The Paid Companion by Amanda Quick

ISBN-0-515-13864-9

Publishers - Jove Historical.

Ms. Quick has created a fascinating situation with a bright, intelligent woman, thrust her into a difficult situation, and added a spark of intrigue into the mix. A story that any fan of the Regency period will not want to put down.

Let me first say I am not normally a reader of Regency novels. By and large they tend to lose my interest within the first chapter, so to finally stumble over one that grabbed my attention and held me through to the last page is rare, and a credit to Ms. Quick's skill as an author.

Ms. Elenora Lodge is a member of the impoverished gentry. Her step-father's unwise decisions in the realms of finance have left her destitute and forced into the role of paid companionship. A job that often fell to women of her breeding, where they became companions for elderly women, or chaperones for younger ladies in their season. On occasions companions would be hired by male members of the family for the ladies of the household and then be at the whim or mercy of those men. A fate Elenora is determined to avoid.

And then there is the Earl of St. Merryn, who is in need of a woman. His intentions are purely practical as he wishes someone sensible and intelligent, as well as suitably lovely in appearance, to post as his betrothed for a few weeks among polite society. He has his own plans, and a fake fiancée will help him by keeping the husband hunting families at bay whilst he conducts his business. So the simplest solution is to hire a paid companion. What could be better?

When they meet the sparks fly. Despite her dowdy appearance, and carefully pinned up hair, her fine figure and the spirit that shines within her eyes is unmistakable. And his unusual offer attracts her interest, once she determines that he is not merely a rogue looking for a way to lift her skirts.

But she quickly discovers that the Earl is hiding something and Elenora quickly discovers that his secrets will lead her into a dark and dangerous world. One made all the more dangerous because of the growing attraction between them both. What should have been a simple business arrangement threatens to tumble out of hand for them both, which is something neither of them are prepared to face.

Ms. Quick's look at the world of the ton, the intrigue and the way marriages were often arranged, is fascinating. Elenora is not the feather head so often portrayed in Regency novels. She's bright, with a strong grain of common sense, and I found myself rooting for her instead of lumping her in the too stupid to live category which has been the problem with many other Regency novels I've read to date.

The story is fascinating, the background work that has gone into the story is evident, and I will be looking for more of Ms. Quick's work when the next urge to try a Regency novel hits me. Amanda Quick also writes under the following names...as Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Castle, Stepanie James, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Taylor, and Amanda Glass