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Lonely Lords #2
Nicholas: Lord of Secrets
Nicholas Haddonfield has something to hide...
After a wild youth, Nicholas Haddonfield, Viscount Reston, has promised his ailing father he'll finally take a bride, though doing so will force Nick to make impossible choices and face old, painful wounds.
Leah Lindsey is glad to find refuge from her own desperate situation in a marriage of convenience with the gallant viscount. But soon convenience is not enough, and Leah can't understand why Nick remains so distant. What is he hiding, and will he ever allow her into his heart?
An extraordinary and passionate tale of courage tested and fears overcome. Once you enter the lush Regency world of award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes, you'll never want to leave.
After a wild youth, Nicholas Haddonfield, Viscount Reston, has promised his ailing father he'll finally take a bride, though doing so will force Nick to make impossible choices and face old, painful wounds.
Leah Lindsey is glad to find refuge from her own desperate situation in a marriage of convenience with the gallant viscount. But soon convenience is not enough, and Leah can't understand why Nick remains so distant. What is he hiding, and will he ever allow her into his heart?
An extraordinary and passionate tale of courage tested and fears overcome. Once you enter the lush Regency world of award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes, you'll never want to leave.
282 pages, Paperback
First published May 7, 2013
246 people are currently reading
891 people want to read
About the author
Grace Burrowes
190 books2,913 followersGrace Burrowes started writing as an antidote to empty nest and soon found it an antidote to life in general. She is the sixth out of seven children, raised in the rural surrounds of central Pennsylvania. Early in life she spent a lot of time reading romance novels and practicing the piano. Her first career was as a technical writer and editor in the Washington, DC, area, a busy job that nonetheless left enough time to read a lot of romance novels.
It also left enough time to grab a law degree through an evening program, produce Beloved Offspring (only one, but she is a lion), and eventually move to the lovely Maryland countryside.
While reading yet still more romance novels, Grace opened her own law practice, acquired a master's degree in Conflict Transformation (she had a teenage daughter by then) and started thinking about writing.... romance novels. This aim was realized when Beloved Offspring struck out into the Big World a few years ago. ("Mom, why doesn't anybody tell you being a grown-up is hard?")
Grace eventually got up the courage to start pitching her manuscripts to agents and editors. The query letter that resulted in "the call" started out: "I am the buffoon in the bar at the RWA retreat who could not keep her heroines straight, could not look you in the eye, and could not stop blushing--and if that doesn't narrow down the possibilities, your job is even harder than I thought." (The dear lady bought the book anyway.)
To contact Grace, email her at graceburrowes@yahoo.com.
It also left enough time to grab a law degree through an evening program, produce Beloved Offspring (only one, but she is a lion), and eventually move to the lovely Maryland countryside.
While reading yet still more romance novels, Grace opened her own law practice, acquired a master's degree in Conflict Transformation (she had a teenage daughter by then) and started thinking about writing.... romance novels. This aim was realized when Beloved Offspring struck out into the Big World a few years ago. ("Mom, why doesn't anybody tell you being a grown-up is hard?")
Grace eventually got up the courage to start pitching her manuscripts to agents and editors. The query letter that resulted in "the call" started out: "I am the buffoon in the bar at the RWA retreat who could not keep her heroines straight, could not look you in the eye, and could not stop blushing--and if that doesn't narrow down the possibilities, your job is even harder than I thought." (The dear lady bought the book anyway.)
To contact Grace, email her at graceburrowes@yahoo.com.
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August 4, 2014
I’m on the fence for this one. On one hand I have liked some of Burrowes's books, on the other hand I tend to find some of her plots a little over dramatic and bordering into odd soap opera plots. I fear that Nicholas was one such book.
Nicholas Haddonfield is the heir to the Bellefonte earldom and his dying father has requested that Nicholas marry before he dies. Nicholas wants to honor his father’s final wishes and starts his bride hunt despite the fact that he has no intention of having a real marriage. Rather, Nicholas desires a marriage of convenience because he does not want children. The problem for Nicholas is his weakness for anyone in need – cue the entrance of Lady Leah Lindsey, a damsel in distress if there ever was one.
