Going into this read I was a little worried about what tone the author would set, given that the book revolves around revenge and the hero uses the heGoing into this read I was a little worried about what tone the author would set, given that the book revolves around revenge and the hero uses the heroine as a pawn. The hero, Connor Brice, was falsely accused of a crime by his brother and imprisoned. He was only recently released from jail and is out for revenge against said brother. Some of you might recognize him from some of the prison scenes in Nearly a Lady (loved that book).
While in prison, Brice saw Adelaide bring her nephew to visit her spendthrift brother every week. He develops a bit of a thing for her (from afar) and is determined to look her up when he gets out of jail. When he finds that she’s very close to engaging herself to his brother, it seems as though the stars align for him. He can kill two birds with one stone; get closer to her and start his revenge.
This book turned out to be very enjoyable, but there were quite a few times that I felt that Adelaide got the short end of the stick. That’s the risk that you run when you draw the heroine into the hero’s plot, though. For a while there it seemed as though Adelaide was discovering a new way she had been misled (not just by Connor) every time she turned around. She was becoming more and more depressed, although no one saw it beyond the few down moments she allowed herself to reveal. I ended up feeling really bad for her. She was trapped by circumstance and had no real choice but to continue playing the hand she had been dealt.
One of the redeeming factors of Connor’s deception is that there were no real lies involved. He behaved in a shady manner to maneuver her into considering his proposal, but he always told the truth when she confronted him directly. He was willing to omit and skate around the truth on his own, but he would never lie when she asked. I had to appreciate that, given that the same couldn’t be said of the other people misleading her. It didn’t excuse his actions, though. At times it was hard to accept his cavalier attitude toward his involvement of Adelaide in his plans, when I could see how badly her situation and the choices she was forced to make were wearing her down.
There was no malicious intent in his actions, though. He gave her anything she desired upon their marriage. She was given ghastly amounts of money and was able to save her family from ruin. He wanted to please her and loved having her around every day, although he wasn’t willing to admit just how much it pleased him. He enjoyed her family and was willing to deal with her wastrel brother to boot. Yet she still wasn’t happy. She grew to care for him quite a bit and started to resent the time he devoted to his revenge. She didn’t begrudge him it, but she was tired of how long it was taking. I could understand her feelings, but she knew going into it that he was going to be doing this after they married. He never lied. Therefore, I could also understand Connor’s frustration over her change of heart regarding it.
That’s really where my frustration with their relationship comes into play. I loved the characters and I had a great time reading the book, but Connor’s change of heart toward his revenge came way too abruptly. This was something that dominated his life and it took him mere minutes to decide to give it up? That just doesn’t jive for me. Adelaide was justified in her upset over his absentmindedness toward her whenever he received new information about his revenge plot, but I expected it to take more than a conversation and a few minutes of contemplation for him to change his ways. Especially in such an extreme manner. I think my belief in their relationship would have benefited from more page time to gradually bring about Connor’s change of heart.
Although I could have used more page time to believe in the hero and heroine’s love, I never doubted their liking for each other. This author is very skilled at creating engaging characters and giving the reader no doubt that the hero and heroine enjoy each other’s company, even when they’re pricking each other’s temper. I read the sneak peek for the next book, Practically Wicked, at the back of this one and now I can’t wait to read it. I’m already intrigued by the hero.
Favorite Quote(s):
”Do you trust me, Adelaide?”
Oh, dear, not this again. “If you’re asking if I trust you to make a fair job of…” She waved her hand in the direction of the chambers. “…that, then I suppose I really haven’t a choice.”
There was a pause before he said, in a very dry tone, “You make me feel like a king.”
“Would you prefer I be dishonest?”
”Do you know the real reason I didn’t make you my mistress, Adelaide?”
Was there a false one? She shook her head.
“For the same reason I’m not angry about the pudding. You matter.”
On the surface this seems like the most likely book (so far) in the series to resemble a typical Paranormal Romance. The hero has a magical power, theOn the surface this seems like the most likely book (so far) in the series to resemble a typical Paranormal Romance. The hero has a magical power, the heroine’s a shifter who works and lives with her animals, two men want the heroine at the same time, the heroine doesn’t like to touch anyone until she meets the hero, etc. These are not unique things in PNR, yet somehow the author manages to morph the story into something fresh and different. I really think that her writing reads like an Urban Fantasy with a great romance. The world she creates is practically a character itself and while the romance is a central part of the story, it develops while the story takes place as opposed to the story developing while the romance takes place.
Blue and Iris were wonderful characters. They both had past issues that made them lean toward being loners and they both feared the impact their powers would have on any future relationship. Their personalities complimented each other nicely, but when you stop and think about it, you might wonder why this person. The attraction is strong, but I felt like the beginning foundation of their relationship was a little shaky. But that small nitpick was quickly brushed aside once I saw them together. I may not have understood what specifically led to the initial attraction, but once it was established as fact I couldn’t help but see how perfectly they fit together. Their strengths and vulnerabilities came together as if they were tailor made for each other, without ever once feeling disingenuous.
Once again we are treated to a wide cast of characters. Some are new and some are previously seen. If it’s been a while since you read the last book or if this is your first book in the series then you might suffer a little from character confusion. I, personally, really like that there are so many characters that feature in the series. It helps set the stage and gives the world a well rounded feel instead of giving me the impression that the characters live in a vacuum.
I like how we continue to see the shadow of previous villains. The more that I read, the more it feels like the Dirk and Steele agency is slowly being surrounded. I think it makes a great series arc, but I really wonder why all the agency discoveries are happening now. Why not years ago? This is not a big issue for me, it’s just something I ponder when I think on the series.
One of the things I love most about the way Liu writes her characters is the depth and nuance she gives them. In this book we saw that the “good guys” don’t always do good things and that it was possible for some of the “bad guys” to have the occasional softer emotion, even if they didn’t show it easily. It really makes you stop and think about what defines the good guys as “good”. There’s a storyline that crops up involving Artur, one of the previous characters. It was absolutely intense and his willingness to step over the line made me question my reaction if he actually did. Unfortunately, that story thread was solved in a completely convenient manner, but at least it was intense while it lasted and the reason for the convenient solve made some sense.
If you were to read a list of events that happen in this book you might feel overwhelmed, but Liu ties each piece together neatly. The plot is layered with events that seamlessly blend together in the overreaching story arc. At times the coincidences can feel a little thick, but on the whole I loved seeing side events and previous characters tie into the main plot. I’m sure you could start the series with this book, but I think a greater enjoyment will be had if you read the series in order. Then you’ll know exactly who’s who and how they tie into the current events.
Favorite Quote:
Blue woke the next morning with a crick in his neck and a boot in his crotch. He was not sure which was worse, although he thought the very large half-naked man staring down at him with a cleaver in his hand might trump them both.
“Hello,” Blue said.
“Guten Morgen,” said the man, with a smile that was almost as violently cheerful as the giant yellow happy face tattooed on his massive chest. “I think you are very wunderschön, but if you hurt my friends, I will cut you. Okay?”
“Okay,” Blue said, hoping to God that was the right answer.
I really liked the very beginning of this book. We learned about Eva’s school, designed to help mistresses ***Warning*** This review contains spoilers.
I really liked the very beginning of this book. We learned about Eva’s school, designed to help mistresses find someone to marry after they had grown tired of the life or become a bit long in the tooth. That sounds pretty hokey and Disney-ish, but I thought it was presented well. The mistresses were told flat out that the marriages would not be guaranteed love matches and that there would be no matches with the nobility offered up. They needed to keep their goals realistic. And the reason for the men being interested in gaining a wife like that—and with that sort of background—actually made sense.
So that seemed pretty promising. I was kind of nervous about the heroine coming off as unnaturally feminist and modern, but I was willing to go with it. Surprisingly, I was so irritated by other things in this book that the school and Eva’s authentic attitude, or lack thereof, had no impact on me.
The hero bursts into Eva’s life demanding the return of his “property”. His property is, of course, his wayward mistress. She disappeared and left all his gifts to her, completely ignoring the fact that she was “his”. Nicholas hires an investigator and finally tracks her to Eva’s school. He blames Eva, personally, for stealing his perfect mistress after she tells him that said mistress is already married and out of his reach. Nicholas plots to ruin her life to make her suffer the way he’s suffering.
The author flirts with some serious issues in this book, but never gives them the weight they would have needed to actually pull it off. Nicholas bought a large chunk of Eva’s mother’s debt and is calling it in as due. He also got the other creditors to start pushing to be paid immediately as well. His terms were: A new mistress given to him from the bunch she's trying to teach at the moment, her becoming his mistress, or her forfeiting her house to cover the debt. He didn’t even actually desire these things, he just wanted to twist the knife and make her beg for mercy.
Eva doesn't own any of those women, so she can't give them to him--and wouldn't if she could. She can't give up the house because her she needs it to continue taking care of her sick mother, so all that leaves is her body. That right there is forced consent and it takes a deft hand to pull that off without making you want scrub yourself clean after reading it.
Unfortunately, I didn’t think the author pulled it off at all. She basically just ignored the issue. She made Eva attracted to the hero for no good reason, considering the circumstances, and left it at that, like that solved the issue. If the issue wasn’t going to be treated seriously I wish it would have been skipped all together. Although I don’t enjoy most of the bodice rippers of old, even I can admit that the authors usually did a good job of providing some spark to fascinate the reader enough to pull them into the hero, even while his actions repelled them. That depth and spark was much needed here.
Nicholas was presented as a douche and he stayed a douche. He seemed to genuinely disdain women, and that is an incredibly hard thing to overcome in my eyes. He acted like a spoiled child and threw a tantrum to punish people who really weren’t to blame. The only reason he didn’t go through with his plan to torment the heroine and financially ruin her was because he discovered that there might be something attractive under her disguise. That’s when he started groping her and pushing her to own up to her end of the deal so he wouldn’t ruin her. It’s pretty hard for me to get behind a guy like that. On top of that, the only reason he started to feel bad about having sex with her was when he found out that she was related to nobility as well!
