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The Lady Most Willing...: A Novel in Three Parts
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The Lady Most Willing...: A Novel in Three Parts
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The Lady Most Willing...: A Novel in Three Parts
Ebook319 pages4 hours

The Lady Most Willing...: A Novel in Three Parts

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this ebook

From Julia Quinn, the author of Bridgerton—along with close friends and bestselling authors Eloisa James and Connie Brockway—comes a thrilling tale of  a snow-bound party in a Scottish castle.

And You’re Invited!

When Laird Taran Ferguson’s nephews refuse to find brides, he takes matters into his own hands, raiding a ball and bringing some lovely young ladies to his castle. Which author do you think escorted which heroine to the castle?

  • Miss Fiona Chisholm, a beauty with a scandalous past
  • Lady Cecily Tarleton, a lovely heiress—but she’s English
  • Miss Catriona Burns, a lady with no name or fortune, so clearly someone made a mistake!

When it comes to gentlemen, did Eloisa invite an earl so stern that he broke his engagement after a mere whiff of scandal? Did Connie suggest that the Duke of Bretton fall asleep in the carriage used in a kidnapping? Did Julia bring a rogue whose reputation proceeds him?

A novel in three parts, as fresh and charming as the Highland air, written by three of the very best writers of historical romance. 

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateDec 26, 2012
ISBN9780062107404
Author

Julia Quinn

#1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn began writing one month after graduating from college and, aside from a brief stint in medical school, she has been tapping away at her keyboard ever since. Her novels have been translated into 43 languages and are beloved the world over. A graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, she lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.  Look for BRIDGERTON, based on her popular series of novels about the Bridgerton family, on Netflix.

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Reviews for The Lady Most Willing...

