Once A Gentleman [Mass Market Paperback]

Not very many authours can write a quiet and elegant romance novel that revolves around a couple forced to marry and not fill it with swirling and overpowering emotion (be it anger, hate or passion) so that you rather loose sight of the original plot premise, the forced marriage. But Candice Hern succeeded admirably here, I thought. A word of warning however, if you're more in the mood for a romance novel that fairly reeks of sexual tension and passion, you might want to give "Once a Gentleman" a miss. If on the other hand you're in the mood for a book about a couple that are compelled to marry, where the heroine is in love with the hero, but where it takes the man a while to fully appreciate and fall in love with his admirable wife, that is written in a more restrained vein, then you definitely will enjoy "Once a Gentleman."

Nicholas Parrish as always seen Prudence Armitage as a mousy but intelligent friend -- the good sort, but definitely not the type he would ever consider marrying. And yet, because he unintentionally ends up compromising her, that is exactly what happens. Now newly married man Nicholas Parrish has to consider the best way to go about making his marriage to shy and demure Prudence work. To start with, he'll be the very picture of a patient husband and not press her for marital intimacies until she's ready. What Nicholas didn't know, however, was that Prudence has been in love with him for quite a while now, and that she is more than willing to be "true" wife to him. But Prudence also realizes that she's not the type of wife Nicholas would have chosen for himself if he had had the choice. Will Nicholas and Prudence be able to make their marriage work? Or will continue to blunder about in misconception and misapprehension forever?

I think what I liked most about "Once a Gentleman" was that both the hero and heroine are nice, likable people -- it's nice to read a romance novel where you like both the main characters and where you don't spend a lot of time wanting to brain either. Another thing I really liked was that the authour didn't take the path of turning her heroine into a sudden supermodel with a few snips of the hair and a new wardrobe. Yes, Prudence does get a new hairstyle and more attractive clothes, but she suddenly doesn't become the Season's latest sensation with hordes of Regency bucks panting after her, thus making the novel another one of those where the hero learns to appreciate his wife via jealousy. Prudence remains the shy, reserved young lady that charmed me from the very beginning. And this allowed for the authour to add a little humour to the bits where Prudence tries to flirt with Nicholas only to have things go terribly wrong. It also made things seem terribly realistic. If you know nothing about flirting, and are not used to it, to suddenly acquire the prowess of a siren seems rather unrealistic, and yet you always see this in most books! Also nicely done was the gradual manner in which Nicholas grows to love and appreciate his wife (and to learn to be a little less proud and self absorbed). Nicholas has a lot of less admirable traits to get rid off, and the authour shows him coming to grips with his less admirable side in a very believable manner. "Once a Gentleman" doesn't have a very complicated plot. Rather, it focuses completely on the relationship between a husband and wife. It is a somewhat quiet read, but a rather romantic one at that.

Marriage of convenience stories are fairly common in Romance. What sets this one apart is the depth of characterization. Prudence is crazy about Nick. Nick thinks of Pru as a friend, barely notices her as a woman. A compromising situation forces them to marry, and what unfolds is a lovely story in which each of them learns there is more, and less, to the other than they had thought. Nick's slow realization that Pru is a remarkable, and surprisingly attractive, woman rang very true. He is basically a good guy, but somewhat self-absorbed. His growth as a character is more profound than hers. He has further to go to reach a committed, loving relationship. He has to learn to compromise, to give as well as take. Pru's character growth is especially poignant, as she has to come to terms with the knowledge that the man she secretly worships is no idol, but perfectly (or imperfectly) human. She is very shy and reserved, and her behavior, as well as her internal musings, seemed extrememly realistic for a shy person. She can't always speak what she feels, but we hear what she is thinking, and we share her pain and joy and frustration. Sometimes her shyness makes for particularly comic moments, especially when it comes to physical intimacy. When she reaches a crisis that compels her to stand up for herself, to speak her mind, this reader cheered.

This is one of those books that focuses on the romance above everything else. There is no complicated plot. No suspense or mystery. No villain. Just two people learning to love each other. This is Romance at its most pure. And this reader loved it.

For all the years Prudence Armitage had worked for Nicholas and his sister at "The Ladies Fashionable Cabinet", he'd never really gotten to know, the shy mousy looking young woman who diligently worked by their sides. Rather he took her for granted, almost like a second sister. Now that his sister had left for an extended honeymoon, Prudence assumed Edwina's editorial duties. Late one evening Nicholas casually mentioned that she was working too hard, putting in too many hours, and assured that she was leaving soon he continued out the door for a night of entertainment. However, the next morning when he was rudely awakened by an enraged father and a horde of `viking-like giants' demanding satisfaction for ruining his daughter and their sister who had never arrived home the night before - Nicholas realized they were speaking of Pru who'd fallen asleep at her desk! Being a true gentleman, he would of course, do the right thing and offer her marriage though it was the furthest thing from his mind with Prudence being the least likely of candidates.

Prudence, was horrified - having been in love with Nicholas since the very first day she'd met him. Yet, married they'd be - the very next day!

With the help of Flora, a retired demimonde and `fashion editor' of the paper, and the Crimson ladies, Prudence, began to reveal qualities that gave Nicholas food for thought. Soon Nicholas was regretting his plans for an`in-name-only'marriage, and was formulating plans to make Pru his wife in all ways.

*** This was a delightful finale to the charming Ladies Fashionable Cabinet trilogy featuring, Nicolas and Prudence. Uniquely stand-alone this was a look at a marriage forced upon two individuals who in appearance were as different as night and day. Nicolas, the too handsome for his own good, charming, outgoing personality while Pru the complete opposite - small in stature, embarrassingly shy, and relatively content to blend into the background while letting others shine. What was unique was that she didn't turn into a swan overnight, rather making the most of her other attributes. While Nicholas did fall in love/lust with her, it was more for the beautiful person he saw, while her looks, which truly were never that bad once she removed all the accoutrements she used to hide them, revealed a more subtle beauty. The humor was charming as Pru tried to put into practice the lessons of flirting and seduction received from Flora and the Crimson ladies - suffice it to say, Pru didn't turn into a seductress. What was really important though, was how Pru came to realize that as `perfect' as she thought Nicholas was, she finally discovered he wasn't and she had gained enough confidence to give him a wake up call when she pointed it out to him. This was truly a divine read, a slow, yet very moving and truly romantic experience. --- Marilyn, for www.romancedesigns.com