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Naked Nobility #6
Le gentleman mis à nu
Il est temps pour Miss Margaret Peterson de se marier, et elle décide de trouver un époux qui partage sa passion pour l’horticulture. Malheureusement, le premier individu qui répond à ce critère entraîne la jeune femme dans un jardin pour s’y comporter comme un rustre. John Parker-Roth est un gentleman, un vrai, et il vole au secours de Meg. Lui-même ne vit que pour les plantes et les fleurs et cette jeune femme fraîche comme une rose saura peut-être l’émouvoir.
490 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 2008
82 people are currently reading
630 people want to read
About the author
Sally MacKenzie
42 books639 followersSally MacKenzie decided to become a writer in grade school when she read one of her stories to the class. Her classmates laughed and she was hooked. She sat down immediately to pen her first novel.
Well, not exactly.
The hooked part is right--cursed might be a better description--but the sitting down and writing part came later. Much later.
Sally eventually went on to college, majoring in English, and, upon graduation, did what many English majors do--she went to law school. But she still couldn’t shake her dream of writing fiction. Midway through law school, she faced the fact that she really did not want to be a lawyer. She took a permanent leave of absence, came home to the Washington, D.C. area, and sat down to type her first novel.
Well, not exactly.
She did come home and write, but mostly she wrote regulations for the United States government’s school nutrition programs. (Ketchup as a vegetable, anyone?) When her law school sweetheart graduated, he moved to D.C. and they got married. A couple years later, the first of their four sons was born, and Sally “retired” to manage their family. She wrote a story or two and some picture book texts, all now stored away in a filing cabinet, but she spent most of her energies on baby tending which rapidly evolved into carpool driving. She became an extremely skilled scheduler, getting all four boys to soccer, basketball, baseball, track, swimming, piano, scouts, and birthday parties without ever losing one. (Okay, she did lose the youngest for a few minutes, but she found him before he’d toddled into the parking lot.) And she did more writing--school newsletters, auction programs, class plays, swim league guidance, and the acclaimed annual MacKenzie family newsletter--but no fiction.
Finally, the boys started driving (Eek!) and leaving for college. The nest was emptying and she wasn't getting any younger. The time had come to chase the dream or let it go for good, so she sat down at the computer and wrote. And rewrote. And rewrote again until she had a polished manuscript. She joined the Romance Writers of America, and when the plea went out for Regency manuscripts for the 2004 Golden Heart contest, she sent in The Naked Duke. The stars aligned. She made the final round, and one of the judging editors liked the manuscript and offered to buy it.
Yee haw!!
When not writing or obsessing over the various mysteries of book promotion, Sally can be found at the gym working hard to age gracefully, at the pool on the SLOW side of the Masters swim practice, or at one meeting or another volunteering at the helm of the summer swim league.
Here's Sally with her family--she's 5 ft. 8 in. tall, but she's short in this crowd.
Well, not exactly.
The hooked part is right--cursed might be a better description--but the sitting down and writing part came later. Much later.
Sally eventually went on to college, majoring in English, and, upon graduation, did what many English majors do--she went to law school. But she still couldn’t shake her dream of writing fiction. Midway through law school, she faced the fact that she really did not want to be a lawyer. She took a permanent leave of absence, came home to the Washington, D.C. area, and sat down to type her first novel.
Well, not exactly.
She did come home and write, but mostly she wrote regulations for the United States government’s school nutrition programs. (Ketchup as a vegetable, anyone?) When her law school sweetheart graduated, he moved to D.C. and they got married. A couple years later, the first of their four sons was born, and Sally “retired” to manage their family. She wrote a story or two and some picture book texts, all now stored away in a filing cabinet, but she spent most of her energies on baby tending which rapidly evolved into carpool driving. She became an extremely skilled scheduler, getting all four boys to soccer, basketball, baseball, track, swimming, piano, scouts, and birthday parties without ever losing one. (Okay, she did lose the youngest for a few minutes, but she found him before he’d toddled into the parking lot.) And she did more writing--school newsletters, auction programs, class plays, swim league guidance, and the acclaimed annual MacKenzie family newsletter--but no fiction.
Finally, the boys started driving (Eek!) and leaving for college. The nest was emptying and she wasn't getting any younger. The time had come to chase the dream or let it go for good, so she sat down at the computer and wrote. And rewrote. And rewrote again until she had a polished manuscript. She joined the Romance Writers of America, and when the plea went out for Regency manuscripts for the 2004 Golden Heart contest, she sent in The Naked Duke. The stars aligned. She made the final round, and one of the judging editors liked the manuscript and offered to buy it.
Yee haw!!
When not writing or obsessing over the various mysteries of book promotion, Sally can be found at the gym working hard to age gracefully, at the pool on the SLOW side of the Masters swim practice, or at one meeting or another volunteering at the helm of the summer swim league.
Here's Sally with her family--she's 5 ft. 8 in. tall, but she's short in this crowd.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
November 19, 2021
2 Estrillitas. La verdad que este libro me ha supuesto una decepción. Supongo que era esperable tras la nota que tenía. Los personajes tenían potencial, pero la autora ha desaprovechado malamente su historia.