Rating: 3.894578313253012 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Enjoyable romp.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have always had a soft spot for the literary convention of kidnapped brides ever since I saw the charming movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. It just tickled me that the right women would be shanghai'd, forced to spend time with one or more initially unappealing men and yet, in the brief time of captivity meet their perfect match. I know, I know. It's called Stockhausen's Syndrome. But not in romances; it's not creepy there. In romances, especially those set in crumbling, freezing castles in Scotland during a blizzard, this is a perfectly valid and heart-warming plot contrivance. And in this three part novel, written by three of the biggest and most popular names in romance, it is perfectly charming.In this collaborative novel, Taran Ferguson, the Laird of the Fergusons, has hatched a plan to find his two unmarried nephews brides. Taran himself has no children so his sisters' sons are his heirs and yet neither one shows any likelihood of getting married and providing heirs of his own any time soon. Robin, the Comte de Rocheforte was the son of Taran's sister and an impoverished French count so he doesn't have two nickels to rub together. And since he's the one who will inherit Taran's crumbling, desperately in need of a cash infusion castle, he must find an heiress, Byron, the Earl of Oakley, daughter of another of Taran's sisters, just suffered a broken betrothal when he discovered his fiancee in a clinch with her dancing master. But Taran wants both nephews married now. So when Oakley and Robin come for their annual winter visit, he and some of his loyal men raid a ball at the not too distant castle of an English lord and abduct some potential brides. The men carry off four women (one by accident as she's not an heiress) and because he happened to be sleeping in the carriage they comandeered, the Duke of Bretton as well. Once everyone is assembled at Finovair Castle, a blizzard traps all of them together, making the passes over which the women's potential rescuers must travel impossible, and guaranteeing that the eight main characters must spend some quality time together.Each of the three authors takes one couple as her focus, similarly to a novella but each pairing builds on the previous one as well. The most unifying thread of all is Miss Marilla Chisholme, the most beautiful of the group of women and an heiress to boot. She's quite pleased with the prospect of the titled gentlemen, acting fairly scandalously with each of the men in turn, hoping to capture the attention of one of them. But the Duke of Bretton and Catriona Burns, both accidental kidnappees, bond quite quickly. Finding that they are very much in synch with each other, they get to know each other deeply and seriously and wonder if the depth of their love can be real and sustaining. And so Bret is out of the running for the forward Marilla. Next she sets her sights on Byron, Earl of Oakley and he initially thinks that her complete lack of regard for convention and propriety, which is 180 degrees different than his former fiancee, might suit him. But he quickly realizes that instead of the flamboyant Marilla, he is in fact drawn to her older sister Fiona, who has a scandalous secret in her past. Between them, the stiff-rumped earl and the woman with a muddy reputation will have to decide if they care for society's misguided pronouncements on each of them or if they belong together. And so the rapacious Marilla zeros in on Robin, Comte de Rocheforte. But he and Lady Cecily Tarleton, the quiet English beauty who has a reputation for having a meek and compliant personality, have fallen hard for each other from the minute they set eyes on each other. Their chief hurdle to happiness together is reputed rakehell Robin believing that he is worthy of Cecily and proper Cecily being willing to drive her own future.Each of the love stories is fairly charming and Marilla's obvious ploys with the men lend an air of frivolity and strained hilarity to the enforced togetherness. Each of the characters is carefully written to be quite distinct which makes sense given the different writing styles of the authors. The biggest drawback to the novel is that each of the characters falls in love so very quickly and their stories start and finish over the course of three days, giving a rushed feeling to them, especially to Marilla's fate. But over all, historical romance fans, especially existing fans of these three authors, will thrill to this fast-reading, well-integrated collaboration.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Lady Most Willing is a story in 3 parts combined into one novel. It starts out when Taron Ferguson is too impatient to wait for his nephews to find brides, so he takes matters into his own hands and kidnaps four young women from Bellemere Castle during a Ball, and takes them with the Duke of Bretton's carriage--with the Duke sleeping inside it as well. When they arrive at Finovair Castle, with no way of getting rescued because of the bad snow storm. So the young ladies try to make best o fthe situation, despite Taran's high handed tactics. Thus begins this fun and witty three part story. I just fell in love with The Lady Most Willing, I just loved how these three amazing authors worked together to blend three stories into one novel that surprisingly flowed really well and so smoothly that there was no confusion. I just loved seeing the romances develop between these three couples and how well it was written you coudln't discern which author was which story, which made it flow real well, and didn't seem choppy in any way, which made me just love it even more. I also enjoyed the conflicts that each couple had to face, made it seem more unique and special. Overall a delicious book that combines the talent of three amazing authors and produces a three set romance that was humorous, fun, exciting, and endearing. One you don't want to miss this season!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is the second novel in the series from our renowned trio romance writers. I also like the first book ("The Lady Most Likely..."), but I like this one even better. This 2nd novel in three parts was set in Scotland. And when you put the wild, unruly, (almost barbarian) Scots, as the English thought of them (worse as some thought, when some of them were half Scot-half French!!) with the stiff-neck, uptight, straitlaced, arrogant English, as the Scots thought of them... they hardly ever have anything nice to say to each other, you know, long story, or rather long histories (but that's another story altogether). As if it isn't bad enough as it is, but when you put them together in a crumbling down, freezing cold and drafty Scottish castle with abduction of the lasses to boot for the purpose of getting a bride or two. Only one thing could happen... Mayhem! This is a fun book to read. I enjoyed it tremendously. So, don't miss this whether you're rooting for the English or the Scots.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Three of my favorite romance authors have written a new historical romance. The Lady Most Willing: A Novel in Three Parts is co-written by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, and Connie Brockway. It is a humorous tale of a drunk uncle trying to find brides for his two unmarried nephews by kidnapping some eligible Scottish ladies in the middle of winter.In December of 1819 Laird Taran Ferguson is bemoaning the fact that his line faces extinction if his two nephews don't wed and reproduce. To remedy this a drunken Taran and his clansmen decide to find Scottish brides for his nephews; Bryon (an English earl) and Robin (a French comte). So what better then to kidnap the potential brides? The fun begins when they discover that they have not only kidnapped 3 ladies, but an untitled woman and a duke. All are a bit peeved at Taran, but do not take his matchmaking seriously. They all try to make the best of a bad situation while waiting out a snow storm in Taran's castle.Of course, love blooms where you least expect it. Some had no plans of marriage, yet when the love bug bit minds are changed. It's fun watching the love grow of its own accord between the unlikely couples. Catriona Burns, an untitled woman, doubts that a duke can be serious about her. But John Shevington, the Duke of Brttwon, proposes and proves her wrong. From then on it's just a matter of time before everyone finds someone. Next up is the ruined lady Fiona Chisholm and nephew number one Byron Wotton, Earl of Oakley. They can't say no to each other. Lady Cecily Tarleton wants Robert Parles (Robin), Comte de Rocheforte, the minute she lays eyes on him; however, Robin needs a bit more convincing. After chasing every eligible bachelor, Lady Marilla Chisholm finally catches the instigator of this whole mess, Taran Ferguson.Check out this new historical romance filled with good-hearted characters and entertaining dialogue. This is a pleasant way to satisfy a historical romance craving.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    These 3 authors wove great stories with fun characters. I find it hard to pick my favourite.. I did find Marilla a bit much but I think her part in the story worked well. Looking forward to the next one when it comes out.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love house party romances, and this one is lots of fun. The, um, eccentric uncle of three unmarried young men kidnaps four single ladies from a nearby house, brings them to his castle, and waits for romance to bloom. Not surprisingly, it does! Each story is written by a different author -- Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, Connie Brockaway -- but they all fit together quite nicely. This is a fun Christmas read.

