Rating: 
Summary: Loved it!
Review: Great, fast-paced read with strong, likeable characters. It's Cathy Maxwell at her best.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it!
Review: Great, fast-paced read with strong, likeable characters. It's Cathy Maxwell at her best.
Rating: 
Summary: major disappointment
Review: i am sorry i really wanted to like this book but didn't. the
reviewer who called the heroine an immature snot was right. she
was annoying as well. i did not like one thing about. the hero
was much more interesting a character. i am not a 'horse person' but i can appreciate it when someone who knows what they are talking about writes about it. even that was flat and boring.
if you have never read cathy maxwell don't start with this
book get any of her earlier ones they are much much better!
Rating: 
Summary: More than one stud in this story
Review: I enjoyed this offering by Cathy Maxwell. In this story a woman who is basically trying to save her family horse breeding ranch does what she must. She feels that all she is worth is what she is able to do to the home she knows. So one day she sets out to buy the "stud" of the areas for her horses and ends up in a bidding war with one of her neighbor. Who she shares a past with.She ends up bidding more than she can handle and to get the rest of the money she goes to London to find a husband. What she doesn't count on is an embarrassment from her past showing up as well as her neighbor Tye. What ensues is a great romance story!
Rating:
Summary: More than one stud in this story
Review: I enjoyed this offering by Cathy Maxwell. In this story a woman who is basically trying to save her family horse breeding ranch does what she must. She feels that all she is worth is what she is able to do to the home she knows. So one day she sets out to buy the "stud" of the areas for her horses and ends up in a bidding war with one of her neighbor. Who she shares a past with. She ends up bidding more than she can handle and to get the rest of the money she goes to London to find a husband. What she doesn't count on is an embarrassment from her past showing up as well as her neighbor Tye. What ensues is a great romance story!
Rating: 
Summary: Mixed effort - great hero
Review: I'm torn on Ms. Maxwell's latest; I really liked the hero and the overall plot of the book. I love horses too, so that influenced me. However, the heroine really got on my nerves. Sometimes I liked her and could understand her actions; at other times she was a very annoying and immature snot stamping her foot and whining about her independence. I don't think she ultimately matched up in strength of character to the excellent self-made hero (something you don't often get to see in historical romance, though it's becoming more common). That said, the last section of the book is the best of it, and the heroine becomes more likeable. If you like historical romance and you're looking for a light, mostly frothy read, then give this one a try. If you're looking for a more intense and sunstantial story with a hero and heroine who live on with you, this probably isn't the one for you.
Rating:
Summary: very sweet love story
Review: Mary Gates has been the talk of Lyford Meadows ever since she traded in her gowns for breeches, and developed a brash independence entirely inappropriate for a young woman of breeding. As the daughter of the late squire, Mary is surprisingly vocal with her opinions; indeed, she's often at odds with Tye Barlow, the bane of her existence and competitor for fine horseflesh. Edmundson, Mary's pride and joy, is the Gateses floundering horse farm; it borders the Barlow's estate, Saddlebrook. A silent feud has been raging between the two families, and Mary has done her best to nurture the ill will festering between herself and Tye Barlow. The auctioning off of Lord Spender's stud, a horse renowned for his pure bloodlines and speed, is therefore a bone of contention. Both Mary and Tye have designs on the horse -- and both are prepared to pay a small king's ransom for the privilege of expanding their stables. Mary is especially adamant about reclaiming Edmundson's past glory as a stable unrivaled; her father recklessly fettered away their funds and has thusly left Mary and her brother, Niles, nearly impoverished. Of course, Mary has gone to great lengths to conceal the dire state of their finances from her brother and newly married sister, Jane. She naively believes the whole parish to be equally ignorant of Edmundson's sorry state of affairs. That belief is true to a certain extent, but Tye is keenly aware of Mary's financial troubles. In point of fact, Tye is aware about nearly everything that involves Lyford Meadows's celebrated beauty; including her affection for another man -- a man Tye bitterly resented at the time (as his own infatuation with Mary suffered for it). Unrequited love is a bitter pill to swallow, after all. Years have passed since that youthful folly, however, and Tye is coolly unaffected by Mary's beauty now -- even when she wears those form fitting breeches. Well, almost. He's known as the Buck of the Parish for a reason, you know. Mary's foolishly exorbitant bid for Spender's stud is therefore infuriating to Tye for a number of reasons. Yes, the aggravating female is tweaking his nose yet again; Tye also had hopes of building an empire with the stud's offspring -- an unparalleled dream for a groom's grandson. When Mary disappears from Lyford Meadows shortly after the auction, Tye's suspicions are ignited. He still has hopes of gaining ownership of the stud. It seems Mary has traveled to London, however, to find a wealthy husband. A husband! Tye mulls that prospect over incredulously; a man fool enough to marry such a smart-mouthed termagant deserves what he gets. And yet...the idea of Mary being a wife and mother doesn't sit at all well with Tye. There's nothing for it, then. He must travel to London and prevent Mary from snaring a man with "prospects" and thus, curtail her plans for the stud. Little does Tye realize he'll be walking into a trap of his own making. THE WEDDING WAGER is a refreshing change of pace for Ms. Maxwell. Her heroes are often insufferably arrogant and all too aware of their own consequence; hence, they treat the poor heroines shabbily, as their cocksure arrogance ensures a narrow mindedness that bodes ill for a happily-ever-after (at least to my mind). Oh, I've enjoyed her previous efforts -- some more than others -- but I was particularly charmed by the savvy role reversal Ms. Maxwell ably plays out in this novel. Mary isn't cut from the same cloth as a simpering debutante; actually, the ton and society in general play a very small role in the plot. A past indiscretion haunts Mary; her brash, obstinate behaviour is therefore a cover for her secret vulnerability. Her relationship with Tye is severely acrimonious as a result. Yet a delicious sexual tension crackles between them. For his part, Tye is also unique. He once harbored a tendré for Mary only to have his love and friendship rejected out of hand; yes, the hero is actually the "wronged party" here, albeit Mary was unaware of Tye's true feelings. I'm generally not a fan of characters who blissfully indulge in self-deception, however. Mary and Tye spend a great deal of time arguing and inciting dark passions in each other. Their blindfolds are slow to melt away; such obtuseness, although warranted on Mary's part (as she was previously betrayed) was a disappointment in Tye. Having said that, Tye is the first to see the light, to show a degree of insight into what makes Mary tick and why their relationship has always been so prickly. Indeed, the turning point in their relationship is bittersweet, as Tye appears to be the one solely conscious of it. THE WEDDING WATER speaks to a reader with its fluidity of plot, tenderness and complex characterizations. Although I regretted Tye and Mary's relationship had to struggle to develop, I appreciated the depth of romantic tension, the subtle humor and steady nuance that rippled beneath the surface. I think a reader will be hard pressed to dislike Tye. A wager, anyone?
Rating:
Summary: A safe bet for readers of romantic fiction
Review: Mary Gates has been the talk of Lyford Meadows ever since she traded in her gowns for breeches, and developed a brash independence entirely inappropriate for a young woman of breeding. As the daughter of the late squire, Mary is surprisingly vocal with her opinions; indeed, she's often at odds with Tye Barlow, the bane of her existence and competitor for fine horseflesh. Edmundson, Mary's pride and joy, is the Gateses floundering horse farm; it borders the Barlow's estate, Saddlebrook. A silent feud has been raging between the two families, and Mary has done her best to nurture the ill will festering between herself and Tye Barlow. The auctioning off of Lord Spender's stud, a horse renowned for his pure bloodlines and speed, is therefore a bone of contention. Both Mary and Tye have designs on the horse -- and both are prepared to pay a small king's ransom for the privilege of expanding their stables. Mary is especially adamant about reclaiming Edmundson's past glory as a stable unrivaled; her father recklessly fettered away their funds and has thusly left Mary and her brother, Niles, nearly impoverished. Of course, Mary has gone to great lengths to conceal the dire state of their finances from her brother and newly married sister, Jane. She naively believes the whole parish to be equally ignorant of Edmundson's sorry state of affairs. That belief is true to a certain extent, but Tye is keenly aware of Mary's financial troubles. In point of fact, Tye is aware about nearly everything that involves Lyford Meadows's celebrated beauty; including her affection for another man -- a man Tye bitterly resented at the time (as his own infatuation with Mary suffered for it). Unrequited love is a bitter pill to swallow, after all. Years have passed since that youthful folly, however, and Tye is coolly unaffected by Mary's beauty now -- even when she wears those form fitting breeches. Well, almost. He's known as the Buck of the Parish for a reason, you know. Mary's foolishly exorbitant bid for Spender's stud is therefore infuriating to Tye for a number of reasons. Yes, the aggravating female is tweaking his nose yet again; Tye also had hopes of building an empire with the stud's offspring -- an unparalleled dream for a groom's grandson. When Mary disappears from Lyford Meadows shortly after the auction, Tye's suspicions are ignited. He still has hopes of gaining ownership of the stud. It seems Mary has traveled to London, however, to find a wealthy husband. A husband! Tye mulls that prospect over incredulously; a man fool enough to marry such a smart-mouthed termagant deserves what he gets. And yet...the idea of Mary being a wife and mother doesn't sit at all well with Tye. There's nothing for it, then. He must travel to London and prevent Mary from snaring a man with "prospects" and thus, curtail her plans for the stud. Little does Tye realize he'll be walking into a trap of his own making. THE WEDDING WAGER is a refreshing change of pace for Ms. Maxwell. Her heroes are often insufferably arrogant and all too aware of their own consequence; hence, they treat the poor heroines shabbily, as their cocksure arrogance ensures a narrow mindedness that bodes ill for a happily-ever-after (at least to my mind). Oh, I've enjoyed her previous efforts -- some more than others -- but I was particularly charmed by the savvy role reversal Ms. Maxwell ably plays out in this novel. Mary isn't cut from the same cloth as a simpering debutante; actually, the ton and society in general play a very small role in the plot. A past indiscretion haunts Mary; her brash, obstinate behaviour is therefore a cover for her secret vulnerability. Her relationship with Tye is severely acrimonious as a result. Yet a delicious sexual tension crackles between them. For his part, Tye is also unique. He once harbored a tendré for Mary only to have his love and friendship rejected out of hand; yes, the hero is actually the "wronged party" here, albeit Mary was unaware of Tye's true feelings. I'm generally not a fan of characters who blissfully indulge in self-deception, however. Mary and Tye spend a great deal of time arguing and inciting dark passions in each other. Their blindfolds are slow to melt away; such obtuseness, although warranted on Mary's part (as she was previously betrayed) was a disappointment in Tye. Having said that, Tye is the first to see the light, to show a degree of insight into what makes Mary tick and why their relationship has always been so prickly. Indeed, the turning point in their relationship is bittersweet, as Tye appears to be the one solely conscious of it. THE WEDDING WATER speaks to a reader with its fluidity of plot, tenderness and complex characterizations. Although I regretted Tye and Mary's relationship had to struggle to develop, I appreciated the depth of romantic tension, the subtle humor and steady nuance that rippled beneath the surface. I think a reader will be hard pressed to dislike Tye. A wager, anyone?
Rating:
Summary: Exciting, funny battle of the sexes in Regency England
Review: Mary Gates is the village eccentric of Lyford Meadows in England of 1814. She dresses in men's clothing, can outswear any stable hand on her estate, and is convinced no man alive can outmatch her in picking prime horseflesh. Tye Barlow, her equally headstrong neighbor and chief rival is a secret temptation to Mary, but she's never considered marrying him, or any man, until she runs into a terrible bind. Mary outbids Tye for a famous stud she is sure will put her faltering family finances on the road to prosperity, but the only way to pay the exorbitant fee is to marry money. Not wasting a second to implement her scheme, Mary trots off to London's aristocratic Marriage Mart, Tye hot on her heels. At first Tye assumes he's determined to foil her scheme solely to get his hands on the prize stud. But while arguing with Mary as he twirls her around crowded London ballrooms, he soon realizes the one thing he covets more than all the pricey studs in the world is the love of maddening, enticing Mary. The repartee between these strong, obstinate lovers is great, and the author's voice is clear, quirky and very funny. I love an independent, intelligent heroine like Mary, especially when she is matched with a hero like Tye who is clearly her equal and respects her as a worthy opponent, irregardless that she is a woman. I also love a story, which this one is in spades, where the contest of wills and sparks of anger between the protagonists incites desire--the love scenes are very hot! Don't miss this exciting, often hilarious battle of the sexes!
Rating:
Summary: Mary wins The Stud¿and a horse too¿
Review: Mary Gates wants this stud in her stables. The Stud is a prime piece of horseflesh up for auction in her hometown of Lyford Meadows. The entire town's male population will be in attendance to witness who places the winning bid. Mary believes this horse is just what she needs to bring her stables back to full operating glory of the past. The town views Mary's independent and willful behavior as quite eccentric, including her normal attire of donning men's breeches. And her desire to win the horse may also have something to do with her constant battles with her neighbor and rival, Tye Barlow. Tye is just as determined to win, because it would secure his stable's future as well. And he believes he has a good shot with the amount of money he's willing to bid. In the end, Mary outbids him but he's suspicious, because he knows there's no way she could own that kind of capital. Mary's winning bid is well beyond her means, but she makes up a fictitious, wealthy fiancé, and then convinces the seller she needs a little time to make her payment. The independent Mary, who never intended to settle down, sets out for London and the marriage mart to snag herself a rich husband. Tye discovers where she's gone, and follows with the intention to foil any possibility of her paying for the horse. Their complicated history resurfaces, as well as their desire for each other, which of course has always been there in the form of a battle of wills. Together, they may discover the real prize isn't the horse, but their love for each other. I've read three or four novels by Maxwell, and this is my favorite so far. I enjoy romances that involve the battle of wills, which is done well here. Although, I did think Mary's obstinance over her independence did go on a little too long, but that's only a minor issue. Even though there's not much new here for a romance story, I still found it refreshing and the witty dialogue probably had a lot to do with that. Mary and Tye were both headstrong characters and well matched for each other. There's nothing heavy-duty about this story, it's a nice light, recommended read.
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