Now this is where the plot gets a little hazy for me. Leah has a crazy and truly awful father who has manipulated her and her past, which is hidden and murky for most of the entire book (well a lot of things are hazy for most of the book). Nicholas wants to save Leah from an arranged marriage that her father has brokered; however, his last resort is to marry her because he cares too much for her. Leah doesn’t want to marry Nicholas because she also cares too much for him and doesn’t want a white marriage but something more. Personally, I thought this reluctance was really dragged out in the plot. I would have liked to have seen this section be cut down as I found it made the middle of the book drag.
My other dislike is Nicolas himself. He seems like this paragon of niceness; however, he has the bizarre wish to not have sex with his wife. They can be intimate but not actually have sex because he is afraid to have children. This logic was completely warped. He never said that he wasn’t going to have sex with other ladies of the ton, just not his wife because he didn’t want to risk legitimate children. This reason just made it seem that he would be okay with risking illegitimate children . This reasoning just didn’t sit right for me and it frustrated me to know end. This plot device was just weird.
Overall, I didn’t love this one. The plot was convoluted and there were just too many things going on in the novel. For me, the pacing was slow and I found it too forever for anything to happen. This slow pacing is something I have noticed with other Burrowes’s novels, so I would think this one would appeal more to die-hard fans. For me, the book was just too angsty for me to really get into.
Nicholas Haddonfield is the heir to the Bellefonte earldom and his dying father has requested that Nicholas marry before he dies. Nicholas wants to honor his father’s final wishes and starts his bride hunt despite the fact that he has no intention of having a real marriage. Rather, Nicholas desires a marriage of convenience because he does not want children. The problem for Nicholas is his weakness for anyone in need – cue the entrance of Lady Leah Lindsey, a damsel in distress if there ever was one.
Now this is where the plot gets a little hazy for me. Leah has a crazy and truly awful father who has manipulated her and her past, which is hidden and murky for most of the entire book (well a lot of things are hazy for most of the book). Nicholas wants to save Leah from an arranged marriage that her father has brokered; however, his last resort is to marry her because he cares too much for her. Leah doesn’t want to marry Nicholas because she also cares too much for him and doesn’t want a white marriage but something more. Personally, I thought this reluctance was really dragged out in the plot. I would have liked to have seen this section be cut down as I found it made the middle of the book drag.
My other dislike is Nicolas himself. He seems like this paragon of niceness; however, he has the bizarre wish to not have sex with his wife. They can be intimate but not actually have sex because he is afraid to have children. This logic was completely warped. He never said that he wasn’t going to have sex with other ladies of the ton, just not his wife because he didn’t want to risk legitimate children. This reason just made it seem that he would be okay with risking illegitimate children . This reasoning just didn’t sit right for me and it frustrated me to know end. This plot device was just weird.
Overall, I didn’t love this one. The plot was convoluted and there were just too many things going on in the novel. For me, the pacing was slow and I found it too forever for anything to happen. This slow pacing is something I have noticed with other Burrowes’s novels, so I would think this one would appeal more to die-hard fans. For me, the book was just too angsty for me to really get into.
February 23, 2016
First - just look at that cover. Ugh. So bad.
Second - sloooooooooooow
Third - Nick is a potato
Fourth - Leah is vanilla wallpaper
I'm going to give this series one more try. I liked the first, this one I wanted to throw across the room, but some of the other characters seem interesting. Like Valentine! Why doesn't Valentine have his own book?!?
Second - sloooooooooooow
Third - Nick is a potato
Fourth - Leah is vanilla wallpaper
I'm going to give this series one more try. I liked the first, this one I wanted to throw across the room, but some of the other characters seem interesting. Like Valentine! Why doesn't Valentine have his own book?!?
August 25, 2013
Nicholas Haddonfield, Viscount Reston, was a secondary character in Darius, the first book in Grace Burrowes’ Lonely Lords series. In this, the second book, we get to know Nicholas more fully, and to discover the nature of the scandal which surrounded Darius’ sister, Leah, which was hinted at in the first book.
