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Splendid (Blydon Family Saga)
 
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Splendid (Blydon Family Saga) (Paperback)

by Julia Quinn (Author)
3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
RRP: £6.99
Price: £5.48 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Product details

  • Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Piatkus Books (3 Jul 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0749939125
  • ISBN-13: 978-0749939120
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 3.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 73,240 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #17 in  Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > Q > Quinn, Julia

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Product Description

Review

"* 'Quinn has a smart, funny touch' - Time magazine"


Product Description

Alexander Ridgely, the Duke of Ashbourne, is determined to avoid marriage. Unfortunately, his family is just as determined to see him wed. Emma Dunster, in London for a season, is determined to return to Boston to run her father's shipping company. But Emma's British cousins are just as determined to see her settle in England. Sparks - and laughter - fly when all these terribly determined people cross paths during one very splendid London spring...
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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.2 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars All the hallmarks of future greatness, 4 May 2007
By Book Gannet (Devon, UK) - See all my reviews
  
This review is from: Splendid (Mass Market Paperback)
Alex Ridgely, Duke of Ashbourne, long ago learned just what it was woman saw when they looked at him: his fortune and his title. Oh, and that he was young and eligible. His looks helped, but in the scheme of things they weren't that important. When it came to his character, well, that was irrelevent.

That was until the day a serving maid threw herself in front of a carriage to save his nephew. When the maid turns out to be more than he expected, Alex faces the prospect that his beliefs might just be wrong. But Alex is stubborn, very stubborn and he's never wrong.

He's almost as stubborn as Emma Dunster, sent to London for the season, when she'd much rather be back at home in Boston, learning to take over her father's business. Whether she likes it or not, however, no company could thrive with a woman at the helm, no matter how capable she is. It just isn't done. But although Emma might have agreed to a season with her aunt and cousins in England, that doesn't mean she has to like it. Nor that she's relinquished her dream.

Until she finds herself unconscious in the Duke of Ashbourne's carriage, dressed as a serving maid.


'Splendid' is a light-hearted, thoroughly enjoyable romp, full of the wit that characterises all of Julia Quinn's novels. However, it is clear that this is a first novel, with the occasional slips into modern language. Alex himself is the typical rakish duke, too rich, good-looking and arrogant for his own good. Similarly, Emma is a head-strong, beautiful outsider, but JQ writes their encounters with enough reluctant romance and amusing flare for all to be forgiven. Besides, the supporting cast of secondary characters (Belle, Dunford, Ned etc) prevent 'Splendid' from ever becoming too boring or predictable.

True, it lacks the smoothness of characterisation and frequent laugh-out-loud moments to be found in later JQ novels, but it's a book to be read with a smile on your face - one that stays even after the last page.

If you're new to Julia Quinn, I recommend starting with the Bridgertons (The Duke and I), but once you're done with them, come back to this - it's worth it.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Hardly authentic Regency speak!, 5 Aug 2006
By LEP "LEP" (Halesowen, England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)      
This review is from: Splendid (Mass Market Paperback)
A pleasant enough read, although words such as "corny" and phrases such as "You must be kidding!" as hardly authentic 1816 Regency period, surely!. Basically we have the story of an American girl in London society during the Season. She wants to return to Boston to help her father run the family business, however she has a tendancy towards impetuosity and getting into scrapes. During one of these she saves the life of a six year old boy and meets his handsome uncle Alex, the Duke of Ashbourne. Alex however thinks his nephew's saviour is a servant.
When he finds out that she is the American neice of Lord and Lady Worth, he is somewhat upset at being deceived. What follows is the love story of Alex and Emma. However the progress of their love is hampered by the fact that Alex has no intention of marrying until he is in his late thirties and Emma wants to marry an American and stay in Boston. There is also the secondary story of Emma's cousin Arabella and the dastardly viscount who wants her.
A pleasant, easy read; however more ethenticity would have improved it.
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26 of 114 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent read, 15 Feb 2001
This review is from: Splendid (Mass Market Paperback)
I have just read this book and was amazed at the quallity of the storyline finaly a book where he is as crazy about her as she is about him a brilliant read.well done for writing such a brilliant book i highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good rommance novel.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Bit disappointing
Well, I really like Julia Quinn, but this book is not as good as others.
Published 1 month ago by M. MIRONSKA-MACZKA

1.0 out of 5 stars waste of time
What a lot of nonsense! I love regency novels and I picked up this book hoping to discover a new Georgette Heyer. Instead, I discovered a novel more worthy of Mills&Boon. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Blue Cat

4.0 out of 5 stars Really quite - well - splendid!
Splendid was Julia Quinn's first published novel, and in her brief introduction she does say herself that she thinks Splendid isn't as 'polished' as her more recent works, but she... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mrs. D. J. Smith

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