Miss Wonderful (Carsington Family Series)

Alistair Carsington is a war hero who needs a better hobby than his clothes... so his father orders him to go be productive in life and also to find a wife who can support his costly clothing habits. Alistair and his longtime friend start to invest in a canal, which will go through the properties of landholders in Derby, so he's off to convince them that they should build. There, he meets Mirabel, who has been managing her father's estate for years as he's retreated into botany. Mirabel is a marvel - even if her clothes are not. She's the most influential person for miles around and an absolute force of nature. And she's not going to let a canal ruin her countryside. This book is an incredibly fun and sensitive read. Alistair has PTSD and amnesia from Waterloo, where he sustained injuries. Mirabel is understanding and encouraging even as she stands directly opposed to his canal efforts. The star of every Loretta Chase book is the heroine, and the joy is watching a pompous hero (even one full of bluster for very good reasons) understand that. No hero is brought to his knees better than a Chase hero. This book has one of the absolute best final scenes, and it's so fitting for the HEA that Alistair and Mirabel deserve.

Alistair Carsington, third son of the Earl of Hargate, may be revered as a hero of the Battle of Waterloo, but currently he's the bane of his father's existence. The earl has tolerated the last of one of Alistair's famed Episodes of Stupidity, and so issues an ultimatum: find an occupation that can support his reputation as one of the most fashionable members of the ton, or failing that, marry an heiress. If Alistair cannot secure an income via work or marriage, the earl will sell holdings that would otherwise provide for Alistair's two younger brothers -- and seeing his siblings penalized for his notorious behavior is the one thing Alistair absolutely will not allow. Partnering with his best friend, Lord Gordmor -- and the man responsible for saving Alistair's life and badly wounded leg on the blood-soaked fields of Waterloo -- Alistair and sinks his remaining funds into Gordy's scheme to build a canal through Derbyshire that would transport coal from his mines, thus making Gordy's estate (finally) profitable. Determined to prove his worth to the business venture, Alistair travels to the wilds of Derbyshire to meet with local landowners in order to alleviate any concerns they may have about the proposed development. He resolves to begin with the Mr. Oldridge, the largest landowner in the area and as such, arguably the most influential -- if Alistair can win Oldridge Hall to his cause, surely the rest will meekly follow, and his -- and his brothers' -- future will be secured. But Alistair didn't count on Mr. Oldridge being more interested in botany than building projects, and is left to deal with the man's daughter Mirabel -- a titian-haired beauty whose smile turns his knees to jelly, even while her appalling lack of fashion sense drives him to despair. Alistair came to Derbyshire to escape the threat of romantic entanglements -- but when his biggest opposition turns out to be the one woman he doesn't want to live without, his first foray into the world of business promises to yield a richer dividend then he'd ever dreamed...if only Mirabel wasn't so distracting... At thirty-one, Mirabel Oldridge has resigned herself to the life of a spinster. Following her mother's death, her father retreated into his love of botany and proclivity for scientific study, allowing her beloved home to fall into disrepair. But Mirabel was determined to save the home she loved, and threw herself into the very unfeminine work of running the estate, cloaking her form in hideously unfashionable clothes so as not to distract the men she must deal with, and so be taken seriously as a competent businesswoman. Her life may be lonely, but she doesn't regret her choice, until the devilishly handsome Alistair Carsington arrives with his plans for a canal -- a canal! -- that would wreck the quiet country life that has so long been her solace. But Alistair, despite his reputation as one of the foremost dandies of the ton, proves surprisingly tenacious -- and irresistible -- reminding Mirabel of a part of her life she'd thought long buried, the part that once hoped for a happily ever after all her own. But with Alistair as determined to see the canal succeed as she is equally determined to stop it, any hope of a future is surely out of the question...right? However, Mirabel never reckoned on the delicious chaos the unstoppable force that is Alistair Carsington would wreak upon her heretofore happily