He'd known Eva was the by-blow of a lord, but Crawford had been unable to discover the connection before Nicholas had abruptly ended the investigation.
Now he knew her late father was the late Lord Seymour, an earl of high standing and a peer. He had bedded Eva knowing her mother had been a courtesan. To know half of her bloodline was as old as his own settled a stone in his stomach.
What a prince, eh?
The heroine was no better than the hero. He was a piece of crap, but she was pathetic. Her actions didn’t fit with her beginning characterization, and by the end of the book I didn’t even recognize her. To excuse the hero’s actions in the beginning, Eva was portrayed as captivated by his touch. He threatened her and groped her and yet somehow she still found the time to admire how hot he was. Right… She practically came in her pants every time he looked at her. I found the way she was portrayed and the way she thought incredibly disturbing.
Though she wanted to believe she'd gone to his bed under force and fear of her future, there wasn't a requirement in the arrangement that she'd actually find pleasure in his arms.
Her pleasure was his gift to her.
She hated His Grace with all of her being--if he were crushed beneath a mail coach, she'd not shed a tear--so why did her body not recoil at his touch?
Worse yet, in the moments after she fled from him and plodded home on Muffin, she'd envied the year Arabella had spent in his bed.
I almost DNF’ed this book many times, but I stuck with it because I really wanted to see if there would be some repentance or even a slight acknowledgment of the wrong that was committed. There wasn’t. By the end the hero and heroine were even playfully joking about him forcing her into his bed. It was disappointing, to say the least.
By the end the book had become rather ridiculous. Nicholas and his mother were cheerfully chatting about his mistress, and various high ranking people were blatantly scheming to get the hero and heroine married. Way too cutesy for me.
It has been a long time since I have read a new Putney book. There are certain things I know I can expect in a book by her. The predictability gives mIt has been a long time since I have read a new Putney book. There are certain things I know I can expect in a book by her. The predictability gives me a certain comfort and nostalgia, even while I roll my eyes a bit. A hero somehow involved with spying? Check. A set of identical twins? Check. A heroine more progressive than the times? Check. The list goes on, but I’m sure you get my point.
I approached this book eagerly. I have very fond memories of many of her books, especially my favorite, Angel Rogue. But I was really surprised by how abrupt the attraction developed in the beginning of the book. They were rolling around on the ground together by page 50! I had to stop and flip back to make sure I hadn’t missed anything because Putney usually does a much better job of building the attraction instead of just trying to shove it down your throat. I mean, where was the build up? They kissed once and were already on the floor. Kiri—sister of a duke—was willing to skate the line of propriety in no time at all.
The hero and heroine were cast in a role reversal, and while it made the heroine a little hard to take, it really made me like the hero. He was the one who didn’t want to let things get out of hand. He knew that there was no future for a bastard and the sister of a duke. Plus, he was friendly with her brother and that made things downright awkward. Despite owning a club and dealing with smugglers, he was a completely nice guy—so much so that it made the constant refrain of him being no good for Kiri tiring.
Kiri, on the other hand, was harder to swallow. I really loved some things about her. She was adventurous and outgoing, she loved her mother and was not ashamed of her Indian heritage, and she did not spend half the book dithering over her feelings. Unfortunately, the very things I liked about her were the things that I disliked as well. Instead of those traits being presented in a normal light, they were all cranked up to an unnatural degree. Instead of feeling like a unique woman of her time she seemed unrealistically modern. Especially in regards to sex! At one point the hero has to point out her pushy behavior point blank because she was so aggressive.
"No!" He jerked away, his breathing ragged. "Imagine that our genders were reversed. If you were male and I was female and you were pressuring me to lie with you even though it was against my conscience and honor--what would you call that?"
In addition to finding Kiri completely out of place in a historical, I thought certain events crossed the line of believability a little too often. It was like worrying about an unmarried girl’s reputation—even a duke’s sister—became a non issue.
I liked the way Princess Charlotte (daughter of the eventual King George IV) was woven into the story. I don’t usually enjoy actual historical figures being featured in the HR I read, but I liked it this time. Her role wasn’t huge and she wasn’t written as over the top or irritating. I also liked that Damien’s reaction to seeing his blood. I like when little quirks and weaknesses like that are shown in a character. It makes them more approachable.
I felt the author’s hand in the book too frequently for my personal taste. All too often I was aware of the characters’ dialogue being used as a way of telling me things I already knew about them. They would speak and think in ways that were not at all natural, just so the author could make sure we, the reader, picked up on what she was trying to get across. I also really didn’t like Kiri’s special talent. The fact that a good chunk of the plot hinged on her smelling ability did not please me. I found it too convenient and random to be real.
Even though there were good and bad things about the book, I enjoyed the read over all. I honestly don’t think this book comes anywhere near the author’s old charm, but it had a muted echo of her old style. It was enough to put me into a nostalgic mood and stir my interest in rereading some of my old favorites.
