An average novel. I couldn't find anything special in it and I did not really connect with the characters.

Henry had been exiled to Cotswold to a village all the people looked innocent and untouched of any type of debauchery or depravity. The whole place Henry is at is set up to help people “ clean up their act”, rehabilitate them,. Every person in the village helps the “ guest” . there are rules: the pub only serves soda, all guests must walk daily, the Vicar counsels the guests, and the guests are not allowed any sweets. Henry is to stay one month unless the Vicar deems Henry needs more time to reform. Henry was so bored. Henry felt at twenty five and having done service for his country as he had been in the army six years and had been hurt physically as well as mentally he was too old to be treated like a child. After all he was a Viscount. Henry was partially lame and partially deaf in one ear and he also has nightmares and he knows he needs help with them. Henry had been raising a lot of cane since he got out of the service but when he brought home two ladies of the night his father had enough. Henry has tea with the Vicar every day but that doesn’t help with the boredom. One of the things he had to do was walk everyday Henry decided to deviate from his regular path and he found a schoolhouse. The teacher there was Rachel Everett and Henry couldn’t resist and kisses her. Rachel knows she isn’t suppose to have anything to do with a “ guest” that comes to the village. Rachel enjoys the kiss and then slaps Henry and tells him to leave her alone. But Henry doesn’t listen and they see to bump into each other a lot now. Henry is very persuasive and is willing to fight for what he wants which is Rachel. If Rachel gives into the temptation to see Henry she will end up losing her job. Also the word would get out the rehabilitation did not work and the village would also lose all future guests and that was the village’s source of income. Then Henry tells Rachel he wants to marry her and she tells Henry he is crazy.
I liked this story a lot. I felt it was well written and liked the plot and the pace a lot. I felt the romance was also at a good pace. I like the idea of a village that was set up like this one and having “ guests to help”. I chuckled when reading this and wondered if everything would work out ok. This did keep my attention no problem. I liked the way the PTSD was presented. I liked the characters a lot and the ins and outs of this story and I recommend.

Very sweet story ,wonderful characters that I enjoyed very much.

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley.

Schooling the Viscount by Maggie Robinson is the first book in the Cotswold Confidential series. Captain Lord Henry Challoner is a young viscount who’s left his ambition on the plains of South Africa. Wounded in the First Boer War, he’s come home and wishes he were anywhere else, until his desperate father sends him to Puddling-on-the-Wold to rusticate and recalibrate. How can Henry have any fun without any alcohol, or worse yet, any women? Kept under house arrest under the watchful eye of his draconian housekeeper and earnest local vicar, he’s bored enough to begin speaking to sheep until he literally stumbles across schoolteacher Rachel Everett. Rachel knows she’s not on Henry’s improvement plan, but can’t seem to avoid or repel him no matter what she does to keep him at arm’s length. Could it be that she quite enjoys being in his arms, even if it’s against all the Puddling Rehabilitation Rules? Can Rachel circumvent the town fathers and Henry escape his personal jailers and demons.


Schooling the Viscount is a historical romance that takes a route different than any I have read before, which was a nice change. However, I found the set up to be a little too contrived. Not that I doubt titled families doing this sort of thing to each other, whether out of caring and concern or less honorable reasons nor do I doubt that people (even today) would be willing to make a dollar from this sort of enterprise. It just seemed a little much to me, although some of that was because this as the first book in a new series, and there needed to be some groundwork laid down. I did like Rachel's character for the most part, but hated to see her simpering and whatnot to the town's leaders. I also liked that Henry's troubles were realistic, and that he was just as upset with the way Rachel was treated and so on as I was. I did like the romance portion of the story, although some moments seemed a little off in the grand scheme of things. I also liked Henry's perspective and how he grew as a person, his reactions and thoughts were on point, and occasionally highly entertaining.

Schooling the Viscount was an interesting read, and I greatly enjoyed some of it, but was a little put off by other moments. It balanced out to be a good, but not wonderful read. Perhaps I will pick up the next in the series to see if it is better, but I will not be seeking it out.

This was an unusual story about a man, Lord Henry Challoner, who had served in the army and had seen horrible things happen and upon his return to civilian life, had led a debaucled life with women, liquor and other excesses to help him forget. In an attempt to "change him", he was sent to a small, off-the-beaten-track village to be forced to change his ways. The whole town was in on the intervention and were rewarded handsomely for it. He was kept from all young women and liquor and good food and had to meet multiple times per day with the vicar to listen to his "sermons" in an attempt to change him for good.

