He is much older than her probably 35 or He also has a mistress of 10 years which he intends to keep. He has the mistaken idea that he will tame Caroline she wears breeches, shots arrows and rides fast horses. He is very set in his ways and controling. I did not like that he gave his mistress a grey pearl and on the same day gave his wife a white pearl.
I always thought the grey were more expensive. He talkes her to his friends house and are nothing but whores there entertainingthe men. He learns she is going to do what she wants as she refuses to stay in her room and joins them at dinner. His mistress aproaches her at a ball and tells her who she is. She also is wearing his creat on her dress. Caroline comes home with his hated enemy the only way she could leave the ball.. He had gotten Anthony"s sister pregnant she lost the child. She is an outcast in the country.
He sends Caroline to his sister but she runs away. He now has to find her. THey both have to make adjustments to have a HEA he more than she. He remained overbearing up to the very end. I still liked the book best of all three. Caroline Montague is a wilful, independent woman by Regency standards! However, to save her father's estate from ruin she is married off to the equally strong-willed Earl of Ravensbrook. Once married, they both try to tame each other and sparks fly, in more ways than one! However, behind these husband-wife scenes lies the evil, but very smooth and charming, Viscount Charlyle who is set on destroying Caroline just as he previously ruined the earl's sister.
All this leads to a stormy climax at the Prince Regent's Twelfth Night Ball when Caroline discovers that she isn't the only source of her husband's affections.
This was a great read, which I would highly recommend to anyone who loves historical fiction and Regency romances! I have read many romance novels set in varying time periods that some blend with another. This one stood out with its nod to the Bard and a delicious and fiery pairing. If you want a book to curl with and smile while fanning yourself during heated moments or chuckling at the verbal sparring, then this one is a good pick. This story was so exhilarating that I could not put it down.
I had to read the entire book in one day.
- How to Tame a Willful Wife (Shakespeare In Love , book 1) by Christy English.
- Ghosts of Futures Past: Spiritualism and the Cultural Politics of Nineteenth-Century America.
- Texas Wild: An Erotic Tale of the Old West.
- Christy English Book List - FictionDB.
- La vérité sur les gestes (ED ORGANISATION) (French Edition).
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There was moments during my reading that my heart was actually beating radically in anticipation of how the story was to proceed. I did not like all the fighting the couple did in the story. To much back and fourth. I did not find it an easy light hearted book. That is just my taste. Life is too stressed as it is. I don't like to read about more stressed couples. Mass Market Paperback Verified Purchase. Bar none, this is the worst book I've ever read. Caroline is a very easy heroine to like. I am quick to enjoy books in which the heroine is feisty — and courageous and independent within the restrictions with which she must live — and Caroline delivers at every turn.
I loved her fencing in particular, and her determination not to give up all she is, all she dreams of, just because she is told to do so. Anthony is a fascinating hero: At times I could quite happily have shouted at him; other times I could quite happily have hugged him. The passion between them is just what the reader wants from such a book: Above all, I loved the story.
Plenty of mystery and tension to keep me turning the pages, a couple of dangerous and emotive spanners in the works, and an ending that had me closing the book with a satisfied smile. How to Tame a Willful Wife is available now from Amazon; click on the book cover below to visit the store. Love, mystery and desire under the scorching Spanish sun. He is also arrogant, possessive, domineering and controlling - very apt considering upon whom he is modelled. But in order for him to function as a romantic hero, he has to have a few redeeming qualities, or the reader has to be able to see some developments in his character throughout the course of the story to indicate that he is capable of self-reflection and change; that there is at least the possibilty that he and his lady-love will continue to be happy after the story has ended.
Sadly, I didn't feel there was much - if any - character development in Anthony. Indeed, he has a massive and highly irrational fit of jealousy towards the end of the novel and there is no real indication that he is never going to display such distrust of Caroline again: His redeeming feature seems to be that he's a red-hot sex-god between the sheets or up against the door, wall, on the table, the rug or in the carriage but while he's sexy as sin, he's not the sharpest tool!
I'm sure that, at the time the novel is set, it was quite the done thing for a woman to obey her husband without question - and that's what Anthony expects. It's unpalatable for the modern reader although certainly it's in keeping with Anthony's role as the Petriccio of this story. But the thing is, the only reason for the witholding of any explantion for his instructions is because Caroline NEEDS to be ignorant of his reasons in order for the plot to work.
And to make it even worse, Anthony tells Caroline his orders are to secure her own safety - but he won't tell her what he's so desperate to keep her safe from! As to Caroline, she's not really all that "wilful". She's headstrong and used to doing as she likes - but then so are thousands of other romantic heroines.
- Captive.
- How to Tame a Willful Wife (Shakespeare in Love): Christy English: theranchhands.com: Books.
- Dont Let Go;
She's not happy at being married so quickly or at her husband's high-handedness but at the first sign of a disagreement or indication they should actually talk he's only got to touch her or look at her and she melts into a puddle of goo and they end up shagging each other senseless instead! There were a couple of times where she acted stupidly and with complete disregard for her own safety, simply to assert her independence which made ME want to smack her, so at least there were times I could sympathise with Anthony!
I can forgive much in a romance novel in terms of the storyline if the characterisation is good and can care about the people I'm reading about. But in this book, there was no depth to the principals and although backstories were hinted at, these were not explored sufficiently enough to explain their motivations. On a more positive note, the writing was generally good although there were certain repetitions which began to get irritating after time and the sex scenes were pretty hot.
But overall, I don't think this "re-working" worked. With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. View all 6 comments. Sep 11, Tara Chevrestt rated it liked it Shelves: Not a bad novel. I didn't love it, won't read it again, and I'll divulge my reasons, but for those seeking a fun historical romp with a ton of sex, this would be your cup of tea.
It's a "retelling" of sorts of the Taming of the Shrew. There's even a funny moment when the play itself is mentioned. Caroline is "sold" to the most worthy bidder for her lovely hand. She marries Anthony and gives him heirs and he pays off her family's debts. But in the process, he wishes to tame her. If he has his way, Not a bad novel. If he has his way, the girl who rides astride wearing breeches and throws knives in the house will be no more.
At first I found her amusing and cute. She does stand up to him In actuality, the worst rebellion she does is continue playing with knives behind her husband's back. Their whole marriage, the conflict they face, the plot, is really just a lack of communication.
The story began to grow repetitive for me after a while. He struts and says, "You are mine.
She gasps beneath him. She plays with knives. They have more sex. She plays with knives They never really talk, just have lots of sex or have a brief power struggle. I was expecting more humor in this, so I'm somewhat disappointed, but I believe people looking for a lot of sex and a mega alpha male will love it. Personally, I hate alpha males, especially ones that don't change enough in the end. And I thought him really stupid. Whereas I got he had to be a jerk to go with the theme here, forbidding your wife to play with knives AFTER she fends off an attacker with one is just I never grew to like the guy.
Sep 12, Jenny Q rated it really liked it Shelves: Anthony Carrington, Earl of Ravensbrook, is doing his former commanding officer and close friend a favor by marrying his daughter and saving the family from bankruptcy. No wife of his will be out riding stallions, competing in archery competitions, and taking fencing lessons! But once he has a moment alone with the tempting beauty, he decides that taming her may be a rather delightful endeavor, and that he is exactly the right man for the job. Caroline Montague is not happy at being forced into marriage with a man not of her choosing, but she loves her father and is prepared to do what she must to save him from ruin.
Unfortunately, her new fiance rubs her the wrong way from the moment she discovers him waiting for her in her darkened bedroom. His invasion of her privacy and ridiculous assumptions about marriage and her role in his life light a fire in her, but his handsome looks and commanding presence also light a fire in her, of a very different sort indeed. But is his interest in her purely sexual? Why does he keep her secluded on his estate? And because he is, Caroline feels entitled to keep a few secrets of her own.
And there are also some outside forces working against our couple. Anthony has a bitch of a former mistress who is not happy about being let go after ten years of faithful service. And the more he warns Caroline away from his enemy Lord Carlyle, the more leverage Carlyle gains against him. And you just know all of that is going to hit the fan in epic style at the Twelfth Night ball where Anthony is finally going to show his beautiful country bride off to the Prince Regent and the rest of the London ton.
I really enjoyed this romance. I'm not normally a big fan of storylines where the hero sees the heroine for the first time and vows he will have her in his bed at all costs, and that's pretty much the way this one starts out. But it ended up working really well in the long run. I liked both of the lead characters--they were very nice foils for each other. There's a big age difference between them, and I thought it was handled very realistically. There is a lot of good, angst-y tension, and the story zips right along, interspersed with quotes from The Taming of the Shrew. It's pretty sexy too: I thought it was a very good start to Ms.
English's Shakespeare in Love series, though I did feel like the storylines involving Anthony's sister and his best friend were introduced only to be left hanging, I'm assuming and hoping that's because we'll be seeing them again in stories of their own. It's been twenty years since I saw a production of The Taming of the Shrew and I don't remember much, so I can't judge how well the story does or does not follow the theme, and How to Tame a Willful Wife is light on the history, but it is a very satisfying romance, and that ending--oh!
The reader has to wait awhile for Anthony to finally come to his senses, but when he does, it's totally swoon-worthy! Fans of Regency romance should really enjoy this one. View all 8 comments. Nov 10, Elis Madison rated it really liked it Shelves: This one's a pretty good revisitation of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew , which just happens to be one of my favorite plays, exactly because it's so obnoxiously not politically correct although I think the Bard intended Kate's last monologue to be delivered with sarcasm, so maybe he was a little bit of a feminist.
Anyway, given the source material, you can probably guess the character makeup. Caroline Montague's a willful vixen who gee I wish they could find a better way to show us that This one's a pretty good revisitation of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew , which just happens to be one of my favorite plays, exactly because it's so obnoxiously not politically correct although I think the Bard intended Kate's last monologue to be delivered with sarcasm, so maybe he was a little bit of a feminist.
Caroline Montague's a willful vixen who gee I wish they could find a better way to show us that Regency gals are hoydens wears breeches and fights with swords and knives and outshoots men at the archery range. Anthony Carrington, of course, is a domineering putz who intends to "tame" her so that she's a "proper" wife read meek and docile and pretty much having the personality of a hairpiece, but nice window dressing. Her ever-loving pop is auctioning her off to a bunch of wealthy suitors in exchange for enough dinero to keep the family estates out of the crapper.
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The the first couple times this pair connects, the hero's so abrasive that I expect, when Caroline learns that he's the guy her daddy's chosen, that she would go to Daddy who does kinda like her even tho he's treating her like a heifer at a cattle auction and beg him to pick anyone else. But she's not that much of a willful gal, apparently, because she's all, "I'll do my duty. He's doing something for the Prince Regent.
But there's also the other "business. You can guess where that's headed. There are lots of contretemps over Caroline riding in breeches, fighting with swords, keeping knives on her person. What she doesn't know is the reason her "free" behavior threatens him. Seems he had a very spoiled, hoydenish sister who hooked up with his worst enemy. The guy "besmirched" his sister for a week or two and then dumped her—if it weren't for the Regent's help, Anne would be ruined.
As it is, she's hiding away at, well, a hideaway. And the schmuck is still lurking about, looking for other ways to mess with Anthony's life. You can probably see where that's going, too. OK, so it's a bit predictable. Still very nicely written, with an interesting take on Prinny, and, other than the HEA is a bit too easy view spoiler [ seriously, I'd think she'd never want to see another pearl again, and it sorta pizzed me off that she apologized for hurting him but he never verbally acknowledged his own assholery , hide spoiler ] the story really had me engaged.