Nicholas is a giant of a man, often likened to a Viking because of his height and massive frame. He’s a giant on the inside, too, with appetites of all sorts (!) to match his stature and a big, warm heart which won’t allow him to ignore the plight of a woman he hardly knows. He’s devoted to his family and, despite their having had their differences, has an affectionate relationship with his dying father, Earl Bellefonte. Nicholas is also feeling the weight of responsibility from that quarter, as he knows it will not be long before he has to assume the reins of the earldom and he worries about being able to adequately fill his father’s shoes and live up to his responsibilities.
He’s a man who adores women and genuinely likes them as people and not just as sexual partners – even though his sexual exploits and appetites are legendary. He is well-liked, charming, warm and funny; in fact he seems to have a perfect life, apart from one thing. As the heir to an earldom, he knows it to be his duty to marry and continue the line, but he doesn’t want to have children and therefore feels it would be wrong to marry. A wife is entitled to expect intimacy with her husband, and to expect him to give her children and as Nicholas is not willing to risk the latter, he is willing to forgo the former. Marrying under those conditions would be unfair to whomever he married and so, despite his fondness for the ladies, he has decided to eschew marriage and that his eldest nephew – when he comes into existence – will be his heir.
His reason for not wanting children is, it seems, a simple one. He is a very large man and frequently attests to the fact that his size at birth was responsible for the death of his mother; and he does not want to put his wife at risk in that way. It becomes clear later in the book however that this is merely a cover and that the true reason is a completely different one, and one that he does not want to share with anyone. Nicholas has a daughter who, at the age of sixteen, has the mind of a child. In order to protect her from the cruel and wagging tongues of the ton, Nicholas has housed her in the country, not far from his home, with a companion and he visits her as often as he can. Leonie is the reason he is terrified of fathering more children; he fears that any other offspring of his will suffer from the same condition, and knows that while he can hide away and protect a daughter, his son and heir would be a very different matter. He is unwilling to expose a child of his to ridicule, scorn and probably worse.
In Darius it was obvious that his sister Leah had been the subject of scandal some years before, and in Nicholas we discover the full extent of it. She had eloped with her fiancé (who had been her lover) having been, she believed, encouraged to do so by her father who could not wait to be rid of her. But between the elopement and the wedding, the Earl of Wilton had changed his mind, and proceeded to kill Leah’s fiancé in a duel. Distraught and pregnant, Leah was hustled off to Italy by Darius and her older brother, Trenton, where she bore her child who sadly died in infancy.
Back in England, Wilton has all-but promised Leah to one of his cronies, an older man with a propensity for violence in bed – and there is little that either of her brothers can do to prevent the match as Leah is a virtual prisoner in her home.
It was fairly clear from Wilton’s treatment of Darius that the man is unhinged, and the lengths he is prepared to go to in order to keep Leah from marrying Nicholas are further proof of that. But Nick has planned ahead and in true white-knight fashion, rescues his lady from Wilton’s evil clutches.
Nicholas has made it clear to Leah that theirs must be a “white” marriage as he doesn’t want to risk getting her pregnant. She doesn’t understand his reasons for not wanting children and is unconvinced by his oft-stated reason, that any child of his is likely to be huge and difficult to birth. But not only does Leah have no alternative, she loves Nick, so she marries him, knowing that he will be kind to her and quietly determined to burrow her way through his defences.
As ever, Ms Burrowes writes a thoroughly convincing romance. Leah is up to Nicholas’ weight intellectually and verbally, and there is a great and palpable tenderness between them that leaps off the page. My main problem with the book though,
But that apart, I enjoyed Nicholas, again principally due to the excellent characterisation and the way that Ms Burrowes is able to make me care about the people who inhabit her books and to draw me in to the story. Nick is a truly good man, despite his womanising – he’s charming and funny and wonderfully warm-hearted; he likes everyone and everyone likes him; and Leah, despite all she’s gone through is a survivor and thoroughly deserving of her gentle giant of a husband.
As well as the beautifully developed love story, the other highlight of the book for me was the relationship between Nicholas and his older – Illegitimate – half-brother, Ethan Grey. Even though he was a bastard, Ethan was brought up with the Haddonfield children and being closest in age to Nick, the two boys became very close emotionally, too – until the earl separated them and sent Ethan away to school. It’s clear in this book that that separation and the following years spent alone have taken a toll on Ethan, but in this story, they take the first steps towards reconciliation, and it’s beautifully done.
And this leads me to say that while all the books in this series are designed to be read as standalones, I think reading Ethan: Lord of Scandals (the next in the series) will prove very rewarding, as Ms Burrowes has written a truly wonderful relationship between the half-brothers which continues into the next book.
Nicholas is a giant of a man, often likened to a Viking because of his height and massive frame. He’s a giant on the inside, too, with appetites of all sorts (!) to match his stature and a big, warm heart which won’t allow him to ignore the plight of a woman he hardly knows. He’s devoted to his family and, despite their having had their differences, has an affectionate relationship with his dying father, Earl Bellefonte. Nicholas is also feeling the weight of responsibility from that quarter, as he knows it will not be long before he has to assume the reins of the earldom and he worries about being able to adequately fill his father’s shoes and live up to his responsibilities.
He’s a man who adores women and genuinely likes them as people and not just as sexual partners – even though his sexual exploits and appetites are legendary. He is well-liked, charming, warm and funny; in fact he seems to have a perfect life, apart from one thing. As the heir to an earldom, he knows it to be his duty to marry and continue the line, but he doesn’t want to have children and therefore feels it would be wrong to marry. A wife is entitled to expect intimacy with her husband, and to expect him to give her children and as Nicholas is not willing to risk the latter, he is willing to forgo the former. Marrying under those conditions would be unfair to whomever he married and so, despite his fondness for the ladies, he has decided to eschew marriage and that his eldest nephew – when he comes into existence – will be his heir.
His reason for not wanting children is, it seems, a simple one. He is a very large man and frequently attests to the fact that his size at birth was responsible for the death of his mother; and he does not want to put his wife at risk in that way. It becomes clear later in the book however that this is merely a cover and that the true reason is a completely different one, and one that he does not want to share with anyone. Nicholas has a daughter who, at the age of sixteen, has the mind of a child. In order to protect her from the cruel and wagging tongues of the ton, Nicholas has housed her in the country, not far from his home, with a companion and he visits her as often as he can. Leonie is the reason he is terrified of fathering more children; he fears that any other offspring of his will suffer from the same condition, and knows that while he can hide away and protect a daughter, his son and heir would be a very different matter. He is unwilling to expose a child of his to ridicule, scorn and probably worse.
In Darius it was obvious that his sister Leah had been the subject of scandal some years before, and in Nicholas we discover the full extent of it. She had eloped with her fiancé (who had been her lover) having been, she believed, encouraged to do so by her father who could not wait to be rid of her. But between the elopement and the wedding, the Earl of Wilton had changed his mind, and proceeded to kill Leah’s fiancé in a duel. Distraught and pregnant, Leah was hustled off to Italy by Darius and her older brother, Trenton, where she bore her child who sadly died in infancy.
Back in England, Wilton has all-but promised Leah to one of his cronies, an older man with a propensity for violence in bed – and there is little that either of her brothers can do to prevent the match as Leah is a virtual prisoner in her home.
It was fairly clear from Wilton’s treatment of Darius that the man is unhinged, and the lengths he is prepared to go to in order to keep Leah from marrying Nicholas are further proof of that. But Nick has planned ahead and in true white-knight fashion, rescues his lady from Wilton’s evil clutches.
Nicholas has made it clear to Leah that theirs must be a “white” marriage as he doesn’t want to risk getting her pregnant. She doesn’t understand his reasons for not wanting children and is unconvinced by his oft-stated reason, that any child of his is likely to be huge and difficult to birth. But not only does Leah have no alternative, she loves Nick, so she marries him, knowing that he will be kind to her and quietly determined to burrow her way through his defences.
As ever, Ms Burrowes writes a thoroughly convincing romance. Leah is up to Nicholas’ weight intellectually and verbally, and there is a great and palpable tenderness between them that leaps off the page. My main problem with the book though,
But that apart, I enjoyed Nicholas, again principally due to the excellent characterisation and the way that Ms Burrowes is able to make me care about the people who inhabit her books and to draw me in to the story. Nick is a truly good man, despite his womanising – he’s charming and funny and wonderfully warm-hearted; he likes everyone and everyone likes him; and Leah, despite all she’s gone through is a survivor and thoroughly deserving of her gentle giant of a husband.
As well as the beautifully developed love story, the other highlight of the book for me was the relationship between Nicholas and his older – Illegitimate – half-brother, Ethan Grey. Even though he was a bastard, Ethan was brought up with the Haddonfield children and being closest in age to Nick, the two boys became very close emotionally, too – until the earl separated them and sent Ethan away to school. It’s clear in this book that that separation and the following years spent alone have taken a toll on Ethan, but in this story, they take the first steps towards reconciliation, and it’s beautifully done.
And this leads me to say that while all the books in this series are designed to be read as standalones, I think reading Ethan: Lord of Scandals (the next in the series) will prove very rewarding, as Ms Burrowes has written a truly wonderful relationship between the half-brothers which continues into the next book.
June 9, 2013
In Grace Burrowes' last book, Darius, we learned that Darius Lindsey's father, the Earl of Wilton, is a mean, vengeful old man. Darius' sister, Lady Leah, is the primary target of his rage, and as this book opens he plans to marry her off to the poxy, disgusting old Lord Hellerington. Leah is stoic and resigned to her fate, particularly since the earl threatens to take out any disobedience by her on her two beloved brothers.
Nicholas Haddonfield, Viscount Reston, is heir to the Earl of Bellefont, and he has reluctantly promised his dying father to take a bride very soon. He meets Lady Leah, learns of her predicament, and quickly decides to help her, although at first he isn't sure how he can. Nick is just the type of gentleman to rescue a damsel in distress. He is a literally larger than life character -- big, handsome, charming, and ebulliently affectionate. Soon he realizes that he should marry Leah; he likes her, respects her, and knows she would make a perfect countess. Besides, he is not really looking for a love match. He proposes a marriage in name only to Leah, and although she has reservations she accepts.
Nick doesn't actually explain why he wants a chaste marriage, but he allows Leah to assume it is because he loves his mistress. And there is the mysterious blonde Leonie living on a nearby estate where Nick repeatedly visits.
The problem is that as time passes, Nick and Leah begin to fall in love. Nick has two reasons for his determination never to father a child. Both of them involves his erroneous assumptions about past events in his life, and both could have been resolved easily if he had just asked a few questions. This is a major weakness in the plot, but it doesn't ruin the entire book.
This is a beautiful, deeply heartfelt story of Nick and Leah coming to terms with each other and with their situation. Leah is a dauntless, but a bit dull. Nick, however, is utterly delightful. He loves women, horses, and small children. Everybody loves him in return, especially his eight siblings.
This also is a story of Nick coming to terms with his father's imminent demise and reconciling with his illegitimate older brother, Ethan (hero of the next story, Ethan). Their interaction with their father is quite touching, and the earl -- unafraid of death but fearful of losing dignity -- is a finely crafted secondary character. As is usual with Grace Burrowes, there are lots of other secondary characters, but I didn't find this cast of characters as confusing as I have in some of her other books.
As I always say, Grace Burrowes is a very good storyteller, and she does a very good job with this one despite creating a set of circumstances that tend to make Nick look like a big, dumb ox.
