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Taming the Tudor Male in Three Easy Lessons #1
Seducing the Beast
Some men are born to make dynasties and some women are born to make trouble.
Hellbent on arranging a pardon for her exiled cousin, Madolyn Carver will stop at nothing to achieve her aim, even if it means seducing the mysterious Earl of Swafford. So what if he's known as "The Beast" and is immensely powerful? Plucky Maddy isn't frightened off easily.
Returned home after too long abroad, The Beast also has a mission. He must remove his younger brother and heir to the vast Swafford estate from the
clutches of a most unsuitable woman. When a misunderstanding leads him to mistake Maddy for his brother's cunning mistress, he takes her captive under the guise of The Beast's manservant. Now she can longer be a threat to his misguided brother's future, or so he thinks. And surely, The Beast's infamous iron will can resist the charms of one particularly disobedient, witty, intriguingly stubborn young woman.
But there is a far greater danger. A deadly assassin has come to the Swafford estate, and The Beast's fear of falling in love might just be his downfall. Maddy, the woman he won't trust, is the one innocent soul who can save his life--and his heart.
A Lyrical Press Historical Romance | Lyrical Press Vintage
Hellbent on arranging a pardon for her exiled cousin, Madolyn Carver will stop at nothing to achieve her aim, even if it means seducing the mysterious Earl of Swafford. So what if he's known as "The Beast" and is immensely powerful? Plucky Maddy isn't frightened off easily.
Returned home after too long abroad, The Beast also has a mission. He must remove his younger brother and heir to the vast Swafford estate from the
clutches of a most unsuitable woman. When a misunderstanding leads him to mistake Maddy for his brother's cunning mistress, he takes her captive under the guise of The Beast's manservant. Now she can longer be a threat to his misguided brother's future, or so he thinks. And surely, The Beast's infamous iron will can resist the charms of one particularly disobedient, witty, intriguingly stubborn young woman.
But there is a far greater danger. A deadly assassin has come to the Swafford estate, and The Beast's fear of falling in love might just be his downfall. Maddy, the woman he won't trust, is the one innocent soul who can save his life--and his heart.
A Lyrical Press Historical Romance | Lyrical Press Vintage
388 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 10, 2011
11 people are currently reading
243 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 2, 2013
This book has romance tropes. BUT this author put them in a blender and said: Take THAT, reader!
And it works for the most part.
She twists and turns plot devices to keep things fresh, and me clicking through my kindle.
Griff, aka the Earl of Swafford, aka The Beast...is knocked off his feet when he sees Madolyn Carver knocked off hers. As he lifts her out of the melee, she crawls the rest of the way up his body and uses him as a perch as she tried to spot the Earl in the procession making it's way down the street. That's when he starts to tumble.
They run into each other three times in all, once when he fishes her out of the Thames.
A case of drunken misidentification later and that's when the fun begins.
I thought she'd run...but she didn't. She was refreshingly honest, both in her needs and her wants. I liked that.
I figured out who the villain was right off. But that didn't deter me from watching the scenes play out.
There were a couple of plot threads that unraveled and didn't quite work out. They didn't detract much from the story.
To not SPOIL something, I was totally mouth open shocked at one point. And it was great! What fun!
Editing to add: Griff is married when he stumbled upon Maddie. He's been married for 18 years. You know how we read about the girl's first hideous time? Well, Griff's wedding night is the stuff of nightmares. Does that make adultery okay? Not really. But there is a BUT...this works, at least for me. And I'm really anti-adultery. For some reason the fact that many men of the time had mistresses and the way GRIFF does this, made me sympathetic to his plight. Weird of me, for sure. For the record, Maddie didn't know he was married to begin with.
Again, it was like she put romance tropes in a blender...pulsed them a time or three...and then started to write. A very fresh view of things.
Thank you, Ms. Fresina, this was fabulous!
And it works for the most part.
She twists and turns plot devices to keep things fresh, and me clicking through my kindle.
Griff, aka the Earl of Swafford, aka The Beast...is knocked off his feet when he sees Madolyn Carver knocked off hers. As he lifts her out of the melee, she crawls the rest of the way up his body and uses him as a perch as she tried to spot the Earl in the procession making it's way down the street. That's when he starts to tumble.
