A Notorious Lady (Zebra Regency Romance)

Rating:
Summary: very pleasant traditional regency with a slight twist
Review:
Here is a slightly different traditional regency from Zebra. Our heroine, the widowed Lady Eleanor, is indeed a woman with a past. Stifled in an arranged marriage,
she dared to take a chance at love and was abandoned by the father of her child.
She fled to a small town outside Cambridge and even though her husband claimed the child as his own, she has lived a secluded life with her son trying to live down
her notorious past.

John Caldwell is a sweet Beta guy. He's puzzled as to why this Lady is so
cold towards him initially but since he's not a member of the ton, he doesn't know
of her past. As John is a self made man and has to watch his step in Trinity
College society, he soon learns that his growing friendship with the reclusive
widow and her son could cost him dearly.

Catherine Blair has written a sweet, gentle character centered love story.
Since it's set outside of London and the Season, we get a refreshingly
different look at regency society and a reminder that those who fell from
grace did indeed have to worry about "what society would say."

The main characters are people I felt happy spending more time with
and for whom I rooted all the way. Especially nice is the relationship
between John and Eleanor's son William who truly does act like an
eight year old boy. The pace of the romance is slow and steady
and never gave me the feeling I was watching 21st century people
playing at dress-up.

If I have a qualm, it is in how Eleanor is suddenly accepted by
a large section of the female society around Cambridge and in
her small village after having spent eight years there feeling as if
she would be shunned if she dared poke her head outside. The
resolution of the outside conflict also felt a bit fairy tale like, even
if it was nice to see the minor villain get his comeuppance.

Rating:
Summary: a good, out-of-the-ordinary 3 1/2 star read
Review: Catherine Blair's latest Regency-era is not your usual fare: it features a nobly born heroine with a scandalous past and a humbly born hero who also happens to have a chip on his shoulders. Tied to a previous novel "A Scholarly Gentleman," "A Notorious Lady" focuses on the story of the scandalous Lady Eleanor Whitcombe, whose painful and colourful past, affected the lives of both the hero and heroine of "A Scholarly Gentleman." This is Lady Eleanor's tale.

After her "fall from grace," beautiful Lady Eleanor Whitcombe retired to Potton (a small village near Cambridge University) in order to raise her son, William. In Potton, Lady Eleanor hoped to live down her notorious reputation and to be left in peace. She has only one friend, Jordan Blakley DeVaux, who knows the most intimate details of her past, but who, nevertheless, has stood a friend, helping her move to Potton and helping her raise William. And for years, he has been urging Lady Eleanor to shed her quiet life and to socialize more; and for years Lady Eleanor has turned a deaf ear to his pleas, until now. A chance meeting with a colleague of DeVaux's raises all kinds of feelings in Lady Eleanor that she had thought dead: anger, disdain and attraction. Professor John Caldwell, Lady Eleanor discovers, just happens to be a totally aggravating, judgemental and sinfully attractive man, whom she quickly realizes, is attracted to her in spite of himself. Should she unbend and allow the man to become a friend? Years of being judged, insulted, cut and propositioned has taught Lady Eleanor caution. But would any harm come from allowing John Caldwell to become a friend, especially since William likes him so? And what to do about her conflicting feelings for John Caldwell? Will he be satisfied with a respectable friendship? Would she? Suddenly Lady Eleanor is confronted with decisions and choices long closed to her...

"A Notorious Lady" was a very well written book, that made for some sobering reading. Catherine Blair did a magnificent and unsentimental job of painting Lady Eleanor's plight. Not many Regency-era romance novels possess heroines who are fallen women, and the author's stark rendering of what Lady Eleanor's life has been like since her move from London, raised the level of this particular novel above most others, I thought. It was truly easy to empathize and sympathize with Lady Eleanor. John Caldwell, on the other hand, was a little more difficult to relate to, mainly because he keeps failing to come up to snuff when he's obviously supposed to! But even that quibble fades away since he behaves satisfactorily in the end, when it really counts. However, while this is a well written, nicely pace, out-of-the-ordinary novel, I did feel that more could have been made of the romance between Lady Eleanor and John. Somehow the story of Lady Eleanor's sobering circumstances somewhat eclipsed the romance angle of the story. However, this quibble aside, "A Notorious Lady" is still worth recommending as a good, worthwhile read.

Rating:
Summary: Different, in a good way.
Review: John Caldwell, now a professor at Cambridge, is a man of humble beginnings. He grew up in Cheapside, and he has little tolerance for London gentry. When he meets Eleanor Whitcombe ("Lady" Whitcombe, a widow), he expects her to radiant and uppity. However, she is not what he expected. She aloof, not flashy, and overprotective of her son. Professor Caldwell is intrigued. The more he gets to know her, the more he wants to unravel her mystery. Why would any lady of society choose to tuck herself away in a small town?

Wherever Eleanor goes, her scandalous past seems to follow her. She made bad judgements in the past, and she desperately seeks a new beginning. Her long-time friend, Lord De Vaux, introduces her to Professor Caldwell, whose endless questions are sometimes infuriating. Lady Whitcombe didn't want to let any man into her life... but Mr. Caldwell makes it difficult.

Bottom line? Catherine Blair delivers another enjoyable story. It is bold and romantic, and very easy to read. While the characters were not always loveable (they have their faults--especially Eleanor), you find yourself rooting for them in the end. As Caldwell unravels the mystery, so does the reader. There are little surprises the whole way through. Overall, very enjoyable!