The Bridal Pleasures—Shameless rogues who'll do anything to captivate the women they crave. Willing ladies stolen by desire, seduced into risking it all.
Miss Violet Knowlton knows the dangerous boy she watches in secret from her window is someone a proper young lady should avoid. Yet temptation overcomes her. Kit scoffs at her offer of friendship—until, slowly, her innocent trust opens a door to a world he's never known...a world where Kit can break off the shackles of his shameful past.
Then Kit disappears from Violet's life. Lost, she dedicates the next decade to becoming a true lady, only to have her world turned upside down one night at a ball in London. There she encounters a handsome and celebrated sword master—and recognizes him as her childhood friend. Soon the flames of their forbidden past reignite into a passion neither of them can refuse.
Kit can no more resist his first love now than he could years ago. But she's been promised to another. Sworn to protect her, he vows that he will also find a way to possess her...no matter what stands in his way.
Jillian Hunter is the bestselling author of over twenty historical romances. She lives with her husband, three daughters, a pug and a poodle in Southern California. She loves anyone who can make her laugh, which means she is in love with Mike Myers and Tyler Perry.
Jillian Hunter’s A Bride Unveiled caught my eye because the main couple were once childhood friends, who years later meet again. From then on their passions can’t be contained much like Cathy and Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. The heroine, Violet comes from an upper-class family in a small town in England. At thirteen she meets Kit, a pauper who lives in a workhouse. For less than a year they become close friends, along with two neighborhood boys. All four are somewhat outcasts and they spend their summer playing together. They disband after Kit is sold and taken away. Violet is heartbroken, thinking she'll never see Kit again.
Ten years later Kit and Violet meet again. Kit, now known as Christopher Fenton teaches swordplay to boys and gentlemen in London. Violet becomes engaged to Sir Godfrey Maitland, who she’s pretty ho hum about. Godfrey is one of Kit’s students and practically worships the man. He also cares for Violet, but he acts too much like a boob, which turns Violet off. She thinks she has no other choice but to marry Godfrey. But then when she sees Kit and figures out he’s her childhood friend, she can’t stop thinking about him. Kit feels the same about Violet, and soon they’re sneaking off together to make out in darkened alcoves and the such. At one point Violet is alone with Kit in his room and they do everything but intercourse. The reason Kit doesn’t take Violet’s virginity is because he feels ashamed and guilty because they're deceiving Godfrey who Violet is promised to. He wants Violet to break things off with Godfrey, but for some reason Violet keeps pushing it off. Her reasons are pretty selfish. She doesn’t want to get caught and have Godfrey think she’s a low person-ala a slut. But she’s absolutely fine with being with Kit behind his Godfrey’s back because Godfrey is a dunce.
I had very big issues with A Bride Unveiled. It’s hard to enjoy a romance when your main couple is selfish, immature and cruel.
I'm not a big fan of Violet (or the hero for that matter) cheating on her doofus fiance with Kit whom she loves beyond all reason. Apparently it's okay for her to screw around with the Kit because she knew him when they were pre-teens and he’s her first love. Regardless if her fiance comes across as a witless jerk, it makes the Violet petty and selfish. Also the Kit knows Godfrey and has a personal relationship with him. But that doesn’t stop him from doing everything passionate with Violet, but not sex, because if they don’t take that one final step together, they’re still good people. Kit has no qualms about sticking his tongue down Violet’s mouth too many times to count. He also doesn’t mind when Violet gets naked with him so he can kiss her all over. But as long as he doesn’t stick his lusty manhood warrior in her magic hoo-haa, they’re doing the right thing in the end.
It’s perfectly okay for two people to kiss, touch and use their mouths on one another, but not have actual intercourse because they feel guilty for being deceitful to the cuckold fiance? This book shows how only going to third base and trying to hit that home run isn’t cheating. Sex only equals cheating? Am I missing something here?
Because of that, A Bride Unveiled fails in so many ways and goes against everything a romance is. The actions of Violet and Kit are ones I would expect the villains of the story to do.
I call BS on this and an author who has written many historical romances should know better.
As a girl, Violet Knowlton used to sneak out with her friends to fence with tombstones in an old, ruined churchyard.
She knew her aunt and uncle would be horrified if they knew, but there was something in her that just couldn’t be the prim and proper girl her guardians wanted her to be. She also knew they had a secret—and it was about her.
One of her friends, Kit, lived in a workhouse. It was ruinous for children of her standing to know paupers, but Violet and her more privileged friends idolized Kit. He taught them to fight and defend themselves, and to pretend that things were better than they were.
