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Scandalous Sisters #1
Intentions of the Earl
Will he secure his future by ruining hers, or will she ruin his plans by securing him? A new twist on the old fortune hunter plot puts an impoverished earl in a position to gain his fortune only by ruining an innocent's reputation without offering marriage. The innocent he's selected, however, has no plans to settle for anything less than marriage and will go to almost any length to secure him. With no other means for an income, the impoverished Andrew Black, Earl of Townson, makes an agreement that will put a definite end to his eight year poverty streak. But, in order to gain his fortune he must do only one simple ruin an innocent young lady’s reputation enough to make her flee to America. Brooke Banks isn’t interested in marriage, or so she thinks. She came to London to have a good time, and that’s exactly what she’s doing. Widely known for her tendency to flout the rules, she suspects nothing when a handsome stranger appears on her doorstep. Thirteen days, a handful of kisses and one scandalous situation later, Andrew and Brooke will have to choose to stick to their original plans, or decide if a life together is worth the risk. ***This is a full-length novel, approx. 100,000 words.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 13, 2011
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2308 people want to read
About the author
Rose Gordon
48 books473 followersUSA Today Bestselling Author and writer of eight unusually unusual historical romances that have been known to include scarred heroes, feisty heroines, marriage-producing scandals, far too much scheming, naughty literature and always a sweet happily-ever-after.
When not escaping to another world via reading or writing a book, she spends her time chasing two young boys around the house, being hunted by wild animals, or sitting on the swing in the backyard where she has to use her arms as shields to deflect projectiles AKA: balls, water balloons, sticks, pinecones, and anything else one of them picks up to hurl at his brother who just happens to be hiding behind her.
When not escaping to another world via reading or writing a book, she spends her time chasing two young boys around the house, being hunted by wild animals, or sitting on the swing in the backyard where she has to use her arms as shields to deflect projectiles AKA: balls, water balloons, sticks, pinecones, and anything else one of them picks up to hurl at his brother who just happens to be hiding behind her.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 288 reviews
April 14, 2011
A debt-ridden earl (3 points!) is bribed by a duke (10 points!) to compromise and ruin a young American woman. However, the young woman is not without resources of her own.
This was almost an DNF. It is self-published and really needs an editor's hand--the diction is often awkward, noticeably so, and there are a number of malapropisms (depart for impart, prodigy for protege, viscous for vicious, etc.). Also, there seems to be no sense of history except as wallpaper. This is 1812 and they are an American family in London. 18-freakin'-12, and no mention of international tensions or, oh, British interference with US shipping, or THE WAR THAT IS ABOUT TO BREAK OUT at all. Not to mention the American family is more like a modern family than a family of 1812. Culturally things would not have been SO much different between New York of 1812 and London that a girl would have to wonder why a man didn't powder his hair and reject the whole idea of having servants (it's not like the America of 1812 had washing machines and vacuum cleaners. Servants here have been a feature of middle class households until appliances took their place). There is also a nerdly character who is reading a magazine named, I think (I'm working from memory here) _Popular Plants_. As opposed to something even vaguely 18th/19th century sounding like "Proceedings of the Royal Horticultural Society." But maybe this is picking at nits. There certainly were plenty of those to pick. On the other hand, one touch that seemed like it might actually be historically accurate is that the girl wasn't as easy to seduce as they usually are in novels like this.
So...I stuck with this book because a friend liked it The romance itself, plot and characters, weren't that badly done but I kept getting distracted by the bad prose and bad history. The book shows promise but I don't think it's ready for prime time yet.
This was almost an DNF. It is self-published and really needs an editor's hand--the diction is often awkward, noticeably so, and there are a number of malapropisms (depart for impart, prodigy for protege, viscous for vicious, etc.). Also, there seems to be no sense of history except as wallpaper. This is 1812 and they are an American family in London. 18-freakin'-12, and no mention of international tensions or, oh, British interference with US shipping, or THE WAR THAT IS ABOUT TO BREAK OUT at all. Not to mention the American family is more like a modern family than a family of 1812. Culturally things would not have been SO much different between New York of 1812 and London that a girl would have to wonder why a man didn't powder his hair and reject the whole idea of having servants (it's not like the America of 1812 had washing machines and vacuum cleaners. Servants here have been a feature of middle class households until appliances took their place). There is also a nerdly character who is reading a magazine named, I think (I'm working from memory here) _Popular Plants_. As opposed to something even vaguely 18th/19th century sounding like "Proceedings of the Royal Horticultural Society." But maybe this is picking at nits. There certainly were plenty of those to pick. On the other hand, one touch that seemed like it might actually be historically accurate is that the girl wasn't as easy to seduce as they usually are in novels like this.
So...I stuck with this book because a friend liked it The romance itself, plot and characters, weren't that badly done but I kept getting distracted by the bad prose and bad history. The book shows promise but I don't think it's ready for prime time yet.
August 4, 2011
This was a really good read for me. I happened upon this little jewel while book shopping, and I will admit that the cover is what got my attention. I looked at the reviews and I decided to give it a shot. I am so glad I did! I read for the entertainment of a good story, and this book kept me turning the pages.
Andrew Black, Earl of Townson, inherited his title from his father who squandered away all of his money, and racked up a lot of debt, leaving it all for Andrew. In the process of trying to clean up the mess his father left behind, one of his estates is repossessed. He is then offered a way to get his estate back, free and clear, so Andrew “makes a deal with the devil”, so to speak. His deal??? Ruin the reputation of one of the Banks sisters, and send the family packing back to America.
Upon meeting the Banks sisters, Brook, Liberty, and Madison… Andrew and Brook quickly develop an attraction, one that goes beyond the physical. Thus making Andrew more and more at odds with going through with the “deal”. Then Brook, finds herself in competition with another woman that wants to secure Andrew for herself, so she starts to feel like she might be willing to go to great lengths to secure Andrew first.
I don’t want to reveal too much about the story / plot, because what I enjoyed most was all the twists and turns.
I thought the characters were wonderfully written, Rose Gordon really brought out the personalities well, and their emotions and thoughts are always known to the reader.
Andrew Black comes from a scandalous past involving his parents. I liked how he was always at odds with himself over Brooke, and obviously he is a man that wants to do the right thing, but in trying to secure his own future, he was constantly warring with himself.
I liked Brooke a lot too, she is a woman who doesn’t want to conform to societies rules, and stays true to herself.
The secondary cast of characters were great as well. Gateway is that bastard you love to hate. And the sisters, Liberty…she tries to be the prim and proper one, doing everything by the book, she tries anyway. She is a little bit of a drama queen too. And Madison, who is wise beyond her years, I bet there’s a story behind that one.
I would consider this book “Leisure Historical Romance”. If you’re looking for a history lesson…look somewhere else. This was pure enjoyment!!
WELL DONE ROSE GORDON!!
June 12, 2013
I felt this book was overly descriptive, had entirely too much internal musing and was poorly constructed. The dialogues were flat and the story extremely contrived (justification for the plot was loosely based on the premise that the Americans did not fully understand proper etiquette for a lady and courtship, - they did, they just didn’t seem to care as much as the English). It is the type of HR I really hate reading, but I continued and finished the book in order to be justified in leaving a review. The actual ending was the best part but that only included a few pages. Reading on may reveal spoilers: to those of you who still plan on reading the book, be forewarned.
This is why I thought the book was contrived and poorly done:
1. The relationship between Brooke and Andrew consisted of about 5 “dates” all of which involved Andrew pushing limits that just weren’t pushed, regardless of how naïve the American girl was (I mean seriously, what woman at that time, regardless of how carefree, would allow a man to push her gown low enough to reveal her boobs? And later it’s even more ridiculous, trust me).
2. Brooke’s father is a minister in the States and visiting family in London for, hmm, oh however long we want to AND she has a rather sizeable dowry. Just seems farfetched to me.
3. Her mother is shallow, merely pleased her daughter may land a Duke regardless of his strange behavior.
4. Her sister Liberty is inconsistent in her behavior, preaching etiquette one moment and socking a man the next.
5. Sister Madison is a bit of a recluse the entire book and we are given the impression she cares little for finding a husband until the last ten pages of the book it is revealed how her heart was broken. Why? It wasn’t necessary. The suggestion in the story was to imply that Madison could relate to Brooke’s feelings, but really that level of empathy wasn’t necessary and this revelation was used as an unneeded crutch to propel the story line. If it had to be included, why not introduce it a bit earlier?
6. The strange relationship between Andrew’s mother and Gateway was also unnecessary in the whole scheme of things. The relation really had nothing to do with anything besides explain, rather poorly, how Andrew misunderstood his mother’s affections and the whole ”family secret”. Bleh – who cares?
7. I love historical romances because I love history, but I also want it to be a romance. I felt the history lessons included in this book were awkwardly done and didn’t provide a seamless inclusion of the details. One in particular instance of this that I remember was a description of playing bowls where Liberty explains the game and Brooke interrupts her after some detail and says she doesn’t need “a run down on how the game is played”. Just seemed forced to me.
I could really go on, but clearly in my mind this book doesn’t rate. I wouldn’t pick up another by this author. My biggest pet peeve was the internal musings used as page filler, but overall it was just poorly done and I’m just not interested in purposefully inflicting that pain on myself again.
This is why I thought the book was contrived and poorly done:
1. The relationship between Brooke and Andrew consisted of about 5 “dates” all of which involved Andrew pushing limits that just weren’t pushed, regardless of how naïve the American girl was (I mean seriously, what woman at that time, regardless of how carefree, would allow a man to push her gown low enough to reveal her boobs? And later it’s even more ridiculous, trust me).
2. Brooke’s father is a minister in the States and visiting family in London for, hmm, oh however long we want to AND she has a rather sizeable dowry. Just seems farfetched to me.
3. Her mother is shallow, merely pleased her daughter may land a Duke regardless of his strange behavior.
4. Her sister Liberty is inconsistent in her behavior, preaching etiquette one moment and socking a man the next.
5. Sister Madison is a bit of a recluse the entire book and we are given the impression she cares little for finding a husband until the last ten pages of the book it is revealed how her heart was broken. Why? It wasn’t necessary. The suggestion in the story was to imply that Madison could relate to Brooke’s feelings, but really that level of empathy wasn’t necessary and this revelation was used as an unneeded crutch to propel the story line. If it had to be included, why not introduce it a bit earlier?
6. The strange relationship between Andrew’s mother and Gateway was also unnecessary in the whole scheme of things. The relation really had nothing to do with anything besides explain, rather poorly, how Andrew misunderstood his mother’s affections and the whole ”family secret”. Bleh – who cares?
7. I love historical romances because I love history, but I also want it to be a romance. I felt the history lessons included in this book were awkwardly done and didn’t provide a seamless inclusion of the details. One in particular instance of this that I remember was a description of playing bowls where Liberty explains the game and Brooke interrupts her after some detail and says she doesn’t need “a run down on how the game is played”. Just seemed forced to me.
