Holly‘s review of A Lady’s Guide to Improper Behavior
The Rules:
A lady should always make polite conversation . . .
Theresa Weller understands the rules of decorum, and is appalled when Colonel Bartholomew James disrupts a perfectly civilized dinner. This rude, insensitive man is the complete opposite of everything a gentleman should be—but with one searing kiss, Tess can think of no one else.A lady should never lose her temper . . .
Aggravated beyond bearing by a man who speaks his mind, Tess wishes there was a guide to men like Bartholomew. Surely, with such an assortment of handsome, polite suitors to choose from, Tess should not ache for him.
And a lady should never pursue a gentleman.
She invites him on carriage rides and dares him to dance, and almost makes him want to return to Society. Bartholomew knows Tess wants to be seen as a proper miss, but deep down, he knows she is precisely the sort to spark his desire . . . A most improper lady.
I read this book and the third one, Rules of an Engagement
Bartholomew James has come home from war a different man. He’s wounded both inside and out by his experiences in India, the last of which no one in his unit but he survived. Now that he’s home, he’s unsure what to do with himself. He just wants to be left alone, but his family has other ideas. It isn’t until he meets Theresa Weller that the truly wants to live..if only to show her he cares nothing about her.
When Tess challenges Bartholomew to dance, something he obviously can’t do as he walks with a very heavy limp, she doesn’t know what’s come over her. For 8 (10? 13?) years she’s behaved perfectly. No hint of scandal touches her, nor will it ever. She learned her lesson about improper behavior young in life, and has no desire to repeat past mistakes. Still, he is rather intriguing, and surely sparring with him verbally won’t lead to any harm…
Until scandal find Bartholomew. Then Tess will have to decide if he is worth braving her worst fear..and he needs to decide if she’s worth living for.
I love a tortured hero. I’m sure a psychologist could have all kinds of fun with the reasons behind that, but it’s true. And Bartholomew James was tortured. What he suffered while in the Army was tragic and heartbreaking..as was his road to recovery. The mental anguish he feels is almost as devastating as his physical anguish. I hurt for him on both counts. Watching him open himself up to Tess, watching him come alive again, was a beautiful thing. I really applauded the way he stood up for himself and his men. Even though it pained him to do so, he stood up for what was right. Kudos to him.
Tess I had a harder time with. Although I can appreciate the reasons behind her need for order and proper behavior, I was disappointed that she took it to such extreme levels. That she would turn her back on a friend simply because he was dealing with something that might cause a scandal..well, that didn’t well with me. On the other hand, her guilt was tremendous. I imagine overcoming something that’s been with you so long would be difficult. Despite that, I did enjoy her character. She was strong and witty, and wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself when she needed to.
I don’t understand why her family let her go so long the way she was. It was obvious all of them felt she went overboard in her need for proper behavior and etiquette, but not one of them did a thing to dissuade her from her cause. That seemed…strange to me.
Another solid entry in the series. I really liked how damaged the hero was. It added a layer of depth to the story and gave both characters added purpose.We need the Duke’s book already! Anyone have any information on that?
4 out of 5
The series:
This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here
I had a difficult time with Tess, too. Enoch writes some of the best heroes in the genre IMO. Especially war veterans.