The Improper Wife

Rating:
Summary: a new voice in Regency romance
Review: Debut writer Diane Perkins really makes a splash with this wonderful Regency, sounding warning there is a new "kid on the block" for Regency Romance. It's a wonderful book that grabs the reader from the start. The story is well researched and her writing style very polished for a first time writer.

Maggie Delaney is tricked into wedding the wrong man, an imposter. When a pregnant Maggie arrives at her husband's lodging, the baby's coming is quite near. The only person there to aid her in delivering her baby is a dark haired man, who smells as if he's been on a week-long drunk. When she asks for her husband Captain John Grayson, she is horrified to learn the disturbing man standing before her IS Captain Grayson. Maggie is shocked and has a bit of trouble grasping she has been tricked. She is not really married and has no home for her or her baby. Grayson sends Maggie and the child to his cousin Harry's to avoid scandal, giving him money to assist the woman. To him the matter is over. His military career keeps him away for the next two years.

Through another mistaken impression, Harry and his wife Tess believe Maggie to be Grayson's wife and takes her to Summerton Hall, the ancestral home. Maggie knows that pretending to be Grayson's wife can, at any time, blow up into her face. She hopes once the child is older she can find a means of supporting herself. While she wears this mask, she comes to love Gray's family, and they welcome her. Gray's father, the Earl, as well as other members, see Maggie as a ray of sunshine to their lives.

However, Grayson returns and is not so happy to find he has a `wife'. Troubles between the father and son over Gray joining the military adds to Gray's upset. His father disowned him after he enlisted, yet this woman - who is not his wife - is accepted and loved. Slowly Gray sees the benefits of making the woman his wife.

Just as he is accepting Maggie into his heart, the cruel trick played on Maggie years ago comes back to haunt her and threaten her new life and love. Maggie fears losing Gray, if she reveals the whole story, but he is determined to know everything.

Maggie is not a weak heroine taking the easy way out, she is a strong determined woman doing what it takes to see her child and she survives. Gray is a caring, tormented man, the kind to win a readers heart.

Perkins writes with a sure voice, vivid characters and a promise of more wonderful books to come! One of the best Regencys out this year.

Rating:
Summary: Simply stunning... I'll be reading it again and again...
Review: I don't often fall in love with my romance novel heroes, but WOW... Capt. John Grayson, called Gray, is to DIE FOR...

The love story is beautiful, the plot is fabulous, her writing is lovely. What an incredible book!!!

I will be reading EVERYTHING she writes. I just started THE MYSTERIOUS MISS M (a Regency romance she published as Diane Gaston w/a UK publisher only last July and it's already out of print, what a crime!!) , and it's promising to be every bit as satisfying and potent as THE IMPROPER WIFE, which I read a week ago, and I cannot get it out of my mind. It's that powerful.

Gray and Maggie, the two main characters, are both strong and believable. The plot has already been told in other reviews here.
I can't stress enough how wonderful it was to read this!!

(BTW, I disagree completely with the Publishers Weekly review of this book. I can't believe how negative it is...were they reading a different novel?)

Rating:
Summary: entertaining Regency romance
Review: In 1814 a pregnant woman claims to be the wife of Captain John Grayson. Before he refutes her statement, she gives birth with John serving as the midwife. John sends for his cousin Harry and his wife to take care of the woman and her infant Sean. John tells Harry that he never met the woman and concludes that she is a con artist. He asks Harry to take care of this mess while he returns to war.

Harry and his spouse find the marriage certificate that has John's signature on it. He does the right thing and takes Maggie Smith to live with John's estranged father. Unwelcome at first, Maggie brings sunshine and smiles to Summerton Hall where she is received as John's wife.

Two years later, John returns to find everyone believes Maggie is his wife. He plans to uncover the identity of the impersonator as he now believes she really believed that she once married John Grayson, but why is she perpetrating the fraud once she knew who he was. What he did not anticipate was falling in love with a woman he does not trust and loving someone else's child.

This entertaining Regency romance stars a delightful lead couple and a terrific support cast especially his family members. The story line grips the reader because of the curiosity as to whom Maggie married since from almost start ironically the audience knows as opposed to the hero's family that he was not the groom. Though the impersonator becomes obvious, fans will appreciate the tale as John still struggles with guilt for what he caused in Spain and only with his love for Maggie can he find solace.

Harriet Klausner


Rating:
Summary: Perkins makes a great debut
Review: In this first print of Diane Perkins' book, "The Improper Wife" I found the writing and characters to be developed rather well for a first time writer. Our hero and heroine were good-hearted characters that had interesting stories to tell and picks up with a "bang" right in the first sentence of the book.