Conocimos tanto a Meg como a John en libros anteriores, si no recuerdo mal, en el de Emma y Lizzie. Y con tanto interés en las plantas era obvio que acabarían juntos. Pero todo en éste libro está mal.
Meg Peterson está pasando su segunda temporara en Londres. Es cierto que en su momento suspiró por John Parker-Roth, pero éste no parecía tener interés en ella. Así que no sé por qué Sally Mackenzie, dada su irreverencia a la hora de ambientar sus historias, convierte a Meg en una buscona que va baile tras baile llevando caballeros a los arbustos y seduciéndolos para ver si le parece buen marido ¿De verdad me haces eso con un personaje?
En cuanto a John, es cierto que él es un caballero y casi no tengo nada que criticarle salvo que en algunos momentos parecía algo paradito; y Meg necesitaba mas de un escarmiento. De John sabíamos que fue el caballero que Grace abandonó en el altar en "El barón desnudo". John quedó muy dolido tras lo ocurrido, pero no porque amara a Grace, si no porque le hirió su orgullo. Desde entonces John reniega del matrimonio y no quiere casarse, tampoco tiene por qué hacerlo, él es un simple caballero, no tiene ningún título que transmitir y sí muchos hermanos.
De todas formas, John acompaña ésa Temporada a Londres a su madre, que si tiene muchas ganas de casarle. Y en un baile será donde Meg y John se vuelvan a encontrar, justo cuando ella está seduciendo en los arbustos a un caballero, que se da mas libertades de las esperadas. Todo sale mal, y al final John acude en el rescate de Meg, hasta el punto de que la situación es tan lamentable que Meg y John son descubiertos en extraña postura por la cotilla mas grande de Londres.
Lo lógico en éstas circunstancias es que ambos protagonistas se casaran, de hecho, John se lo pide a Meg, y ella le rechaza ¡¡¡le rechaza!!! Tras haber quedado claro que estaba enamoradiscada de él. Su excusa, sinceramente, no la hay. La autora le ha lavado el cerebro a Meg o la personalidad, pero la excusa puede ser que Meg piensa que él no la quiere y por eso no quiere obligarle a unirse a él de por vida.
La verdad es que sólo por esto el libro ha bajado puntos, y mas todavía cuando la escritora nos trae tramas secundarias que no aportan nada a la historia, como el romance de los antagonistas, Felicity y Bennie; y menos mal que no les ha dedicado muchos capítulos.
Por último, el romance de los protagonistas ha sido inexistente hasta el final del libro, por eso no puedo creerme la historia de amor. Sí, tienes unos personajes que se conocieron en libros anteriores, que tienen potencial y ves que casan bien juntos, de hecho todos los personajes secundarios ven que están hechos el uno para el otro, y cuando llega su libro lo estropeas volviendo a uno indiferente y a la otra estúpida perdida.
Lo siento mucho, pero ésta historia no ha funcionado. Ahora tengo totalmente claro que las historias "pares" de ésta escritora son un fiasco, mientras que todos sus grandes esfuerzos caen en los "impares", sí, los libros de Emma y Jane son los que más me han gustado hasta el momento. Una lástima que la historia de Meg y John haya estado desaprovechada. Espero que al menos la autora haya cerrado bien la serie con el libro de Stephen, el hermano de John.
Conocimos tanto a Meg como a John en libros anteriores, si no recuerdo mal, en el de Emma y Lizzie. Y con tanto interés en las plantas era obvio que acabarían juntos. Pero todo en éste libro está mal.
Meg Peterson está pasando su segunda temporara en Londres. Es cierto que en su momento suspiró por John Parker-Roth, pero éste no parecía tener interés en ella. Así que no sé por qué Sally Mackenzie, dada su irreverencia a la hora de ambientar sus historias, convierte a Meg en una buscona que va baile tras baile llevando caballeros a los arbustos y seduciéndolos para ver si le parece buen marido ¿De verdad me haces eso con un personaje?
En cuanto a John, es cierto que él es un caballero y casi no tengo nada que criticarle salvo que en algunos momentos parecía algo paradito; y Meg necesitaba mas de un escarmiento. De John sabíamos que fue el caballero que Grace abandonó en el altar en "El barón desnudo". John quedó muy dolido tras lo ocurrido, pero no porque amara a Grace, si no porque le hirió su orgullo. Desde entonces John reniega del matrimonio y no quiere casarse, tampoco tiene por qué hacerlo, él es un simple caballero, no tiene ningún título que transmitir y sí muchos hermanos.
De todas formas, John acompaña ésa Temporada a Londres a su madre, que si tiene muchas ganas de casarle. Y en un baile será donde Meg y John se vuelvan a encontrar, justo cuando ella está seduciendo en los arbustos a un caballero, que se da mas libertades de las esperadas. Todo sale mal, y al final John acude en el rescate de Meg, hasta el punto de que la situación es tan lamentable que Meg y John son descubiertos en extraña postura por la cotilla mas grande de Londres.