They run into each other three times in all, once when he fishes her out of the Thames.
A case of drunken misidentification later and that's when the fun begins.
I thought she'd run...but she didn't. She was refreshingly honest, both in her needs and her wants. I liked that.
I figured out who the villain was right off. But that didn't deter me from watching the scenes play out.
There were a couple of plot threads that unraveled and didn't quite work out. They didn't detract much from the story.
To not SPOIL something, I was totally mouth open shocked at one point. And it was great! What fun!
Editing to add: Griff is married when he stumbled upon Maddie. He's been married for 18 years. You know how we read about the girl's first hideous time? Well, Griff's wedding night is the stuff of nightmares. Does that make adultery okay? Not really. But there is a BUT...this works, at least for me. And I'm really anti-adultery. For some reason the fact that many men of the time had mistresses and the way GRIFF does this, made me sympathetic to his plight. Weird of me, for sure. For the record, Maddie didn't know he was married to begin with.
Again, it was like she put romance tropes in a blender...pulsed them a time or three...and then started to write. A very fresh view of things.
Thank you, Ms. Fresina, this was fabulous!
August 20, 2024
I love this author and anything she writes is fine with me. Her writing is unique and rises above some of the mediocre drivel that a lot of authors put out as regency/medieval romance. I particularly like the banter, characters and how very romantic her endings are.
December 31, 2011
Originally posted at: http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...
like Maddie. I want to be Maddie! Can I please be Maddie?
I will have to say Madolyn “Maddie” Carver is one of the best heroines that I have read about in a long time. I LOVE HER!! She is fantastically smart, quick-witted with a wicked sense of humor, loyal to her family at the detriment of her own happiness, and lastly she has probably one of the biggest hearts in England. I forgot to mention, she can also put a big burly man in his place, lickity-split.
Maddie is a beauty in her own right with her long black hair and gorgeous blue eyes. She is very realistic though, she knows that with her temperament, she is not meant to be stifled by marriage. Now she must save a beloved cousin and she is prepared to risk her future by using all of her so called female wiles on the Earl of Swafford. The Earl is also known as “The Beast”, but she will not be stopped when determined. Madolyn Carver also has a fitting nickname, “Maddie the Merciless”. The Beast will not know what hit him.
The Earl of Swafford is faithful to two things: his family and the crown. Upon returning from an assignment ordered by the Queen, he finds yet another predicament. His brother, the heir to the estate, is in love yet again to an unsuitable wench. Now it is the Earl’s duty to protect his younger brother. He must remove the threat of the undesirable woman, immediately.
Normally I don’t enjoy a story that is one misunderstanding after another. Most of this book is one big misunderstanding and some half truths, but that is what made it great. During the Earl’s travels for the Queen he travels incognito, sometimes using the name Griff, dressing himself down as a common man. That is the image that he set forth when he meets Maddie. He plays himself off as an average man in the service of the great Earl of Swafford. While he built up the false image of the Earl as well deserving the name of The Beast, he tells Maddie that the Earl is married, yet he plays himself off as a manservant and in no way wed.
The circumstances that bring them together border on hilarious. Fate is definitely playing a dirty joke on the two of them the day they meet. Circumstance after circumstance builds until misconceived truths are bountiful. Griff comes to countless false conclusions that will ultimately be his downfall.
The journey they encounter together is beautifully written. This story pulled every emotion out of me; joy, happiness, sadness, despair, anger and lust. There were times I laughed with joy and then a chapter later I was so angry at the characters I wanted to scream. I think this is a true mark of a great novel.
One subject must be addressed though. Their relationship is an adulterous one. Without giving away any plot, let me just say Maddie has no idea that Griff is married. If you are familiar with the era (London - 1563) then you know it is a common occurrence. Maddie has no desire to ever involve herself with a married man so in that case I was extremely disappointed in Griff. I really did have a love/hate relationship with him. During their courtship he was amazingly gentle, but then when the truth came out I do believe I actually hated him. Those were the times I was also angry at Maddie. The abuse she allowed to befall her was inexcusable in my eyes. Ms. Fresina did a fantastic job pulling me in and not letting go. I wanted to rage and rally against the situation, but she wouldn’t allow me to put the book down.
I am guessing from the subtitle: Taming the Tudor Male in Three Easy Lessons, this will be a trilogy. I did research her website and discovered Ms. Fresina has already planned the future characters. I am downright giddy with her selections. This is an extremely enjoyable novel and looks to be an exceptional trilogy. The second installment is already out and this is me leaving to get it.
like Maddie. I want to be Maddie! Can I please be Maddie?
I will have to say Madolyn “Maddie” Carver is one of the best heroines that I have read about in a long time. I LOVE HER!! She is fantastically smart, quick-witted with a wicked sense of humor, loyal to her family at the detriment of her own happiness, and lastly she has probably one of the biggest hearts in England. I forgot to mention, she can also put a big burly man in his place, lickity-split.
Maddie is a beauty in her own right with her long black hair and gorgeous blue eyes. She is very realistic though, she knows that with her temperament, she is not meant to be stifled by marriage. Now she must save a beloved cousin and she is prepared to risk her future by using all of her so called female wiles on the Earl of Swafford. The Earl is also known as “The Beast”, but she will not be stopped when determined. Madolyn Carver also has a fitting nickname, “Maddie the Merciless”. The Beast will not know what hit him.
The Earl of Swafford is faithful to two things: his family and the crown. Upon returning from an assignment ordered by the Queen, he finds yet another predicament. His brother, the heir to the estate, is in love yet again to an unsuitable wench. Now it is the Earl’s duty to protect his younger brother. He must remove the threat of the undesirable woman, immediately.
Normally I don’t enjoy a story that is one misunderstanding after another. Most of this book is one big misunderstanding and some half truths, but that is what made it great. During the Earl’s travels for the Queen he travels incognito, sometimes using the name Griff, dressing himself down as a common man. That is the image that he set forth when he meets Maddie. He plays himself off as an average man in the service of the great Earl of Swafford. While he built up the false image of the Earl as well deserving the name of The Beast, he tells Maddie that the Earl is married, yet he plays himself off as a manservant and in no way wed.
The circumstances that bring them together border on hilarious. Fate is definitely playing a dirty joke on the two of them the day they meet. Circumstance after circumstance builds until misconceived truths are bountiful. Griff comes to countless false conclusions that will ultimately be his downfall.
The journey they encounter together is beautifully written. This story pulled every emotion out of me; joy, happiness, sadness, despair, anger and lust. There were times I laughed with joy and then a chapter later I was so angry at the characters I wanted to scream. I think this is a true mark of a great novel.
One subject must be addressed though. Their relationship is an adulterous one. Without giving away any plot, let me just say Maddie has no idea that Griff is married. If you are familiar with the era (London - 1563) then you know it is a common occurrence. Maddie has no desire to ever involve herself with a married man so in that case I was extremely disappointed in Griff. I really did have a love/hate relationship with him. During their courtship he was amazingly gentle, but then when the truth came out I do believe I actually hated him. Those were the times I was also angry at Maddie. The abuse she allowed to befall her was inexcusable in my eyes. Ms. Fresina did a fantastic job pulling me in and not letting go. I wanted to rage and rally against the situation, but she wouldn’t allow me to put the book down.
I am guessing from the subtitle: Taming the Tudor Male in Three Easy Lessons, this will be a trilogy. I did research her website and discovered Ms. Fresina has already planned the future characters. I am downright giddy with her selections. This is an extremely enjoyable novel and looks to be an exceptional trilogy. The second installment is already out and this is me leaving to get it.
May 29, 2013
Some men are born to make dynasties and some women are born to make trouble.Hellbent on arranging a pardon for her exiled cousin, Madolyn Carver will stop at nothing to achieve her aim, even if it means seducing the mysterious Earl of Swafford. So what if he's known as "The Beast" and is immensely powerful? Plucky Maddy isn't frightened off easily. Returned home after too long abroad, The Beast also has a mission. He must remove his younger brother and heir to the vast Swafford estate from the clutches of a most unsuitable woman. When a misunderstanding leads him to mistake Maddy for his brother's cunning mistress, he takes her captive under the guise of The Beast's manservant. Now she can longer be a threat to his misguided brother's future, or so he thinks. And surely, The Beast's infamous iron will can resist the charms of one particularly disobedient, witty, intriguingly stubborn young woman.But there is a far greater danger. A deadly assassin has come to the Swafford estate, and The Beast's fear of falling in love might just be his downfall. Maddy, the woman he won't trust, is the one innocent soul who can save his life--and his heart.
This book has romance tropes. BUT this author put them in a blender and said: Take THAT, reader!
And it works for the most part.
She twists and turns plot devices to keep things fresh, and me clicking through my kindle. I'm shocked that there aren't more reviews for this winner. If you like my review on Amazon, maybe you could click that like button?
Griff, aka the Earl of Swafford, aka The Beast...is knocked off his feet when he sees Madolyn Carver knocked off hers. As he lifts her out of the melee, she crawls the rest of the way up his body and uses him as a perch as she tried to spot the Earl in the procession making it's way down the street. That's when he starts to tumble.
They run into each other three times in all, once when he fishes her out of the Thames.
A case of drunken misidentification later and that's when the fun begins.
I thought she'd run...but she didn't. She was refreshingly honest, both in her needs and her wants. I liked that.
I figured out who the villain was right off. But that didn't deter me from watching the scenes play out.
There were a couple of plot threads that unraveled and didn't quite work out. They didn't detract much from the story either.
To not SPOIL something, I was totally mouth open shocked at one point. And it was great! What fun!
Griff is married when he stumbled upon Maddie. He's been married for 18 years. You know how we read about the girl's first hideous time? Well, Griff's wedding night is the stuff of nightmares. Does that make adultery okay? Not really. But there is a BUT...this works, at least for me. And I'm really anti-adultery. For some reason the fact that many men of the time had mistresses and the way GRIFF does this, made me sympathetic to his plight. Weird of me, for sure. For the record, Maddie didn't know he was married to begin with.
Again, it was like Ms. Fresina put romance tropes in a blender...pulsed them a time or three...and then started to write. A very fresh view of things.
Thank you, Ms. Fresina, this was fabulous!
Definitely FIVE BOOKSMARKS from me!
This review may also be found at:
Beyond the Squee Book Reviews
www.beyondthesquee.com
This book has romance tropes. BUT this author put them in a blender and said: Take THAT, reader!
And it works for the most part.
She twists and turns plot devices to keep things fresh, and me clicking through my kindle. I'm shocked that there aren't more reviews for this winner. If you like my review on Amazon, maybe you could click that like button?
Griff, aka the Earl of Swafford, aka The Beast...is knocked off his feet when he sees Madolyn Carver knocked off hers. As he lifts her out of the melee, she crawls the rest of the way up his body and uses him as a perch as she tried to spot the Earl in the procession making it's way down the street. That's when he starts to tumble.
They run into each other three times in all, once when he fishes her out of the Thames.
A case of drunken misidentification later and that's when the fun begins.
I thought she'd run...but she didn't. She was refreshingly honest, both in her needs and her wants. I liked that.
I figured out who the villain was right off. But that didn't deter me from watching the scenes play out.
There were a couple of plot threads that unraveled and didn't quite work out. They didn't detract much from the story either.
To not SPOIL something, I was totally mouth open shocked at one point. And it was great! What fun!
Griff is married when he stumbled upon Maddie. He's been married for 18 years. You know how we read about the girl's first hideous time? Well, Griff's wedding night is the stuff of nightmares. Does that make adultery okay? Not really. But there is a BUT...this works, at least for me. And I'm really anti-adultery. For some reason the fact that many men of the time had mistresses and the way GRIFF does this, made me sympathetic to his plight. Weird of me, for sure. For the record, Maddie didn't know he was married to begin with.
Again, it was like Ms. Fresina put romance tropes in a blender...pulsed them a time or three...and then started to write. A very fresh view of things.
Thank you, Ms. Fresina, this was fabulous!