immovable resolve, for when the two collide sparks fly, and the only certainty is that neither will emerge unchanged. As I've fallen in love with the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn, I've found myself somewhat concerned as to what might possibly come close to Quinn's humor and sparkling characterization once I've finished her books -- and I'm happy to say if Miss Wonderful is any indication, Ms. Chase's novels will not leave me wanting. She has a wonderfully dry, understated sense of humor, a sarcastic bent that I absolutely adored, and her characters just shine. The chemistry between Alistair and Mirabel practically leaps from the page with a deliciously palpable intensity, as at first blush these characters could not be more dissimilar -- yet Chase takes great delight in proving just how wrong first assumptions can be. Given Alistair's history of romantic entanglements, it would be easy to classify him as a heartless rake, one more in a long line of stereotyped romance heroes. It's a trope I can enjoy, don't get me wrong -- but the manner in which Chase turns one's expectations on their head is delightfully refreshing. Alistair is a man who, when he loves, loves whole-heartedly, committing his all to his amours even as the entanglement inevitably resolves into one of his famed Episodes of Stupidity. But everything changed after Waterloo, and the lame man who emerged from the battlefield masked his emotions and intellect behind the facade of one of society's foremost dandies -- dressed to perfection, always ready with a cutting quip, all to mask his loss of memory surrounding the battle and a soul-deep conviction that he is wholly undeserving of the accolades bestowed upon him by merely by virtue of not dying. Alistair's desire to prove himself in business serves as an unexpected catalyst in his journey toward emotional wholeness, putting him in a position through which he is finally forced to -- and able to deal with -- confront the physical and emotional impact of his battlefield experiences. Thanks to Chase's superbly-shaded characterization, Alistair is a character who proves to be cleverer than his acquaintance at large thinks he has any right to be, and watching him come into his own, driven to make his way in the world is a joy. I loved Mirabel. Not only is she a spinster, but she's older than the hero by two years -- which isn't much, granted, but it's a refreshing change from the norm in romances of this ilk, wherein the hero is inevitably older, wiser, and more experienced than his romantic counterpart. While she may be completely, hilariously, clueless about fashion and hairstyles, Mirabel is passionate, smart, and dedicated. I loved her business acumen and hard-won respect as a woman choosing to do a "man's work," a choice born from a heartbreaking combination of desire and necessity. Out of this desperate combination of loneliness, desire, and attraction, Mirabel finds herself very much the initiator in her relationship with Alistair, which I loved for her gumption and vulnerability. And while it kind of broke my heart that she plunged into a physical relationship without any thought (initially) of the eventual emotional consequences, it's a testament to Chase's characterization that I still deeply empathized with her even as I couldn't quite support her willingness to give herself to what she is initially sure will only be a passing fling. Miss Wonderful proved to be a fantastic introduction to Ms. Chase's writing, and I cannot wait to explore her backlist further. Her sense of humor is laugh-out-loud funny, and her gift for wry, hilarious understatement makes her prose positively shine. Alistair has to rank as one of my favorite heroes in recent memory -- not only is he wonderfully sarcastic and impeccably turned out at all times, but he's positively addicted to emotional vulnerability. *wink* While Chase's leads are polished perfection, fantastic examples of characters whose experiences run the emotional gamut over the course of the novel, her supporting players leave something to be desired, the notable exception being Mirabel's delightfully quirky father. However, the hint that both sets of parents may have had a subtle hand in introducing their offspring? -- a delightful, well-played surprise. Unlikely lovers Alistair and Mirabel's relationship sizzles with electric chemistry. Couple their engaging relationship with a fast-paced plot and a gentle examination of the effects of PTSD in Alistair's life, balanced with warmth, compassion, and laugh-out-loud humor, and the result is a frothy, funny romance that is a sheer joy to read -- Miss Wonderful proves very wonderful indeed.

Loretta Chase has written some wonderful books, but I think this is one of her best. As much as I like a dark, brooding hero, there is something about one with quirks and foibles that draws me in every time. Alistair Carsington is the third son of an Earl. He nearly lost his leg in the battle at Waterloo and is accounted a hero for his actions on that day. But, since coming home to heal from his injuries, his only interest seems to be in fashion. His bills for his "interest" has caused his father to give him an ultimatum...marry an heiress or else! Not wanting to marry, he joins a friend in a canal scheme and meets the oddly untidy and unfashionable Mirabel Oldridge who drives him mad. Their battle over the proposed canal sets in motion a hilarious non-courtship for the ages. The secondary characters shine as well. The heroine's eccentric father made me want to hug him! The Captain's use of Navy terms made me chuckle. The dialogue was crisp and witty and carried the plot along well. Along with the humor, the PTSD of the hero was addressed well. Not understood at the time, many men returned from battle suffering mental disorders that caused lifelong trauma. Our hero was a fortunate one who was able to overcome his with the help of others. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves romance, humor, and a little reality in their reading. Sexual situations may offend some readers.

I really wanted to love this story because a) it's a Loretta Chase book and b) it's a Carsington Family book and I've enjoyed all the others. It's that pesky BUT that kept getting in the way for me. I won't bore you with recap of the story as you've read one Carsington, you've read them all - boy has problem with father, goes away to prove father wrong, meets the girl, has some negligible issues with a canal, falls in love with said girl, and conquers the world to prove love to society/girl/family. Okay, maybe the story wasn't as quite cut & dry as I'm making it out to seem, but it definitely felt more paint-by-the-numbers than I'm used to by Ms. Chase. Pros: beautiful lush prose that really brought the countryside to life for me - I could really see the beauty & the ugliness of the land so loved by the heroine Mirabel Oldridge. Also, the family dynamics of the Oldridges with an absentee scholarly father who tromps all over kingdom come, returns in time for dinner, and leaves the realities of life up to his daughter - sure we've read this before but it's still sad & you really feel the smouldering stew of angst, hopelessness, pride, love, exasperation, fear, and loneliness this engenders in Mirabel as she tries to keep everything together in a world run by men who look down upon a female. Sure, you don't really see the struggles she experienced trying to get the men in this community to take her seriously, but you do see flashes of how cunning she must've been in order to retain the good will of everyone. Alistair is no slouch either - he comes off as a frivolous extremely amusing dandy in the first chapter, but as the story unfolds, you see the man beneath the dandy. I really enjoyed his absolute horror & preoccupation over Mirabel's clothing choices (which, as you find out, was extremely deliberate for obvious reasons). Their banter & respect for each other is great and there are no Big Misunderstandings to tear them apart - even when I thought this one fight of theirs was veering into that territory, Ms. Chase restored my faith in romantic humanity by having both parties evaluate their behavior after the fight and realize they weren't so much angry at each other, but the circumstances in which they found themselves in. But... Cons: I didn't believe the love between the characters. I enjoyed each character on their own merits, enjoyed their interactions, but had no belief at the end of the day that they were truly madly deeply in love as I have with most of Chase's other couples. She's a spinster buried in the country who, though she had a love affair & broken engagement in her youth, she never sees any eligible men now so naturally she'd be interested in the first one who reciprocates; Alistair falls in & out of love at a drop of a hat and I really didn't see any differences here. It felt more like him loving & marrying her was more to prove to his father he was more than just a dandy than any true heartfelt emotion. While this is normally a death knell for most romance novels, Ms. Chase's beautiful writing saved it from being a one or two star and elevated it to three stars. Another aspect I disliked was the presence of the villain; I felt he was extraneous because the issue of the canal construction was large enough a problem to render any other force completely unnecessary. I was able to put down my Kindle several times, and even started started & finished a book I borrowed from the library, before picking it back up again. It had all the earmarks of another fabulous Loretta Chase book I read again and again, but instead it will be archived.

Alistair is a war hero. He was severely wounded at Waterloo and the entire country has made him a famous man. He does not feel heroic. His leg is very painful and he no longer is able to think about things and deal with life the way he once did. Mirabel is the daughter of a very forgetful botanist. Because her father has no interest in anything in the world except his plants, Mirabel has become the person in charge of the estate and all the business attached to that estate. She is a very competent woman. Alistair has come to Derbyshire to convince people to allow a canal to be built through the countryside and specifically through the biggest estate - the one belonging to Mirabel and her father. Mirabel does not want to have a canal anywhere near her, the estate or the county in which she lives. She is a very bright woman who uses her wit to try to defeat Alistair and the canal plans. Her wit is very powerful. There is a strong attraction between Mirabel and Alistair and the conversations between the two are very entertaining. Each of them feel very strongly about their point of view. But, in spite of the different points of view, the attraction is not to be ignored. This is the first book I have read by Ms Chase and I am now a fan. She writes a very intricate plot and her characters are well developed and have depth. I like the fact that not everyone is exactly who the reader will expect. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a romantic story which does not follow any kind of formula. The basics are what one would expect from a Regency Romance, but the way the story proceeds to completion is new and interesting. Ms Chase is definitely an author who understands how to create a story and characters for readers what want entertainment.

I love, love, love Loretta Chase's Historical romance novels. Having just finished her latest book, I was pleased to find all her books available on Kindle, where I promptly downloaded the Carsington Family series. "Miss Wonderful," the first in the series, introduces brother number three, the handsome war hero Alistair Carsington, and his lady love, the irresistible spinster Miss Mirabel Oldridge, with Chase's usual wit and humor. The dialogue is sparkling & witty, and at times laugh-out-loud funny. While Chase's story-telling abilities are first rate, it is her wonderful characters that keep me coming back to her books time and again. Her novella, "The Mad Earl's Bride" is one of my all time favorites and has been read and reread more times than I care to admit. If you are looking for a book with humor, wonderful writing, interesting and charming characters, along with a truly touching, heart-felt romance, you can't go wrong with "Miss Wonderful."

Mirabel has no fashion sense whatsoever. And is often seen in an unkempt state. However, she is highly intelligent, extremely capable, and incredibly quick witted. She is also a fierce and determined opponent of a canal project that will spoil the country beauty and serenity of her estate and beyond it. At 31 years of age, and for over ten years, Mirabel has totally managed the substantial estate that her father has ignored, since her mother's death. She expects to remain a spinster. And, she deals with men in a direct and businesslike manner. Alistair is always a vision of perfection. He's fashionably and impeccably prepared for absolutely any occasion at all times! His wardrobe expenses and foolhardy liasons have cost his father a fortune. Dear papa has had it! He gives Alistair an ultimatum. He expects Alistair to find a way to support himself. Perhaps a wealthy heiress is another possibility. Unless Alistair meets his father's deadline the assets of his beloved, younger brothers will be used to pay Alistair's substantial expenses. Unknown to Alistair's father is the fact that he and his best friend are wholly invested in the construction of that canal that Mirabel is intent on stopping. The banter between these two absolutely sparkles! There's also intrigue, duplicity and betrayal in this wonderful stew of romance and mystery. Ms Chase has provided an escape from politics and Covid, even housework. I gladly recommend this novel to others. I think that you will like it

I really liked the hero in this story. He has PTSD and amnesia since being badly injured in the war and also has history of many scandals involving women. The heroine is strong, intelligent and determined but some of her behavior doesn't make sense nor match the norms of the time, even for an intrepid woman