Rachel Everett was the local school teacher and she accidentally met up with Henry when he took a wrong turn and ended up on an area he was not supposed to be. Henry kissed Rachel because she was beautiful and the first young woman he had seen in this crazy town and he was immediately smitten. He wasn't in love, he could never be in love, but he saw her beauty and wanted more.

This story has a litany of characters who add to the drama of the story and eventually Henry and Rachel both decide they want to be together but will they ever be able to overcome the challenges of his status in the realm and her lower standing and the shock and damage it can cause to the town's finances and their family's well-being.

This story was not one that I really was drawn into. It was a very unusual story, not a formulaic romance, but had its own appeal. The thing I least enjoyed was the occasional f-bomb or constant sexual references. It was distracting and unappealing to me.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

1881 – Puddling-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire

Lord Henry Challoner, age 25, has found himself staying in this “Rehabilitation” town of sorts at the insistence of his father, Arthur Challoner, the Marquess of Harland. It appears that his experiences and injuries of war have led him to live a life of excesses.

This small but isolated little village has rental cottages for “guests” who are fed gentle diets with no alcohol, accompanied by exercise and rest. The village residents are all aware of the “problems” of the guests.

One day while taking a walk – out of his assigned area – Henry is drawn to the sound of children’s voices and comes upon a small school with a charming schoolmarm.

Rachel Everett knows why Lord Challoner is in Puddling and she also knows she is not supposed to be speaking to him. But when he falls at her feet and she offers to help him up, he kisses her. After she slaps him, he apologizes even with her warning him that he must behave or she will report him to the vicar who is working with Henry’s father regarding his “incarceration.” Henry knows that his father simply wants him to settle down, become respectable, and get married. Thus, Henry immediately proposes to Rachel. When she hits him with his cane, he falls to the ground hitting his head, requiring that he get stitches.

Later, Rachel is home with her elderly father for whom she must care. This responsibility keeps her living in town and living at home. When her father hears about Henry kissing her, he is afraid he might return to the school and seduce her.

Thus continues the story of a man who quickly becomes infatuated with a young woman and decides she is the one for him.

On a positive note, there were some bits and pieces of humor in this story. The author has created an unusual situation, however, I found the thought of doing that to someone to be totally abhorrent. For someone like Henry who has been through the war to even allow himself to be treated that way is absurd. He comes across as a weak-willed man and Rachel appears to lack common sense too. I can certainly say I will not be reading any more books in this series. I hope the author comes up with some better plots in the future.

Connie for b2b

TITLE: A gentle, lively, historical romance with likeable characters

I believe readers who like and appreciate this genre must believe in love at first sight. The time between first sight, first kiss, and a marriage proposal is short--and realistically unbelievable! If one can put aside reality for an easy, peaceful afternoon of reading--a book like this is somewhat of a fairy tale.

This story has likeable characters and they have morals, too. Like any good fairy tale, it teaches some lessons. This book does that: Be considerate of others; do good deeds; do not judge; do not tell lies, honor your parents, are some of the lessons here.

It's lively, but not so "rakish" and bawdy as some historical romances set in London and big on society. The setting here is an out-of-the-way place with gentle people. It is a bit toned-down, but still interesting enough to keep me turning pages. It put me in a happy mood and a hopeful one--and on the particular weekend that I read this, that type of mood was much welcome!

*I received a temporary download of this book from the publisher.

I needed something to brighten my day and Schooling the Viscount was the perfect remedy. Robinson has created a charming, fun romp which also carries substance and heart. The hero and heroine are both likable characters and their 'courtship' an absolute delight. The hero could have easily been nothing more than an unrepentant scamp but Robinson wisely imbues him with the depth of a man struggling to adapt to life after war without losing his innate charm or mischievousness in the process. The heroine struggles to balance the rigid strictures of her small village with her natural (hidden) sensuality while teaching the village children and caring for her elderly father. The push and pull between Henry and Rachel is what gives this story heart...and heat...and humor, while the quirky cast of secondary characters creates the perfect backdrop. Setting the story outside London was an added bonus. Schooling the Viscount had me smiling and cheering for this couple throughout. I'm eagerly anticipating my next visit to Robinson's fictional Puddling-on-the-Wold.

