What do you think?
Rate this book
The Elusive Lords #2.5
All's Fair in Love & Seduction
She hopes to gain his affections
For Miss Elizabeth Smith, sharing her first kiss with the charming Lord Derek Creswell is nothing short of a dream come true...that is, until she is spotted by one of the most relentless and influential gossips of the ton. With scandal nipping at her heels, to avoid total social ruin, Elizabeth must present a fiance by the end of the Season. But when the viscount proves reluctant, Elizabeth is forced to employ a seduction of a different sort...
He is determined to ruin her
Viscount Derek Creswell believes Elizabeth set out to trap him into marriage. After all, her sister attempted the very same thing with his brother six years before. Now the delectable Miss Smith expects a betrothal and a ring, while Derek finder her ruination - infinitely more appealing...
But as Derek sets out to seduce only her body, Elizabeth is intent on claiming his jaded heart.
This is a novella and 29,000 words. Included is a three chapter excerpt of the third full-length book in The Elusive Lords series, An Heir of Deception.
136 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 25, 2011
595 people are currently reading
1901 people want to read
About the author
Beverley Kendall
38 books994 followers
Click here to sign up for my newsletter to receive news about future releases!
Beverley Kendall has lived on two continents, in three countries, two provinces, and four states. She stopped her nomadic existence and settled in the southeast with her young son. All things artistic feed her creative passion, but none more than writing.
Connect with me on Facebook
Communicate with me via beverley@beverleykendall.com
Beverley Kendall has lived on two continents, in three countries, two provinces, and four states. She stopped her nomadic existence and settled in the southeast with her young son. All things artistic feed her creative passion, but none more than writing.
Connect with me on Facebook
Communicate with me via beverley@beverleykendall.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews
August 24, 2013
review posted on Got Fiction? Books
I bought this novella after someone on Twitter rec'd it to me, and the beginning starts out fairly strong.
The heroine Elizabeth has been in love with the hero for a couple years, but their meeting was a bit...unusual. Her sister was seduced by his brother, and the hero was the one who dropped off the check of 1000 pounds (It was used as reparations, or in my world, 'hush money').
Well, her father came into a minor inheritance and was able to give her a Season. During this Season, she keeps seeing him.
Derek is enamored of this gorgeous woman who can't keep her eyes off him. At every ball he attends, she is there giving him those looks over her shoulder. Finally he demands an introduction from his friend. But his buddy warned him not to try anything funny as she's one his friends as well.
They don't quite get introduced, but she follows him out onto the terrace. All Elizabeth wants is one look at him, maybe to say hi, but that's all. What she gets is a rake stealing a kiss...and a whole heap of trouble. Two of the ton's gossips hear their banter and the kiss and call her on it. What does Elizabeth do? She lies her butt off. Unfortunately she tells the ladies they are informally engaged. Well, she tells her best friend, and next thing we know Derek is told he must marry Elizabeth.
I enjoyed the story and the writing til about then because Derek decides she trapped him into marriage. He kind of thinks well maybe she didn't, but then maybe she did...he can't figure her game out. So he plays it by ear. Then he realizes he actually likes this woman. Then he realizes he could envision her as his wife if only he were sure of her original intentions. Had she set out to trap him?
He finds out who her family is, and once he remembers that ugly business where a young girl tried to trap his brother into marriage, he believes she must be doing the same to him.
There's a scene where he sets out to seduce her, can't go through with it, but does anyway, then turns it around on her. Luckily she doesn't buy that line and understands he set out to ruin her intentionally. For me the novella went downhill from there. I hated, HATED how he treated her, and I wanted to applaud her mama for setting him straight.
In my opinion what could have very easily been a 5 star book dropped several points because the hero (and I use that term loosely) never apologized for his behaviour, for his treatment of Elizabeth. He carved her a present, whoopie. It was an implied apology and it wasn't good enough, not nearly good enough for me. There was no groveling. None. I was pissed she took him back so quickly. If there had been even just a teeny little scene where she left him and he had to come and apologize on bended knee, I'd have been satisfied. Of course, if he'd been on glass, on his bended knee, I'd have been thrilled ;)
I enjoyed the writing and I think I'll look into this series, but I hope the heroes are better than Derek.
I bought this novella after someone on Twitter rec'd it to me, and the beginning starts out fairly strong.
The heroine Elizabeth has been in love with the hero for a couple years, but their meeting was a bit...unusual. Her sister was seduced by his brother, and the hero was the one who dropped off the check of 1000 pounds (It was used as reparations, or in my world, 'hush money').
Well, her father came into a minor inheritance and was able to give her a Season. During this Season, she keeps seeing him.
