Finally a historical romance where I enjoyed both the romance and the actual plot! They tied in well together and I wasn’t disappointed when moving between the two.Elenora has been left with practically nothing after the death of her stepfather. She has run her family’s estate in the country for years but after being kicked out with nothing except her clothing she is determined to land and her feet and has a plan to do just that.Arthur, Earl of St. Merryn has recently been through a scandal where his fiancé ran away with another man. The last thing he wants is to have to deal with the Ton and the many mothers throwing their eligible daughters at him. His solution is to hire a fiancé and flaunt her at the Ton so he can go about his business in peace. Elenora wasn’t what he was expecting and the normally very reserves Earl starts to think that maybe she can actually help him in his secret quest making her much more valuable than just the ruse they are playing.One of the things I like about Amanda Quick books and this one in particular is that we not only get PoVs from Elonara and Arthor but also from the killer they are searching for. I specifically enjoyed this killer since he is also searching for a way to make an alchemical device work using three red stones and an energy source….can we all say “Laser” together. He was so desperate and would do anything to remain undetected after already killing at least one person for the stones. It gave the story a sense of urgency and some drama to see how close yet far Arthur was from discovering the identity of the villain.The romance between Elenora and Arthur is sweet too. She easily filled the role he set for her and became the talk of the town. Also, she is not scared of him as most people tend to find him so reserved he is scary. Elenora seems to see the man he hides under all the reserve and social graces better than most and doesn’t back down against him. “Tell me, Miss Lodge, do you really believe that I would chase after a runaway fiancée under any circumstances?” “Oh, yes, my lord. If your passionate nature was involved, you would pursue her into the gates of Hell itself.”The romance builds first becoming a friendship of sorts, then an alliance and finally something more. The other thing I liked is that AQ made a little bit of fun of the Ton. She set it right out there that most of the matches made were not for love and she was able to give a few examples throughout the story. Also she addressed in a fun manner how difficult some conversations between couples could be with such age discrepancies. “You must look at the situation from the young ladies’ perspective, sir. I assure you, it can be mind-numbingly difficult to make conversation with a man who is old enough to be your father when you would much rather dance with a handsome young poet.”Quick showed both sides though. How a good marriage was a way for a girl to support her family and the importance of finding a suitable husband. She brought up a few points on both sides that made me think of it a little differently. This is one of my more liked HRs and is a stand alone. If you like HRs and haven’t read AQ before it is probably a good place to start.
2.5 stars. The premise of this novel was unique--an earl hires a paid companion to pose as his fiancée while he investigates a murder. Okay, I'm now not sure why he needed the fake fiancée. Supposedly, it's to keep the matchmaking mamas out of his way, but that seems a flimsy reason. I think it was because he realized he was the hero of a romance novel, and it seemed a handy excuse. I found the heroine likable at the beginning, and her storyline of how she came to be a paid companion was engaging. But as the novel progressed the chemistry between the hero and heroine felt a bit forced. I never felt invested in this novel--it was fine through most of the story, but never reached that "what happens next?" momentum for me. I was also never sure when it was supposed to be set. Sometime in the 19th century, I suppose. [spoilers ahead] Still, it would have been 3 stars if not for the predictable cliché evil villain plot climax at the end. I've never been a fan of villains who are evil simply because they are crazy. And of course just when he's supposedly caught and locked up, he escapes the asylum, and kidnaps the heroine. And of course the hero outwits the villain and saves her. And of course the villain manages to kill himself with his own evil invention. I had to push myself to finish the book, and everything happened exactly as I suspected it would. I wish the whole murder plotline and crazed killer wasn't part of it. I think I would have liked the novel more without it. But then, why would the hero need to hire a paid companion to pose as his fiancée?
What do You think about The Paid Companion (2005)?
I listened to this on audiobook while I made my Christmas cards, and it was an enjoyable read and kept me entertained while I attended to my crafting. The narrator used a voice for Arthur that was a bit stuffy, and not at all brooding and sexy, but otherwise, I can't complain. There was a good balance between mystery and romance in this book. The mystery was quite authentic, and the villain was a fiend. The reveal was suspenseful, and I hadn't figured out who the villain was until the correct time. The storyline was cute, the way that Elenora and Arthur enter each other's lives was a good setup for the building of their relationship. I like that they feel like unique people, even with some of the typical historical romance character traits they have.Elenora was a very likable heroine. She was intelligent, independent, brave and self-sufficient. But she was also warm and open to love. I liked how she bounced back from some very difficult circumstances in her life, and wasn't going to allow anyone to bully her. She took an active part in solving the mystery, and she was a very good detective.Arthur was sexy and manly but also gentlemanly and cerebral. That was a very nice combination. While he definitely had a dangerous aura, he was a principled person. I like that he treated Elenora as an equal and it was evident that he really respected her. The romance was believable and I rooted for their happy ending. Their love scenes were nicely sensual (although it was a bit odd hearing the older, stuffy-sound narrator read the naughty bits).I think Amanda Quick's book are really good audiobook listens. I feel I enjoy them in this format more than I might in reading them. I think it's because the mystery is so prominent and Quick gets the historical details just right, and her style of romance works really well in this format.I'd recommend getting this on audio if you can. I realized today that I had a paper copy but I'm glad I did the audio. It's worth the listen.
— Danielle The Book Huntress (Self-Proclaimed Book Ninja)
3* This was a cute regency romance with a great "fake fiancee plotline" but also with a mystery that took over about 70% of the book. This would have been ok had the mystery not been a little "blaah"... I was disappointed about who the killer was - (view spoiler)[ since i kept hoping it would be someone we knew - and it turned out to be a random character!! (hide spoiler)]
—Elena
I was kept surprisingly engaged by this book. I thought it might be a bit sappy, but it turned out to be quite snappy. I think it's a Regency romance book, but the time period isn't exactly specified. Elenora help the Earl of St Merryn find a mad killer that is loose in London. She is hired by him to pose as his fiancee so that he may roam about London without being plagued by fotune hunting mothers trying to foist their young daughters on him as potential brides. In the process the no-nonsense Elenora sets his London house to rights; wins his heart; and together they solve the mystery. They go on to live happily ever after. Ah, it's so nice to read such a fun little romance once in awhile! I think this one would actually make a good movie.
—Krista
