To Catch an Heiress

Caroline Trent has 6 weeks until her 21st birthday and she receives her inheritance. She must escape her greedy guardian, who is trying to get her fortune by having his son compromise and marry her. As Caroline is trying to find a place to hide out, she is mistaken as a spy by the dashing Blake Ravenscroft. Blake is on his last mission as an agent of the war office. He is plagued by the memories of his fiancee(also a spy) who lost her life while taking his place on an assignment.
Julia Quinn is an author who is known for weaving humor into her plots. While To Catch An Heiress does have some laugh out loud moments, they're not enough to carry the book. I have to agree with the previous reviews that the dead fiancee was definitely a downer. She was also hard to get around-she was made mention of throughout the book. I never believed that Blake deserved Caroline or that she would want him. This book should be passed by. Read How to Marry A Marquis instead.

After picking up [[ASIN:0061491888 What Happens in London]], at a used bookstore and falling in love with Julia Quinn's style, I decided that I had to start adding more of her stuff to my romance shelf. I decided on this one, because I love spy fiction as much as I love banter, and this seemed like it could be an amazing combination of the two.

In the end, though, the spy hero is kind of the weak link in the book, at least for me. I liked him at first, when he found himself laughing with the heroine despite thinking she's an enemy spy, but when that misconception's cleared up, he seems to lose a lot of his sense of humor, and he's always growling at the heroine because MY FIANCEE DIED, NOW I MUST SMOTHER YOU IN MY PROTECTIVE INSTINCTS. That is, when he's not just plain angsting about Dead Fiancee and how he Must Never Love a Woman Again. This doesn't seem to have annoyed some readers, judging from the reviews, but to me, he was such a prickly drag by the end of the book that I couldn't see why the heroine thought he was so great- I'd have been ready to elope with the Marquis.

Also, Dead Fiancee's name is Marabelle, This didn't strike me as a particularly realistic name for the period, so whenever she'd get mentioned, I'd roll my eyes. My eyes got a lot of exercise by the time the epilogue rolled around.

I loved pretty much everything else- the side characters are fun and don't feel flat, I loved Caroline's dictionary/diary and quick wit, etc., so I'd still rank this book pretty highly and recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind angsty love interests. Personally, though, I'm looking forward to passing this one on.

Miss Caroline Trent is running away. Running away from the sixth guardian to view her fortune as something to better their personal future with. She figures she only has to suvive six weeks before she turns 21 and can legally spend her fortune and leave all guardians in the dust. However, she did not figure on being abducted in the middle of the night, by Blake Ravenscroft. Nor did she figure that he would mistake her for a Carlotta de Leon, a traitor to the Crown. But he did. And now she is tied to a bed post, coughing her brains out, as Blake (an agent in the War Office) interrogates her about the illegal doings of her guardian, Oliver Prewitt. What a muddle. To further complicate things, Blake and Caroline quickly develop feelings for each other. With nary a chaperone in sight.

A light read with plenty of good humor. The plot is a forgone conclusion after the second chapter, but as I liked the characters so much, I didn't mind. And I was edified as I read the teaser line at the beginning of each chapter. (a good vocabulary builder ) A good book to pick up for a day at the beach.

I count myself a big Julia Quinn fan and have read almost all of her books. Some of my favorite romance novels are in her Bridgerton series so it was an absolute disappointment when I read To Catch an Heiress. Here I was, thinking how lucky I am to have let one of her books slip through so I could read it for the very first time.

Big mistake.

I was so fed up with this book and the main characters that I just had to stop reading it. And I never just abandon a book! But I couldn't take it anymore. Caroline was one of the most annoying characters I've ever read. As a heroine, there's not much redeemable about her! She's willful, stubborn, selfish, self-absorbed, self-involved... She always has to get her way, no matter if it hurts anyone else and she doesn't seem to have any tact or grace -- you would think that being around so many horrid foster parents that she would learn a little self-preservation but she seems to think convention and other people aren't worth her time -- not even Blake, the man she supposedly loves. I can't believe she hasn't managed to "grow up" yet despite her circumstances! Usually experiences like hers make people mature faster, not slower!

And what's worse is that Blake indulges her! I remember quite distinctly how Blake calls her a "plague," something that echoed what the son of her current foster father had said and because Caroline got upset at how it might be true (it so is), Blake takes it back! She should have gotten a clue then and it was almost like she did but JQ manages to yank it away to save her precious feelings.

Seriously, what a disappointment. I wish I had never even tried reading this book because it taints my thoughts of what a writer JQ is. Stick to the Bridgerton series -- you'll be glad for it. For the most part, at least most of those books are good and at the very least, even the bad ones are decent enough to be read. I wish I could say the same about this book.

I found this book after doing a search of Julia Quinn's novels on Amazon. I saw it received rave reviews, so I bought it. I literally saved it for a special day when I had time enjoy a good read; boy, was I disappointed.