    Thanks to Edelweiss for an ARC of this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Julia Quinn's books are always a must read for me because I love her books so much. She always writes with such wit and humor that I find myself laughing as I read her stories. Her first collaboration with Eloisa James and Connie Brockway was sweet so I was eager to get my hands on this one.The story is broken down into 3 love stories and while I don't know for sure I have a feeling Julia Quinn wrote the first story about Bretton and Catriona. It had her trademark humor and I loved their story. Catriona's spunk and handling of the entire ridiculous situation was endearing. Especially if you consider she wasn't meant to be kidnapped in the first place.The other two stories were quite enjoyable as well though the love at first sight aspect of Cecily and Rocheforte's romance bothered me. I am not a huge fan of insta-love plots but it worked out ok.The only true downside for me was the role of Marilla who was obviously set up to be the obnoxious, title hunting lady that inadvertently pushes the other couples into their respective partners paths. While I understood her role she was so over the top it was almost like nails on chalkboard after a while.Still I really enjoyed this book and didn't want to put it down until I was finished. Julia Quinn fans definitely won't want to miss it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    If I hadn't known three authors were responsible for this book, I would have thought it written by just one. The characters all have their own voices, but the three stories within this book meld together really well. You can't really call it an anthology, but there are three distinct stories in this book.Taran Ferguson wants to see his two nephews married and with heirs soon. He takes matters into his own hands while they are visiting by helping himself to four ladies from a neighboring Christmas party and bringing them home for his nephews to pick and marry. In his raid he accidentally also kidnaps Lord Bretton as he is napping in his carriage. Now because of a snow storm all are stuck together, and romance is bound to happen.It's a pretty silly set up. But it's fun and cleverly written. The characters are great and the romances sweet. I do wish each section had been longer. I would have liked to have stuck around some of these characters a bit more. But overall, I thought a fantastic read.ARC provided through Edelweiss
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I specially like Julia Quinn's book. For the humour n wit throughout the story, n of course all the twist the story keeps readers surprised n laughing. and this book was no different.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a very enjoyable collection despite the farfetched premise. I could tell from the character introductions who would end up paired, but the fun is in watching it unfold. The stories went well together and none were total duds.