Definitely FIVE BOOKSMARKS from me!
This review may also be found at:
Beyond the Squee Book Reviews
www.beyondthesquee.com
August 1, 2018
4.5 stars
Lately I seem to be on a roll discovering new (to me) and lesser known authors. The story has a very unique heroine, and the book never twists or turn the way you expect it to. A big fun, historical rom com.
Maddie goes to find the Earl of Swafford to plead the case for her cousin, since he has influence on the Queen. He is in disguise, and mistaken identity happens on both sides where she thinks he works for the Earl (he deliberately misleads her at first), and he thinks she's the one his brother wanted to marry and kidnaps her.
At A Glance
HEA
Safety alert
Cheating, OW/OM
Lately I seem to be on a roll discovering new (to me) and lesser known authors. The story has a very unique heroine, and the book never twists or turn the way you expect it to. A big fun, historical rom com.
Maddie goes to find the Earl of Swafford to plead the case for her cousin, since he has influence on the Queen. He is in disguise, and mistaken identity happens on both sides where she thinks he works for the Earl (he deliberately misleads her at first), and he thinks she's the one his brother wanted to marry and kidnaps her.
At A Glance
HEA
Safety alert
Cheating, OW/OM
October 8, 2012
It was a very funny read. Retelling of The Taming of the Shrew.
Even if I haven't read Shakespeare's book in English, so I'm unable to judge the quality, I had the feeling that the narrative was very similar - it had the "flavour" of Tudor's England.
Even if I haven't read Shakespeare's book in English, so I'm unable to judge the quality, I had the feeling that the narrative was very similar - it had the "flavour" of Tudor's England.
December 8, 2019
These are two of the most batshit crazy leads I have ever read about.
Let's start with Madolyn, a mouthy little brute with gigantic breasts and a pea-sized brain. She jumps from one harebrained scheme to the next and is woefully misguided about her aptitude for plotting. She spends most of the book hiding her true identity from the hero because of some cockeyed notion that she can protect her family and her own reputation as long as he doesn't know her name. At one point she pretends to be her own cousin and if Griff wasn't as big of an idiot as she is he would've looked into that connection and easily found out who she is. Which is a leaky wench with too much time on her hands. Her best quality is that she loves sex and is quite vocal about it. Madolyn serves as the personification of every "hoyden that flaunts societal norms" you've ever read about.
Griff is up next. A distrustful, insecure and blustering misogynists who is constantly unlacing his pantaloons and rogering leaky Madolyn. He hates all women due to his slutty mama and slutty, gold-digger wife. He's ugly and mean-tempered with a nasty reputation, but lots of swagger and sensuality. He lies to the heroine about his identity and even claims he's not married. Eventually, with no proof, he convinces himself she know he's the earl and they're just playacting so he is free to do as he pleases with this unscrupulous deceiver who was sent to betray he. He screws her against a door, on a table, on the stairs, in the ocean... you get the picture. He doesn't believe her when she tries to explain she's innocent and claims that all women are liars. Keeping her identity a secret doesn't really help her cause.
I feel sorry for all the side characters who were forced to interact with this gruesome twosome.
All this being said, I really enjoyed this book. It's not like the author is unaware of her flawed leads. She relishes in their imperfections. And the dialogue is hilarious. They are both experts at banter.
I would've rated this higher, but I deducted a star because Maddy kept her identity a secret for too long. It led to the same repetitive arguments and conflict for far too long. No matter how witty and unique the writing is, a meandering plot always leads to eventual tedium.
Let's start with Madolyn, a mouthy little brute with gigantic breasts and a pea-sized brain. She jumps from one harebrained scheme to the next and is woefully misguided about her aptitude for plotting. She spends most of the book hiding her true identity from the hero because of some cockeyed notion that she can protect her family and her own reputation as long as he doesn't know her name. At one point she pretends to be her own cousin and if Griff wasn't as big of an idiot as she is he would've looked into that connection and easily found out who she is. Which is a leaky wench with too much time on her hands. Her best quality is that she loves sex and is quite vocal about it. Madolyn serves as the personification of every "hoyden that flaunts societal norms" you've ever read about.