And then, after an idyllic summer, Kit was sold from the workhouse and banished from her life.
Years later, Violet and her widowed Aunt Francesca are jaunting around England, trying to outpace her aunt's grief and melancholy by being busy and happy. For her aunt's sake, Violet is still trying to be that proper girl, wshich is why she let Francesca choose her fiance. Godfrey (or, as Violet knows him, "God-this man is-friggin'-boring-frey") is a well-mannered, successful merchant.
Godfrey is taking swordsmanship lessons
He invites Violet to attend a kind of fencing “recital" where Godfrey and his fellow students are supposed to show off their skills.
It turns out the fencing master is a hottie. And Vi knows him.
Kit Fenton started life as a foundling who went from an orphanage to the workhouse to a master who bought him. His master, it turns out, lost his son in the war, and wanted a new one. He adopted Kit and took him to France where he learned
He makes a decent living now teaching wannabe swordsmen.
And a marquess (this is the Boscastle connection) wants to see him get a title. Cuz, well, just cuz.
Artful matchmakers, vengeful villains, and a secret finally “outed” pull this story all together in a satisfying way, though there were a few stray threads I had expected to see tied off that weren’t. I’ll give this one three and a half stars.
You kinda disappoint me in this one, in fact, your new series, Jillian. I used to adore your book so much with a capital 'A' but sadly, it has downgraded after you have finished your Boscastle family series. I really, really love that series of yours and it was fantastically written!
But I just don't know with this one. Even with the previous book from this series, I encountered the same problem. Now, let me review this book in a simple way; things that I hate AND things that I love.
Things that I love:
1. I love Kit and Violet and they are a perfect couple. Really. 2. I developed a fondness of the Duke of Wynfield even though he existed only around the ending parts. 3. The Boscastle family was mentioned inside the book!!!!! (YAY!) 4. Witty and hilarious conversation. 5. The ending was really great. I love it.
Things that I hate:
1. Exaggerated too much. 2. Doesn't stick to POV of the hero and heroine which she was supposed too but instead having POV of other characters as well which is SUPER annoying. 3. There are boring parts and ugh 4. Too little time spent between h/h which frustrates me to no end. 5. Only one love scene?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME, HUNTER?! Ugh 6. Story plot is predictable, quite messy, boring and all that stuffs that contribute to this list.
But nevertheless, I'm already anticipating her next book which I heard includes the Duke of Wynfield and Charlotte Boscastle!!!! I've been waiting for her book for AGES!!!! I hope it'll come out better then the rest though. Don't disappoint me again, Hunter! Good day, my lovely readers.
En definitiva una historia sobre un amor de la infancia que hará de la trama algo muy dulce, pero en la misma también tendremos muchos misterios que nos harán ansiar leer más hasta llegar al maravilloso desenlace. Reseña completa: https://atrapadaenunashojasdepapel.bl...
This was a decent 2nd-chance romance. Hit it off as children and didn't find each other again for years. The issues keeping them apart at that time were a bit hokey feeling, so I probably enjoyed the first half more than the second. It was fine though.
Good story of childhood friends reunited and the love that grows between them. Violet is an orphan being raised by her aunt and uncle. They are overprotective but loving. One day she sees Kit in the churchyard practicing swordfighting and is drawn to him. She is quite naive and doesn't understand anything about his background and current circumstances of living in the local workhouse, but she offers her friendship anyway. She, Kit and two other friends have a wonderful summer of adventures, until Kit disappears. Violet misses her friend, but goes on to follow her aunt's dictates and devote herself to becoming a lady.
Ten years later she is engaged to a local businessman who appreciates her ladylike behavior and looks forward to her ability to help his business. He's not terribly exciting as a fiance, but her aunt approved of him. Then, while attending a ball that also has a fencing demonstration as entertainment, she sees the sword master everyone is talking about and recognizes him as her old friend. They dance together and attraction flares between them. But Violet is engaged to someone else and while Kit feels bad at the idea of taking another man's woman, his feelings won't be denied.
I liked both Violet and Kit. I liked the fact that Kit's background never mattered to Violet, that she saw him for the boy, then man, that he was. Even though she's engaged to Godfrey, her feelings for Kit are strong and she knows that she can't go through with marrying Godfrey. She just has to find a way to break things off with him and tell her aunt that she doesn't want the man her aunt picked out for her. I liked the way that she was concerned for her aunt's feelings but wasn't going to let them stop her from being with Kit. There are some very good scenes where they meet up and catch up on what has happened in their lives, and feel their desire for each other increase.
Kit was taken from the workhouse and sold to a man who adopted him and treated him as his own son. That man trained Kit as a sword master, and Kit has spent the last few years teaching people the art of the sword. He is also an honorable man who places great importance on doing the right thing. He is stunned to see Violet at the ball where the members of his fencing academy are performing. After the dance they share together he realizes that he has loved her for years and wants her to be his. His honor makes it difficult for him to reconcile taking Violet away from her fiance but she is his. It doesn't help that her fiance is also one of his students. I enjoyed seeing Kit doing the work he loves and how it shows the type of man he has become.
I loved seeing Violet and Kit together as they admit their feelings for each other and try to find a way to get their lives together. I also enjoyed seeing how their friends also tried to throw them together. The secondary characters were also well done. I liked the way the marchioness and Violet became friends so quickly, and how her past helped Violet see that there was no shame in her feelings for Kit. I also liked seeing Winnifred the governess and how she and Kit had remained in contact. She had also done a lot of changing in the last ten years and I loved seeing those changes. One of the best characters was Violet's aunt Francesca. Her protectiveness of Violet was ultimately explained. I enjoyed seeing the way she herself changed over the course of the book, as she learned more about the man she had approved and then saw Violet with Kit. Violet's fiance Godfrey was rather stuffy and definitely a snob. He didn't really care about Violet herself, just saw her as another tool for his business plans. I had started to feel a little sorry for him until his actions at the end, then I was happy to see him lose out.
I liked seeing Kit and Violet get their happy ending. There wasn't too much working against them getting together, so it wasn't too hard for them to overcome. I enjoyed seeing two characters who were closer to ordinary people rather than being of the aristocracy. It made a nice change.
The other two friends from Violet's childhood foursome were also there as adults. I liked Eldebert and the way he had matured into a good man. It was nice seeing him looking out for Violet, especially at the end. Ambrose had been a real pain when they were kids and he wasn't much better as an adult. I didn't like his initial plans for the house party he was giving and had high hopes that something would change his mind. There was also a fencing student of Kit's that had other plans for Kit than learning from him. I felt like that confrontation could have been more intense, but it was okay.
Reviewed By- Valerie Review Copy Porvided By- Library Cover/title: Beautiful and caught my attention right away. Review: I haven’t read the other book in this series but I will now. I loved this book. It was great the way the characters interacted with each other! I was pulled in right away knowing that they were childhood friends and could just feel the tension build...
When they were younger, Violet watched him from a distance as he fought imaginary foes in a graveyard. Then, they became friends and frolicked and played before real life took him away from her. Now, she’s engaged and he’s back in the picture...what’s a girl to do? He takes her breath away and she knows that she’s been groomed her entire life to do what is right and proper but he’s just so tempting! Kit can’t believe his good fortune, it’s her, the one he always wanted to impress and protect but what’s he supposed to do – challenge her fiancée to a duel and kill him?
How these two danced around each other and society’s expectations was a joy to read. Violet’s Aunt, who raised her, surprises Violet by revealing more about her past than she had ever been told but she wasn’t the only surprise in this story. An old friend has sinister plans for the two lovebirds as well as an unknown enemy lurking in the shadows. The perfect blend of suspense, romance, and mystery!
Advice: Perfect reading for a long winter’s night! Quote: He hesitated. “If there is ever anything you need, you have only to ask.” Page 143
A young woman must choose between an old love or her aunt's desires in this historical romance.
When will I ever learn to stay away from historical romances? Not this day apparently. This book bored me to tears. The characters were one-dimensional, the plot uninteresting, and the setting bland. I didn't even like any of the secondary characters. The development of Kit and Violet's friendship was sorely lacking. Their friendship needed to be solid in order for their romance to be believable. Instead they seemed to be adults in lust and not adults in love. While I knew to be prepared for it, I could not stand the cheating. Kissing someone while betrothed to another is CHEATING.
tl;dr Joyless historical romance between one-dimensional characters. Skip it and read a Julie Garwood historical romance instead. She's an oldie, but a goodie.
A bit simplistic, and wtf with the unnecessary and hastily thrown together cavalier plotline, but who doesn't want a simple little historical romance with light stakes every once in a while? One complaint - sometimes the conversations didn't make a whole lot of sense. I several times thought I had missed something because it felt like they were talking past each other. So that was weird.
I loved that it didn't have the main characters fighting their love for each other in this book. The romance was that of a childhood love that bloomed into a full fledged romance. It had the opportunity for a little conflict in the fact that Violet was betrothed but it came to a good end in my opinion and I loved every moment of this super sweet romance.
a much later Bocastle The plot was not a usual trope, beginning in childhood, with characters coming from north, south, east and west. Not a deep plot line but a grand hero and heroine well worth the time spent. a love that never died from young adolescence where the hero was a pauper and the heroine a lady meeting in a graveyard. Kit imagined himself a swashbuckler, and became that hero. Twenty years later he was a master swordsman with an adoring following. Chance at --of course-- the Bocasatle ballroom [the marchioness is helping the trysts which keeps her popping up now and again] So again chance provided a face to face with Violet his lady from the graveyard, now forced into a unwelcome engagement. She doesn't recognize him but he does her. Instant passion and love between old friends, whose adventures are recounted in detail. The memories were a touchstone for the present. Although some repetition, the second chance after Christopher and Violet had aged into adults was well done. Their adolescent bonding was always a part of the conversation, never forgotten: a needed tension. Everything fell into place and it was doubtless a very fine HEA. [i hate abbreviations like that]
Gaya bahasanya terlalu hiperbolis, terlalu merentet, berlapis-lapis, bikin susah dicerna.
However lumayan lah Kit-nya bucin banget sama Violet wkwkw Sedangkan Violet not kind of Heroine that I like. Bikos ada bagian dimana Violet udah tunangan sama Godfrey, tapi mau ciuman sama Kit. Even minta duluan. I mean, meskipun Golfrey ini gak baik2 amat, tapi cheating juga gak bisa dibenarkan. So Violet, that's a minus point for you.
So yeah. 1.5 dari 5 bintang aja ya.
1.5 bintang diperuntukkan untuk cara Kit yang manis dalam mencintai Violet, that's it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Aku lebih suka cerita di buku ini daripada yang pertama. Terutama cerita tentang masa anak-anak Violet, Kit, Eldbert, dan Ambrose.
Sayangnya di penghujung cerita, aku kurang suka dengan cara Violet-Kit memperlakukan Godfrey. Padahal kalau dilihat dengan objektif, Godfrey adalah korban mereka. Penulis seakan menjustifikasi itu dengan menuliskan Godfrey berkarakter jelek, alih-alih menunjukkan dengan sikapnya. Selain itu konflik Kit dengan Pierce Carroll terasa tidak mendasar, dan sama sekali tidak penting untuk diceritakan.
Menurutku cara penyelesaian konflik di buku ini terasa mudah sekali dan tidak melegakan. Sayang, padahal plotnya lumayan menarik.
I enjoyed this more than the previous book because of the h/h. Kit and Violet were childhood friends who were torn apart for 10 years. We actually met Kit in the previous book as a famous fencing master so I was quite excited to get his backstory. I was a little worried at the beginning because the plot seemed to echo the Duke's temptation in that they both had betrothed women who needed to marry the men that loves them (not the betrothed), but the plots veered off in entirely different directions. I really enjoyed this one, on to the next.
La verdad que amé tanto a la protagonista como a su interés amoroso, fue el primer libro que leí de "amor prohibido" y no paraba de gritar por la tensión que había entre ellos.Como está ambientada en 1818 era de esperarse que hubiera comentarios machistas (no del interés amoroso por suerte) pero igual me incomodaba un poco, por eso le pongo tres estrellas. <3
Empecé marzo abandonando un libro y éste fue el primero que terminé. Una decepción. El desarrollo está muy mal planteado. Empiezan conflictos que no se cierran, después de la nada aparecen personajes casi al final de la novela para darle más drama al asunto pero queda super forzado, revivieron mi trauma de que se refieran al pene por nombres que dan cringe y te secan por completo, jajaja. Le reconozco que es de las pocas novelas de señora que he leído que no hacen un super drama para casarse con la mujer, pero meh. Es que ni con el prota que es un "desastre" de los que me gustan me causó algo. Ojalá le hubiesen dado cien páginas más o así, quizás se hubiese desarrollado mejor todo.
Ketemu juga novel hisrom yang gaya penulisannya aku suka. Seperti membaca novel2 hisrom generasi awal. Penceritaannya mengalir, tokoh-tokohnya "likeable", dan meski konflik kurang "menggigit", endingnya ditutup dengan pas dan bahagia. Kisah persahabatan masa kecil yang berkembang ke percintaan di masa dewasa memang tidak pernah gagal.