Maggie Robinson’s new Cotswold Confidential series is set in the sleepy, picturesque village of Puddling-on-the-Wold which, for the past seventy-odd years, has provided a rather unusual service for the members of the nobility by taking in its wayward sons and daughters and, through a strict and personally tailored régime, rehabilitating them.

The hero of Schooling the Viscount is Captain Lord Henry Challoner, son and heir to the Marquess of Harland. Having an income of his own that gave him financial independence, Henry purchased a commission against the wishes of his father, but has, at twenty-five, recently left the army after six years’ service. Partially lame (he was shot in the foot while serving in South Africa) and partially deaf in one ear (thanks to a too-close cannon blast) he returned to England and plunged into an endless round of debauchery in an attempt to forget the brutality and indignities of war. His relationship with the marquess has never been easy; Henry knows he’s a disappointment to his autocratic father, who wants him to settle down and start learning his responsibilities, but Henry isn’t ready for that. After six years of war, it’s reasonable that he’d want to let off some steam, but when, after one particularly spectacular round of dissipation, he brings home not one, but two ladies of the night, it’s the last straw for the marquess and he packs Henry off to Puddling-on-the-Wold for a month of healthy food, exercise, no booze and absolutely, categorically NO women.

Henry has been in Puddling for a week – twiddling his thumbs, having tea each day with the vicar and basically going out of his mind with boredom – when he decides to deviate from his prescribed walking route and thus comes upon the local school. But even better than that, he encounters the teacher, the luscious, dark-haired, pink-cheeked Miss Rachel Everett – and can’t resist kissing her.

The whole town is privy to the treatment plans devised for their “Guests”, so Rachel is well aware that she is not supposed to have anything to do with the handsome young viscount, and knows what led to his being sent to Puddling. Surprised by his kiss, she allows herself to enjoy it before slapping him and telling him to leave her alone – but fate (and Henry) has other ideas, and it’s not long before they bump into each other – literally – again. And again.

While Henry’s initial attraction to Rachel is probably a result of his not having seen a young woman for some time, it’s not long before he begins to appreciate her for what she is – intelligent, loyal, kind – and completely different to many of the empty-headed socialites he has previously associated with. Through his growing friendship with her and her father – who fought in the Crimea – Henry starts to regain his confidence and to believe that perhaps he isn’t such a waste of space as his father seems to think he is. While the book is generally humorous and light-hearted in tone, Ms. Robinson also takes a look at the plight of soldiers coming home from war who are expected to return to their old lives as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened and nothing has changed. Henry has not only suffered physical injury, but he is plagued by nightmares, and realises that there is a need to help those, like him, who have suffered mental trauma as well:

“How is it that people can feel sorry about my foot but not about my brain? Quite frankly, I think it’s more injured than the rest of me. It just doesn’t show.”
And as part of his rehabilitation is that he must undertake to do some sort of what we’d call Community Service, Henry decides that:

“I want to do something for soldiers like me who come home and can’t sleep. We’re made to feel ashamed, you know, even by others who served.”
The author very subtly incorporates the slightly darker themes into her story without any sudden tonal shifts, and there is a lot of shrewd observation beneath the flirtatious banter and slapstick humour (I did have to ask myself how many times Henry could get hit on the head without sustaining serious injury!).

Both central characters are likeable people who are easy to relate to. Henry is an adorable rogue; he’s always looking for a way around the rules, but soon begins to appreciate the benefits of a clear head and experiences a fair amount of personal growth throughout the course of the story. Rachel is a level-headed young woman and doesn’t, at first, believe that a man as good-looking and charming as Henry can genuinely be interested in her – and even if he is, continuing to associate with him risks Puddling’s very livelihood, as one word of censure from Harland among his acquaintance could lead to the loss of the wealthy clients from which the village derives its income. But Henry is persistent, resourceful and willing to fight for what he wants, especially when his father insists that a country schoolteacher is no match for a future marquess.

I enjoyed the book and will be looking out for more in this series, but the number of Americanisms dotted throughout this one kept pulling me out of the story. The most glaringly annoying ones here are the frequent use of the word “pants” – men in England don’t wear pants (other than as underwear), they wear trousers – and Rachel having to “grade papers”. Teachers here don’t “grade papers”, we “mark work” or “mark books”.

