Book Review: The Paid Companion

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Paid Companion     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Amanda Quick
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Romance   Historical
Putnam, May 2004, $24.95, 432 pp.

In Regency England, Miss Elenora Lodge had a beautiful estate, a wealthy inheritance, and a fiancée that she loved until her stepfather used her money to invest and lost it all. The new estate owner tosses her off the property and her fiancée dumps her. Elenora travels to London seeking employment as a companion.

Earl Arthur Lancaster seeks a companion to pose as his fiancée so he can go about his business without the shackles of matchmaking matriarchs. He offers Elenora an exorbitant fee, which she greatfully accepts. In his St. Merryn home, Elenora learns that the murder of his cherished great-uncle brought him to town seeking justice. She needs to help him and while facing danger they fall in love with one another, but both fear rejection so they hide their feelings from one another.

Amanda Quick has written an exhilarating historical romantic suspense tale that will keep reader attention from first page to last. Though the intrigue grips the audience, there is almost as much emphasis on the romance through the two wonderful protagonists. THE PAID COMPANION is an action-packed tale with terrific well developed lead characters and an interesting quirky support cast and the combination will send this author quickly to the New York Times best seller list.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner