The Colonel's Lady

by Patricia Oliver

Lady Regina Heathercott is torn between two very different brothers--the handsome and passionate Captain Charles Swinburn and Colonel Sir Richard Swinburn, Charles's arrogant and proper elder brother. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451187458
• ISBN13: 9780451187451
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Pretty good; imperfect hero and heroine

I am surprised by many of the reviews of this book. I rather liked the spoiled Regina. Too many Regency heroines are so perfect, it makes me gag. Instead, Regina was rich, spoiled, used to getting her own way but had the luck of falling in love with a total loser. Richard, who ended up marrying her to save her reputation and protect his philandering brother Charles (the loser), has his own imperfections. He distrusts most women he meets when his real enemy (and betrayer) was his own brother. There were a lot of misunderstandings which made the book a little long and laborious to read through. It also took Regina an awful long time to realize the truth about Charles but in real life it seems to take forever to admit the man you love is unworthy. Instead, forced into an unwanted marriage with the (seemingly) cold Richard, Regina finds what an honorable man is like. I liked the secondary characters. I loved that Regina's four brothers were so protective and I liked that Richard and Charles got a little taste of her brother's love. I always find Oliver's books interesting. This book was different from other Regencies she has written, but I liked it and would not have missed it.

Not as engrossing as other Olivers I've read

For the first half of this book I found it a little disappointing, especially after 'Lord Gresham's Lady,' 'An Unsuitable Match' and others by Patricia Oliver. The heroine, Regina, seemed to be a spoilt and selfish little madam, which is unusual for Oliver: her heroines are usually sensible, intelligent women with a well-developed sense of humour. However, Regina did improve later in the book, and I ended up enjoying it.It was interesting to encounter both Gresham and Wolverton in a book set before both of their own stories; I would also love to see Oliver write a book with David Laughton as the hero. He has cropped up in a few of her books now, and he sounds intriguing as well as having a mysterious and sad past.

Great writing, characters and plot. Very enjoyable Regency.

Ms. Oliver knows how to bring characters to life in her stories the same way that Patricia Veryan does. In The Colonel's Lady, Regina learns that a handsome face doesn't always have a caring heart. This story has great pacing, fight scenes, love scenes, secondary characters, and composition. It's a very enjoyable read.