Annie BurrowsRecensioni
Autore di The Viscount and the Virgin
Recensioni
This did feel a little too confined at times, I wouldn’t have minded something that would get them out of the house and out of their heads a bit more, like a few more interractions with the theater troupe or more instances of Mary and Anthony attempting to navigate society life, the one visit they do have with an older woman was a highlight, she brought to mind some of the overstepping characters of Jane Austen or Julian Fellowes’ television series.
Before this story begins, Mary disappeared and we quickly learn that Anthony did not react heroically to that disappearance, which was a great decision by the author, Anthony’s flawed behavior in that moment created believable tension inside him throughout the story as well as adding to the tension between husband and wife. I’m conflicted though about a certain revelation from Anthony’s past, an incident of violence, which, I don’t know, maybe for the time period possibly wasn’t all that out of line, but didn’t sit well with me, still, I could to an extent understand how Mary was able to get past that, since as I said, so much of this book is spent talking and dissecting their actions and Anthony does take ownership of his past, he is not proud of it and he seems to earnestly wish to change.
I’m pretty much a lifelong soap opera fan so I’ve seen roughly a billion amnesia storylines play out, they tend to not be something I enjoy, but I liked how this author came at it. Mary isn’t stuck in a fragile mental and emotional state where she’s at a disadvantage in every conversation with her husband because she can’t remember their life, this book begins when Mary’s emerging from the amnesia, she knows her husband and better still she knows herself. This is far less about forgetting and more about starting over with a clean slate and how psychologically freeing the amnesia has been for Mary, her new self attempting to merge into her old uncomfortable life, and that made for a satisfyingly fresh take on the amnesia trope.
When Mary disappeared, Anthony believed the worst - that she had run away with another man - and wrote her off. In truth, Mary and the groom with her had been attacked by highwaymen. In the melee, Mary was injured and lost her memory. The story of what happened to her was heartbreaking, and her loss of memory was understandable. Three months later, after being taken in and cared for by a troupe of actors, Mary found herself back at her home with her memory returning. Anthony is shocked by her return and suspicious of her story. He is torn between throwing her out and taking her back.
I liked Mary very much. Because of her memory loss, her time away allowed her to develop skills and strength she'd never had before. No longer is she the meek, quiet, and biddable mouse she had been. She stands up to Anthony's suspicions and unwelcoming attitude. I ached for her and the hurt she felt when she discovered that he hadn't bothered to search for her when she disappeared. I enjoyed seeing her channel her "Perdita" identity as the countess.
I had a tough time liking Anthony. Though he began well by marrying Mary, who stirred unexpected feelings in him, his "I know best" treatment of her was too controlling. It was countered by him neglecting to help her fit in and oblivious to how others treated her. But I lost all respect for him when he didn't bother to look for her after she disappeared. Even after he had proof, his constant questioning of her story irritated me and hurt Mary. He redeemed himself somewhat at the end, and I liked seeing him finally admit his mistakes, but it will take work for him not to backslide.
#netgalley
He won't listen to her protests. And then he realises that he has compromised her and that the only way to fix things is to marry her. I liked both of them, they were well drawn and you could see him deciding that he needed to do better regularly and then when he realised that he loved her it was so well done.
Charming and fun read.
It was a fun read.
I was a little iffy about James, also. In the first book, he and his brothers were notorious for the pranks they played on their sister. One of those pranks ended with her married to Lord Bramhall. He had also been instrumental in ruining her Season in London by driving away her suitors. As the oldest son, he can do no wrong in his father's eyes.
As this book opens, James is on the way to Bramhall Manor to oversee the work on the estate while Lord Bramhall returns to his regiment to fight against Bonaparte. He's happy to do so, as he is frustrated by his father's refusal to allow him any say in their estate management. He's also become tired of his brothers' pranks and looks forward to distancing himself from them.
As he rides across Bramhall land, he encounters Betsy, weeping under a tree. Their initial meeting is somewhat antagonistic as she accuses him of trespassing (like she isn't?), and he reacts. Betsy makes quite the impression on him with her attitude. When she assumes he is a steward for the estate, he doesn't correct her. He likes the idea of being seen for himself rather than his title. Her feistiness is different than the women he is used to, and he wants to get to know her better.