Apr 27, Lisa rated it really liked it Shelves: Anthony Carrington, Earl of Ravenbrook, is ready to take a bride and have his heirs so he expects his bride, the one he paid for, to do what he says and enjoy her life in the country while he can still entertain in the city. Caroline Montague is not that woman. She likes to ride astride in breeches, fence and takes lesson in handling a dagger, which is never far from her side. She cannot believe the man her father has picked out for her, a man that can not accept her as she is but she knows her Anthony Carrington, Earl of Ravenbrook, is ready to take a bride and have his heirs so he expects his bride, the one he paid for, to do what he says and enjoy her life in the country while he can still entertain in the city.
She cannot believe the man her father has picked out for her, a man that can not accept her as she is but she knows her duty and marries Anthony in just two days time with only their smoldering desire for each as a bridge. Together, they burn up the sheets but Antony's controlling ways are still a major issue between them so Caroline struggles to find a way that the can be happy together beyond the bedroom. Just as they seem to be finding that place, they travel to London for the Prince Regent's ball and Anthony's mistress causes havoc and it forces Caroline to get help from the one man Anthony despises, Viscount Carlyle.
Will this be the final, willful act that pushes Anthony and Caroline to the breaking point or can Anthony find a way to accept Caroline as herself while letting go of his jealously? I really liked this book. Caroline was a delight to read Anthony was a bit harder for me to warm up to and I'm not sure I completely did. He is bossy, controlling, arrogant, very jealous yet honorable, kind and finds ways to stand up to Caroline like know one has before. He wants a proper wife all the time and Caroline only is when society dictates it and this infuriates him.
I enjoyed the bantering between our couple and they certainly knew how to set the pages on fire with their passion. I wish there had been just a bit more back story with Anthony's past or how he came to be such good friends with the Prince Regent or more with the incident involving his sister but she may have her own story so the author may be waiting until then. I also thought Anthony overreacted a bit to Caroline's interactions with Carlyle, especially considering he refused to tell her the truth about the past and the reasons for his hatred of the man, and then his resolution with her didn't seem quite right.
How to Tame a Willful Wife by Christy English
Still, I liked the romance and it read very well and quickly and I will read more from Christy English. This was a novel full of sass, steam, stubbornness and love and is a pleasant way to spend an evening in front of the fire. View all 4 comments. Sep 11, Jess the Romanceaholic rated it really liked it Shelves: Started off strong, but our heroine was of the Harlequin Presents model -- that is, whenever she goes to stand up for herself, our extremely virile hero gives her a smouldering look and she immediately is overcome with lust and falls into bed with him.
Don't get me wrong, I like a good steamy novel, but sometimes sex just isn't the answer. Oct 26, Crystal rated it it was amazing Shelves: This review was first posted at Reading Between The Wines Book Club Okay, first let me start off by saying that even after taking advanced English classes in high school, I have never read Taming of the Shrew.
Don't throw rotten tomatoes at me yet though girls! I know it's a master piece in literature, so bad Crystal, no cookie for you! That being said, I can honestly say that if Shakespeare's piece is as entertaining as this book was to me, well then I might have to go read some Shakespeare.
That's a HUGE concession from me girls, cause reading thee's and thou's is kind of like getting teeth pulled at the dentist to me. However since this book is suppose to follow the theme of Shakespeare's work, well I might just have to go check that out. Caroline Montague is the apple of her daddy's eye. After the loss of his other children, her father had atendency to indulge her in practice's that were not acceptable for women to engage in, such as fencing, archery, knives, and riding her horse astride as a man would. Because of financial woes her father is dead set on making an advantageous match for her, and Caroline is dreading what her father will come up with.
Little does she know she's headed for a dominant man who is determined to tame her wild tendencies so that she will be a proper little wife waiting for him at home. That man is Anthony Carrington, Earl of Ravensbrook. And little does Anthony know, but he's got his work cut out for him if he wants to make Caroline what he would consider more biddable.