Lo lógico en éstas circunstancias es que ambos protagonistas se casaran, de hecho, John se lo pide a Meg, y ella le rechaza ¡¡¡le rechaza!!! Tras haber quedado claro que estaba enamoradiscada de él. Su excusa, sinceramente, no la hay. La autora le ha lavado el cerebro a Meg o la personalidad, pero la excusa puede ser que Meg piensa que él no la quiere y por eso no quiere obligarle a unirse a él de por vida.
La verdad es que sólo por esto el libro ha bajado puntos, y mas todavía cuando la escritora nos trae tramas secundarias que no aportan nada a la historia, como el romance de los antagonistas, Felicity y Bennie; y menos mal que no les ha dedicado muchos capítulos.
Por último, el romance de los protagonistas ha sido inexistente hasta el final del libro, por eso no puedo creerme la historia de amor. Sí, tienes unos personajes que se conocieron en libros anteriores, que tienen potencial y ves que casan bien juntos, de hecho todos los personajes secundarios ven que están hechos el uno para el otro, y cuando llega su libro lo estropeas volviendo a uno indiferente y a la otra estúpida perdida.
Lo siento mucho, pero ésta historia no ha funcionado. Ahora tengo totalmente claro que las historias "pares" de ésta escritora son un fiasco, mientras que todos sus grandes esfuerzos caen en los "impares", sí, los libros de Emma y Jane son los que más me han gustado hasta el momento. Una lástima que la historia de Meg y John haya estado desaprovechada. Espero que al menos la autora haya cerrado bien la serie con el libro de Stephen, el hermano de John.
May 12, 2009
SPOILERS AHEAD
I can list up to 1,000 ways this book could had been better. But that'll take too long so I'll list the ones that annoyed me the most.
1--What the hell was up with all the secondary characters that had their own plots? I don't care about them; I only care about the main characters! MacKenzie ruined the first half of the book by popping up people that seem to be from her other books (TNG is my first read from her so I don't give a crap about them at this point.)
2--She made the heroine, Meg, too stupid throughout the majority of the book. How dense can she be? I wanted to clonk her over the head every time her sister or that b***h Grace or John's mother tells her she's a harlot by messing around with John in the bushes and all she can stammer out how it's her fault and not John's. (Grace should speak for herself. From my understanding, she was sleeping with another guy when engaged to John fours years ago.) The females in this book were annoying and nosy bodies who deserved several good slaps. Every time they talk to Meg, I keep expecting her to scream, "STFU" and flick the middle finger at them. Yes, childish but way better than acting meek and not having a damn backbone.
3--The hero, John, could have had a better personality and stand up for himself more. Everyone belittles him from his mother, to those stupid men from another book, to just everyone. Sure, he doesn’t have a title to his name but shouldn't he be allow to also scream, "STFU, suck my d**k" and throw a few punches around?Grace would be the first victim that b***h
Yes, again, childish but come’on!!! Nobody listens to him, nobody respect him, and I'm surprise he took all of their snarky comments and didn't react. At all.
4--One thing I did like in this book (wow!) was that MacKenzie did a good job at telling us what both characters felt at a certain point. Like one scene when Meg was running away from John into the garden and we read about how she feels about him--before he catches up to her. Then it ends and we get to see the chase scene through John's feelings about her. I find that really original. Not many authors these days allow us into both hero and heroine's minds.
5--Another thing I like (double wow!) was the chemistry between Meg and John. Sure it was awkward in the beginningand there were times when you wish you could hit them over the head with a pan but there was chemistry between them until the author ruined it. Yes, she ruined it, by adding in unnecessary plots and characters. I was really pissed that she made it seem like the main characters' relationship and get-to-know-each-other-scenes were a back-up plot to everything else.
6--They didn't fell in love at all. They were pushed toward each other. How the heck could they had fell in love at all??!! The book was too rushed and lacked details. I don't think I'm ever going to read another book from MacKenzie. I don't like the secondary characters and I doubt I would want to read their books.
The relationship--or lack of it--was too confusing and bland. We get more interaction from secondary characters that are too stupid to live and needs to be thrown off a mountain. The only times the H&H were really together was when they were forced to marry--and this didn’t happen until the last few chapters of the damn book. Even by then they're in love and yay! there's a happy ending.The End. Thank God.
I can list up to 1,000 ways this book could had been better. But that'll take too long so I'll list the ones that annoyed me the most.
1--What the hell was up with all the secondary characters that had their own plots? I don't care about them; I only care about the main characters! MacKenzie ruined the first half of the book by popping up people that seem to be from her other books (TNG is my first read from her so I don't give a crap about them at this point.)
2--She made the heroine, Meg, too stupid throughout the majority of the book. How dense can she be? I wanted to clonk her over the head every time her sister or that b***h Grace or John's mother tells her she's a harlot by messing around with John in the bushes and all she can stammer out how it's her fault and not John's. (Grace should speak for herself. From my understanding, she was sleeping with another guy when engaged to John fours years ago.) The females in this book were annoying and nosy bodies who deserved several good slaps. Every time they talk to Meg, I keep expecting her to scream, "STFU" and flick the middle finger at them. Yes, childish but way better than acting meek and not having a damn backbone.
