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Lords of Sheffield Square #1
The Sins of Viscount Sutherland
“A remarkable writer.”—Lisa Kleypas
“No one can write a book quite like Samantha James.”—Catherine Anderson
Samantha James is one of the most acclaimed authors in the field—on a par with such luminaries as Julie Garwood, Judith McNaught, and Linda Lael Miller when it comes to creating intensely emotional, traditional historical romance. Now she exposes The Sins of Viscount Sutherland in the first book in an exciting new series featuring the breathtaking Lords of Sheffield Square. In this powerful, richly romantic masterwork from the New York Times bestselling author, the reckless and dangerous Viscount Sutherland is the target of a vengeful young beauty who seeks his destruction but who finds herself seduced instead by the magnificent rogue’s charm and sensuality.
“No one can write a book quite like Samantha James.”—Catherine Anderson
Samantha James is one of the most acclaimed authors in the field—on a par with such luminaries as Julie Garwood, Judith McNaught, and Linda Lael Miller when it comes to creating intensely emotional, traditional historical romance. Now she exposes The Sins of Viscount Sutherland in the first book in an exciting new series featuring the breathtaking Lords of Sheffield Square. In this powerful, richly romantic masterwork from the New York Times bestselling author, the reckless and dangerous Viscount Sutherland is the target of a vengeful young beauty who seeks his destruction but who finds herself seduced instead by the magnificent rogue’s charm and sensuality.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 11, 2011
31 people are currently reading
664 people want to read
About the author
Samantha James
91 books504 followersGrowing up in Joliet, Illinois, Samantha James had many childhood aspirations--being a writer was never one of them. When she was ten, she was certain she was destined to be an astronomer. That soon changed (happened a lot during those pre-teen years!) when she decided archaeology was in her future. Detective work was her next goal, thanks to the Trixie Belden mysteries she was reading, and before long, nursing beckoned (courtesy of the Cherry Ames series). In college, she set her sights on teaching history, then briefly entertained the notion of becoming a flight attendant, only to discover she did not like to fly.
Having been raised in a family of avid readers, she was rarely without a book in hand. Her tastes were rather eclectic. She got hooked on the Doc Savage series and Edgar Rice Burroughs after her older brother finished them, in her teen years, moved on to Agatha Christie, Daphne DuMaurier, and Phyllis A. Whitney.
In the meantime, the right guy came along. They met on a semi-blind date at an office Christmas party. She was told he wanted to go out with her, and he was told she wanted to go out with him. Six months later, the U.S. Army shipped him off to Germany--and she wrote faithfully at least three times a week--she often jokes this was the start of her writing career!
Marriage followed, as well as three daughters. Samantha left the detective work to her husband and turned her attention to raising their girls. When her youngest was six months old, two things happened: 1) she read Moonstruck Madness by Laurie McBain and scrambled to find every historical romance she could lay her hands on; 2) her older brother revealed he was writing and submitting his short stories to big-name magazines. As he put it, "I've been rejected by the best of 'em."
The seed was planted. Rejection was a dreaded word, but Samantha figured, "Well, if he can take it, so can I."
That summer, she wrote not one book, but three--longhand, in a notebook, during naptime. Bedtime. Any time she could. The burning desire to write was a long time in coming--she was nearing thirty by then--but she discovered that once she set pen to paper, she couldn't stop.
Those three manuscripts did get the dreaded rejection letter (they're still languishing somewhere in her attic), but she finally hit pay dirt with her fourth. Samantha's brother promptly proposed collaborating on a fantasy together--alas, still unwritten... Nowadays, she's firmly convinced she's the queen of rejected titles for her books. She's only managed to retain two original titles thus far, but writing is indeed a dream come true...
To date, her books have been published in numerous foreign countries (her daughters' number one choice for show-and-tell were always the foreign editions of Mom's books). Known for her heartfelt, emotionally charged "three-hanky reads", her books have been nominated for numerous awards, and have consistently hit the bestseller lists.
Maybe someday she'll do that fantasy-romance collaboration with her brother. For now, she's having a great time spinning dramatic, passionate tales of old...
Having been raised in a family of avid readers, she was rarely without a book in hand. Her tastes were rather eclectic. She got hooked on the Doc Savage series and Edgar Rice Burroughs after her older brother finished them, in her teen years, moved on to Agatha Christie, Daphne DuMaurier, and Phyllis A. Whitney.
In the meantime, the right guy came along. They met on a semi-blind date at an office Christmas party. She was told he wanted to go out with her, and he was told she wanted to go out with him. Six months later, the U.S. Army shipped him off to Germany--and she wrote faithfully at least three times a week--she often jokes this was the start of her writing career!
Marriage followed, as well as three daughters. Samantha left the detective work to her husband and turned her attention to raising their girls. When her youngest was six months old, two things happened: 1) she read Moonstruck Madness by Laurie McBain and scrambled to find every historical romance she could lay her hands on; 2) her older brother revealed he was writing and submitting his short stories to big-name magazines. As he put it, "I've been rejected by the best of 'em."
The seed was planted. Rejection was a dreaded word, but Samantha figured, "Well, if he can take it, so can I."
That summer, she wrote not one book, but three--longhand, in a notebook, during naptime. Bedtime. Any time she could. The burning desire to write was a long time in coming--she was nearing thirty by then--but she discovered that once she set pen to paper, she couldn't stop.
Those three manuscripts did get the dreaded rejection letter (they're still languishing somewhere in her attic), but she finally hit pay dirt with her fourth. Samantha's brother promptly proposed collaborating on a fantasy together--alas, still unwritten... Nowadays, she's firmly convinced she's the queen of rejected titles for her books. She's only managed to retain two original titles thus far, but writing is indeed a dream come true...
To date, her books have been published in numerous foreign countries (her daughters' number one choice for show-and-tell were always the foreign editions of Mom's books). Known for her heartfelt, emotionally charged "three-hanky reads", her books have been nominated for numerous awards, and have consistently hit the bestseller lists.
Maybe someday she'll do that fantasy-romance collaboration with her brother. For now, she's having a great time spinning dramatic, passionate tales of old...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
June 16, 2011
3 ½ stars – Historical/Regency Romance
I recently read and enjoyed Samantha James’s Sterling/Perfect Trilogy, and especially loved A Perfect Bride; so I was excited about this first book in her new The Lords of Sheffield Square series.
I enjoy dark, emotional, angsty romance with the best of them, but the constant over the top melodrama in this was a bit eyeroll inducing at times. The whole “I hate you and want revenge/lust for you/hate you/can’t control my lust for you/hate and hurt you/lust for you even more/could it be I love you?/but wait, I don’t deserve you/still lust for you/keep hurting you/but I do love you!” between the H/H was exhausting.
And OMG, Gray was quite often to blame for much of the hurt between them, that’s true, but Claire still made me want to smack her (hard!) at times.
But despite all that, or perhaps because of it, The Sins of Viscount Sutherland captured my attention like a car wreck and kept me riveted and turning the pages. It’s definitely an addictive soap opera and the H/H frustrated the heck out of me at times, but I was also entertained. By the time Gray and Claire finally, finally found their HEA, I needed a relaxing glass of wine. 3 ½ stars.
I recently read and enjoyed Samantha James’s Sterling/Perfect Trilogy, and especially loved A Perfect Bride; so I was excited about this first book in her new The Lords of Sheffield Square series.
I enjoy dark, emotional, angsty romance with the best of them, but the constant over the top melodrama in this was a bit eyeroll inducing at times. The whole “I hate you and want revenge/lust for you/hate you/can’t control my lust for you/hate and hurt you/lust for you even more/could it be I love you?/but wait, I don’t deserve you/still lust for you/keep hurting you/but I do love you!” between the H/H was exhausting.
And OMG, Gray was quite often to blame for much of the hurt between them, that’s true, but Claire still made me want to smack her (hard!) at times.
But despite all that, or perhaps because of it, The Sins of Viscount Sutherland captured my attention like a car wreck and kept me riveted and turning the pages. It’s definitely an addictive soap opera and the H/H frustrated the heck out of me at times, but I was also entertained. By the time Gray and Claire finally, finally found their HEA, I needed a relaxing glass of wine. 3 ½ stars.
March 20, 2012
What a mess of a book - if I could give it minus points , I would!
Meet idiotic heroine Claire Ashcroft, who forms a cunning plan to get revenge upon viscount Sutherland after he kills her brother in a duel.
What is her cunning plan? Well it's hard to tell - save for the fact that it involves getting Grayson to fall for her and then somehow embarrassing him - how is never clear.
Obviously there is a whole lot wrong with this premise from the start. Why would she want to go any where near the man who killed her brother? Never mind put herself deliberately in his way with efforts to woo him? How does she manage to set up the fake identity and why would you bother? Her faithful friend repeatedly tells her it is a really stupid plan but continues to assist her regardless. We are told that she believes that her plan will mean that she is ruined and will never be able to marry and have a family of her own, and yet off she goes in a determined fashion a la Antigone. I can't tell you how annoying she is!
Grayson is actually not the worst. He has been drinking himself to death after the loss of his first wife and child in mysterious circumstances - as well as shagging his way through the merry ranks of society. As soon as he sets eyes on Claire, he has to have her...god help him...
Enter some of the worst dialogue ever written in regency romance novels ( quite a hard standard to meet). This includes his mother berating him about his sex life at a public ball and (attempted) sexy banter between the two protagonist ( " from your own lips you are a rogue, are you a jaded rogue? " A " is there any other kind?")
To be honest I felt a bit sick...
The only way to bear it was to read it out loud to my husband which at least made it humourous.
From this point I was skim reading only as it was clear this was not a good book and unfortunately not one that fell into the it's so bad its good category either.
Of course Claire is overwhelmed by her attraction to Grayson but she hates him. She does not exactly come across as an experienced woman of the world but this doesn't really twig with Grayson, although he suspects something is off.
We have will she / won't she ( as well as her 8 1/2 month pregnant friend traipsing the country side with her so as to attend at house parties and giving birth in the carriage on the way back to London - i kid you not)
Of course she eventually succumbs and then does the ubiquitous run away. Naturally she is pregnant and as you do, decides to wed another man. Grayson interrupts her wedding just at the moment of the vows. They marry.
Bickerfest. More Bickerfest. Even more Bickerfest.
She keeps telling him to go away and leave her alone. He keeps leaving. She wants him to return. He comes back again. More Bickerfest. The cycle repeats.
She finds out what happened to his wife and child and behaves in the most insensitive manner possible. To the point where after they engage in a bit of heavy petting, she asks him if he did this with his first wife.
He immediately leaves as they can not be together as all they do is hurt each other!
She begs him not to go. She wants him to go. She wants him to come home. He comes home. More Bickerfest.
I want to bash her over the head with a blunt object.
Instead of trying to help Gray get over his fears, she behaves hysterically after the baby is born, and this just serves to make him more fearful that history will repeat itself.
By this stage it was really hard to care.
She loves him but sends him away again. He returns to her. They reconcile. Until the next argument .
Quite simply dire.
Meet idiotic heroine Claire Ashcroft, who forms a cunning plan to get revenge upon viscount Sutherland after he kills her brother in a duel.
What is her cunning plan? Well it's hard to tell - save for the fact that it involves getting Grayson to fall for her and then somehow embarrassing him - how is never clear.
Obviously there is a whole lot wrong with this premise from the start. Why would she want to go any where near the man who killed her brother? Never mind put herself deliberately in his way with efforts to woo him? How does she manage to set up the fake identity and why would you bother? Her faithful friend repeatedly tells her it is a really stupid plan but continues to assist her regardless. We are told that she believes that her plan will mean that she is ruined and will never be able to marry and have a family of her own, and yet off she goes in a determined fashion a la Antigone. I can't tell you how annoying she is!
Grayson is actually not the worst. He has been drinking himself to death after the loss of his first wife and child in mysterious circumstances - as well as shagging his way through the merry ranks of society. As soon as he sets eyes on Claire, he has to have her...god help him...
Enter some of the worst dialogue ever written in regency romance novels ( quite a hard standard to meet). This includes his mother berating him about his sex life at a public ball and (attempted) sexy banter between the two protagonist ( " from your own lips you are a rogue, are you a jaded rogue? " A " is there any other kind?")
To be honest I felt a bit sick...
The only way to bear it was to read it out loud to my husband which at least made it humourous.
From this point I was skim reading only as it was clear this was not a good book and unfortunately not one that fell into the it's so bad its good category either.
Of course Claire is overwhelmed by her attraction to Grayson but she hates him. She does not exactly come across as an experienced woman of the world but this doesn't really twig with Grayson, although he suspects something is off.
We have will she / won't she ( as well as her 8 1/2 month pregnant friend traipsing the country side with her so as to attend at house parties and giving birth in the carriage on the way back to London - i kid you not)
Of course she eventually succumbs and then does the ubiquitous run away. Naturally she is pregnant and as you do, decides to wed another man. Grayson interrupts her wedding just at the moment of the vows. They marry.
Bickerfest. More Bickerfest. Even more Bickerfest.
She keeps telling him to go away and leave her alone. He keeps leaving. She wants him to return. He comes back again. More Bickerfest. The cycle repeats.
She finds out what happened to his wife and child and behaves in the most insensitive manner possible. To the point where after they engage in a bit of heavy petting, she asks him if he did this with his first wife.
He immediately leaves as they can not be together as all they do is hurt each other!
She begs him not to go. She wants him to go. She wants him to come home. He comes home. More Bickerfest.
I want to bash her over the head with a blunt object.
Instead of trying to help Gray get over his fears, she behaves hysterically after the baby is born, and this just serves to make him more fearful that history will repeat itself.
By this stage it was really hard to care.
She loves him but sends him away again. He returns to her. They reconcile. Until the next argument .
Quite simply dire.
November 24, 2018
It was ok but all the fighting and heroine's hysteria bothered me. SJ can do so much better.
May 3, 2011
Claire Ashcroft despises Viscount Grayson Sutherland for killing her brother in a duel and sending her life into loneliness. She devises a plan to make Grayson fall in love with her and then turning him away, thus breaking his heart and causing him some of the same heartbreak she has had to endure. But she does not expect the attraction and sparks that fly between them. Grayson believes the lovely Claire is a widow and therefore fair game for his rake hellish lifestyle. Imagine his surprise as he pursues Claire and she is as skittish as a virgin! He just chalks it up to a short marriage with not much passion but when they share a passionate morning together he learns the truth of her deception and is furious and they part on bad terms.
Claire returns to her family home and is preparing to move forward with her life when Gray suddenly appears and puts an end to that as he is faced with the consequences of their time together. They return to his country home, a place he has avoided for two years as it holds very painful memories and has helped shape him into the man he is today. His mother arrives for a time and welcomes Claire with open arms and pushes for Gray to let go of his past and move forward with his future. This brings forward a game that Claire and Gray liked to play....move forward one step, then back two huge steps. Claire is having a hard time dealing with her feelings for this man who killed her brother and gets more frustrated when Gray refuses to tell her the truth of that day. She wants to know about his past and when he finally tells her what happened, sigh, heartbreaking. Gray doesn't think he can be happy again and when something goes wrong Claire gets a bit hysterical and thinks it's the universe telling her she is horrible for loving this man.
Now there are many times I wanted to smack these two. Claire gets upset with Gray and orders him to leave a few times and he just high tails it out without fighting for what he wants. But at the same time this was a moving story of two people who are not looking for love who have a lot from their past to overcome to find happiness together. This story starts off with a women bent on revenge but it finishes with the women helping her man let go of his tragic past and build a new life together while embracing the past and growing from that. This was my first Samantha Jones book and I look forward to more! I believe there are going to be four books in this series as there was a mention of four friends with this rakish life and I will be reading their stories! 4 stars
I received this ebook via netgalley.com
Claire returns to her family home and is preparing to move forward with her life when Gray suddenly appears and puts an end to that as he is faced with the consequences of their time together. They return to his country home, a place he has avoided for two years as it holds very painful memories and has helped shape him into the man he is today. His mother arrives for a time and welcomes Claire with open arms and pushes for Gray to let go of his past and move forward with his future. This brings forward a game that Claire and Gray liked to play....move forward one step, then back two huge steps. Claire is having a hard time dealing with her feelings for this man who killed her brother and gets more frustrated when Gray refuses to tell her the truth of that day. She wants to know about his past and when he finally tells her what happened, sigh, heartbreaking. Gray doesn't think he can be happy again and when something goes wrong Claire gets a bit hysterical and thinks it's the universe telling her she is horrible for loving this man.
Now there are many times I wanted to smack these two. Claire gets upset with Gray and orders him to leave a few times and he just high tails it out without fighting for what he wants. But at the same time this was a moving story of two people who are not looking for love who have a lot from their past to overcome to find happiness together. This story starts off with a women bent on revenge but it finishes with the women helping her man let go of his tragic past and build a new life together while embracing the past and growing from that. This was my first Samantha Jones book and I look forward to more! I believe there are going to be four books in this series as there was a mention of four friends with this rakish life and I will be reading their stories! 4 stars
I received this ebook via netgalley.com
June 7, 2011
I'm sure exactly where to begin with how poorly written this book was. I guess I should start with Viscount Sutherland and his mother discussing his sex life at a ball. Geez, this book took place during the Regency. Here it is two hundred years later, and I wouldn't talk to my adult son about his sex life--especially not in a public setting where anyone could overhear us. Yuck! This scenario (and so many others in the book) kept sounding in my head like one of those record scratches in films, where the characters back up and wonder at the complete inanity of what just took place. Ms. James clearly needs some lessons in cultural norms of past eras.
Ah...only if that were the main thing wrong with The Sins of Viscount Sutherland. Ms. James also had great difficulty keeping up with what her characters had discussed in dialogue and also with clarity of thought. I mean the woman had a really, really hard time with both of them, and apparently she had either an illiterate editor, or no editor at all. I hope it was the latter since I'd hate to think someone who missed so many blatant mistakes was hired to edit books. Anyhoo, I found myself backing up over and over to reread passages just to make sure I didn't miss something the first time. For example, Grey, Viscount Sutherland and Our Hero, asks Clair--a woman who falls madly in love with him despite that she thinks he murdered her beloved brother--how long her husband had been dead. She tells him two years. Then he asks how long she was married. She takes offense (because she's lying about ever being married at all) and tells him, "that's none of your affair." A few pages later Our Hero is puzzling out why there's something he can't put his finger on about Clair, and he thinks to himself, "Hmmmm, she's been widowed for two years and married for one year?" Huh?! Where did that "one year" come from? She clearly told him it was none of his beeswax! The book is full of stupid mistakes like that one.
And finally back to my first point of inanity: Viscount Sutherland moonlights as an Ob/Gyn. He delivers not one, not two, but three babies in the book!
I think I only finished this book because it was like watching a train wreck coming on. I don't really want to see one, but I can't look away before it happens.
Ah...only if that were the main thing wrong with The Sins of Viscount Sutherland. Ms. James also had great difficulty keeping up with what her characters had discussed in dialogue and also with clarity of thought. I mean the woman had a really, really hard time with both of them, and apparently she had either an illiterate editor, or no editor at all. I hope it was the latter since I'd hate to think someone who missed so many blatant mistakes was hired to edit books. Anyhoo, I found myself backing up over and over to reread passages just to make sure I didn't miss something the first time. For example, Grey, Viscount Sutherland and Our Hero, asks Clair--a woman who falls madly in love with him despite that she thinks he murdered her beloved brother--how long her husband had been dead. She tells him two years. Then he asks how long she was married. She takes offense (because she's lying about ever being married at all) and tells him, "that's none of your affair." A few pages later Our Hero is puzzling out why there's something he can't put his finger on about Clair, and he thinks to himself, "Hmmmm, she's been widowed for two years and married for one year?" Huh?! Where did that "one year" come from? She clearly told him it was none of his beeswax! The book is full of stupid mistakes like that one.
And finally back to my first point of inanity: Viscount Sutherland moonlights as an Ob/Gyn. He delivers not one, not two, but three babies in the book!
I think I only finished this book because it was like watching a train wreck coming on. I don't really want to see one, but I can't look away before it happens.
November 14, 2011
Playing hard to get, if you must..to get a rake on his knees for you
[image error]
....
Claire memiliki misi, menjerat Grayson, sang Viscount yang terkenal karena brandalan nya, tidak suka berkomitment, play boy kelas berat, agar bisa jatuh cinta kepada nya.
Kematian Oliver,adik tersayang Claire di arena duel dengan Gray lah yang memicu hal ini. Menyimpan dendam,dan misi, Claire hadir dan di perkenalkan sebagai janda muda oleh penelope,sahabat nya di kalangan tinggi London.
Disanalah dia bertemu Gray yang langsung terpaku... [image error] ,terpesona..terpana [image error] oleh kecantikan dan keseksian Claire si "janda muda".
Apa yang ada dalam pikiran Gray jelas, dia harus bisa meniduri Claire,lalu meinggalkannya seperti semua perempuan yang pernah tidur dengan dia..ya ampuuun rake banget deh [image error] .
Walau sudah di peringat kan ibu nya dan Clive , sang Duke sahabat nya (Clive nanti punya cerita sendiri)....Gray tetap nekat mendekati Claire ...dan after pesta itu, mereka pulang berdua, minum anggur sedikit, dan Gray pulang.
Besoknya, Gray semangat mengetuk pintu rumah Claire dan ngajak jalan2 ke taman...(standard banget ya jaman itu, norak jalan2 ke taman) [image error] ...
Malam nya mereka nonton opera deh, dan malam itu juga Gray ngajak Claire "mampir" ke rumah nya buat makan malam ..hm, bisa di tebak apa yang ada di pikiran Gray yang berpasir itu... [image error]
sayang nya, setelah satu ciuman manis, Claire menolak apa yang di inginkan Gray... hm, Claire playing hard to get nih....
Gak putus asa, Gray tetap berusaha mendekati, pake acara manas2in Claire waktu ultah nya dengan mencium seorang janda (lagi) di depan semua orang. Biarpun cemburu, Claire berusaha cuek dan ngobrol dengan asik dengan Clive. [image error] dan menyanggupi datang ke acara pesta *again* Clive di desa ....
Sampai satu malam, Claire "menyerah" juga akan godaan yang terlalu menarik untuk di lewat kan, dan Gray kaget sekali saat uhuk2 pertama kali dengan Claire, ternyata si Janda ini, masih perawan [image error]
Gray malah marah menemukan hal itu dan curiga kalo Claire sengaja merayu dia , gak tahan dengan tuduhan Gray, Claire membuka rahasianya, bahwa dia ingin membalas kematian adik nya. Tetap marah, Gray meninggalkan Claire malam itu.
Claire yang merasa terhina, pulang ke kampungnya dengan manahan malu. Di sana dia bertemu Lawrence, duda cakep yang naksir berat dengan dia, dan mereka berkencan. Hingga kandungan Claire terlihat,Lawrence melamar Claire, dan mereka sepakat menikah.
Penelope, mengetahui kabar ini langsung memaksa Gray buat membatalkan pernikahan itu.Walau awal nya menolak dan berniat melupakan Claire, Gray berangkat juga. Tapi dia kaget setengah mati melihat perut Claire dan hari itu juga dia minta Claire menikahinya.
Pernikahan mereka berlangsung dingin,dan Gray membawa Claire ke rumah nya yang pernah dia tempati bersama istri nya,Lily.
Tidak pernah tidur sekamar, dan Gray lebih sering berada di London, Clive sahabat nya memarahi Gray, suruh pulang.Dan Gray pulang hanya untuk menemukan istrinya sedang mencium pipi Lawrence ! Rasain ! [image error]
Untung nya tingkah Gray gak terlalu menyebalkan, karena sejak tidur dengan Claire malam itu, dia gak pernah lagi main perempuan lain. Galau [image error]
Gray akhirnya menceritakan tentang Lily.Ternyata Lily bunuh diri idi danau tempat Claire hampir tenggelam, karena Lily membunuh anak mereka cuma karena nangis gak berhenti2 .. OMG ! Dasar ibu gila [image error]
Gak pantes banget kan di cintai sebesar itu...Gray sendiri takut banget kehilangan anak lagi..samapai saat Claire melahir kan, dia gak berani menyentuh anak perempuan mereka, Alexa Charlotte Shutterland.
Untunglah perkawinan mereka akhirnya bisa di selamatkan berkat bantuan Clive dan Penelope yang selalu support dan meminta mereka untuk gak menyerah, dan Gray diminta buat membuka hatinya dan berani menyatakan cintanya pada Claire.
Happy ending tentu nya.... agak berat di tarik ulur nya antara Claire dan Gray, tapi chemisrty nya dapet banget...I love the book.... malah ga sabar nunggu kisah Clive di buku ke dua....
Claire memiliki misi, menjerat Grayson, sang Viscount yang terkenal karena brandalan nya, tidak suka berkomitment, play boy kelas berat, agar bisa jatuh cinta kepada nya.
Kematian Oliver,adik tersayang Claire di arena duel dengan Gray lah yang memicu hal ini. Menyimpan dendam,dan misi, Claire hadir dan di perkenalkan sebagai janda muda oleh penelope,sahabat nya di kalangan tinggi London.
Disanalah dia bertemu Gray yang langsung terpaku... [image error] ,terpesona..terpana [image error] oleh kecantikan dan keseksian Claire si "janda muda".
Apa yang ada dalam pikiran Gray jelas, dia harus bisa meniduri Claire,lalu meinggalkannya seperti semua perempuan yang pernah tidur dengan dia..ya ampuuun rake banget deh [image error] .
Walau sudah di peringat kan ibu nya dan Clive , sang Duke sahabat nya (Clive nanti punya cerita sendiri)....Gray tetap nekat mendekati Claire ...dan after pesta itu, mereka pulang berdua, minum anggur sedikit, dan Gray pulang.
Besoknya, Gray semangat mengetuk pintu rumah Claire dan ngajak jalan2 ke taman...(standard banget ya jaman itu, norak jalan2 ke taman) [image error] ...
Malam nya mereka nonton opera deh, dan malam itu juga Gray ngajak Claire "mampir" ke rumah nya buat makan malam ..hm, bisa di tebak apa yang ada di pikiran Gray yang berpasir itu... [image error]
sayang nya, setelah satu ciuman manis, Claire menolak apa yang di inginkan Gray... hm, Claire playing hard to get nih....
Gak putus asa, Gray tetap berusaha mendekati, pake acara manas2in Claire waktu ultah nya dengan mencium seorang janda (lagi) di depan semua orang. Biarpun cemburu, Claire berusaha cuek dan ngobrol dengan asik dengan Clive. [image error] dan menyanggupi datang ke acara pesta *again* Clive di desa ....
Sampai satu malam, Claire "menyerah" juga akan godaan yang terlalu menarik untuk di lewat kan, dan Gray kaget sekali saat uhuk2 pertama kali dengan Claire, ternyata si Janda ini, masih perawan [image error]
Gray malah marah menemukan hal itu dan curiga kalo Claire sengaja merayu dia , gak tahan dengan tuduhan Gray, Claire membuka rahasianya, bahwa dia ingin membalas kematian adik nya. Tetap marah, Gray meninggalkan Claire malam itu.
Claire yang merasa terhina, pulang ke kampungnya dengan manahan malu. Di sana dia bertemu Lawrence, duda cakep yang naksir berat dengan dia, dan mereka berkencan. Hingga kandungan Claire terlihat,Lawrence melamar Claire, dan mereka sepakat menikah.
Penelope, mengetahui kabar ini langsung memaksa Gray buat membatalkan pernikahan itu.Walau awal nya menolak dan berniat melupakan Claire, Gray berangkat juga. Tapi dia kaget setengah mati melihat perut Claire dan hari itu juga dia minta Claire menikahinya.
Pernikahan mereka berlangsung dingin,dan Gray membawa Claire ke rumah nya yang pernah dia tempati bersama istri nya,Lily.
Tidak pernah tidur sekamar, dan Gray lebih sering berada di London, Clive sahabat nya memarahi Gray, suruh pulang.Dan Gray pulang hanya untuk menemukan istrinya sedang mencium pipi Lawrence ! Rasain ! [image error]
Untung nya tingkah Gray gak terlalu menyebalkan, karena sejak tidur dengan Claire malam itu, dia gak pernah lagi main perempuan lain. Galau [image error]
Gray akhirnya menceritakan tentang Lily.Ternyata Lily bunuh diri idi danau tempat Claire hampir tenggelam, karena Lily membunuh anak mereka cuma karena nangis gak berhenti2 .. OMG ! Dasar ibu gila [image error]
Gak pantes banget kan di cintai sebesar itu...Gray sendiri takut banget kehilangan anak lagi..samapai saat Claire melahir kan, dia gak berani menyentuh anak perempuan mereka, Alexa Charlotte Shutterland.
Untunglah perkawinan mereka akhirnya bisa di selamatkan berkat bantuan Clive dan Penelope yang selalu support dan meminta mereka untuk gak menyerah, dan Gray diminta buat membuka hatinya dan berani menyatakan cintanya pada Claire.
Happy ending tentu nya.... agak berat di tarik ulur nya antara Claire dan Gray, tapi chemisrty nya dapet banget...I love the book.... malah ga sabar nunggu kisah Clive di buku ke dua....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2011
Started out with potential but then turned into one heaping, jumbled hot mess. It almost turned into two separate books. I really enjoy Samantha James' books but I was shaking my head and wondering WTF several times throughout this one. I give it 2 1/2 stars.
July 11, 2011
She hates him, she sleeps with him, she hates him, she loves him. A little too inconsistent. I lust for the man who I believed killed my brother.
January 5, 2020
The reason I liked this seems to be the same reason ppl don’t like it. She keeps changing her mind telling him get lost then come
Back :)
Back :)
April 28, 2024
4 stars
I enjoyed this story, the alpha H and determined h, tropes moc, preggers, minor OM, jealousy, drama. Reviews tainted my reading, I kept waiting for those 2 star moments reviewers mentioned. I did find some of her moments irrational and weakened the story, but I could live with it and it worked for me.
I enjoyed this story, the alpha H and determined h, tropes moc, preggers, minor OM, jealousy, drama. Reviews tainted my reading, I kept waiting for those 2 star moments reviewers mentioned. I did find some of her moments irrational and weakened the story, but I could live with it and it worked for me.
September 4, 2013
First and last book from this author.
The plot was stupid from the first page onward and no credible for one second: a very beautiful woman decided to have the murderer of her brother fall in love with her to break his heart; she launched her plan into actions without knowing ANYTHING about the murderer. Luckily this one was not already married or no longer more precisely. I will not even mention the fact that the characters' behavior was outrageous and totally out of line for the time.
Their relationship was fated. Claire teased, whined, regretted more the loss of life as she knew it than the death of her brother, and at no moment in time did she show that she had more than 2 neurons functioning. On the other hand, Gray suffered internally without ever letting people to help him, and compensated through overdrinking and women. Obviously he was so attracted to the heroine from the first look because she was so beautiful. Despite his self-indulging ways, I found him to be particularly masochist and totally unable of communicating with anyone.
The characters did not really evolve, whatever their personal history never managed to get any depth or flesh. I did not believe in any of them, except maybe Claire's best friend.
Last thing which turned me off at first and then quickly managed to almost make me laugh: there are many inconsistencies in the book. Some related to something said 50 or 100 pages before, some only a few lines or pages before. Let me give 2 of the best examples:
- when going from London to the Duke's country house, a stopover at a inn was absolutely necessary; when coming back, the travel lasted only from the morning til mid-afternoon. The slope must have been very steep ;(
- when confronting Gray, Claire told him her brother was dead since 9 months precisely. Later on in the story, a few weeks more than 4 months later, Christmas time had come and Claire felt wretched as this was her first Christmas without her brother and father. And either years can last more than 12 months or Christmas takes place every other year in July ;)
The plot was stupid from the first page onward and no credible for one second: a very beautiful woman decided to have the murderer of her brother fall in love with her to break his heart; she launched her plan into actions without knowing ANYTHING about the murderer. Luckily this one was not already married or no longer more precisely. I will not even mention the fact that the characters' behavior was outrageous and totally out of line for the time.
Their relationship was fated. Claire teased, whined, regretted more the loss of life as she knew it than the death of her brother, and at no moment in time did she show that she had more than 2 neurons functioning. On the other hand, Gray suffered internally without ever letting people to help him, and compensated through overdrinking and women. Obviously he was so attracted to the heroine from the first look because she was so beautiful. Despite his self-indulging ways, I found him to be particularly masochist and totally unable of communicating with anyone.
The characters did not really evolve, whatever their personal history never managed to get any depth or flesh. I did not believe in any of them, except maybe Claire's best friend.
Last thing which turned me off at first and then quickly managed to almost make me laugh: there are many inconsistencies in the book. Some related to something said 50 or 100 pages before, some only a few lines or pages before. Let me give 2 of the best examples:
- when going from London to the Duke's country house, a stopover at a inn was absolutely necessary; when coming back, the travel lasted only from the morning til mid-afternoon. The slope must have been very steep ;(
- when confronting Gray, Claire told him her brother was dead since 9 months precisely. Later on in the story, a few weeks more than 4 months later, Christmas time had come and Claire felt wretched as this was her first Christmas without her brother and father. And either years can last more than 12 months or Christmas takes place every other year in July ;)
June 16, 2011
~Has some spoilers.~
Claire Ashcroft hates Viscount Grayson Sutherland because of his hand in the death of her brother and she has vowed to get revenge. Her plan--to make him fall in love with her and then break his heart.
I have to say this is one of the only Samantha James books where I felt for the Hero more than the Heroine.
Though I did like Claire and felt for her about the death of her brother, I could even see why she would want to avenge him-- I couldn't help but think that most of her problems she brought on herself. I did not like her plan to seduce Gray then cast him aside--it just really didn't seem like something that sounds reasonable for a 'Lady' to think.
And Grey, ah, I felt so much sympathy for him that it hurt at times. Even from the beginning we know that he isn't just this 'rouge'. But the author really holds back information pertaining to him for most of the book.
The fighting also bothered me. One minute they got along okay the next they couldn't stand each other. So it makes the ending of the book, when everything is all good again seem . . . unfinished. As if the author should have written more to show that they would continue to get along.
Altogether I liked the book--how could I not? James is an amazing author and writes historical fiction like no other, but again I just could not seem to love Claire and the way the were constantly at odds over something or other.
I would recommend this to Samantha James fans.
Claire Ashcroft hates Viscount Grayson Sutherland because of his hand in the death of her brother and she has vowed to get revenge. Her plan--to make him fall in love with her and then break his heart.
I have to say this is one of the only Samantha James books where I felt for the Hero more than the Heroine.
Though I did like Claire and felt for her about the death of her brother, I could even see why she would want to avenge him-- I couldn't help but think that most of her problems she brought on herself. I did not like her plan to seduce Gray then cast him aside--it just really didn't seem like something that sounds reasonable for a 'Lady' to think.
And Grey, ah, I felt so much sympathy for him that it hurt at times. Even from the beginning we know that he isn't just this 'rouge'. But the author really holds back information pertaining to him for most of the book.
The fighting also bothered me. One minute they got along okay the next they couldn't stand each other. So it makes the ending of the book, when everything is all good again seem . . . unfinished. As if the author should have written more to show that they would continue to get along.
Altogether I liked the book--how could I not? James is an amazing author and writes historical fiction like no other, but again I just could not seem to love Claire and the way the were constantly at odds over something or other.
I would recommend this to Samantha James fans.
May 15, 2011
Reviewed by Andrea for RexRobotReviews.com
Samantha James is definitely one of best writers in the Regency genre. The Sins Of Viscount Sutherland is a wonderful book for fans looking for something light in this genre. The book has revenge and a rake turned gentlemen.
The characters that James creates are incredibly likable. From the very start you know that there is more to Grayson Sutherland than just a bad boy who seems to be hell bent on destroying himself. The mystery as to why he is the way he is just isn’t revealed until the story is almost at an end. Samantha James knows how to keep her readers in suspense.
Trust me.
Claire on the other hand is a lady that wants to seduce Gray and then cast him aside, to cause him pain because he killed her brother in a duel. The whole scheme doesn’t seem quite right to me, but whatever gets these two together works for me.
Getting them together is the hard part. Sure they make their way into bed, but they can’t seem to get their relationship to work. That is probably the most frustrating part about this book. The characters are both obviously in love with one another but neither will come out and say it. If I could have reached into the pages and shook the two of them, I probably would have, multiple times.
The Sins Of Viscount Sutherland is a fantastic read and one that can be easily devoured in a sitting or two. It is also the first book in a new series, and one that will have readers anxiously waiting for more.
Samantha James is definitely one of best writers in the Regency genre. The Sins Of Viscount Sutherland is a wonderful book for fans looking for something light in this genre. The book has revenge and a rake turned gentlemen.
The characters that James creates are incredibly likable. From the very start you know that there is more to Grayson Sutherland than just a bad boy who seems to be hell bent on destroying himself. The mystery as to why he is the way he is just isn’t revealed until the story is almost at an end. Samantha James knows how to keep her readers in suspense.
Trust me.
Claire on the other hand is a lady that wants to seduce Gray and then cast him aside, to cause him pain because he killed her brother in a duel. The whole scheme doesn’t seem quite right to me, but whatever gets these two together works for me.
Getting them together is the hard part. Sure they make their way into bed, but they can’t seem to get their relationship to work. That is probably the most frustrating part about this book. The characters are both obviously in love with one another but neither will come out and say it. If I could have reached into the pages and shook the two of them, I probably would have, multiple times.
The Sins Of Viscount Sutherland is a fantastic read and one that can be easily devoured in a sitting or two. It is also the first book in a new series, and one that will have readers anxiously waiting for more.
July 29, 2016
Claire Ashcroft has lost her brother in a duel, he was her last family member. Claire sets out to seek revenge on the one who killed her brother Viscount Grayson (Gray) Sutherland, by making him fall in love with her than leaving him with a broken heart. Gray is suffering inside and as such the only comfort he finds is in living recklessly. Gray no longer knows what he wants beyond physical intimacy, yet he finds something in Claire.
The beginning of the book was great but it falls pretty fast after that. Claire starts out as this innocent women who while unsure of her steps has purpose and is quite intelligent. By the end she is a weeping ignorant shell of her former self. Gray also in the beginning is care free yet somewhat honorable and by the end he is scared of his own shadow. For most of the book they are not romantic nor kind to each other, most of the time Claire is hysterical and Gray is sulking.
By page 200 I really did not care what happens but I kept hoping it was going to get better. Sadly it did not. Whatever connection or sympathy I had with the characters at the beginning was gone by the time I got to the end. Personally this one was a dud for me. I hope this is just a fluke for Ms James because the other book I read by her was fantastic.
1 1/2 stars
The beginning of the book was great but it falls pretty fast after that. Claire starts out as this innocent women who while unsure of her steps has purpose and is quite intelligent. By the end she is a weeping ignorant shell of her former self. Gray also in the beginning is care free yet somewhat honorable and by the end he is scared of his own shadow. For most of the book they are not romantic nor kind to each other, most of the time Claire is hysterical and Gray is sulking.
By page 200 I really did not care what happens but I kept hoping it was going to get better. Sadly it did not. Whatever connection or sympathy I had with the characters at the beginning was gone by the time I got to the end. Personally this one was a dud for me. I hope this is just a fluke for Ms James because the other book I read by her was fantastic.
1 1/2 stars
June 21, 2011
I agree with several other posters. I usually enjoy Samantha James, and I liked the premise and the beginning of the book. But OMG after their marriage it was like a different book. I think I would have liked the revenge aspect to go on for a little while longer. Claire and Grey turned into whiners and I was annoyed with them for most of the rest of the book. The book made me so angry and I ended up not even caring if they got together. I just wanted to finish it and get it over with.
June 12, 2015
I debated whether or not to give this 1 or 2 stars. So, I'll put it as a 1.5.
In the beginning, I felt that this story may have some potential. Sometimes the concept of miscommunication and lack of the whole story can been good for characters navigating in Romancelandia. But, as the story progress, I found myself wanting to hit my head on the table. These characters did way to much crying and whining and it got to be grating on my nerves. While I realize that the situation they were struggling with can be damaging...I can't imagine having to go through it...I thought that a lot of it could have been resolved with them talking it out like grown-ups. Yes, act like grown-ups. What a novel idea.
In the beginning, I felt that this story may have some potential. Sometimes the concept of miscommunication and lack of the whole story can been good for characters navigating in Romancelandia. But, as the story progress, I found myself wanting to hit my head on the table. These characters did way to much crying and whining and it got to be grating on my nerves. While I realize that the situation they were struggling with can be damaging...I can't imagine having to go through it...I thought that a lot of it could have been resolved with them talking it out like grown-ups. Yes, act like grown-ups. What a novel idea.
September 8, 2012
The premise for this revenge novel was very hard to swallow. The main female character wants to avenge her brother's death by trying to have him so enamored with her and then throwing him away. What kind of revenge is that? Really. For your brother's death. The other thing is that the contrived conflict between Claire and Grayson. It's repetitive with no real development.
I think there was real potential with Claire's character. She did have a lot of spirit but her evolution is not convincing developed. Grayson's character is better developed but again, his evolution is hard to swallow as well since it lacks proper development.
This story has potential but it flounders.
I think there was real potential with Claire's character. She did have a lot of spirit but her evolution is not convincing developed. Grayson's character is better developed but again, his evolution is hard to swallow as well since it lacks proper development.
This story has potential but it flounders.
May 29, 2015
What a mess. For the first half of the book, the plot was shaky but interesting enough--and the characters charismatic enough--that it was still engaging. Halfway through, however, it completely fell apart. Claire went from a purportedly strong heroine to a flighty woman who became hysterical and nonsensical at the slightest provocation. Their sex lives stalled. Claire completely forgot about her brother partway in and he was almost never mentioned again, despite his murder being the whole point of her deception. Would not recommend.
September 23, 2011
I am cursed with the inability to leave characters in limbo by not finishing a book, but these two really tempted me. This book was like a roller coaster without the big hill - lots of little thrills, but no big rush. Someone asked me, "How's your book?" just as I finished this. I responded, "Well, it's done, at least." Not a resounding recommendation for an author I've enjoyed in the past...
September 11, 2013
The title should be "The sins of Claire". I couldn't stand the heroine, actually I sympathize more with the poor guy. But what really annoyed me was repeating the same words and phrases again and again. I don't want to ever here the word "rod" again;) Actually, I think I'm a masochist for reading it to the end.
June 10, 2011
I'm not really sure, but I didn't enjoy this book as much. It reminds me of the earlier, older romance novels published in the 80s and 90s.
I wanted to read this since the excerpt I had read intrigued me, but unfortunately it wasn't anything special.
I wanted to read this since the excerpt I had read intrigued me, but unfortunately it wasn't anything special.
July 13, 2011
So disappointed. I normally really love Samantha James' books, but this is the first time I can remember ever really hating a heroine.
February 5, 2016
He killed her brother in a duel and she vows revenge. The story was dragged out. The heroin's plot for revenge did not make any sense.
October 3, 2013
God-awful. Ridiculous, embarrassing premise; wretched and unsympathetic characters; confused plot; worst: dull.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2014
Hmm...I don't know....I liked it in the beginning....but somehow the endless fighting just got to me :/
May 28, 2014
Absolutely horrible. Completely contrived and poorly written.
February 20, 2015
Oh my, incredibly sad, but oh so good! Loved it!
August 31, 2022
I'm shocked - has Samantha James passed?
That's crazy because she's such a talented author. Once you discount The Perfect Bride, all her other books are great. I was so hyped for this series because this book mentioned a group of reprobates consisting of a duke, earl and marquess. I was salivating. I love peers of the realm you know?
But just as I finished this book and clicked onto the series to see what's next, what do I see? NOTHING. That's right. This book was published in 2011 and it's been radio silence since. And then I did some internet sleuthing and someone had the date under Samantha James as 19**-2021. WTF? Does that mean what I think it means.
That just made me so incredibly sad. This had the whole baby trope. And it was written well.
That's crazy because she's such a talented author. Once you discount The Perfect Bride, all her other books are great. I was so hyped for this series because this book mentioned a group of reprobates consisting of a duke, earl and marquess. I was salivating. I love peers of the realm you know?
But just as I finished this book and clicked onto the series to see what's next, what do I see? NOTHING. That's right. This book was published in 2011 and it's been radio silence since. And then I did some internet sleuthing and someone had the date under Samantha James as 19**-2021. WTF? Does that mean what I think it means.
That just made me so incredibly sad. This had the whole baby trope. And it was written well.
October 9, 2022
4.5 stars
Claire has decided the best revenge for her brothers death is to make the notorious rake Viscount Sutherland(her brother's murderer) fall in love with her and then break his heart. Clearly this does not go to plan and they wind up sleeping together, when he finds out who she truly is, he's stunned and storms off. She leaves town, when she learns she's pregnant and she's offered marriage from the nice man next door, she accepts so her child will have a father. Gray finds out and goes to the wedding where he realizes she's pregnant and promptly objects.
While I think Claire's revenge plan was naïve and stupid, this story is all about the angst and emotions and it was a compelling read, very few enemies to lovers ever have the couple at odds for very long but this one really held on to the anger and pain, with only brief glimpses of hope, for as long as possible.
TW: post partum, child death, death and suicide.
Claire has decided the best revenge for her brothers death is to make the notorious rake Viscount Sutherland(her brother's murderer) fall in love with her and then break his heart. Clearly this does not go to plan and they wind up sleeping together, when he finds out who she truly is, he's stunned and storms off. She leaves town, when she learns she's pregnant and she's offered marriage from the nice man next door, she accepts so her child will have a father. Gray finds out and goes to the wedding where he realizes she's pregnant and promptly objects.
While I think Claire's revenge plan was naïve and stupid, this story is all about the angst and emotions and it was a compelling read, very few enemies to lovers ever have the couple at odds for very long but this one really held on to the anger and pain, with only brief glimpses of hope, for as long as possible.
TW: post partum, child death, death and suicide.
October 31, 2022
It is so fast-paced! Not that I don't like fast-paced stories. I just hoped that the author described the characters' conflict in extreme detail coz it seems "so important" that it kept on interfering the characters' romantic progress until the very end. I want to see the character's deep struggle about their incompatibilities like matured human beings. Sometimes, they quarrel like teenagers. Also, I had a hard time finishing this book because I can't see the romance building up between the characters. I can feel the palpable lust from Viscount Sutherland, but that's it. Their connection, if not struggle, is a plethora of immaturity and insecurities. I like happy endings, doe, so three stars.
Had high hopes for this novel, not gonna lie.
Had high hopes for this novel, not gonna lie.
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