Good luck with that buddy. I've got two words for you. A strong willed, stubborn heroine is my favorite kind to read. Especially for this time era. Caroline's character certainly doesn't disappoint in that department. And this book has devious characters, nice plot twists, and enough humor to keep you turning the pages well past any burnt midnight oil. It's a five wine glass toast all the way and I hope all of you ladies rush out to get it even if it's just to enjoy Caroline trying to throw knives at her future husband!
Oct 05, Kathleen rated it really liked it Shelves: Story Rating 3 Stars Character Rating 3. Lets not forget that Caroline can best most men in archery and use a dagger to protect herself.
How to Tame a Willful Wife
This is what had drawn me towards this book. While each of these things were used during the course of this book, I wished there would have been more of it added. I liked the hero Anthony fine but wished he would have explained a few things to Caroline so that she understood what was going on. We do have a villain in the book also. He had done some terrible things before this story had taken place and I was disappointed that near the end, he had just not been mentioned and never paid the price for the horrible things he done. I felt this book could have used a bit more excitement using this villain to try something evil would have added to this story.
I did like this book and I do plan on trying more of Christy English's book's as they are released. Nov 06, SOS Aloha rated it really liked it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. My Shakespeare is sketchy at best … I just enjoyed this story! Baron Montague is a generous man. He has gone broke caring for the soldiers under his command from the continental war 'Men have forgotten this truth,' said the fox.
He has gone broke caring for the soldiers under his command from the continental war against Napoleon. He has indulged his only child, Caroline, thus cultivating her independent spirit. His men have taught her how to fight. And now its time for her to wed for a large dowry, to save her father and his men. Baron Montague accepts the suit of another military man, Anthony Carrington, the Earl of Ravensbrook.
But he soon discovers that she is resistant to his commands.
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Caroline and Ravensbrook are physically drawn together after their wedding. As their battle of wills commences, they slowly fall in love with the other. Yet they individually realize that giving an inch results in miles of happiness for their future. English, an Shakespearean actress, hits the mark with the playful banter between the hero and heroine. English excels with passionate scenes between the newlyweds — the fact that they are husband and wife makes it that more fun! English delivers secondary characters who fill in the spaces … and tease us with books to come in the future.
I received an ARC from Sourcebooks for this review. Nov 11, Blodeuedd Finland rated it did not like it Shelves: There is a difference between a book not working and a book not working, or is there? Well here the book was well written, it could have been really good, but I hated the characters and that ruined it all for me. First we have Lord Ass Hero. Sure he fits his time and is perfect for that with his constant "Obey me!
You are my wife. I read it for romance and he did nothing romantic. He saw her and lusted for her. They were to be There is a difference between a book not working and a book not working, or is there? They were to be married 2 days later. He wants to tame her and then when he has her he wants her to be a bit willful. He knows he owns her, that she is his property, he is jealous and a dick. Our Willful Heroine is willful at first, but then enters magic penis and that is long gone. Yes she hates him but he sure is pretty!
And every time they argue it ends with sex, he kisses her fiercely and she melts. She stops being willful and becomes a simpering mess. She also has a few TSTL moments. Oh and I hate this trope: There is a secret, it could be freaking vital for the other person to know it. But the person knowing the secret does not tell it, here it is Ass Hero. He just tells her that she should obeyed him and do as he tells her.
So sadly this book did not work for me, and it was a shame cos it was good. I just could not stand the characters. Oct 24, Cynthia Mcarthur rated it it was amazing. I grew up reading Regency Romances. I forswore them years ago for "serious" reading. But I must tell you, I couldn't resist this book. I like Christy English's style, so I had to give it a go. And I loved it! Truly, it is the best Regency I have read! I won't go too much into the story, but I will say that the characters were wonderful, well-written and likable, even in their worst moments.
Christy's imagery was beautiful, and that is so important in an historical story. The story was spicy and I grew up reading Regency Romances.