I could really go on, but clearly in my mind this book doesn’t rate. I wouldn’t pick up another by this author. My biggest pet peeve was the internal musings used as page filler, but overall it was just poorly done and I’m just not interested in purposefully inflicting that pain on myself again.
June 22, 2020
What a terrible mash up of contrived plot devices, bad dialogue, nonsensical (and sometimes inaccurate) situations, and awful, awful characters. There wasn't a single sympathetic character in the entire story, and parts of the plot were never even resolved! Shoddy writing all around. Glad it was a freebie.
December 31, 2012
Disclaimer: Snark and gifs.
Oh lord, this one sucked hardcore.
We have the free-spirited main character named Brooke.
Riight.
We have the hero who was supposed to seduce Brooke and then have her reputation ruined to get his estate back.
The oldest trick in the book.
We also have the evil earl who was scorned by Brooke, and made a freaking big deal that Brooke wouldn't let him in her petticoats. For a playboy he was sure freaking out about being denied tail.
Eyeroll.
Of course there was the happy ending with Brooke and the hero marrying. *Gags*
me too, Santana, me too.
Oh lord, this one sucked hardcore.
We have the free-spirited main character named Brooke.
Riight.
We have the hero who was supposed to seduce Brooke and then have her reputation ruined to get his estate back.
The oldest trick in the book.
We also have the evil earl who was scorned by Brooke, and made a freaking big deal that Brooke wouldn't let him in her petticoats. For a playboy he was sure freaking out about being denied tail.
Eyeroll.
Of course there was the happy ending with Brooke and the hero marrying. *Gags*
me too, Santana, me too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2011
I won this book along with several others in an online giveaway. I loved the cover and had high hopes for the story when I read the summary.
The idea was very good, but the reasons that the Earl, Andrew, had to agree to ruin a young woman's, Brooke's, reputation never did jive very well with me.
Brooke wasn't that nice of a person either. She was a flirt, which is fine, but blowing off society's mores all of the time was a very bad idea. Her sisters were not much better. Liberty was annoying beyond belief, and apparently Madison is just too featherheaded to be believed. Maybe she fell into epileptic fits; all that staring at walls was a bit creepy.
Gateway, the man who basically blackmailed Andrew into doing this dastardly deed, was hideous. I don't know if he gets his comeuppance in one of the sequels, but he doesn't in this book. That didn't seem fair to me.
I really wanted to like the H/h...I just didn't. It may be because the book goes through pages where it's like it was not edited at all. I kept being forced to a solid standstill by some of the mistakes in the work. Missing words, wrong words, toooooo many words that didn't belong IN the sentences. I beta in the Twilight FanFic world and I kept wanting to get my highlighter out!
I wanted to like this so much. I'm so disappointed that I didn't.
Edited to add: After thinking about this book this afternoon, after reading the GLOWING reviews from some of those who reviewed...I need to say: I guess this author did NOT write this book for me.
There are many that loved it. Everyone should trust their own opinion of the book. It may not jive with mine!
The idea was very good, but the reasons that the Earl, Andrew, had to agree to ruin a young woman's, Brooke's, reputation never did jive very well with me.
Brooke wasn't that nice of a person either. She was a flirt, which is fine, but blowing off society's mores all of the time was a very bad idea. Her sisters were not much better. Liberty was annoying beyond belief, and apparently Madison is just too featherheaded to be believed. Maybe she fell into epileptic fits; all that staring at walls was a bit creepy.
Gateway, the man who basically blackmailed Andrew into doing this dastardly deed, was hideous. I don't know if he gets his comeuppance in one of the sequels, but he doesn't in this book. That didn't seem fair to me.
I really wanted to like the H/h...I just didn't. It may be because the book goes through pages where it's like it was not edited at all. I kept being forced to a solid standstill by some of the mistakes in the work. Missing words, wrong words, toooooo many words that didn't belong IN the sentences. I beta in the Twilight FanFic world and I kept wanting to get my highlighter out!
I wanted to like this so much. I'm so disappointed that I didn't.
Edited to add: After thinking about this book this afternoon, after reading the GLOWING reviews from some of those who reviewed...I need to say: I guess this author did NOT write this book for me.
There are many that loved it. Everyone should trust their own opinion of the book. It may not jive with mine!
April 19, 2011
I read the second book, Liberty for Paul, first, and it was hard to decide which book I enjoyed more. I finally decided this one is my favorite, so far, in the books Rose Gordon has written. I have yet to read book 3, so we'll see if my opinion changes.
Anyway, this was a fun read. Andrew Black is not one of those rakes I often read about in regency romances, and that was a huge selling point for me. Instead, Andrew is coerced into agreeing to ruin the reputation of one of the daughters in the Banks family to get them to run back to America. What endeared me to Andrew right away was his reluctance to do it. This is a hero with a conscience who feels torn between doing what is right and doing what he knows is wrong. I really liked this hero. Rose Gordon's heroes are men I'd fall in love with in real life, so it's no wonder Brooke Banks fell in love with Andrew.
He shows up at the residence where Brooke and her family are staying, and when the two first meet, the chemistry is immediate. She fools him into believing she decorated a gaudy room, which was hilarious. From there, the two get to know each other, and they share a few kisses. I will say the kisses are some of the best scenes I've read. Rose Gordon has a way of making the chemistry between these two jump off the page.
Andrew does succeed in ruining Brooke's reputation (and if anyone wonders, they didn't go all the way but the scene was pretty hot), and yes, they were discovered. I won't spoil the rest of the book except to say the end of this book had the most romantic ending I've ever read. All I can say is any woman would be thrilled to be married to a man like Andrew!
So if you like to laugh, love tender and sensual scenes, and want to read about heroes who are sweethearts, this book will fit perfectly.
Anyway, this was a fun read. Andrew Black is not one of those rakes I often read about in regency romances, and that was a huge selling point for me. Instead, Andrew is coerced into agreeing to ruin the reputation of one of the daughters in the Banks family to get them to run back to America. What endeared me to Andrew right away was his reluctance to do it. This is a hero with a conscience who feels torn between doing what is right and doing what he knows is wrong. I really liked this hero. Rose Gordon's heroes are men I'd fall in love with in real life, so it's no wonder Brooke Banks fell in love with Andrew.
He shows up at the residence where Brooke and her family are staying, and when the two first meet, the chemistry is immediate. She fools him into believing she decorated a gaudy room, which was hilarious. From there, the two get to know each other, and they share a few kisses. I will say the kisses are some of the best scenes I've read. Rose Gordon has a way of making the chemistry between these two jump off the page.
Andrew does succeed in ruining Brooke's reputation (and if anyone wonders, they didn't go all the way but the scene was pretty hot), and yes, they were discovered. I won't spoil the rest of the book except to say the end of this book had the most romantic ending I've ever read. All I can say is any woman would be thrilled to be married to a man like Andrew!
So if you like to laugh, love tender and sensual scenes, and want to read about heroes who are sweethearts, this book will fit perfectly.
June 15, 2011
I finished this book because I always finish once I start, but this book was painful to read. I really tried to enjoy it but never did.
I didn't like the characters. The story line was all over the place. The author never took the time to make us understand the motivation for the scheme to disgrace Brook's family. Even after finishing the book, I still don't know why the Duke wanted them ruined. It came across as just being plain mean.
Towards the end of the book the author throws in a surprise that just never clicked for me. It was too convoluted and strange. It didn't add to the story line and was just another distraction for me. Again, I just didn't care.
There were also too many flashbacks when you didn't expect them. I'd be reading and get confused because the story was repeating then I'd realize that we were now seeing what was happening with another character during that time. I don't mind flashbacks, but these were jarring and threw me off. There was also too much about Brook's sister. I know that it's setting up for a future book (that I won't read), but it was too much. It interfered with the telling of the main story and wasn't enough to get you to even care about the sister. I at least was hoping for a fulfilling ending.. but I got to the end and thought .. "that was it??"
There are very very few historical romances that I can't find something to like about them.. even if it's just one character or one aspect of the story. I can't think of one thing in this book that I liked.
I didn't like the characters. The story line was all over the place. The author never took the time to make us understand the motivation for the scheme to disgrace Brook's family. Even after finishing the book, I still don't know why the Duke wanted them ruined. It came across as just being plain mean.
Towards the end of the book the author throws in a surprise that just never clicked for me. It was too convoluted and strange. It didn't add to the story line and was just another distraction for me. Again, I just didn't care.
There were also too many flashbacks when you didn't expect them. I'd be reading and get confused because the story was repeating then I'd realize that we were now seeing what was happening with another character during that time. I don't mind flashbacks, but these were jarring and threw me off. There was also too much about Brook's sister. I know that it's setting up for a future book (that I won't read), but it was too much. It interfered with the telling of the main story and wasn't enough to get you to even care about the sister. I at least was hoping for a fulfilling ending.. but I got to the end and thought .. "that was it??"
There are very very few historical romances that I can't find something to like about them.. even if it's just one character or one aspect of the story. I can't think of one thing in this book that I liked.
January 3, 2014
I'm so glad this was free. It was pretty terrible.
January 16, 2013
Nope. I lied. I couldn't finish this.
I hate Our Hero. He's reprehensible, and not in the fun Regency Rake way. He's just straight up terrible.
Also, he's an idiot. We get told all this backstory about how Male Villain bullied Our Hero at school, yet was Our Hero's only friend. And now they are mere "acquaintances", "neither friends nor enemies" and just LOOK dawg, Male Villain is bad news, stay away from him.
No, instead Our Hero TAKES OUT A LOAN from Male Villain. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU DUDE FUCK'S SAKE. NO ONE ELSE HAD MONEY?
So because of Circumstances, Our Hero is now beholden to Male Villain, and agrees to absolutely ruin Our Heroine and her family. I get the Redemption trope. I do. But Our Hero is a venal ass and I want him run over.
I want to like Our Heroine, but she's inconsistent. She's both the biggest tease to hit The Season, and blisteringly naive. Her sisters aren't much better. Nor is her mother.
Our Heroine is capable of some decent repartee, but also dumps everything on her male English cousin she's just met who is friends with Our Hero. Cousin counsels her in her time of trial, saying everything will be fine, then when she disagrees suddenly talks about how it's clear they need to Do Something WHAT. NO. There is no actual reason besides Plot for him to change his mind.
Then we get to Female Villain, who it's imprecisely implied is fat, and let me tell you, I am SO SICK OF THAT TROPE HOLY SHIT.
Then there's the part where scenes change with no rhyme or reason, and it takes a page to figure out what just happened.
Then there's the part where every character is inconsistent. They're paper dolls, moved clumsily about in a pantomime of a romance novel.
Then there's the clunky-ass language, and more telling not showing.
Ugh. So annoyed with this novel. I'm glad it was cheap.
I hate Our Hero. He's reprehensible, and not in the fun Regency Rake way. He's just straight up terrible.
Also, he's an idiot. We get told all this backstory about how Male Villain bullied Our Hero at school, yet was Our Hero's only friend. And now they are mere "acquaintances", "neither friends nor enemies" and just LOOK dawg, Male Villain is bad news, stay away from him.
No, instead Our Hero TAKES OUT A LOAN from Male Villain. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU DUDE FUCK'S SAKE. NO ONE ELSE HAD MONEY?
So because of Circumstances, Our Hero is now beholden to Male Villain, and agrees to absolutely ruin Our Heroine and her family. I get the Redemption trope. I do. But Our Hero is a venal ass and I want him run over.
I want to like Our Heroine, but she's inconsistent. She's both the biggest tease to hit The Season, and blisteringly naive. Her sisters aren't much better. Nor is her mother.
Our Heroine is capable of some decent repartee, but also dumps everything on her male English cousin she's just met who is friends with Our Hero. Cousin counsels her in her time of trial, saying everything will be fine, then when she disagrees suddenly talks about how it's clear they need to Do Something WHAT. NO. There is no actual reason besides Plot for him to change his mind.
Then we get to Female Villain, who it's imprecisely implied is fat, and let me tell you, I am SO SICK OF THAT TROPE HOLY SHIT.
Then there's the part where scenes change with no rhyme or reason, and it takes a page to figure out what just happened.
Then there's the part where every character is inconsistent. They're paper dolls, moved clumsily about in a pantomime of a romance novel.
Then there's the clunky-ass language, and more telling not showing.
Ugh. So annoyed with this novel. I'm glad it was cheap.
January 20, 2014
Wow, I got this for free on Amazon and after five pages I could see why. The hero's name is "Safeway?" Are you kidding? And he says things like, "What is your problem." I have a problem with this language. A big problem!
Bailed at the end of chapter two.
Bailed at the end of chapter two.
December 4, 2012
I loved this book! I was completely adsorbed in it . I got this book for free in the kindle bookstore. This is an excellent example of the way kindle and the promotions they offer can really help widen an author's audience. I know this is a quality author now and I am eager to read more of her work.
Brooke and her family are Americans visiting England. When Gateway is rejected by Brooke, he commissions
Andrew, an old school buddy to ruin her family so they are forced to leave England.
Andrew, in deep debt allows himself to be bribed by Gateway and proceeds to attempt to compromise Brooke.
Brooke is delightful, charming, and fun. She has two sisters that are also interesting. Liberty was especially humorous at times. Madison is more reserved.
Andrew has a complicated life. The freedom from debt and the offering of peace he wishes to give his mother wars against what he will have to do to gain this freedom.
There is an element of extreme suspense waiting to see what Andrew will do and how it all happen. I kept hoping his pained conscience would win out in the end. It was painful to sit by helplessly and see Brooke fall into a trap. We do have to guess why Gateway wanted the family compromised. There has to be more than Brooke rejecting him. But, you must read the book to see what happens. An excellent lead it to the series. Excellent job! This one gets an A.
Brooke and her family are Americans visiting England. When Gateway is rejected by Brooke, he commissions
Andrew, an old school buddy to ruin her family so they are forced to leave England.
Andrew, in deep debt allows himself to be bribed by Gateway and proceeds to attempt to compromise Brooke.
Brooke is delightful, charming, and fun. She has two sisters that are also interesting. Liberty was especially humorous at times. Madison is more reserved.
Andrew has a complicated life. The freedom from debt and the offering of peace he wishes to give his mother wars against what he will have to do to gain this freedom.
There is an element of extreme suspense waiting to see what Andrew will do and how it all happen. I kept hoping his pained conscience would win out in the end. It was painful to sit by helplessly and see Brooke fall into a trap. We do have to guess why Gateway wanted the family compromised. There has to be more than Brooke rejecting him. But, you must read the book to see what happens. An excellent lead it to the series. Excellent job! This one gets an A.
May 2, 2011
Really enjoyable read. My only complaint is I felt the ending was a little abrupt and he didn't grovel as much as I needed him to in order to make this a 5 star read.
June 19, 2012
This gets a solid 3 stars from me.
Here is why.
I really liked it. I love Historical Romance, it's probably my favorite genre so there are VERY few books of that category that I really am not going to like. This had a lot of 4 star and 5 star potential but there were some definite drawbacks to the story.
1. The historical inaccuracies in this book to me were very apparent. I'm not sure if the author just didn't do her research enough but there was just little that felt original 1812 to me. Also, the terminology used was much too far advanced for the day and time that the book was set in.
2. The main female characters were much too modern for the day and age they lived in. Let's face it, the main female character, Brooklyn, was a total hussy. At the beginning of the book she's leading some man on out in the bushes at a ball and then gets offended when he thinks she wants him to kiss her, and that's where we get the main "conflict" in this entire book.
SPOILER ALERT
Although this was never addressed we can only surmise that the entire reason that Duke Gateway (awful name) wanted Brooklyn compromised and her family rushing back to America was because she spurned his advances.
He is a major douche. Seriously.
So he blackmails his good buddy (not) Andrew Black, Earl of Townson to compromise her so the family will have to flee and go back to NY. He agrees.
The plot was pretty weak, and the writing at times was very stilted with a definite misuse of words and some things that were just too long or words that were missing, BUT the mark of a great book is one that you read and overlook some of those things.