Griff is up next. A distrustful, insecure and blustering misogynists who is constantly unlacing his pantaloons and rogering leaky Madolyn. He hates all women due to his slutty mama and slutty, gold-digger wife. He's ugly and mean-tempered with a nasty reputation, but lots of swagger and sensuality. He lies to the heroine about his identity and even claims he's not married. Eventually, with no proof, he convinces himself she know he's the earl and they're just playacting so he is free to do as he pleases with this unscrupulous deceiver who was sent to betray he. He screws her against a door, on a table, on the stairs, in the ocean... you get the picture. He doesn't believe her when she tries to explain she's innocent and claims that all women are liars. Keeping her identity a secret doesn't really help her cause.
I feel sorry for all the side characters who were forced to interact with this gruesome twosome.
All this being said, I really enjoyed this book. It's not like the author is unaware of her flawed leads. She relishes in their imperfections. And the dialogue is hilarious. They are both experts at banter.
I would've rated this higher, but I deducted a star because Maddy kept her identity a secret for too long. It led to the same repetitive arguments and conflict for far too long. No matter how witty and unique the writing is, a meandering plot always leads to eventual tedium.
February 17, 2018
What's not to love about Madolyn? Intelligent, feisty, loyal. She will get her way in the end.
Read
April 3, 2024Dnf 32%
Hated both the H and h so much lol
Hated both the H and h so much lol
August 17, 2011
Enter contest here: http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/reviews....
As the book begins we meet our heroine Maddie. Outspoken and knowledgeable she’s an oddity for a woman in her time. Her rapier wit and clever way with words made me laugh out loud and I just knew she was going to find herself in some questionable predicaments. Maddie always means well, but she looks before she leaps and meddles when she shouldn’t. When her cousin Nathan is falsely accused of piracy and imprisoned Maddie the Merciless comes up with a plan. She’ll barter her maiden head to the Earl of Swafford in exchange for a pardon. A brut of man, rumored to be incapable of performance in the bed and prone to boorish behavior. He’s also known to have sway with the queen.
I read the plan and knew instantly it was going to fail. But Maddie’s brain works differently than mine. Because the next thing I know she’s in the crowded streets of London seeking the Earl. With no protection and no clue what the man looks like she’s robbed, frustrated and near trampled. When she runs into the Earl unknowingly. I was literally leaned forward over my computer waiting for the bomb of realization to drop.
He saves Maddie from being trampled in the streets he thinks she’s a strumpet who stirs his passion. The dark haired beauty tempts him to take what he wants, but the “gentleman” that’s buried deep within him prevails. Our hero is sexy, gruff, and so misunderstood. The Earl has been dealt a raw hand in life.
The mistaken identity continues as the passion laced, humors filled chain of events occurs. A choir of angels sung halleluiah, and I pumped my fist in triumph. Their true identities must be revealed soon! What would the Earl do then?
The stubborn couple eventually find their way together to deliver a well earned, and long anticipated HEA. The story may be placed in the 1800s, but the sex didn’t lack heat! Fans self. There was an extra sense of naughtiness that came with the yanking up of gowns and breaking of society rules.
I really ran the gamut of emotions with this story. I was saddened by the Earl’s past. Amused by Maddie and irritated by their stubbornness. Ms. Fresina did such a fabulous job crafting the characters and setting up the plot I had no choice, but to be invested.
I highly recommend this story to romance fans! If you haven’t given historical romance a try, this is the perfect starter!
As the book begins we meet our heroine Maddie. Outspoken and knowledgeable she’s an oddity for a woman in her time. Her rapier wit and clever way with words made me laugh out loud and I just knew she was going to find herself in some questionable predicaments. Maddie always means well, but she looks before she leaps and meddles when she shouldn’t. When her cousin Nathan is falsely accused of piracy and imprisoned Maddie the Merciless comes up with a plan. She’ll barter her maiden head to the Earl of Swafford in exchange for a pardon. A brut of man, rumored to be incapable of performance in the bed and prone to boorish behavior. He’s also known to have sway with the queen.
I read the plan and knew instantly it was going to fail. But Maddie’s brain works differently than mine. Because the next thing I know she’s in the crowded streets of London seeking the Earl. With no protection and no clue what the man looks like she’s robbed, frustrated and near trampled. When she runs into the Earl unknowingly. I was literally leaned forward over my computer waiting for the bomb of realization to drop.
He saves Maddie from being trampled in the streets he thinks she’s a strumpet who stirs his passion. The dark haired beauty tempts him to take what he wants, but the “gentleman” that’s buried deep within him prevails. Our hero is sexy, gruff, and so misunderstood. The Earl has been dealt a raw hand in life.
The mistaken identity continues as the passion laced, humors filled chain of events occurs. A choir of angels sung halleluiah, and I pumped my fist in triumph. Their true identities must be revealed soon! What would the Earl do then?
The stubborn couple eventually find their way together to deliver a well earned, and long anticipated HEA. The story may be placed in the 1800s, but the sex didn’t lack heat! Fans self. There was an extra sense of naughtiness that came with the yanking up of gowns and breaking of society rules.
I really ran the gamut of emotions with this story. I was saddened by the Earl’s past. Amused by Maddie and irritated by their stubbornness. Ms. Fresina did such a fabulous job crafting the characters and setting up the plot I had no choice, but to be invested.
I highly recommend this story to romance fans! If you haven’t given historical romance a try, this is the perfect starter!
September 17, 2011
A straight-forward, hold-nothing-back Maddie is convinced that to save her cousin from being treated as a pirate she needs to seduce the Earl of Swafford, not knowing more of him that he is cruel and unkind and that something warrants his nickname, The Beast. Despite all this she is determent that to warm the Earl’s bed would be a way to get Queen Elisabeth to hear her cousin’s pardon.
After continuous coincidental meeting with a young wicked tongued brash woman, Griffin Earl of Swafford has had enough, believing she’s The Scarlet Widow, he kidnaps the woman and takes her out to the country into a small cottage to blackmail her to leave his brother alone.
Not knowing Griff’s true identity Maddie soon begins to feel much more for him than she could have imagined and love beings to emerge, but life isn’t going to be easy as Griff believes her to be a mercenary whore after his money and that is when it becomes obvious there is something seriously wrong with the Earl and Maddie doesn’t know if there is anything that she can do to help heal what was once utterly broken.
I enjoyed reading this, the story moves nicely forward without more than few light stalls, and when things pick up they sure do! This is for women who like their Historical Romance heroine witty and bold and their hero moody and broken but not quite beyond prepare.
I became quite distressed at the beginning of Part III, and I applaud writing that can cause such a feeling of dread and unease – as well as the giddy smile and sigh for the romance!
http://niinas-reading-and-reviewing.b...
After continuous coincidental meeting with a young wicked tongued brash woman, Griffin Earl of Swafford has had enough, believing she’s The Scarlet Widow, he kidnaps the woman and takes her out to the country into a small cottage to blackmail her to leave his brother alone.
Not knowing Griff’s true identity Maddie soon begins to feel much more for him than she could have imagined and love beings to emerge, but life isn’t going to be easy as Griff believes her to be a mercenary whore after his money and that is when it becomes obvious there is something seriously wrong with the Earl and Maddie doesn’t know if there is anything that she can do to help heal what was once utterly broken.
I enjoyed reading this, the story moves nicely forward without more than few light stalls, and when things pick up they sure do! This is for women who like their Historical Romance heroine witty and bold and their hero moody and broken but not quite beyond prepare.
I became quite distressed at the beginning of Part III, and I applaud writing that can cause such a feeling of dread and unease – as well as the giddy smile and sigh for the romance!
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November 26, 2015
maddie is one of my all-time favorite heroines! she is smart and quick-witted and doesn't take shit from anyone, much less the wannabe-byronesque leading man, griff. if this book had been written like every other book with a tragic, angsty hero, i would have probably hated it - but instead the author gives us flashes of actual human emotion in between griff's bouts of shouting. it also definitely helps that maddie shouts BACK. it was a great change to read about a pair who are so evenly matched - in wits, in volume, and even in stubbornness.
some readers may see this as a bit too long, but their relationship was so fun to watch that i didn't even care if it kind of dragged in places. however, it did make me grumpy that there were a few really misogynistic parts (yeah, yeah, if i hate misogyny so much then why am i reading historical romance, i know) that kind of ruined the story for me.
tw:
some readers may see this as a bit too long, but their relationship was so fun to watch that i didn't even care if it kind of dragged in places. however, it did make me grumpy that there were a few really misogynistic parts (yeah, yeah, if i hate misogyny so much then why am i reading historical romance, i know) that kind of ruined the story for me.
tw:
May 19, 2013
Another wonderful interpretation of 'Beauty and the Beast', however loosely so; and a lovely story to boot. just previously I had read another book by Jayne Fresina (the most improper sophie valentine) and it was good, but it fell just ever so slightly short for me when all was said and done. But this book had everything that I could want. Conflict, plotting, elopement, mistaken identity, a strong leading female, and of course romance! In the end I found myself quite satisfied with the book as a whole and truly only wishing that there was something in there about Maddie meeting the Queen, and seeing how all the gossip mongers dealt with finding out that Griff was not as infertile as they were led to believe.
February 27, 2016
I adored this book, despite the fact I hate "mistaken identity" and "it's just a matter of time before X thing becomes revealed". Those kinds of books leave me in anxious cold sweats, and I cringe through them.
This book was amazing for it's sassy dialogue and even sassier heroine. God, she was amazing, all full of piss and vinegar and not willing to accept her fate merely because she's a woman. I loved her way of thinking. Truly, I loved everything about her.
I was sort of angry with the last portion of the book, but only because our hero was being a pig-headed buffoon and I needed him to wisen up and see what the hell he was doing. Ugh.
Four stars from me, I enjoyed it immensely.
This book was amazing for it's sassy dialogue and even sassier heroine. God, she was amazing, all full of piss and vinegar and not willing to accept her fate merely because she's a woman. I loved her way of thinking. Truly, I loved everything about her.
I was sort of angry with the last portion of the book, but only because our hero was being a pig-headed buffoon and I needed him to wisen up and see what the hell he was doing. Ugh.
Four stars from me, I enjoyed it immensely.
July 20, 2014
Loved it!
This was my first book in the trilogy. I loved Madrid and the Griffyn. Their story had me laughing out loud. I have also downloaded the second book in this great trilogy, and I will not spoil anything, but I have already read it too, both the same day. Now I can't wait for the third book.
This was my first book in the trilogy. I loved Madrid and the Griffyn. Their story had me laughing out loud. I have also downloaded the second book in this great trilogy, and I will not spoil anything, but I have already read it too, both the same day. Now I can't wait for the third book.
August 4, 2011
One of the best versions of Beauty and the Beast. Maddie is fantastic. She won't let anyone best her. Griff needs to learn he is lovable but he fights Maddie all the way.
August 4, 2011
This is going to be great - can't wait!!
July 5, 2012
Good. Looking forward to reading more of her books
May 12, 2013
3.5. The heroine was highly entertaining and overall this was pretty cute.
historical
January 4, 2019Some men are born to make dynasties and some women are born to make trouble.Hellbent on arranging a pardon for her exiled cousin, Madolyn Carver will stop at nothing to achieve her aim, even if it means seducing the mysterious Earl of Swafford. So what if he's known as "The Beast" and is immensely powerful? Plucky Maddy isn't frightened off easily. Returned home after too long abroad, The Beast also has a mission. He must remove his younger brother and heir to the vast Swafford estate from the clutches of a most unsuitable woman. When a misunderstanding leads him to mistake Maddy for his brother's cunning mistress, he takes her captive under the guise of The Beast's manservant. Now she can longer be a threat to his misguided brother's future, or so he thinks. And surely, The Beast's infamous iron will can resist the charms of one particularly disobedient, witty, intriguingly stubborn young woman.But there is a far greater danger. A deadly assassin has come to the Swafford estate, and The Beast's fear of falling in love might just be his downfall. Maddy, the woman he won't trust, is the one innocent soul who can save his life--and his heart.
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