The Very Comely Countess

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful Cinderella story
Review: A thoroughly delightful book -- half Cinderella, half My Fair Lady. Very real characters and a great sense of place and period make thisstand above most regency-historicals. I also liked how hero/heroine aren't afraid to buck convention for love.

I see one of the other readers hear objects to the "dirt" in the story: helloooooo, the eighteenth century WAS dirty and Febreeze-free,a nd I respect the athor more for realizing that. That's one of the things I like best about Jarret's writing. She gives a realstory and not a prettied-up version.

Get this now before it goes out of print.

Rating:
Summary: Mediocre
Review: I'll start off by saying that my reaction to this novel is purely a matter of personal preference and is not based on Jarret's style of writing. I personally didn't like this novel for two reasons: 1) It seemed unrealistic. I mean, I just don't picture a member of the peerage encouraging another member to start a serious romance with a former orange-seller. At that time in history with all the strict class distinctions, this just wouldn't happen. At most, a girl in such a position would be made a mistress. 2) I couldn't get past the cockney accent. It really got on my nerves. If indeed the hero was going to try to pass the heroine off as his new mistress, he should have gotten someone to coach her in speaking.

Now, maybe some of my problems with this novel are solved later on in the novel, which I wouldn't know because I just couldn't bring myself to finish it.

Rating:
Summary: Ugh...
Review: This was awful. I've never read any of her books before, but after this one, I'll never read another one. I have no problem with an Earl marrying someone who is not of noble birth. In fact, I think it's kind of romantic. But not like this. She was the opposite of noble birth. She was a common, coarse, and dirty. And worst of all, she spoke with that freaking Cockney accent the ENTIRE book. Like bad grammar and poor diction are the kind of qualities I look for in a heroine. I kept thinking she would change, that they would fix her up, but no, she kept that awful accent and crass conversation the whole book. And no one seemed to notice or care. And on top of that, he hired her to pose as his mistress. But he kept stressing the fact to her that she wasn't his mistress...But since he was paying her, sleeping with her, and they weren't married, that would in fact make her his mistress...Save your [money], this book is NOT worth it!