True there were some errors but they were not so egregious that I had to stop reading and I quite liked the story. It wasn't terribly slow but I felt that there was a little too much information put in about the sisters.
Liberty is a little bitch and I for one hope she gets her butt tanned by her future husband for being such a shrew and a bitch.
Madison seemed nice but we didn't get very much from her personality and she honestly seemed like she was just there for filler. No attention was paid to develop her personality at all.
The conclusion of the book was very weak to me but that's not to say that it was without merit. The paper roses thing was cute as a button and I thought it was very sweet. The pauper husband unable to buy roses sitting up late into the night folding them is very sweet.
Overall it's a good book, with a little more polish it definitely could have been a 4 star with 5 star potential for me. I will read the next two books because I do like the style of writing and Ms. Gordon kept me engaged.
I recommend it for those who are die hard HR fans who don't mind suspending a little belief for a good story.
Here is why.
I really liked it. I love Historical Romance, it's probably my favorite genre so there are VERY few books of that category that I really am not going to like. This had a lot of 4 star and 5 star potential but there were some definite drawbacks to the story.
1. The historical inaccuracies in this book to me were very apparent. I'm not sure if the author just didn't do her research enough but there was just little that felt original 1812 to me. Also, the terminology used was much too far advanced for the day and time that the book was set in.
2. The main female characters were much too modern for the day and age they lived in. Let's face it, the main female character, Brooklyn, was a total hussy. At the beginning of the book she's leading some man on out in the bushes at a ball and then gets offended when he thinks she wants him to kiss her, and that's where we get the main "conflict" in this entire book.
SPOILER ALERT
Although this was never addressed we can only surmise that the entire reason that Duke Gateway (awful name) wanted Brooklyn compromised and her family rushing back to America was because she spurned his advances.
He is a major douche. Seriously.
So he blackmails his good buddy (not) Andrew Black, Earl of Townson to compromise her so the family will have to flee and go back to NY. He agrees.
The plot was pretty weak, and the writing at times was very stilted with a definite misuse of words and some things that were just too long or words that were missing, BUT the mark of a great book is one that you read and overlook some of those things.
True there were some errors but they were not so egregious that I had to stop reading and I quite liked the story. It wasn't terribly slow but I felt that there was a little too much information put in about the sisters.
Liberty is a little bitch and I for one hope she gets her butt tanned by her future husband for being such a shrew and a bitch.
Madison seemed nice but we didn't get very much from her personality and she honestly seemed like she was just there for filler. No attention was paid to develop her personality at all.
The conclusion of the book was very weak to me but that's not to say that it was without merit. The paper roses thing was cute as a button and I thought it was very sweet. The pauper husband unable to buy roses sitting up late into the night folding them is very sweet.
Overall it's a good book, with a little more polish it definitely could have been a 4 star with 5 star potential for me. I will read the next two books because I do like the style of writing and Ms. Gordon kept me engaged.
I recommend it for those who are die hard HR fans who don't mind suspending a little belief for a good story.
August 3, 2013
I've downloaded many free offers on Amazon and I must admit that this was the first book where I intend to buy the next in the series. The earl (Andrew) agrees to a create a scandal with one of the Banks sisters, who came from America to find a proper British husband. He sets his sights on Brooke, not the prettiest of the three, but the one he meets first and tricks him of her "fine" decorating skills.
The first meeting between Brooke and Andrew made me burst out laughing. Brooke is always up to shenanigans and the way she sets up Andrew is wonderfully done. It may have been Ms. Gordon's humorous writing at her best in this book. Andrew's motivation for agreeing to the scandal is clear and the family relationship was different than what I would have expected. Whether purposefully done or set up for the reader to conjecture, Ms. Gordon does a wonderful job of holding out the odd family ties until the end.
Brooke's sisters all have moments of their own and the reader has the chance to get to know all of the sisters for a little bit in this first book. Personalities are interesting, fun, and girls you wouldn't mind being friends with despite their flaws. And that's the best part of Ms. Gordon's books. Her characters are by far from perfect, but we love them anyway.
4.5 stars, rounded up for all the times it made me laugh. A solid historical romance.
The first meeting between Brooke and Andrew made me burst out laughing. Brooke is always up to shenanigans and the way she sets up Andrew is wonderfully done. It may have been Ms. Gordon's humorous writing at her best in this book. Andrew's motivation for agreeing to the scandal is clear and the family relationship was different than what I would have expected. Whether purposefully done or set up for the reader to conjecture, Ms. Gordon does a wonderful job of holding out the odd family ties until the end.
Brooke's sisters all have moments of their own and the reader has the chance to get to know all of the sisters for a little bit in this first book. Personalities are interesting, fun, and girls you wouldn't mind being friends with despite their flaws. And that's the best part of Ms. Gordon's books. Her characters are by far from perfect, but we love them anyway.
4.5 stars, rounded up for all the times it made me laugh. A solid historical romance.
March 3, 2019
Enjoyable read never spoilers
This does a good job of setting up for a review. The h is feisty and has two equally unique sister. There is a sub plot regarding the H and a duke that was left hanging so it will be brought up in a later book most likely. Of course there is a HEA, though executed abruptly.
This does a good job of setting up for a review. The h is feisty and has two equally unique sister. There is a sub plot regarding the H and a duke that was left hanging so it will be brought up in a later book most likely. Of course there is a HEA, though executed abruptly.
Read
April 8, 2018A bit of a mess really - some lovely parts, but also some dreadfully cringe-worthy moments. The whole backstory with the mother and Gateway was far too complicated to understand and I never worked out why he wanted Andrew to ruin the woman.
July 19, 2018
Published first on my book blog The Purple Booker
I got this book as an Amazon freebie and to be honest, I did not have super high expectations going into this one. It seemed like it would be a little bit of fun to read while I was on the tube and such in England. I was happily surprised this book actually got my interest and I found myself invested in the characters.
Brooke was a firecracker and I really loved the way she happily teased and flaunted and act like a "typical" American of her era while her other sister flitted and worried about proper protocol. Andrew is an interesting character. Sure, he is the typical member of the Ton that needs money because he has a really bad Dad and some other family issues. However, he is observant and funny and a bit of fun. The ending well dang it, I was in tears when he presents her with all the paper roses. I won't detail more than that so I am not giving it away, but it is a beautiful moment.
This is a little bit predictable as a book, it has many of the usual bodice ripper tropes. That does not mean it is a bad thing. Sometimes you just want to curl up with a book that has something familiar about it and have an easy enjoyable read. To me this book provided that and it was even more fun for me reading it while in England because I treated myself to walking to a few of the places mentioned in it, while I read. So the bottom line for me, I enjoyed this one and I am going to put the second book of the series on my To read pile. If you like an easy read fun little book you will probably enjoy this one too.
I got this book as an Amazon freebie and to be honest, I did not have super high expectations going into this one. It seemed like it would be a little bit of fun to read while I was on the tube and such in England. I was happily surprised this book actually got my interest and I found myself invested in the characters.
Brooke was a firecracker and I really loved the way she happily teased and flaunted and act like a "typical" American of her era while her other sister flitted and worried about proper protocol. Andrew is an interesting character. Sure, he is the typical member of the Ton that needs money because he has a really bad Dad and some other family issues. However, he is observant and funny and a bit of fun. The ending well dang it, I was in tears when he presents her with all the paper roses. I won't detail more than that so I am not giving it away, but it is a beautiful moment.
This is a little bit predictable as a book, it has many of the usual bodice ripper tropes. That does not mean it is a bad thing. Sometimes you just want to curl up with a book that has something familiar about it and have an easy enjoyable read. To me this book provided that and it was even more fun for me reading it while in England because I treated myself to walking to a few of the places mentioned in it, while I read. So the bottom line for me, I enjoyed this one and I am going to put the second book of the series on my To read pile. If you like an easy read fun little book you will probably enjoy this one too.
May 20, 2012
Ever start reading a book that you didn’t really intend to? I know, unless you are a true reading addict, with a serious problem, in need of a 12-step program, you probably have no idea what I’m talking about. However, I bet that at least some of the readers who stop by here know exactly what I mean. That’s how I stumbled upon Intentions of the Earl. I was flipping through my free reads on my Kindle, hunting for something quick to read before I went to sleep. What I thought was probably another short, sweet novella, turned into this full length novel. Once I started reading it, I just couldn’t stop. *sigh*
Intentions of the Earl is one of those books that is just fun to read. Every once in a while you need a book like that. No lessons learned, no heavy drama, just light, witty reading. It wasn’t quite as risque as the title might suggest, although there were some steamy kisses and the potential for a picnic tryst, if not for the bout of laughter that stopped it. As mentioned, the main entertainment in this one came from the wit and comical moments. The characters were just funny. You knew how it was going to end probably from the beginning, but the book kept you reading to see exactly how these characters were going to get out of the situations that they put themselves in.
There are at least 2 more books in the series which I’m not sure if I will pick up or not. There are two more Scandalous Sisters that the Banks family needs to get married off. ;)
Intentions of the Earl is one of those books that is just fun to read. Every once in a while you need a book like that. No lessons learned, no heavy drama, just light, witty reading. It wasn’t quite as risque as the title might suggest, although there were some steamy kisses and the potential for a picnic tryst, if not for the bout of laughter that stopped it. As mentioned, the main entertainment in this one came from the wit and comical moments. The characters were just funny. You knew how it was going to end probably from the beginning, but the book kept you reading to see exactly how these characters were going to get out of the situations that they put themselves in.
There are at least 2 more books in the series which I’m not sure if I will pick up or not. There are two more Scandalous Sisters that the Banks family needs to get married off. ;)
May 12, 2011
‘The Intentions of the Earl’ is a fresh and engaging Regency romance.
In order to settle his debts, Andrew Black, Earl of Townson accepts a wager to ruin Brooke Banks. But Andrew doesn’t bank on falling in love with his victim, and wanting to marry her, thus invalidating the bet.
What makes ‘The Intentions of the Earl’ different from other RR’s is that the heroine, Brooke, is American (very American!) whilst the hero is a traditional English gentleman. What Ms Gordon does so cleverly is show that although the English have a monopoly on manners, it is the American’s who have the morals.
Brooke put me in mind of a modern woman living in Georgian times: strong, confident and not afraid to speak her mind. This leads to some lovely touches of humour and lends the heroine an openness without angst that is very refreshing. As Ms Gordon gets into her stride there is a light touch to her writing that put me in mind of Julia Quinn. I especially loved Brooke’s mother, who is unashamedly delighted that her daughter might marry an Earl…even if it is to save her from ruin: no false horror here, just joy at her daughter’s social elevation.
For an enjoyable Regency romp that you don’t want to end…look no further than ‘The Intentions of the Earl.’ Ms Gordon is definitely a talent to watch and I shall follow her career with interest.
July 16, 2012
Brooke is so much fun to read. She completely bucks what society expects of a proper woman, refusing to be anything but herself. (A woman after my own heart!) It's refreshing to read about a woman of Brooke's strength, as there are many times the heroines of romance novels are wishy-washy and just do as society expects. Andrew is another unconventional choice in that he is an anti-hero at first. You root for him and Brooke along the way and hope that he begins to see some sense and stop his deceitful plan.
Final Thoughts: The story is good as are the characters. The editing is a bit poor in this eBook, and can make for a jarring read at times.
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
Originally Posted: http://wp.me/p18lIL-17h
Final Thoughts: The story is good as are the characters. The editing is a bit poor in this eBook, and can make for a jarring read at times.
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
Originally Posted: http://wp.me/p18lIL-17h
November 28, 2011
I'm trying to work out why this book has so many stellar reviews. It's an oddly put together, difficult to believe plot and the author seems not to use who or whom when needed. The whole earl being manipulated into ruining the American who's running about 1812 London and after the whole scheme being exposed is forgiven in half a page just doesn't ring at all credible. Not to mention that the Duke insisting on the scheme ends up married to another of the sisters, which means that I will actually wade through the next too books to see how on earth that all comes about. Would make for some interesting family dinners!!!
October 1, 2015
Bought for free on Amazon Kindle on January 8, 2012 and read for the Why Buy the Cow Reading Challenge.
Sweet historical romance. The premise was a little hard to get into because of the whole deception thing, but it was helped by the hero's constant guilt over the whole plot. The first meeting between Andrew and Brooke was adorable and I thought they worked really well as a couple. The Banks family was entertaining though younger sister Liberty got on my nerves a bit. Not the best romance I've ever read, but I'm intrigued by the characters and Gordon's writing style. I'll definitely check out more of her work.
Sweet historical romance. The premise was a little hard to get into because of the whole deception thing, but it was helped by the hero's constant guilt over the whole plot. The first meeting between Andrew and Brooke was adorable and I thought they worked really well as a couple. The Banks family was entertaining though younger sister Liberty got on my nerves a bit. Not the best romance I've ever read, but I'm intrigued by the characters and Gordon's writing style. I'll definitely check out more of her work.
July 25, 2012
I found this on amazon when it was available for free. I also found teh cover interesting. I will honestly admit, I frequently choose my romance novels by the cover....
I am a big fan of historical romance and thoroughly enjoyed this while relaxing on vacation. When I finished, I immediately wanted more. I have since read the 2nd book in the series and will be getting the final one shortly. As well as probably a few more of the titles... The Groom series looks entertaining too.
I love the way the books flow, and the author is great at mixing a little humor into the mix.
The sisters are positively delightful... can't wait to read more!
I am a big fan of historical romance and thoroughly enjoyed this while relaxing on vacation. When I finished, I immediately wanted more. I have since read the 2nd book in the series and will be getting the final one shortly. As well as probably a few more of the titles... The Groom series looks entertaining too.
I love the way the books flow, and the author is great at mixing a little humor into the mix.
The sisters are positively delightful... can't wait to read more!
December 16, 2015
This is the first free book that I downloaded on my Kindle app! :)
Anyway, this book was okay! That's the only way I can describe it: okay.
It wasn't very interesting until it passed the 60% point and up to that point I was continually frustrated with the stagnant quality of the story! Quite simply, the beginning dragged itself too long.
The ending though was too abrupt in my opinion! It just ended with no warning, as if the author abandoned it near the ending point. That really pissed me off!
A plus point is that there was some humour in it, and I enjoyed that!
Overall though, I would actually give this a 2.5 and nothing more! I had much higher expectations for this book!
Anyway, this book was okay! That's the only way I can describe it: okay.
It wasn't very interesting until it passed the 60% point and up to that point I was continually frustrated with the stagnant quality of the story! Quite simply, the beginning dragged itself too long.
The ending though was too abrupt in my opinion! It just ended with no warning, as if the author abandoned it near the ending point. That really pissed me off!
A plus point is that there was some humour in it, and I enjoyed that!
Overall though, I would actually give this a 2.5 and nothing more! I had much higher expectations for this book!
September 1, 2012
This was just an okay book for me. I didn't like the hero for about the first half of the book. Then, once I did start to like him, it wasn't long until the heroine was over reacting. I also felt that there were times in this story that the author went off on an explanation that didn't need to be in the story, and it interrupted the flow of what was going on at the time. I'm not a big fan of historicals, but I do read them occasionally. I'm not sure if I'd read something else from this author or not.
May 12, 2012
I read this book in a couple of days, after picking it up from the free list. I found the characters to be engaging and fun. Unlike some of the reviewers, I found the hero to be worthy. He may not be perfect, but then who is? The heroine was great, as was her family. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.
September 11, 2012
My approbation for Intentions of the Earl cannot truly be expressed thoroughly. The romantic and scandalous plot leading to a happy ending made the book a great read for me. Some may say this type of plot is hackneyed, I however always enjoy a book with this same kind of plot. The historical fiction setting also added to the decadence of the book. Intentions of the Earl was an amazing read!
January 29, 2012
Fun historical about a group of sisters. Liberty was annoying but funny. I enjoyed Brooke's personality even though Andrew seemed a little one dimensional. Maybe if there had been more about his life before his bargain with the Duke
May 21, 2012
I truly love this series!! It's got great humor in it, and just picturing some of the scenes in my head made me laugh out loud...literally. If you love to laugh and read about some historical regency affairs, then these are the books to read!!
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