Cat and the Countess

Rating:
Summary: Pleasant Little Romance
Review: "Round and full and plump..." With these words, Casey Claybourne lets the reader know that Lady Elizabeth Pemsley is not your average heroine. But if you are a little weary of stories populated by lean, brave women, you'll be pleasantly surprised by this gently flawed, but lovable, Countess, and her reluctant protector, American "half-breed" Wildcat MacInnes.

As the story opens, Lady P's hands are - literally - in Wildcat's pants, though not in search of erotic release. Elizabeth, you see, is bedevilled by keptomania. Married at an early age to a man old enough to be her father, she has been left to fend for herself in London society after his death. Elizabeth has lots of secrets and is beset with terror at the prospect of having to function on her own and on behalf of her young son, amongst London's elite. She is turning too quickly to another marriage with the noble, uninspiring, Marquess of Cresting, Peter Ballatine; she is also turning to food, to the detriment of her stays, and to the unconsious comfort of "pinching" things. She has amassed a veritable treasure trove of useless items filched from one person or another over the months since her husband's death. When her path crosses with MacInnes, however, she is in trouble: she takes his most valued possession, a bandolier bag made for him by his Delaware mother. Wildcat is intent on retrieving it, and Elizabeth is dead-center in his crosshairs as he single-mindedly pursues his goal. To go any further in a description of the plot, would be to reveal too many delightful surprises. Suffice it to say that CC develops an ingenious subplot involving Elizabeth's future in-laws and MacInnes, who ultimately has to make several choices about what's really most important to him. The surprises at the end leave the reader feeling sympathetic to ALL the characters, which is also quite a feat.

The dialog is just plain funny in an un-self-conscious way; the sexual scenes are understated but provocative; and all the characters are developed with empathy and depth (even the dragon mother-in-law-to-be). I especially found staid Peter Ballantine to be a kind, thoughtful, and ultimately generous man. This is a different kind of story, and I recommend it without reservations - for me, it's definitely a keeper.

Rating:
Summary: Plump heroine
Review: Heroine: plump/voluptuous

A desperate Elizabeth Langham is harboring a terrible secret. She's possessed of a nervous tendency towards relieving the people around her of their personal effects. Should the ton ever find out, her chances at landing her suitor, a bland yet wealthy Marquis, will become nil. Worse still, she and her young son will be drummed out of polite society completely.

A trip to the stationer's to buy a pen set for her darling offspring, before he leaves home to attend a young gentleman's school in the countryside, has Elizabeth feeling particularly agitated. On this outing she "pinches" a bit more than just a trinket, she also pats down the well-formed backside of the tall man in line before her!

Visiting American Wildcat MacInnes realizes too late that his cherished bandolier bag has gone missing, and is certain the soft gentlewoman from the stationer's knows something about it. But of what use would such a thing be to a genteel women like that? The handsome Lenape warrior quickly becomes convinced that like the other aristocratic lovelies he's encountered, Elizabeth is just trying to lay the foundation for a tryst with him.

Wildcat searches out the pale beauty, bent both on retrieving his prized possession as well as taking the lady up on her offer. But he never expected their brief liaison to soften his stoic heart, and soon finds himself willing to do anything for Elizabeth, even if it means going to Newgate prison in her stead!

What worked for me:

Elizabeth's "sticky fingers" issue was very unusual and made for some creative plot twists. The opening in particular was an excellent example of this, employing both a bit of humor and a hint of sensuality in the way Elizabeth picked Cat's pocket.

Size-wise Elizabeth was quite plump and had no qualms about it other than the pain of trying to keep her stays laced as tightly as possible.

What didn't work for me:

Elizabeth was sweet, but a bit on the dependent side, which really didn't make much sense given her history. (I also didn't particularly care for her other dangerous secret, and found it difficult to see how she managed to move about in Society, even with an Earl on her arm.)

I couldn't quite get into Wildcat either. His character was a bit underdeveloped and just didn't ring true to me, or at least his experiences in London didn't. A 6'9" Lenape brave, even if he's half Scot, doesn't seem likely to be accepted by the haute ton.

And how did Elizabeth's best friend and almost sister-in-law Valerie have the opportunity to get herself into so much trouble? You would have thought that despite her ripe old age of twenty-two, Valerie's dragon of a mother would have been keeping her gimlet eye on her wild daughter at all times. Or at least would have employed a duenna who would have kept her in line...

Another case of tumbling into bed before a declaration of love...

Overall:

A solid read for fans of sensual Regency-settings or Native American heroes.

Warning: there are some steamy scenes in this book...

Rating:
Summary: Pleasant Little Romance
Review: I picked up this book because of the cute cover. I kept reading to see how the story could ever end happily with these odd characters staying true to themselves. It did end happily for all concerned.

This is just average little Regency romance with a couple of little twists. The heroine is a kleptomaniac. The hero is a Native American/Scottish in full native costume. In London, this draws a few stares & causes him a few problems along the way. The two meet because she tries to pickpocket him. How do an heiress & a man from a totally different culture & part of the world melt their worlds together? That is what I wanted to find out....

Rating:
Summary: Very Pleasant
Review: I'm torn when it comes to this book.
The Pros: completely unique characters with an equally unique plot. A fat kleptomaniac lady of the court hooking up with a hottie Native American? Dang, count me in! Could she BE more creative? I'm so impressed that not only did she make this an interacial couple, but she also made the heroine full-figured, and that alone would make me fall head over heels in love with Casey Claybourne.
On top of this the love scenes are nothing less than inspired. I actually have them underlined for the occasional erotic pick-me-up or simply to make me feel good about my own body.
The Cons: It pains me to admit that the author's writing style is weak and wishy washy. The character developement, as fascinating as the characters were, was especially bad in the case of Cat, the hero. In addition, the relationship between the two stars of the book was shallow. The boundless potential of this book, in both it's characters and plot line, fizzled. To be fair, it would be difficult to pack these larger-than-life characters into a regularly sized romance novel.
Regardless, it's on my top bookshelf proudly displayed and it was worth the price and time to read, so I do recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Very Pleasant
Review: I'm torn when it comes to this book.
The Pros: completely unique characters with an equally unique plot. A fat kleptomaniac lady of the court hooking up with a hottie Native American? Dang, count me in! Could she BE more creative? I'm so impressed that not only did she make this an interacial couple, but she also made the heroine full-figured, and that alone would make me fall head over heels in love with Casey Claybourne.
On top of this the love scenes are nothing less than inspired. I actually have them underlined for the occasional erotic pick-me-up or simply to make me feel good about my own body.
The Cons: It pains me to admit that the author's writing style is weak and wishy washy. The character developement, as fascinating as the characters were, was especially bad in the case of Cat, the hero. In addition, the relationship between the two stars of the book was shallow. The boundless potential of this book, in both it's characters and plot line, fizzled. To be fair, it would be difficult to pack these larger-than-life characters into a regularly sized romance novel.
Regardless, it's on my top bookshelf proudly displayed and it was worth the price and time to read, so I do recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Funny and Entertaining
Review: This was my first Ms. Claybourne book. I found Elizabeth's "Vice" to be original and quirky, and her hero to be strong and sexy. But the best part was that Elizabeth wasn't your typical Barbie Doll figure that are in most books. She was a normal, full figured woman with flaws like the rest of us. And she manages to snare a hunky Half Indian with a personality any woman would love. If you love a fast paced, wonderful read, then this book is for you!