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Rules for the Reckless #1
That Scandalous Summer
One Daring Widow
In the social whirl of Victorian England, Elizabeth Chudderley is at the top of every guest list, the life of every party, and the belle of every ball. But her friends and admirers would be stunned to know the truth: that the merriest widow in London is also the loneliest. Behind the gaiety and smiles lies a secret longing -- for something, or someone, to whisk her away ...
One Reluctant Suitor
Raised in scandal, Lord Michael de Grey is convinced that love is a losing gamble -- and seduction the only game worth playing. But when duty threatens to trump everything he desires, the only way out is marriage to a woman of his brother’s choosing. Elizabeth Chudderley is delightful, delicious -- and distressingly attractive. With such a captivating opponent, Michael isn’t quite sure who is winning the game. How can such passionate players negotiate a marriage of necessity -- when their hearts have needs of their own?
In the social whirl of Victorian England, Elizabeth Chudderley is at the top of every guest list, the life of every party, and the belle of every ball. But her friends and admirers would be stunned to know the truth: that the merriest widow in London is also the loneliest. Behind the gaiety and smiles lies a secret longing -- for something, or someone, to whisk her away ...
One Reluctant Suitor
Raised in scandal, Lord Michael de Grey is convinced that love is a losing gamble -- and seduction the only game worth playing. But when duty threatens to trump everything he desires, the only way out is marriage to a woman of his brother’s choosing. Elizabeth Chudderley is delightful, delicious -- and distressingly attractive. With such a captivating opponent, Michael isn’t quite sure who is winning the game. How can such passionate players negotiate a marriage of necessity -- when their hearts have needs of their own?
372 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 29, 2013
252 people are currently reading
3132 people want to read
About the author
Meredith Duran
18 books1,832 followersMEREDITH DURAN blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history. She is the author of twelve novels, all published by Pocket Books. Her debut, The Duke of Shadows, has been translated into thirteen languages and was ranked among the top 100 romances of all time by NPR and All About Romance. Her other books include RITA award winner Fool Me Twice and her February 2017 release, A Lady's Code of Misconduct, which was called one of the best romances of the year by BookList and Amazon, and received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus, the latter of which opined: “This book weaves its spell so thoroughly that the most fortunate reader will be the one who has time to read the entire thing in one sitting.” Her next release, THE SINS OF LORD LOCKWOOD, hits the shelves on February 27, 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 372 reviews
June 21, 2023
I almost gave this an extra star when the last like 10% finally got a little interesting but the way the conflict with the hero's brother was handled just left me wanting. This was my first Meredith Duran book and while I did enjoy her writing style for the most part, this one wasn't a winner for me. I just did not care for the story or the couple. I also found it an odd choice to pick a reckless merry widow with some anti-heroine greyish character qualities for the very first book in a series but that's just me.
My biggest problem was I found the heroine Elizabeth to be too vain, flighty, self-absorbed and ridiculous for too long in this. Main reason I powered through was because I wanted to see if she would grow up and try to be better and I didn't really see that until the very end of the story. I wanted her to surprise me and she didn't. I don't mind reckless hellion heroines (in fact they are one of my favorite character tropes if written right) but you got to give me something to balance out all the flaws. I mean she acknowledges she has poor judgement skills but does nothing to correct it. And that's my hang up. She put me in mind of Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind; Her dialogue, her mannerisms, how she puts on airs, her condensation, and that viper tongue. That whole burgundy velvet drapes! scene would have ol' Scarlett girl quivering in delight.
She likes to make jokes at other people's expense as a form of sport, including the hero. She always wants to be entertained and finds insults amusing and it goes on for far too long for reasons I really didn't get. She's 32 "merry widow" and professional beauty but obsessively hung up on her age and her looks fading. I just found her so depressing honestly. She's also a raging alcoholic, a point of which really isn't addressed by anyone until the very end when the hero finally tells her she needs to find a better crowd of friends who don't encourage her drinking. Every time something bad or upsetting happens she's nursing a whole bottle of liquor in her lap or chugging down wine until she can't even walk. Her drunk exploits and passing out in people's houses are notorious. I just didn't find any of it cute. I mean that's how our hero meets her, he finds her passed out drunk in his rose bushes snoring and reeking of liquor and all scratched up. Did I mention he's a Doctor? I mean...hello. It drove me slightly insane how nobody wanted to address this big elephant in the room. The dynamic between her and the hero Michael I also found not very charming. He's always humoring her barbed insults about his Doctor profession and talking down to him because she believes he's beneath her in station (he's actually not) she also slaps and throws things at him whenever she's furious. He's always apologizing to her and forcing out smiles even when he did nothing wrong. Like I said, she's a mess and I was hoping to see some kind of vulnerability or softness under that hard brittle shell & gaiety she puts on for everyone. She definitely is an insecure lonely woman with fears and internally hard on herself but I needed actions behind the thoughts. I didn't really see it except for the very end. And 20 pages out of a 300 page book isn't enough for me.
Another thing I found off putting and a little worrisome since I plan to read 2 other books in this series, none of the secondary characters were likable or sympathetic in here. Like, none. Michael's brother the Duke of Marwick is an awful asshole, Elizabeth's group of "fast friends" are a bunch of useless drinking gossiping sleazy Mean Girls. Hell, not even the bachelors were likable. I wanted to strangle Elizabeth's 19 year old protegee Mrs. Jane Hull through the entirety of the book who Elizabeth herself starts to compete with over the men. 😒 I want to read Book 2 cause I have a thing for asshole heroes and I was intrigued about the Duke's backstory. I just hope Alistair has some redeeming qualities cause the way he treated his own brother was absolutely awful.
As for Duran's writing, I really loved it. So sharp and witty. Although I do wish it wasn't so heavy handed and laborious in some areas with all the constant italicizing of words to put emphasis on things. I found that tiresome and a little unrealistic especially with how it was used all over the dialogue so liberally. And some of the inner monologues dragged scenes out, that house party was 50 pages too long. I mean to have to sit through that whole house party and see everyone slinging barbs and unveiled insults at each other like a match was really tiring and so draining. Duran really gives it good but damn even I felt second degree burns.
My biggest problem was I found the heroine Elizabeth to be too vain, flighty, self-absorbed and ridiculous for too long in this. Main reason I powered through was because I wanted to see if she would grow up and try to be better and I didn't really see that until the very end of the story. I wanted her to surprise me and she didn't. I don't mind reckless hellion heroines (in fact they are one of my favorite character tropes if written right) but you got to give me something to balance out all the flaws. I mean she acknowledges she has poor judgement skills but does nothing to correct it. And that's my hang up. She put me in mind of Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind; Her dialogue, her mannerisms, how she puts on airs, her condensation, and that viper tongue. That whole burgundy velvet drapes! scene would have ol' Scarlett girl quivering in delight.
She likes to make jokes at other people's expense as a form of sport, including the hero. She always wants to be entertained and finds insults amusing and it goes on for far too long for reasons I really didn't get. She's 32 "merry widow" and professional beauty but obsessively hung up on her age and her looks fading. I just found her so depressing honestly. She's also a raging alcoholic, a point of which really isn't addressed by anyone until the very end when the hero finally tells her she needs to find a better crowd of friends who don't encourage her drinking. Every time something bad or upsetting happens she's nursing a whole bottle of liquor in her lap or chugging down wine until she can't even walk. Her drunk exploits and passing out in people's houses are notorious. I just didn't find any of it cute. I mean that's how our hero meets her, he finds her passed out drunk in his rose bushes snoring and reeking of liquor and all scratched up. Did I mention he's a Doctor? I mean...hello. It drove me slightly insane how nobody wanted to address this big elephant in the room. The dynamic between her and the hero Michael I also found not very charming. He's always humoring her barbed insults about his Doctor profession and talking down to him because she believes he's beneath her in station (he's actually not) she also slaps and throws things at him whenever she's furious. He's always apologizing to her and forcing out smiles even when he did nothing wrong. Like I said, she's a mess and I was hoping to see some kind of vulnerability or softness under that hard brittle shell & gaiety she puts on for everyone. She definitely is an insecure lonely woman with fears and internally hard on herself but I needed actions behind the thoughts. I didn't really see it except for the very end. And 20 pages out of a 300 page book isn't enough for me.
Another thing I found off putting and a little worrisome since I plan to read 2 other books in this series, none of the secondary characters were likable or sympathetic in here. Like, none. Michael's brother the Duke of Marwick is an awful asshole, Elizabeth's group of "fast friends" are a bunch of useless drinking gossiping sleazy Mean Girls. Hell, not even the bachelors were likable. I wanted to strangle Elizabeth's 19 year old protegee Mrs. Jane Hull through the entirety of the book who Elizabeth herself starts to compete with over the men. 😒 I want to read Book 2 cause I have a thing for asshole heroes and I was intrigued about the Duke's backstory. I just hope Alistair has some redeeming qualities cause the way he treated his own brother was absolutely awful.
As for Duran's writing, I really loved it. So sharp and witty. Although I do wish it wasn't so heavy handed and laborious in some areas with all the constant italicizing of words to put emphasis on things. I found that tiresome and a little unrealistic especially with how it was used all over the dialogue so liberally. And some of the inner monologues dragged scenes out, that house party was 50 pages too long. I mean to have to sit through that whole house party and see everyone slinging barbs and unveiled insults at each other like a match was really tiring and so draining. Duran really gives it good but damn even I felt second degree burns.
April 15, 2013
high 2s
the author abandons her plot contrivances when they become inconvenient and writes the story she wants to write, not the story she had been writing the first 150 pages.
a noble younger brother trying to avoid the notice of his brother, the heir, goes into hiding of sorts in the english countryside where he gets a job as the town doctor. he meets and is enchanted by the lady of the manor, a decadent widow who looks down on him yet can't deny her attraction. then, suddenly, the younger brother forgets all about the doctoring ruse and spends all of his time at her summer party trying to seduce her. what happened to his patients? and he was just worrying not ten pages ago about not being able to afford the rent on his modest cottage, and now he's not even showing up to his job but is sipping champagne in gardens in bespoke tuxedos? detail flubbing like that drives me crazy and speaks to a lack of rigorous editing and authorial self-control. if the author can't write a story that is internally consistent and plausible, why should i waste my time on it, even if the set-downs are clever and the chemistry passable?
duran HAS written amazing stuff -- tight, well paced, well thought-out. this ain't it.
the author abandons her plot contrivances when they become inconvenient and writes the story she wants to write, not the story she had been writing the first 150 pages.
a noble younger brother trying to avoid the notice of his brother, the heir, goes into hiding of sorts in the english countryside where he gets a job as the town doctor. he meets and is enchanted by the lady of the manor, a decadent widow who looks down on him yet can't deny her attraction. then, suddenly, the younger brother forgets all about the doctoring ruse and spends all of his time at her summer party trying to seduce her. what happened to his patients? and he was just worrying not ten pages ago about not being able to afford the rent on his modest cottage, and now he's not even showing up to his job but is sipping champagne in gardens in bespoke tuxedos? detail flubbing like that drives me crazy and speaks to a lack of rigorous editing and authorial self-control. if the author can't write a story that is internally consistent and plausible, why should i waste my time on it, even if the set-downs are clever and the chemistry passable?
duran HAS written amazing stuff -- tight, well paced, well thought-out. this ain't it.
July 4, 2022
Three stars. This book isn't the easiest book to review.
I'd find the biggest problem with this book is the characterization of the main characters. I couldn't get a sense of Michael and Elizabeth, and I couldn't connect with them.
Michael De Grey is the Duke of Marwick's brother, and they had a falling out, so Michael is currently rusticating in Bosbrea, which happens to be Elizabeth's estate. He is a medical doctor, so he worked in the country while waiting for the Duke to give in first. Doctors are supposed to be a noble profession, but Michael became a doctor not from wanting to help people but because he couldn't save his mother. In London, he's also known as widow's catnip, meaning that he slept around only with widows (and also because he was caught leaving a widow's door by the front door once). What attracted him to Elizabeth was her beauty, which all felt very superficial to me. He also mentioned a couple of times that if he were in London, he would have had Elizabeth. He's not written as an anti-hero (one of the reasons why I could buy into this sort of character is it plays into the fantasy), but he didn't come across as a nice guy. I'm not sure what he's supposed to be? It was all messy and confusing, and he came across as selfish.
Elizabeth's character isn't apparent as well. She's a widow who married an older guy the late father forced upon her (this was mentioned in passing). The late husband was staid and boring and kept criticizing Liza's mannerisms. So, upon the husband's death, she retaliated by getting her photos taken. She became a professional beauty ( a model, in today's terms). Then, her mother died, and she took up with Nello, a fortune hunter. She became a drunkard and had public fights with Nello (she gained a reputation for being fast). She isn't really; she doesn't sleep around. He ditched her when he found out she was facing bankruptcy (due to bad investments). Now, she had to marry for fortune, believing Michael to be a mere country doctor, and he wouldn't suit her. She came across as someone who made one bad decision after another. In short, she's a hot mess. I feel that the events that happened were her own doing. I prefer things to happen to my heroine and read about how she overcame these obstacles. The thought that went through my mind was, 'oh, she had it coming'. I believe every action has consequences. I don't mean to come across as preachy, but this was how I felt about Liza. I also couldn't comprehend her actions as she had loving and normal parents. So, what's up with these bad judgements?
The main obstacle to why they cannot be together is that Elizabeth needed money for her estate, and Michael couldn't provide the money since he's the younger son of a duke and his brother holds the purse strings. I feel the stakes weren't high for this couple, so there wasn't enough tension to keep it interesting. I couldn't root for them individually or as a couple.
The pacing is also an issue. It's an uneven book. A few places in the book lagged, and it didn't quite hold my attention.
On a good note, the writing is sublime (very reminiscent of Laura Kinsale's prose), and Ms Duran writes terrific love scenes. The love scenes are highly charged and very sensual without it being erotica.
I'm glad I didn't read this one first. I know that Ms Duran is an outstanding author and her other books are so much better than this. It simply isn't my cup of tea.
I'd find the biggest problem with this book is the characterization of the main characters. I couldn't get a sense of Michael and Elizabeth, and I couldn't connect with them.
Michael De Grey is the Duke of Marwick's brother, and they had a falling out, so Michael is currently rusticating in Bosbrea, which happens to be Elizabeth's estate. He is a medical doctor, so he worked in the country while waiting for the Duke to give in first. Doctors are supposed to be a noble profession, but Michael became a doctor not from wanting to help people but because he couldn't save his mother. In London, he's also known as widow's catnip, meaning that he slept around only with widows (and also because he was caught leaving a widow's door by the front door once). What attracted him to Elizabeth was her beauty, which all felt very superficial to me. He also mentioned a couple of times that if he were in London, he would have had Elizabeth. He's not written as an anti-hero (one of the reasons why I could buy into this sort of character is it plays into the fantasy), but he didn't come across as a nice guy. I'm not sure what he's supposed to be? It was all messy and confusing, and he came across as selfish.
Elizabeth's character isn't apparent as well. She's a widow who married an older guy the late father forced upon her (this was mentioned in passing). The late husband was staid and boring and kept criticizing Liza's mannerisms. So, upon the husband's death, she retaliated by getting her photos taken. She became a professional beauty ( a model, in today's terms). Then, her mother died, and she took up with Nello, a fortune hunter. She became a drunkard and had public fights with Nello (she gained a reputation for being fast). She isn't really; she doesn't sleep around. He ditched her when he found out she was facing bankruptcy (due to bad investments). Now, she had to marry for fortune, believing Michael to be a mere country doctor, and he wouldn't suit her. She came across as someone who made one bad decision after another. In short, she's a hot mess. I feel that the events that happened were her own doing. I prefer things to happen to my heroine and read about how she overcame these obstacles. The thought that went through my mind was, 'oh, she had it coming'. I believe every action has consequences. I don't mean to come across as preachy, but this was how I felt about Liza. I also couldn't comprehend her actions as she had loving and normal parents. So, what's up with these bad judgements?
The main obstacle to why they cannot be together is that Elizabeth needed money for her estate, and Michael couldn't provide the money since he's the younger son of a duke and his brother holds the purse strings. I feel the stakes weren't high for this couple, so there wasn't enough tension to keep it interesting. I couldn't root for them individually or as a couple.
The pacing is also an issue. It's an uneven book. A few places in the book lagged, and it didn't quite hold my attention.
On a good note, the writing is sublime (very reminiscent of Laura Kinsale's prose), and Ms Duran writes terrific love scenes. The love scenes are highly charged and very sensual without it being erotica.
I'm glad I didn't read this one first. I know that Ms Duran is an outstanding author and her other books are so much better than this. It simply isn't my cup of tea.
July 18, 2020
I was enjoying this, but I think it's down to a timing thing. It started to fall apart for me when I picked up a book I'm still hungover from, and I cannot believe Duran is the victim in this case.
Anyway, she's a gorgeous author, but the pacing was off and I needed more them.
Anyway, she's a gorgeous author, but the pacing was off and I needed more them.
December 23, 2022
The heroine, Elizabeth, isn't a very likeable character at first, seeming both weak and vain. But Duran gradually unfolds her background, and as the story develops, Elizabeth is seen to be a decent woman who has suffered unfortunate circumstances that she has struggled to deal with.
The hero Lord Michael, is a doctor at a time when men of his background did not often choose to pursue a career such as this. He is a likeable character from the start, a man of real integrity.
I liked the way their relationship developed. There was instant attraction, but for different reasons, both of them tried to stay away from the other. As they got to know each other and fell in love, both of them accepted that they should be together.
The Sanburnes from Bound by Your Touch make a few appearances in this book, after having returned from their extended honeymoon in Canada. The book also sets up the premise for the next book, Fool Me Twice. IMO it's worth reading this one before Fool Me Twice, as it makes some of the events in that book easier to understand. But otherwise, this book can easily be read as a standalone. It's worth being patient as Elizabeth's character develops and the book becomes more involving. Duran is a quality writer.
The hero Lord Michael, is a doctor at a time when men of his background did not often choose to pursue a career such as this. He is a likeable character from the start, a man of real integrity.
I liked the way their relationship developed. There was instant attraction, but for different reasons, both of them tried to stay away from the other. As they got to know each other and fell in love, both of them accepted that they should be together.
The Sanburnes from Bound by Your Touch make a few appearances in this book, after having returned from their extended honeymoon in Canada. The book also sets up the premise for the next book, Fool Me Twice. IMO it's worth reading this one before Fool Me Twice, as it makes some of the events in that book easier to understand. But otherwise, this book can easily be read as a standalone. It's worth being patient as Elizabeth's character develops and the book becomes more involving. Duran is a quality writer.
February 12, 2018
(3.5 stars) This isn't a favorite Duran novel for me. I prefer her darker, angstier ones such as AT YOUR PLEASURE and THE DUKE OF SHADOWS, but, no matter, this woman can really write. And it's so refreshing not to have one of those tedious, annoying, innocent virgins as the heroine of an HR.
Our hero, Lord Michael de Grey, is a physician in charge of London's largest, most successful charity hospital. The hospital is mainly funded by Michael's older brother Alastair, the Duke of Marwick. Unfortunately, Alastair is recently widowed and has discovered that his wife was a opium addict unfaithful to him with multiple lovers. He's now an emotional basket-case who won't leave the house and seems to be wasting away from not eating.
For some inexplicable reason, Alastair has decided to cut off all funds to the hospital unless younger brother Michael marries some respectable, upper-class woman, the choice of wife to be approved by Alastair. One can maybe assume that this action is to keep Michael from making the mistake he did of marrying badly. Michael, however, is upset at this turn of events and goes off to hide himself away in Bosbrea, Cornwall, hoping that Alasdair will have a change of heart in his absence.
Enter our heroine, merry widow Liza (Elizabeth) Chudderley. She's a bit infamous, running with the fast crowd when in London, known to drink a bit too much, and flirt perhaps too much. She's at home in Bosbrea now and nursing the wound of having been dumped by her fortune-hunting lover. Seems Liza is not doing too well financially(the result of some poor investments, I believe) and now she needs to find a rich husband.
Oh, this cannot go well. Fundless Michael needs a respectable wife so he can again be subsidized by his brother. Not-so-respectable Liza needs a husband with funds. How will this possibly be resolved?
At first you may not be overly fond of Liza Chudderley but Duran develops her characters beautifully and gives them depth so that you begin to understand their actions and sympathize with them. Secondary characters are interesting also but the best part of this story is the developing romance between Michael and Liza. It's beautiful and romantic. Duran makes the most of just the description of their first kiss that turns it into a hotter, more romantic and toe-curling scene than many a one I've read in other books that describe full-on sex. (She, Julie Anne Long and Loretta Chase, for me, are the best around to give a reader that warm, fuzzy, sexy, romantic feeling.)
A very interesting secondary character in this book to watch out for is Liza's social secretary. She goes on to have her own romance in FOOL ME TWICE.
(BTW, interesting to note that heroine Liza of this book is the childhood friend of Phin from Duran's WRITTEN ON YOUR SKIN and of James from BOUND BY YOUR TOUCH. James and his love Lydia are newly-wed secondaries in this new book. Just a little tidbit for you Duran fans of her earlier books.)
Our hero, Lord Michael de Grey, is a physician in charge of London's largest, most successful charity hospital. The hospital is mainly funded by Michael's older brother Alastair, the Duke of Marwick. Unfortunately, Alastair is recently widowed and has discovered that his wife was a opium addict unfaithful to him with multiple lovers. He's now an emotional basket-case who won't leave the house and seems to be wasting away from not eating.
For some inexplicable reason, Alastair has decided to cut off all funds to the hospital unless younger brother Michael marries some respectable, upper-class woman, the choice of wife to be approved by Alastair. One can maybe assume that this action is to keep Michael from making the mistake he did of marrying badly. Michael, however, is upset at this turn of events and goes off to hide himself away in Bosbrea, Cornwall, hoping that Alasdair will have a change of heart in his absence.
Enter our heroine, merry widow Liza (Elizabeth) Chudderley. She's a bit infamous, running with the fast crowd when in London, known to drink a bit too much, and flirt perhaps too much. She's at home in Bosbrea now and nursing the wound of having been dumped by her fortune-hunting lover. Seems Liza is not doing too well financially(the result of some poor investments, I believe) and now she needs to find a rich husband.
Oh, this cannot go well. Fundless Michael needs a respectable wife so he can again be subsidized by his brother. Not-so-respectable Liza needs a husband with funds. How will this possibly be resolved?
At first you may not be overly fond of Liza Chudderley but Duran develops her characters beautifully and gives them depth so that you begin to understand their actions and sympathize with them. Secondary characters are interesting also but the best part of this story is the developing romance between Michael and Liza. It's beautiful and romantic. Duran makes the most of just the description of their first kiss that turns it into a hotter, more romantic and toe-curling scene than many a one I've read in other books that describe full-on sex. (She, Julie Anne Long and Loretta Chase, for me, are the best around to give a reader that warm, fuzzy, sexy, romantic feeling.)
A very interesting secondary character in this book to watch out for is Liza's social secretary. She goes on to have her own romance in FOOL ME TWICE.
(BTW, interesting to note that heroine Liza of this book is the childhood friend of Phin from Duran's WRITTEN ON YOUR SKIN and of James from BOUND BY YOUR TOUCH. James and his love Lydia are newly-wed secondaries in this new book. Just a little tidbit for you Duran fans of her earlier books.)
March 9, 2013
Absolutely lovely book. I smiled more than I'd expected, and thought there was really good chemistry between the hero and heroine. After finishing, I immediately went to the author's website to see if I could find out who the couple in the next book will be. Highly recommended!
February 15, 2019
Quite enjoyable, but slow in places. Duran is such a good writer, however, that I did not get too terribly impatient. Not my favorite narrator, but acceptable. I wonder why the complete series is not available in audio format? Indeed, Audible offers very few Duran titles.
February 15, 2017
I was more into this book while reading it than I am having finished it. While reading, the events of the plot seemed oh-so-relevant and interesting, but now that it's done I'm kind of surprised that they held together so long.
And that holds true for the characters as well. Duran set them up so they'd be sympathetically compatible but with circumstances that put them out of each others' reach. So you get the first half of the novel where they learn about each other and come to respect and admire each other. And the second half where they have to figure out the conflict of how they can be together (each convinced that it's impossible). Lots of lovely angst in that and earned well enough that I didn't resent the natural drama.
Still, while it held my interest throughout, it kind of falls apart in retrospect. The protagonists' motivations are pure enough, but the actions they inspire seem a little off-kilter. For example, you have to think that Michael knows his brother well enough that he can predict that disappearing may indeed have the effect he desires. Only, it doesn't have that effect after all. So while reading, you're immersed and moving along because his motivations make sense. But after it's done, I'm left wondering if Michael reading that wrong doesn't undermine the entire story right from the start? I mean, the whole thing is predicated on the brothers being unusually close because of events in their childhood and having worked together for common goals all this time. So doesn't reading Alastair wrong mean Michael doesn't know his brother so well, after all? And shouldn't that mean they aren't really as close as he thought? And if they're not that close, doesn't his motivation for leaving have to have some other source (at least partially)?
If that'd been the only thing that doesn't gel in retrospect, I'd be picking nits. It's a problem because there are multiple cases where the motivations of the moment appear to be clear only to have plot developments move a different direction. There's a disconnect between plot and character motivation, is what I'm saying, and that sits poorly having finished the book. Duran is a talented enough writer than it's easy to gloss on by while reading. I just wish the culmination sat better than it does.
Anyway, a solid three stars, down from the glowy four I thought I had while reading. Not bad, and it certainly warrants trying out some others by her.
A note about series: There's a couple newly back from their honeymoon that are friends with Michael who are clearly protagonists from a previous story. I really hate when authors do cameos from books not formally included in the current series. In this case, I found that they're from Bound by Your Touch (which appears to be a stand-alone novel). That vague sense that I should have known these people bothered me as I read, not least because Duran writes it in such a way that I feel she expects her readers to have read that story before this one.
A note about Steamy: There are three explicit sex scenes in this book, placing it in the middle of my steam tolerance. It might have edged on the high side if I hadn't pretty much skipped the last scene. The first scene was endearing and a good meter for the emotional intimacy of the characters and full of lovely discovery and vulnerability (though even there I hated Duran manipulating events to set plot landmines for Michael for later). The second was kind of rote. And the third was placed in a spot where I cared so much more for what would happen next that I just couldn't be bothered to care about them reconnecting body parts.
And that holds true for the characters as well. Duran set them up so they'd be sympathetically compatible but with circumstances that put them out of each others' reach. So you get the first half of the novel where they learn about each other and come to respect and admire each other. And the second half where they have to figure out the conflict of how they can be together (each convinced that it's impossible). Lots of lovely angst in that and earned well enough that I didn't resent the natural drama.
Still, while it held my interest throughout, it kind of falls apart in retrospect. The protagonists' motivations are pure enough, but the actions they inspire seem a little off-kilter. For example, you have to think that Michael knows his brother well enough that he can predict that disappearing may indeed have the effect he desires. Only, it doesn't have that effect after all. So while reading, you're immersed and moving along because his motivations make sense. But after it's done, I'm left wondering if Michael reading that wrong doesn't undermine the entire story right from the start? I mean, the whole thing is predicated on the brothers being unusually close because of events in their childhood and having worked together for common goals all this time. So doesn't reading Alastair wrong mean Michael doesn't know his brother so well, after all? And shouldn't that mean they aren't really as close as he thought? And if they're not that close, doesn't his motivation for leaving have to have some other source (at least partially)?
If that'd been the only thing that doesn't gel in retrospect, I'd be picking nits. It's a problem because there are multiple cases where the motivations of the moment appear to be clear only to have plot developments move a different direction. There's a disconnect between plot and character motivation, is what I'm saying, and that sits poorly having finished the book. Duran is a talented enough writer than it's easy to gloss on by while reading. I just wish the culmination sat better than it does.
Anyway, a solid three stars, down from the glowy four I thought I had while reading. Not bad, and it certainly warrants trying out some others by her.
A note about series: There's a couple newly back from their honeymoon that are friends with Michael who are clearly protagonists from a previous story. I really hate when authors do cameos from books not formally included in the current series. In this case, I found that they're from Bound by Your Touch (which appears to be a stand-alone novel). That vague sense that I should have known these people bothered me as I read, not least because Duran writes it in such a way that I feel she expects her readers to have read that story before this one.
A note about Steamy: There are three explicit sex scenes in this book, placing it in the middle of my steam tolerance. It might have edged on the high side if I hadn't pretty much skipped the last scene. The first scene was endearing and a good meter for the emotional intimacy of the characters and full of lovely discovery and vulnerability (though even there I hated Duran manipulating events to set plot landmines for Michael for later). The second was kind of rote. And the third was placed in a spot where I cared so much more for what would happen next that I just couldn't be bothered to care about them reconnecting body parts.
March 11, 2018
I will make no secret about my love for Meredith Duran books. Even when they make me angry and emotional, when they drag me through the mire that relationships often are, they are worth the Angst.
Having said that, I have been avoiding this one. Why? Because when I read the first couple of chapters in the sample I had downloaded, I loathed the heroine. Found drunk and barely conscious in someone's rosebushes by the hero? Really? I jumped into my judgemental skin and thought: who does that? Have they no self-discipline or self-respect? I mean, I hate it when men do that too, so there's no double standard here, I told myself self-righteously.
But because I had this down as one of my Series in the 2018 Series Challenge, (and I have decided to re-read the Rules for the Reckless series from the beginning, before I read The Sins of Lord Lockwood) I picked it up again and actually read it.
What an interesting book.
The heroine is no virginal debutante, the hero no shining knight. Both are flawed, make mistakes and deserve the sh** that happens to them one way or another. Elizabeth does drink too much. She is miserable and getting desperate, as her finances dwindle and she faces the fact that she may not be able to keep her estate (and therefore keep her tenants employed.) She feels responsible for them, so her motives are actually very altruistic.
Michael is the second son of a duke who has trained as a doctor and runs a hospital that is largely funded by his brother, now the duke. When this brother goes crazy after finding out he has been regularly betrayed by his dead wife while they were married, he demands Michael marry someone of his choosing to carry on the line, as he will never marry again, or he will close the hospital and kick out all 300 patients. Michael gets snarky, storms off to the country (Cornwall) and this is where he meets Elizabeth.
There are a lot of lies on both sides, he hides his identity, she tries to hide some of her less than morally upright past and it all blows up in their faces. Cue emotion, drama and anguish.
The real strength of this book was how I came to be won over by Elizabeth. Despite her wild, "fast" behaviour, she was a very vulnerable and sensitive woman who simply had had bad luck and had made a couple of poor choices. Although I did not like Michael very much, either, his genuine remorse and the pain he felt when he realised how his secret identity and lies had hurt Elizabeth did much to rehabilitate him in my eyes. Too often, the alpha male in HR seems to think he can get away with never feeling actual guilt or remorse, because he is, well, just so manly. That never cuts any ice with me! So glad Duran did not let him off the hook. (I was a bit perturbed that he was not willing to sacrifice himself for his patients and the hospital- interesting that Elizabeth was prepared to do just that for the people who depended on her. Who was the bigger person, then???)
And Elizabeth's deep love for her mother, who she missed terribly, had me gulping back a tear: the inscription on her headstone just got to me.
Set me as a seal upon thine heart...for love is strong as death
Not my favourite book of Duran's, but definitely a good one. Warmly recommended :)
Having said that, I have been avoiding this one. Why? Because when I read the first couple of chapters in the sample I had downloaded, I loathed the heroine. Found drunk and barely conscious in someone's rosebushes by the hero? Really? I jumped into my judgemental skin and thought: who does that? Have they no self-discipline or self-respect? I mean, I hate it when men do that too, so there's no double standard here, I told myself self-righteously.
But because I had this down as one of my Series in the 2018 Series Challenge, (and I have decided to re-read the Rules for the Reckless series from the beginning, before I read The Sins of Lord Lockwood) I picked it up again and actually read it.
What an interesting book.
The heroine is no virginal debutante, the hero no shining knight. Both are flawed, make mistakes and deserve the sh** that happens to them one way or another. Elizabeth does drink too much. She is miserable and getting desperate, as her finances dwindle and she faces the fact that she may not be able to keep her estate (and therefore keep her tenants employed.) She feels responsible for them, so her motives are actually very altruistic.
Michael is the second son of a duke who has trained as a doctor and runs a hospital that is largely funded by his brother, now the duke. When this brother goes crazy after finding out he has been regularly betrayed by his dead wife while they were married, he demands Michael marry someone of his choosing to carry on the line, as he will never marry again, or he will close the hospital and kick out all 300 patients. Michael gets snarky, storms off to the country (Cornwall) and this is where he meets Elizabeth.
There are a lot of lies on both sides, he hides his identity, she tries to hide some of her less than morally upright past and it all blows up in their faces. Cue emotion, drama and anguish.
The real strength of this book was how I came to be won over by Elizabeth. Despite her wild, "fast" behaviour, she was a very vulnerable and sensitive woman who simply had had bad luck and had made a couple of poor choices. Although I did not like Michael very much, either, his genuine remorse and the pain he felt when he realised how his secret identity and lies had hurt Elizabeth did much to rehabilitate him in my eyes. Too often, the alpha male in HR seems to think he can get away with never feeling actual guilt or remorse, because he is, well, just so manly. That never cuts any ice with me! So glad Duran did not let him off the hook. (I was a bit perturbed that he was not willing to sacrifice himself for his patients and the hospital- interesting that Elizabeth was prepared to do just that for the people who depended on her. Who was the bigger person, then???)
And Elizabeth's deep love for her mother, who she missed terribly, had me gulping back a tear: the inscription on her headstone just got to me.
Set me as a seal upon thine heart...for love is strong as death
Not my favourite book of Duran's, but definitely a good one. Warmly recommended :)
February 8, 2023
Meredith Duran can write. It feels so good to be in the hands of a skilled writer.
I read Duke of Shadows by her which I enjoyed but didn’t love because of that darker mystery crime part BUT this one didn’t have any of it and I loved it.
The storyline plays with the idea similar to Lady Chatterley’s Lover about an aristocratic lady and a man from a lower social class. However Michael de Grey is only pretending to be a simple country doctor. In reality he is a duke’s brother.
But before you role your eyes at how every hero has to be a duke or at least duke’s son or relative, Meredith Duran starts playing with the idea of social standing. And in this way the similarities with Lady Chatterley’s Lover continues.
It was fascinating to see the hero emasculated by the aristo ladies just because he is a country doctor. It’s really as if he stops being a man for them.
He also realizes that it was mostly due to his social standing that he was able to have his previous affairs with merry widows. It’s not something that country doctor would ever dare to propose. I really appreciated the admission on Duran’s part that ladies can also be highly prejudiced. Not our heroine though. She is simply and unreasonably attracted to him.
Yet while the hero is pretending that he is a plain country doctor, he refuses to act as a meek puppy and pursues our heroine vehemently, which I enjoyed.
He is described as a wolf and I think it suits him well.
What about our heroine? Liza Chudderley is fantastic, she likes to drink and party and is immediately attracted to our country doctor.
Oh I loved it.
This is a story of two people in their 30s. They are both world-weary closed hearted cynics.
But at the end, they become so melodramatically sweet they sound like teenagers.
I loved it and can’t wait for the next one in the series.
I read Duke of Shadows by her which I enjoyed but didn’t love because of that darker mystery crime part BUT this one didn’t have any of it and I loved it.
The storyline plays with the idea similar to Lady Chatterley’s Lover about an aristocratic lady and a man from a lower social class. However Michael de Grey is only pretending to be a simple country doctor. In reality he is a duke’s brother.
But before you role your eyes at how every hero has to be a duke or at least duke’s son or relative, Meredith Duran starts playing with the idea of social standing. And in this way the similarities with Lady Chatterley’s Lover continues.
It was fascinating to see the hero emasculated by the aristo ladies just because he is a country doctor. It’s really as if he stops being a man for them.
He also realizes that it was mostly due to his social standing that he was able to have his previous affairs with merry widows. It’s not something that country doctor would ever dare to propose. I really appreciated the admission on Duran’s part that ladies can also be highly prejudiced. Not our heroine though. She is simply and unreasonably attracted to him.
Yet while the hero is pretending that he is a plain country doctor, he refuses to act as a meek puppy and pursues our heroine vehemently, which I enjoyed.
He is described as a wolf and I think it suits him well.
What about our heroine? Liza Chudderley is fantastic, she likes to drink and party and is immediately attracted to our country doctor.
Oh I loved it.
This is a story of two people in their 30s. They are both world-weary closed hearted cynics.
But at the end, they become so melodramatically sweet they sound like teenagers.
I loved it and can’t wait for the next one in the series.
February 10, 2013
2 broke lovers find ways to beat the odds. Not as angsty as Duke of shadows, not as edgy as Written on your skin, not as dark as @ your pleasure, but the exquisite romance, the luvly, traumatized hero cranked outta splitsville, some poignant moments & knickers-melting lines were worth every penny. I wish Phin & Mina had guest-starred instead of James & Lydia, but beggars can't be cherry-pickers. The hero's reclusive bro, Duke of McDepressed, has potentials to be the next hero, w/ heroine's runaway secretary as his unlikely match.
"Listen to me," he said into her skin. "I have been a liar to you, but I won't lie about this. I know what love is, after all. And for all the people who would suffer for it, for the shame I would bear and the guilt that would keep me awake @ night, I still think I would dismantle the hospital and sell it stone by stone if that would give me what I needed to have you for my own."
"I would wear you like a suit," he said hoarsely. "I would never let you go."
"Only say you trust me, and I vow to you, I will never disappoint you."
"I am going to forbid you to weep," he said. "I'll make the parson put it into our vows."
"I promise you everything," he said, very low.
Lifting her hand, he kissed her palm. "Indeed not. One day I'll tell you all the ways you've healed me. For now, let me say only that I've chosen to marry a very clever woman."
"Listen to me," he said into her skin. "I have been a liar to you, but I won't lie about this. I know what love is, after all. And for all the people who would suffer for it, for the shame I would bear and the guilt that would keep me awake @ night, I still think I would dismantle the hospital and sell it stone by stone if that would give me what I needed to have you for my own."
"I would wear you like a suit," he said hoarsely. "I would never let you go."
"Only say you trust me, and I vow to you, I will never disappoint you."
"I am going to forbid you to weep," he said. "I'll make the parson put it into our vows."
"I promise you everything," he said, very low.
Lifting her hand, he kissed her palm. "Indeed not. One day I'll tell you all the ways you've healed me. For now, let me say only that I've chosen to marry a very clever woman."
June 7, 2018
Dudaba entre 3 y 4 estrellas porque ha habido momentos en que me ha costado avanzar en la lectura. Creo que a veces, la autora se extiende innecesariamente en la ambientación, rodea a los protagonistas de muchos personajes que aportan muy poco o algo irrelevante a la historia que nos cuenta.
El romance de la pareja es bonito, intenso y muy creíble, y cada uno de los protagonistas son personajes estupendos y muy trabajados, sobre todo ella. Me ha gustado mucho. El conflicto del engaño, unido al de las necesidades individuales (ella, casarse por dinero y él, para obtener la aprobación de su hermano y recuperar así su hospital) te mantienen en vilo, pero solo hasta cierto punto. Por todo ello le daría las 3 estrellas. Sin embargo, está muy, muy bien escrito y hay momentos preciosos, diálogos para releer sin aburrirte y detalles originales que dan mucha calidad a la novela, por lo que merece una estrella más y mi recomendación: para las adictas a la romántica histórica que buscáis algo más que el romance de la joven virginal con un atractivo canalla aristócrata.
El romance de la pareja es bonito, intenso y muy creíble, y cada uno de los protagonistas son personajes estupendos y muy trabajados, sobre todo ella. Me ha gustado mucho. El conflicto del engaño, unido al de las necesidades individuales (ella, casarse por dinero y él, para obtener la aprobación de su hermano y recuperar así su hospital) te mantienen en vilo, pero solo hasta cierto punto. Por todo ello le daría las 3 estrellas. Sin embargo, está muy, muy bien escrito y hay momentos preciosos, diálogos para releer sin aburrirte y detalles originales que dan mucha calidad a la novela, por lo que merece una estrella más y mi recomendación: para las adictas a la romántica histórica que buscáis algo más que el romance de la joven virginal con un atractivo canalla aristócrata.
February 2, 2013
Boring, I can't even tell you what the fuddled, confused plot was after finishing the book. I couldn't connect to the hero or heroine, both personalities were dull as dirt. The secondary characters are annoying, and she introduced too many characters that seemed like they needed to have their own backstory told. Did not enjoy the book.
March 11, 2022
2nd read. I feel differently about Michael! He's a doctor but he's not sanctimonious. He's just... a little bit mean in the way that I like.
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I can't count how many times I've read a Georgian/Regency/Victorian romance and the hero works his way through actresses and "merry widows" before finally finding the love of his life.
Enter Elizabeth Chudderly: merry widow. We meet her while she's drunkenly sleeping in a rosebush after being viciously dumped by her lover. She's fished out of the garden by Michael de Grey, a duke's brother who is licking his wounds and, for reasons that are a bit beyond me, pretending to be a simple country doctor rather than the aristocrat he is.
Along with Michael, we learn that Elizabeth is more than she seems. She's fun, cutting, and vivacious, but she's also deeply hurt by past betrayals. In addition to that soreness, she's incredibly lonely: her friend group has grown up and found love, leaving Elizabeth the lone bon vivant nursing a wineglass at the dinner table.
To me, Michael is interesting only in the context of his relationship to Elizabeth. He realizes quite early on how singular she is, and he rapidly changes gears from "I want a fling" to "I want this woman in my life forever." The obstacle is money: she's a benefactor and needs it for her estate, and he has none. Elizabeth has to decide if a life with Michael, the only man that has made her feel as though she has value beyond the bedroom, is worth the loss of her lifestyle.
------------
I can't count how many times I've read a Georgian/Regency/Victorian romance and the hero works his way through actresses and "merry widows" before finally finding the love of his life.
Enter Elizabeth Chudderly: merry widow. We meet her while she's drunkenly sleeping in a rosebush after being viciously dumped by her lover. She's fished out of the garden by Michael de Grey, a duke's brother who is licking his wounds and, for reasons that are a bit beyond me, pretending to be a simple country doctor rather than the aristocrat he is.
Along with Michael, we learn that Elizabeth is more than she seems. She's fun, cutting, and vivacious, but she's also deeply hurt by past betrayals. In addition to that soreness, she's incredibly lonely: her friend group has grown up and found love, leaving Elizabeth the lone bon vivant nursing a wineglass at the dinner table.
To me, Michael is interesting only in the context of his relationship to Elizabeth. He realizes quite early on how singular she is, and he rapidly changes gears from "I want a fling" to "I want this woman in my life forever." The obstacle is money: she's a benefactor and needs it for her estate, and he has none. Elizabeth has to decide if a life with Michael, the only man that has made her feel as though she has value beyond the bedroom, is worth the loss of her lifestyle.
February 6, 2013
I wanted to like this book, but while I liked the hero, I found it virtually impossible to take to the heroine. Her preoccupation with herself, her appearance, her age, the transience of her looks, her reputation; and the practiced - and dare I say it - manipulative skills that would have done credit to a courtesan, all combined to make me care less and less for her as the story wound on.
There was far too much introspection. Far too much. Most of it irrelevant in the long run, and doing little to advance the story. I also found it difficult to take to the secondary characters, and if I had not been confined to a hospital bed, would probably not have bothered finishing the book.
Having said that, the story did have its moments - however there were not enough of them to make the story worthy enough of saying I liked it.
It was only okay.
There was far too much introspection. Far too much. Most of it irrelevant in the long run, and doing little to advance the story. I also found it difficult to take to the secondary characters, and if I had not been confined to a hospital bed, would probably not have bothered finishing the book.
Having said that, the story did have its moments - however there were not enough of them to make the story worthy enough of saying I liked it.
It was only okay.
May 14, 2015
Es posible que la historia sea de 3 estrellas, pero me ha gustado mucho el trabajo que la autora ha hecho con la protagonista y por eso le doy las 4. Un personaje que me ha parecido muy real. Algo crítico con la mujer que se casa enamorada para darse de bruces con la realidad. Luego la doble moralidad con la que se trataba también a las mujeres, sobre todo a las viudas. Pero, ante todo, esa fortaleza, independencia, pequeños vicios que la han hecho tan cercada, tan fuerte y al mismo tiempo tan vulnerable.
La próxima entrega promete mucho, sabéis que los duques son mi debilidad y el hermano de Michael promete, promete
La próxima entrega promete mucho, sabéis que los duques son mi debilidad y el hermano de Michael promete, promete
November 23, 2022
Loved this impossible couple. He's a doctor grieving the loss of his brother, who is lost to him. The h is hiding from the fear that she will not be able to save her people from poverty. She's a wonderful heroine who felt very real to me. She's flawed, passionate and I loved her final actions. This couple fell in love with loads of angst. It's a steamy well written story that I loved on my 2nd read. Great ending.
October 30, 2016
Slight Spoilers - I nearly always enjoy Duran's writing and did for this most recent novel as well. I grew to enjoy the female protagonist, Elizabeth Chudderly, though it took a few chapters. She's introduced as a somewhat brittle and flippant party-girl, which isn't a "type" I typically am pulled toward, but she is revealed to have many layers and even proves heroic in the course of the novel. Michael de Gray was a bit more difficult for me to appreciate fully. He's likeable and kind and his love for Elizabeth is very believable. I liked him best when he is shown in his professional role as a doctor because it's here that he demonstrates strength of character and self-confidence. His dependency on his elder brother, however, and his sulky and passive responses to his brother's threats was a character detraction for me. The plot and central conflict here forces Michael and Elizabeth to be pawns in the power plays of others for too much of the novel, and unfortunately, Michael does not come across as a man able to succeed as much as I would have liked. I've always enjoyed Duran's male characters and so this characterization was a little disappointing. I think too the title is pretty misleading as there isn't much of a scandal, and there isn't actually much of a conflict or plot, aside from the penniless state of existence of the two lead characters. I also felt that Michael's brother Alastair comes off very unsympathetically and the brotherly relationship never really redeems itself. That Scandalous Summer is part of a series though and so perhaps more will be forthcoming in later books. Aside from Elizabeth, Mather was an intriguing secondary character crying out for her own story. All in all not my favorite Duran but still enjoyable.
June 12, 2021
I didn't like this as well as several of Ms Duran's books
I'd previously read.
Widowed Elizabeth drank to excess, due in part, to men
being unable to see beyond her beauty & worrying about
her debts and her tenants. Michael, a surgeon, stumbled
upon the heroine, asleep, drunk in the rosebushes outside
Michael's rented home. The hero & his duke bro. argued,
the duke cut off funds willed to the H. And threatened to
cut off funds to the London charity hosp where Michael
had great success. Hero decided to 'lay low' in Cornwall,
where he met the h.
Elizabeth & hero clicked. But he was non-conventionally
attractive, with a large nose, and an inferior social status.
( Her perception.) Elizabeth invited mostly wealthy single
men to her house party, seeking a 2nd spouse. She hid her
true personality in order to attract a mate, then changed
tactics. Most of the goings on at the house party seemed
superficial, with the exception of newlyweds James and
Lydia's relationship.
I liked Michael > than Elizabeth who used too much self-
reflection. He also seemed more in love than she. The
blackmail felt stilted & uncharacteristic of several of
the participants.
I'd previously read.
Widowed Elizabeth drank to excess, due in part, to men
being unable to see beyond her beauty & worrying about
her debts and her tenants. Michael, a surgeon, stumbled
upon the heroine, asleep, drunk in the rosebushes outside
Michael's rented home. The hero & his duke bro. argued,
the duke cut off funds willed to the H. And threatened to
cut off funds to the London charity hosp where Michael
had great success. Hero decided to 'lay low' in Cornwall,
where he met the h.
Elizabeth & hero clicked. But he was non-conventionally
attractive, with a large nose, and an inferior social status.
( Her perception.) Elizabeth invited mostly wealthy single
men to her house party, seeking a 2nd spouse. She hid her
true personality in order to attract a mate, then changed
tactics. Most of the goings on at the house party seemed
superficial, with the exception of newlyweds James and
Lydia's relationship.
I liked Michael > than Elizabeth who used too much self-
reflection. He also seemed more in love than she. The
blackmail felt stilted & uncharacteristic of several of
the participants.
July 19, 2015
The not so scandalous summer would be a better title for this book. The most scandalous thing didn't even happened to Elisabeth. It was rather dull and its quality was medium if not less. I did not enjoy reading it. Elisabeth and Michael had a tame romance and not even a heartache you can feel it too.I would not suggest to anyone to read it even if they liked Historical Romance books.
June 10, 2019
The ending sucked.
Honestly the whole story sucked. The second half was basically "we want to be together but can't!!!1!!1!" Repeated over and over and over and... Well you get the idea.
Honestly the whole story sucked. The second half was basically "we want to be together but can't!!!1!!1!" Repeated over and over and over and... Well you get the idea.
October 22, 2022
Meh. Writing style is okay but Merry Widows are not for me. Duran comes highly recommended so I’ll give the next one a shot.
August 18, 2024
Review from 2014
B for both narration and content.
Narrator Alison Larkin has tended to be a bit hit and miss for me. There’s no doubt that she is a talented performer, especially when it comes to more light-hearted, humorous books; and her interpretations of female characters and “character roles” are generally very good. But her portrayals of the men in the books she narrates have been disappointing, mostly because they haven’t sounded masculine enough and also because there hasn’t been enough differentiation between the protagonists in the story. I’ve also felt that she hasn’t quite caught the right note emotionally in some of the books I’ve listened to. While I’ve had some issues with her narratives, for the most part she is successful and her readings are generally well-paced and pleasingly modulated.
Given those reservations, I will admit apprehension when I learned that Ms Larkin was to be the narrator of That Scandalous Summer, the first book by Meredith Duran to be made available in audio. I’m a big fan of Ms Duran’s writing, which is intelligent and lyrical. She writes complex characters and pays the reader/listener the compliment of allowing us to draw our own conclusions and to discover those complexities ourselves without repeatedly hitting us over the head with clues to point the way. I wasn‘t sure if Ms Larkin would be able to pull off a story of greater emotional weight than those I’ve heard her read before.
At the beginning of the book, Lord Michael de Grey and his brother, Alastair, the powerful and autocratic Duke of Marwick, have a row which ends with Michael leaving London to kick his heels in rural Cornwall, in the hope that his absence may make Marwick come to his senses.
Michael hasn’t been in Cornwall long, when one morning he literally stumbles across a woman sleeping in his rose bushes. Except, as he soon discovers, she isn’t sleeping – she’s actually passed out from an excess of drink.
The woman is Mrs Elizabeth Chudderley, a lovely and somewhat notorious widow, whom we met previously in Ms Duran’s Bound by Your Touch. Elizabeth at first comes across as an almost stereotypical “merry widow” – a fast woman with little care for her reputation who takes delight in her notoriety. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that her devil-may-care demeanour is masking a truly unhappy, lonely woman. She is thirty-two, her late husband did not treat her well, her lover left her when he discovered she was practically broke and the only way she can think of to solve her financial problems is to marry again. She is not thrilled at the prospect of turning over her life and freedom to another man, but she has many debts and her lover was bleeding her dry. She worries, given her age and situation, that her time for making such an advantageous match is running out.
She and Michael strike up a friendship of sorts – but the air between them is so sexually charged, right from their first meeting, that things cannot remain platonic for long. Elizabeth is lonely and decides she deserves a last fling before consigning herself to another loveless marriage, and Michael, who has a bit of a reputation with the ladies, is certainly not averse to a dalliance with a willing widow.
Elizabeth admits to herself that a longer arrangement is an attractive proposition – but she has already set in motion her plan to catch herself a husband. She is holding a house party and has invited two very eligible bachelors along, as well as a small group of friends, including James, Viscount Sanburne. When Michael turns up, uninvited, but on the best of terms with Sanburne and some of the other male guests, she is horrified. At first she believes he is practicing a deception upon them, and then becomes utterly furious when she works out he is actually the brother of one of the most powerful peers in the country.
There are a number of other plot threads running through the book as well, but the principal thrust of the story is the developing and at times tempestuous relationship between Michael and Elizabeth. She seems rather shallow at first because of her obsession with her looks, but given she believes that is all she has to offer a prospective husband, I suppose it’s a natural preoccupation. Underneath the brittle façade, however, Elizabeth is a caring woman who is trying hard to fulfil the responsibilities she feels to the numerous tenants and villagers who depend on her estate for their livelihoods. It takes a while to warm up to her, but once the listener is able to get past her outer shell, she becomes much more likeable.
Michael, however, is the novel’s real stand-out character. There is one point at which his intended actions seem rather underhand, but for the most part, he is a thoroughly honourable and capable man, possessed of integrity and with a great capacity for compassion and understanding. He comes to the realisation that he wants Elizabeth for much more than a mere dalliance, but doesn’t feel he has the right to offer her marriage, as he has no money of his own and certainly cannot afford to pay off her massive debts.
I enjoyed the story, although I have to admit it’s not my favourite of Ms Duran’s books. I liked the way the romance progressed, and the sexual tension between Michael and Elizabeth was deliciously potent. I do like a good dose of angst in my romances, and That Scandalous Summer certainly delivered it, but I felt the ending was rather rushed.
In terms of the narration, I think Ms Larkin did a pretty good job all round, although I once again had a few issues with her vocalisations of the male characters. On the positive side, she is now obviously lowering the pitch of her voice when portraying the men, something lacking in her previous work. On the downside, however, I didn’t feel that the characterisation of the principal male roles – Michael, Sanburne and Alastair – was always consistent. For example, there was a scene between Sanburne and Elizabeth where Sanburne sounded more like Michael than he did like Sanburne as Ms Larkin had portrayed him in earlier scenes. In the scene towards the end between Michael and Alastair, I felt as though Alastair had assumed Michael’s voice and Michael sounded different to how he had done throughout most of the book.
Her performance of the female roles was very good, although I wasn’t particularly taken with the way she chose to portray Elizabeth. I don’t think there was anything wrong with it per se, it just wasn’t quite to my taste. If anything, I thought she sounded a little TOO posh and stiff-upper-lip, even though it did fit the character.
Taken as a whole, though, I enjoyed listening to this audiobook, and will definitely be looking out for the next in the series. Ms Larkin has narrated a very large number of historical romance audios over the past year, and although I’ve listened to quite a few, they constitute a mere handful of the number she now has to her name. But from those, I can hear that both her narrative style and her characterisations have developed since I first listened to her, and I think that her performance in This Scandalous Summer is possibly her best to date.
B for both narration and content.
Narrator Alison Larkin has tended to be a bit hit and miss for me. There’s no doubt that she is a talented performer, especially when it comes to more light-hearted, humorous books; and her interpretations of female characters and “character roles” are generally very good. But her portrayals of the men in the books she narrates have been disappointing, mostly because they haven’t sounded masculine enough and also because there hasn’t been enough differentiation between the protagonists in the story. I’ve also felt that she hasn’t quite caught the right note emotionally in some of the books I’ve listened to. While I’ve had some issues with her narratives, for the most part she is successful and her readings are generally well-paced and pleasingly modulated.
Given those reservations, I will admit apprehension when I learned that Ms Larkin was to be the narrator of That Scandalous Summer, the first book by Meredith Duran to be made available in audio. I’m a big fan of Ms Duran’s writing, which is intelligent and lyrical. She writes complex characters and pays the reader/listener the compliment of allowing us to draw our own conclusions and to discover those complexities ourselves without repeatedly hitting us over the head with clues to point the way. I wasn‘t sure if Ms Larkin would be able to pull off a story of greater emotional weight than those I’ve heard her read before.
At the beginning of the book, Lord Michael de Grey and his brother, Alastair, the powerful and autocratic Duke of Marwick, have a row which ends with Michael leaving London to kick his heels in rural Cornwall, in the hope that his absence may make Marwick come to his senses.
Michael hasn’t been in Cornwall long, when one morning he literally stumbles across a woman sleeping in his rose bushes. Except, as he soon discovers, she isn’t sleeping – she’s actually passed out from an excess of drink.
The woman is Mrs Elizabeth Chudderley, a lovely and somewhat notorious widow, whom we met previously in Ms Duran’s Bound by Your Touch. Elizabeth at first comes across as an almost stereotypical “merry widow” – a fast woman with little care for her reputation who takes delight in her notoriety. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that her devil-may-care demeanour is masking a truly unhappy, lonely woman. She is thirty-two, her late husband did not treat her well, her lover left her when he discovered she was practically broke and the only way she can think of to solve her financial problems is to marry again. She is not thrilled at the prospect of turning over her life and freedom to another man, but she has many debts and her lover was bleeding her dry. She worries, given her age and situation, that her time for making such an advantageous match is running out.
She and Michael strike up a friendship of sorts – but the air between them is so sexually charged, right from their first meeting, that things cannot remain platonic for long. Elizabeth is lonely and decides she deserves a last fling before consigning herself to another loveless marriage, and Michael, who has a bit of a reputation with the ladies, is certainly not averse to a dalliance with a willing widow.
Elizabeth admits to herself that a longer arrangement is an attractive proposition – but she has already set in motion her plan to catch herself a husband. She is holding a house party and has invited two very eligible bachelors along, as well as a small group of friends, including James, Viscount Sanburne. When Michael turns up, uninvited, but on the best of terms with Sanburne and some of the other male guests, she is horrified. At first she believes he is practicing a deception upon them, and then becomes utterly furious when she works out he is actually the brother of one of the most powerful peers in the country.
There are a number of other plot threads running through the book as well, but the principal thrust of the story is the developing and at times tempestuous relationship between Michael and Elizabeth. She seems rather shallow at first because of her obsession with her looks, but given she believes that is all she has to offer a prospective husband, I suppose it’s a natural preoccupation. Underneath the brittle façade, however, Elizabeth is a caring woman who is trying hard to fulfil the responsibilities she feels to the numerous tenants and villagers who depend on her estate for their livelihoods. It takes a while to warm up to her, but once the listener is able to get past her outer shell, she becomes much more likeable.
Michael, however, is the novel’s real stand-out character. There is one point at which his intended actions seem rather underhand, but for the most part, he is a thoroughly honourable and capable man, possessed of integrity and with a great capacity for compassion and understanding. He comes to the realisation that he wants Elizabeth for much more than a mere dalliance, but doesn’t feel he has the right to offer her marriage, as he has no money of his own and certainly cannot afford to pay off her massive debts.
I enjoyed the story, although I have to admit it’s not my favourite of Ms Duran’s books. I liked the way the romance progressed, and the sexual tension between Michael and Elizabeth was deliciously potent. I do like a good dose of angst in my romances, and That Scandalous Summer certainly delivered it, but I felt the ending was rather rushed.
In terms of the narration, I think Ms Larkin did a pretty good job all round, although I once again had a few issues with her vocalisations of the male characters. On the positive side, she is now obviously lowering the pitch of her voice when portraying the men, something lacking in her previous work. On the downside, however, I didn’t feel that the characterisation of the principal male roles – Michael, Sanburne and Alastair – was always consistent. For example, there was a scene between Sanburne and Elizabeth where Sanburne sounded more like Michael than he did like Sanburne as Ms Larkin had portrayed him in earlier scenes. In the scene towards the end between Michael and Alastair, I felt as though Alastair had assumed Michael’s voice and Michael sounded different to how he had done throughout most of the book.
Her performance of the female roles was very good, although I wasn’t particularly taken with the way she chose to portray Elizabeth. I don’t think there was anything wrong with it per se, it just wasn’t quite to my taste. If anything, I thought she sounded a little TOO posh and stiff-upper-lip, even though it did fit the character.
Taken as a whole, though, I enjoyed listening to this audiobook, and will definitely be looking out for the next in the series. Ms Larkin has narrated a very large number of historical romance audios over the past year, and although I’ve listened to quite a few, they constitute a mere handful of the number she now has to her name. But from those, I can hear that both her narrative style and her characterisations have developed since I first listened to her, and I think that her performance in This Scandalous Summer is possibly her best to date.
January 29, 2013
The more I read Meredith Duran books, the more I become fascinated and enthralled with her voice. This books starts with a really well done (and important) prologue. Lord Michael de Grey’s brother is a duke, a duke who has turned into a sickly recluse after his wife was discovered not only sleeping with many other men, but also giving away political secrets. The duke is not only devastated his wife is dead, but her betrayal is drowning him, terrified the scandal will someday hit the papers. Years ago after Michael’s mother fell ill and nothing could be done to help her, Michael decided to turn to medicine and became a doctor. His brother funded the hospital that Michael now proudly runs. The duke knows he will never marry again, so he turns to Michael and demands he marry well, and produce an heir, if he does not, he will take all funding from the hospital away. Outraged and shocked and just completely sick of his brother’s behavior, Michael does the one thing his brother doesn’t expect him to do – he leaves the hospital, leaves town and goes into hiding in the country.
It is here he walks outside his house one morning to see a lovely lady passed out drunk in his rose bushes. Elizabeth Chudderly is a widow who is just the talk of the town. Gorgeous and outrageous, she throws the best parties and knows everyone. But behind the scenes things are bleak for Elizabeth. Her late husband left her many debts, and her most recent love has left her once he found out she was broke. Many people depend upon Elizabeth’s money, and she has finally concluded she must marry wealthy to secure everyone’s future that depends on her. But when she wakes up with a hangover in what she thinks is a country doctor’s office, her life will take a turn.
This book is so adorable and witty and just so well written. Elizabeth thinks Michael is some random country doctor and Michael lets her think that, as he doesn’t want his brother to catch on to where he is. She has no idea he is a rake and from the high class. But her reaction to him at first, stuns her
Mr. Grey settled the kit on the floor and then knelt before her – and began to roll up his shirt cuffs. Her mouth nearly fell open. What a barbaric thing to do! He was a savage. A savage whose bare forearms…made her mouth go dry.
His wrists were broad, lightly haired. His forearms looked to be carved from pure muscle. The veins on them stood out distinctly as he unwound a length of gauze.
Adorable barbaric.
Elizabeth is well versed in flirting, but her reaction to Michael surprises her so much. I also adore that while she is the epitome of fashion and thinks Michael is a barbarian for showing his forearms, she has absolutely no embarrassment that she was passed out drunk in his bushes.
“The headache will diminish,” said Mr. Grey – startling her, until she realized that she was rubbing her temple. “Be sure to take fluids until it does,” he added. “Broth and tea, preferably.”
The dear, sweet bumpkin! He issued his instructions as though he imagined this was the first time she had drunk to excess.
From here these two spend a lot of time together and develop a friendship with some very intense and wicked sexual tension all the while having such witty dialogue.
His eyes met hers over the rim of his cup, then flicked away as though hers burned.
Warmth prickled through her cheeks, The wild thought came to her to say to him: Yes, I feel it, too. Marvelous, isn’t it?
It all comes to a climax when they fall in love but Elizabeth has such a strong sense of duty to the people she cares for, and Michael has no money now that his brother cut him off. For Michael, he loves Elizabeth, but his brother basically raised him and he is not certain he can walk away from him and a hospital that helps so many.
There is much more to this story that I haven’t even mentioned. Elizabeth’s secretary has a great and intriguing role in this one and I hope we get more from her in the future. This is just a very lovely romance book about two people who meet, become attracted to each other, and help each other overcome personal obstacles to eventually find true love.
Rating: B+
It is here he walks outside his house one morning to see a lovely lady passed out drunk in his rose bushes. Elizabeth Chudderly is a widow who is just the talk of the town. Gorgeous and outrageous, she throws the best parties and knows everyone. But behind the scenes things are bleak for Elizabeth. Her late husband left her many debts, and her most recent love has left her once he found out she was broke. Many people depend upon Elizabeth’s money, and she has finally concluded she must marry wealthy to secure everyone’s future that depends on her. But when she wakes up with a hangover in what she thinks is a country doctor’s office, her life will take a turn.
This book is so adorable and witty and just so well written. Elizabeth thinks Michael is some random country doctor and Michael lets her think that, as he doesn’t want his brother to catch on to where he is. She has no idea he is a rake and from the high class. But her reaction to him at first, stuns her
Mr. Grey settled the kit on the floor and then knelt before her – and began to roll up his shirt cuffs. Her mouth nearly fell open. What a barbaric thing to do! He was a savage. A savage whose bare forearms…made her mouth go dry.
His wrists were broad, lightly haired. His forearms looked to be carved from pure muscle. The veins on them stood out distinctly as he unwound a length of gauze.
Adorable barbaric.
Elizabeth is well versed in flirting, but her reaction to Michael surprises her so much. I also adore that while she is the epitome of fashion and thinks Michael is a barbarian for showing his forearms, she has absolutely no embarrassment that she was passed out drunk in his bushes.
“The headache will diminish,” said Mr. Grey – startling her, until she realized that she was rubbing her temple. “Be sure to take fluids until it does,” he added. “Broth and tea, preferably.”
The dear, sweet bumpkin! He issued his instructions as though he imagined this was the first time she had drunk to excess.
From here these two spend a lot of time together and develop a friendship with some very intense and wicked sexual tension all the while having such witty dialogue.
His eyes met hers over the rim of his cup, then flicked away as though hers burned.
Warmth prickled through her cheeks, The wild thought came to her to say to him: Yes, I feel it, too. Marvelous, isn’t it?
It all comes to a climax when they fall in love but Elizabeth has such a strong sense of duty to the people she cares for, and Michael has no money now that his brother cut him off. For Michael, he loves Elizabeth, but his brother basically raised him and he is not certain he can walk away from him and a hospital that helps so many.
There is much more to this story that I haven’t even mentioned. Elizabeth’s secretary has a great and intriguing role in this one and I hope we get more from her in the future. This is just a very lovely romance book about two people who meet, become attracted to each other, and help each other overcome personal obstacles to eventually find true love.
Rating: B+
July 10, 2015
This is a book that has all the things a typically satisfying histo-rom should have: a handsome yet talented titled second son, the desperate yet clever and kind-hearted beautiful widow, villains and a house-party. The story reminds me much of works from Quinn, Kleypas, Gracie and co. The MCs fall in love with each other's hidden strengths, is very attracted to one another physically but circumstances have made it impractical for them to be together. So the story revolves around the dilemma of whether to be practical when choosing a spouse or to choose the one that the heart wants.
The writing is beautiful, as usual - no sloppy dialogues or paragraphs that try too hard to illustrate the background and the connections between the main characters. There is no unnecessary drama upon drama pulled in to give tension to the story (this is no MacNaught). The storyline is not overly simplistic. The characters's plights are quite real. So one tends to really savour the book for the pleasure of unfolding the whole story. The heroine, Mrs Elizabeth Chudderly, is a worldly widow and the hero himself, Michael de Grey, is quite a ladies' man (although he claimed that it was just all based on an unfortunate scandal).There are characters from previous MD books, namely the Sanburnes, though it does not make any difference if you have read their stories or not.
All in all a recommended read.
The writing is beautiful, as usual - no sloppy dialogues or paragraphs that try too hard to illustrate the background and the connections between the main characters. There is no unnecessary drama upon drama pulled in to give tension to the story (this is no MacNaught). The storyline is not overly simplistic. The characters's plights are quite real. So one tends to really savour the book for the pleasure of unfolding the whole story. The heroine, Mrs Elizabeth Chudderly, is a worldly widow and the hero himself, Michael de Grey, is quite a ladies' man (although he claimed that it was just all based on an unfortunate scandal).There are characters from previous MD books, namely the Sanburnes, though it does not make any difference if you have read their stories or not.
All in all a recommended read.
January 20, 2019
Bilan mitigé, de l'ennui par moment, des hauts et des bas dans l'intérêt du livre mais des personnages secondaire intéressants.
C'est clairement un 1er tome avec tous les défauts que cela comporte. Le couple principal peine à trouver sa place. Au départ l'idée était intéressante : elle a plus de 30 ans, elle est plus âgée que lui et veuve et accessoirement une vrai pochtronne. Lui un cadet sans le sou, tout à fait conscient de sa dépendance vis à vis de son aîné et qui s'en accommodait sans peine jusqu'à ce que ce dernier lui coupe les vivres et se décide à diriger sa vie (même s'il a ses raisons et que ses raisons sont clairement pas sympas).
Tous les deux sont à la recherche d’un riche conjoint pour les sortir de leurs problèmes, tout en étant tout à fait conscient également de leur attirance réciproque qui va contrarier un peu leur plan de faire un riche mariage.
Les sentiments et l'amour ils n'y croient pas trop. Un brin cyniques, un brin désabusés et hédonistes qui assument parfaitement leurs désirs et le fait d'en profiter.
Ce qui m'a gêné c'est le fait que les personnages ne soient malgré tout pas vraiment sympathiques finalement. Ils s'éparpillent et ne savent pas vraiment ce qu'ils veulent au final. Les "je t'aime mais il ne faut pas ça va un moment". Mais bougez-vous un peu bon sang !!!
Trop d'histoires de détails inutiles, c'est dommage. Et puis tout est plus ou moins brouillon. Ou je n'étais pas très réveillée, parce que je n'ai pas tout compris par moment, ayant l'impression par moment d'avoir sauté des pages.
Ce que j'ai aimé, le frère aîné clairement et dès les 1ères pages^^ Héros du tome 2 je précise. La plupart des personnages secondaires et cette relative originalité du couple principal. On s'éloigne un peu du couple classique de la romance, même si c'était à mon avis raté.
C'est clairement un 1er tome avec tous les défauts que cela comporte. Le couple principal peine à trouver sa place. Au départ l'idée était intéressante : elle a plus de 30 ans, elle est plus âgée que lui et veuve et accessoirement une vrai pochtronne. Lui un cadet sans le sou, tout à fait conscient de sa dépendance vis à vis de son aîné et qui s'en accommodait sans peine jusqu'à ce que ce dernier lui coupe les vivres et se décide à diriger sa vie (même s'il a ses raisons et que ses raisons sont clairement pas sympas).
Tous les deux sont à la recherche d’un riche conjoint pour les sortir de leurs problèmes, tout en étant tout à fait conscient également de leur attirance réciproque qui va contrarier un peu leur plan de faire un riche mariage.
Les sentiments et l'amour ils n'y croient pas trop. Un brin cyniques, un brin désabusés et hédonistes qui assument parfaitement leurs désirs et le fait d'en profiter.
Ce qui m'a gêné c'est le fait que les personnages ne soient malgré tout pas vraiment sympathiques finalement. Ils s'éparpillent et ne savent pas vraiment ce qu'ils veulent au final. Les "je t'aime mais il ne faut pas ça va un moment". Mais bougez-vous un peu bon sang !!!
Trop d'histoires de détails inutiles, c'est dommage. Et puis tout est plus ou moins brouillon. Ou je n'étais pas très réveillée, parce que je n'ai pas tout compris par moment, ayant l'impression par moment d'avoir sauté des pages.
Ce que j'ai aimé, le frère aîné clairement et dès les 1ères pages^^ Héros du tome 2 je précise. La plupart des personnages secondaires et cette relative originalité du couple principal. On s'éloigne un peu du couple classique de la romance, même si c'était à mon avis raté.
March 3, 2020
Hasta la mitad del libro, parecía que la historia no arrancaba del todo. Daba vueltas sobre lo mismo. Estuve a punto de abandonarlo. Pero justo cuando lo estaba pensando, empezó a ponerse interesante. Y el final, aunque esperado, se dió de manera poco convencional.
July 31, 2022
Get ready for a charming and wild ride.
Tropes: Mistaken Identity
There is just something about Meredith Duran books that makes them go by faster than other books. It's like a time warp, I get sucked in and suddenly I've read way more pages in an hour than I should be able to.
This book is the perfect lighthearted foil to her debut The Duke of Shadows. Our heroine Elizabeth is a renown beauty who is often thought frivolous, but she carries the financial responsibility for the estate she's inherited and the village it supports. I do love an HR heroine who is more than a spoiled debutante!
Our hero Michael is a pioneer in Victorian medicine and has pursued it despite his heritage. He's a compassionate and supportive hottie, but the man has problems. Namely his Duke of a brother who has become a recluse and gone quite mad.
The two meet in a small English village and have crackling chemistry but both feel they can't be together for different reasons. Michael's identity is revealed at a house party and things get scandalous from there.
I'm always looking for escapism in a book and this one fits the bill. It's funny, outrageous, and any problems you have will feel small in comparison to what the characters are going through. Highly recommend!
Tropes: Mistaken Identity
There is just something about Meredith Duran books that makes them go by faster than other books. It's like a time warp, I get sucked in and suddenly I've read way more pages in an hour than I should be able to.
This book is the perfect lighthearted foil to her debut The Duke of Shadows. Our heroine Elizabeth is a renown beauty who is often thought frivolous, but she carries the financial responsibility for the estate she's inherited and the village it supports. I do love an HR heroine who is more than a spoiled debutante!
Our hero Michael is a pioneer in Victorian medicine and has pursued it despite his heritage. He's a compassionate and supportive hottie, but the man has problems. Namely his Duke of a brother who has become a recluse and gone quite mad.
The two meet in a small English village and have crackling chemistry but both feel they can't be together for different reasons. Michael's identity is revealed at a house party and things get scandalous from there.
I'm always looking for escapism in a book and this one fits the bill. It's funny, outrageous, and any problems you have will feel small in comparison to what the characters are going through. Highly recommend!
February 20, 2017
1 star for first reading
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