Favorite Quote:
"The Garden of Eden contained Adam, Eve, and a serpent. You, Lady Kiri, are most surely descended from the serpent who is offering temptation in return for Adam's and Eve's souls."
Looking at this plotline by itself, all signs point to me enjoying it. The set up and the idea of the characters seem like my style. That’s why it’s sLooking at this plotline by itself, all signs point to me enjoying it. The set up and the idea of the characters seem like my style. That’s why it’s so disappointing that it didn’t work for me at all. I debated between one and two stars for this book, but finally concluded that I just didn’t care enough about it to get a good hate going on. So two stars it is. :)
This was a relatively short book, filled with blank filler pages between chapters, but it seemed to take forever to read. My biggest problem with the book was the lack of motivation and logic. Sometimes the lack of logic can be ignored, as with humorous or campy books, but this wasn’t that sort of book. Without any real motivation for these characters and their behavior I was left feeling like I was listening to the author recite a string of actions. I was completely removed and couldn’t understand why I should care about these things.
For example, why were the hero and heroine attracted to each other? Why this heroine with this hero? There’s no reason, really, beyond the fact that the author says it’s so. The hero, Will, saves the heroine, Helen (we’re just going to call her that because you don’t learn her true identity until the very end), out of basic human decency. (We’ll go with that because it makes sense to me, not because it was actually stated as the reason.) He rescues her against her will, mind you—because she’s an idiot. After he takes her home he starts having odd lust-filled thoughts about her that broke the narrative. This is irritating for two reasons. One, it didn’t feel natural to his inner voice. Two, it was pretty skeezy. Just because a heroine and hero are in the vicinity of each other doesn’t mean they need to lust after each other. Time and place, people, time and place. And that time is not immediately after the heroine was drugged and sold to the highest bidder.
So, anyway, Helen steals from Will and escapes while he’s sleeping. For some reason he decides to follow her, even though he’s on his own important mission and doesn’t really care that she stole from him. So why did he follow her? No reason really other than the fact that he’s the hero and she’s the heroine and he needs to save her idiotic self from yet another dumb plan. He even says screw it later and lets her go her own way, but the heroine reverses her previous stance and decides that she needs to hang around him after all. It just wasn’t logical! There wasn’t any depth shown to explain why these characters would do these things. Even the most logical actions can seem organic to the character if the author is skillful enough, but here they felt too flat.
I’m not even bothering to go into the perplexing logic guiding Helen on this mad quest or Will’s mission that didn’t really explain why he was at that auction in the first place, but I do have to mention two things I found utterly ridiculous. One, Will decides to torture information out of Helen early in the story by tying her to his bed so she couldn’t escape and reading her porn. That’s right, that was his brilliant plan. Am I the only one that finds that ridiculous? Two, Will’s older brother, Xander is pissed that Will would bring his latest hook-up to their mother’s house. He says that it just proves his character. Now, I could understand this if said mother wasn’t a well known courtesan who had a bastard child with each of her noble lovers. I’m not really getting the whole stickler-for-propriety-sticks-and-stones vibe in that situation.
In addition to the previously stated problems, I also hated how long Helen’s deception went on. We, the reader, don’t even learn her name until the end. We learn nothing about her other than why she’s doing what she is. How can I, the reader, get to know the character well enough to care about her, let alone believe that someone fell in love with her, when I don’t even know anything about her? Plus, she called herself Helen of Troy because she admired her and kept speaking like she was Helen. I didn’t mind it at first, but hearing her use Helen and her relationship with Paris as a way to avoid having to talk about herself over and over and over and over got old. The fact that Will humored her in this just made it even worse.
The heroine has a talent for mimicry. She can hear a person speak one time for only a minute or two and can mimic them with dead accuracy. I rolled my eyes over this convenient talent, considering that a lot of things that occurred in the book wouldn’t have been possible without it. But maybe I’m being too harsh? I know of people who can recall whole conversations after hearing them once, but I’ve never heard of someone being able to instantly recall and recreate the accent of any person they hear.
As I’ve stated in the past, sex scenes rarely have a big impact on my enjoyment of a book. I rarely care enough to bring them up, but I have to talk about the sex scene here. It was painful to read. I had a problem with the attraction between them from the start (it didn’t feel engaging) but their sex scene felt like two strangers were together. Two unattracted strangers at that! There was no emotion there and the actions felt mechanical and tedious. The hero kept talking about how hot he was but it sure didn't feel like it. In a case like this I think a fade to black would have been a better idea.
Despite the fact that I didn’t like this book, I wasn’t engaged enough to truly dislike it. I think if someone sees motivation and depth where I didn’t they might actually even like it. If you’re curious about the book I’d recommend browsing it for a couple chapters and seeing if you’re engaged. If you are, chances are you’ll enjoy it way more than I did.
Favorite Quote:
He had his mother's eyes and her capacity for extremes. He was the lion in the old tale with a thorn in its paw. Wounded, trapped in anger at the world's evils, he would not find his lost brother. He could search all of London and find only injustice and pain.
