Deceiving Miss Dearborn

by Laurie Bishop

When Miss Annabelle Dearborn opens her doors to boarders, she meets a handsome stranger-a man with no memory, but one with the markings of nobility. As they begin to fall for one another, this man of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 045121014X
• ISBN13: 9780451210142
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Nice easy read,

I quite enjoyed this as a bit of a quick read through, nothing too overwhelming, just generally light. It is a bit more thoughtful than some of the Regency's about. Annabelle Dearborn is hard on herluck, the manor house has been turned into a boarding house for the better off, when suddenly a naked man is found in the barn. What and who he is really is cannot be known. Annabelle takes him on as an extra manservant. I really liked the build of of tension with the unknown and the needed between these two main characters. I found myself genuinely interested in the dilemmas that an unknown person with no memory could cause. In this day of cell phones, internet and telephones - where information can be received from all round the world instantly - the problem of not knowing and not having access to information seems a long way away, and it was nice to have a romance used to consider these aspects all over again. Also the issue of class, and society was really nicely done. Just how reputation and honour manifests itself and can easily be corrupted. I liked the characters and thought it a nice read. Will definitely try another book by Bishop.

Headline: Proper Spinster Falls for Naked Man In Barn.

Annabelle Dearborn was just trying to keep her family afloat. She had loyal servants and a sheltered Mama who all depended on her. The last thing she needed was to find a nameless, injured stranger with no memory NAKED in her barn...because of course her soft heart demanded that she nurse, feed, and DRESS him, even though they had little to spare.Mr. Wakefield (as he calls himself because he woke in a field), finds himself enchanted by the beautiful Annabelle who bravely cares for all in her charge. Annabelle is just as taken with the kind Wakefield who is the only person she can really talk to about all of her hopes and fears. Their fast friendship is quickly leading to love, but can Annabelle really trust the charming stranger? What if he regains his memory and remembers that he has a wife somewhere? And how can Wakefield give his heart when he has no idea who he is or if he has anything to offer a lady? And there is the question as to why Wakefield was stripped and badly beaten. Could someone want him...dead?

Excellent Second Book by Laurie Bishop!

Proving that her wondeful first effort, The Best Laid Plans, was no fluke! In Deceiving Miss Dearborn, Annabelle Dearborn has turned her father's manor house into an upper class boarding house in order to keep the roof over their heads and food on the table. Into this midst appears 'Mr. Wakefield' who awoke naked and beaten in a nearby road ditch, but who has no memory of who he is, or anything about himself. Annabelle, who badly needs another manservant, takes him on as a guest who works for his board while Wakefield heals and trys to recover his memory. In time the two find themselves attracted to each other. They are separated when Wakefield goes to London to seek his identity, and what he finds out complicates things for both of them. She in the meantime has come to London to sell her father's ruby ring, the only piece of jewelry left of value to support them, since the boarding house isn't doing well financially. In his discovery of who he is and what his real life is like, he tries to repay Annabelle for her kindness to him in the desparate situation in which he found himself, but misjudges things badly. Annabelle is forced to leave London for the country when Society starts drawing unfortunate and untrue conclusions about her, but in a delightful ending, the lovers are reunited.Secondary characters of the mother and aunt are well done, especially later in the book as more of the mother's character is revealed. The younger brother of Wakefield, btw, as well as Wakefield himself, comes from the first book The Best Laid Plans, where they were minor characters. It was fun seeing more of both of them this second time. Maybe we'll meet that younger brother again in another book? This book is more serious than some. It slows the blocks that Society in the early 1800's would put upon people: A true gentleman was bound by his word, and even slight differences in class were noted and taken into consideration. Anyone who enjoys reading Regency Romances will love Ms. Bishop's works. She writes with a true feel for the Regency period with both a great flair for the language of the day and a real talent for description that allows you to imagine you are truly there with Annabelle. This book is already on my Keeper Shelf and I am eagerly looking forward to her next book!