist's discovery was behind it. However as his investigation progresses, the killer get bolder and all of a sudden Elenora's life may be in danger and now Arthur must examine the feelings he has for his pretend fiancee and she her feelings toward him.

Everybody knows, well maybe they don't but they should, that Amanda Quick is really Romance Writer Jayne Ann Krentz and that she writes her historical mysteries under the Quick pseudonym. So if you like Jayne Ann's books, you're bound to like Amanda's, in fact even if you don't like Romance there is still a very good chance that you'll like an Amanda Quick book, especially this one. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't stop reading near the end...
Review: Definitely a fun read! I LOVE Amanda Quick and I've been waiting for another one of her books and I am happy to say that though it took awhile it was worth it. The mystery in the book enhanced the reading though I wish that the characters had been more fully developed.

Rating:
Summary: her best in a while
Review: Elenora has lost her home and her inheritance due to her stepfather and his bad investment. She also looses her fortune hunting fiance. Instead of depressing her too greatly, she sees this as a sort of freedom. She has no one to take care of but herself. So she sets out to make some money as a paid companion.
Arthur Lancaster, Earl of St. Merryn has several problems. One is that he needs to go about society without the hassel of mothers trying to push their daughters into marriage with him. With this in mind he hires a companion to pose as his fiance.
She needs the money and in the end genuinely wants to help him as he has a mystery to solve. And though he comes off somewhat cool to begin with - I really loved the lead character's sense of humor.
The secondary characters were good - though this author has written better - Bad guys were all bad, friends were all good - no real suspense to it. A simple romance story with strong leads.
A good summer read.

Rating:
Summary: Familiar... and comforting.. your old school Quick
Review: Elenora Lodge is in quite a fix. (HEY! Charlotte Arkendale, Beatrice Poole, Iphiginia Bright and my favorite Emma Grayson). If you recognize these names then like me read too much Amanda Quick *smile*. If you can't get enough of AQ's modest charming innocent less than 30 heroines, with a dash of subtle wit of course. Who will meet the dark, sardonic, austere, enigmatic champion. Except for Julian, Earl of Ravenwood, in AQ's Seduction I think he actually had amber eyes and light hair.

Though Quick's books may at times hint at a familiar pattern I did not find them displeasing well okay... that may not be true. I was tempted to get the "Book of Secrets" and toss it into the nearest fireplace myself. The whole Zamarian/Vanzagarian conception became bland just read Mischief and count the times Zamar is referenced and irritating Imogene.

NOW.. Back to The Paid Companion I liked it. The villains were a bit more depraved what with **spoiler alert?** insanity, sewage and gasp why Ms. Quick? bi-sexuality? Of course AQ accomplishes this in her typical tasteful regency style. TPCompanion is old school, and those who enjoy Ms. Quick's previous works will not be disappointed. Fast paced and well comfortable you know which of the support cast is going to hook up and you know what the villains demise will be and you know you'll probably read her next book... hmm maybe.. Lucinda gets a duke? Charlotte a marquis?

My favorite line: Earl of St. Merryn, "I live here"

Rating:
Summary: Back on top
Review: Elenora looses her home and fortune-hunting fiance when her stepfather makes yet another bad investment. She decides that she will make her way as a paid companion. St. Merryn is in need of a fiance in name only, while he searches for the murderer of his great uncle. As only Amanda Quick can do, the two meet and join forces to solve the mystery. The two main characters are intelligent individuals that the reader quickly learns to enjoy. The supporting cast of characters are fully fleshed out to add to the suspenseful plot. The last few Amanda Quick novels have been below par but this one is back to the quality expected of Quick.

Rating:
Summary: Quick Returns to Form!
Review: Fabulous! "Paid Companion" returns us to the Quick of old, giving us charming characters, a neat little suspense plot, and a wonderful happily-ever-after!

I wasn't as big a fan of the Lavinia/Tobias books as I had been of the majority of the earlier Quick efforts, so it was with some trepidation that I went out and paid an egregious sum for "Paid Companion!" Never fear! I devoured this one in one day! Elenora ranks up there with Harriet ("Ravished") and Emma ("I Thee Wed") as one of my favorite Quick heroines, and Arthur is honestly one of the more realistic, well-rounded heroes Quick has imagined.

I honestly found the supporting characters a bit less well-developed than in some of Quick's best, and the mystery/suspense element lacked some depth as well. Still, the main characters, and the development of their romance, more than made up for it.

All in all, a big five stars for this enjoyable romp in the classic Quick style.

Rating:
Summary: Quick Returns to Form!
Review: Fabulous! "Paid Companion" returns us to the Quick of old, giving us charming characters, a neat little suspense plot, and a wonderful happily-ever-after!

I wasn't as big a fan of the Lavinia/Tobias books as I had been of the majority of the earlier Quick efforts, so it was with some trepidation that I went out and paid an egregious sum for "Paid Companion!" Never fear! I devoured this one in one day! Elenora ranks up there with Harriet ("Ravished") and Emma ("I Thee Wed") as one of my favorite Quick heroines, and Arthur is honestly one of the more realistic, well-rounded heroes Quick has imagined.

I honestly found the supporting characters a bit less well-developed than in some of Quick's best, and the mystery/suspense element lacked some depth as well. Still, the main characters, and the development of their romance, more than made up for it.

All in all, a big five stars for this enjoyable romp in the classic Quick style.