The two main characters were constantly bickering. Their encounters were supposed to be humorous, but they were goofy and ridiculous. The parts that were supposed to be laugh-out-loud funny were only slightly amusing. I did not feel like these two characters got well enough aquainted to fall in love, so the romance fell flat for me.

This book was too cheesy to recommend. Instead read the Bridgerton Series ~ The Viscount Who Loved Me, When He Was Wicked, and It's In His Kiss were my favorites.

This was my first julia quinn book, and, well.. lets just say it may be my last... A cliche of a heroine and hero, who was rather foolish! overly emotional, the "cold hearted" hero with a "dreadful" past who takes responsibilty for everyone he sees. *yawn*
you're in for a 22 chapters of dull arguing.
i couldnt appreciate quinns weak ...and failing...attempt at humor
lets just say that i'd give the book a 0 if i could.

Caroline is within 6 weeks of her 21st birthday and subsequently, her freedom, when her guardian seeks to ruin her in an effort to keep her fortune in his family. Her only choice is to run away, putting her in the path of Blake Ravenscroft. In a case of mistaken identity, Blake believes Caroline to be a treasonous spy. He imprisons her in his home and summons his partner, James, to assist in the interrogation. Thus begins "To Catch an Heiress." I don't think it's any great secret that Blake and Caroline find themselves inexplicably drawn to each other, despite the fact that he at first believes her to be a dangerous traitor. Although the plot is sometimes ridiculously simplistic and predictable, the laugh-out-loud funny antics, witty dialogue, and tender love scenes save the novel from an obscure fate. It is a rather pleasant and enjoyable read. Blake and Caroline are both wounded in different ways, and they both have to learn to trust each other. Don't expect it to be realistic, but more like a fairy tale, and you will be delighted. I really enjoy the other characters, especially the servants. I can't wait until James finds his happily-ever-after in the next book.

Thankfully, Julia Quinn's plot & character development have improved since this 1998 novel. If you're seeking an engaging, well-written story like "The Duke And I," you'll be somewhat disappointed here -- the hero spends 90% of the book bickering with the heroine. Even his best friend becomes so annoyed with the endless sparring that he leaves the area...imagine how the reader feels. Granted, even this effort is more entertaining than many other romances on the market. Quinn has become a compelling, amusing, enjoyable writer since "Heiress" -- any of her stories about the Bridgerton siblings are more deserving of your time.

I was disappointed with this book. I special ordered this book and, was all excited to read it,Boy was I in for a let down. I didn't even finish it, it was sooo boring! The hero was always so angry at the heroine through most of the book, and the heroine was always joking it was like she didn't know how to be serious. now I love a humorous romance but when the time warrents seriousness The heroine just couldn't or wouldn't get serious.Then there was the hero's dead fiance that had died five years previous to the start of the book, and he felt so guilty over her death that, thats all you read about. GET OVER IT already! As for the passion and heat in this book there wasn't any. I like my romance books with a lot more passion and heat,I also like my romances were the hero and heroine are not at each others throats from page one till the end. I like when the hero and heroine get along through most of the book.

To Catch An Heiress is a funny, lighthearted comedy of manners featuring the witty dialogue that Julia Quinn has become known for.
Caroline Trent, orphan and soon-to-be heiress, is sick of her evil and greedy guardian's attempts to force her to marry his son, especially after an ill-conceived attempted rape! Fleeing her guardian's estate on horseback, she plans to hide out for six weeks (until her twenty-first birthday), at which time she will receive her inheritance. She doesn't plan to be kidnapped, but soon she's abducted by the handsome and honorable Blake Ravenscroft and whisked away to his estate.
Blake is sick of his work spying for the crown but has agreed to do this one last job to unmask a dangerous local spy ring believed to be associated with Caroline's guardian. Having never met the notorious Spanish spy named Carlotta De Leon, he mistakes Caroline for her and dismisses Caroline's protestations to the contrary. He holds Caroline prisoner pending a confession and is furious with himself that he's so attracted to the enchanting beauty.
By the time Blake's close friend James Sidwell (the hero of Quinn's subsequent novel How To Marry A Marquis) arrives and confirms that Caroline is not Carlotta, Blake and Caroline are in love but won't admit it to themselves or to each other. What follows is some great banter between Caroline, Blake and James as they plot together to bring the traitorous spy ring to justice while Caroline and Blake fall deeper in love. But all the joking about killing each other as well as the nonstop cursing gets to be too much. Still, Quinn creates a warm comraderie among the three and a fun character in Blake's sister Penelope.
There are no surprises or deep, moving scenes in this novel (okay, maybe one: when Blake and Caroline first make love on the beach), but it is an overall pleasant and absorbing romp that features action, danger, passion and love.