The story line in this tale is original and refreshing and many romance lovers will find this on their "keep" shelf. The only complaint would be when nearing the end of the book there's room for fustration. When you hit the climax to the near end you wonder why Gray (our hero) acts out in distrust toward Maggie.

In short, for being a debut novel this is a five star begcause it's one of the best debut books I've read in awhile.

Rating:
Summary: historical regency with a twist
Review: It's a fine
follow-up to her first published romance as Diane Gaston (The Mysterious Miss M). Perkins's heroes
are really her strong point. You just gotta love these men. Very Beta but
more than willing and able to jump in and defend their heroines from the
nasty villains. Sometimes I did wonder if maybe Gray was just a little
*too* good. He's the most set upon hero I've read about in a while.

Perkins does need to work on two aspects though, her heroines and
her villains. It's not that the heroines are terrible but they just don't
grab you the way the heroes do. I agree that Maggie held onto her
secret for way too long and far past what a normal man's patience
would tolerate. Her villains are another weak spot. Very stock and
unsubtle. While this one isn't quite as "foam at the mouth" as the
MMM man, he's still too dastardly. A little colder evil might have
served better.

I do like that Gray isn't ready to totally believe what the villain
said and that he is hurt enough to try to hurt Maggie just a little back.
That felt more real. The final confrontation between Gray and Lansing
is also more realistic and Perkins has a good feel for and description
of the duel. Another funny thing I noticed (after seeing some of the
Regency House and hearing the women complain about how bored
they are) is that the house party in this book is very similar. I'd've much
preferred to be a man at a house party. So much more to do!

The Improper Wife is a good way to try Perkins and see if you like
her. And happily, she seems to be settling into her stride. I'd give
this one a B.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliantly Executed. -- ** Grade: A+ **
Review: Mary Balogh and Carla Kelly make room; there is a new kid on the regency block. I don't give it very often, but I'm giving it here - the sacred 10. THE IMPROPER WIFE is a beautiful story and Diane Perkins has honed her craft nicely. Her characters are well drawn and the story's sensitivity is brilliant. Yes, I liked this book.

Maggie Delaney is a sparkling heroine. She unfolds through the pages as a gentle loving mother. Maggie Delaney would do anything to protect her son - even lie. Captain John Grayson is a marvelous hero. He unfolds through the pages as a gentle man. John Grayson believes Maggie Delaney has deceived him, but the question is - why?

Diane Perkins creates Maggie Delaney as a strong, capable woman. The reader will not find a sniffling little creature in this story. Maggie Delaney is living under a huge misrepresentation at Summerton Hall, the country estate belonging to John Grayson's father. The old earl believes Maggie Delaney is his son's wife. At Summerton Hall, everyone loves Maggie Delaney and her chubby little son, Sean. All is well, until Captain John Grayson returns home to England and to Summerton.

Diane Perkins has used superb pacing, realistic dialogue, and gentle humor to enhance THE IMPROPER WIFE. The episodes with little Sean are simply delightful! However it is the sensitivity the author applies that lifts her story into the reader's heart. Such a ploy is a brilliant move; it causes the reader to turn the pages with zeal. The results? The reader cannot put the book down! Well done, Ms. Perkins. Grade: A+

Grace Atkinson, Ontario - Canada.

Rating:
Summary: A talented new voice in historical romance,
Review: Ms. Perkins not only writes a well-crafted and intriguing story, but proves she can hold her own with more seasoned and experienced romance authors. She's definitely done her homework!

The story of a woman tricked into wedding an imposter, Maggie, the heroine, is a fascinating woman to watch. At first timid and carrying more than just her pregnancy as a hefty burden, she's a woman driven by circumstance to do what she must to survive, putting the needs of her child first. Her interplay with the oft-confused and self-sacrificing hero, Capt. John Grayson, captures the reader's attention from the start, while his willingness to give up his own happiness to ensure the safety and livelihood of Maggie and her son, Sean, not only makes him commendable but one of the most take-to-heart leading men I've read about this year.

That's not to say there weren't a few things that bothered me a bit with this book. The very beginning seemed a bit over-the-top, and I figured out all too quickly who the heartless imposter really was. Also, Grayson's willingness to give in to Maggie the majority of the time, even when it might be to his own detriment, made her appear, at times, somewhat selfish. However, Ms. Perkins ability to develop Maggie's character and show that her motives are those of a caring and devoted mother-first and foremost-quickly redeemed her to this reader, showing her as a heroine that I think most women with children could easily relate to today.

With engaging secondary characters, Regency era "speak", a slow blossoming love story between two captivating leads, and children's characters that add, rather than detract from the characters and storyline, THE IMPROPER WIFE is sure to become a favorite for lovers of Regency romance. It's a very impressive debut, indeed.

Rating:
Summary: AWESOME ! Emotionally Sensitive and Stunningly Romantic
Review: Setting - London, 1816 --- Very pregnant, alone, and nearly penniless Maggie Delaney was at the end of her rope when she discovered that she had not killed the husband she'd accidentally pushed into the river. From a newspaper she learned that her husband Captain John Grayson was alive and living in London. Maggie discovered his direction, marched up to the door and asked the handsome but scruffy looking man who answered the door if these were the rooms of Captain John Grayson, who answered in the affirmative, then she asked when he would be returning. John Grayson insisted he was the man in question and that these were HIS rooms. Maggie, quickly realizing how she'd been duped was overcome with both shock and contractions and before you knew it, John was assisting her in the delivery of her child in that very room!

When Maggie realized she'd no idea who the man was she'd given herself to in marriage and impregnated her, one would imagine her breaking down - but only a mother would recognize the strength of purpose and love that was born the moment she embraced the miracle that was her son. John was in awe of that bond and the pure essence of the love she showered onto her babe. While John didn't want to be involved and anxious to get back to his regiment, he was not immune to her needs and arranged for his cousins to come and take her to their home. Leaving funds with his cousin for her care and feeling he had done more than was his duty, John happily left only to return two years later to discover that his `helpful' cousins had installed his `wife' in his boyhood home of Summerton. In those two years, Maggie had ingratiated herself in the good graces of his family. Gray's first instinct was to get rid of the baggage but the more time spent with her, the more he was convinced that this very `improper' wife of his should be a real wife in truth!


*** Diane Perkins has created a beautifully written, emotionally sensitive and totally awesome romantic read devising a most original and cleverly plotted second chance at love. Maggie was a very strong heroine and while some would reason that she was manipulative, others can totally empathize that she was motivated solely with, and for the sake of love for Sean, her young son. While John suspected her motives as calculating and manipulative he soon realized that she had brought joy and love back to a home that had been sorely lacking for years. The story gently evolves into a sensual dance that the readers will find themselves fully basking in its rhythm and grace. The addition of an endearing cast of secondary characters, particularly the child Sean and his cousin Rodney, only make this dance more memorable with gentle humor and a gracious warmth.

---- Marilyn, for www.romancedesigns.com ---


Rating:
Summary: Did we read the same book?
Review: The lovers bickered through the entire book, were about the most unlikable pair I've ever read. I could barely finish this book. The only interesting relationships were those that the adults had with the kids, which were warm, loving, and genuine. I'd miss this one.

Rating:
Summary: Unusual plot---Fabulous hero!
Review: This book is definitely a cut above the usual Regency romance--set apart by its polished prose and unusual plot. I enjoyed "The Improper Wife" a great deal and particularly liked the character of the hero, Captain John Grayson. Gray is the estranged second son of an earl and a calvary officer who is awash with guilt (and brandy) at the beginning of the book over the death of his young pregnant Spanish bride. Into his rooms bursts the heroine, Maggie Delaney, who promptly gives birth on his floor to a baby boy. Maggie's "husband" was an imposter who had assumed the name of Captain John Grayson and she is destitute. Gray fobs Maggie and the baby off on his cousin, Harry, and his noisy wife, Tess, and heads back to the Continent for the war. Tess snoops in Maggie's luggage and finds the false marriage certificate. Harry, mistakenly believing that Maggie is Gray's wife, takes her to Gray's ancestral home to live with his family. When Gray finally returns from the war two years later, Maggie is a beloved member of his family and has firmly established herself as his wife. He is incensed by her fraud but finds himself perversely attracted to her and reluctant to expose his family to the scandal that would ensue should he challenge her claim.

I found the character of Gray to be very appealing--a very decent, honorable man who is haunted by his father's lifelong rejection and his own guilt over his young wife's death. I will admit that I had trouble with the character of Maggie. She is a strong heroine but I could not like her willingness to let Gray pay for what were *her* own mistakes. Wanting to have a secure home for her son was her excuse for lying her way into Gray's life and she *never* came clean even when her lies were destroying Gray's life and his reputation with his family and closest friends. I frankly would have liked her alot better if she had stopped playing virtuous lady of the manor and made some attempt to do the right thing (i.e. support herself or at least admit the truth of the matter to Gray's family). She also refused to trust Gray with the story of her marriage and the possible murder of her false husband. This is obviously a plot device to prolong the suspense in the story, but it served to further alienate me from the character of the heroine.

Despite this reservation, "The Improper Wife" is a very well-written and enjoyable book. The sexual tension is very well done and the hero and heroine actually are given a chance to get to know each other before they fall into bed together!

Highly recommended!