3--The hero, John, could have had a better personality and stand up for himself more. Everyone belittles him from his mother, to those stupid men from another book, to just everyone. Sure, he doesn’t have a title to his name but shouldn't he be allow to also scream, "STFU, suck my d**k" and throw a few punches around?
4--One thing I did like in this book (wow!) was that MacKenzie did a good job at telling us what both characters felt at a certain point. Like one scene when Meg was running away from John into the garden and we read about how she feels about him--before he catches up to her. Then it ends and we get to see the chase scene through John's feelings about her. I find that really original. Not many authors these days allow us into both hero and heroine's minds.
5--Another thing I like (double wow!) was the chemistry between Meg and John. Sure it was awkward in the beginning
6--They didn't fell in love at all. They were pushed toward each other. How the heck could they had fell in love at all??!! The book was too rushed and lacked details. I don't think I'm ever going to read another book from MacKenzie. I don't like the secondary characters and I doubt I would want to read their books.
The relationship--or lack of it--was too confusing and bland. We get more interaction from secondary characters that are too stupid to live and needs to be thrown off a mountain. The only times the H&H were really together was when they were forced to marry--and this didn’t happen until the last few chapters of the damn book. Even by then they're in love and yay! there's a happy ending.The End. Thank God.
January 8, 2012
The wafer-thin plot of this Regency romance is crushed under the weight of subplots, extraneous characters, cliches and anachronisms that overload it. There's about 30 extra characters and we get a glimpse into the sex life of almost every one, lucky us. The main plot, what there is of it, concerns a woman who steadfastly refuses to marry the man who compromised her--the only reason, as far as I can tell, being that she actually wants to marry him. An almost astonishingly tedious book.
June 16, 2016
Karena menyelamatkan miss Meg Peterson di kegelapan semak-semak, John Parker-Roth malah jadi "kegep" dlm keadaan tidak senonoh dgn gadis tsb.
John sdh berusaha menjadi pria sejati. Apa daya, Meg menolaknya krn dianggap hanya keterpaksaan dan kesopanan. Dan sepanjang novel ini baik John maupun Meg seperti kucing dan tikus, kejar-mengejar, saling menghindar, yg ujung2nya mereka tetap saja harus menikah karena keadaan terpaksa utk menghindari skandal yg bisa menghancurkan reputasi John.
Novel ini terlalu panjang karena yg dibahas hal-hal itu-itu saja. Karakter kedua tokoh utama, terutama John yg pasif (kecuali kalau mencium Meg), membuat novel ini terkesan bertele-tele. John itu hrs didorong dan dipersuasi oleh seluruh orang di sekitarnya. Sangat merepotkan. Dan sungguh bodoh jalan pikiran John bhw Meg menginginkan suami bergelar. Jelas John bukan type BBF idaman hati.
Kecintaan kedua tokoh utama terhadap tanaman, mungkin menyebabkan novel ini terasa datar dan apatis. Lagi2 seri Naked ini kurang menggeletar, walau ada sedikit humor2 kecil. Jadi cukup 3 stars saja.
John sdh berusaha menjadi pria sejati. Apa daya, Meg menolaknya krn dianggap hanya keterpaksaan dan kesopanan. Dan sepanjang novel ini baik John maupun Meg seperti kucing dan tikus, kejar-mengejar, saling menghindar, yg ujung2nya mereka tetap saja harus menikah karena keadaan terpaksa utk menghindari skandal yg bisa menghancurkan reputasi John.
Novel ini terlalu panjang karena yg dibahas hal-hal itu-itu saja. Karakter kedua tokoh utama, terutama John yg pasif (kecuali kalau mencium Meg), membuat novel ini terkesan bertele-tele. John itu hrs didorong dan dipersuasi oleh seluruh orang di sekitarnya. Sangat merepotkan. Dan sungguh bodoh jalan pikiran John bhw Meg menginginkan suami bergelar. Jelas John bukan type BBF idaman hati.
Kecintaan kedua tokoh utama terhadap tanaman, mungkin menyebabkan novel ini terasa datar dan apatis. Lagi2 seri Naked ini kurang menggeletar, walau ada sedikit humor2 kecil. Jadi cukup 3 stars saja.
November 27, 2009
Such a shame. As a secondary character in the other books, Meg seemed so promising-- geeky about plants, intelligent, insightful. I was rather disappointed in this book, because it made her do wildly inappropriate and (frankly) stupid things... all with the explanation of being in love. Bah humbug.
March 31, 2023
No... no.... no! The whole issue that Meg, a very proper young lady in previous books, would start dragging men into secluded gardens to test their kissing ability just got my hackles up to begin with. Then the sex scenes had cliches I loath! I was looking forward to Meg and John's story, but I struggled with finishing this.
January 30, 2019
John Parker-Roth, yang pernah ditinggalkan di altar oleh Grace, berniat menolong Miss Margareth Petersons yang hampir "dipaksa" oleh Lord Bennington. Tapi kemudian justru dia yang tertangkap basah dan harus menikah dengan Meg. Saat dia melamar Meg justru Meg yang menolaknya. John a.k.a Parks semakin merasa bahwa menikah itu bukan menjadi jalan hidupnya. Perempuan kalangan atas mana yang mau hidup tanpa gelar bangsawan?