Nicholas Haddonfield, Viscount Reston, is heir to the Earl of Bellefont, and he has reluctantly promised his dying father to take a bride very soon. He meets Lady Leah, learns of her predicament, and quickly decides to help her, although at first he isn't sure how he can. Nick is just the type of gentleman to rescue a damsel in distress. He is a literally larger than life character -- big, handsome, charming, and ebulliently affectionate. Soon he realizes that he should marry Leah; he likes her, respects her, and knows she would make a perfect countess. Besides, he is not really looking for a love match. He proposes a marriage in name only to Leah, and although she has reservations she accepts.
Nick doesn't actually explain why he wants a chaste marriage, but he allows Leah to assume it is because he loves his mistress. And there is the mysterious blonde Leonie living on a nearby estate where Nick repeatedly visits.
The problem is that as time passes, Nick and Leah begin to fall in love. Nick has two reasons for his determination never to father a child. Both of them involves his erroneous assumptions about past events in his life, and both could have been resolved easily if he had just asked a few questions. This is a major weakness in the plot, but it doesn't ruin the entire book.
This is a beautiful, deeply heartfelt story of Nick and Leah coming to terms with each other and with their situation. Leah is a dauntless, but a bit dull. Nick, however, is utterly delightful. He loves women, horses, and small children. Everybody loves him in return, especially his eight siblings.
This also is a story of Nick coming to terms with his father's imminent demise and reconciling with his illegitimate older brother, Ethan (hero of the next story, Ethan). Their interaction with their father is quite touching, and the earl -- unafraid of death but fearful of losing dignity -- is a finely crafted secondary character. As is usual with Grace Burrowes, there are lots of other secondary characters, but I didn't find this cast of characters as confusing as I have in some of her other books.
As I always say, Grace Burrowes is a very good storyteller, and she does a very good job with this one despite creating a set of circumstances that tend to make Nick look like a big, dumb ox.
February 17, 2022
Another Amazing Story from Grace Burrowes ❤️📚❤️
Love her writing style, awesome storylines, and lovable characters. Nicholas and Leah’s book is a must-read. So many wonderful layers and surprises in this beautiful romance!
Love her writing style, awesome storylines, and lovable characters. Nicholas and Leah’s book is a must-read. So many wonderful layers and surprises in this beautiful romance!
March 16, 2016
I had the pleasure of reading about Nicholas's life after his story, and he and Leah have already settled into a very comfortable situation, but it did not diminish my curiosity about how the two of them met and fell in love.
The Nicholas I know is a content man, who is enjoying married life, and builds bird houses -- but this is Nicholas prior to his marriage, and this Nicholas is quite a wild one. He prefers the company of women (plural) of ill repute and he doesn't really seem to have any care in the world. His story is interconnected to Darius, Leah's brother. From the previous book, Grace Burrowes hints at the Lindsey family dysfunctional dynamic, and Darius and Leah are, mysteriously, the main target of their father's enmity. It's a question that began in Darius's story, and continues in Nicholas and Leah's story.
Why does Leah's father hate her so much, yet why does he take such an active interest in who Leah marries?
Nicholas is a new acquaintance of Darius (introduced by Valentine Windham), yet the two share a lot of similar *ahem* predilections, and, this, perhaps, is why Nicholas immediately empathizes with Darius and Leah's situation and helps them.
As with other Grace Burrowes stories, the problem is never straightforward or easy:
1. Nicholas is racing against time. His father is dying, and his greatest wish is to see his heir, Nicholas, settled.
2. Leah's father is intent on having her marry one of her father's cronies. Because of Leah's past, she doesn't really have a lot of choices -- and she can only delay her decision for so long.
3. There's the mystery of the man Leah eloped with, and who subsequently died in a duel with her father -- leaving Leah ruined, and outside of her father's favor.
4. There's also Nicholas's estrangement from his half-brother, Ethan Grey. How did two very close brothers become so very disconnected from each other?
