The Paid Companion

by Amanda Quick

The Earl of St. Merryn needs a woman. His intentions are purely practical - he simply wants someone sensible and suitably lovely to pose as his betrothed for a few weeks among polite society. He has his own agenda to pursue, and a false fiance will keep the husband-hunters at bay while he goes about his business. The simplest solution is to hire a paid companion.

Finding the right candidate proves more of a challenge than he expected. But when he encounters Miss Elenora Lodge, her feisty manner and golden eyes sway him to make a generous offer.

Elenora's sorry financial circumstances - and dreams of a life of independence - leave her little choice but to accept. But St. Merryn appears to be hiding a secret or two, and things seem oddly amiss in his gloomy London home. Elenora soon discovers that this lark will be a far more dangerous adventure than she'd been led to believe. And the Earl of St. Merryn will find that the meek and mild companion he'd initially envisioned has become a partner in his quest to catch a killer - and an outspoken belle of the ball who stirs a bothersome passion in his practical heart.

• ISBN10: 0749935545
• ISBN13: 9780749935542
• Publish Date: 24 February 2005 (first published 1 May 2004)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Imprint: Piatkus Books
• Format: Paperback (A-Format (178x111 mm))
• Pages: 416
• Language: English

Reviews

[stacey_is_sassy]

I loved the main characters...

I'm finding Amanda Quick's audios are quickly becoming favourites. This one entertained me from the beginning until the very end. It played out like what I would imagine a radio drama would, with characters that came to life and plenty of acting to bring emotion into each scene. Both of the main characters were original and very lovable. Arthur is arrogant, bossy and a wee bit egotistical, while Elenora is strong, opinionated and determined to be independent. Together, their confidence in themselves makes them a perfect match.

The narrator does a very good job giving each character their own distinct voice. I never struggled to work out who was 'talking' and the accents were very believable. The narrator is easy to listen to and I will definitely be looking for more of her work in the future.

The mystery was interesting and it played out at a pace that kept me engrossed and determined to help catch the bad guy. Elenora and Arthur work well together. I liked that (even though it was probably inappropriate for the time it was set) they kept each other informed and he didn't try and keep her away for 'her own protection'.

This was a fairly steamy read/listen but it was not OTT or excessive. There was a connection between Elenora and Arthur that was obvious and I never doubted they would be perfect together. The epilogue was very cute and made me love Arthur even more.

I will definitely be listening to more from this author and the narrator again.

I enjoyed this. Arthur and Elenora were likable characters and the plot was interesting. I always enjoy historical romances more when they have a mystery or some action. In this case the mystery was slightly more periphery but the romance was sweet and I liked the mutual respect the main characters had for each other. And it was funny.

This book is delectable, romantic, intriguing and mysterious. It's difficult to put all of that in a book and still catch your attention, but it had me glued from the very beginning. I didn't want this book to end!

[ibeforem]

Not my usual type of book (I don’t know that I’ve ever read Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick before), but I really enjoyed this. It was a romance without being really heavy-handed with the LOOOOOVE, and it was a light historical mystery to boot! You pretty much know how it’s going to end, but that doesn’t lessen the enjoyment of the journey.

[wyvernfriend]

The Earl of St. Merryn needs a fiancée, he wants to find out why his uncle-in-law died and his time is being taken up by husband hunting ladies and their mothers. He hires Elenora Lodge, who is looking for a job as paid companion, his proposition appeals to her, it will leave her with enough money to start her own business, something that appeals to her as she sees herself as on the shelf.
During the course of their mutual mystery investigation they find that they like each other a bit more than just as companions in the hunt. What they will do about that is the question.

Interesing but pretty predictable. Not exceptional and in fact I was pretty sure I'd read it before until I realised that in fact one of her other stories is almsot identical.