I liked watching the development of their relationship. James is pretty sweet, if a little clueless about women, thanks to his father's attitude and lectures (see book one for the full effect). He takes every opportunity to spend time with her, even putting up with her snobby mother. Betsy frequently frustrated me. She's just as drawn to James but blows hot and cold. Every time she seems to get closer to him, something happens that sets off her temper, and she lashes out at him. Her guilt about her actions with Lord Bramhall and her embarrassment over her parents' toxic marriage have her constantly on edge.
In the scene at the church, their attraction almost gets out of control before they rein it in. It clarifies their feelings for each other, but when Betsy comes up with a plan to evade her mother's disapproval, James finally confesses his deception. While I understood her reaction to the deception, I did not understand why she remained angry and refused to see the plus side. Then faced with her father's deception, she ran instead of fighting for what she wanted.
I hurt for James, who had his dreams blow up in his face. I loved how his younger brother Gem's (Jasper) arrival changed things for him. Gem is more experienced than James. Their conversation about Gem's problems and knowledge of women was funny and heartbreaking. I loved James's decision to go after Betsy. His arrival as himself set tongues wagging and opened him up to everything he hates about Society. I thought his plan to win Betsy back was unnecessarily complicated and easily misinterpreted, as proved by Betsy's reactions. I liked James's big moment at the end when he finally saw the benefits of the direct approach. My only disappointment is that the book ended so abruptly. I would like to have seen their parents' reactions.
It looks likely that the next book will be about James's brother, Gem. The story behind his arrival is his clash with his father over some incident with a woman. James invites Gem to take over for him at Bramhall Manor. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.
#netgalley
Daisy is a quiet girl who prefers her books to the men she's introduced to during the Season. After returning home unattached, she must deal with her father's vocal disappointment and disdain. After overhearing one of her brothers pushing marriage to her onto his friends, she wants to get away from them all. But a peaceful row to her island refuge on the lake turns into a disaster when she rescues one of those same friends. Ben was left on the island with no clothes during a drunken prank. But when Daisy rows him back to shore, they are caught, and the resulting scandal forces them to marry.
I ached for both Daisy and Ben. Daisy wants no part of marriage after her father's treatment of her mother and her. But she'll go through with it to protect Ben from her father's wrath. If she has to marry someone, Ben is the least objectionable. She knows him best after spending time with him several years earlier after he suffered from a broken collar bone while visiting. Ben has no objection to Daisy herself. He's been in love with her since that time. But he's keeping a secret that makes him feel unworthy of her and fears the disgust he's sure she'll feel if she finds out about it.
I enjoyed watching the development of the relationship between Daisy and Ben, but it also frustrated me. They don't talk to each other about their expectations for their marriage. Ben's belief in his unworthiness makes him keep his distance. Meanwhile, Daisy has accepted the marriage but feels rejected when Ben doesn't consummate it. So, she pays him back by being cold to him, making him think she sees him for who he is. It doesn't help anything that his estate is badly rundown, thanks to the previous earl, adding to Ben's feelings of shame. I was disappointed in Daisy's behavior which seemed petty and childish.
She got quite a shock when she saw the (misinterpreted) encounter between Ben and Miss Fairfax. While I felt bad for her dismay, I liked how it served as a wake-up call about her attitude. It also served as a catalyst for the confrontation that finally got Daisy and Ben talking to each other. They were astonished to learn that the other was not upset about their marriage. Ben finally takes the chance to demonstrate the depth of his attraction and finds Daisy unexpectedly receptive. With that misunderstanding out of the way, I loved seeing Ben and Daisy exchange ideas on improving the estate, especially Ben's vision of helping fellow veterans.
But trouble isn't done with them yet. The vindictive Miss Fairfax tries to sow discord by telling Daisy the one bit of his past Ben hasn't been able to share with her. Daisy won my heart with her reaction once he confessed all. Then Ben gets called back to the war, and they face separation just when they have finally settled into life together. Their reactions are predictable, but I enjoyed seeing Daisy fight for what she needed from him. The book ended abruptly, with no indication of how things went for them. I hope that future books in the series remedy that omission.
I can't finish this review without commenting on Daisy's family. I detested her father. He claims to love his wife, but his constant belittling of her looks and how she treats Daisy says otherwise. His positive attitude about their sons and their antics, as opposed to Daisy's actions, was hypocritical. And don't get me started on his "talk" with his sons and Ben. Meanwhile, Daisy's mother is a doormat, taking whatever emotional abuse her husband deals out. Even her one attempt to stand up for Daisy was shot down. Her brothers' teasing and pranks against her were obnoxious (that wedding bouquet! ). I didn't care for how Ben passed it off as a form of protecting her. It will be interesting to see what the author does to redeem them in future books.
I enjoyed this story with characters who sparked well off each other. She's quite smart and doesn't let him forget it, even if she is hiding somewhat. She has more patience than me, I'd be more annoyed if someone removed my glasses!
Worsley is so intent in his purpose that he doesn't listen as both Geoffrey and Dora try to tell him he has the wrong woman. It isn't until the next morning, when he attempts to return the young woman to her parents that he discovers the truth. Worsley is naturally horrified and apologetic and tries to return her to her original location to resume her journey. Unfortunately, her reputation is thoroughly compromised by now, and he insists on marrying Dora to make it right.
The abduction is the first of many misunderstandings that are both funny and heartbreaking. Dora is a practical young woman who has frequently been accused of being "managing." She doesn't suffer fools gladly and has no trouble speaking her mind. I loved how she didn't get hysterical during the abduction; she simply settled down and waited for the truth to come out. That's not to say she didn't have some choice words for Worsley when the opportunity arose. Worsley, an earl, is used to saying what he wants and having people follow through. He rarely stops to think about the effect of his words.
I liked both Worsley and Dora though they also frequently frustrated me. Worsley doesn't relate well to people. He doesn't understand them and how they say one thing and do another. He'd much rather spend time with his horses. He's well aware of his failings but has never tried very hard to overcome them. However, it does affect Worsley's confidence in himself when dealing with women, and he spends a lot of time castigating himself for his words and actions.
Dora has zero confidence in herself as a woman. I blame this entirely on her father. She is taller than the average woman, and her father constantly told her that she wouldn't appeal to many men. He also told her to give up any ideas of marriage until all of her siblings were settled as they were her responsibility. She spends most of her time convincing herself that Worsley doesn't really want her.
I enjoyed most of their interactions. Both Worsley and Dora believe in honest speech, so they don't play silly games with each other. Unfortunately, Worsley is so verbally awkward that he seems to make matters worse every time he opens his mouth. He wants Dora to know how much he likes and admires her, but he frequently ends up insulting her instead. Meanwhile, because she refuses to believe that he could want her, Dora hesitates to make her feelings known. On those rare occasions she starts to feel something happens (usually Worsley putting his foot in his mouth) that makes her pull back again.
Things got a little better when Dora brought her siblings to live with her. Working together to deal with the children forced Dora and Worsley to talk to each other. When he instigated a move to another property, Worsley hoped that Dora would begin to feel more like his countess. I loved seeing Dora finally overcome some of her reticence and let him know that she wanted to be a real wife to him. At last, they seemed to be getting past some of their communication issues. I laughed out loud at the one scene where Worsley played the neglected lover.
Not everything is smooth-sailing, however. Gregory and his new wife have been living at this estate since their elopement. Pansy is a spoiled brat and managed to alienate most of the estate staff with her attitude. She is also a master of snide little digs that appear intent on making things difficult between Dora and Worsley. Matters come to a head when she does something that endangers Dora's life, and the kids witness it. It's an eye-opener for Worsley as he realizes his feelings for Dora, and I loved seeing him face her with those feelings. Dora's happiness, as she finally believed, was terrific. I loved when she told him: "Stop talking. You know that is not where you excel. Show me how you feel, instead. You are very good at that." I liked the solution they came up with for Gregory (who I did like) and Pansy (who I'm still on the fence about).
#netgalley
Lord Crispin Sinclair hasn't forgiven Lady Caroline Fallowfield for marrying another man. So while he's drinking and gambling in an inn, trying to forget about her, she's the last person he expects to see. She's there to persuade him to attend his brother's wedding to her sister, but he'll only agree if Caroline will share his bed, and take a gamble...
My thoughts
For me, this story is about second chances and taking them when they come. Caroline and Crispin were lovers before she had to marry another man, so now that they have a second chance together, I found myself hoping that they'd get back together. I loved the idea of their wager together at the start of the book, it definitely made the story interesting and I had no idea who was going to win the wager. In fact, the person I thought would win didn't, so the outcome was unexpected for me.
I thought the pacing of this story was good, and it was never clear whether they would get back together or not, so I was kept in suspense until the end. 4/5 stars.
Publication Date: 5/28/20
Number of Pages: 368
*** Maybe 3.5 Stars ***
This was my first time reading a book by this author and I thought the writing style was good, but the pacing seemed a little slow, the scene transitions sometimes seemed a little abrupt and it felt a bit - unfinished. I had a hard time coming to like Eleanor – it wasn’t that I disliked her – it was more that I didn’t come to care about her. I found her to be flighty, gullible, judgmental and constantly jumping to the wrong conclusions – especially about Peter. Peter wasn’t my favorite hero either, but I think the story gave me a better understanding of him than it did of Eleanor.
Both of Eleanor Mitcham’s parents were scholars who were wrapped up in each other and their scholarly work. Eleanor was always an afterthought with them. When they died, she wasn’t even an afterthought – she was left totally destitute. Rather than living with relatives, she decided to seek out a position as a paid companion. Unfortunately, the woman who employed her was a spiteful, vindictive, mean-spirited old woman who didn’t appreciate anyone or anything. One of the few bright spots in Eleanor’s employment was when her employer’s nephew came to visit. He was intelligent and made her laugh. Even though she never considered there could be anything between them, she still enjoyed his visits – until her employer accused her of ‘setting her cap’ for him and forbid her from speaking to or even being in the same room as him during his visit.
Peter, Earl of Lavenham, grew up in an unhappy household. His parents constantly used him as a pawn and he soon understood that marriage was not a good or happy thing. It was definitely something that would never happen to him – he’d never marry. Until… he went on a visit to his aunt and found that she’d forbidden Eleanor from having any interaction with him at all. How dare she! What was his solution? He immediately proposed to Eleanor. Because of his pride, he botched the proposal horribly by making it sound temporary and businesslike. He was astounded when she very firmly declined his offer.
Eleanor fled her employer’s home that very night – out into the cold and fog – and the misadventures begin. You have manipulative duchesses, pretend princesses, fake major domo’s, relatives who are users, and a very concerned earl. I began to wonder if they’d ever get their act together and then – wham – it was over. I would have preferred to see a little less time with the duchess and a good bit more time at the end. I felt a bit as if I’d been left hanging. I’d have liked to see the wedding and maybe an epilogue showing that he really could be happily married to one woman.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Lawd, but this story was terrible. Not only was it shallow and silly, but what, exactly, was the point of setting it in the 1810s? If you're not going to play within the societal bounds of your chosen time period, then why choose it at all?
That was bad enough, but this story contained a lot of my squicks, including a major power imbalance and a creepy age difference. The heroine spends half the story thinking that the hero was once her mother's lover, and the other half wanting him to be her lover. Ugh, gross! That, plus the employer/employee power differential, was too much. Do not want!
Governess to Christmas Bride - Annie Burrows - ⭐⭐⭐
Ms. Burrows is one of my auto-read authors, and for the most part, I really enjoyed this story. The hero and heroine had known each other since they were children (the heroine is the hero's sister's BFF), though they hadn't always gotten along. The heroine is very prickly (for good reason, mind), and for some reason, this time, the hero is turned on by it instead of off. He takes advantage of her position as the household governess and with his kisses his compromises her reputation, managing to get her thrown out into a storm before Christmas. He runs off gallantly after her, but he doesn't really take 'no' or any of her protestations seriously, which was my major problem with this story. I don't like a hero who takes 'no' to mean 'yes', even when he has the best of intentions towards his heroine. She is her own person, after all, and deserves to have a say in her future. I think the truncated nature of the novella hurts this story, because everything happens so fast that it's hard to feel the love that both main characters proclaim.
