Hester Warings Marriage By Paula Marshall

*** Re-read because this book gives me all the feeeelllzzzzzzz 10/12/2021

first read 08/19/2021
Give me all the jealous, obsessive, crazy looney toons you’ve got! I’ll take them all!! I don’t care if it’s the villain or the hero, either one.

Loved this book. Rags to riches at its finest. Gawd I fell in love with Tom and his precious little heart! And Hester with all of her pain and pride. Shit. These two. I just fell for them. Then of course the insane jealous villain just made this a perfect book for me.

I'd like to add that I think I appreciated this book even more because I am a HUGE Candice Proctor fan and her books deal with transported convicts from Britain and Ireland- it's pretty fascinating and this did am amazing job with it as well. 0373304560 4.5 stars.

Aww...... c'est l'amour:)

What a lovely romance!
Sweet Hester and Perfect Tom:)



0373304560 DNF 60 %. My first time trying this author and I'm really not a fan of her writing style, which to me felt a bit stilted. As a Sydneysider, I am interested in reading books depicting the early days of the settlement, but even though there were some interesting historical titbits, this story is so very slow-moving and the heroine in particular lacks spark and pluck. 0373304560 This book was my introduction to Paula Marshall's works and let me tell you, when I picked it up I was suffering from a minor wave of disillusion about the entire Historical Romance genre. The reason I had started reading historicals in the first place was because I needed a fix after Georgette Heyer (now don't suggest Austen: her books I finished and refinished before my thirteenth birthday).

Suddenly here this was, a book with a cover, not too different from all other covers of the late 90s' H.R.

To my happy surprise Ms Marshall finally gave me what I had been looking for, for ages!- A book with true romance! A story that develops and keeps developing till the last page of the book- where the hero and heroine don't fall madly in lust and then as an afterthought, love.
How refreshing that premarital sex in the regency era wasn't the basic premise for this historical novel!

Let me tell you a bit about the story. Hester Waring is no prize and in the small, just developing, town of Sydney in the out-backs of Australia, she is the most pitied and homely looking woman amongst the English community ladies that resided there.
Her father had just died and she was quite literally starving and desperate for a job. She had been shunned by society because her father- a once respectable man- had degenerated into a very nasty person whom everyone was glad to avoid and wanted nothing to do with. It was a small community of upper class gentlemen and ladies and they had not much useful to say to Hester.
She applied for the teacher's post in the new school and was almost turned down (her starved appearance was that bad), but for the intervention of Tom Dilhorne.
Tom was an ex-convict who was now a very rich man. He had the Sydney society by its collar for he owned almost every profitable institution in town, but he couldn't gain their respect, for he was obviously no gentleman (and he never bothered to pretend that he was).
He was on the school board and his sharp eyes immediately saw what all of Hester's social equals had missed- that the girl didn't walk around looking like a rag doll to snub them, but was nearly faint with hunger and hopelessly poor.
Hester didn't want Tom's help, for her father had ingrained in her a deep hatred for him- blaming all their misfortunes on the man- but she was too desperate to refuse.
From then onwards Tom devised a plan. He was a man of many plans.
He wanted to marry Hester, put plenty of food in her, back up her social standing with his money and buy some of that illusive respect that society reserved for only their own.
Tom didn't want them to acknowledge him out of a need to be part of the Sydney noble class, but because it would ease the many projects he wanted to push forward that would help grow his beloved town and make him money.

I love their courtship, I love their marriage and I love how they each grow to understand and respect the other!
Oh, and I love how they fall in love. ,'0)]


0373304560 .
The story is set in Australia, in the early days while it still served as a penal colony for Britain.
Tom was a young thief when he first arrived but after his emancipation, he quickly became the wealthiest man in Sydney... and the man most hated by Hester's father.
After Hester's father died (from drink), she was left penniless and starving among her old acquaintances. Most of whom had no idea and looked the other way, even making fun of her. But she is proud and determined.

Although I loved Hester's character and watching her grow into a confident woman, Tom stole the show.

I'm used to alpha men in romance novels. Men who are confident and proud and take what they want. Well, Tom is confident and proud and he takes what he wants, but he's not as straight forward about it. He's a devious man who reads people like open books. Yet, he has a kind soul.
Where other's looked at Hester and saw a dowdy little mouse of no consequence, he saw a bud that had never been allowed to flower. But, even he was surprised by how much she came to mean to him. He is used to playing a persona to suit the setting, even at the expense of his pride. He master's a situation with a Cheshire cat grin. But with Hester, the roles they play become a sweet byplay of a happy marriage. And he can be himself, without pride or worry of consequences.

I don't mean to suggest their marriage was smooth sailing. There's a villain who sets his sights on Tom and Hester for his own bitter amusement, that becomes ugly hate.
The first 25% furnishes the setting and characters, then a practical and quick courtship. The rest of the story is them getting to know each other while plagued by prejudice and a bully.

A wonderfully character driven story that kept me on the edge of my seat, while evoking all the emotions under the beating Australian sun.
The writing is from 3rd POV so you can see the thoughts of all the characters, but I didn't feel removed from them like I sometimes do with that storytelling approach. I could almost wallow in the affection between Tom and Hester.

Safety is fine Tom is in his early 30's (although he cannot be sure), and had a mistress who was a widow. The mistress chose to remarry a few months before he marries Hester. Their relationship was just a convenience for Tom and had no depth. Hester is a virgin of 22. No other details are given.
Apparently the next two books in this series, follow the sons of Hester and Tom. Alan's book will bring some answers about Tom's childhood, that is briefly mentioned here. 0373304560

Paula Marshall ê 9 Read & Download

When Miss Hester Waring found herself destitute and near total starvation, her rescue came from an unlikely source - Mr Tom Dilhorne, an ex-convict and now the richest man in Sydney, who needed a lady for a wife. Hester was undoubtedly a lady... Hester Warings Marriage

This was a lovely romance with very likeable MCs. The historical details and Australian setting made it very unique and interesting. With an H who truly sees the h and grows to love her beyond reason, I felt very satisfied with their romance.

There were a few small things that made me give this a middling 3 stars. The writing style was a bit old-fashioned. I would recommend reading a sample first to see if you like the writing style. The H had a long term mistress who was an older widowed woman. He stayed with her out of convenience more than any feeling he had for her. She ends their arrangement several weeks before he pursues the h, but the whole town (even the h) knows about their arrangement. But we have to hear her name mentioned over and over as well as read the H's remembrances repeatedly. I really could have done without all that. (Once they marry the talk of the mistress goes away and they are everything to each other). Lastly, the romance and story were so wonderful, but in the last portion of the book, the villain took over the plot and things got a bit OTT.

I'm still so glad I read it and I love the way the H loves his woman. 0373304560 3.5 stars. Set in the early 1800s in old Sydney Town. I was fascinated by the setting of this book. (I'm Australian). At that time it was a rambunctious frontier type town that was beginning to show vestiges of becoming a civilised society. It was full of English soldiers, free settlers, convicts, ex-convicts, and the much-downtrodden population of local aborigines, who are touched on briefly but sympathetically in this story. Sydney had prostitutes, rum and corruption aplenty.

The book focuses on Tom Dilhorne, an English former convict who has already worked out his sentence and been emancipated. Tom is intuitive, clever and driven. He has used the opportunities available in this raw town to make himself into an enormous business success, and an extremely wealthy man.

Hester is from a different class - also English, she is the daughter of free settlers from the gentry class. But her parents have died, leaving Hester alone, desperately poor, and literally starving. She agrees to a marriage of convenience with Tom, and over time they fall deeply in love. Tom treats Hester as a genuine equal and partner, teaching her about the business world and also teaching her to play and enjoy life. Their relationship develops into a lovely thing.

There is plenty of drama and misadventure before the final page, and the ending is quite satisfying.

The writing style of this book feels a little old-fashioned. (It was published in 2000). I wasn't sure whether to round down to 3 stars, but decided to round up to 4 stars because the story kept my interest all the way through and I kept wanting to turn the page and read on. I also enjoyed the glimpse into Australian history. There aren't that many HRs set in this place and time. So while it isn't a perfect book, I still enjoyed the read, and will definitely try some of the other 'Dilhorne Dynasty' books. 0373304560 This would be my first historical based in Australia and I kind of enjoyed the novelty of the locale not that there was much of a history lesson here. The author only just touches on the societal structure and strictures of the transported Britons.
So we have the Emancipists vs. the Exclusives. Emancipists were the felons shipped off to this new colony in chains where they earn a new life while the Exclusives were the free men and women who arrived by choice.

*With Spoilers*
Hester Waring is our ‘Exclusive’ but destitute h. She comes from a noble family back home but is now alone, orphaned and practically starving. Her now dead father was an unpleasant, supercilious man who ran them to ruin with his drinking and womanizing. So great is her malnourishment that she has lost not only her looks but probably also her sanity!

The H, an erstwhile criminal who arrived in chains but has now become one of the richest men in town/country through sheer grit and cunning.

The h hates the H as she believes her father’s fallacious tales about him. She attacks him unnecessarily even when he’s only trying to help her. No one understands (least of all the H himself!) his interest in her. So his offering marriage to this ‘plain piece’, when he has a beautiful mistress, was utterly unimaginable. She accepts, as it’s either him or hunger/ruin in her future.

The H’s bad guy image is such a fraud – he’s caring, protective and possessive about his plain new wife. The way he finds ways to ply her with food and wine was just so adorable (although the wining part was overdone imo). She also comes around and they have a good harmonious marriage. One of those happiness-found-midway books!

So what now?
The ugly duckling blossoms into a beauty much to the amazement of the people of Sydney. Men who once mocked her, now desire her. The H’s enemy is one of them. And here arises the second conflict.
The second half is about the H fighting the bad guy and some such. But no complaints as I liked reading about the h/H’s personal happiness and marital harmony all through the second half.

A good enjoyable read if a bit dragged out here and there. 0373304560 What A Delightful Book!!!

This was my first Australian historical read. The story was set up in New South Wales, Sydney. It was a story between an Emancipists Hero and an Exclusives Heroine.

Emancipists are the convicts sentenced and transported under the convict system to Australia, who had been given conditional or absolute pardons. Exclusives are the member of the sociopolitical faction of free settlers, officials, and military officers of the convict colony of New South Wales.

Tom Dilhorne, an ex-convict and now the richest man in Sydney needed a lady for a wife. Hester Waring's is an exclusive and comes from a noble family. She is the perfect example of a lady. But her father died and left her nothing but debts. So, she was left destitute and near starvation.

Perfect solution -- Tom and Hester agreed to get married because he wanted a lady for his wife and she wanted security. From there, the journey started and it ended beautifully.

I have to say Hester was sweet and innocent, whereas Tom was powerful and dangerous. But one can tell from the first moment he was totally smitten for Hester. I loved Tom more than I loved Hester.

It was my first book with Paula Marshall. I picked up this one because of good reviews and I am not disappointed. I very much enjoyed it. 0373304560 This was okay, the concept was good, but execution left something to be desired. The book is written in the third person. Normally, I have no issues with the POV, but there’s too much head hopping between the characters and not just the main ones, we hear the inner voice of secondary characters too. 0373304560