Cornick, Nicola

PERSONAL:

Born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England; married. Education: London University; Ruskin College, Oxford, Master in Public History. Hobbies and other interests: Wildlife watching and conservation, history, genealogy.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Swindon, England. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer. Worked in university administration as an assistant academic registrar and operations manager. Also works as a guide for the National Trust at Ashdown House.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

The Blanchland Secret, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2000.

The Christmas Collection, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2001.

A Companion of Quality ("Steepwood Scandal" series), Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2001.

An Unlikely Suitor ("Steepwood Scandal" series), Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2002, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2003.

The Penniless Bride, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2003.

The Regency Rakes, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2003.

The Notorious Lord, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2004.

Nicola: The Rake's Mistress, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2004.

A Regency Invitation: To the House Party of the Season, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2004.

One Night of Scandal, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2004.

(With Mary Balogh and Julia Justiss) Christmas Keepsakes, Harlequin (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2005.

A Regency Lords & Ladies Collection: Volume 1, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2005.

A Regency Scandal, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2005.

A Regency Lords & Ladies Christmas, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2006.

Lord Greville's Captive, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2006.

Deceived, Harlequin (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2006, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2007.

"SOMERSET" SERIES

True Colours, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 1998.

The Larkswood Legacy, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 1999.

"SUFFOLK" SERIES

The Virtuous Cyprian, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 1998.

Lady Polly, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 1999.

Miss Verey's Proposal, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2000.

"MARTIN AND TREVITHICK FEUD" SERIES

Lady Allerton's Wager, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2001, Harlequin Books (New York, NY), 2003.

The Notorious Marriage, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2002, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2003.

"TALLANTS" SERIES

The Earl's Prize, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2002, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2003.

The Chaperon Bride, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2003, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2004.

Wayward Widow, Mills & Boon (Richmond, England), 2003, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2004.

Also contributor of a novella to The Love Match, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS:

Nicola Cornick is a British writer who specializes in historical romances. "I developed a passion for history at an early age and nurtured it through reading and watching BBC costume dramas," the author wrote on her home page. Cornick has written stand-alone novels as well as several series. Her "Somerset" series includes the books True Colours and The Larkswood Legacy. In True Colours, readers meet Alicia Broseley, married off by her father to the unlikable Lord Carberry, who dies on their wedding night. As a result, Alicia inherits a fortune and soon finds the opportunity to reunite with her true love, James, the Marquess of Mullineaux. Alicia's sister Annabella, is the focus of The Larkswood Legacy. Annabella marries into a royal family that wants her inheritance but soon loses her husband and the respect and interest of her new family when no inheritance is forthcoming. The novel follows Annabella as she meets a new love interest, Sir William Weston. However, she soon becomes disappointed when Sir William challenges her ownership of a property. Jean Mason, writing on the Romance Reader Web site, noted that the author "provides mystery and intrigue."

Cornick's "Suffolk" series includes the novels The Virtuous Cyprian, Lady Polly, and Miss Verey's Proposal. The Virtuous Cyprian finds Nicholas, Earl of Seagrave, returned from war and leading a dissolute life of drinking, gambling, and promiscuity. His life takes a turn for the better, however, when he meets Lucille, a quiet schoolteacher whom he initially mistakes for her sister, Susanna, a notorious Cyprian. Kathe Robin, writing on the Romantic Times Online, described The Virtuous Cyprian as a "delightful tale of a masquerade gone awry."

Lady Polly features the romance involving the title character, a strong-willed young woman. Polly refuses the advances of Lord Harry only to later find that she loves the Lord, who has pretended to be a fop so he can perform his secret services for the crown. Romantic Times Online contributor Teresa Roebuck referred to the novel as "a solid, cozy read with many delightful characters." In Miss Verey's Proposal, Cornick tells the story of Lady Jane Verey, who poses as a plain, dimwitted woman to get out of a marriage to Philip, brother of Alexander, the Duke of Delahaye. In reality, however, Lady Jane is beautiful and intelligent, which only leads to the Duke's determination to pair off Lady Jane and Philip. "Nicola Cornick brings you right into the story," wrote Gabrielle Pantera on the Romantic Times Online.

The Earl's Prize, the first book in Cornick's "Tallants" series, features Joss, Earl of Tallant, who has lived his life by his parent's dictum to never fall in love. However, when he meets Amy Bainbridge, who made a vow only to marry a man she can respect, Joss finds himself drawn to her even though she is hesitant to commit herself to someone she sees only as her brother's gambling companion. Romantic Times Online contributor Susan Mobley called the novel "a captivating Regency story with an interesting and engaging twist."

The Chaperon Bride is the next book in the "Tallants" series and tells the story of widowed Lady Annis Wycherley who, despite having had an unhappy first marriage, finds herself contemplating matrimony once again when she meets Lord Adam Aswhick, also a widower. Adam, however, had such a very happy first marriage that he has vowed not to marry again. "Skillfully crafted, this is a refreshing Regency romance," wrote Romantic Times Online contributor Susan Mobley.

Wayward Widow finds Lady Juliana Tallant having gone through two marriages and living a disreputable life. When she attends a bachelor's party as the naked dessert, she is unaware that one of the men there is Martin Davencourt, a long-lost love from Lady Juliana's teenage years. Although Martin is looking for a respectable woman to marry, he cannot help falling in love with Lady Juliana. Mobley, writing on the Romantic Times Online, noted: "Once again Cornick delivers a delightful journey to Regency England."

Cornick has also written several stand-alone romance novels, including Deceived. Princess Isabella Di Cassilis is looking to marry a man in prison for debt because the law decrees that this man will automatically inherit all the responsibility for Isabella's debt, which she acquired following her husband's death. To her surprise, the man she is supposed to marry, John Ellis, turns out to be the Earl of Stockbridge, whom Isabella left at the altar more than a decade earlier. John Charles, writing in Booklist, commented that the author "puts her own clever twist on the classic marriage-of-convenience plot." Joan Hammond, writing on the Romantic Times Online, noted that the author "masterfully blends misconceptions, vengeance, powerful emotions and … great love."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, July 1, 2006, John Charles, review of Deceived, p. 39.

Publishers Weekly, February 4, 2002, review of The Love Match, p. 59.

ONLINE

Nicola Cornick Home Page,http://www.nicolacornick.co.uk (June 23, 2007).

Romance Reader,http://www.theromancereader.com/ (June 22, 2007), Kerry Keating, review of The Blanchland Secret; Laura Scott, review of Deceived; Lesley Dunlap, reviews of The Earl's Prize and The Peniless Bride; Judi McKee, review of Lady Polly; Cathy Sova, reviews of Miss Verey's Proposal, The Virtuous Cyprian, and The Notorious Lord; Jean Mason, reviews of The Larkswood Legacy and True Colours.

Romantic Times,http://www.romantictimes.com/ (June 23, 2007), Deborah Brent, review of The Notorious Marriage; Joan Hammond, reviews of Lady Allerton's Wager and Deceived; Gabrielle Pantera, reviews of Miss Verey's Proposal and The Blanchland Secret; Kathe Robin, reviews of The Virtuous Cyprian and A Regency Invitation; Teresa Roebuck, review of The Larkswood Legacy; Susan Mobley, reviews of The Earl's Prize, The Wayward Widow, and The Chaperon Bride; Gerry Benninger, reviews of The Penniless Bride, One Night of Scandal, The Rake's Mistress, and The Notorious Lord.