    Julia Quinn's was delightful, I chuckled and grinned to myself repeatedly throughout. 5 stars.
    Eloisa James's part was well written and worth reading, but I think our preferences for what is romantic just differ a bit. A man's possessiveness of a woman, for instance, does wonders for some people, and to others it feels slightly icky. This guy wasn't terrible or anything, I just didn't find him as likable or the couple as engaging as the other two. 3 stars.
    Connie Brockway's was nice, and had good romantic tension between the couple. 4 stars.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good book with a Seven Brides for Seven Brothers type of theme. Taran Ferguson, older, stubborn, and rather unique laird of his clan is determined that his two nephews marry soon to secure the family legacy. They aren't cooperative, so one night he raids a neighboring estate, kidnapping four young women from a ball. And, unintentionally includes one highly irritated duke. The two nephews are horrified by their uncle's actions and try to make the best of things. Thanks to the weather, they are cut off, with no way to return the ladies to their homes.The four women deal with the issue as befits their personalities. The first part of the book concentrates mainly on Catriona. Catriona is a local woman without much in the way of name or fortune, and according to Taran was taken by mistake. She is practical, familiar with Taran and his antics, and takes things as they come. John, Duke of Bretton, who was also an unintended captive, goes from irritated to amused pretty quickly, helped along by his growing interest in Catriona. I enjoyed their interactions, which were fun with a definite undercurrent of attraction. Catriona doesn't expect anything to come of it, as he is a duke and she is a nobody. John is smitten immediately and acts accordingly. The catalyst to his big moment was pretty funny, but the moment itself was sweet and romantic.The story then moves on to Lord Oakley, one of Taran's nephews. Taran immediately starts in on Byron, haranguing him for not making any obvious attempts at winning one of the heiresses. Having been burned recently by discovering his fiancée in the arms of another man, Byron is in no hurry to try again. He is also accused of being too stuffy to appeal to a woman, and compared unfavorably to the other men. He isn't too happy to find himself the target of the determined Marilla, and at one point hides in the library to escape her. This brings him into contact with Marilla's sister, Fiona, a much quieter woman. Fiona has her own history to deal with. Her fiancé fell to his death while trying to climb to her window. She has been blamed for it and her reputation ruined. She has given up fighting to get anyone to believe the truth and resigned herself to spinsterhood. Enter Byron, disturbing her refuge in the library. I loved their encounter, as Fiona has an enjoyable time poking holes in his stuffiness. Byron begins to understand why he is the way he is and becomes determined to change, spurred on by his attraction to Fiona. She has realized that she is attracted to him also, but that her reputation makes anything between them impossible. A cruel comment from Marilla puts a hitch in Byron's plans and hurts Fiona. I liked that Byron recovered quickly from his shock and his attitude and actions proved to be worthy of Fiona. Things got a little heated in the cold stable when he finally shared his feelings.The story is rounded out by Robin, Taran's other nephew. He is known throughout London as the Prince of Rakes. He is half-French, with an inherited title of Comte and little else. He hides behind his reputation so that he doesn't have to deal with the rejection of those who look down on him. He is struck dumb at the sight of Cecily, feeling that bolt of lightning that tells him that this is the woman for him. Except, she isn't. Cecily is the daughter of a wealthy earl, with a great fortune coming to her. She is young, beautiful, and seems to be the shy and retiring type that all the mothers want for their sons. The difficulty is that Cecily doesn't want one of those staid and boring men. She wants someone she can love and luckily has parents who have given her the freedom to choose. She also has much more confidence in herself than anyone realizes. She doesn't panic during the kidnapping, looking on it as something of an adventure. An adventure that becomes so much more when one look at Robin convinces her that he is the man she is meant to marry. But it isn't going to be easy because Robin is determined to do the honorable thing and stay away from her, while Cecily is equally determined to win her prize. It was great fun to see Robin fall more and more under her spell. I ached for him because he was so certain he was unworthy of her. Their scenes together were wonderful as they got to know each other, with the snowball scene being one of my favorites. I loved how Cecily really understood Robin and finally took matters into her own hands.I really liked all the characters except for Marilla. I found her incredibly annoying. She treated her sister horribly and completely ignored Fiona's attempts to guide her into proper behavior. She was selfish and spoiled. She set her sights on a man and behaved very inappropriately in an attempt to win him. When she would lose out to another woman, she would simply move on to the next one in line. She was totally oblivious to the way the men did their best to avoid her. I kept waiting for her to realize that none of them wanted anything to do with her.The epilogue was great, rounding out the Seven Brides for Seven Brothers theme with the arrival of the outraged fathers once the pass was clear. The confrontation in the chapel was terrific, especially when the pairings were revealed with one slightly surprising twist.