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C Series #6
To Wed a Stranger
Is it possible? The breathtaking Lady Annabelle has actually agreed to marry, sight unseen, a gentleman of her father's choosing -- the self-proclaimed "exceptionally average" Miles Croft. The ton is aghast! After scandalously toying with so many hearts, why is the exquisite Annabelle chaining herself to the new Viscount Pelham, a complete -- albeit most attractive -- stranger? Could it be that her own heart has been irreparably shattered, and she wants nothing more to do with romance?
Yet there is certainly nothing "average" about their wedding night! There is magic in Miles's touch, and the smoldering ecstasy it ignites threatens to consume them both. Dare Annabelle dream this is the one passionate and enduring love she ached for in secret, but never dreamed she'd be worthy of? Might this tender, mysterious lover truly be the scarlet lady's redemption -- and could she be Miles's as well?
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 25, 2003
34 people are currently reading
349 people want to read
About the author
Edith Layton
80 books103 followersEdith Layton wrote her first novel when she was ten. She bought a marbleized notebook and set out to write a story that would fit between its covers. Now, an award-winning author with more than thirty novels and numerous novellas to her credit, her criteria have changed. The story has to fit the reader as well as between the covers.
Graduating from Hunter College in New York City with a degree in creative writing and theater, Edith worked for various media, including a radio station and a major motion picture company. She married and went to suburbia, where she was fruitful and multiplied to the tune of three children. Her eldest, Michael, is a social worker and artist in NYC. Adam is a writer and performer on NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Daughter Susie is a professional writer, comedian and performer who works in television.
Publishers Weekly called Edith Layton "one of romance's most gifted writers." Layton has enthralled readers and critics with books that capture the spirit of historically distant places and peoples. "What I've found," she says, "is that life was very different in every era, but that love and love of life is always the same."
Layton won an RT Book Reviews Career Achievement award for the Historical genre in 2003 and a Reviewers' Choice award for her book The Conquest in 2001. Amazon.com's top reviewer called Layton's Alas, My Love (April 2005, Avon Books), "a wonderful historical." And her recent release, Bride Enchanted, is a Romantic Times 2007 Reviewers' Choice Award Nominee.
Edith Layton lived on Long Island where she devoted time as a volunteer for the North Shore Animal League , the world's largest no-kill pet rescue and adoption organization. Her dog Daisy --adopted herself from a shelter-- is just one member of Layton's household menagerie.
Edith Layton passed away on June 1, 2009 from ovarian cancer.
Graduating from Hunter College in New York City with a degree in creative writing and theater, Edith worked for various media, including a radio station and a major motion picture company. She married and went to suburbia, where she was fruitful and multiplied to the tune of three children. Her eldest, Michael, is a social worker and artist in NYC. Adam is a writer and performer on NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Daughter Susie is a professional writer, comedian and performer who works in television.
Publishers Weekly called Edith Layton "one of romance's most gifted writers." Layton has enthralled readers and critics with books that capture the spirit of historically distant places and peoples. "What I've found," she says, "is that life was very different in every era, but that love and love of life is always the same."
Layton won an RT Book Reviews Career Achievement award for the Historical genre in 2003 and a Reviewers' Choice award for her book The Conquest in 2001. Amazon.com's top reviewer called Layton's Alas, My Love (April 2005, Avon Books), "a wonderful historical." And her recent release, Bride Enchanted, is a Romantic Times 2007 Reviewers' Choice Award Nominee.
Edith Layton lived on Long Island where she devoted time as a volunteer for the North Shore Animal League , the world's largest no-kill pet rescue and adoption organization. Her dog Daisy --adopted herself from a shelter-- is just one member of Layton's household menagerie.
Edith Layton passed away on June 1, 2009 from ovarian cancer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
April 8, 2013
Kind of disappointing. The heroine gets sick and, inevitably, the traditional male doctor is unable to cure her. All seems lost until the cheerful local woman with the herbs shows up and saves the day. Of course she does. She's probably descended from druids or witches or some other equally tedious group of non-existent goddess-worshiping herb growers from ye olde past. The rest of the book -- which is not short -- revolves around whether or not the heroine will get her looks back.
At least it wasn't necessary for the cheerful local woman to invent penicillin in order to save the heroine -- I kept expecting her to whip out her "special mold."
Apparently also, losing one's looks consists of having one's hair cut off and losing weight which means that even if the heroine is now too unattractive to have the man she loves, she should at least be able to get an Academy Award out of it.
At least it wasn't necessary for the cheerful local woman to invent penicillin in order to save the heroine -- I kept expecting her to whip out her "special mold."
Apparently also, losing one's looks consists of having one's hair cut off and losing weight which means that even if the heroine is now too unattractive to have the man she loves, she should at least be able to get an Academy Award out of it.
January 1, 2019
Lady Annabelle has had a bad go of it with dudes lately, so she gets married to the new-to-town Miles Croft, Viscount Pelham. They have awkward sex which is immediately followed by Annabelle getting very, very sick (no magic penis cure here, folks); when she recovers, it's to discover that she's LOST HER LOOKS OMG which throws a wrench into the whole "marriage of convenience" thing—OR DOES IT DUN DUN DUN.
1. Spoiler: she gets her looks back. SIGH.
2. I'm going to ABSOLUTELY return to complaining about the reliance upon looks in this book because OF COURSE I AM but I do want to first acknowledge that this book does do a decent job of telling a marriage of convenience story. Both Miles and Annabelle realize they want more from their alliance, and Annabelle struggles with multiple reminders that Miles really only sought her for her looks and position in society—which are threatened by her recovery.
3. But ultimately the entire construct falls flat because Miles is a sad trombone of a hero. He marries Annabelle for her looks. Then when she's lying desperately ill, he ~~~realizes the depths of his mistake in marrying a woman he doesn't love. Then he's basically repulsed by Annabelle until she makes a move on him (and his doctor friend confirms that Miles should have sex with his wife because it will HELP IN HER RECOVERY as a confidence boost WTF) AND THEN—AND THEN, ladies & gentleman—he decides he's IN LOVE WITH HER.
Of course, this is right when Annabelle, blossoming under the attentions of her husband and the increased sense of self she has cultivated during her recovery, makes her re-entrance into society to help Miles's sister make a match. She is a smashing success! Dances all the dances!!
And Miles HATES IT because obviously she's just a shallow, selfish lady who is going to cheat on him all over the place because ... that's what he would do if he didn't love her????????? I MEAN? Ultimately, he treats her coldly af until confessing his feelings which are OF COURSE reciprocated. LOVE, AMIRITE.
4. As much as I disliked the hyper-fixation on Annabelle's looks, her inner development was not badly done. She has only been valued for her looks (for the most part) and so she struggles with defining herself outside of that particular set of parameters...kind of. It's undermined by some weird sexist quirks of the narrative (Annabelle has no female friends because she's such a beautiful rival! And, therefore, once she recovers and discovers ladies are actually friendly to her now it's either because she's married or not beautiful! NOT BECAUSE MAYBE SHE WAS KIND OF A SELFISH MONSTER RIGHT?), and there's also the fact that none of it matters because SHE IS STILL ACTUALLY BEAUTIFUL. Anything she might have "learned" by the end of the book is immediately overwritten by the text helpfully pointing out that she came out the other side of her recovery probably EVEN MORE LOVELY THEN SHE HAD BEEN BEFORE HER ILLNESS. As if that's what truly matters in all of this: how she looks. :|
5. Annabelle's parents pull some "this secret was kept from you for your own good; DO U FORGIVE US Y/Y" bullshit which is semi-handwaved away. DISAPPOINT.
6. All that aside: Layton's prose is pretty solid and I do like her world-building for the most part! A very mediocre MOC book, all in all.
1. Spoiler: she gets her looks back. SIGH.
2. I'm going to ABSOLUTELY return to complaining about the reliance upon looks in this book because OF COURSE I AM but I do want to first acknowledge that this book does do a decent job of telling a marriage of convenience story. Both Miles and Annabelle realize they want more from their alliance, and Annabelle struggles with multiple reminders that Miles really only sought her for her looks and position in society—which are threatened by her recovery.
3. But ultimately the entire construct falls flat because Miles is a sad trombone of a hero. He marries Annabelle for her looks. Then when she's lying desperately ill, he ~~~realizes the depths of his mistake in marrying a woman he doesn't love. Then he's basically repulsed by Annabelle until she makes a move on him (and his doctor friend confirms that Miles should have sex with his wife because it will HELP IN HER RECOVERY as a confidence boost WTF) AND THEN—AND THEN, ladies & gentleman—he decides he's IN LOVE WITH HER.
Of course, this is right when Annabelle, blossoming under the attentions of her husband and the increased sense of self she has cultivated during her recovery, makes her re-entrance into society to help Miles's sister make a match. She is a smashing success! Dances all the dances!!
And Miles HATES IT because obviously she's just a shallow, selfish lady who is going to cheat on him all over the place because ... that's what he would do if he didn't love her????????? I MEAN? Ultimately, he treats her coldly af until confessing his feelings which are OF COURSE reciprocated. LOVE, AMIRITE.
4. As much as I disliked the hyper-fixation on Annabelle's looks, her inner development was not badly done. She has only been valued for her looks (for the most part) and so she struggles with defining herself outside of that particular set of parameters...kind of. It's undermined by some weird sexist quirks of the narrative (Annabelle has no female friends because she's such a beautiful rival! And, therefore, once she recovers and discovers ladies are actually friendly to her now it's either because she's married or not beautiful! NOT BECAUSE MAYBE SHE WAS KIND OF A SELFISH MONSTER RIGHT?), and there's also the fact that none of it matters because SHE IS STILL ACTUALLY BEAUTIFUL. Anything she might have "learned" by the end of the book is immediately overwritten by the text helpfully pointing out that she came out the other side of her recovery probably EVEN MORE LOVELY THEN SHE HAD BEEN BEFORE HER ILLNESS. As if that's what truly matters in all of this: how she looks. :|
5. Annabelle's parents pull some "this secret was kept from you for your own good; DO U FORGIVE US Y/Y" bullshit which is semi-handwaved away. DISAPPOINT.
6. All that aside: Layton's prose is pretty solid and I do like her world-building for the most part! A very mediocre MOC book, all in all.
December 24, 2018
Great story. Miles was so sweet I wanted to be sick so he would take care of me. Belle was great and you really just wanted her to feel better, strong and confident again. Lots of lessons about appearance and the value judgments made because of them. Very relevant points on how women are brought up with this overwhelming pressure, to think that most of what makes them worthwhile is in their looks and figure.
I also really admired that the sex wasnt magically amazing from the get go, for once a book acknowledged that two people jumping into the physical together without a connection, or even mild friendship felt awkward and uncomfortable after.
I even liked that she didn't enjoy it despite their attraction to each other, oh and especially that the man acknowledged feeling empty after.
I was a bit curious as to why everyone thought having shorn hair and being skinny equated with ugliness to the extent that those who knew her previously had to draw back in shock.
She hadn't any pockmarks on her face. No disfiguring scars across the cheek. I was wondering the whole time how pretty could she really have been if weight loss and paleness erased it all. Didn't she have good facial bones and structure?
What's going to happen when she gets old if simply being skinny after an illness makes her so supposedly hideous?
You'd think folks would simply want to fatten her up, not draw back like a vampire from the sun, or cry out "You Monster!" It was all rather condescending. People's reactions.
Not much else to say to the negatives. Although coming straight from reading Heyer, who is very particular about proper forms of address, I noticed errors in this more than I would usually. Such as when Belle's father was referred to as Earl Wylde rather than Lord Wylde or more formally The Earl of Wylde as in the example below-
“I saw the opportunity and I took it,” Earl Wylde told his son-in-law.
All in all a very nice couple and interesting story without too many awkward contortions to force unnecessary conflicts to the plot. The author was ok with keeping things quiet and relatively realistic.
Hated the mother-in-law. She really ought to have got out and to that dower house. Really nothing worse than a underhand sly person constantly niggling at you. Rest of the family was nice, although Miles brother Bernard didn't get enough "screen time" to make him feel like an actual fleshed out presence rather than a cardboard cutout.
I also really admired that the sex wasnt magically amazing from the get go, for once a book acknowledged that two people jumping into the physical together without a connection, or even mild friendship felt awkward and uncomfortable after.
I even liked that she didn't enjoy it despite their attraction to each other, oh and especially that the man acknowledged feeling empty after.
I was a bit curious as to why everyone thought having shorn hair and being skinny equated with ugliness to the extent that those who knew her previously had to draw back in shock.
She hadn't any pockmarks on her face. No disfiguring scars across the cheek. I was wondering the whole time how pretty could she really have been if weight loss and paleness erased it all. Didn't she have good facial bones and structure?
What's going to happen when she gets old if simply being skinny after an illness makes her so supposedly hideous?
You'd think folks would simply want to fatten her up, not draw back like a vampire from the sun, or cry out "You Monster!" It was all rather condescending. People's reactions.
Not much else to say to the negatives. Although coming straight from reading Heyer, who is very particular about proper forms of address, I noticed errors in this more than I would usually. Such as when Belle's father was referred to as Earl Wylde rather than Lord Wylde or more formally The Earl of Wylde as in the example below-
“I saw the opportunity and I took it,” Earl Wylde told his son-in-law.
All in all a very nice couple and interesting story without too many awkward contortions to force unnecessary conflicts to the plot. The author was ok with keeping things quiet and relatively realistic.
Hated the mother-in-law. She really ought to have got out and to that dower house. Really nothing worse than a underhand sly person constantly niggling at you. Rest of the family was nice, although Miles brother Bernard didn't get enough "screen time" to make him feel like an actual fleshed out presence rather than a cardboard cutout.
March 22, 2019
*****Spoilers*****
A re-read of this Regency. Frankly I liked it better nearly 6
years ago. The late Edith Layton, normally dependable,
disappointed me this time.
Lady Annabelle ("Belle") spoiled, selfish, beautiful, earl's
dtr, felt forced into a MOC w/ ordinary Miles (a viscount)
of average looks and height. Lady A. became ill w/ influenza
& fever on her honeymoon. The physician recommended
having her black locks (not red like on the cover) cut v short,
& engaged in blistering and cupping her: the latter resulting
in scars. She nearly died. Much later, Belle learned the truth
RE her father's double life.
The h, a former "pocket Venus," bemoaned her ugliness
& loss of her curvy body. She wanted all eyes on her when
she entered a room as in her golden days. She compared
Miles in her mind, too much to her former beaus, when
Miles was clearly the best man. She encountered a former
beau later in the story, who said she'd been the "Queen of
flirtation" & loved to torment men. So she idealized her past
& lacked honestly w/ herself till nearly too late.
Easy-on-the-eyes Miles had an honorable character, also
had a tactless and mean-spirited mother. She added too
much angst to the story. Miles deserved better than these
2 superficial women in his life. At least his sister Cam was
genuine, added humor, and appreciated him. Eventually
Belle came full circle.
July 11, 2016
I really liked this novel, not as much for the hero, Miles, but for the brave and valiant heroine, Annabelle. Throughout the novel there was much discourse on the importance of appearance and having the aptitude to see beyond an elegant facade, but I think Annabelle stayed most true to her true self than Miles did with his guilt and self-remorse. Then again, perhaps I would have felt kinder towards him if he had always remained the kind man who nursed Annabelle back to the living, or perhaps if all the villains and everything that wrought tears from me wasn't a result of his circumstances. Regardless, I am glad to have read this on my Layton journey.
September 28, 2010
What I liked about this book was that it was a true marriage of convenience, and that it took work on both sides to achieve a Happily Ever After. Lady Annabelle's transformation seemed sincere since we see her reflecting on the popularity of her sister-in-law, despite being plain. The relationship between Lady Annabelle and her husband grew slowly as they went from strangers to lovers to acknowledged soulmates. It was this slow pace that enabled me to feel that this relationship worked.
What I did not like about this book is that it felt as if I was reading about modern-day people in historical trappings. Also, there was a discovery in this book that really made me feel ambivalent about this book. I enjoyed this book on the strength of Lady Annabelle's transformation and growing relationship with her husband, but I wouldn't want to read it again because of what happened below:
SPOILER:
The discovery about her father was distasteful to me. I felt sorry for him and his two families. I understood and sympathized with his desire for love. But I was also all too easily able to put myself into Lady Annabelle's shoes, and I felt as shocked and hurt as she did. I know that I would never want to experience such a discovery myself, and to empathize with her to such a degree as I did in a book I read for escapism made me feel dissatisfied and upset.
Note: I did not read any of the earlier books in which Lady Annabelle made an appearance, and I am glad that I did not. I liked her character in this book, and I feel that I might have felt a bit differently had I encountered her as she was in the other books.
What I did not like about this book is that it felt as if I was reading about modern-day people in historical trappings. Also, there was a discovery in this book that really made me feel ambivalent about this book. I enjoyed this book on the strength of Lady Annabelle's transformation and growing relationship with her husband, but I wouldn't want to read it again because of what happened below:
SPOILER:
The discovery about her father was distasteful to me. I felt sorry for him and his two families. I understood and sympathized with his desire for love. But I was also all too easily able to put myself into Lady Annabelle's shoes, and I felt as shocked and hurt as she did. I know that I would never want to experience such a discovery myself, and to empathize with her to such a degree as I did in a book I read for escapism made me feel dissatisfied and upset.
Note: I did not read any of the earlier books in which Lady Annabelle made an appearance, and I am glad that I did not. I liked her character in this book, and I feel that I might have felt a bit differently had I encountered her as she was in the other books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2022
An unsettling HR. Well-written, of course, because Edith Layton is often incisive, frequently amusing, and rarely anachronistic. But the relentless focus on physical beauty (albeit corrected at the end) is distinctly off-putting.
The plot of TWAS is based on the premises that:
(1) Annabelle defines herself and is defined by others solely on her remarkable beauty. Before the books opens, she has been jilted by three men (I think she must be a side-character in other Layton books where these men are the MCs), and possibly in consequence has no confidence in anything but her looks. It's a considerable weakness that we don't get to understand why she's been passed over, because her unbalanced understanding is...not attractive, and it persists for most of the book.
(2)
Other than that? Well, Miles is an attractive MC even if his neuroses are overshadowed by his wife's, and there is, natch, an HEA.
Recommended if you are into eye-rolling.
The plot of TWAS is based on the premises that:
(1) Annabelle defines herself and is defined by others solely on her remarkable beauty. Before the books opens, she has been jilted by three men (I think she must be a side-character in other Layton books where these men are the MCs), and possibly in consequence has no confidence in anything but her looks. It's a considerable weakness that we don't get to understand why she's been passed over, because her unbalanced understanding is...not attractive, and it persists for most of the book.
(2)
Other than that? Well, Miles is an attractive MC even if his neuroses are overshadowed by his wife's, and there is, natch, an HEA.
Recommended if you are into eye-rolling.
October 18, 2020
Beauty loses her looks for awhile and as a result her new personality starts to shine through. Falls slowly in love with her husband. It was somewhat awkward with her interacting with three of the other guys in the previous series who ended up rejecting her (the beauty of the ton) for their wives. Some of the compliments the her old loves gave her in this book were awkward. First read...3 stars
Reread: 4 stars Annabelle and Miles On this reread I was was able to get over the awkwardness of her past loves always going on about her beauty. I still think them complimenting her each time they saw her strange even though the author makes it clear the married ones prefer their wives. Still not a fan of them gushing over her even when she was not as beautiful. However, this time I was able to enjoy the dynamics of two people who married, but were not in love with each other. Annabelle's self worth was heavily invested in her beauty. When she got sick and lost her beauty even Miles had a hard time looking at her or thinking of having any sexy time with her. However, this gave them time to know one another and to slowly fall in love. I thought it kind of clever how the author kept her somewhat vain about beauty. (ie even near the end Annabelle was shocked that his not so beautiful sister had so many men interested in her.) Annabelle also handled finding out that her dad was part time living with his mistress and had two children with the mistress seemed authentic.
Reread: 4 stars Annabelle and Miles On this reread I was was able to get over the awkwardness of her past loves always going on about her beauty. I still think them complimenting her each time they saw her strange even though the author makes it clear the married ones prefer their wives. Still not a fan of them gushing over her even when she was not as beautiful. However, this time I was able to enjoy the dynamics of two people who married, but were not in love with each other. Annabelle's self worth was heavily invested in her beauty. When she got sick and lost her beauty even Miles had a hard time looking at her or thinking of having any sexy time with her. However, this gave them time to know one another and to slowly fall in love. I thought it kind of clever how the author kept her somewhat vain about beauty. (ie even near the end Annabelle was shocked that his not so beautiful sister had so many men interested in her.) Annabelle also handled finding out that her dad was part time living with his mistress and had two children with the mistress seemed authentic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2012
I liked this book because it was a little different from the typical romance. I liked that they fell in love after they were married, I liked that the heroine actually trusted her husband enough to confess her problems. That is my pet peeve in romance books, when the entire plot could be solved by the main characters having one conversation, and the main character, usually the heroine, refuses to spill! So I admired that she actually told her husband what was going on...even if it took a while. Now the main hero can be a bit of a bastard sometimes, and that is annoying. He also seemed to have to repeat to himself alot in his inner monologue, and at odd times too, that he didn't love his wife and then why he married her anyway...blah blah blah. I got it in the opening chapter, thanks, wish we could have had a few other thoughts thrown in. But still I found the fact that the main conflict in the story was the main characters emotions on realizing what it meant to be married to a stranger very interesting and even a bit original. I recommend.
October 11, 2015
I love a good marriage of convenience story, and this almost was one. Unfortunately it succumbed to that most common of romance novel maladies, Contrived Relationship Difficulties. This sickness is often seen when the hero and heroine's relationship has developed to the point that they are ready for their HEA, but - oh damn! - the author still needs another 100 pages. Symptoms include Misunderstandings No Reasonable Humans Would Have, Ever, and I Cannot Talk to My Partner About This Problem That Has Just Cropped Up, Because Reasons.
But still and all the first two thirds were enjoyable.
But still and all the first two thirds were enjoyable.
April 21, 2009
I liked this book very much. It's a very sweet love story, with a few mystery twists near the end, very fast pacing and heart-warming. The hero was so tender and caring, the heroine though not perfect was not stupid or hauty either. She is eager to learn from her mistakes and become a better person and good wife even if she has to lose her beauty to realise that it's the inner beauty that truly counts. I really came to care for both and found their insecurities both realistic and endearing as well. Highly recommended.
February 16, 2010
Even though I skimped most of the book...I do appreciate Ms. Layton's effort to incorporate the "beauty" issue of our reality...I think this was inspired thour her battle with cancer...R.I.P. Edith Layton
January 15, 2014
I think this is the best married-to-a-stranger book I've ever read. Ending was a tad messy, but I forgive it.
April 22, 2016
While not a great work of literature, I must say that this book is a perfect example of a trope--in this case, Arranged Marriage Turns Into Love Match--done well. Miles and Belle are completely real from the start, I appreciated the acknowledgment of how female friendships can and do turn into rivalries, and although there were a couple of instances where I was yelling at the page "If you would just TALK TO HIM, this issue would be RESOLVED!", it never reached frustrating levels. I enjoyed this book, and plan to read more of Layton.
May 29, 2013
I enjoyed this rather atypical marriage of convenience story. While it did drag in places, overall it was a very enjoyable read. It got four stars instead of three because the heroine not much of a spoiler, just fyi.
February 8, 2013
A really great read! Plenty of drama to keep the story interesting. Very well paced and nice narrative. A really sweet story at points and at other parts gut wrenching. Can't wait for more of the series!
May 11, 2021
An interesting approach to a Regency novel. If a woman who defines herself based on her looks loses them, what does she do? I had expected the next book in this series to be about Annabelle and Eric, so I was totally confused when the book started with Annabelle's wedding to someone not introduced in previous books in the series. Who is Miles Croft? I spent a delightful three hundred plus pages finding out. I didn't always like him, just as I didn't always like Annabelle in the previous books, but Ms. Layton does an excellent job of showing how and why a character can change. Miles isn't as superficial as I first thought, and Annabelle has a backbone after all. Even her mother rose in my estimation. It is always nice to find someone to like in someone you previously weren't sure about.
March 16, 2018
Ho apprezzato di più altri romanzi di Edith Layton (The Duke's Wager è per me il suo migliore) nei quali riesce a tenere saldamente in pugno la storia (e il lettore) fino all'ultima riga dell'ultima pagina. In questo caso, la prima parte si strascina un po', e gli avvenimenti cominciano a prendere un certo ritmo solo quando chi legge comincia a chiedersi se vale davvero la pena di continuare. Al contrario, negli ultimi capitoli si susseguono rapidi i colpi di scena: li avrei accettati tutti, ma non ho sopportato di vedere trasformato in eroe un personaggio che, ben sapendo che la propria squallida doppia vita è dovuta a un matrimonio di convenienza, non ha esitato a costringere la figlia a intraprendere la stessa strada...
September 29, 2017
There's just something about this book. I've read it a few times, and it always seems to me that it was written by a woman with a lot of hard-earned wisdom. Quite a bit of the book involves Lady Annabelle's recovery from a debilitating illness which caused her to lose her hair. I'm not sure how autobiographical that was for Ms. Layton, but she wrote about it with much compassion for all parties involved. And then I'm always a sucker for a marriage of convenience plot line.
July 20, 2017
Good to try last page
I thought Edith created an excellent plot with interesting, well developed characters. The only thing I found the least bit negative was the fact that there were too many references to the main character having lost her looks. It seemed a little forced to me and not realistic.y
I thought Edith created an excellent plot with interesting, well developed characters. The only thing I found the least bit negative was the fact that there were too many references to the main character having lost her looks. It seemed a little forced to me and not realistic.y
December 4, 2019
Layton is another old favorite of mine, and this story does not disappoint. The only point that had me ever so slight gnashing my teeth was when they returned to London and dove head first into misconceptions about each other. Interestingly, the return to surface, so to speak, was quick and abrupt, as though the author realized that it was all rather out of character. A good read.
February 1, 2020
I was somewhat ambivalent about whether to give this book a one star rating or two stars. In the end I decided two was perhaps the fairest though it really deserves one and a half. In short the story was rather dull the characters cardboard characters and rather bland. And I would not have forgiven the Earl as Belle as I did not think he deserved it.
April 18, 2020
While not my favorite in this series, Annabelle has been the "villain" in enough of the series that it was refreshing to see her become a bit more human. There's a comeuppance (not the marriage) and a delightful romance embedded in that comeuppance.
December 28, 2021
I absolutely loathe her father. This books encourages, applauds, and excuses cheating and adultery. Her father doesn't and will never deserve her forgiveness. He was absent all her life while playing house with his mistress 🙄. Not recommended. ❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2018
Good but a bit long
I liked most of it. It had some good twists and turns. But a lot of unnecessary stuff too. Overall good but a tad long
I liked most of it. It had some good twists and turns. But a lot of unnecessary stuff too. Overall good but a tad long
April 18, 2020
Read thins long time a go ,but it was good and liked that change of heroin being taken care of .
July 2, 2025
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. There were parts I loved and parts I didn’t. RTC
December 19, 2015
The book was really nice overall but did not strike any deep cords within me. This was surprising since Layton covered some very sensitive and intense topics. Coming to terms with your loss of beauty especially if you thought of that as your only desirable trait is difficult and Layton covered the anguish and distress of Annabelle pretty well.
Miles' character was more obscure, since he lacked any deeper connection with Belle, it was his sense of humanity that made him take care of her in the beginning. While on one hand, Layton made him out to be a perfect guy who took care of a perfect stranger and fought for her health and sanity later on,she gave him some conflicting personality traits too. Why did he marry Annabelle when he thought so less of her character, if he thought she made a habit of ensnaring men and playing with their hearts? There must have been other women, with pristine reputations, who were not subjects of gossip whom he could marry to better his family's social standing. And once he had married her,learnt of her character and even fell for her, how could he think so badly of her and not even give her a chance to defend herself? I thought they reconciled too soon after Miles deeply wounded Annabelle with his lack of faith in her. One minute she thought she'd never speak to him again and in the next paragraph they are together again. Miles did not even apologize for his demeaning accusations.
Most of all I hated Alyce's character and while I understood that she was one of the minor villains, it was Miles' treatment of her that was insupportable. You are not supposed to bend over backwards and give excuses for selfish, unfeeling and vicious people even if they are your parents. He would just shush her whenever she started crying after saying something deeply wounding to Annabelle. It was so obvious to everyone except him that she was putting up an act. Such underhanded comments and actions destroy families and allowing it to continue shows how Miles did not have a very strong character. It was only when his mother went overboard and threatened his family's very survival that he decided that she should live elsewhere.
Miles' character was more obscure, since he lacked any deeper connection with Belle, it was his sense of humanity that made him take care of her in the beginning. While on one hand, Layton made him out to be a perfect guy who took care of a perfect stranger and fought for her health and sanity later on,she gave him some conflicting personality traits too. Why did he marry Annabelle when he thought so less of her character, if he thought she made a habit of ensnaring men and playing with their hearts? There must have been other women, with pristine reputations, who were not subjects of gossip whom he could marry to better his family's social standing. And once he had married her,learnt of her character and even fell for her, how could he think so badly of her and not even give her a chance to defend herself? I thought they reconciled too soon after Miles deeply wounded Annabelle with his lack of faith in her. One minute she thought she'd never speak to him again and in the next paragraph they are together again. Miles did not even apologize for his demeaning accusations.
