Smuggler's Lady

Rating:
Summary: One of Ms Feather's best!!!
Review: I have read almost every book she has written and this is one of my favorites. Merrie Trelawney reminded me of a milder female version of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and I loved her. As the back cover said, he considered her an insipid church mouse and that is exactly what she wanted all to think, while she was busy as a smuggler. They are a great pair and the story will keep your interest all the way. I loved it and definitely recommend it for a great read.

Rating:
Summary: One of Ms Feather's best!!!
Review: I have read almost every book she has written and this is one of my favorites. Merrie Trelawney reminded me of a milder female version of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and I loved her. As the back cover said, he considered her an insipid church mouse and that is exactly what she wanted all to think, while she was busy as a smuggler. They are a great pair and the story will keep your interest all the way. I loved it and definitely recommend it for a great read.

Rating:
Summary: Not One of Feather's Best
Review: I normally like Jane Feather's books. The "V" books were great. This book, however, seemed to go on and on and on. It seemed to me that Lady Meredith had very little reason to say no to Lord Rutherford's proposal. The reasons given were a little forced, if you ask me.

I agree with previous posts that the book could have been shorter.

Rating:
Summary: Give up the verboseness
Review: It was an interesting story - way too long, but my problem with the book is that Mrs. Feather used too many words that are not used in today's language. I don't mean in the dialogue, I mean in descriptions.

Rating:
Summary: Too long...
Review: OK, i am a fan of Jane Feather books, read alot of them and i also read other romance books. The Smugglers Lady had a good concept, but it was to long. I really liked the beginning, but after about the 300th page, i wish it had ended then. Not gone on for another 100+ pages. If you want to try it, borrow it from the libary, DO NOT buy it, it is not worth it at all...

Rating:
Summary: I'm in agreement with most of the reviews here
Review: The title of this one is a bit deceiving as the heroine is really the smuggler instead of the hero. Even though it was written in 1986, the heroine is enough of a match for the hero that his tendency towards being overbearing is pretty much balanced out at the start. It's in the second half that the book falters.

Our heroine, Meredith Trelawney, has had to resort to smuggling in order to pay off the debts of her deceased, spendthrift husband and restore the family estate. But
she also relishes the challenge and excitement it brings her. Something that
Damien, Lord Rutherford notices when he spies an encounter between Merrie's
band of smugglers and the Crown revenuers. He's come to Cornwall to look
over an estate left to him by a distant relative and to try to relieve the boredom
into which his life has sunk since his involuntary retirement from soldiering in
the Peninsula.

When he meets Merrie in company, he first thinks she's a dowdy widow then
begins to see the game she plays with her neighbors to throw them off the
scent of what she really does. He's not stupid and quickly puts the pieces
together as he begins to fall in love with this unusual and delightful woman.
Merrie quickly starts to return his affections even if she resists the idea
of anything permanent between them. After all, he is the heir of a Duke
and her lineage can't begin to match his. Damien refuses to give up and
plots her downfall into matrimony. Sparks fly, wills collide, and the
action moves to London as Damien and Merrie battle each other on the
path to a HEA.

The first half of the story works better for me as the two are fairly well
matched and the strengths of one balance the weaknesses of the other.
I enjoyed watching them match wits and spar with each other while the
action kept things lively. Merrie has three younger brothers who add
to the story and give her even more reasons to risk smuggling. I liked
them quite as much as the leads. One false note was the portrayal
of the smugglers and smuggling as more Disney-like than the true
thuggishness of the trade.

Then the scene shifts to London where Damien
has the upper hand and Feather has to keep repeating Merrie's
increasingly lame reasons for refusing his suit. She won't fit into his
world, she won't be accepted by his family, he'll eventually fall out
of love with her....all are laid to rest by his clever plans and Merrie
only makes herself look stupid for turning him down. Plus her
attempts to convince Damien of her unsuitability end up making
her seem childish and petulant while his actions to counter them
make him seem highhanded and ignoring of her wishes. This drags
on for far too long before suddenly the story is wrapped up leaving
me still wondering if these two have really worked out their differences.

There is much I liked about Smuggler's Lady. If you ignore the weak
reasoning behind Merrie's resistance, their interactions, taken singly,
were clever as they countered and parried each other. It is just the
repetition of them that paled. If the action had stayed in Cornwall,
Merrie would have stayed as strong a character as she starts out
and the story would have retained it's initial drive and excitement.
The first half gets a strong B+ from me but the second half lowers
the final grade to a B-/C+.

Rating:
Summary: Nice idea but could have been minus 200 pages
Review: This is my first Jane Feather book and I was very excited to read it based on the reviews and the back of the book. I am only at the 300 page mark and finding it hard to believe that I still have 150 pages left to read. I am forcing myself to finish it but I feel almost no desire to find out what happens. I was dissapointed when Lord Rutherford discovered who the smuggler was in the first quarter of the book. The book holds very little suspense and I might just skim to the end.

Rating:
Summary: A truly stunning, captivating, passion-filled novel !!!
Review: This is one of my favorite books ever. I've read it countless times and still adore it. Who would have thought that a respectable young widow is actually a smuggler to make ends meet ? Merrie and Damian knew that they're destined for each other, but Merrie needed more convincing about marriage. The playful banter, adventures, and love scenes will definitely satisfy romance fans everywhere. Go grab this one and be impressed !!!