No Ordinary Groom

• Publisher:   Avon
• Number Of Pages:   384
• Publication Date:   2004-01-01
• ISBN-10 / ASIN:   0060543949
• ISBN-13 / EAN:   9780060543945

No Ordinary Engagement

Miss Jane Whittington's hopes have been dashed. She'd always imagined herself marrying someone daring, adventurous, exciting. Instead, the man her father has betrothed her to is...a fop! Certainly William Chadwick is devastatingly handsome, but Jane could never love a dandy who cares for nothing save the latest fashions. So why does his heated gaze enflame a desire in her that she's never known?

His work as a British spy has kept William apart from proper society for years -- and he has no idea that his latest “disguise” is anything less than appropriate. Now that he longs for a simpler, safer lot, he believes he's found his ideal bride in this irresistible beauty. But it will take a special sort of seduction to win Jane's heart. And when the Crown calls him back into service, how can William refuse -- even if it costs him the peace he covets...and the woman he can no longer live without?

A toe-curlingly cheesy cover on this book wasn't encouraging, neither was the blurb on the back including such memorable phrases as "does his heated gaze enflame a desire in her" but this book was actually rather a pleasant surprise. Jane Whittington is a dutiful daughter of separated parents. Her father has arranged a match for her with Lord William Chadwick to which she agrees but with significant reservations. Lord William, although reasonably attractive, is a brainless fop and Jane herself is well-read and intelligent. However, she obeys her parents' wishes in her betrothal (a point that is necessary for the plot but was a little bit unrealistic as the novel moves on and we find out more about Jane's independent nature). Of course things aren't as they seem (when are they ever?) Will is a former spy who has taken on the mantle of his last disguise - the English nobleman fop - as he doesn't really know who he is any more. However he finds himself embroiled in another mission to catch red-handed a traitor to England who just happens to be at a house party he can also visit. Will manages to whisk Jane away on a visit to her father in Yorkshire and is able to divest her of her maid on the way. He then seems to spend rather a lot of time trying to shock her and seduce her whilst protecting her from potential enemies that may be following him. Their interactions are well written as Jane gradually realises that there's more to William than the brainless dandy and also begins to understand herself and her longing for excitement, adventure and her horror of being controlled by a husband. The spy plot part of the book is pretty minor really - we meet a couple of other people in it and there's another book about one of the spies already written - and in fact I didn't think the plot worked too well. However the rest of the book was definitely more interesting than a lot of other Regency romances that I have read recently. Strong characterisation is surprisingly difficult to find in this genre and I felt that this book bucked the trend. Worth a read!

This is the first read in the new trilogy that Ms. Callen has started. Here we meet Jane Wittington and William Chadwick. Jane can't believe that her father has betrothed her to the dandy that he has. Please, all he can do is talk about fashion, material, and any other inane thing that comes to mind. Jane has dreams that don't include William. Never mind the fact that he has the ear of the Queen and her father for some reason has decided he is the one for her. Before she knows it she has set out for her fathers estate and the dandy and fop that she thought William to be is changing. What on earth is going on? William is a retired spy. He has been called back just one last time to help on a case of capturing a traitor. He is ready to settle down with the lovely Jane, but the problem is he has no idea what a "proper" lord is suppose to do or how he is to act. He thinks he has it down pat, but Jane seems rather...put off by the whole thing. When his mentor and future father-in-law askes Will to bring Jane home, he does not think twice about the request, that is until he is pulled back into service. Now he must use all of his talents to keep Jane in the dark about who and what he is, and at the same time keep her safe from the assassine that seems to trying to kill him, while keeping an eye on a traitor. All in a days work...not! This was a fun read. Ms. Callen has created some wonderful characters and if you're like me and read books out of order and have already read "Beauty and the Spy" then you will realize that these two stories take place at the exact same time! Even so both reads stand alone fine. Will and Jane are great characters, and Killer (I'm not going to ruin this for you, the reader) is a wonderful addition to the cast. At times the storyline does seem to bog itself down with the push and pull dance, that Will and Jane perform. As a result I became frustrated just a few times and hence the lower rating. Still this is not a read that I would dismiss or ignore. Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com

Callen's newest work is enchanting. Jane is a reluctant fiance who keeps looking for ways to convince her father to end her betrothal to a fop. But William isn't what he seems; in fact, he's not quite sure who he is or who he wants to be...he's been a spy, putting on other personalities, for far too long. Even though Jane turns out not to be what he thought he wanted in a wife, she's exactly right for him.

William's "Lord" routine is amusing as are Jane's exasperated responses. But as he reveals his true self in small ways, Jane becomes intrigued. Danger from a traitor adds to the tension and serves to draw them together. Both people learn about themselves and how they unthinkingly try to force the other into a certain mold. They learn, they grow.

A delightful read.

This was my first, Gayle Callen book, and with this book, I will be on the look out, for all her books. In addition, buy her older writings.
I will definitely buy the next book, about Nick and Charlotte, this fall. For some reason, I see the next book being five stars.
This book, No Ordinary Groom, was very romantic, very sweet, and I like how the pages are not full of raw sex, and has a story to read. The sex was not so over bearing..That you need to skip pages, which is what I usually do if a book goes on and on about it. A salute to you Ms Gayle Callen, will done.

I really wanted to like this book. I love the whole 'Scarlet Pimpernel' story, and thought it was a great plot device. But these characters are all over the board. First of all, I wish authors would get past the junior high idea of love - you know, if you really like someone, insult them, or make them angry, or pretend you can't stand them. I know it's harder to write books where the tension is intelligent, but that's what I spend my money for - characters who make you fall in love with them and who make you understand why they fall in love with each other. I do not buy books to read about young women who I am 'told' are intelligent, but who act like idiots, or men who enjoy irritating the woman they care about. It's possible I'm being somewhat unfair to this book, because I could only make it to page 176 before I skipped to the ending and then threw it down it disgust, but I've been reading romances for a long time, and I'm getting tired of some of the best authors turning in sloppy efforts they figure will sell just because their previous works have been so good.

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