Review: The Husband Hunt by Lynsay Sands

Posted February 23, 2012 by Tracy in Reviews | 5 Comments

Publisher: Avon, Harper Collins
Let the hunt begin…

Lisa Madison wants a husband, and she has just the candidate in mind: Robert Langley. Trouble is, the infuriating man insists on seeing her as the impish girl she once was—even as every other gentleman in London has taken notice of her womanly…charms. When her beauty lands her in danger, it’s Robert who comes to the rescue…only to announce his affections are not of the romantic variety!

Robert saw enough sorrow in his parents’ union to know he wants nothing to do with marriage, which is exactly what he’ll be trapped into if he acts on his desire for the irksome siren. And then Lisa does what Robert least expects: gives up on him! As feigned indifference gives way, blistering passion burns at last. But just before the pair can give in to hard-won bliss, an enemy with unfinished business lurks threatening to destroy them both.
Lisa Madison is 21 and is in London for her first Season. She is enjoying the balls and teas but frankly she’s not sure why she’s there since she is in love with her neighbor, Robert Langley. But Robert looks on her as a little sister as they grew up together along with her two older sisters. ‘
Lisa heads out one day to meet a woman who she met once in the country. Little does she know that the woman runs a brothel but heads off to Mrs. Morgan’s house anyway. When she arrives with her maid she is drugged and prepared for her “suitor” to come and have his way with her. It appears that some gentleman, and I use the term loosely, has seen her, wants her, and has paid Mrs. Morgan a large sum to get her right where he wants her. Lisa and her maid, Bet, manage to get Bet out a window and to safety but Lisa is taken off to prepare for her future husband.
Bet finds Robert and he takes off to save Lisa – thinking about the girl in pigtails and wondering how she’s gotten herself into this mess. When he climbs a trellis to save her he sees a vision. A woman is in a “gown” that is sheer and reveals everything. He is entranced and finds that he plans to come back to take a taste of her after he saves Lisa. He’s shocked when the woman turns and he realizes it is Lisa. He now thinks that maybe he doesn’t think of her as a little sister after all.
Robert saves Lisa but has to move into her brother-in-law’s house to protect her, which puts Lisa and Robert into close proximity. But Lisa has discovered from Robert himself that he has no intention of marrying – ever – and that he truly only thinks of her a sister. Lies, lies, lies. lol But Robert has what he thinks is a family curse on the Langley line of men and he basically trusts that no woman could ever stay faithful to him. Lisa then decides if she can’t have Robert then she’ll go out on the hunt and find anther man that can make her happy.
This is the third book in the Madison sister series but only the second I read. I read book 1 and really liked it. It was crazy but fun as most of Sands’ historical romances are. This was fun and crazy as well while being funny and frustrating in almost equal parts.
Lisa has a horrible tendency to not think. She’s not an unintelligent woman but she tends to just do things kind of willy nilly and ends up in bad situations. She knows that she has someone after her but yet she insists on going on walks by herself – and I found that strange and well a bit ridiculous. She hates having Robert as her bodyguard but she can’t keep thinking about him. She would go from wanting him to not wanting him and back and forth and it got to be a little much. I understood her reasoning, but wanted her to pick a course and stick with it.
Robert was a pretty stand up guy. He was frustrated with the whole situation but wanted to be there to protect Lisa – even though he said he didn’t. He wanted Lisa – and eventually had her sexually – but he didn’t want to admit his feelings or really delve deeper into his thoughts about his past and his family. It really took Lisa’s brother-in-law Richard to get Robert to sit and think about “the curse” that he believed existed. I really liked his character in this story.
As I said the story was just fun. It was silly at times but I had to laugh over and over at some of the antics of the Madison family, their spouses and their thinking. A little on the outrageous side it was still a good read and I enjoyed it.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5


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5 responses to “Review: The Husband Hunt by Lynsay Sands

  1. Tracy, it sounds like Lisa suffers from the spoiled "little sister syndrome." (I didn't want to really say TSTL, lol) She sounds immature for her age — at that time– because 21 was not considered too young in those days.

    But you know, otherwise, this sounds like a really cute story/series. I read heavy books every so often and that I'm always looking for fun romances to lighten things up for me, and it looks like this series fits the biil. 🙂

  2. Hilcia – You know, that's probably it…as well as just a penchant for getting into sticky situations. 🙂
    I personally really like Sands' historicals. They're always light with a lot of humor without being slapstick. Good stuff. 🙂

  3. Reading the first means you've pretty much read the second one, given that they took place at the same time 🙂

    hmmmm, sounds like except for the characters, there is little link between the first two books and this one. Not sure now I feel like reading it…

  4. Nath – Yeah, I heard that about this series. I do have the second one it's just not high up in my TBR. It's a cute book and the sisters do make appearances but plot-wise really no link.

    Orannia – I go through those phases too. Right now I'm apparently in a historical romance phase as it seems I'm reading more of those than anything else.

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