The first two problems are neatly solved by Nicholas when he proposed marriage to Leah -- but it introduces another problem: despite the obvious attraction and chemistry, Nicholas is insisting that they marry in name only. He is very consistent in his refusal to have sex with Leah and have children with her. But, why? This particular complication reminded me a bit of Julia Quinn's Simon and Daphne
, who also agree to a marriage of convenience, and then Simon also refuses to have children with Daphne. While Simon was clear with his reasons from the very beginning, Nicholas is a bit more secretive about his reasons. And I felt frustrated for Leah, who seemed to have escaped a really bad situation, only to enter into another one. While she no longer needs to suffer her father's indifferent cruelty, she now has to contend with her husband's confusing detachment: they are clearly compatible, and they exhibit this in more than one occasion, but Nicholas continues to refuse to acknowledge what is between them.
Leah's an amazing woman, though -- her father in law dies just a few weeks after her marriage, but she steps into the role of emotional support, planner, sister (to Nicholas's siblings), and lady of the house. She instantly bonds with all of Nicholas's siblings, and becomes an important key to how Nicholas would relate to his brothers and sisters. I thought Leah's characterization was very consistent from her introduction in Darius's book: she is a woman besieged, but fights to maintain a calm, unruffled exterior. Nicholas, on the other hand, confuses me. I'm currently reading Ethan's story, and he describes Nicholas as a man who bounces back from adversity very well (whereas Ethan just falls), but, in the case of Leah, he seems to be floundering -- yes, it can be explained that it is his first time to fall in love, and this is new frontier for him, but I'm not so convinced.
And here lies my problem with the story: it has tension, yes, but not the excruciatingly taut tenseness and drama that I found in Darius's story. There's a great deal of angst as well: to want but not have, but, again -- I felt that Nicholas just inflicted this situation on him and on Leah. Nicholas's story has all the right elements -- Nicholas and his secrets are built up to such a height, and when all is revealed, the reasons and motivations behind them are a bit disappointing.
A lot of what I loved about the story rests between Nicholas and Ethan, who haven't really seen or talked to each other since they were 14 -- while there is an initial explanation for why their father suddenly sent Ethan away, the way he was never allowed to return and how the late earl took great pains to separate them, hints at something more. It was heartbreaking to finally know why, and, when the two brothers are finally reunited ... waterworks.
And that, perhaps, is what Grace Burrowes showcases in this instalment of the Lonely Lords series: the very accurate and authentic way she portrays families, flaws and all.
The Nicholas I know is a content man, who is enjoying married life, and builds bird houses -- but this is Nicholas prior to his marriage, and this Nicholas is quite a wild one. He prefers the company of women (plural) of ill repute and he doesn't really seem to have any care in the world. His story is interconnected to Darius, Leah's brother. From the previous book, Grace Burrowes hints at the Lindsey family dysfunctional dynamic, and Darius and Leah are, mysteriously, the main target of their father's enmity. It's a question that began in Darius's story, and continues in Nicholas and Leah's story.
Why does Leah's father hate her so much, yet why does he take such an active interest in who Leah marries?
Nicholas is a new acquaintance of Darius (introduced by Valentine Windham), yet the two share a lot of similar *ahem* predilections, and, this, perhaps, is why Nicholas immediately empathizes with Darius and Leah's situation and helps them.
As with other Grace Burrowes stories, the problem is never straightforward or easy:
1. Nicholas is racing against time. His father is dying, and his greatest wish is to see his heir, Nicholas, settled.
2. Leah's father is intent on having her marry one of her father's cronies. Because of Leah's past, she doesn't really have a lot of choices -- and she can only delay her decision for so long.
3. There's the mystery of the man Leah eloped with, and who subsequently died in a duel with her father -- leaving Leah ruined, and outside of her father's favor.
4. There's also Nicholas's estrangement from his half-brother, Ethan Grey. How did two very close brothers become so very disconnected from each other?