Most of all I hated Alyce's character and while I understood that she was one of the minor villains, it was Miles' treatment of her that was insupportable. You are not supposed to bend over backwards and give excuses for selfish, unfeeling and vicious people even if they are your parents. He would just shush her whenever she started crying after saying something deeply wounding to Annabelle. It was so obvious to everyone except him that she was putting up an act. Such underhanded comments and actions destroy families and allowing it to continue shows how Miles did not have a very strong character. It was only when his mother went overboard and threatened his family's very survival that he decided that she should live elsewhere.
February 17, 2014
The book was really nice overall but did not strike any deep cords within me. This was surprising since Layton covered some very sensitive and intense topics. Coming to terms with your loss of beauty especially if you thought of that as your only desirable trait is difficult and Layton covered the anguish and distress of Annabelle pretty well.
Miles' character was more obscure, since he lacked any deeper connection with Belle, it was his sense of humanity that made him take care of her in the beginning. While on one hand, Layton made him out to be a perfect guy who took care of a perfect stranger and fought for her health and sanity later on,she gave him some conflicting personality traits too. Why did he marry Annabelle when he thought so less of her character, if he thought she made a habit of ensnaring men and playing with their hearts? There must have been other women, with pristine reputations, who were not subjects of gossip whom he could marry to better his family's social standing. And once he had married her,learnt of her character and even fell for her, how could he think so badly of her and not even give her a chance to defend herself? I thought they reconciled too soon after Miles deeply wounded Annabelle with his lack of faith in her. One minute she thought she'd never speak to him again and in the next paragraph they are together again. Miles did not even apologize for his demeaning accusations.
Most of all I hated Alyce's character and while I understood that she was one of the minor villains, it was Miles' treatment of her that was insupportable. You are not supposed to bend over backwards and give excuses for selfish, unfeeling and vicious people even if they are your parents. He would just shush her whenever she started crying after saying something deeply wounding to Annabelle. It was so obvious to everyone except him that she was putting up an act. Such underhanded comments and actions destroy families and allowing it to continue shows how Miles did not have a very strong character. It was only when his mother went overboard and threatened his family's very survival that he decided that she should live elsewhere.
Miles' character was more obscure, since he lacked any deeper connection with Belle, it was his sense of humanity that made him take care of her in the beginning. While on one hand, Layton made him out to be a perfect guy who took care of a perfect stranger and fought for her health and sanity later on,she gave him some conflicting personality traits too. Why did he marry Annabelle when he thought so less of her character, if he thought she made a habit of ensnaring men and playing with their hearts? There must have been other women, with pristine reputations, who were not subjects of gossip whom he could marry to better his family's social standing. And once he had married her,learnt of her character and even fell for her, how could he think so badly of her and not even give her a chance to defend herself? I thought they reconciled too soon after Miles deeply wounded Annabelle with his lack of faith in her. One minute she thought she'd never speak to him again and in the next paragraph they are together again. Miles did not even apologize for his demeaning accusations.
Most of all I hated Alyce's character and while I understood that she was one of the minor villains, it was Miles' treatment of her that was insupportable. You are not supposed to bend over backwards and give excuses for selfish, unfeeling and vicious people even if they are your parents. He would just shush her whenever she started crying after saying something deeply wounding to Annabelle. It was so obvious to everyone except him that she was putting up an act. Such underhanded comments and actions destroy families and allowing it to continue shows how Miles did not have a very strong character. It was only when his mother went overboard and threatened his family's very survival that he decided that she should live elsewhere.
July 27, 2018
2.5/5
Not sure how a spell of the flu could so drastically change a person physically that they're not recognizable anymore. That crutch really weakened the plot, but it was otherwise a cute story. I didn't mind the heroine who, as far as I can remember, didn't have any TSTL moments and actually developed emotionally as the pages progressed.
EDIT:
Not sure how a spell of the flu could so drastically change a person physically that they're not recognizable anymore. That crutch really weakened the plot, but it was otherwise a cute story. I didn't mind the heroine who, as far as I can remember, didn't have any TSTL moments and actually developed emotionally as the pages progressed.
EDIT:
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