She was the mouse, the partner, who could free him as he had freed her.
After discovering Anne Mallory last year I bought her backlist and have been working my way through them. Usually I would read them all imm*4.5 Stars*
After discovering Anne Mallory last year I bought her backlist and have been working my way through them. Usually I would read them all immediately, but this time I wanted to spread it out and savor it. This is the last book I had left to read and I'm glad to say that I went out with a bang.
I was a bit hesitant about reading this because revenge plots have to be handled a certain way for me to enjoy them. Luckily the revenge plot was nothing like what I expected. Indeed, I would be hesitant to say that this is even a "revenge plot" book. The back cover gave me the wrong impression on that.
I really loved how this book was setup. It put the spotlight on the bastards and younger sons of the nobility; an area that I don't often get to read about. It really highlighted how hard it can be for them, especially if they don't have a parent who cares for them. It's even worse when the parent plays the bastard son against the legitimate son, as is the case with Sebastian's father, the duke.
The duke warped Sebastian into a cold, hard man who had little regard for other people. His every move was calculated to put himself on top or to piss off his father. He didn't start out very likable, but I found him fascinating. I enjoyed watching him slowly change and fall for Caroline.
This was one of Mallory's heavier books, so the banter wasn't quite as pronounced as it usually is. The tension and the slow building emotion was just enjoyable as usual, though. The only thing that I would have changed about the book was the ending. I would have liked if it had been more drawn out and leisurely. The epilogue helped a bit, but it would have been nice to have more. ...more
I had so much fun reading this book! It was lighthearted and fun without being too fluffy. I had a lot of fun with the characters and can't wait to reI had so much fun reading this book! It was lighthearted and fun without being too fluffy. I had a lot of fun with the characters and can't wait to read the next book!
Calliope was such a great character. I swear, that girl wasn't afraid of anything. She was confident enough in her wits to boldly step into situations that had the potential to turn out badly for her. I never thought about it, but it would make sense that someone of her profession would need to be in close contact with members of the ton. How can you mock them if you don't even see them?
I had certain assumptions about this story when I read the summary. I thought that most of the book would revolve around Calliope trying to keep her true identity from James. Once again this author has turned my expectations on its ear! I was very pleased with how things ended up developing between them.
I also really liked the little bits that were devoted to acting. I felt that the author portrayed Calliope's roles very well with how things were phrased.
There were so many parts where I giggled to myself. The banter was fun, although it doesn't compare to her more recent offerings. I loved all the side characters we were introduced to! I wanted more of Stephen and more hints of Roth and a certain lady. Luckily I have their books on hand too.
One other thing that I really, really liked about the story: The situation with Salisbury. The resolution of it felt very realistic. Sometimes you don't get to tie everything up with a neat bow and make rainbows shoot through the sky. Sometimes people get shafted and there's no fix for them.
Now, on to the issues I had...
There were a lot of side characters running around. I had trouble keeping some of them straight, especially when they were only referred to by their designation. Like "Mr." or "Sir" or even a title. It was just confusing a times.
The rhythm of the events had a slightly choppy feel to it. It just felt like things needed to be tightened up here and there, and even clarified sometimes.
I thought the class difference would have a bigger significance than it did. It was brought up, and it was an issue a little, but there didn't seem to be any real depth to the very real problem it would have presented.
I felt that I didn't get to know James quite as well as I wanted to. He stayed brooding in the shadows a little bit too long for me. There was just this feel of something missing to both him and their relationship. I can't put my finger on it, but I could feel it nagging at me a bit as I read.
But those few problems I had didn't make the read unenjoyable for me. I plan to keep this book and reread it at a later date. Now, on to Stephen's book! Yeah! ...more
Well, I've just finished this book, and it really didn't turn out to be anything like I was expecting at all. In some ways it was better, but in a lotWell, I've just finished this book, and it really didn't turn out to be anything like I was expecting at all. In some ways it was better, but in a lot of ways it was a disappointment.
I really liked getting to know Lily better. I liked seeing her deafness while trying to live a regular life. At times it felt a little too easy for her, but enough authentic moments of confusion and fear and embarrassment were mentioned, that it didn't bother me too much. In some ways her characterization felt very thin, though. She seemed extremely well adjusted and at peace, except for a few occasions. It seemed like she was just there to be a foil to Julian. This was very much his story. He had to grow and adjust while Lily was already where she needed to be. She had no real character growth, and the lack of it was a little frustrating.
Julian was interesting and likable, but when I learned more about him I felt rather let down. I really felt that he blew his issues way out of proportion. Maybe if he was with any other girl it might have seemed more logical, but with Lily there was no doubt of their love for each other or their friendship. Really, the only conflict in their relationship was Julian himself. He had to get over himself enough to stop worshiping her and start seeing her as a partner.
I found the book pretty engaging for the first 200 pages, but after that it started to bore me a bit. I jut felt that I was reading something pointless. There was no real issue, it was just a matter of waiting for Julian to figure it out and stop lying to Lily. I really started to dislike their relationship when I figured out he would never tell her if he had a choice. The fact that Lily was so sweetly patient about most everything was disappointing too. I wanted her to push him and make him grow a pair. It was so frustrating!
