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Fallen
Destined for spinsterhood, Isadora "Izzy" Temple can only dream of finding a husband—of feeling his touch in the dark, his lips on her neck, his passion building with each kiss. Imagine her surprise when she awakens to find she's not dreaming at all! Lord Julien Blackworth, has mistaken Izzy's room for his—and he's fallen into her bed and into her wildest dreams…
When the household discovers a man in her boudoir, Izzy pretends that Julien is her fiancé. Once he spends time playing the part, Julien finds himself falling for the feisty beauty. But how can Izzy trust that this notorious rake's feelings are for real—and that she won't end up being branded a "fallen" woman?
When the household discovers a man in her boudoir, Izzy pretends that Julien is her fiancé. Once he spends time playing the part, Julien finds himself falling for the feisty beauty. But how can Izzy trust that this notorious rake's feelings are for real—and that she won't end up being branded a "fallen" woman?
331 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 4, 2001
40 people are currently reading
1024 people want to read
About the author
Celeste Bradley
42 books1,812 followersVisit me at www.CelesteBradley.com or facebook.com/CelesteBradleyAuthor :)
Go to CelesteBradley.com/newsletter for my Voice of Society newsletter.
Hi, my name is Celeste Bradley and I write "brain chocolate." That is, I write fun and sexy escapism is for hardworking women everywhere. We deserve a little man-candy, too!
Reviewers like to say I write about misfit heroines getting the man of their dreams. Maybe that's true, but don't we all feel like misfits sometimes? Even if the rest of the world thinks we have all our balls in the air, aren't we juggling like mad on the inside, desperately trying not to drop one?
I love this manic, scattered life I lead. I love to write, craft, garden, bake and mother, even if I don't always do it all perfectly. I love living in the Southwest, with its big sky and vast desert views. I love venturing out of my quiet life to meet readers and other writers, and then I love to come back to my haven, full of ideas and renewed passion and creativity.
Maybe one of those times I'll meet you!
Hugs,
and thanks for reading!
Go to CelesteBradley.com/newsletter for my Voice of Society newsletter.
Hi, my name is Celeste Bradley and I write "brain chocolate." That is, I write fun and sexy escapism is for hardworking women everywhere. We deserve a little man-candy, too!
Reviewers like to say I write about misfit heroines getting the man of their dreams. Maybe that's true, but don't we all feel like misfits sometimes? Even if the rest of the world thinks we have all our balls in the air, aren't we juggling like mad on the inside, desperately trying not to drop one?
I love this manic, scattered life I lead. I love to write, craft, garden, bake and mother, even if I don't always do it all perfectly. I love living in the Southwest, with its big sky and vast desert views. I love venturing out of my quiet life to meet readers and other writers, and then I love to come back to my haven, full of ideas and renewed passion and creativity.
Maybe one of those times I'll meet you!
Hugs,
and thanks for reading!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
September 17, 2019
***2.5 "A Tale of Two Books" Stars***
The first half of this book was 5 star material. I loved Izzy, the spinster heroine with a kind heart and a witty sense of humor. Also adored Lord Julien Blackworth, the sexy drunk hero who crawled into the wrong bed in the middle of the night, only to get busted in a virgin's room! Best beginning Ever!!!
Fabulous character development with very interesting side stories and secondary characters!
But then the main couple has sex and things rapidly deteriorate into a hot mess of angst, misunderstandings and zero communication. Disaster territory!! For the entire last 45% of the book!
Basically a complete opposite of the beginning of the book. As if the original author died half way through writing the book and her jaded, unhappy, introvert twin decided to complete the book!
This 3 star is a mishmash average...the first 35% was 5 star...then 45% of hell (angst, miscommunications from characters that were communicative at the beginning of the book (2 star crap) along with an anticlimactic 3 star ending.
The first half of this book was 5 star material. I loved Izzy, the spinster heroine with a kind heart and a witty sense of humor. Also adored Lord Julien Blackworth, the sexy drunk hero who crawled into the wrong bed in the middle of the night, only to get busted in a virgin's room! Best beginning Ever!!!
Fabulous character development with very interesting side stories and secondary characters!
But then the main couple has sex and things rapidly deteriorate into a hot mess of angst, misunderstandings and zero communication. Disaster territory!! For the entire last 45% of the book!
Basically a complete opposite of the beginning of the book. As if the original author died half way through writing the book and her jaded, unhappy, introvert twin decided to complete the book!
This 3 star is a mishmash average...the first 35% was 5 star...then 45% of hell (angst, miscommunications from characters that were communicative at the beginning of the book (2 star crap) along with an anticlimactic 3 star ending.
April 15, 2015
The first half? Not bad, a little potential. Then it gets bloody ridiculous.
Not sure how I finished this one. Good grief, Bradley. How'd you muck up the decent start you had? Felt like I was taking crazy pills.
Avoid - not worth it!
Not sure how I finished this one. Good grief, Bradley. How'd you muck up the decent start you had? Felt like I was taking crazy pills.
Avoid - not worth it!
January 8, 2009
This book is quite a little gem. I bought it on a whim because I liked the plain jane heroine and the fact that they had been caught in a compromising position and so had to get engaged. It's my first book by Bradley, and I loved it. She became an autobuy from this point on. I love to reread parts of it because I feel it is beautifully written. To be honest, it is rather dark and angsty. Julian has serious family issues and has some self-hatred that he needs to get past. I don't feel he is easy to love, but Izzy loves him nontheless. Izzy is like a light in his dark world, and Julian does spend a little too much time pushing her away and avoiding her. But it's clear to everyone except Izzy how much he loves her. If you have read the Liar's Club books first, you will find that the writing is much darker and more serious, so be warned. I am not saying it's the darkest regency I've ever read, but there are deep waters of pain and anguish to tread through while reading this book. However, it is definitely worthwhile to read.
June 20, 2019
Was this written by two different people or just one but in two completely contrary moods?
The first half is …brilliant, sublime, funny, witty, fresh, original, wow and what have you!
Second half is a drag! A drag with reams and reams of nonsense, fillers, detours, dialogue-less passages and absolute, absolute absurdities. Of course, a book can shift direction and tone but to go from interesting to inane?
Like one reviewer says the sex made the book lose all sense. Sad, sad and so maddening! I was raring to review this book as I was reading the first half but now it just seems a bother to even write this much.
So from 5 plus stars it went to 2-2.5. To be generous, I give this book a 3.25, no more!
The first half is …brilliant, sublime, funny, witty, fresh, original, wow and what have you!
Second half is a drag! A drag with reams and reams of nonsense, fillers, detours, dialogue-less passages and absolute, absolute absurdities. Of course, a book can shift direction and tone but to go from interesting to inane?
Like one reviewer says the sex made the book lose all sense. Sad, sad and so maddening! I was raring to review this book as I was reading the first half but now it just seems a bother to even write this much.
So from 5 plus stars it went to 2-2.5. To be generous, I give this book a 3.25, no more!
October 15, 2017
3.5 stars
The first half of this book was a solid 4 stars and I was loving the friendship between the h/H & then it went all downhill. The hero became a jack-ass & I just wanted it to finish by that point.
The first half of this book was a solid 4 stars and I was loving the friendship between the h/H & then it went all downhill. The hero became a jack-ass & I just wanted it to finish by that point.
September 21, 2015
Loved this book !! Will defiantly be reading more of this author in future ! Fantastic writing,loved the plot elements and characters :) Six stars ! A must read for all HR LOVERS. :D
July 7, 2013
3.5 stars
Originally published in 2001, Fallen is Celeste Bradley’s first novel and it has a lot going for it. The hero and heroine are attractive, well-suited characters, the relationship between them is built displaying plenty of humour and affection, there’s a lip-smacking villain or two, good dialogue and the book is well-written.
