The Untamed Heiress

by Julia Justiss

Book Overview

Imprisoned as a child by her spiteful father, Helena Lambarth vowed upon his death to never again live under a man's rule. But to honor her mother's last wish, she journeys to London to enter society--and finds herself a reluctant houseguest of the dashing Lord Darnell. Adam, Lord Darnell, has little time to oversee the bedraggled hoyden he's agreed to sponsor. Saddled with his father's debts, he knows his one hope is to win the hand of wealthy Priscilla...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373771134
• ISBN13: 9780373771134
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Hqn
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

An incredible build up...

I was a little reluctant about this novel. I'm not a big historical romance fan, but after reading this book, it changed my mind. I had also missed the chance to read something by Julia Justiss and I am now determined to read more of her novels. The story is about a woman (Helena) who is abused by her "father." When he dies, she sets out to London to live with her mother's cousin (Lady Darnell). There, Helena gets to meet Lord Darnell (Adam), whom she finds increasingly interesting. Although he is set to marry another woman, Helena finds a way to retain the only man she has ever loved and spare him from being unhappy in his future marriage. Helena is a superb, dynamic character. She is very strong, yet sufficiently feminine, passionate and sensitive to make her one of the best female characters I have ever read about. She fights for what is hers, goes against the rules, and will do whatever it takes to finally have a moment of happiness. Adam is a great character as well. Although he avoids Helena due to his amazing attraction to her, he slowly begins to find that he is deeply in love with her and will do whatever it takes to be happy together. The story has a great build up. Helena's transformation from a battered, malnourished woman to a beautiful, strong minded heiress is done wonderfully. The passionate build up between the two characters finally ends with a big bang at the end. The last chapters are sure to be read in one sitting. Great characters, great story, great build up. An excellent novel.

This was an amazing book.

This was my first romance book, it was not over the top, and you just fall in love with Helena!! This is a great book and I would recommend it to anyone!

Absolutely her BEST!

While this is only my 2nd book by Ms. Justiss (the 1st being "The Courtesan") I thought it was absolutely wonderful! "The Courtesan" was OK, but "The Untamed Heiress" kept me turning page after page. I admit I thought certain things, such as the physical aspects of Adam's and Helena's relationship moved a bit slow, and Helena's continual lust for freedom cost those who truly loved her a bit to much heartache, but her plight from what she endured through her childhood to her growth of strength and independence, was very touching. Maybe I simply was able to relate to some of Helena's ordeals but this story definitely touched my emotions. And I much prefer the slow passionate old fashioned unveiling of love to the crude lust so many authors employ today. The secondary characters were just as good! I would really like to see Priscilla redeem herself with her own story and return to the girl of her childhood and the one Adam remembered and was initially attracted to. I think Priscilla has a lot of Helena-like qualities and with the right man, perhaps, Dixon (*gRiN*), would make just as good a read as "The Untamed Heiress." "The Untamed Heiress" was a beautiful love story! If you like charachters such as "Rhett and Scarlett" you won't be disappointed!

The Untamed Heiress-A Joyfully Recommended Title!

Helena Lambarth is celebrating the death of her father. She was a virtual prisoner in Lambarth Castle. Helena was abused by her father and separated from her beloved mother. Now that he is gone, Helena has traveled to London to meet with her mother's friend, Lady Lillian Darnell. Lord Adam Darnell needs to marry a wealthy woman. His father did not take care of the estate and his stepmother Lady Darnell spends excessively. As Adam contemplates this, he heads to retrieve poor orphaned Helena. Expecting a child, he is shocked to find Helena a woman who has clearly been mistreated. While Adam continues with his plans to marry the wealthy Lady Priscilla Standish, he is slowly coming to admire and respect Helena, who's beauty is also becoming a fierce temptation for him. Now, Adam's increasing desire for Helena is waging a war against his feelings of duty. In The Untamed Heiress, Helena is magnificent. She is beautiful, honorable, intelligent, innocent, unconventional and sensual, and I really enjoyed watching Adam fall for her. As the story progressed I was captivated by Adam and Helena's plight. Each character in The Untamed Heiress contributes to its dramatic storyline, but it's Adam and Helena who enchanted me in this incredibly moving and romantic story. Nannette Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Well-done historical

The heroine of "The Untamed Heiress" is an interesting character. Justiss does a good job of making her different from the run-of-the-mill heroine in that she's been physically abused by her father and cut off from the outside world since the age of 10. So, by the age of twenty she is wild and wary, but has retained some of the refinement that she gained from her mother before her mother is taken away. Helena, this heroine, is a unique mix of cultured bluestocking and untutored child. The hero, Darnell, is also a well-drawn character. He has compassion for her and honorable intentions while trying to fight his attraction for the beautiful woman she becomes. The plot moves along nicely and the dialogue is witty and true to the period. The only negative is the slightly sappy tone in the last few chapters. I could almost hear the violins playing and often wanted to roll my eyes. The two protagonists turn a bit mushy, and that's hard to take after watching their internal and outward struggles up to that point. Other than that, this is a very good offering by Julia Justiss.