The reveal about Leo was pretty obvious from the time we first saw the contents of one of the letters. The reason for his death surprised me though. I was just like Julian, I was expecting something more. I found the whole thing a bit of a let down to be honest. Maybe if certain details had been handled better? It's just hard not to feel disappointed when all you get is a surprised, "you didn't know?" from Lily. We spent three books building this up, can't we make this a bigger deal?
But even with those issues, I was all set to give it four stars until the end. I'm referring to the scene beginning when Julian and Lily are in the carriage and he makes a false assumption about their destination. When Lily corrects him it leads him to finally reveal all. I was glad that Lily blasted him for his opinion of her and her love for him, but I was pretty ticked off that she rolled over so easily. I was not nearly so forgiving as she was. I really wanted more of a reckoning there. It was just one more example of how frustrating Lily's perfect and forgiving attitude could be. ...more
I'm so pleased that I ended up loving this book so much. The first two chapters showed a very unattractive side of the heroine, Marissa, and I actuallI'm so pleased that I ended up loving this book so much. The first two chapters showed a very unattractive side of the heroine, Marissa, and I actually stopped reading to go clean something! I was so nervous that this book would be the one that broke my lucky streak with this author. I have enjoyed every book that I have read by this author, and I believe I've read them all barring the novellas, and I live in fear of breaking that pattern. But I got some reassurance that the book didn't disappoint, so I picked it back up and quickly found myself sucked in.
Marissa begins the story at a disadvantage with the reader. She comes off as extremely spoiled, thoughtless, and selfish. I also originally thought she was rather stupid, but I can excuse that because of the liquor involved in the scene. But she comes off as whiny and immature. She wants her way and doesn't understand why everything has to change. Well, she does understand, but she would rather just ignore it.
I was afraid that I would dislike her for a while, but she actually grew on me pretty quickly. She quickly realizes that there are more people impacted by her actions than just herself and decides to suck it up and deal. Unfortunately for her, she has to deal with Jude, who is not at all her type. Marissa is attracted to the pretty boys. She likes the pretty, thin, graceful, rather effeminate men who dress well and look nice on her arm. Jude is large, and muscular, and not pretty at all. She has to learn to see past all her preconceptions and learn where the true value of a person lies and the difference between lust and love.
The author made a bold choice starting the book out where she did. I really appreciated getting to see a character make a genuine mistake and have to deal with the consequences. Marissa was vain and way too caught up in appearances, but she was still a nice person. She slowly learned to value Jude for his true self. Her lust was much more easily engaged than her heart. Speaking of lust; I am so pleased to actually see a female character lusting after men. She didn't let her hormones rule her, but she appreciated a pretty man and a nice show of leg. She knew there was pleasure to be had, and she wanted to embrace it. It was nice to see a female finding many men attractive and not only being blind to it all until the hero came along.
Jude was such an excellent hero. He was self confident, and he knew who he was. He was also an excellent judge of character. He had Marissa pegged shortly after meeting her. He didn't want to change her though; he wanted to revel in her enjoyment of pleasure and please them both. He was extremely hard to insult. Most of the time he just shrugged off irritating comments thrown his way, but when a comment from Marissa found its mark, it had impeccable aim. I loved watching Jude discover more about himself, but I was so sorry for him too. It's hard caring about someone who's quick to lash out because she won't admit, or doesn't recognize, her true feelings.
Their relationship was a lot of fun to watch develop. They actually seemed like they became quite good friends. I value that quite highly in my romances. This book had some pretty hot moments. Jude had quite a way with foreplay, and he could sure draw out the tension between them.
I liked getting to see Marissa's friends and family. I wonder if this will turn into a loosely connected series like her other historicals did. I see potential between her friend and another character after that awkward moment toward the end. I'd also really like to learn more about Aidan and see him overcome his crankiness. I hope we get to see more about them!...more
I picked up this book because I was intrigued by the complications and character that could arise from the hero, Dominic, being half gypsy. I really lI picked up this book because I was intrigued by the complications and character that could arise from the hero, Dominic, being half gypsy. I really like reading about gypsies in my historical romances. I like getting a deeper look at their culture and watching a hero (or heroine) move past their own prejudice and come to love someone so different from themselves.
I felt that I didn't really get as much as that as I was hoping to. Dominic did talk about being torn between two worlds, but I didn't really see it. He seemed like an average historical romance hero. Where were the differences that marked him as being raised by gypsies for half of his life? I just expected some practices to remain to mark him as different. I eventually felt that he was just reciting lines and didn't really mean it half the time.
I looked up the date the book was published because it had a dated feel to it--not the actual storyline because, hello, historical romance--but the feel of the actual writing. It reminded me of a lot of the more emotional, melodramatic historical romances I've read in my past. It was a sweet romance, but it had a muted feel to it, even with the melodrama.
It was angst and turmoil that didn't really suck you in. It was there, but you were watching it from a distance. And even with the turmoil it never came off as anything other than sweet. That's not a criticism, just an explanation for any who are thinking of reading it.
I felt that this was an average romance. I never really got to know the characters, and their overwrought behavior felt silly instead of emotional at times, but there was nothing extremely unlikeable about it.
I wish I would have gotten to know the hero and heroine better. I really didn't quite understand their attraction beyond the fact that he's the hero and she's the heroine. I found Olivia quite frustrating at times. She'd push Dominic away or let him get insecure but then would wonder why he was acting cold toward her later. Uh...let me think. You're playing hot and cold with him, maybe?
All the events felt in keeping with a lot of the older historicals I've read. It's hard to be critical about it when it all feels so familiar. I still have quite a few books on my shelves from my earlier days and like to reread them and feel nostalgic. I think if I had read this back when I had first started reading romance I would have liked it more. My tastes have grown since then and I've become more demanding of the storylines and characters I read. I want to really get to know them.
I almost forgot to mention that there's a secondary romance in here with Olivia's sister, Emily. I appreciate that the author wanted to show her growth in getting over a prejudice, but I felt that it required more time to make her truly likable. I liked the guy she fell in love with and felt that he was shortchanged by their rushed sideline romance....more
I’m so glad that I ended up liking this book! I enjoyed the first book in the series, Ravishing in Red, but Review originally posted at Fiction Vixen.
I’m so glad that I ended up liking this book! I enjoyed the first book in the series, Ravishing in Red, but I was rather unimpressed with the second book, Provocative in Pearls. I had a deal with myself that this would be my tiebreaker on whether or not to continue the series. I was lying to myself, of course! How could I not read the fourth book when I heard it was about Castleford? I do have to admit that I am relieved that I’ve liked two out of three of these books, though. It makes me confident that I’ll love Castleford’s story as much as I think I will. ;P
Wow, I really wasn’t expecting a heroine like Celia. I knew her circumstances from the previous books, but I thought she’d end up being toned down for her own book. What can I say, everyone else does it. How was I to know that Madeline Hunter would make her character feel so real? Kudos to her, though! I was definitely impressed.
Celia didn’t spend any time with her mother, Alessandra, a famous courtesan, while she was growing up. But when she was sixteen she was brought to live with her. Alessandra began grooming Celia to walk in her footsteps and Celia didn’t react how you would expect in a romance novel. She took to it like a duck in water. She appreciated the thought of having pretty things and a nice house. She took most of her mother’s lessons to heart and had a very upfront attitude about pleasure. She embraced it and learned to focus on her own pleasure even if she didn’t really like who she was with. It was just business. Here’s a little hint of her view while she’s talking to Jonathan from page 131.
"People always build some story around pleasure. The story of marriage or the story of love, or at least a brief tale of commerce.”
Her pragmatic attitude was extremely refreshing. She may have chosen to walk a different path than her mother, but she didn’t reject it out of repugnance for the life. I really liked that, because she knows growing up who she is and what her place in society is going to be. It was nice to see a character who didn’t martyr herself for her pride and honor.
All that practicality and acceptance was in every aspect of her personality as an adult. She was just so grown up. It felt like I was reading about a real person. Sometimes I was a little turned off by her choices, but I still liked her because it made total sense for her personality.
Jonathan was another interesting character. He really turned out to be such a nice guy. I wouldn’t say that he carried the relationship, but I really feel that without him Celia wouldn’t have ended up in quite the same arrangement. She was too aware of her place in the world to dare ask for more. Luckily he was there to insist that she was worth it! I really liked how things turned out in the end. I also Awwwww!ed when I found out about his role in her past when he talked to her mom. That was such a good guy thing to do.
I really appreciated how things turned out for both Jonathan and Celia with their families. While it might not satisfy everyone who desires perfect endings, it satisfied me for its very lack of one. It just made it feel more authentic. Especially when a certain something at the very end was predicted to take so long. There’s no magic snap of the fingers here to solve all their problems.
Where I think this book really shined over the other ones in the series is in the friendships between the men and the women. We’ve met all these characters before, of course, but by the very nature of the girls’ stay with Daphne we never felt like we knew them very well. Everyone just had too many secrets. Here they feel like puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly. They talk and they laugh and they gossip. I really like it. One of my favorite quotes in the book comes from one of those conversations. On page 149 Verity (from Provocative in Pearls) and Daphne were teasing Celia about the possibility of her and Jonathan getting closer.
"...did I mention, Verity, that Mrs. Hill tried a new kind of trifle the other night? It had a bit of lemon in the cream."
"It sounds delicious," Verity said.
"I do favor trifle myself, so I must ask her for the recipe. I wonder if trifle is called trifle because it was once served on trifle? That is what my father called our everyday pewter when I was young. Trifle."
"How interesting. One could serve trifle on trifle to a man at dinner, who later trifles with--"
"Could we return to the topic at hand?" Celia interrupted pointedly.
Daphne looked innocent. "I did not realize we had left it, Celia."