But. And it’s quite a big but - Fallen almost feels as though it’s two separate books that have been welded together.
The story begins with our heroine, downtrodden spinster Isadora Temple, in the midst of what she thinks is an erotic dream. All too soon, she realises it’s not a dream at all – there’s a man in her bed and not only is he rather the worse for drink, he thinks she’s someone else! He’s far too large and heavy for her to be able to push him off her, so she does the only thing she can – she brains him with a candlestick.
It’s not long before the alarm is raised, and all the house guests come crowding into her room demanding to know what is going on. The drunken groper turns out to be one Eppingham Rowley (Eppie), Lord Blackwell, renowned scapegrace, womaniser and someday heir to a dukedom, who, it is believed, couldn’t possibly have been interested in the plain and mousy Izzy. That being the case, all agree that none of this was Izzy’s fault and her reputation will remain unblemished. But while Eppie is laid out on the rug, unconscious, and amidst the uproar – in which the loudest voice is the Marquis of Rotham, Eppingham’s father who does not scruple to berate and malign his son – Izzy notices many things which lead her to announce that she did in fact have an assignation with Eppingham that night.
Izzy made the claim in order to preserve the reputation of another of the guests, the lovely Lady Celia Bottomly, who she immediately sees is terrified of both Lord Bottomly, and exposure as the intended recipient of Eppingham’s… affections.
Rotham, Eppie’s unpleasant and autocratic father, insists on his marrying Izzy. He doesn’t want to get married, least of all to a woman he’s never seen and whom he believes had designed to deliberately trap him - but his sense of honour demands that he make amends for Izzy’s destroyed reputation. And as, when he sees her in daylight, he sees that she’s not elderly or ugly, he’s not totally averse to the idea of marrying her. When they begin to converse and he realises she’s not stupid either, and in fact, is intelligent with a good sense of humour, he is even less averse. Izzy, however, completely confounds him by insisting she does not wish to marry him, insisting on a fake betrothal which they will end after a few months so she will be able to live independently on the small inheritance she has been hoarding since the death of her parents.
The first half of the book is really quite lovely, as Izzy and Eppie –which she decrees is a stupid name, and instead uses his second name, Julian – come to know each other and gradually fall in love. Julian doesn’t recognise it for what it is, of course – all he knows is that he wants to kill anyone who would dare to hurt her – but as their relationship blossoms, so does Izzy, and Julian finds himself more and more drawn to her, and more and more determined to make her his wife.
I thoroughly enjoyed the way the rapport between them was established; they made each other laugh, teased each other and had begun to forge a real friendship until at almost exactly the half-way point, the tone of the book changed abruptly and we ran headlong into angst-ville.
Seeing Izzy in the arms of his best friend and mistakenly believing her to prefer him, Julian is overwhelmed by the green-eyed monster, and in a fit of jealous passion, seduces and makes love to her.
Unfortunately however, he manages to break her heart immediately afterwards by saying something incredibly crass, and Izzy flees.
From here on in, we’re in “big misunderstanding” territory. Izzy devotes most of her energy to avoiding Julian, and doesn’t realise she’s fallen pregnant after that one night. It’s not until her maid Betty (who is having an affair with Julian’s groom) confides her suspicions to her lover about her mistress’ condition, that Julian – who has realised he messed up big-time but is at a loss as to what to do about it - finally shows up. He is, however, furiously cold and will brook no disagreement when he tells Izzy that they are to be married for the sake of the baby.
Izzy becomes increasingly withdrawn, feeling the loss of the independence she had so longed for, knowing she is trapped in a marriage in which all the love is on one side, and convinced Julian does not and can never love her, even as he is struggling with the same feelings.
Things come to a head after the death of Julian’s grandfather the Duke of Dearingham. His father the Marquis inherits the title and takes much delight in informing Julian that his grandfather had disinherited him and that the lands and title will pass to his (Julian’s) firstborn son. I admit to being a little confused at this, because it’s stated early on that the estates are entailed and I know that normally an entail is written in stone. But here, apparently, one condition of the entail is that it can be re-written every so many generations, and that responsibility fell to Julian’s grandfather this time around. I have no idea whether that is legally possible – I’ve never come across it before, but I’m no expert on the British legal system, so perhaps it is.
At this news, Julian finally snaps. Nothing he ever did was good enough for his father or grandfather and he has spent his life knowing he was a disappointment, second best to his older brother Manny who had been, as far as Julian could tell, the perfect heir. But now, he learns the truth. That his father orchestrated his brother’s suicide – which Julian had always believed to have been as a result as a shooting accident - because he had discovered that Manny was homosexual. Horrified, sick and totally enraged, Julian vows that, if the child Izzy bears is a daughter, there will be no further children as he will never live with his wife. Unbeknownst to him however, he makes that declaration within Izzy’s hearing. She is heart-broken at the fact that he would put his revenge on his father above any possibility of their having a real marriage - and decides that the only course left open to her is the thing she had decided upon before meeting Julian – she is going to emigrate to America.
I was feeling a bit wrung out after all that!
On the whole, I enjoyed the book, but it definitely felt rather unbalanced. In the first half, Izzy blossoms from the put-upon poor relation – orphaned young, she was used as an unpaid housekeeper, gardener and maid of all-work by her stingy aunt and uncle – to an attractive, confident young woman of intelligence and humour, mostly due to Julian’s efforts to draw her out and the interest he takes in her. Julian is shown to possess a quick wit and quickly learns to appreciate Izzy’s uniqueness, and I really enjoyed watching their mutual affection grow and deepen.
The second half, though, is so filled with plot, that the characters we have come to know are almost sidelined in the attempt to get everything in. Izzy changes completely from being a bright, independent young woman and instead becomes a ‘moper’, almost entirely preoccupied with the fact that she has fallen deeply in love with a man who will never love her. And Julian, on being given the cold shoulder has absolutely no idea what to do; and even though he knows Izzy is purposely avoiding him, does nothing to bring about a meeting so they can talk things through. All he does is come over all dictatorial when he discovers she’s pregnant, which only serves to drive the wedge between them even deeper.
For his part, Julian is dealing with a fair bit of emotional baggage. The second son of the Marquis of Rotham, he is became his heir on the death of his elder brother; and after the death of his mother, has never had anyone in his life who truly cared for him. As a result, he’s wary of letting people in and when he falls for Izzy has no idea how to deal with the myriad of feelings she evokes in him. That still doesn’t absolve him of his utter idiocy in my book, but I suppose that is the prerogative of the emotionally tortured hero.
As well as Julian and Izzy’s story, there are couple of sub-plots in the story, one involving the relationship between Izzy’s maid Betty and Julian’s groom, Tom. I have to say that this felt like so much padding; there were two or three whole chapters devoted to Betty and Tom getting it on, which I felt were unnecessary. I don’t object to a bit of hot sexxin in a romance, but to spend so much time on a couple of secondary characters shagging each others’ brains out just served to slow things down in terms of the main storyline.
The other sub-plot concerns Lady Celia Bottomly and her abusive, controlling husband. This one was rather more interesting (if I can use that word to describe it) in terms of the drama, even though it was resolved rather conveniently.
This is another of those books that has been on my TBR pile for ages which I opted to listen to instead, as it became available in audio earlier this year. In terms of the narration, I thought that on the whole Susan Ericksen did a good job. I know that she is known more for her work on contemporary romance audios (such as the J.D Robb In Death series), but it seems she is branching out, having narrated this, the three books in Cecilia Grant’s Blackshear Family series and a few other historicals. Her English accent is pretty good, although there are several tell-tale slips in her pronunciation, such as “deTAIL” instead of “DEtail” and “VauxHALL” instead of “VAUXhall”. I liked the Irish brogue she used for Tom the groom, although her attempt at a Scottish accent for Celia’s husband was much less successful and very quickly turned Irish!
I also found it difficult, sometimes, to differentiate between the male and female characters; she deepens the pitch of her voice slightly for Julian, but sometimes she moves so quickly from him to Izzy in dialogue that I found it sometimes took me a split second or two to catch up and realise just who was speaking.
She was more successful at differentiating between the characters of the same sex; Celia’s voice is softer and more tremulous than Izzy’s and she gives Betty a fairly convincing cockney accent.
Ms Ericksen’s style of narration is rather forceful (I’ve called it “in yer face” elsewhere) which works in some situations and not in others. I found her narration of the sex scenes to be a bit “shouty” at times; she mimics the partcipants’ progress towards climax by using rhythm and volume, which makes sense, but I have to admit that sometimes I found it to be a bit too much.
Susan Ericksen is clearly an experienced and talented narrator, although I'm not convinced she's cut out for narrating historical romances. I have yet to listen to all the Cecilia Grant narrations, and as they are among my favourite romances of recent years, I’m hoping that she has toned down some of those aspects of her performance here that I found problematic.
Originally published in 2001, Fallen is Celeste Bradley’s first novel and it has a lot going for it. The hero and heroine are attractive, well-suited characters, the relationship between them is built displaying plenty of humour and affection, there’s a lip-smacking villain or two, good dialogue and the book is well-written.
But. And it’s quite a big but - Fallen almost feels as though it’s two separate books that have been welded together.
The story begins with our heroine, downtrodden spinster Isadora Temple, in the midst of what she thinks is an erotic dream. All too soon, she realises it’s not a dream at all – there’s a man in her bed and not only is he rather the worse for drink, he thinks she’s someone else! He’s far too large and heavy for her to be able to push him off her, so she does the only thing she can – she brains him with a candlestick.
It’s not long before the alarm is raised, and all the house guests come crowding into her room demanding to know what is going on. The drunken groper turns out to be one Eppingham Rowley (Eppie), Lord Blackwell, renowned scapegrace, womaniser and someday heir to a dukedom, who, it is believed, couldn’t possibly have been interested in the plain and mousy Izzy. That being the case, all agree that none of this was Izzy’s fault and her reputation will remain unblemished. But while Eppie is laid out on the rug, unconscious, and amidst the uproar – in which the loudest voice is the Marquis of Rotham, Eppingham’s father who does not scruple to berate and malign his son – Izzy notices many things which lead her to announce that she did in fact have an assignation with Eppingham that night.
Izzy made the claim in order to preserve the reputation of another of the guests, the lovely Lady Celia Bottomly, who she immediately sees is terrified of both Lord Bottomly, and exposure as the intended recipient of Eppingham’s… affections.
Rotham, Eppie’s unpleasant and autocratic father, insists on his marrying Izzy. He doesn’t want to get married, least of all to a woman he’s never seen and whom he believes had designed to deliberately trap him - but his sense of honour demands that he make amends for Izzy’s destroyed reputation. And as, when he sees her in daylight, he sees that she’s not elderly or ugly, he’s not totally averse to the idea of marrying her. When they begin to converse and he realises she’s not stupid either, and in fact, is intelligent with a good sense of humour, he is even less averse. Izzy, however, completely confounds him by insisting she does not wish to marry him, insisting on a fake betrothal which they will end after a few months so she will be able to live independently on the small inheritance she has been hoarding since the death of her parents.
The first half of the book is really quite lovely, as Izzy and Eppie –which she decrees is a stupid name, and instead uses his second name, Julian – come to know each other and gradually fall in love. Julian doesn’t recognise it for what it is, of course – all he knows is that he wants to kill anyone who would dare to hurt her – but as their relationship blossoms, so does Izzy, and Julian finds himself more and more drawn to her, and more and more determined to make her his wife.
I thoroughly enjoyed the way the rapport between them was established; they made each other laugh, teased each other and had begun to forge a real friendship until at almost exactly the half-way point, the tone of the book changed abruptly and we ran headlong into angst-ville.
Seeing Izzy in the arms of his best friend and mistakenly believing her to prefer him, Julian is overwhelmed by the green-eyed monster, and in a fit of jealous passion, seduces and makes love to her.
Unfortunately however, he manages to break her heart immediately afterwards by saying something incredibly crass, and Izzy flees.
From here on in, we’re in “big misunderstanding” territory. Izzy devotes most of her energy to avoiding Julian, and doesn’t realise she’s fallen pregnant after that one night. It’s not until her maid Betty (who is having an affair with Julian’s groom) confides her suspicions to her lover about her mistress’ condition, that Julian – who has realised he messed up big-time but is at a loss as to what to do about it - finally shows up. He is, however, furiously cold and will brook no disagreement when he tells Izzy that they are to be married for the sake of the baby.
Izzy becomes increasingly withdrawn, feeling the loss of the independence she had so longed for, knowing she is trapped in a marriage in which all the love is on one side, and convinced Julian does not and can never love her, even as he is struggling with the same feelings.
Things come to a head after the death of Julian’s grandfather the Duke of Dearingham. His father the Marquis inherits the title and takes much delight in informing Julian that his grandfather had disinherited him and that the lands and title will pass to his (Julian’s) firstborn son. I admit to being a little confused at this, because it’s stated early on that the estates are entailed and I know that normally an entail is written in stone. But here, apparently, one condition of the entail is that it can be re-written every so many generations, and that responsibility fell to Julian’s grandfather this time around. I have no idea whether that is legally possible – I’ve never come across it before, but I’m no expert on the British legal system, so perhaps it is.
At this news, Julian finally snaps. Nothing he ever did was good enough for his father or grandfather and he has spent his life knowing he was a disappointment, second best to his older brother Manny who had been, as far as Julian could tell, the perfect heir. But now, he learns the truth. That his father orchestrated his brother’s suicide – which Julian had always believed to have been as a result as a shooting accident - because he had discovered that Manny was homosexual. Horrified, sick and totally enraged, Julian vows that, if the child Izzy bears is a daughter, there will be no further children as he will never live with his wife. Unbeknownst to him however, he makes that declaration within Izzy’s hearing. She is heart-broken at the fact that he would put his revenge on his father above any possibility of their having a real marriage - and decides that the only course left open to her is the thing she had decided upon before meeting Julian – she is going to emigrate to America.
I was feeling a bit wrung out after all that!
On the whole, I enjoyed the book, but it definitely felt rather unbalanced. In the first half, Izzy blossoms from the put-upon poor relation – orphaned young, she was used as an unpaid housekeeper, gardener and maid of all-work by her stingy aunt and uncle – to an attractive, confident young woman of intelligence and humour, mostly due to Julian’s efforts to draw her out and the interest he takes in her. Julian is shown to possess a quick wit and quickly learns to appreciate Izzy’s uniqueness, and I really enjoyed watching their mutual affection grow and deepen.
The second half, though, is so filled with plot, that the characters we have come to know are almost sidelined in the attempt to get everything in. Izzy changes completely from being a bright, independent young woman and instead becomes a ‘moper’, almost entirely preoccupied with the fact that she has fallen deeply in love with a man who will never love her. And Julian, on being given the cold shoulder has absolutely no idea what to do; and even though he knows Izzy is purposely avoiding him, does nothing to bring about a meeting so they can talk things through. All he does is come over all dictatorial when he discovers she’s pregnant, which only serves to drive the wedge between them even deeper.
For his part, Julian is dealing with a fair bit of emotional baggage. The second son of the Marquis of Rotham, he is became his heir on the death of his elder brother; and after the death of his mother, has never had anyone in his life who truly cared for him. As a result, he’s wary of letting people in and when he falls for Izzy has no idea how to deal with the myriad of feelings she evokes in him. That still doesn’t absolve him of his utter idiocy in my book, but I suppose that is the prerogative of the emotionally tortured hero.
As well as Julian and Izzy’s story, there are couple of sub-plots in the story, one involving the relationship between Izzy’s maid Betty and Julian’s groom, Tom. I have to say that this felt like so much padding; there were two or three whole chapters devoted to Betty and Tom getting it on, which I felt were unnecessary. I don’t object to a bit of hot sexxin in a romance, but to spend so much time on a couple of secondary characters shagging each others’ brains out just served to slow things down in terms of the main storyline.
The other sub-plot concerns Lady Celia Bottomly and her abusive, controlling husband. This one was rather more interesting (if I can use that word to describe it) in terms of the drama, even though it was resolved rather conveniently.
This is another of those books that has been on my TBR pile for ages which I opted to listen to instead, as it became available in audio earlier this year. In terms of the narration, I thought that on the whole Susan Ericksen did a good job. I know that she is known more for her work on contemporary romance audios (such as the J.D Robb In Death series), but it seems she is branching out, having narrated this, the three books in Cecilia Grant’s Blackshear Family series and a few other historicals. Her English accent is pretty good, although there are several tell-tale slips in her pronunciation, such as “deTAIL” instead of “DEtail” and “VauxHALL” instead of “VAUXhall”. I liked the Irish brogue she used for Tom the groom, although her attempt at a Scottish accent for Celia’s husband was much less successful and very quickly turned Irish!
I also found it difficult, sometimes, to differentiate between the male and female characters; she deepens the pitch of her voice slightly for Julian, but sometimes she moves so quickly from him to Izzy in dialogue that I found it sometimes took me a split second or two to catch up and realise just who was speaking.
She was more successful at differentiating between the characters of the same sex; Celia’s voice is softer and more tremulous than Izzy’s and she gives Betty a fairly convincing cockney accent.
Ms Ericksen’s style of narration is rather forceful (I’ve called it “in yer face” elsewhere) which works in some situations and not in others. I found her narration of the sex scenes to be a bit “shouty” at times; she mimics the partcipants’ progress towards climax by using rhythm and volume, which makes sense, but I have to admit that sometimes I found it to be a bit too much.
Susan Ericksen is clearly an experienced and talented narrator, although I'm not convinced she's cut out for narrating historical romances. I have yet to listen to all the Cecilia Grant narrations, and as they are among my favourite romances of recent years, I’m hoping that she has toned down some of those aspects of her performance here that I found problematic.
November 3, 2017
Menuda sorpresa con este libro. Me ha gustado, he disfrutado mucho leyéndolo y además he descubierto a otra autora, de la cual, leeré otro libro de ella.
February 9, 2020
note to self, just read first half and then skip to the end ; )
Well I made the mistake and read more, although I started skimming when the shenanigans started to include traitors and madmen.
Like others, I agree that Izzy and Julian's(Eppi) characters were purposely undermined by the author after they have sex for the first time around the halfway mark... and even so, by then, I'd had to put up with him trying to get it on with not one OW but two!!!
Their first time together was just awful. It's not that they didn't enjoy it, but I as the reader didn't. It wasn't romantic in any way and his hurtful words at the end were never apologized for, at least not in my written copy...
...Which brings me to another confusing and annoying thing, my older written copy is not the same as the audiobook I started listening to. I listened to the first half of the story and then continued the second half reading it. When I went back to check on a scene, it wasn't there!
So be aware that there are different versions of this story. Somehow I doubt that it would save the book though. But I do like the bits between Timothy and Betty that were added. I liked their romance far better than Julian's and Izzy utterly f*cked up relationship.
Anyways, after they have sex, they no longer communicate in any healthy way and go about brooding and thinking bad things about each other. Izzy who had always liked to get at the heart of a matter becomes a mess of angst. Then she has to deal with traitors and a brutal husband and her psychopathic inlaws.
Safety is technically good but not really good
This is actually my first read by this author and quite possibly my last.
I don't want to read books that leave me feeling wrung out and dissatisfied afterwards!
Well I made the mistake and read more, although I started skimming when the shenanigans started to include traitors and madmen.
Like others, I agree that Izzy and Julian's(Eppi) characters were purposely undermined by the author after they have sex for the first time around the halfway mark... and even so, by then, I'd had to put up with him trying to get it on with not one OW but two!!!
Their first time together was just awful. It's not that they didn't enjoy it, but I as the reader didn't. It wasn't romantic in any way and his hurtful words at the end were never apologized for, at least not in my written copy...
...Which brings me to another confusing and annoying thing, my older written copy is not the same as the audiobook I started listening to. I listened to the first half of the story and then continued the second half reading it. When I went back to check on a scene, it wasn't there!
So be aware that there are different versions of this story. Somehow I doubt that it would save the book though. But I do like the bits between Timothy and Betty that were added. I liked their romance far better than Julian's and Izzy utterly f*cked up relationship.
Anyways, after they have sex, they no longer communicate in any healthy way and go about brooding and thinking bad things about each other. Izzy who had always liked to get at the heart of a matter becomes a mess of angst. Then she has to deal with traitors and a brutal husband and her psychopathic inlaws.
Safety is technically good but not really good
This is actually my first read by this author and quite possibly my last.
I don't want to read books that leave me feeling wrung out and dissatisfied afterwards!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2019
Should I rate this one-stars or two-stars? There were two things in particular I really liked but the rest of the book was a complete mess.
A drunk Julian ends up in Izzy's bedroom by mistake. Soon enough, he's compromised her and has to ask for her hand. Understandably, he's dreading having to marry Izzy, that is, until he meets her! Even though she looks very drab, the first thing that catches his attention is Izzy's sense of humor. She's FUNNY! And unexpected, and hard-working and kind. You can tell right away that he stops noticing her looks and started seeing HER. Yeah, she's not as plain as she first appears (there's a makeover, yawn) but she's still not a beauty and I don't think he would have been attracted to her body if he hadn't been attracted to her heart and mind. Soon enough they're thick as thieves, giggling in corners. Her nickname for her is Isadorable. (*rolls eyes*.)
Then Julian starts feeling more for Izzy and he simply MELTS DOWN, fighting his feelings and acting weird. All this culminates with romp in thesack garden, which changes everything. FOR THE WORST! Julian doesn't know what to say and to Izzy, this means that he doesn't feel anything for her. Instead of actually talking - weren't they supposedly friends? - they stop communicating completely. Like, not a word, even though they are around each other all the time. Julian continues misbehaving instead of handling his feelings and Izzy loses her sense of humor and ever her intelligence, constantly moping and refusing to woman up and share her feelings.
And this continues for like the next 45% of the book!!
The plot with the evil father/grandfather was pretty good though. Probably the reason why I ended up rating it 2-stars although the wilful lack of communication is my most hated plot device.
A drunk Julian ends up in Izzy's bedroom by mistake. Soon enough, he's compromised her and has to ask for her hand. Understandably, he's dreading having to marry Izzy, that is, until he meets her! Even though she looks very drab, the first thing that catches his attention is Izzy's sense of humor. She's FUNNY! And unexpected, and hard-working and kind. You can tell right away that he stops noticing her looks and started seeing HER. Yeah, she's not as plain as she first appears (there's a makeover, yawn) but she's still not a beauty and I don't think he would have been attracted to her body if he hadn't been attracted to her heart and mind. Soon enough they're thick as thieves, giggling in corners. Her nickname for her is Isadorable. (*rolls eyes*.)
Then Julian starts feeling more for Izzy and he simply MELTS DOWN, fighting his feelings and acting weird. All this culminates with romp in the
And this continues for like the next 45% of the book!!
The plot with the evil father/grandfather was pretty good though. Probably the reason why I ended up rating it 2-stars although the wilful lack of communication is my most hated plot device.
July 22, 2018
Quite a few reviewers mentioned this and I will, too: The first half of the book was better than the second half. In the first half, we get to see two complete strangers become friends. Izzy (short for Isadora, our heroine) is a plain jane and I especially enjoyed reading how Julian comes to admire (and love, even though he doesn't realize it yet) Izzy for whom she is: intelligent, compassionate, hardworking, and has a sense of humor and wit. She enjoys gardening, riding horses and the caring of the horses, and claims to cook well (although we never see her do it). She's almost too good to be true, in my opinion. Julian's nickname or pet name for her is Isadorable, which I think is cute. Her life is Cinderella-like in that she was orphaned at the age of 12 (I believe) and lives with her mean older cousin (or aunt?) and her husband and two children (teen daughter and preteen son). Since the family is low on money, Izzy becomes a servant in the house: housekeeper/maid, governess, temporary cook, and gardener (or was that just part of her hobby?). She isn't the only servant in the house though. There's a butler, a cook, and the mean cousin's lady's maid, Betty, who ends up being part of a subplot/secondary romance in the book. Most of the love scenes are the ones with her and her lover, Timothy, a stableboy. Timothy works for Julian but stayed in the stable at Izzy's cousin's (I forgot her name. Hildebrand or something) house in order to care for the horse.
Julian (originally known as Eppie) is a disappointment to his father (Marquess of Rotham) and grandfather (Duke of Deavington or somewhere in that area). If he doesn't marry Izzy after being discovered in her bedroom, he will be disinherited. Needless to say, Julian does not have a loving relationship with his father and grandfather. He had an older brother, Manny (short for Manfield), who was the perfect heir, but sadly passed away in a hunting accident. Julian has a best friend named Eric (and he has six sisters). Eric can tell that Julian is falling in love with his betrothed when he gets jealous and possessive of Izzy.
Warning: almost cheating on Julian's part.
In addition to the secondary romance/subplot with Betty and Timothy, there is another subplot with Lady Celia Bottomly.
Usually, I wouldn't mind the type of angst in the second half of the book, but maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it that day when I read it. This is my fourth book by Celeste Bradley. So far, she's an okay author, so I'll continue reading a few more of her books.
Julian (originally known as Eppie) is a disappointment to his father (Marquess of Rotham) and grandfather (Duke of Deavington or somewhere in that area). If he doesn't marry Izzy after being discovered in her bedroom, he will be disinherited. Needless to say, Julian does not have a loving relationship with his father and grandfather. He had an older brother, Manny (short for Manfield), who was the perfect heir, but sadly passed away in a hunting accident. Julian has a best friend named Eric (and he has six sisters). Eric can tell that Julian is falling in love with his betrothed when he gets jealous and possessive of Izzy.
Warning: almost cheating on Julian's part.
In addition to the secondary romance/subplot with Betty and Timothy, there is another subplot with Lady Celia Bottomly.
Usually, I wouldn't mind the type of angst in the second half of the book, but maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it that day when I read it. This is my fourth book by Celeste Bradley. So far, she's an okay author, so I'll continue reading a few more of her books.
December 17, 2019
For those that want both a light and conflict-free story a la Julia Quinn/Lisa Kleypas and a Judith McNaught angst fest - look no further than Fallen by Celeste Bradley.
Depending on your tastes as a reader, you may gravitate to one or the other. On the lighter side, Izzy is a quirky heroine - we are supposed to be refreshed and enchanted by her open nature and innocent warmth. If you don’t find Izzy cute, good luck with the first half of the story. Everything she says and does makes Julian fall ;) in love with her.
I much preferred Fallen when Julian goes crazy. However, it does feel as though Bradley wasn’t sure how she wanted the story to end. I felt as though the Celia subplot would make for a great climax but it has no connection to the overall story arc, other than to tie up Celia’s storyline. Celia’s storyline was OTP but because of the light tone established by Bradley, no one was in any true danger, so it was disappointing. Just like with Izzy's evil cousin, Hildegard, the evil in the story was clownish, therefore uninteresting. I also don’t think I read any passages where Celia and Eric get their flirt on, which seems like a lost opportunity since they end up together. To be fair, I started skimming about 30% in so I may have missed it.
Fallen is a lot more fun when Julian becomes unreasonable, but I wish Bradley had done something more with it. Instead, the H+H reach a stalemate and decide not to speak to each other until it becomes necessary for Plot Reasons.
As a vanilla Regency, it definitely has its moments, but if you don’t like the couple, you may be distracted by the abrupt tonal shifts in the narrative. I probably wouldn't have finished it if I wasn't cleaning out my Kindle. I likely won’t be picking up anything by Bradley anytime soon.
Depending on your tastes as a reader, you may gravitate to one or the other. On the lighter side, Izzy is a quirky heroine - we are supposed to be refreshed and enchanted by her open nature and innocent warmth. If you don’t find Izzy cute, good luck with the first half of the story. Everything she says and does makes Julian fall ;) in love with her.
I much preferred Fallen when Julian goes crazy. However, it does feel as though Bradley wasn’t sure how she wanted the story to end. I felt as though the Celia subplot would make for a great climax but it has no connection to the overall story arc, other than to tie up Celia’s storyline. Celia’s storyline was OTP but because of the light tone established by Bradley, no one was in any true danger, so it was disappointing. Just like with Izzy's evil cousin, Hildegard, the evil in the story was clownish, therefore uninteresting. I also don’t think I read any passages where Celia and Eric get their flirt on, which seems like a lost opportunity since they end up together. To be fair, I started skimming about 30% in so I may have missed it.
Fallen is a lot more fun when Julian becomes unreasonable, but I wish Bradley had done something more with it. Instead, the H+H reach a stalemate and decide not to speak to each other until it becomes necessary for Plot Reasons.
As a vanilla Regency, it definitely has its moments, but if you don’t like the couple, you may be distracted by the abrupt tonal shifts in the narrative. I probably wouldn't have finished it if I wasn't cleaning out my Kindle. I likely won’t be picking up anything by Bradley anytime soon.
November 18, 2013
Tengo sentimientos encontrados con este libro. Comenzó matándome de la risa y haciéndome suspirar por Julian, pero según iba avanzando la historia e iban apareciendo las distintas situaciones, empecé a coger “manía” a Izzi. Si, cogí manía a la protagonista, porque no podía entender cómo se dejaba pisotear de esa forma y encima aplaudía el comportamiento que Julian tenía con ella. Pero menos mal, que apareció mi querido Eric para darlos una “bofetada” a ambos y hacer que se dieran cuenta de lo que estaban haciendo. Típico final de comieron perdices y fueron felices.
February 5, 2021
Old School Romance, lots of angst, fairly steamy, Cinderella story with a side of revenge
October 8, 2013
Izzy Temple is enjoying one of “those” dreams—except it isn’t a dream.
Eppington (Eppie—thank God we get to call him Julian for most of the book) Blackworth is actually in her bed. Drunk. Ripping off her clothes, and murmuring the word “Celie.”
Izzy screams and coshes him on the head, knocking him out. Problem: They’re at a house party. Izzy’s scream brings the rest of the guests running to find her in torn nightgown with a man in her bed.
Among the spectators is gorgeous Lady Celia Bottomly, whose room is across the hall, and who seems way too concerned about "Eppie." Being a bright gal, Izzy realizes what happened. The guy got the wrong room. But the terror on Celia’s face (she’s married) is enough to make Izzy keep her mouth shut. Forced to explain the situation, Izzy blurts that it was just a lover's quarrel.
Yeah, well, some people's instincts are not necessarily spot-on.
Since her parents died when she was young, Izzy has been living as a poor relation with the Marchwells, working as an unpaid housekeeper/governess/gardener and waiting to reach her majority when her inheritance will come to her and she can move out on her own. She’s given ill-fitting, baggy gowns to wear and made to look as mousy as possible at any social soirees the family attends, while her cousin Hildegard and Hildy's daughter Millie are dressed in finery.
Eppie/Julian receives an ultimatum from his furious father. Marry the girl he inadvertently ruined or be disinherited. He finds to his surprise that the mousy, on-the-shelf Izzy isn't as keen to marry as he'd expected.
They negotiate a fake betrothal, to be played out over the Season. Julian figures this gives him some time to convince her that marriage is a good idea after all. Izzy figures she can manage a pretend betrothal—she likes Julian well enough that it’ll be fun—and at the end of the season she'll quietly take her inheritance and head off to America and start her new, independent life.
A number of surprising revelations, danger in the form of an abusive husband, and typical idiot romantic hero behavior keep the story moving. For a debut novel, I thought this was quite good, though Bradley’s later works (especially the spy stories) are better. 3.5 stars.
Eppington (Eppie—thank God we get to call him Julian for most of the book) Blackworth is actually in her bed. Drunk. Ripping off her clothes, and murmuring the word “Celie.”
Izzy screams and coshes him on the head, knocking him out. Problem: They’re at a house party. Izzy’s scream brings the rest of the guests running to find her in torn nightgown with a man in her bed.
Among the spectators is gorgeous Lady Celia Bottomly, whose room is across the hall, and who seems way too concerned about "Eppie." Being a bright gal, Izzy realizes what happened. The guy got the wrong room. But the terror on Celia’s face (she’s married) is enough to make Izzy keep her mouth shut. Forced to explain the situation, Izzy blurts that it was just a lover's quarrel.
Yeah, well, some people's instincts are not necessarily spot-on.
Since her parents died when she was young, Izzy has been living as a poor relation with the Marchwells, working as an unpaid housekeeper/governess/gardener and waiting to reach her majority when her inheritance will come to her and she can move out on her own. She’s given ill-fitting, baggy gowns to wear and made to look as mousy as possible at any social soirees the family attends, while her cousin Hildegard and Hildy's daughter Millie are dressed in finery.
Eppie/Julian receives an ultimatum from his furious father. Marry the girl he inadvertently ruined or be disinherited. He finds to his surprise that the mousy, on-the-shelf Izzy isn't as keen to marry as he'd expected.
They negotiate a fake betrothal, to be played out over the Season. Julian figures this gives him some time to convince her that marriage is a good idea after all. Izzy figures she can manage a pretend betrothal—she likes Julian well enough that it’ll be fun—and at the end of the season she'll quietly take her inheritance and head off to America and start her new, independent life.
A number of surprising revelations, danger in the form of an abusive husband, and typical idiot romantic hero behavior keep the story moving. For a debut novel, I thought this was quite good, though Bradley’s later works (especially the spy stories) are better. 3.5 stars.
April 5, 2013
It started off great.Fantastic plot, characters, witty dialogue with a touch intrigue.
Julien Blackworth is caught in bed with the wrong woman, a spinsterish woman named Izzy. He was drunk, he went to the wrong bedroom, he got caught... Voila ! He has to marry Izzy. But Izzy, doesn't want to get married, she wants to move out of her wicked cousin house, collect her inheritance left to her by her late mother, and go to America...
So Izzy convinces Julien to agree to a mock engagement (or so she thinks), and then in 4 months they can break it off. She will be of age to get her money and sail to America.
While Julien "agrees" to the plan, he has a plan of his own... He will marry Izzy, inherit the Dukedom, and set her up in the country all while continuing the way he is (a man-whore) with no thought for his wife.
But as he spends more time with Izzy, he begins to see her in a different light. He wants to spend time with her, he thinks about her when he is with other women, blah,blah, blah.
When his best friend Eric begins to show interest.... What a shock! Julien doesn't like it.
In fact while at a garden party with Izzy, Julien is in the library making his way up another woman's skirt. all the while Eric is escorting Izzy around the park. Julian happens to look out the window, while with this other woman ( that's nice). He is so furious he runs out of the library, runs into the garden and grabs Izzy away from Eric.
(Oh Please!!, What an ass!!)
Eric is a little shocked by his behavior because, he knows of Julien's plan for Izzy.
This is when it started to fizzle for me.
He loves her, but doesn't want to.... she loves him but she doesn't think he loves her.....
He thinks she is in love with his best friend Eric... she thinks he's in love with her best friend Celia...this went on for about 3 hours, with a few other things happening in between.
Ugggh, seriously! These people are supposed be be intelligent???
I really would have loved to see Izzy's maid Bette, take a brick upside both their heads....LOL
I did like the authors writing style, I just think that maybe another editor should have been given the original manuscript, and cut out about 3 chapters.
Julien Blackworth is caught in bed with the wrong woman, a spinsterish woman named Izzy. He was drunk, he went to the wrong bedroom, he got caught... Voila ! He has to marry Izzy. But Izzy, doesn't want to get married, she wants to move out of her wicked cousin house, collect her inheritance left to her by her late mother, and go to America...
So Izzy convinces Julien to agree to a mock engagement (or so she thinks), and then in 4 months they can break it off. She will be of age to get her money and sail to America.
While Julien "agrees" to the plan, he has a plan of his own... He will marry Izzy, inherit the Dukedom, and set her up in the country all while continuing the way he is (a man-whore) with no thought for his wife.
But as he spends more time with Izzy, he begins to see her in a different light. He wants to spend time with her, he thinks about her when he is with other women, blah,blah, blah.
When his best friend Eric begins to show interest.... What a shock! Julien doesn't like it.
In fact while at a garden party with Izzy, Julien is in the library making his way up another woman's skirt. all the while Eric is escorting Izzy around the park. Julian happens to look out the window, while with this other woman ( that's nice). He is so furious he runs out of the library, runs into the garden and grabs Izzy away from Eric.
(Oh Please!!, What an ass!!)
Eric is a little shocked by his behavior because, he knows of Julien's plan for Izzy.
This is when it started to fizzle for me.
He loves her, but doesn't want to.... she loves him but she doesn't think he loves her.....
He thinks she is in love with his best friend Eric... she thinks he's in love with her best friend Celia...this went on for about 3 hours, with a few other things happening in between.
Ugggh, seriously! These people are supposed be be intelligent???
I really would have loved to see Izzy's maid Bette, take a brick upside both their heads....LOL
I did like the authors writing style, I just think that maybe another editor should have been given the original manuscript, and cut out about 3 chapters.
June 2, 2010
This book started out really strong with great dialogue and great characters and then it slowly fizzled out and became your usual I love him but he doesn't love me back, woe is me and I want her, I need her, wait, I love her, but sadly she doens't love me so what can I do? Not that this is bad neccessarily, but with such a good start I was expecting a bit more from it.
Izzy, due to a mix-up, gets a ruined reputation and the only way to mend it is for her to marry Julian, the man who inadvertently ruined her. Having a rakish reputation, his father demands he do right by Izzy or face being disinherited. Things progress from there. Izzy goes from a plain, unnoticed spinster to becoming a beautiful, head-strong and self-assured woman, but that is then all thrown away.
This isn't a bad book, just sadly nothing out of the ordinary and it began so much better than that.
There is a sub-plot regarding Celia, a young woman who becomes Izzy's good friend. I guess this plot is to show how little women had control in their married life, but the plot is entirely too way over the top and then it leads nowhere. I thought this would lead to a court drama and more public embarrassment for Izzy being in the situation but this is another bit that just fizzles out and nothing comes from it.