Derek is enamored of this gorgeous woman who can't keep her eyes off him. At every ball he attends, she is there giving him those looks over her shoulder. Finally he demands an introduction from his friend. But his buddy warned him not to try anything funny as she's one his friends as well.
They don't quite get introduced, but she follows him out onto the terrace. All Elizabeth wants is one look at him, maybe to say hi, but that's all. What she gets is a rake stealing a kiss...and a whole heap of trouble. Two of the ton's gossips hear their banter and the kiss and call her on it. What does Elizabeth do? She lies her butt off. Unfortunately she tells the ladies they are informally engaged. Well, she tells her best friend, and next thing we know Derek is told he must marry Elizabeth.
I enjoyed the story and the writing til about then because Derek decides she trapped him into marriage. He kind of thinks well maybe she didn't, but then maybe she did...he can't figure her game out. So he plays it by ear. Then he realizes he actually likes this woman. Then he realizes he could envision her as his wife if only he were sure of her original intentions. Had she set out to trap him?
He finds out who her family is, and once he remembers that ugly business where a young girl tried to trap his brother into marriage, he believes she must be doing the same to him.
There's a scene where he sets out to seduce her, can't go through with it, but does anyway, then turns it around on her. Luckily she doesn't buy that line and understands he set out to ruin her intentionally. For me the novella went downhill from there. I hated, HATED how he treated her, and I wanted to applaud her mama for setting him straight.
In my opinion what could have very easily been a 5 star book dropped several points because the hero (and I use that term loosely) never apologized for his behaviour, for his treatment of Elizabeth. He carved her a present, whoopie. It was an implied apology and it wasn't good enough, not nearly good enough for me. There was no groveling. None. I was pissed she took him back so quickly. If there had been even just a teeny little scene where she left him and he had to come and apologize on bended knee, I'd have been satisfied. Of course, if he'd been on glass, on his bended knee, I'd have been thrilled ;)
I enjoyed the writing and I think I'll look into this series, but I hope the heroes are better than Derek.
November 11, 2018
Audiobook Review.
This story reminds of another that I've read some time ago that was similar in plot.
Miss Elizabeth Smith up until this point in her life has kept a low profile after her sister's ruination that sent them to the country six years earlier. Unfortunately, she runs into Viscount Derek Creswell..her family's enemy andsomeone who steals from her a first kiss that is witness by the gossips who would love a bit of scandal. With a scandal looming to go public and in an effort to escape ruin, she must come up with a suitor by the end of the Season. However, Lord Creswell is reluctant to go along with her proposition and she must employ a means of seduction to win him over.
For Viscount Derek Creswell...he is determined to exact revenge on Miss Smith as he believes she out to trap him just as he believed her sister tried to do some six years earlier. He is determined to ruin her. Unfortunately for Lord Creswell, he wasn't prepared to have his challenges in the game of seduction countered by Miss Smith.
I thought the characters could have been developed just a bit more along the with plot. The heroine can be read as a bit passive but I did not see that in the story. I thought she was more naive than what the Viscount expected although they were playing a seduction game. Not realizing that he was being bested, his stupidity kicked in after he realized that Elizabeth was on 15-years of age when his brother ruined her sister some six years before. I was glad he had some redeeming qualities to go back to say he was sorry and ask for forgiveness instead of jumping to conclusions.
A fan of Rosalyn Landor...her narration of the story was excellent.
3-Stars
This story reminds of another that I've read some time ago that was similar in plot.
Miss Elizabeth Smith up until this point in her life has kept a low profile after her sister's ruination that sent them to the country six years earlier. Unfortunately, she runs into Viscount Derek Creswell..her family's enemy andsomeone who steals from her a first kiss that is witness by the gossips who would love a bit of scandal. With a scandal looming to go public and in an effort to escape ruin, she must come up with a suitor by the end of the Season. However, Lord Creswell is reluctant to go along with her proposition and she must employ a means of seduction to win him over.
For Viscount Derek Creswell...he is determined to exact revenge on Miss Smith as he believes she out to trap him just as he believed her sister tried to do some six years earlier. He is determined to ruin her. Unfortunately for Lord Creswell, he wasn't prepared to have his challenges in the game of seduction countered by Miss Smith.
I thought the characters could have been developed just a bit more along the with plot. The heroine can be read as a bit passive but I did not see that in the story. I thought she was more naive than what the Viscount expected although they were playing a seduction game. Not realizing that he was being bested, his stupidity kicked in after he realized that Elizabeth was on 15-years of age when his brother ruined her sister some six years before. I was glad he had some redeeming qualities to go back to say he was sorry and ask for forgiveness instead of jumping to conclusions.
A fan of Rosalyn Landor...her narration of the story was excellent.
3-Stars
January 26, 2013
I have to say I was liking the story but it fell apart for me at the end. I just have to say that Derek was a jerk. Derek's brother and Elizabeth's sister had an issue 6 years before which disgraced her sister but Derek thought she was just a gold digger because his brother swore he didn't sleep with her (which ended up being a lie later). Derek decided that Elizabeth was a gold digger like he thinks her sister is and so he decides she's trying to capture him in to marriage. Because of this he feels that it's alright for him to take her virginity and leave her disgraced and then refuse to marry her. He falls in love with her while wooing her but that doesn't stop him from punishing her for what he thinks she's guilty of. He goes ahead and tried to ruin her life over a faulty assumption of what happened between her sister and his brother. I don't get how he could be so callus and cruel. After he leaves her in ruins he finds out that his brother is a liar and all around jerk.
He goes after Elizabeth at a ball and I was annoyed with his real lack of sorrow for what he did. He pulls her away from the ball to somewhere private to talk. I don't know why she'd trust him to go off with him considering he'd already told her he was out to ruin her but she did (which made me not like Elizabeth as much because she was being a sap). When he get around to apologizing he says he's sorry because he was wrong about her sister...at no time did he say...Sorry I hurt you...sorry I tried to ruin you for something that wasn't your fault...sorry I was an ass. I mean I didn't really feel like he was very sorry at all and didn't really have to pay for his horrible actions at all. I just didn't feel their reunion and the end of the book just fell flat for me... :(
He goes after Elizabeth at a ball and I was annoyed with his real lack of sorrow for what he did. He pulls her away from the ball to somewhere private to talk. I don't know why she'd trust him to go off with him considering he'd already told her he was out to ruin her but she did (which made me not like Elizabeth as much because she was being a sap). When he get around to apologizing he says he's sorry because he was wrong about her sister...at no time did he say...Sorry I hurt you...sorry I tried to ruin you for something that wasn't your fault...sorry I was an ass. I mean I didn't really feel like he was very sorry at all and didn't really have to pay for his horrible actions at all. I just didn't feel their reunion and the end of the book just fell flat for me... :(
May 19, 2013
No, no no. This gets a 2 because I finished it and I liked the mother. That is the only reason.
I couldn't stand Derek and Elizabeth drove me nuts with her inability to stand up to him. This book had everything expected in a Historical Romance. A woman new to society, a past scandal (of some of the family), a ruination (I think I'm making that word up, but whatever) and the forced marriage.
What happens from this point quickly dissolves into a sexual game of chicken that ends in disaster. This scene was the turning point in the novel for me. I semi enjoyed it and was behind it (even though Derek was a bit of an ass), but until this point. At this point you learn that the heroine is nothing but a meek girl who can't stand up for herself and a hero who is anything but. The rest of this book just didn't work.
Elizabeth's mother was AWESOME. She was full of spunk and snark and put Derek in his place. I loved every minute of her scene (which is what gives this the 2 star review). Otherwise, I could have skipped it.
I couldn't stand Derek and Elizabeth drove me nuts with her inability to stand up to him. This book had everything expected in a Historical Romance. A woman new to society, a past scandal (of some of the family), a ruination (I think I'm making that word up, but whatever) and the forced marriage.
What happens from this point quickly dissolves into a sexual game of chicken that ends in disaster. This scene was the turning point in the novel for me. I semi enjoyed it and was behind it (even though Derek was a bit of an ass), but until this point. At this point you learn that the heroine is nothing but a meek girl who can't stand up for herself and a hero who is anything but. The rest of this book just didn't work.
Elizabeth's mother was AWESOME. She was full of spunk and snark and put Derek in his place. I loved every minute of her scene (which is what gives this the 2 star review). Otherwise, I could have skipped it.
June 23, 2012
He thinks she's a gold digger out to trap him into marriage, but he's got the hots for her anyway.
She just wants to have sex with him regardless of how big of a jerk he is.
He sleeps with her to prove a point, after which he shows her how little he respects her. Yet even though he thinks she's the scum of the earth, he still wants to bed her. Although she knows he's an asshole, she still couldn't help but want to sleep with him.
Where's the love?
And ok, so love is irrational - that doesn't mean that they have to lose ALL of their brain cells.
Wish I did not finish it.
She just wants to have sex with him regardless of how big of a jerk he is.
He sleeps with her to prove a point, after which he shows her how little he respects her. Yet even though he thinks she's the scum of the earth, he still wants to bed her. Although she knows he's an asshole, she still couldn't help but want to sleep with him.
Where's the love?
And ok, so love is irrational - that doesn't mean that they have to lose ALL of their brain cells.
