A Lady Never Tells, 1

by Candace Camp

Book Overview

Meet three noble bachelors and a quartet of American girls of questionable manners New York Times bestselling author Candace Camp delights with an exciting new series featuring love, laughter, and intrigue. When Mary Bascombe's stepfather tries to sell her and her sisters to the highest bidder after their mother's death, she resolves to take drastic action. Although their British mother was estranged from her family, Mary decides the four will flee...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1439117977
• ISBN13: 9781439117972
• Release Date: April 2010
• Publisher: Pocket Star
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 1.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.5" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

Finding An Old Friend

I read Candace Camp years ago and slowly switched out of Historicals to Romantic Suspense. I am beginning to lose interest in Vampire stuff and if I read one more book about hot FBI agents I am not sure what I would be capable of doing. I decided to just see what Candace Camp has been up to in the last few years. I was almost afraid that the American girls were going to be "Annie Get Your Guns" wannabes, however, it was a delightful story. One that I thought if British society acted in any way like described in this book and a billion others, I am afraid I would have to agree with the Sisters. I re-discovered an old friend today as I lay out on my back deck on the first warm day of the year, thank you Candace and I am anxiously awaiting the next book.

Loved it!

I'm surprised by all on the reviews that gave this so few stars. I really enjoyed the book and I think that I'm really picky about what I like. I would recommend this book.

First in a series, but not slower because of it.

I have to confess that I sometimes hesitate to start the first book in a new series. It is usual for the first book to be slow and confusing due to the number of characters that must be introduced and made interesting (so you will keep coming back and buy the rest of the books). This book, which introduces four sisters, three brothers, and several other friends and relatives, somehow manages to avoid that fate. The story is interesting from the very first scene, the large cast of characters make natural appearances and are detailed in layers. The plot progresses in a natural manner, unimpaired by the number of people involved. The main characters of this book are painted with a wetter brush than the others and you get into their minds more, but all the others are well sketched out. Another reason to hesitate to start a series is the long wait between installments. I've been known to wait until near the end of a series to start reading it because, otherwise, I won't remember who's who or what happened when. This series is starting out on the right foot. The second book, A Gentleman Always Remembers, comes out right on the heels of this one. Hopefully, the wait won't be long for subsequent books since I'm already hooked. I like all the main characters despite the sisters (all named after flowers) sometimes being a bit too naive and impulsive (traits blamed on their being American). But they still have well-defined and individual personalities that are reasonably convincing for their time, place and background and (best of all) none of them is too silly. All three male characters show great promise. Interesting heroines are to be expected in historical romances. But but good, strong, likable, and believable heroes are much harder to come by. Royce, the step brother of the other two, is the hero of this book, and is a more endearing character than Mary (who is still a fine heroine). But you really get to love Oliver and Fitz and look forward to their stories. The four sisters have different temperaments and basically likable personalities. The long-term plot (which is to get all these people happily settled down) promises to be very enjoyable given the characters the author has created. I am the type of reader that prefers character-driven stories to action or suspense-driven ones. The "exciting" kidnapping subplot of this particular book does seem a little exaggerated but, in the interest of entertainment, you can sort of ignore the obvious stretching of plausibility and just enjoy the way this brings everyone closer and reveals their personalities. I would have preferred less action and more inter-action (or inner-action), but that's just me. On the whole, I really liked the book and am looking forward to the next. I think Candace Camp has a potential hit series on her hands and I, for one, have come to care about what happens to each and every one of the characters. So I'm in for the duration and I think that most readers will agree.

Start of what should be a wonderful series

Every year, it becomes harder and harder to find historical romances of this quality. I don't want vampires, completely unrealistic and ridiculous plots, the hero and heroine falling into bed on page 2 or 6 pages of clinical sexual detail (I actually counted the pages in one recent book I ended up throwing away before I finished it--I do recycle though!). Candace Camp has interesting characters, good dialogue, humor, and real romance. I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. I wish there were more younger authors following in her footsteps.

entertaining historical romp

In 1824, after burying their mother, the four Bascombe sisters (eldest sister Mary, Rose, Camellia, and Lily) leave America seeking their grandfather, the Earl of Stewkesbury, whom they never met because he has cut off their mom for marrying their dad. They have no idea how cold the reception will be, but hey have little choice. In London, a thief grabs the satchel of papers Mary held. Sir Royce Winslow stops the footpad and returns the bag to Mary. When they explain they are the grandchildren of Stewkesbury, he is stunned as the elderly curmudgeon just died and his stepbrother Oliver is the new earl responsible for the four females. Royce and fiery Mary are attracted to each other though he is a bit concerned over her skills with knives and guns. As they fall in love, they and her sisters prevent a kidnapping. The first Willowmere late Regency romance is an entertaining historical romp starring four wild female "colonists" taking the Ton by storm with their brazen antics; ironically none of the knife carrying siblings want to join high society though they do. Readers will relish misinterpretation, misfortune, and missteps as the four sisters invade England affirming that the barbarians crossed the Atlantic. Harriet Klausner