Duchess by Christmas - Marguerite Kaye - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The best of the bunch by a far margin, though not without some niggles. The heroine and the hero are childhood friends who grew up together; heroine as the steward's daughter, hero as the heir to a ducal estate. When her father died, her family moved away, and the pair lost touch. 12 years later, the hero contacts the heroine and asks for her help to select an appropriate bride, one who will be a good mother to his future children. His own childhood was abject misery and he's determined that his children when have more than he did. The heroine, with her 3 half-siblings, present the perfect ready-made 'family' of distant cousins on which to try out the potential brides. Meanwhile, the hero and the heroine are reconnecting and remembering their childhood friendship, along with a very adult attraction that has now sprung up between them, and each agonize over their attraction, given that he is supposed to be choosing a different bride.
This story definitely had the most developed characters (both main and supporting cast), and it was the most entertaining to read. The children were adorable; the potential brides each had distinct personalities and weren't all horrible harpies to the children (or the heroine, who was posing as her siblings' governess). I like it when characters have some depth and shades of gray to them.
The ending is predictable, but sweet. I thought the sex scene was extraneous and actually spoiled the romance with lust, and made it seem like they had to marry, even though that's not how it played out in the end. I'm glad there was not Grand Romantic Gesture, though the dialogue during the marriage proposal scene was a bit OTT.
Either way, it was a very pleasant way to spend Christmas afternoon, and I'm always happy to add another story by Ms. Kaye to my 'read' pile!
I loved Sofia, cranky duke needed to learn more about how to treat other people, though stationing footmen around the place to ensure no accidental strayings was genius!
Fun read, nothing stellar but fun.
Lizzie was unusually tall for a woman, which made her very self-conscious and shy. She also has terrible eyesight, which contributed to her reputation for clumsiness. She spent most of her time caring for her grumpy grandfather and reading to an invalid old woman. Her forays into society were disastrous, and she all but gave up on the idea of marriage. That was until she (literally) ran into Captain Harry Bretherton.
Harry had recently returned to England after being held as a prisoner of the French. His body was well on the way to recovering, but he was still haunted by what happened to him. Archie's death hit him hard and finding those responsible gave him the kick he needed to start living again. He was willing to do whatever necessary, including fake an interest in a woman.
I was predisposed to like this book anyway because I was intrigued by the ongoing mystery and wanted to know how it turned out. Be that as it may, I was sucked into the story from the first page, as Harry confronted his friend about their plan. His innate honorableness was clear as he realized that the other candidates were not the type to be trusted with the virtue of a young woman. Though he had a few misgivings, he was determined to follow through. He did not expect to be thoroughly enchanted by the lady in question. I loved their first meeting and how quickly they connected over a silly bit of wordplay. They connected further that evening while dancing, as each admitted to the problems related to their sizes. Harry felt an unexpected rush of protectiveness toward Lizzie, which was doubly disturbing because he was the one she needed protecting from. I ached a bit for Lizzie, who couldn't believe that she had drawn the attention of someone like Harry, especially with the way she was continually laughed at and mocked.
I enjoyed the progression of the relationship between Lizzie and Harry. When her grandfather moved them back home early to get her away from "that jackanapes," Harry was right behind them. Yes, that's where he needed to be for his investigation, but he increasingly wanted to spend time with Lizzie. I ached for Harry because of the growing amount of guilt he felt for his deception. This caused him to blow a bit hot and cold in his treatment of Lizzie, which in turn confused her. She was always sure that it was something she did that made him pull back. Meanwhile, she was certain of her feelings for him, and couldn't understand why he was holding back.
When circumstances, and Lizzie's poor eyesight, landed them in the middle of a dangerous situation, the truth finally came out. Lizzie was hurt and angry, but there was no time to give in to it. She and Harry were in grave danger, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen. The final confrontation was intense, and Lizzie played a huge part in its successful resolution. Her quick thinking was amazing, and I loved that Harry respected her intelligence the way he did. But their troubles weren't over. How could Lizzie believe that Harry's attentions were real when she now knew why he was there? Did he really want to marry her, or was it because of what had happened? I loved the arrival of the other two couples and the unexpected twist provided by Harriet and Clare. I loved the ending and the unique way that Harry proved his love to Lizzie.