It cracked me up! But it wasn’t just the women who seemed like more of a real unit. The men were more abrasive and joking with each other too. I think we’re finally getting to see them act like a close group together.
The only complaint I had was that the pacing felt a bit slow in the middle. I still enjoyed it, but it broke the momentum enough that I couldn’t love it.
I cannot wait until next May so I can finally get my hands on the next book! The author has been teasing me with little fascinating snippets of Castleford’s life and personality since the first book! He was almost unlikable in the first book, but something about him was just so compelling that he stole the show every time he came on scene. I’ve loved watching him grow with each book. His attitude on Tuesdays cracks me up! I have to end this review before I write a book myself, but let me leave you with some great quotes involving Castleford that I found in this book. Maybe it’ll whet your appetite enough to want to read about him too. ;)
page 170:
"You came too early. You are supposed to come at night. Ten o'clock would be good, tomorrow. There is a pugilist match to see, and we can find some whores later. I hope you like common ones. I have never understood men paying a hundred pounds for what can be bought for a shilling."
"I don't like them too common."
"I do. Common and lusty and fun. No sad stories of being driven to sin by poverty either. There's plenty who like the trade."
page 172:
"I remember it well. All these men salivating over the pretty virgin. I have never understood the fascination with them. Virgins. For dynastic reasons it is wise to marry one, but that first night has to be clumsy."
"So you were not interested yourself?"
"Hell, no. Nor in the mother, although she had something to her. You could tell she knew her trade. But if I wanted to swive a woman who subjects me to salons and assemblies and expects diamonds for the effort, I would just get married."
page 247:
He ran his fingers through his hair. And froze. "What the hell--" He groped around his head, trying to make sense of what he did and did not feel.
"I had my man cut it while you slept," Castleford said. "It looks much better now. He did a fine job of it."
Jonathan glared at him. "You go too far."
"I can't be seen around town with a man whose hair is so unfashionable. You will thank me once you see it. The women will be swarming you now."
page 282:
"Rather suddenly Castleford did not appear very drunk at all. Sly intelligence showed in the gaze he settled on Jonathan."
page 342:
"They should have used me during the war, not you, Albrighton. I have a knack for this investigating business. My analytical powers even impressed me this week."
"Being a duke probably helps too."
"In investigating? Probably so."
"Also in impressing yourself, and in convincing yourself you have the right to interfere."
page 343:
"So I went there. Hence my sore ass. I did not want to waste too much time on this and thought riding cross-country would be best. I asked some polite and discreet questions and--"
"You are incapable of being discreet, so you are already turning this tale to make yourself look better," Hawkeswell said.
This was a very enjoyable book. It started out a little differently with a nobleman becoming fascinated with a cursing nun. Sister Immaculata, or PetrThis was a very enjoyable book. It started out a little differently with a nobleman becoming fascinated with a cursing nun. Sister Immaculata, or Petra as she is later found out to be, has been traveling from Italy and is trying to get to England. Enter Robin; a nobleman who has just come from Versailles and is on his way home to England. They decide to travel together (which stretches credulity) and we are treated to a fun journey filled with half-truths, insults, and desire.
I very much so liked Petra and her outlook on life. Here finally was a heroine who was presented as level-headed and actually stayed level-headed. Even though she occasionally indulged in fantasies of Robin and got distracted at times, she always came back to herself and continued with the path she had set. I liked that she didn't abandon all her plans and become unable to think beyond Robin the minute she met him. I also liked the lack of woe is me about her past with Ludo.
Robin was a pretty good guy, even though he didn't seem to be able to take anything seriously if they weren't in immediate danger. That isn't a bad thing though. His light hearted attitude gave the journey a very fun feel to it. I think Petra's attitude toward his obligatory stroking and petting was very realistic and in keeping with her level-headed attitude. The aftermath of the first love scene emphasized her feelings on that very well. One thing that bothered me about him was his interactions with his mother. She was very interfering and felt a bit spoiled. Robin made her butt out on some points and hired someone who wasn't her spy, but he didn't seem to mind her prying conversations that much. I couldn't help but think mama's boy and get a little sneer.
The only major problems I had with the book started when Petra got to her father. I never got a sense of adjustment or any real closeness to them. I read the author's note and apparently the family is part of a series, so maybe I was supposed to care about them and know how they would feel already? If so, it doesn't really help her new readers. Petra's lack of upset about her father's lack of attachment toward his past with her mother was refreshing.
I liked the dueling views of what was going on with Petra and Robin while they were apart. I was irritated by the fact that they were separated for so long though. I also never got a real sense of why Petra had to get to her father alone. I would fear rape if I were traveling alone like that. When Petra and Robin reunited I was left feeling dissatisfied. All of a sudden everything will work out without any reservation or problems? No more discussions and growing as a couple? I couldn't help but be reminded that they had only spent a few days together and start to doubt the strength of their attachment for the future.
Overall a good book with enjoyable characters and well written prose. The relationship seemed a little weak, but the bones were there and it would have been great if they were built on a little more. ...more
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