The Courtship

I LOVED this book! It was hilarious -- I found myself laughing out loud quite often. The storyline is delightfully refreshing, loaded with splendid sexual innuendos which kept me in stitches, and of course Coulter is a master at dialogue and characters' interactions. This book is NOT TO BE MISSED. Two thumbs up!

In The Courtship, Mrs. Coulter revisits many of her characters. It is a romance between Spenser Heatherington, from The Sherbrooke Bride, and Helen Mayberry, from Mad Jack. Sit back and enjoy the romance between these two unlikely characters as they discuss "discipline" and King Edward's Lamp. Of course there are cameos by the Sherbrookes, getting involved in the treasure hunt. For all the nay-sayers, you get a big frown from me! Mrs. Coulter shows that even way back when, it is possible that people talked openly with each other about sex. Maybe not an accurate account, but a new refreshing outlook. I found this one to be funny and interesting. A simple combination of "discipline" and a mystery that will leave you stumped.

I am a long-time fan of Catherine Coulter. Her "Impulse" was the first romance novel I ever read and I was hooked immediately. I've read every book she's ever written and she made me interested in the genre. With this in mind, I'd like to say I loved this book.When I was about half-way through with this book, I could see that the only problem a person could have with it is the amount of sex in it. There was a great deal. But if you don't like sex, or are disturbed by it, you shouldn't be reading romance novels. That said, it was a charming novel.Unlike previous reviewers, I found the characters and the plot to be very well drawn. Helen Mayberry and Lord Spenser Beecham are the protagonists, introduced in Mad Jack and The Sherbrooke Bride respectively. Helen is a self-proclaimed spinster and Spenser a womanizer.The premise--Lord Beecham overhears Helen talking about "domination"--making a man worship the ground she walks on-- and instantly wants her as a lover, believing her to be a woman married to an old English lord, with a slew of lovers. The wordplay between the two characters is the most entertaining part about it. Unlike other books, Beecham isn't the only one thinking about sex and Helen doesn't instantly swoon when Beecham talks to her. Helen is a very strong woman, she runs her own inn and no one will persuade her from her purpose--recovering an ancient lamp. When he tries to seduce her, instead of being shocked and appalled, she shocks him by seducing him right back. She's not coy at all, rather she's straightforward, independent, and delightfully refreshing. He seems like a rake at first, but turns out to be amazingly intelligent. Ms. Coulter also brings back Alexandra and Douglass Sherbrooke whose antics would amuse anyone. Although this novel is not her best, it's wonderfully entertaining and a great read.

While some readers have found the 'domination conversations' not to their liking, I thought it added to the overall humor of the story. So what if in regency times you might not have found that an acceptable topic! Delightfully humorous. Nice to see a 'big girl' get a rogue all hot and bothered! I always look forward to Catherine Coulter's stories.