Wish I did not finish it.
November 2, 2013
Oh, yay, yet another story where the female lead can be deliberately deceitful and get a pass because she was "scared". Another story where the male lead is voraciously opposed to marrying and acts like a complete and total asshole, only to repent at the last second and be forgiven. It's like Catholicism in literary form.
December 27, 2017
This would have been better had the author developed it into a full novel. The first three quarter was done very well but then the author rushed to tie up the conflict and the resolution was far too convenient. I didn't think that such a horrible conflict should have been resolved so easily. The H had behaved like too much of a cruel and conniving bastard for the heroine to forgive him so easily, just because he said the simple "I love you". The heroine, Elizabeth, was a bit too passive and spent too much time mooning and lusting after Derek while stupidly hiding the "big secret". Her naivety was not charming. She was as dumb as rocks for thinking that she could keep the secret from Derek, especially when it was one that held such bitter memories for both his and her respective family.
The big secret was connected to Elizabeth's older sister's seduction and "ruination" at the hands of Derek's feckless younger brother. About 6 years before the story starts, Elizabeth's older sister had been seduced by the hero's brother and the H's dad had paid off her family in order to prevent a marriage from having to take place. Derek had stupidly believed every lie his brother had told him about Elizabeth's sister and had thus developed a grand hate for the entire Smith family. At that time, Elizabeth's father had been a struggling solicitor and the pay off money had been used to find a husband for the seduced sister. In the present, Elizabeth's dad has become a Baron by inheriting the title and a little wealth from a distant relative. Elizabeth is in London for her debut season and her parents hope she is able to find a husband.
Elizabeth is a bit not too smart because she knows who Derek is and yet she still puts herself in a compromising position with him because of her lustful thoughts. The girl really needed to think before acting. Her second act of stupidity was to lie when Derek asked her about her home town and her family. Derek interpreted the lie to mean that she was trying to trap him the same way her sister had done to his brother and so he set out to teach her a lesson. The silly girl thinks that she can try to seduce him into wanting to marry her but he has no intention of doing so. Eventually he ends up taking her virginity then accuses her of not being a virgin - even though he's the only man she's ever kissed ! What a jerk. After taking her virginity he mocks her, insults her family and tells her he never intended to marry her but to just teach her a lesson.
This next part is where the novella failed for me. After they slept together and Elizabeth's mother argues with Derek ( the mother showed a lot of class and integrity in this argument ), the author rushed to finish the story. Elizabeth's ensuing heartbreak and Derek's discussion /fight with his disgusting brother were written up too quickly and the HEA appeared far too convenient - almost as if the author really needed to get on to the 3rd novel in this series and was merely using this novella as a stop gap.
The big secret was connected to Elizabeth's older sister's seduction and "ruination" at the hands of Derek's feckless younger brother. About 6 years before the story starts, Elizabeth's older sister had been seduced by the hero's brother and the H's dad had paid off her family in order to prevent a marriage from having to take place. Derek had stupidly believed every lie his brother had told him about Elizabeth's sister and had thus developed a grand hate for the entire Smith family. At that time, Elizabeth's father had been a struggling solicitor and the pay off money had been used to find a husband for the seduced sister. In the present, Elizabeth's dad has become a Baron by inheriting the title and a little wealth from a distant relative. Elizabeth is in London for her debut season and her parents hope she is able to find a husband.
Elizabeth is a bit not too smart because she knows who Derek is and yet she still puts herself in a compromising position with him because of her lustful thoughts. The girl really needed to think before acting. Her second act of stupidity was to lie when Derek asked her about her home town and her family. Derek interpreted the lie to mean that she was trying to trap him the same way her sister had done to his brother and so he set out to teach her a lesson. The silly girl thinks that she can try to seduce him into wanting to marry her but he has no intention of doing so. Eventually he ends up taking her virginity then accuses her of not being a virgin - even though he's the only man she's ever kissed ! What a jerk. After taking her virginity he mocks her, insults her family and tells her he never intended to marry her but to just teach her a lesson.
This next part is where the novella failed for me. After they slept together and Elizabeth's mother argues with Derek ( the mother showed a lot of class and integrity in this argument ), the author rushed to finish the story. Elizabeth's ensuing heartbreak and Derek's discussion /fight with his disgusting brother were written up too quickly and the HEA appeared far too convenient - almost as if the author really needed to get on to the 3rd novel in this series and was merely using this novella as a stop gap.