I liked the successful resolution to the mystery of the jewel thefts. The bad guy was even worse than suspected, and he certainly received his just desserts. The revelation of how the scheme worked showed how horrible he was. I understood the frustration at the final decision on how it would be handled, but the reasons were logical.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Rawcliffe and Clare. The scene at the inn was amusing. Rawcliffe had developed his snarky teasing as a way of protecting his heart because he had never stopped loving her. Clare always reacted strongly as a way to hide the fact that she was in love with him for years. The possibility of scandal gave Rawcliffe the perfect opportunity to get what he has always wanted - Clare as his wife - not that he was ready to tell her that. Clare didn't want him to feel forced to marry her and tried to talk him out of it. But it didn't take too much convincing for her to decide that she could get her wish to be his wife, and hope that he would come to care for her.
When Rawcliffe took Clare to London to stay with Lady Harriet (The Major Meets His Match), he was devastated by the news of the death of a close friend. Rawcliffe and his friends were investigating the theft of some jewels and Rawcliffe was certain that Thomas's death was no accident. He was pretty sure that Clare's brother Clement was involved, and realized that his marriage to Clare gave him an unexpected chance to investigate further. The downside was that he feared Clare would think that was why he married her. The guilt he felt over this had him blowing hot and cold whenever he was with Clare. Sometimes he would be kind and considerate, reminding Clare of the boy she knew and loved, and then he would turn around and be cold and disdainful. The physical passion between them was intense, but then Rawcliffe would coolly and calmly walk away afterward. This behavior frustrated and confused Clare, who tried her best to be the wife that Rawcliffe said he wanted. There were times that her temper got the best of her, and I loved seeing her let go, making it clear to Rawcliffe that she was ticked.
I ached for both Clare and Rawcliffe as he carried out his plan to use Clare to investigate Clement. Clare was moved by Rawcliffe's taking her to see her brother, even though she knew he didn't like Clement. But Clement's words and actions made Clare suspicious of her husband's motives. As Rawcliffe's investigation progressed, he realized that he was caught between a rock and a hard place. If he pursued his suspicions, he took a chance on alienating the woman he loved, but if he didn't, Clement would get away with murder. I was truly impressed with Clare, who except for one brief moment, handled the discovery of the truth very well. I loved how she took the little bits she learned and put them together into an accurate picture of what was going on. Their big moment on the cliff, as truths were revealed and feelings shared, was fantastic.
Questo sito utilizza i cookies per fornire i nostri servizi, per migliorare le prestazioni, per analisi, e (per gli utenti che accedono senza fare login) per la pubblicità. Usando LibraryThing confermi di aver letto e capito le nostre condizioni di servizio e la politica sulla privacy. Il tuo uso del sito e dei servizi è soggetto a tali politiche e condizioni.
I have long been a fan of Ms Temple’s stories. She creates vividly engaging characters and writes wonderfully romantic love stories that never fail to bring me great pleasure and joy. Therefore, I was particularly interested to see how this would translate to the shorter novella form.
I loved Snowbound with the Earl. It reads and feels like a whole novel. The story arc is perfect and there is so much background detailing in addition to the Christmas setting that the novella is a richly rewarding read.
There is enough back story to make Bella and Nicholas’s romance believable. They had crossed swords prior to the beginning of the novella. It is an “enemy to lovers” trope and comes to vivid life in Ms Temple’s hands. I really enjoyed their verbal sparring as they worked out what was happening to them. Their characters are pitch perfect with just the right amount of emotional depth and sensuality to balance their acute brains and quick tongues.
As always with this author’s work, the supporting characters are finely drawn and round out the story. I particularly enjoyed Nicholas’s mother and his young niece. I also felt sorry for poor Rupert who makes an appearance in Ms Temple’s excellent forthcoming novel: The Wrong Way to Catch a Rake. I would like to see him get his own story, if only to see how he excapes the clutches of his disagreeable mama.
This story perfectly captures the warmth and sentiment of the Christmas season and leaves this reader with a glow of satisfaction and joy.
Thank you to the author for a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.