The Countess (Madison Sisters Series #1)

What a splendid, fun and entertaining romance

Hold the presses my husband is still alive? What a question for a wife who thinks she is a widow to ask, but for Christiana it is a reasonable one since her husband went from a sensitive, caring beau to a controlling, ogre of a husband all of which she thought was dead. Who wouldn't want to be rid of that nightmare unless the nightmare came back to life, or did he?

So many questions and very few answers but the man who seems to know what is going on is the one presently kissing the complete sense out of Christiana and she is really enjoying it. But how could that be possible when she hated her supposed dead husband who is still alive and more passionate than any man should be. But before the night is over Christiana finds out the man she thought was Richard Fairgrave, The Earl of Radnor was really his twin brother and that horrid man she married attempted to murder the man she is now married to, or maybe she is but she is not sure since she married the other twin. Oh goodness what a mess and the scandal that would go along with it would cripple her younger sister's ability to find a good match. But if this man would just keep kissing her maybe she could forget for one minute anything but his tender touch and warm caresses.

The true Richard is not a horrible man; he is kind and concerned for Christiana's wellbeing and cares for her reputation. Richard offers to marry her, again as the real Earl and no one would be the wiser and this would have been a great plan but Christiana can't keep a secret and before long everyone and her sister knows what is what and who is dead and who is still alive. The problem is someone already knew the little trick they are all playing and that the body they are moving around is the imposter but who could it be and can they stop that person before Christiana becomes a widow again? Lots of suspects with no answers and too many attempts on Richard's life make him say enough of this game and he is tired of trying to find a place to hide his twin so the mystery has to be solved.

What Richard did discover is one redeeming factor in his twin in that he had excellent taste in wives. Richard finds too many other horrible things about him to dismiss and the deceit with which he tricked Christiana into marriage is so shameful but in the end when they are snuggled under the covers Richard realizes that there are some good things that don't leave you.

This book is so lovely and romantic you forget that there is blackmail, murder and assorted other crimes going on. The story with Richard and Christiana as well as her sister's is so full of happy thoughts you just know something wonderful has to happen as these women deserve it.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

good read

I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. There were part where I laugh so hard my husband had to ask what was so funny. You will love the dead body. This is a highly enjoyable book.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

an intelligent historical romantic suspense

Reluctantly Christiana Madison marries Richard Fairgrave, Earl of Radnor, so her father can pay off his gambling debts before the family, especially her beloved sisters, is ruined. "Dicky" proves nasty as a spouse treating his wife as an object and not allowing her to see anyone even her family. Having enough she brazenly enters his off limits office to confront her husband, only to be greeted by his corpse.

Since her sister wants to attend a gala in which she would chaperone, Christiana conceals that her husband is dead as she would have to mourn her loss though inside her she is euphoric. However, Richard arrives to the shock of Christiana. She soon learns the newcomer is the real Richard and she was married to his psychopathic identical twin George. Richard investigates his deadly sibling's murder with the prime suspect being his sister-in-law who he is attracted to. She agrees to pretend this new kind and caring Richard is her spouse as he searches for a diabolical killer who is planning to blackmail the real Earl and his widowed sister-in-law.

The Countess is an intelligent historical romantic suspense with identity theft being the driver of the story line. This tale is very witty and fans will enjoy the pretend relationship between the real earl who assumes his "wife" is a gold-digger and the title character who fears madness runs in families. With a murder investigation and a blackmailer attempting to extort money, readers will enjoy Lynsay Sands wonderful tale.

Harriet Klausner

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Highly Recommended-A must read!!!

This by far is Sands best book ever. It had it all, humor, romance, mystery and sensitivity. I could not put this one down. I loved it, and it will be a keeper.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great Read

This was my first Lynsay Sands book. I purchased it at the grocery store yesterday and stayed up, way past my bedtime, reading it. I fell in love with the sisters and the true Earl. They were great characters. I cannot wait for Suzette and Daniel's story to come out later this month.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

You must check this out!!

I loved this book. The writer really got you into these characters and the situations they faced and delt with. I was rivited and could hardly put the book down.

Very Good

Loved this book, would not have bought the second, just a repeat of this one.

LOVED THE COUNTESS

Lady Christiana once believed in fairy tales and happily ever after. That is until she kissed the handsome prince and he turned into a toad.warts and all. A year of having yourself esteem stripped has left the young beauty on tender-hooks whenever her husband is near. Secretly wanting the man who had wooed her making her heart skip has been replaced with a cold and unfeelingly cruel tyrant; taking everything from her barely letting Christiana have contact with her father and beloved younger sisters. Her sisters appear at her door worried over their father and his sudden downward spiral into gambling. A plan ensues but before Christiana can speak to her husband they come across his prone body lying cold and lifeless on the floor. The girls decide to make the best out of an "awkward" situation. The sister decide to place the lord on ice for the season until the second oldest sister, Suzette has acquired herself a desperate lord of her own in need of funds. Off they go to a ball with their plan in hand only to have it go up in flames.

Richard, Lord Fairgrave has just returned having been attacked and left for dead in the Americas. Only to come home to find his unscrupulous and murderous twin has taken his and place, and that he is married to the most beguiling beauty he has ever seen. But he can't quite be sure if she and her sister didn't have a hand in murdering his brother. Richard waste not time in unraveling the charade that transpired in his absents. Richard comes to the conclusions that lead him to believe that his lovely Christiana is as much a victim of his twin's dastardly deeds as he. Together with the help of friends and family will uncover his brother's malicious lies and reveal a blackmailer and utmost likely culprit of murder.

ALCCOLADE:

New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands has hit a grand slam with THE COUNTESS; which is a romantically witty read that engages the readers with her charismatic characters. An erotically spicy dynamic prose that titillates and strokes the reader's imagination with its sensual chemistry between two lusciously rich protagonists that grab a reader from the moment they step on the page. Surrounded with a plush cast of supporting characters that will have readers laughing and shouting out loud as they try to help-in their comical way. THE COUNTESS is a definite TBR must for any lover of romance.

Great story & funny too

Despite the rather ominous beginning, this book takes a light-hearted turn and was a very enjoyable read. By the end, you're sorry to say farewell to the characters.

A fun book, but a bit lacking.

The plot is fun, but you have to suspend your sense of dis-belief. The Characters seem a bit flat and not fully flushed out. One minute the heroine is a mousey beaten down woman, married to a nasty man for a year. During that year she is not allowed to go out and is not allowed visitors, and she accepts that, then suddenly her sisters show up and you find her charging into his study to give him a piece of her mind. To me, it seems a little bit incongrueous. The Father is another one of these flat characters.
The story line is fun, but the whole story is very short and the ending leaves a whole lot of loose ends. I believe that this is because this is the first in a series of books. I bet that the other books will help make things clear.
I do plan to read the whole series, and I can recommend it for a brain candy kind of read.

Funny

I love reading Ms. Sands Arganeu series. I've read the Highlander series as well. I love this Regency. I did feel it was a bit short and fast but the hero and heroine, the sisters,, the friend even the servants. i cant wait for book two

really slow and dumb

a good waste of money!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Excellent Start

The Countess- Lynsay Sands


Lynsay Sands does it again! While I do so love her Argeneau Vampire series, I adore her Historical Romances even more. "The Countess" ( book 1 in series) is everything that Ms Sands is known for and then some. "The Countess" is charming, funny, sexy, intriguing, and clever and a true joy to read for historical romance fans.
When Christiana's mean, cruel and totally unsexy husband Dicky Fairgrave drops dead of what they assume are natural causes, she and her sisters decide to put him on ice (literally) and go on as if life hasn't changed except for the better. After all her sisters still need to come out so why ruin life for them? The very first night of Dicky's death Christiana decides to go to a ball with her sisters. Now they are absolutely positive Dicky is dead, so imagine their surprise when Dicky walks into the ball.
Richard Fairgrave has just come back from America to confront his nasty twin brother who has stolen his identity as well as married under his name. When Richard meets his "inherited" wife at the ball he finds her to be a little less than he expected, but with time and an accidental bit of whiskey on Christiana's part, Richard soon finds that he really, really wants to keep his "inherited bride" and to do that he must build her trust while finding out just what the heck happened to his brother who was murdered

A MUST READ! A HUMOROUS HISTORICAL ROMANCE!THE COUNTESS BY LYNSAY SANDS!

THE COUNTESS by Lynsay Sands is a delightful,humorous historical romance set in Regency England. It is the first in a new series,"The Madison Sisters".It is written with depth,details,twists and turns.It has adventure,mystery,trickery,love,deceit,romance, passion,humor,witty banter,family sweet sensuality,blackmail,murder,exploitation,and betrayal. The characters are charming,engaging,and humorous. The hero, Richard,is handsome,his twin brother(Charles)thinks he killed him a year prior,the true Earl of Radnor,determined to confront Charles for his deception and cruelity.The heroine,Christiana, is beautiful,the eldest of the Madison sisters,married who she throught was Richard,but turns out to be Charles.Charles (Dicky)turns out to be cruel,takes mental cruelty to a new level,causing Christiana is become withdrawn.But when the sisters find Dicky dead in the drawing room of Christiana's townhouse that is when the adventure begins. This is a laugh out loud story with twists and turns.It is fast paced and full of witty banter between characters.The three women, will meet the three love of their lives and then the true fairy tale begins.With the three men helping to figured out who killed Dicky,keeping him hidden until they can find out,trying to stop a scandal,and the real Richard falling in love with Christiana,who is not actually married to either of the Earls.This is a keeper.I would highly recommend this book especially if you enjoy fast paced,action packed,laugh out loud humor,misadventures,and true love finding happiness and contentment.This book was received for the purpose of review from Net Galley and the publisher and details can be found at Avon,an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers and My book Addiction and More. **Coming on February 22, Book Two in "The Madison Sisters" series, "The Heiress"**

Highly recommended

I loved this book it was so funny I love the travel around with the body. I could not put down read it in 1 day. The story is a bit predictable I knew right away at the beginning who had done it. I just can't wait for Suzette and Daniel's story. I just hope this it is as funny.

nice story

I loved the plot and the characters. A very enjoyable book. One thing broke the bubble though. On page 340 the author wrote that Christiana was bound and gagged. In fact she described how uncomfortable Christiana was with the wad of cloth stuck in her mouth and the corners of her mouth hurt because of the gag. Then on page 346 and 347, she describes how Christiana squawked "Ouch! That is my bottom", murmured "Oh dear", and finally straightened and patted the butler on the arm "Do not feel bad, Haversham. He wasn't a very good man." It seems that the author completely forgot that she had Christiana bound and gagged! Didn't the editor notice this at all?

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