The Paid Companion

I always come back to this one when i need a pick me up. Amanda Quick is gifted in weaving a tale that takes me to far off places and I can forget about my day for a little while.

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.

Her books are good. Always an interesting story.

Never disappointed in a novel by Amanda Quick, I've reread them all several times. Hard to put a new novel down.

So, you need to do a quick review on all her series JD ROBB, Jayne Castle, Amanda Quick, and Jayne Krentz because hey, a lot of her books are missing her names and again it is a pain to sort

Reading Amada Quick is reliably charming, offering a fun, fast, light break from heavier reading.

A rich man hiring a paid companion to act as his tone wife, what could go wrong. Murder, mystery, romance. A Beautiful story. Please Read.

Amanda Quick is a champion at writing historical romances. The dialogue, the nuances in her characters' expressions, the plot...all of it is superbly done. It is hard to lay the story down once started...until the end. Elenora is looking to open a small shop selling books but needs some capital to buy the shop. She gets the idea to become a paid companion and goes to a business that has a list of clients that are looking for paid companions...Lord Arthur among them. Arthur is wanting to avoid the marriage mart where young ladies gather to snatch a husband...and wants a companion to pose as his "fiancee" so that he will be left alone to do his business. The contract they made was to suit both of them. But in the meantime...they fall in love. You must get your own copy of this book to find out what happens and when and how they solve a murderous mystery!

I've read this a number of times over the years and it remains an enjoyable light read.This historical romance stars two main characters who are intelligent, strong and well suited. Elenora is no simpering miss, after the death of her stepfather she is left with nothing, but she doesn't break down and simply weep, rather she is determined to succeed/have a life that is not dismal. With very few occupations for respectable ladies to choose from, she becomes a companion to other ladies.The very self-contained Earl of St. Merryn (Arthur) has recently been through a scandal where his fiancé ran away with another man, and he has no desire to deal with the Ton and having eligible daughters thrown at him by eager mothers, so he formulates a plan. And that plan involves hiring a fiancé so he can go about in peace. And as luck will have it, as he shocks the ladies of an employment agency with what he wants, Elenora storms in highly displeased with the selection of potential employers the agency has been able to locate for her.A lovely light historical romance, with a dash of mystery.

One of Ms Quick's Victorian romance/suspense novels in which a nobleman (St Mirren) is desperately trying to find out who murdered a member of his family. He hits on the idea of hiring a paid companion to pretend to be his fiancee and deflect attention from what he is really up to. Of course, he promptly falls for the lady and expected complications occur, but I liked this story especialy for one of its settings (a hidden lab reached by one of London's lost rivers and an 'alchemical machine' that behaved a lot like a laser.

An amusing book from Jayne Anne Krantz, writing as Amanda Quick, somewhat lighter than her usual stories. The historical facts are, as usual, accurate and the plot keeps you entertained from start to finish. Her heroine is brave and resourceful and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is one that could be read over and over again, with new things being found each time.

Amanda has provided a competent women to help solve the murders in this book. Enjoyed it and would recommend to all

3.5 stars. I haven't read any Amanda Quick for a while, but I love her quirky characters and her stroppy heroines. No-one else would get away with calling a hero Arthur, but amazingly, she did! Funny, pacey and great chemistry between the hero and heroine, exactly what I expected and what I got.