Meg sendiri terkenal dengan reputasinya yang sering membawa pria ke semak-semak sepanjang Season. Meg hanya ingin menikah. Lebih baik lagi jika suaminya memiliki kebun yang luas. Minat Meg pada botani membuatnya pernah jatuh cinta pada John. Tapi John tidak memperhatikannya. Jadinya dia mencari pria kalangan atas lainnya untuk dinikahi.
Saya kurang menyukai karakter Meg di buku ini, dan nyaris kasihan pada John. Tapi John masih bisa dimaklumi karena dia memang tidak memiliki gelar dan pernah ditolak wanita lain. Wajar sih kalau John jadi pesimis dan menarik diri.
Buku ini menjadi "ajang reuni" dari buku-buku sebelumnya. Ada James dan Sarah, ada Emma (kakaknya Meg) dan Charles, ada Robbie dan Lizzie , ada David dan Grace, ada Jane dan Mutton , bahkan karakter pendukung seperti Lady Felicity yang ngebet pengen nikah pun juga hadir.
Meg sendiri terkenal dengan reputasinya yang sering membawa pria ke semak-semak sepanjang Season. Meg hanya ingin menikah. Lebih baik lagi jika suaminya memiliki kebun yang luas. Minat Meg pada botani membuatnya pernah jatuh cinta pada John. Tapi John tidak memperhatikannya. Jadinya dia mencari pria kalangan atas lainnya untuk dinikahi.
Saya kurang menyukai karakter Meg di buku ini, dan nyaris kasihan pada John. Tapi John masih bisa dimaklumi karena dia memang tidak memiliki gelar dan pernah ditolak wanita lain. Wajar sih kalau John jadi pesimis dan menarik diri.
Buku ini menjadi "ajang reuni" dari buku-buku sebelumnya. Ada James dan Sarah, ada Emma (kakaknya Meg) dan Charles, ada Robbie dan Lizzie , ada David dan Grace, ada Jane dan Mutton , bahkan karakter pendukung seperti Lady Felicity yang ngebet pengen nikah pun juga hadir.
August 29, 2018
This is such a fun series.
Meg Peterson has always been considered odd, even by her sister, now Marchioness Knightsdale. Meg is more interested in plants than people, so while at a country house party, she meets John Parker-Roth, an avid botanist, she thinks perhaps they might be suited. But after the party ends, he returns home and she doesn’t hear from him again
Her sister insists Meg go to London to participate in the Season and since Meg truly does want her own home and family, she decides to find a husband. Unfortunately, her methods cause talk - she is auditioning candidates, so to speak, by kissing them in the gardens of the ton. When one of her candidates oversteps the bounds of decency, John comes to her rescue. Unfortunately, her gown was torn and she was seen en deshabille by one of society’s biggest gossips.
John offers marriage but she turns him down because she doesn’t want to trap him. The problem is that they can’t keep their hands off each other, even when Meg is masquerading as a man, completely shredding John’s reputation. Meg has to marry him to save him and his family from becoming social outcasts. But marriage doesn’t solve their problems.
I love John - in fiction, at least, I love the quiet, dark-horse kind of hero. In other words, exactly opposite of my own IRL garrulous, extrovert hero.
Meg Peterson has always been considered odd, even by her sister, now Marchioness Knightsdale. Meg is more interested in plants than people, so while at a country house party, she meets John Parker-Roth, an avid botanist, she thinks perhaps they might be suited. But after the party ends, he returns home and she doesn’t hear from him again
Her sister insists Meg go to London to participate in the Season and since Meg truly does want her own home and family, she decides to find a husband. Unfortunately, her methods cause talk - she is auditioning candidates, so to speak, by kissing them in the gardens of the ton. When one of her candidates oversteps the bounds of decency, John comes to her rescue. Unfortunately, her gown was torn and she was seen en deshabille by one of society’s biggest gossips.
John offers marriage but she turns him down because she doesn’t want to trap him. The problem is that they can’t keep their hands off each other, even when Meg is masquerading as a man, completely shredding John’s reputation. Meg has to marry him to save him and his family from becoming social outcasts. But marriage doesn’t solve their problems.
I love John - in fiction, at least, I love the quiet, dark-horse kind of hero. In other words, exactly opposite of my own IRL garrulous, extrovert hero.
March 22, 2008
I love Sally MacKenzie's books. The passion and laughter just jump off the page. However, this was not one of her best tales. If you haven't read her books before, I suggest starting with the Naked Earl or the Naked Marquise as both are much better.
The passion was there, the humor was there, but there were too many issues that could have been solved with ONE conversation...that should have taken place WAAYYY earlier in the book!! The secondary story also just confused me rather than added any value to the story... The actions of both lead characters left me wanting to clout them both over the head...numerous times!
As I said, I normally love her books and will still buy the next one. So unless you're a diehard fan...pass this one by.
The passion was there, the humor was there, but there were too many issues that could have been solved with ONE conversation...that should have taken place WAAYYY earlier in the book!! The secondary story also just confused me rather than added any value to the story... The actions of both lead characters left me wanting to clout them both over the head...numerous times!