Other than that though, Schooling the Viscount is a deftly-written, entertaining story of a wounded man learning to take control of his life, finding his place in the world and broadening his horizons. It’s not what one would call a page turner, but it’s charming and funny, the central romance is well-paced with plenty of sensual moments, and there’s a sweet secondary romance and a nicely drawn and engaging supporting cast. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something light-hearted with a bit of steam on the side.

Who knew there was rehab in the Victorian era? But that's what the village of Puddling‑on‑the‑Wold is known for -- taking the sons and daughters of the aristocracy and helping them get back to normal. And one rule that can't be broken. The daughters of the village do not mix with the aristocratic patients. What a storyline! This is fresh and unexpected, with a hero and heroine who, while flawed, are most attractive and compelling. Teacher Rachel Everett is like tonic to the mentally wounded Captain Lord Henry Challoner, who uses drink and women to keep the memories of war away. Their interactions are witty and alluring, with witty banter and obvious growing attraction. With her fresh plot, great characters and wonderful depiction of Victorian life, Maggie Robinson has another winner on her hands. (I received an advanced copy on NetGalley. Opinions are my own.)

A nice read about two people in a quaint but quirky village. It seems to me that this is a "throwback" romance with a slow but not angst-filled relationship. Henry was dropped off in the rehab village of Puddling and honestly I thought how clumsy can one man be with falling down all of the time. It was almost a comedy but not quite. Rachel was not looking for love but Henry was very persistent and the slowly developed relationship was a nice story. If you do not want too much tension and a relaxing Sunday read, this is the book for you.

'Schooling the Viscount' by Maggie Robinson is book One in the "Cotswold Confidential"series. This is the story of Captain Lord Henry Challoner and Rachel Everett. Henry has been injured mentally and physically while serving as a Captain. Now he is back and living with the nightmares and pain. To dull this he has taken to drinking, drugs and women. The last straw for his father is when he sneaks in two women to their house. Henry's father shipped his son away to the Cotswolds, a place called Puddling-on-the-Wold. Henry has found that there appears to be no women under the age of fifty there. But one day Henry went further walking that he should and happen to find Rachel who is a school teacher. Henry is immediately attracted to her and his body quickly reacts to her. Something that unknown to other he has actually found it hard to get sexually excited and that has been why he has taken to some many women. Rachel too is attracted to him but she knows that anything between them would do harm to the group who try to help people like Henry. In addition he is above her 'station' so she is not the person for him. But Henry even not believing in love feels that Rachel is the women for him. This book hooked you in quickly and was hard to put down.
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."

1881 - Puddling-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire

Lord Henry Challoner, age 25, has found himself staying in this “Rehabilitation" town of sorts at the insistence of his father, Arthur Challoner, the Marquess of Harland. It appears that his experiences and injuries of war have led him to live a life of excesses.

This small but isolated little village has rental cottages for “guests” who are fed gentle diets with no alcohol, accompanied by exercise and rest. The village residents are all aware of the “problems” of the guests.

One day while taking a walk - out of his assigned area - Henry is drawn to the sound of children’s voices and comes upon a small school with a charming schoolmarm.

Rachel Everett knows why Lord Challoner is in Puddling and she also knows she is not supposed to be speaking to him. But when he falls at her feet and she offers to help him up, he kisses her. After she slaps him, he apologizes even with her warning him that he must behave or she will report him to the vicar who is working with Henry’s father regarding his “incarceration.” Henry knows that his father simply wants him to settle down, become respectable, and get married. Thus, Henry immediately proposes to Rachel. When she hits him with his cane, he falls to the ground hitting his head, requiring that he get stitches.

Later, Rachel is home with her elderly father for whom she must care. This responsibility keeps her living in town and living at home. When her father hears about Henry kissing her, he is afraid he might return to the school and seduce her.

Thus continues the story of a man who quickly becomes infatuated with a young woman and decides she is the one for him.

On a positive note, there were some bits and pieces of humor in this story. The author has created an unusual situation, however, I found the thought of doing that to someone to be totally abhorrent. For someone like Henry who has been through the war to even allow himself to be treated that way is absurd. He comes across as a weak-willed man and Rachel appears to lack common sense too. I can certainly say I will not be reading any more books in this series. I hope the author comes up with some better plots in the future.

Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The new Maggie Robinson book is one of the reasons that I love eBooks and eReaders. There are so many Authors out there and with a eReader you can now find and enjoy Authors that you have never read before.

This is the tale of a small town and the people who live there. Puddling is what we would call today, Rehab. Young and old, men and woman are sent to Puddling because they cannot be controlled by their family. Whether it is drinking, woman, or just misbehaving. Rachel Everett is the school teacher who lives with her father in a cottage and has always been content, or so she thought.

Captain Lord Henry Challoner is just back from war and is hiding behind woman and wine trying to prevent the nightmares and the traumatic injury that has left him with a permanent limp. His father sends him to Puddling and the adventure begins.

A lovely story that depicts the daily lives of a small village with a big purpose. The characters bring this book to life with stories that will make you laugh, smile and anticipate the next book in the Series. This is a tale of true love, redemption and like every true Historical Romance a HAE.

Captain Lord Henry Challoner returns to England having fought the Boers with injuries and a need to drown his memories with two vices – women and alcohol. His father, the Marquis of Harland, trying to save his heir, sends Henry to the small village of Puddling in Gloucestershire, which has a rehabilitation foundation. There Henry meets schoolteacher, Rachel Everett, an intelligent woman who speaks her mind but is sympathetic to the issues that Henry faces. However, their romance is challenged by the societal class system.
Whilst this story was a times a bit slow in pace, I really enjoyed the verbal sparring between the two main characters. Many of the secondary characters were also well developed and truly supported the story rather than filling in time.
The issues faced in the story (Henry’s PTSD) provided depth to the story, making it more than your typical romance. A good read overall.
Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review

Captain Lord Henry Challoner is a young viscount who because of trying to drown thoughts of war with drink and women. His father sends him to Puddling-on-the-Wold to reform him. All is going as planned until Henry stumbles (literally) upon Rachel Evergreen. Despite trying to stay away, Henry wears her down with his charm and determination. How this will work with the strict structure of the town is the question.

This book reminds me a lot of Tessa Dare’s Spindle Cove series. This one has a similar humor but because of some of the serious subject matters (PSTD, abusive marriages and such) I felt that it was over abundant in humor. It was meant to be over-the-top unbelievable which was successfully done but it missed the mark in giving weight to other issues. 4 stars if the humor aspect was touted more in the description.

Let me confess that Victorian Chic-Lit is not my fave. That said this book really has a unique take on the Victorian era, actually I think we can call it rather a fantasy of Victorian England. Rachel is probably one of the most normal characters in this book. She is a school teacher and is instructed by the towns leaders to not interact with the “Guests” as the patients are called who come to the village. She accidentally meets Henry, Henry is smitten with the town’s lovely school teacher and from that time on, no matter how many times he is hit on the head(and he is hit quite often), he is all about winning over Rachel.

This is a book for those who love the slapstick, light fluff romance books. I’ve often claimed not to like silly humor. I’m more in favor of the witty type, but if you do love this kind of book then this one is perfect. You may have to shelve your disbelief but you also will have a good laugh.

I am going 3 stars because the writing of this author deserves it. However, I do believe that the story lacks some key elements. The plot line is unusual and could of been written in a more exciting manner with more action and less interaction of just 2 people. Because the author is so gifted in the way of telling a story , I kept reading and kept expecting more surprises but it never really seemed to pick up the pace. I would say for a light read this is good. I just expected more especially with such a unique plot. I was given this book in return for an honest review. Anna Swedenmom

1-31 Schooling the Viscount
Puddling-on-the-Wold is a small village whose claim to fame is aiding in the recovery of family members suffering from various problems, excess of drink gaming, lust or a number of perceived sources of family embarrassment.
Capt. Lord Henry Challinor becomes an inmate after attempting to achieve a cockstand from his reluctant organ...with two prostitutes...in his father's house. A complete error in judgment.
School teacher Rachel Everett is discovered by him at her school house. The young women in the village hid from sight to avoid exciting Henry. In spite of being strongly drawn to each other, Rachel tries to avoid the determined Henry to avoid problems with the village elders.
Full of humor and some sexy scenes, Ms. Robinson explores the well defined characters and their feelings and readers come to feel as though they know them well.
I enjoyed it immensely.