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Reviewed by: RobinBook provided by: EdelweissReview originally posted at Romancing the BookA wonderful novel in three parts…each story separate yet very complimentary of the next. Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway found a very unique and refreshing way to tell a story.What would you do if you had to in order to ensure that your family name is carried on? Would you go as far as hatching a rather risky plan to kidnap some heiresses to marry off to your nephews? I know, it seems a little farfetched but after all this is a time when things were done a little differently. Now you would probably go onto Match.com or some other such website and search. But, Lord Taran Ferguson didn’t have a computer so after downing a bottle of scotch he and his band of men hatched the plan to kidnap four young women from Bellmore Castle hoping to find two that his nephews would find suitable.As most plans that are decided from a bottle of scotch this was no different and things took a different turn for poor Taran. I guess we shouldn’t say poor Taran because sometimes no matter how farfetched our efforts are they tend to have a way of working out. As Taran and his band left Bellmore Castle they got into the wrong coach only to pick up another unfortunate person in their scheme in the form of the Duke of Bretton who happened to be napping at the time. You think this would foul up Taran’s plans even more but no…I guess it is okay to say that the Scottish have their own share of luck. Having arrived at Finovair Castle just ahead of a huge snowstorm (of course), blocking all ways to the castle which helps Taran with his plan. That Scottish luck again. With the impeding storm they have nothing else to do but sit it out. This is where the fun so to speak takes place.The first part of the story is written by Julia Quinn. She brings to of the innocent bystanders to life in her tale. Catriona Burns was at the ball but she wasn’t one that Taran had intended to kidnap. She may be a gently bred young woman she has one thing against her she is from a poor family. This surprised Taran as he wanted only wealthy women for his nephews. That being said it kind of works in her favor as she teams up with the Duke of Bretton, who is there by mistake, as they decide to amuse each other as they watch what unfolds before them. Only fate decides to throw them together as we are along to watch the flirty and fun way that they fall for one other. I enjoyed this most I think. Well…As the second part unfolds we find the writing of Eloisa James as she takes on Fiona Chisholm. Fiona may be an heiress but she has shall we say a less than stellar reputation due to a previous fiancé who is no longer with us. With her red hair and glasses she thinks of herself as a wallflower especially when put next to her half-sister Marilla; who in her own right has decided to go through all the men to find the one who has the most money. Shall we say that Fiona isn’t the wallflower she thought herself to be as she catches the attention of Byron Wolton, one of the nephews that Taron wants to marry off. Byron being a little on the stodgy side is intrigued by the rather bookish, redhead who has a fiery spirit and ends up setting him on end. The beginning of a relationship filled with fierce love and lust running the gamut of emotions.The last part of the story is written by Connie Brockway and deals with love at first sight. Taren’s last nephew is Robin Parles who happens to be the heir to Finovair Castle. Robin has the reputation of being a lady’s man so to speak. Some of it may not be warranted but once labeled said label tends to stick with you. Robin is pitted up against Cecily. She is one determined young lady who tends to be on the quiet side. We soon find that her determined side decides that if she is to find a husband she will do the choosing, she will not be chosen. She sets her sights on Robin, who because of his roguish ways thinks that he isn’t good enough for her. Cecily disagrees realizing she has her work cut out for her if she is to change his way of thinking.As the snowstorm ceases the fathers of the girls storming the castle ready for war only to find that their daughters are extremely happy and as we have a… wouldn’t want to spoil the end. So I will let you read this story full of love for yourself.So there you have what is to be a story that has something for the romantic in everyone. To me I found this to be Regency Romance at its best. I got so caught up in the lives of these wonderful characters that there were times I felt that it was written by one person instead of three separate authors. I think I will head out to read the first in the series entitled ‘The Lady Most Likely’ while I await the next book…
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Felt very ‘meh’ about this book. I didn’t find any of the male characters to be that compelling. The plot was a little weak for me as well. I think books written by three separate authors can have this issue.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Okay story... interesting in some moments....then a bit less when the author was changed... :( Okay overall.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It was hilarious from beginning to the end. You ladies truly have a gift!