In for a Penny

by Rose Lerner

Book Overview

He thought her money was the end of his problems, but it was just the beginning...Young Lord Nevinstoke enjoys every moment of his deep-gaming, hard-drinking, womanizing life. Then his father is... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0843963352
• ISBN13: 9780843963359
• Release Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Leisure Books
• Length: 310 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.3" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

A wonderfully told story

I loved this book.It was written so beautifully. The characters were so real. We watch their relationship mature and grow and become so solid and honest and so enduring. I look forward to her next book.

A wonderful and realistic romance!

I read the raving reviews for this Regency romance in All About Romance and decided to give it a try as I am tired of reading mediocre and even straight-up bad ones lately. It turned out that this was one of the best story I've read in a very long time. The characters are both very likable and believable, not over the top like in so many romances. Both the hero and heroine are well developed and their genuineness will have you rooting for them from the beginning. In a land of romance where super macho alpha-males dominated, Nev is really a breathe of fresh air. He is definitely a beta male but that doesn't mean he is a wimp or that he is weak but merely he is sensitive to and concerned of other people's feelings and happiness, not just those of Penelope's but also those of his mother (though she is very annoying), his sister, his friends and even his ex-mistress. He is well aware of his shortcomings but instead of denying them he is ashamed and worked hard to change himself for the better. Penelope comes off a bit cold and practical in the beginning but having to grow up poor and being ostracized by the ton she tried hard to be a lady so she can feel accepted. I can feel her struggles to be accepted and her needs to make everyone like her, not knowing that Nev loves her the way she is. Instead of feeling resentful, Nev appreciates and even admires Penelope's intelligence and he was never ashamed of her background. It is really the small details that make this story so enjoyable and from these details you can slowly see the growth in the couple's relationship. Nev cutting her food in small pieces for her because he knows that is how she likes it, him wanting to figure out what is making her unhappy and fix it, him reading poetry to her and telling her he missed her at dinners when she was working on ledgers those nights. Nev is earnest and never gives Penelope Spanish coins and I liked that they openly communicate to each other even though they have to tell the hurtful truths sometimes. Their are no big misunderstandings and even with the ex-mistress and ex-boyfriend thrown in, they are not made into the typical villains. This is really a story of two people coming to love each other in spite of internal and external struggles and through mutual communication and appreciation. There are a few love scenes but they are there to move the story along and are very realistic so I didn't mind so much. Ms. Lerner's writing and prose are excellent and very original, can't wait to read her next book! This reminds me of Jane Austen and made me remembered why I read Regency romance in the first place!

Great debut Regency

I heard about this book on a blog and it sounded like it had the kind of plot that I like so I bought it as soon as the ebook version came out. I'm so glad I did. I loved this book. In general, I'm partial to Regencies where there are class differences between the two leads. In this book, the hero is your typical wealthy, feckless but good-hearted young aristocrat whose father fritters away the family money, then dies and leaves the hero broke, while the heroine is a sensible, down-to-earth brewery owner's daughter with a large dowry. Both of them are genuinely nice people and they both go into the marriage with every intention of trying to make it work even though they don't love each other initially. They face obstacles and misunderstandings at every turn, yet they both keep trying to work their way toward each other. I also loved that an important part of the plot was based on the social unrest that was going on in England in that time period. This is something that is normally never mentioned in Regencies so it was great to see it here. At the same time, it was well integrated into the story and didn't interrupt the flow of the romance at all. Because of this aspect of the plot, I felt like this book was fresh and new, not the same old story that's been repeated in a thousand other Regencies. I highly recommend this book and I'm looking forward to the author's next one.

An assured debut: historical romance with panache!

Perhaps you would like to read a romance with more going for it than bodice-ripping a-go-go, or a clever, well-researched yet never pedantic novel set seamlessly in Regency Era England. Rose Lerner's In For a Penny handily encompasses both themes, and adds a dash of sprightly wit. Sensible Penelope, in effect, "buys" her husband, and therefore has the upper hand in the relationship in many ways - not only because she has money, but because she understands it. Nev is a pleasant, raffish layabout who has dedicated himself to growing up and doing the right thing - and pleasing his bride in good faith, if not necessarily loving her from the outset. At first, it seems the young lord has bitten off more than he can chew when he returns to an ancestral home he hasn't seen in years, only to be met with haphazard accounts, unhappy tenants and ratcheting tensions. The locals meet their new lady of the manor with eyes askance and the couples' best intentions go awry. Class differences and social unrest are not merely nodded to, but an essential part of the plot. In fact, the book addresses the stiff, and at times stifling, social constraints of nearly every character introduced. The book's supporting characters are strongly drawn, and relationships are nuanced and complex, with sympathy even for the villain of the piece, Sir Jasper. In For a Penny features tenderness, giddy passion, flaring jealousy and moments of real suspense. If you enjoy lively characters, tight plotting, and fine turns of phrase, this deserves a spot on your reading list.

Wonderful Debut Regency

This is a very strong debut Regency--well-written, sexy, and grounded in its place and time. No wallpaper history here! If you like richly textured historical romances, be sure to give In For a Penny a try.