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Lady Knightley's Secret
MARRIAGE WAS THE ONLY OPTION ...
Miss Elizabeth Beresford had become an heiress upon her grandmother's death. Her sister, Evadne, thought she was very clever when she engineered that Elizabeth would be trapped overnight in the cellars with Evadne's brother-in-law. Except that the plot misfired and it was Sir Richard Knightley who became entrapped with Elizabeth! Richard was not unwilling to marry, for Elizabeth had changed beautifully from the young girl he remembered. It was Elizabeth who was reluctant, for she loved him and there was something she couldn't tell him ...
Miss Elizabeth Beresford had become an heiress upon her grandmother's death. Her sister, Evadne, thought she was very clever when she engineered that Elizabeth would be trapped overnight in the cellars with Evadne's brother-in-law. Except that the plot misfired and it was Sir Richard Knightley who became entrapped with Elizabeth! Richard was not unwilling to marry, for Elizabeth had changed beautifully from the young girl he remembered. It was Elizabeth who was reluctant, for she loved him and there was something she couldn't tell him ...
251 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1999
10 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Anne Ashley
87 books29 followersAnne Ashley was born in Leicester, England, UK, where she was educated. She lived for a long time in Scotland, but she now lives in the West Country, England, with her husband, two sons and two cats. She writes historical romances for Mills & Boon since 1997.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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July 23, 2024DNF at around 80% - No rating
I couldn't take it any longer. What a waste of time. 437 pages feel more like 800 pages. It completely dragged. The first part had me intrigued, but the story went nowhere. I tried, the writing was working very well for me, but the story tanked. I never warmed up to the hero. There were a few times I thought I could but ultimately, he never truly felt like a romance hero. I also thought I wouldn't be bothered by that scene where he reacts badly at discovering the heroine wasn't a virgin after their nuptials, but it did rub me the wrong way. He turned me off. What a prick. Anyway, the heroine forgives him pretty quickly and there was no angst to speak of. No grovel either. It became a snoozefest.
Note:
He was the only man she had sex with, but she had kept her identity a secret from him. He didn't know she was the woman he had been with in the past when he had been temporarily blind.
Infidelity: He has a brief affair while they're married.
I couldn't take it any longer. What a waste of time. 437 pages feel more like 800 pages. It completely dragged. The first part had me intrigued, but the story went nowhere. I tried, the writing was working very well for me, but the story tanked. I never warmed up to the hero. There were a few times I thought I could but ultimately, he never truly felt like a romance hero. I also thought I wouldn't be bothered by that scene where he reacts badly at discovering the heroine wasn't a virgin after their nuptials, but it did rub me the wrong way. He turned me off. What a prick. Anyway, the heroine forgives him pretty quickly and there was no angst to speak of. No grovel either. It became a snoozefest.
Note:
He was the only man she had sex with, but she had kept her identity a secret from him. He didn't know she was the woman he had been with in the past when he had been temporarily blind.
Infidelity: He has a brief affair while they're married.
March 25, 2014
SPOILER ALERT
If you are someone who hates infidelity ,then this book is not for you. Hated the hero who behaved like a sanctimonious pig ! Heroine loves blind hero & looses her virginity to him . Hero regains eyesight & meets Heroine. Does not recognise her because he was blind when they did the deed . Hero also loves heroine & they get married... but not happily ever after . They do the deed (again)on the wedding night & he discovers she is an ex-virgin . He is furious & starts cheating on her with another woman ...Actually ,continuously cheats on his once loved wife ! So much issue over a tissue! Why didn't the heroine ask him if he was a virgin before marriage? Oh! And there is an annoying vampish sister who wants the hero for herself! Both of them deserve each other if you ask me.
If you are someone who hates infidelity ,then this book is not for you. Hated the hero who behaved like a sanctimonious pig ! Heroine loves blind hero & looses her virginity to him . Hero regains eyesight & meets Heroine. Does not recognise her because he was blind when they did the deed . Hero also loves heroine & they get married... but not happily ever after . They do the deed (again)on the wedding night & he discovers she is an ex-virgin . He is furious & starts cheating on her with another woman ...Actually ,continuously cheats on his once loved wife ! So much issue over a tissue! Why didn't the heroine ask him if he was a virgin before marriage? Oh! And there is an annoying vampish sister who wants the hero for herself! Both of them deserve each other if you ask me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2017
Nice story told very much in the narrative style of Georgette Heyer, although with a little more internal monolog. It was told more from the author's omniscient POV, than is popular today and it took me a bit to get used to it, but it worked.
So, it opens with a sort of prologue. The hero is recuperating in Brussels from wounds he received in Waterloo at a private home, tended by a well-educated young lady of the merchant class, by her accent. He's half in love with her, even though he's never actually seen her, because his eyes are bandaged due to inflammation. They make love the night before the bandages come off, he offers marriage, and she runs away. Then he sees in the newspaper that the ship she took went down with all lost. So he can never have the girl he fell in love with.
A year or two later, we meet the heroine coming to visit a friend, and the author drops a boatload of hints to tell us this is the heroine and she's the girl who supposedly drowned. Not only that, but she's a lady, she's rich and her name is not what she told him in Brussels. This is who she really is. Of course the hero shows up at the same house, and we learn that they knew each other years ago, their fathers wanted them to marry, and she broke it off, even though she had a crush on him. He wasn't in love with her. Elaborate setup, but it all pays off. With lots of complications, twists and turns. I liked this. It's a bit old-fashioned, but it's a good read.
So, it opens with a sort of prologue. The hero is recuperating in Brussels from wounds he received in Waterloo at a private home, tended by a well-educated young lady of the merchant class, by her accent. He's half in love with her, even though he's never actually seen her, because his eyes are bandaged due to inflammation. They make love the night before the bandages come off, he offers marriage, and she runs away. Then he sees in the newspaper that the ship she took went down with all lost. So he can never have the girl he fell in love with.
A year or two later, we meet the heroine coming to visit a friend, and the author drops a boatload of hints to tell us this is the heroine and she's the girl who supposedly drowned. Not only that, but she's a lady, she's rich and her name is not what she told him in Brussels. This is who she really is. Of course the hero shows up at the same house, and we learn that they knew each other years ago, their fathers wanted them to marry, and she broke it off, even though she had a crush on him. He wasn't in love with her. Elaborate setup, but it all pays off. With lots of complications, twists and turns. I liked this. It's a bit old-fashioned, but it's a good read.
September 10, 2016
2.5 stars rounded up to 3. Would be better if the hero reaction to "secret" was not so over the top. Otherwise pretty average regency.
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June 25, 2023cheating hero
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2015
I liked the heroine and though the hero was supportive later on I hated his double standard. The fact that he chose to take up with a mistress did not show him in an honorable light which was supposed to be a part of his character. The story however was well written and kept me entertained.
January 25, 2016
This started off as a great story with a good plot. I unfortunately got a bit bored in the middle, but can confirm that the ending was really good. Well worth a read if you like romance stories
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews