Book reviews

The Reluctant Reformer
Lynsay Sands Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography History
Lynsay Sands Books
New book search
Lynsay Sands Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of The Reluctant Reformer
"

Leisure, Feb 2002, 5.99, 371 pp.
ISBN: 0843949740

    Lord James Huddleton promised to protect the sister of his now deceased friend. However in 1815 he never expected to learn from Bow St. that the sibling Margaret Wentworth is the notorious courtesan Lady X. As bad, the chit is heading to Madame DuBarry's establishment frequented only by male members of the aristocracy.

    Not sure how to reform the fallen lady, who apparently has had sex with everyone but him, James kidnaps Margaret even though she denies his accusations. However, James soon finds himself falling in love with his captive who reciprocates his feelings. As he learns that she is not Lady X, James needs to keep his beloved safe, as someone wants her dead.

    James is a caring individual who sticks by his word though no one but he knows what he vowed. However, he also learns that good intentions can prove a strange road. The identity crisis is amusing, as readers who like an earnest battle between the sexes will laugh a lot. Though Margaret's danger adds excitement, that subplot spins away from the prime theme of THE RELUCTANT REFORMER. Still, Lynsay Sands furbishes an engaging tale that the Regency crowd will find delightful.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

"This is a story of a debt of honour and mistaken identities. Maggie's brother died at Waterloo saving James' life, so he feels a debt to protect the man
s sister, Maggie. His investigator has told him she has no money, yet she seems to be making ends meet. This puzzles him, until the investigator follows Maggie to a Bawdy house. There is a woman, of the nobility, who works there in mask, as Madam X. She is the toast of the males in London, and as James checks to confirm this, he finds Maggie in the house masked! Acting, he kidnaps her and tells her he is trying to protect her for her own good.

Maggie is at first scared of James, then puzzled since she knows her brother adored and respected him, and finally outraged when she finds out he thinks she is supporting herself as the mysterious Madam X.

It is so funny, warm and delightful. Lynsay gives you a gentle romp with her usual side-splitting situations, that always leaves you with a smile on your face"

DeborahAnne MacGillivray, Resident Scholar


Get your copy of the book

Review Analysis of The Reluctant Reformer
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story - 18th century
Hidden Identity/Secret Motive Yes
Is really... - rich/upper class
Captor, in love with Yes
If one lover chases another... - he chases after her

Main Male Character
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
How sexual is this person? - very picky - several sexual encounters
How romantic is this person? - very romantic - somewhat romantic
Sex makes him - more demanding
Sex has good effect on him Yes
Sex makes him - blissful
Sex has bad effect on him Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic - average physique

Main Female Character
Age/status: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King - journalist
Eccentric/Mental: Yes
Eccentric: - eccentric
How sexual is this person? - very picky
How romantic is this person? - very romantic - somewhat romantic
effect of sexing - confused - scared
Sex has bad effect on her Yes
Sex has good effect on her Yes
Effect of sexing - blissful
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic - average physique

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
Misc setting - Fancy Mansion

Style
Person - mostly 3rd - rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death - generic/vague references to death/punishment
What % of story is romance related? - 60% - nearly 100%
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - descript of kissing - touching of anatomy - actual description of sex - descript. of female anatomy (the big B's)
Focus of story - equally on him and her
How much dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
How much sexing? - 1-2 sex acts
Most similar books to The Reluctant Reformer
Island Flame by Karen Robards
The Earl and the Pickpocket by Helen Dickson
Night Wind's Woman by Shirl Henke
Royal Seduction by Jennifer Blake
Once A Pirate by Tammy Hilz


Click here for more information about this book


Lynsay Sands Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
DeborahAnne MacGillivray  

SCHOLARS:
Tanya  reggi  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Romance books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Action/suspense subplot?

Captor, in love with

Caretaker, in love with

Children/Pregnancy

Difficult/unusual lover?

Family focus?

Fantasy/Magic

Forbidden/mismatched love?

Hidden Identity/Secret Motive

Inner struggle subplot

Love Triangles/Polygons

Lovers are competitors

Making a living subplot

Marriage/Married

Matchbreaker

Matchmake, (will/family)

Phone/email/mail relationship

Pygmalion--From Wench to Woman

Searching/Rekindling love?

Seduction/coercion/force

Sex/Erotic story, Primarily

Sports training/competing story

Time Travel

Virgin, dramatically devirginized



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
Feedback
About us
Bribe your congressman!
Rudy Giuliani



Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
.
Anna Fynn 9:37:25 AM
Christina Crawford 8:40:57 AM
John Marsden 8:12:45 AM
Lilian Jackson Braun 5:32:11 AM
Dennis Patrick Michels 4:59:47 AM
George W. Bush 2:03:13 AM
Christopher Paolini 1:41:21 AM
Iris Johansen 12:14:50 AM
Livia Bitton-Jackson 10:56:38 PM
Ellen Hopkins 9:55:06 PM
Lauren Myracle 9:44:43 PM
Mary Downing Hahn 9:21:46 PM
K.A. Applegate 8:02:14 PM
Patricia Cornwell 7:33:39 PM
Gerald Morris 6:41:37 PM
Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer 5:43:18 PM
Jean M. Auel 5:21:00 PM
Suzanne Collins 4:46:21 PM
Julie Garwood 4:30:26 PM
Erin Hunters 4:22:42 PM

More message boards