As I said, I normally love her books and will still buy the next one. So unless you're a diehard fan...pass this one by.
January 24, 2016
Meg is caught trying out husbands by dragging them out to the garden at every ton ball and everyone has started to notice. When one potential gets too handsy she is saved by Parks who she has been attracted to since they found a mutual interest in botany at a house party. When he in turn compromises her she refuses to trap him into marriage and they both try to deny their mutual growing attraction.
This installment in the series was not as funny as the ones that came before and I had trouble with the relationship being almost all lust and not must loving discovery going on.
This installment in the series was not as funny as the ones that came before and I had trouble with the relationship being almost all lust and not must loving discovery going on.
October 21, 2012
If you like a racy story full of sex and sexual innuendos and spicy anatomy descriptors and did I mention sex, then this is the book for you. When the characters weren't having sex or speaking about sex or the opposite sex, there was some quite humorous and witty situations and dialog. It is a very light-hearted romantic story, that makes me glad I didn't live during this tale's era or I'd be too exhausted from all the societal posturing (I guess that may be taken a couple of ways and both fit)to write a review.
August 5, 2020
I don’t recall Emma or Meg being so annoying. The shift in characteristics/personalities from Emma’s story to Meg’s story gave me such whiplash...and disappointment.
Meg is so utterly disappointing as a character. She was so logical and “cool” in Emma’s storyline that I actually was looking forward to reading her book, but now all I can feel is disgust. She’s such a coward and uninteresting person. No development at all in regards to her plant knowledge. It’s like her interest in plants have become some one-dimensional part of her that is neither interesting, endearing, or even odd anymore.
Meg is so utterly disappointing as a character. She was so logical and “cool” in Emma’s storyline that I actually was looking forward to reading her book, but now all I can feel is disgust. She’s such a coward and uninteresting person. No development at all in regards to her plant knowledge. It’s like her interest in plants have become some one-dimensional part of her that is neither interesting, endearing, or even odd anymore.
February 25, 2011
The book drags, but what really drives me crazy about this book is the way she rewrites every occasion from anothers point of view. For instance the heroine was rushing through the garden trying to avoid the hero. The author writes the heroine's thoughts, then when they do get together, she starts the scene over again to let us know what the hero was thinking as he chased her. The book could have been half as long.
Don't waste your time it is just not that good!
Don't waste your time it is just not that good!
March 14, 2020
3 Stars
January 31, 2023
Uno más de tantos de histórica que he leído.
Neus, no lo intentes más con esta autora.
Neus, no lo intentes más con esta autora.
May 13, 2020
Margaret (Meg) is a young lady of 21 years. She is in her second season. Her activity of choice at balls seems to be to invite gentlemen into dark gardens. That is never exactly explained so that I understood it.
John Parker-Roth is a gentleman who is unmarried. He is still recovering from the fact that he was left standing at the altar by a young lady he thought he loved. She ran off with someone else and now is happily married with children.
Meg has gone into the dark garden one too many times. The man she is with rips her clothes, bruises her and intends to assault her even more. When John hears the assault, he rushes in to save the day. He punches the man in the face and threatens him. The brute runs away.
I liked John and his family a great deal. They are funny, entertaining, interesting and very loving with one another. John happens to be the one member of his family who has a very sober and humorless personality. Or so it seems.
Meg’s family and friends are very interesting people. They are funny and loving and very open about their family relationships. The adult relationships are quite adult and the children actually act like real children.
Meg was more difficult for me. She seemed to make decisions for no reason. She had no logical excuse for behaving in a manner which made her the talk of the town. On more than one occasion, John tried to do the right thing, and she refused his proposals. At the same time, she was putting both of them in compromising situations.
I am a huge fan of the books in this series. I enjoy Ms MacKenzie’s humor and her writing is always enjoying for me. This book is not one of my favorites.
The plot was humorous. The characters’ conversations were terrific. All in all, well done because Ms MacKenzie is so talented even not my favorite is a good book.
John Parker-Roth is a gentleman who is unmarried. He is still recovering from the fact that he was left standing at the altar by a young lady he thought he loved. She ran off with someone else and now is happily married with children.
Meg has gone into the dark garden one too many times. The man she is with rips her clothes, bruises her and intends to assault her even more. When John hears the assault, he rushes in to save the day. He punches the man in the face and threatens him. The brute runs away.
I liked John and his family a great deal. They are funny, entertaining, interesting and very loving with one another. John happens to be the one member of his family who has a very sober and humorless personality. Or so it seems.
Meg’s family and friends are very interesting people. They are funny and loving and very open about their family relationships. The adult relationships are quite adult and the children actually act like real children.
Meg was more difficult for me. She seemed to make decisions for no reason. She had no logical excuse for behaving in a manner which made her the talk of the town. On more than one occasion, John tried to do the right thing, and she refused his proposals. At the same time, she was putting both of them in compromising situations.
I am a huge fan of the books in this series. I enjoy Ms MacKenzie’s humor and her writing is always enjoying for me. This book is not one of my favorites.
The plot was humorous. The characters’ conversations were terrific. All in all, well done because Ms MacKenzie is so talented even not my favorite is a good book.
October 14, 2018
This was a hilarious read that I enjoyed from start to finish. I couldn't put it down.
John Parker-Roth is much more interested in plants than marriage, something that his mother doesn't understand and forces him to accompany her to London to find a bride. John is sure than no London lady will understand his love for plants, but if he should happen to find one that would be great. Enter Meg Peterson, plant lover and strong willed woman on the hunt for a husband. However, she isn't interested in John Parker-Roth after he dismissed her a few years earlier and refuses to marry him, despite the fact that she was discovered half-naked on his lap kissing him, begging him for it. Hmmm.... how does one explain that?
This book was hilarious. From the moment the two are reintroduced to the moment the book ends it is a fun ride. I didn't put the book down.
John and Meg are both so great together and both so against marriage to the other that it's hilarious. I enjoyed every moment of their argue-flirting that anytime the two were in the same room together interacting I was smiling. It was great.
The best part was when they finally admit their feelings for one another and they are both surprised at that. It was so sweet and I just couldn't help smiling at the entire thing. It was great, probably my favorite in the series so far.
John Parker-Roth is much more interested in plants than marriage, something that his mother doesn't understand and forces him to accompany her to London to find a bride. John is sure than no London lady will understand his love for plants, but if he should happen to find one that would be great. Enter Meg Peterson, plant lover and strong willed woman on the hunt for a husband. However, she isn't interested in John Parker-Roth after he dismissed her a few years earlier and refuses to marry him, despite the fact that she was discovered half-naked on his lap kissing him, begging him for it. Hmmm.... how does one explain that?
This book was hilarious. From the moment the two are reintroduced to the moment the book ends it is a fun ride. I didn't put the book down.
John and Meg are both so great together and both so against marriage to the other that it's hilarious. I enjoyed every moment of their argue-flirting that anytime the two were in the same room together interacting I was smiling. It was great.
The best part was when they finally admit their feelings for one another and they are both surprised at that. It was so sweet and I just couldn't help smiling at the entire thing. It was great, probably my favorite in the series so far.
March 1, 2023
Meg & John
Usually, I adore the books in this series, but this one was a miss.
We met these two Green Thumbs in the Naked Marquis, and I enjoyed them more there. There's simply too many false protests in this book.
She wants him based on her previous experiences with him and his lovely garden, but she spends the whole book pushing him away.
He wants her, and can't keep his hands off her, but refuses to move forward because of an old hurt and the subsequent promise he made himself.
Worst of all, she keeps bringing lesser men into the bushes with her.
The side romance in this one was equally bad, with a gold digger looking to cash in before her father's bankruptcy kills her chances of a wealthy match. I felt like her love interest was tricked into marrying her.
There's also quite a lot of hate towards gays which is period appropriate but still felt yucky since we live in today's society. I think it's meant to be funny, but it's just not.
Usually, I adore the books in this series, but this one was a miss.
We met these two Green Thumbs in the Naked Marquis, and I enjoyed them more there. There's simply too many false protests in this book.
She wants him based on her previous experiences with him and his lovely garden, but she spends the whole book pushing him away.
He wants her, and can't keep his hands off her, but refuses to move forward because of an old hurt and the subsequent promise he made himself.
Worst of all, she keeps bringing lesser men into the bushes with her.
The side romance in this one was equally bad, with a gold digger looking to cash in before her father's bankruptcy kills her chances of a wealthy match. I felt like her love interest was tricked into marrying her.
There's also quite a lot of hate towards gays which is period appropriate but still felt yucky since we live in today's society. I think it's meant to be funny, but it's just not.
August 22, 2022
I wasn't aware this was part of a series, but after reading this I doubt I'll seek out the other books. There are some funny bon mots courtesy of the hero (John), a man who would rather study horticulture than be married to a socialite and who meets Margaret (Meg), who shares his love for plants but who is one of the dumbest people in romance fiction.
The author continuously switches perspective from four to five different characters with no transitions. I'm not sure if she was writing epilogues for other books or not, but it didn't add anything to this romance.
Everything Meg says or does is infused with a sense of stupidity and I wondered how and why John fell for her. Sure, she's got a nice rack, but is that enough to sustain a lifetime commitment?
The author continuously switches perspective from four to five different characters with no transitions. I'm not sure if she was writing epilogues for other books or not, but it didn't add anything to this romance.
Everything Meg says or does is infused with a sense of stupidity and I wondered how and why John fell for her. Sure, she's got a nice rack, but is that enough to sustain a lifetime commitment?
June 3, 2018
Ok, I think I've had my fill of these books or this author, I'm not sure which. I really liked the main characters when they were secondary characters in another book, but they were just meh in this book. their story, just like the previous four, would've been fine if they'd just talked to one another. Enough already of taking the easy way out with the plot devices and just write a story where the characters are up front with one another and work through stuff together, not constantly wavering on that "does s/he love me or not?" precipice.
July 7, 2022
I love this series, but this was by far my least favorite book in the series. The plot was barely there. It felt like McKenzie had the idea for the story but didn’t have time to flesh it out so she just kept adding people and other plots. She added a stomach bug for no apparent reason and the character literally repeated themselves. Once on the same page. I was disappointed in this book as it is one of my favorite series. I’ve read quite a few of them, and her attempt to pull together true characters from the other series to this one was a bad call.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2018
Not the best...
This was by far a waste of time to read. There were 4-5 perspectives that the author continuously jumped between with no transitions to make sense. The additional perspectives from characters that were returning from previous series was a waste. It was almost like she tried to use the book as an opportunity to write the epilogues that were missing from the others.
I sincerely wish I hadn’t finished as it was a complete waste of time.
This was by far a waste of time to read. There were 4-5 perspectives that the author continuously jumped between with no transitions to make sense. The additional perspectives from characters that were returning from previous series was a waste. It was almost like she tried to use the book as an opportunity to write the epilogues that were missing from the others.
I sincerely wish I hadn’t finished as it was a complete waste of time.
December 14, 2018
Meg was flighty to say the least. I always felt complete empathy with John in the previous story when he was left at the altar but Grace was a perfect match for the Baron. Meg and John have a chemistry that is undeniable! But Meg constantly runs away from the attraction that puts poor John in an unfavorable light with the TON to say the least. Their road to HEA is hilarious and eventful. I love this series.
January 24, 2020
I really, really wanted to like this one. I’ve been waiting for Meg and John’s story for several books—ever since two characters were mentioned who both love plants. But the execution was not great.
The central plot is flimsy at best. The main couple have chemistry but basically nothing to do. Meg seems to have undergone a personality transformation from earlier books (and she’s not the only one). And finally, there was almost nothing in the story about horticulture or plants!
The central plot is flimsy at best. The main couple have chemistry but basically nothing to do. Meg seems to have undergone a personality transformation from earlier books (and she’s not the only one). And finally, there was almost nothing in the story about horticulture or plants!
March 30, 2023
I enjoyed the series up until this book but this was atrocious. The "redemption" of a character who tried to arrange the rape of another woman in a previous book was totally out of left field and did not add to the plot at all. Emma did not seem to at all resemble herself anymore and Grace was horrible. Did the same person even write this entry?? Meg became a total wet blanket. John was tedious. I rarely abandon books but this one was not worth finishing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2017
Konflik yang sebenarnya sangat sederhana, tetapi kedua belah pihak tidak berani jujur akan perasaannya, karena memiliki prasangka buruk akan sang pasangan. Margaret Peterson _meg- mengira John Parker-Roth -Parks- masih mencintai mantan tunangannya, dan Parks mengira Meg mengincar pria yang memiliki gelar. Ceritanya terlalu berputar-putar.
January 14, 2019
Un poco repetitiva la historia con el cuento que los obligan a casarse, sobre todo en la misma serie
Meg me gustaba desde la historia de la hermana, y se sabia que era justo lo que necesitaba John, ya que a los dos les gustaban las matas, él me gusto, era un poco serio pero nada grave
Nada del otro mundo
Meg me gustaba desde la historia de la hermana, y se sabia que era justo lo que necesitaba John, ya que a los dos les gustaban las matas, él me gusto, era un poco serio pero nada grave
Nada del otro mundo
May 1, 2022
História bagunçada...
Primeiro a mocinha, Meg, é uma vítima, depois uma assanhada, depois é "pra frente do seu tempo".
Aí ela não liga pra ninguém, depois é apaixonada por seu par Parker-Roth, então sempre foi apaixonada por ele.
Sério, faltou planejamento para esse livro. Houve uma abundância de easter-eggs de outros livros, mas quase nenhum cuidado com a história deste.
Decepção.
Primeiro a mocinha, Meg, é uma vítima, depois uma assanhada, depois é "pra frente do seu tempo".
Aí ela não liga pra ninguém, depois é apaixonada por seu par Parker-Roth, então sempre foi apaixonada por ele.
Sério, faltou planejamento para esse livro. Houve uma abundância de easter-eggs de outros livros, mas quase nenhum cuidado com a história deste.
Decepção.
September 12, 2019
Terlalu banyak tokoh yg ikut campur dlm kisah asmara Jhon & Meg. Alhasil profil pribadi kedua tokoh lebih sering diceritakan dari sudut pandang org lain. Ga ada sesuatu yg spesial. Malah cenderung murahan cerita ni.
January 9, 2020
Plutôt 2,5/5
Assez déçue de ce 6ème tome.
J'aimais beaucoup le personnage de Meg dans le tome 5 et j'avais hâte de lire ce tome pour enfin pouvoir la suivre mais après l'avoir lu, je dois dire que j'aime beaucoup moi Meg malheureusement.
Il y avait en plus de ça beaucoup de longueur.
Assez déçue de ce 6ème tome.
J'aimais beaucoup le personnage de Meg dans le tome 5 et j'avais hâte de lire ce tome pour enfin pouvoir la suivre mais après l'avoir lu, je dois dire que j'aime beaucoup moi Meg malheureusement.
Il y avait en plus de ça beaucoup de longueur.
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