I did enjoy the author's writing style. It is crisp and clean and she has a great vocabulary.
If you love romance novels, you might like this one.
Izzy, due to a mix-up, gets a ruined reputation and the only way to mend it is for her to marry Julian, the man who inadvertently ruined her. Having a rakish reputation, his father demands he do right by Izzy or face being disinherited. Things progress from there. Izzy goes from a plain, unnoticed spinster to becoming a beautiful, head-strong and self-assured woman, but that is then all thrown away.
This isn't a bad book, just sadly nothing out of the ordinary and it began so much better than that.
There is a sub-plot regarding Celia, a young woman who becomes Izzy's good friend. I guess this plot is to show how little women had control in their married life, but the plot is entirely too way over the top and then it leads nowhere. I thought this would lead to a court drama and more public embarrassment for Izzy being in the situation but this is another bit that just fizzles out and nothing comes from it.
I did enjoy the author's writing style. It is crisp and clean and she has a great vocabulary.
If you love romance novels, you might like this one.
July 7, 2009
This was a refreshing book. I found myself laughing, crying, and even fumed to anger along with the characters. I loved every second of the book, and was quite surprised at the turn of events.
This is not a dull simpering romance novel, but rather an enchanting beginning that turned into an amazing author.
I would recommend not only this book, but this author to anyone who likes an amazingly unique romance!
This is not a dull simpering romance novel, but rather an enchanting beginning that turned into an amazing author.
I would recommend not only this book, but this author to anyone who likes an amazingly unique romance!
July 19, 2018
Una historia divertida, refrescante y bonita ❤
December 7, 2017
Well, it was fun at first but then it somehow went downhill for me. They started out as strangers then as friends and then as strangers. I just couldn't get to like the heroine in the middle of the book: she always avoided the Hero. And she's so hard headed that at one point I wanted to strangle her arrggh... well, same goes for the Hero as well.
September 17, 2025
Julián is a man with insecurities who wreaks havoc on the emotions of the people who care about him.
There are good reasons for his emotional immaturity and confusion which are equally frustrating and evoke compassion.
Izzy is wonderful and put through the ringer by Julian and her family. Amidst it all she is the most beloved character in this story.
There are good reasons for his emotional immaturity and confusion which are equally frustrating and evoke compassion.
Izzy is wonderful and put through the ringer by Julian and her family. Amidst it all she is the most beloved character in this story.
April 13, 2020
El libro no me encanto, pero es fácil de leer.
August 18, 2020
Mish mash of drama. It has everything in there including the kitchen sink. Not a worthy read, I'm truly sorry to say :(
May 21, 2013
Fallen. This book really fall from me. At the end of the story I just wondered, why I read this book. Well it's not that bad. It started out good. As I turned the pages, I expected more from the h/h. Then it hit me! From the start of the story, the heroine's character is the caring, happy and generous. Although as the story of the hero unfolds, rather than helping the hero. She went away. If you truly love somebody and even though you have doubts that he doesn't love you. Isn't he worth fighting for. I am so confused with this story. I just can't understand why both the h/h can't talk about their feelings fro each other. Why always the characters are afraid to tell their love for each other. As always in the end, the unfolding of love and feelings appears. It just makes me think that if, in the first place they had confronted their feelings then there will be so much more for this story. The dark past of the hero will be more explored. I liked also to understand why the father of the hero is acting like that? Added to that, what it is the history behind all the past of the hero.
The character of the hero, I can't complain. I liked him but got rather frustrated on how he is dealing with the heroine. Knowing about his past I can't blame him to be like that.
The third parties of the story played out nicely especially the best friend of the hero and the new found friend of the heroine. I just wished they a separated story.
Well the epilogue... just don't like it. I don't know why they have to pretend to kill the hero anyway. This makes me think I will still read her books, in spite of so many good reviews of her books. Maybe someday I will try her other books
Right now I am feeling to give this book 2.5 to 3 stars. Well actually settling for 2.5 stars.
The character of the hero, I can't complain. I liked him but got rather frustrated on how he is dealing with the heroine. Knowing about his past I can't blame him to be like that.
The third parties of the story played out nicely especially the best friend of the hero and the new found friend of the heroine. I just wished they a separated story.
Well the epilogue... just don't like it. I don't know why they have to pretend to kill the hero anyway. This makes me think I will still read her books, in spite of so many good reviews of her books. Maybe someday I will try her other books
Right now I am feeling to give this book 2.5 to 3 stars. Well actually settling for 2.5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2016
Me gusta Celeste Bradley, creo que tiene una forma de escribir muy fluida y en absoluto pesada, no inserta páginas y páginas con tediosas descripciones sino que te lo cuenta todo de forma sencilla pero a la vez extensa.
Le he dado tres estrellas por los siguientes motivos:
1. Es una historia con una trama sencilla que no innova absolutamente nada, es la Regencia inglesa, 1831, pillan a una chica, Izzie, con un hombre, Eppie o Julian, en la cama y están obligados a casarse. Al principio no se aman pero poco a poco van descubriendo que eso no es cierto, pero son tan orgullosos que no lo van a admitir.
2. Hay un título en juego, el protagonista, un hombre disoluto al que su padre no le da ni una sola oportunidad para demostrar su valía ... se ve obligado a casarse si quiere heredar un Ducado.
3. Aquí es cuando empieza lo negativo, para empezar veo algunos personajes muy abstractos, muy simplones como el abuelo y el padre de Julian, son crueles en todo momento, y sus acciones sinceramente, carecen de sentido.
4. Al final los protas se van a Colorado, teniendo en cuenta la época, 1831, me parece un poco extraño que se vayan a una zona inhóspita de Norteamérica, cuando lo lógico es que la gente con una posición elevada fuera a la zona de lo que hoy es Boston, Nueva York ...
Lo que más destaco de la novela es el carácter tan irónico y sarcástico de los protagonistas, sin embargo son cosas que poco a poco va perdiendo, intensidad, chispa ... no es una gran novela, no he sentido mucha conexión con los protagonistas, pero si es entretenida, y está bien escrita.
¿Lo recomiendo?: Sí.
Le he dado tres estrellas por los siguientes motivos:
1. Es una historia con una trama sencilla que no innova absolutamente nada, es la Regencia inglesa, 1831, pillan a una chica, Izzie, con un hombre, Eppie o Julian, en la cama y están obligados a casarse. Al principio no se aman pero poco a poco van descubriendo que eso no es cierto, pero son tan orgullosos que no lo van a admitir.
2. Hay un título en juego, el protagonista, un hombre disoluto al que su padre no le da ni una sola oportunidad para demostrar su valía ... se ve obligado a casarse si quiere heredar un Ducado.
3. Aquí es cuando empieza lo negativo, para empezar veo algunos personajes muy abstractos, muy simplones como el abuelo y el padre de Julian, son crueles en todo momento, y sus acciones sinceramente, carecen de sentido.
4. Al final los protas se van a Colorado, teniendo en cuenta la época, 1831, me parece un poco extraño que se vayan a una zona inhóspita de Norteamérica, cuando lo lógico es que la gente con una posición elevada fuera a la zona de lo que hoy es Boston, Nueva York ...
Lo que más destaco de la novela es el carácter tan irónico y sarcástico de los protagonistas, sin embargo son cosas que poco a poco va perdiendo, intensidad, chispa ... no es una gran novela, no he sentido mucha conexión con los protagonistas, pero si es entretenida, y está bien escrita.
¿Lo recomiendo?: Sí.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2012
FALLEN by Celeste Bradley is an exciting Regency historical romance. "Fallen" is a special re-issue of this author's debut novel. Meet Isadora "Izzy" Temple, a society wallflower and Lord Eppingham Julien Blackworth, a reckless,scandalous bachelor with a bit of laughter,drama,and tears as they try to make the best of a bad situation. When mistaken identity,mistaken room and a little drunkenness a disaster could happen as a scandal is ensured when Lord Julien mistakes Issy's room for another and is found in her bed. Of course,she did bring the house in when she screamed. "Fallen" is filled with witty banter,a scandal or two,passion,desire,sensual tension,secrets,lies,romance,and love. Lord Julien is considered a bad boy and threaten to be disinherited if he does not marry Izzy at once by his father. She on the other hand wants no man to control her,but sees the advantage of a betrothal. She refuses to see Julien ruin by his father.Written with interesting characters,and an interesting plot. A Cinderella story with a twist. Can one's relatives been as spiteful,hateful and underhanded as Izzy's, I think so. But a shame. Izzy will soon have her happy ever after or so we hope. If you enjoy fairy tales with a bit of a twist,historical romance, redemption,honor,and Regency you will enjoy this title. Received for an honest review from the publisher. Details can be found at the author's website,St. Martin's Press, and My Book Addiction and More.
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: MILD
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, My Book Addiction and More/My Book Addiction Reviews
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: MILD
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, My Book Addiction and More/My Book Addiction Reviews
March 24, 2013
Isadora Temple , orphaned at the age of 12 , sent to live with her awful cousin Hildegard who has used heras everything froma governess to cook, think Cinderella ; izzy finds herself at a house party with Hildegard andherdaughter Millie acting Asa ladies maid and just looking forward to crawling ino bed .
While finally in bed she is having erotic dreams of being kissed, touched and pleasures to awake to find a man above her trying to remov her shift, fighting and finally hitting him in the head with a candlestick and screaming the restof the house guests arrive to find the man trying to take advantage of the spinster is non other than Lord Eppingham blackworth, grandson of the Duke of Dearingham.Lord Blackworths father is also in attendance and enraged at his son, shouting about dis inheriting him and berating him in front of the guest. Izzy realizes it was a terrible mistake on his part noticing lady Bottomley in her room visually upset, he apparently got the wrong room.
This incident sets Izzy and Eppingham(Julian) on a path to marriage, but one unwanted by both, so between them a plan is hatched bu over the course of the season, they fall in love with one another. They unfortunately are not good at sharing feelings and this leads to emotional torture , physical separation ll added o by the harshness of Julian's father and Grandfather who bring out the worst in Julian.
Overall I loved this book and Chracters , I found some of the later interactions frustrating especially for two characters who started out actually being at great ease with each other.
While finally in bed she is having erotic dreams of being kissed, touched and pleasures to awake to find a man above her trying to remov her shift, fighting and finally hitting him in the head with a candlestick and screaming the restof the house guests arrive to find the man trying to take advantage of the spinster is non other than Lord Eppingham blackworth, grandson of the Duke of Dearingham.Lord Blackworths father is also in attendance and enraged at his son, shouting about dis inheriting him and berating him in front of the guest. Izzy realizes it was a terrible mistake on his part noticing lady Bottomley in her room visually upset, he apparently got the wrong room.
This incident sets Izzy and Eppingham(Julian) on a path to marriage, but one unwanted by both, so between them a plan is hatched bu over the course of the season, they fall in love with one another. They unfortunately are not good at sharing feelings and this leads to emotional torture , physical separation ll added o by the harshness of Julian's father and Grandfather who bring out the worst in Julian.
Overall I loved this book and Chracters , I found some of the later interactions frustrating especially for two characters who started out actually being at great ease with each other.
May 20, 2010
Fallen is your typical Cinderella type of story except that this Cinderella can stand up for herself! Izzy is what makes this story wonderful and she is solely responsible for the 3 stars that I give this booK. She is truly a likeable heroine! Her wit, honesty, kindness, and sincerity are like breaths of fresh air. You will love her from the very first page and be flipping through pages as fast as you can.....until half way thorugh the book.
At the half way point, this book absolutely falls flat. It goes from being charming and witty to frustrating and totally irritating. Julien has much to do with this! After they share a passionate encounter in the garden...it's all downhhill. Julien avoids Izzy, Izzy avoids Julien, MANY other subplots and characters take main stage and I was wondering if I was reading an entirely new book. I was anxious for this book to end, which is not a good feeling to have. I wish that Bradley would've kept Izzy and Julien likeable and "together". The detour the second half of the book takes "looses you" and you never "find your way back"...if that makes any sense.
Don't know if I can recommend this book, but if you don't mind reading 1/2 a book...the first half is priceless!
At the half way point, this book absolutely falls flat. It goes from being charming and witty to frustrating and totally irritating. Julien has much to do with this! After they share a passionate encounter in the garden...it's all downhhill. Julien avoids Izzy, Izzy avoids Julien, MANY other subplots and characters take main stage and I was wondering if I was reading an entirely new book. I was anxious for this book to end, which is not a good feeling to have. I wish that Bradley would've kept Izzy and Julien likeable and "together". The detour the second half of the book takes "looses you" and you never "find your way back"...if that makes any sense.
Don't know if I can recommend this book, but if you don't mind reading 1/2 a book...the first half is priceless!
July 1, 2013
Very frustrating but good!
The couple had the worst timing, overhearing conversations that made them think the worst, unable to get their moods in sync and with very different expectations out of both life and each other.
Julian is extra thickheaded, refusing to acknowledge his feelings even when they smacked him in the face, but also adorable, since he obviously didn't know how to handle them.
Izzy was a great unconventional character until she started moping, which lost her some points. She redeemed herself by putting her foot down when things got too much for her and taking action.
I enjoyed their story almost as much as it frustrated me, which was quite a bit.
Looking forward to reading more of the author's work (this is her debut book and the first I read), starting with The Pretender.
The couple had the worst timing, overhearing conversations that made them think the worst, unable to get their moods in sync and with very different expectations out of both life and each other.
Julian is extra thickheaded, refusing to acknowledge his feelings even when they smacked him in the face, but also adorable, since he obviously didn't know how to handle them.
Izzy was a great unconventional character until she started moping, which lost her some points. She redeemed herself by putting her foot down when things got too much for her and taking action.
I enjoyed their story almost as much as it frustrated me, which was quite a bit.
Looking forward to reading more of the author's work (this is her debut book and the first I read), starting with The Pretender.
July 2, 2010
Re-Read July 2010
As a huge Celeste Bradley fan, I jumped on the chance to re-read this book.
Izzy tends to be a bit of a Mary Sue, though honestly that didn't really bother me. Both she and Julian, however, were incredibly stubborn which made me want to wring both of their necks half the time :)
It did tend to drag a bit at times, but not too badly that I'd want to put it down.
The epilogue left me begging for a sequel, though, which I have to say is quite annoying.. Aren't epilogues supposed to wrap everything up in a tidy little bow? *shakes head* Don't get me wrong, Julian and Izzy's HEA was solidly illustrated, but it left the perfect opening for a sequel with the last line of the book.
Regardless, it was still an enjoyable read, and I stand by my earlier 3 1/2 Star rating.
As a huge Celeste Bradley fan, I jumped on the chance to re-read this book.
Izzy tends to be a bit of a Mary Sue, though honestly that didn't really bother me. Both she and Julian, however, were incredibly stubborn which made me want to wring both of their necks half the time :)
It did tend to drag a bit at times, but not too badly that I'd want to put it down.
The epilogue left me begging for a sequel, though, which I have to say is quite annoying.. Aren't epilogues supposed to wrap everything up in a tidy little bow? *shakes head* Don't get me wrong, Julian and Izzy's HEA was solidly illustrated, but it left the perfect opening for a sequel with the last line of the book.
Regardless, it was still an enjoyable read, and I stand by my earlier 3 1/2 Star rating.
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