September 23, 2022
After reading the blurb, I was really excited to start this one. I’m pretty much a sucker for the unrequited love trope. I had high hopes to start, but I ended up a little bit disappointed after a few chapters. It just fell completely flat for me. Maybe because it was just a short read and there wasn't much character development, which made it seem more rushed. Anyway, I'm still looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
July 21, 2015
I find nothing more irritating than a passive heroine....the hero could treat her like dirt but one look and simple apology makes everything ok. Let's just say I was grateful this was a novella. This was actually the first Novella I did not want to read a page more of. Not my cup of tea.
February 6, 2016
2.5 Stars
I would love this book if the conflict hadn't ended as abruptly as that. And it made me so disappointed :(
I would love this book if the conflict hadn't ended as abruptly as that. And it made me so disappointed :(
January 21, 2024
This was a cute enough, quick read.
Caught kissing behind some shrubs on the terrace at a ball, it looks like the hero will need to marry the heroine to save her honor. The hero feels like the heroine set the scene up on purpose to trick him and force him to have to marry her.
I think the story would have been better if it was longer. The heroines mother was very supportive, which was refreshing! Actually this author seems to write the family members of the H/h to be nice, supportive fun characters to read about, I see.
The grovel needed to be better! But at least there was not insta-love, which is normally found in a book only 99 pages long.
Caught kissing behind some shrubs on the terrace at a ball, it looks like the hero will need to marry the heroine to save her honor. The hero feels like the heroine set the scene up on purpose to trick him and force him to have to marry her.
I think the story would have been better if it was longer. The heroines mother was very supportive, which was refreshing! Actually this author seems to write the family members of the H/h to be nice, supportive fun characters to read about, I see.
The grovel needed to be better! But at least there was not insta-love, which is normally found in a book only 99 pages long.
Want to read
August 20, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (8/20/2020)! 🎁
February 19, 2022
Part of my Kindle Klean-up Project
So I’ve had this little novella on my Kindle since Jan 2012 - and it probably should have stayed there. It only took me 11 years to get to this - so I should probably admit that this author is just not for me.
I DNF the other book of hers that I had, Sinful Surrender, (which seems to have been repackaged and rebranded on Amazon) which should have clued me in. However, since this was a novella I figured - why not give this a try?
Well - it turns out that the author tried to fit in a novel worth of plot into a choppy little novella. Plus the writing was pretty stilted.
Our couple meet and there is basically insta-love - which could have been fun and cute but we had sentences like:
“like the departure of a long treasured friend, he bade a silent farewell to his good judgment.”
“Apparently, women were rendered speechless in the presence of gentleman with excessive good looks—particularly the ones they happened to be in love with.”
“He had an aura of confidence about him—some might say arrogance—that drew women with the same pull the sun exerted on the Earth.”
😒😒🤦♀️🤦♀️
Sure - yeah - whatever.
The couple meet, fall in love / lust / some nonsense that gave me a headache, break up for 2 minutes when the hero is an ass and get back together when he realizes his mistake. Something something - angst - mostly because I wanted to break my brain against my Kindle.
I marked quite a few sentences on my Kindle which I thoroughly disliked - but it was getting a bit much so I gave up near the end. Meh
I didn’t like this - 1 star.
So I’ve had this little novella on my Kindle since Jan 2012 - and it probably should have stayed there. It only took me 11 years to get to this - so I should probably admit that this author is just not for me.
I DNF the other book of hers that I had, Sinful Surrender, (which seems to have been repackaged and rebranded on Amazon) which should have clued me in. However, since this was a novella I figured - why not give this a try?
Well - it turns out that the author tried to fit in a novel worth of plot into a choppy little novella. Plus the writing was pretty stilted.
Our couple meet and there is basically insta-love - which could have been fun and cute but we had sentences like:
“like the departure of a long treasured friend, he bade a silent farewell to his good judgment.”
“Apparently, women were rendered speechless in the presence of gentleman with excessive good looks—particularly the ones they happened to be in love with.”
“He had an aura of confidence about him—some might say arrogance—that drew women with the same pull the sun exerted on the Earth.”
😒😒🤦♀️🤦♀️
Sure - yeah - whatever.
The couple meet, fall in love / lust / some nonsense that gave me a headache, break up for 2 minutes when the hero is an ass and get back together when he realizes his mistake. Something something - angst - mostly because I wanted to break my brain against my Kindle.
I marked quite a few sentences on my Kindle which I thoroughly disliked - but it was getting a bit much so I gave up near the end. Meh
I didn’t like this - 1 star.
June 22, 2013
This is the first story I've read by Ms. Kendall, and I have to say that I was disappointed in it. It is the story of Miss Elizabeth Smith and her encounter with Viscount Derek Creswell. When they are caught in the garden sharing a passionate kiss by the ton's worst gossip, Elizabeth blurts out that they are engaged. It's the only thing she can think of to save her reputation. Thus begins her first lie in the story. I love Regency romances, but this one didn't always seem to follow the rules of the period. I don't believe it would have been proper for a young lady to go for a carriage ride with a gentlemen she's just met without an escort, especially not in a closed carriage, but I could be wrong about this.
I didn't make any connection with Elizabeth's character. She didn't come across as the naive virgin she was supposed to be and Derek's character was downright mean. He goes to extraordinary lengths to embarrass and humiliate her and Elizabeth doesn't take offense. She also seems powerless to control her own lust when she's around him, certainly not the actions of a proper young lady of the period. There was not a sweet romance between two people who start off on the wrong foot, but one of manipulation and deception. I was also disappointed when the book ended at 66% on my Kindle. I thought there would be more and not the convenient quick wrap-up in the epilogue. In the end I didn't like either Elizabeth or Derek. I'm glad I got this book for free because otherwise I would have been sorely disappointed if I had wasted anything more than my time.
I didn't make any connection with Elizabeth's character. She didn't come across as the naive virgin she was supposed to be and Derek's character was downright mean. He goes to extraordinary lengths to embarrass and humiliate her and Elizabeth doesn't take offense. She also seems powerless to control her own lust when she's around him, certainly not the actions of a proper young lady of the period. There was not a sweet romance between two people who start off on the wrong foot, but one of manipulation and deception. I was also disappointed when the book ended at 66% on my Kindle. I thought there would be more and not the convenient quick wrap-up in the epilogue. In the end I didn't like either Elizabeth or Derek. I'm glad I got this book for free because otherwise I would have been sorely disappointed if I had wasted anything more than my time.
December 21, 2011
A fun little historical romp with naughty kisses in the garden. I do like those naughty kisses, in the garden or otherwise. Now, I haven't read the other books in this series but I had no problem at all jumping in and picking up on who the characters were and how they all related to one another.
Elizabeth is intrigued by Derek and he by her. There's something so sweetly appealing about stolen glances across a crowded room in historical romances. They make my heart flutter. Anyway. I liked that Elizabeth was both shy and unsure yet willing to let herself be consumed by the passion that blazes between them. Derek throws caution to the wind and lets himself be drawn in by a young, inexperienced debutante. What can I say? It worked for me.
Short enough to be read in one sitting yet not lacking in charcter development or sexiness, I thoroughly enjoed myself with this story.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
Elizabeth is intrigued by Derek and he by her. There's something so sweetly appealing about stolen glances across a crowded room in historical romances. They make my heart flutter. Anyway. I liked that Elizabeth was both shy and unsure yet willing to let herself be consumed by the passion that blazes between them. Derek throws caution to the wind and lets himself be drawn in by a young, inexperienced debutante. What can I say? It worked for me.
Short enough to be read in one sitting yet not lacking in charcter development or sexiness, I thoroughly enjoed myself with this story.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
July 23, 2015
I don't want to re-write the summary because it does this novella justice.
I rarely enjoy historical fiction but this cute little novella was packed with tension and feelings it was hard to let it go or not fall in love with the story.
Elizabeth and Derek falling in love and overcoming their differences and misunderstandings was really great for such a short story. I greatly enjoyed the pull and push of feelings between the two and how Derek was sure Elizabeth was lying to him about her sister and his brother's relationship. Only later, This is the turning point for Derek when it comes to his feelings for Elizabeth.
I really loved it.
There was also a sneak peek into another story of Alex and Charlotte and from this preview I can say it's another tension-filled book and I can't wait to get my hands on it.
I rarely enjoy historical fiction but this cute little novella was packed with tension and feelings it was hard to let it go or not fall in love with the story.
Elizabeth and Derek falling in love and overcoming their differences and misunderstandings was really great for such a short story. I greatly enjoyed the pull and push of feelings between the two and how Derek was sure Elizabeth was lying to him about her sister and his brother's relationship. Only later, This is the turning point for Derek when it comes to his feelings for Elizabeth.
I really loved it.
There was also a sneak peek into another story of Alex and Charlotte and from this preview I can say it's another tension-filled book and I can't wait to get my hands on it.
November 10, 2011
I really wanted to smack HIM a time or two...but he came around in the end..which is why I read this type of book.
I was rather intrigued by the three chapters of the NEXT book that was included in this one.
LOTS of characters here...and maybe they would have been CLEARER if I had read the first two books. Still, I think I caught who everyone was, finally...!!!
This was a nice way to spend a couple of hours.
I was rather intrigued by the three chapters of the NEXT book that was included in this one.
LOTS of characters here...and maybe they would have been CLEARER if I had read the first two books. Still, I think I caught who everyone was, finally...!!!
This was a nice way to spend a couple of hours.
January 3, 2012
Except for a few authors, I'm not a huge fan of historical romances. While this story was enjoyable, a few things annoyed me. The author use of "a'tall" instead of "at all" as well as a few words that felt anachronistic almost convinced me to stop early in the story, but I did finish it. In spite of that, I don't think I'll be reading more from this author.
April 25, 2013
Really it wasn't that excitingly written, but that's not to say that I didn't enjoy it - comfortable would be the best way to describe it.
A nice quick read to while away the wet and cold afternoon and a 3 star rating. I am not sure that I will both to read the others unless they come up for freebie download.
A nice quick read to while away the wet and cold afternoon and a 3 star rating. I am not sure that I will both to read the others unless they come up for freebie download.
June 18, 2012
Would have been 3 stars, except that there's too much emphasis on the "big misunderstanding" between the Hero and Heroine. Derek comes across as a smug, self-righteous, arrogant bastard. Elizabeth comes off as a missish miss who doesn't have a thought in her head.
April 13, 2012
This was a solid 3.5 star read, which is high for me because I'm not usually a big fan of novellas and short stories. Recommend.
August 1, 2012
yet another easy read ....
March 13, 2020
4 Stars
January 19, 2022
I’m this one was ok although the H deserved to suffer for that he put the h through. He was pretty smug and sanctimonious despite being totally in the wrong about literally everything.
h had pretty much fallen for him as a young teen when he came to her house to accuse her sister of being a trampy golddigging hussy who wanted to trap his lil brother into marriage.
They meet at a ball several years later and he doesn’t recognise her all grown up but she can’t help but still fancy him despite knowing he won’t like her due to hating her family.
She foolishly follows him outside and he puts the moves on her straight away. When he wanders off oblivious the h is confronted by some old biddy who overheard what went down and threatens to grass on her and have her ruined.
She covers for H but her friends are unimpressed and tell him he has to make right.
H is busy trying to out her off him but at the same time fancies the pants off her and the h is kind of oblivious to his game but decides she does want to marry him. When he finds out who she is he is fuming and takes a seduction too far (it’s totally consensual but he wasn’t going to go all the way) he then confronts her with truth calls her a hissy and a lying non virgin and takes her home where he is soundly handed his ass by her mum.
Lil brother comes for a visit and let’s in he’s the lying toad and the H realises he’s made a monumental mistake.
He then does a kind of apology to the h where he admits he was wrong and gives her a wooden carving of herself and tells her he loves her and she falls for it straight away.
I wanted more of a grovel really the carving was not enough for me. It only took him 3 days and his worst injury was a cut on his finger.
h has got her man though so alls well in the world.
h had pretty much fallen for him as a young teen when he came to her house to accuse her sister of being a trampy golddigging hussy who wanted to trap his lil brother into marriage.
They meet at a ball several years later and he doesn’t recognise her all grown up but she can’t help but still fancy him despite knowing he won’t like her due to hating her family.
She foolishly follows him outside and he puts the moves on her straight away. When he wanders off oblivious the h is confronted by some old biddy who overheard what went down and threatens to grass on her and have her ruined.
She covers for H but her friends are unimpressed and tell him he has to make right.
H is busy trying to out her off him but at the same time fancies the pants off her and the h is kind of oblivious to his game but decides she does want to marry him. When he finds out who she is he is fuming and takes a seduction too far (it’s totally consensual but he wasn’t going to go all the way) he then confronts her with truth calls her a hissy and a lying non virgin and takes her home where he is soundly handed his ass by her mum.
Lil brother comes for a visit and let’s in he’s the lying toad and the H realises he’s made a monumental mistake.
He then does a kind of apology to the h where he admits he was wrong and gives her a wooden carving of herself and tells her he loves her and she falls for it straight away.
I wanted more of a grovel really the carving was not enough for me. It only took him 3 days and his worst injury was a cut on his finger.
h has got her man though so alls well in the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2021
Although I read this series from the start and I liked the other books, I did not like this novella.
First the heroine, Elizabeth, was too stupid for my taste. She ran into her own ruination with eyes wide open. There were too many phrases beginning with „she knew, she shouldn’t, but....“ or „she knew, she mustn’t, but....“ that the heroine and the story got irritating. The heroine ended up making the same mistake that ruined her older sister 6 years ago (at the hand of the hero‘s younger brother!).
Second, the hero - Derek- who always acted on his basic urges, and blamed the heroine for her ruination. Disgusting jerk.
Third, after being ruined by the hero, the heroine was still pining for him.... unbelievable!!! And they still got their HEA. Rather stupid
Finally, the author did not get her timeline straight: in book 2 of this series Elizabeth was the heroine‘s best friend, but already married and awaiting the birth of her first child. Here, in this Novella it was the other way round. Very confusing and irritating for attentive readers.
Thankfully, the book was short and quickly over.
First the heroine, Elizabeth, was too stupid for my taste. She ran into her own ruination with eyes wide open. There were too many phrases beginning with „she knew, she shouldn’t, but....“ or „she knew, she mustn’t, but....“ that the heroine and the story got irritating. The heroine ended up making the same mistake that ruined her older sister 6 years ago (at the hand of the hero‘s younger brother!).
Second, the hero - Derek- who always acted on his basic urges, and blamed the heroine for her ruination. Disgusting jerk.
Third, after being ruined by the hero, the heroine was still pining for him.... unbelievable!!! And they still got their HEA. Rather stupid
Finally, the author did not get her timeline straight: in book 2 of this series Elizabeth was the heroine‘s best friend, but already married and awaiting the birth of her first child. Here, in this Novella it was the other way round. Very confusing and irritating for attentive readers.
Thankfully, the book was short and quickly over.
May 5, 2020
Surprisingly, I Enjoyed Reading This
I read this book because it was in my Kindle Unlimited. The plot seems simple but it was written well. Needs a bit of editing but that did not affect my enjoyment of this book. I must say though that this is a short story (novella) so I read it knowing that character development would be limited but nonetheless the author was able to deliver enough development to enjoy this book.
The hero and the heroine’s family had a past unpleasant encounter when the heroine was young. They meet again in a ballroom and undeniable attraction occurs. The heroine is an innocent debutante but smart enough to hold her own. Just when I thought the hero and heroine can make a go at a future the past comes between them. I would have preferred that the hero grovel more. But the epilogue was a good enough substitute. I will read more books by this author.
I read this book because it was in my Kindle Unlimited. The plot seems simple but it was written well. Needs a bit of editing but that did not affect my enjoyment of this book. I must say though that this is a short story (novella) so I read it knowing that character development would be limited but nonetheless the author was able to deliver enough development to enjoy this book.
The hero and the heroine’s family had a past unpleasant encounter when the heroine was young. They meet again in a ballroom and undeniable attraction occurs. The heroine is an innocent debutante but smart enough to hold her own. Just when I thought the hero and heroine can make a go at a future the past comes between them. I would have preferred that the hero grovel more. But the epilogue was a good enough substitute. I will read more books by this author.
August 11, 2017
All she did was fall in love and he used her love to ruin her for misguided presumptuous revenge. A retribution that he feels his family (with their name and privilege) is entitled to. Because her family are of lowly circumstances~they must be liars, gold diggers and blackmailers. And his family are honest and they do not ruin ladies of the working class. Tragedy and mistrust bind these 2 families and if Derek did not bother to investigate, and if he did not in fact love Elizabeth there wouldn't have been any reconciliation between the 2 houses. The author has a devious turn of mind that manages to hold the interest of the reader which of course makes her a very good storyteller. I am actually looking forward to Alex's and Charlotte's story.
June 5, 2018
This is the story of Elizabeth and Derek. Their families had met when Derek' S younger had seduced Elizabeth's younger sister. Believing his brother's lies, Derek refused to allow his brother to be forced to do the right thing. When Derek and Elizabeth meet years later, Derek and Elizabeth are seen kissing in the garden at a ball. Derek later learns Elizabeth's relation to the Smiths he refused to believe. He thinks Elizabeth has tricked him. Can he put aside his hate of her family? Does he love Elizabeth?
September 4, 2019
A nicely written story but there seems to be a bit of a lack of editing for errors, however, the story is a delight, the characters are interesting, cheeky, amusing, very sensuous and amorous.
I loved that both Derek and Elizabeth fell for each other and yet they both played the yo-yo game to perfection.
Is all fair in love and seduction? I really don't know. Sometimes it seems it is and at others it really isn't, but I do know that I am happy to recommend this book.
My review above is given voluntarily and is unbiased.
I loved that both Derek and Elizabeth fell for each other and yet they both played the yo-yo game to perfection.
Is all fair in love and seduction? I really don't know. Sometimes it seems it is and at others it really isn't, but I do know that I am happy to recommend this book.
My review above is given voluntarily and is unbiased.
June 10, 2020
I bought this under the title "A Kiss of Seduction" and somehow the book jacket did not clue me into this being such a luridly sexual read. Actually, the writing was pretty good and I liked the characters. However, I was surprised that such a large portion of the book was pages of "sensual delight" filled in with portions of dialogue and some description of characters and settings. I prefer more relationship development and growth with a bit of sensuality, so my "bad" for not having a clearer view of what I bought before I bought it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews