The Earl Claims His Wife

Gillian Ranson, Lady Wright is in love - but not with her husband! The love she felt at first sight of her husband, Brian, was killed by years of inattention while Brian was off at war. Not to mention on their wedding night Brian told his love struck bride that he was in love with his mistress. Now Gillian lives happily at her cousin's estate and wants nothing more than a divorce from her husband so she can marry Andres Ramigio, Barón de Vasconia. What Gillian doesn't know is that things have changed. Brian is home for good and he's determined to have Gillian at his side. He's surprised and intrigued when he discovers that his lovely wife isn't the shy young woman he married. Brian needs Gillian's help with matters at home, so he strikes a bargain with her: Gillian will play the loving wife for thirty days and then he will set her free to be with Andres. But the earl is not going to give in so easily. His wife loved him once and he'll stop at nothing to claim her heart as his own once more. Love gets a second chance in the utterly charming The Earl Claims His Wife. Brian is a man who made many mistakes early in his marriage, and he knows it. While he wasn't the best of husbands, he is a good man through and through, so I cheered his determination to change his ways and win Gillian's love once more. What he isn't aware of is that Gillian, despite her internal struggle on the matter, does still love him. What I liked about her is that she was honest with herself and her feelings for her husband. She didn't easily fall into his arms, not when he had never wanted her before. But she isn't obstinate either. Neither Brian nor Gillian are the people they were when they married, but some relationships need the people in them to mature before they are ready for happily ever after; this is the case in The Earl Claims His Wife. Cathy Maxwell continues to deliver sensual, entertaining treats in her Scandals and Seductions series. Though it's the second book in the series, The Earl Claims His Wife stands on its own. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am extremely excited for the next installment in this delightful series, The Marriage Ring, when my favorite character of Ms. Maxwell's, Grace McEachin, will get a love story of her own. Shayna Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I couldn't put this book down. I wasn't sure which character to side with, but in the end you can't help but love both of them. You feel sad when they are, and happy when things are going well for them. Cathy Maxwell is obviously a romantic. Her writing shows how much she loves to write and tell the story. I am not one for the graphic sex scenes when I read a story. Cathy Maxwell got everything just right. She doesn't give every graphic detail. The book is about the romance, and all of the good and bad that comes with it. This is the first novel I've read by her, and I will most definitely read more of her books. I couldn't wait to find out how everything turned out in the end. Loved the book. Would highly recomend.

This book was an excellent read. It was very difficult to put this book down. Surely in today's modern society most if not all wives would not accept their husbands' return after having been abandoned the day after your wedding so that your husband can go off and live with his mistress, to then disappear into a war with Napoleon's troops and one day four years later, he calls for you and requests your return to the marriage. The plot alone engages the reader into finding out how in the world a woman will take back her husband and manage to fall in love again after such unfathomnable betrayal. In this book, readers experience the growth and maturing that these two characters go through in order for one to forgive and respect the other. Let's face it, it's easy to say that these characters are unrealistic and how stupid the wife is for taking back her husband, but this book is about forgiveness and a subject matter that some marriages, even in modern times like today go through. At least this couple didn't take the easy solution of a divorce and/or annulment, and even though the rekindlement started out as a bargain, both managed to get through the toughest hurdles so that in the end, not only do they immensely love one another, but also have respect for one another. Those of us that are married know it takes more than love to hold a marriage together. This book held itself very well from beginning to end. Some of the actions protrayed by the main characters may have been impulsive and may come across as unrealistic, but the heroine came into the marriage in love while the hero came into the marriage as a duty to his family. This book takes you well beyond the duties of long ago marriages into today's formula for strengthening and keeping one's marriage. Bravo to the author!

In 1806, Brian Ranson married Gillian, but before going off to war in the Peninsular, the Earl spent his last hours in England with his mistress instead of his young shy wife. When he fought against Napoleon in Portugal, she thrived taking over the running of his property profitably. In 1810 Brian comes home to a strong sassy spouse who blithely informs him she plans to have a lover Andres Ramigio and divorce her husband. He is taken aback and attracted to his wife he scandalized four years ago in front of the Ton and recently having been back home for six months before coming to claim her. Brian and Andres are prepared to duel over Gillian so she agrees give him thirty days to make amends and win her over. This second chance at love regency romance is a delightful tale as the Earl learns claiming and keeping is not quite the same thing. The story line is fast-paced from the moment Brian comes for Gillian only to have her reject him. Sub-genre fans will enjoy this fine tale of a politician who learns what love is but the lesson may prove too late as his rival has been much kinder and nicer to his wife than he has been. Harriet Klausner

The back cover synopsis of the book does nothing for the story. This novel is a return to the "old" Cathy Maxwell when her books were rich with detail and character development. Instead of the canned "unexpected heir to title needs to have estranged wife produce an baby" theme...here comes "The Earl Claims His Wife." The story begins with Gillian ...wife of Brian Ransom the new Earl of Wright, third son, now unexpected heir to his father's title of Marquess. Gillian hasn't seen her husband since the morning after their arranged marriage four years ago when he destroyed her childish dreams of love by telling Gillian he was in love with his mistress. Since his abandonment, Gillian has become a woman in charge of one of the estates of her cousin, the Duke. Now Gillian wants a divorce from Ransom. A new love has her entered her life, a Spanish Baron named Andres. Without a lengthy back story on the Baron, Ms. Maxwell places Andres as Gillian's love interest. It is apparent this has been a platonic love but Gillian wants more and she finally feels strong enough to ask for it. Meanwhile, Ransom, the Earl of Wright, has returned to London after his father pulled him from his position as Colonel in the British army. Ransom's two older brothers have died recently leaving Ransom as the new heir. Ransom's life has changed dramtically since he married Gillian, and it's still changing when he writes Gillian several urgent letters telling her to "come home" to him. Gillian has repeatedly ignored the Earl's letters until he finally arrives one moring while Gillian is longingly watching the Baron, Andres, put an Andulusian mare through her paces. (The story of the Andulusian mare is one of the interesting historic details peppered throughout this novel that don't overwhelm, but definitely add to the ambiance of the novel.) Ransom's arrival, coming just when Gillian has decided to ask for her divorce sets the stage for a confrontation between Gillians, Ransom, and the Baron. I won't detail that part of the book because while it's interesting, it just sets up what happens next. To be honest, I truly didn't like Gillian or Ransom at first. Both characters were one-dimensional shallow creatures. That's the surprise to me. I learned to care about Gillian and Ransom as both lead characters grew into three-dimensional people dealing with real challenges. I won't go into what the challenges are, that would spoil your enjoyment. Unlike the typical "regency" where love grows through ballroom garden interaction these two people were wrenched into growth by learning to trust one another in day-to-day living. Yes, there was one incident of shopping on Bond Street...but the bulk of this novel was gritty and real. I loved this one, and strongly recommend it as a purchase in paperback versus ebook. You will want it on your keeper shelf.