The first two problems are neatly solved by Nicholas when he proposed marriage to Leah -- but it introduces another problem: despite the obvious attraction and chemistry, Nicholas is insisting that they marry in name only. He is very consistent in his refusal to have sex with Leah and have children with her. But, why? This particular complication reminded me a bit of Julia Quinn's Simon and Daphne
, who also agree to a marriage of convenience, and then Simon also refuses to have children with Daphne. While Simon was clear with his reasons from the very beginning, Nicholas is a bit more secretive about his reasons. And I felt frustrated for Leah, who seemed to have escaped a really bad situation, only to enter into another one. While she no longer needs to suffer her father's indifferent cruelty, she now has to contend with her husband's confusing detachment: they are clearly compatible, and they exhibit this in more than one occasion, but Nicholas continues to refuse to acknowledge what is between them. Leah's an amazing woman, though -- her father in law dies just a few weeks after her marriage, but she steps into the role of emotional support, planner, sister (to Nicholas's siblings), and lady of the house. She instantly bonds with all of Nicholas's siblings, and becomes an important key to how Nicholas would relate to his brothers and sisters. I thought Leah's characterization was very consistent from her introduction in Darius's book: she is a woman besieged, but fights to maintain a calm, unruffled exterior. Nicholas, on the other hand, confuses me. I'm currently reading Ethan's story, and he describes Nicholas as a man who bounces back from adversity very well (whereas Ethan just falls), but, in the case of Leah, he seems to be floundering -- yes, it can be explained that it is his first time to fall in love, and this is new frontier for him, but I'm not so convinced.
And here lies my problem with the story: it has tension, yes, but not the excruciatingly taut tenseness and drama that I found in Darius's story. There's a great deal of angst as well: to want but not have, but, again -- I felt that Nicholas just inflicted this situation on him and on Leah. Nicholas's story has all the right elements -- Nicholas and his secrets are built up to such a height, and when all is revealed, the reasons and motivations behind them are a bit disappointing.
A lot of what I loved about the story rests between Nicholas and Ethan, who haven't really seen or talked to each other since they were 14 -- while there is an initial explanation for why their father suddenly sent Ethan away, the way he was never allowed to return and how the late earl took great pains to separate them, hints at something more. It was heartbreaking to finally know why, and, when the two brothers are finally reunited ... waterworks.
And that, perhaps, is what Grace Burrowes showcases in this instalment of the Lonely Lords series: the very accurate and authentic way she portrays families, flaws and all.
October 20, 2017
Another winner for the incomparable Grace Burrowes! I made the mistake of reading some of this at work...I had to go in the bathroom to wipe my face and stop blubbering. I loved dear, sweet Nick and his strong, beautiful wife Leah. Only reason this book got five stars but wasn't added to my list of favorites was because I wanted to slap dear, sweet Nick upside his damn freaking head! Sometimes men have no sense at all! Ready to tear into book three now.
May 5, 2013
Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.com/bo...
Two strangers converse in the dark as they retreat from the “Ballroom Battlefield” for a respite. They kiss for luck. His kiss speaks of kindness, hers of wonder and courage. Nicolas Haddonfield, Viscount Reston and Leah Lindsey connect as fellow sufferers. He deems her a damsel in distress and sets in motion actions to ease her seemingly hopeless plight. Thus begins an ardently giving, loving love story that is brimming over with lifelike characters. Nicholas is a Regency romance lover’s dream come true.
Nicholas, a gorgeous, gentle giant of a man has been no better than he had to be as he sowed his wild oats, but now feels duty bound to put his “wild and free” years behind him and marry as his ailing father wishes. He loves the ladies and is whispered about as “the berserker of the bedrooms”. He deals amiably with his public image, but his private person is another story all together—intriguing and compelling. Unknowingly, he operates from a false premise, but with the best of intentions as he seeks a wife for a “white marriage”. My goodness, what a tangled web he gets himself into with Leah somehow getting tangled in the same web. This makes for amazing reading.
Leah is a “staked goat” in London’s Polite Society marriage market as she is long past her prime. Even though her brothers, Darius and Trenton, help her as much as they can, her cruel father is determined to make a profit off her marriage and is in negotiations with an odious, diseased old man who has had several wives, all of them now dead. Leah’s has suffered much from her father all ready and knows she will lose all hope and what little self worth she has if she has to marry the old man; but she is penniless and defenseless—at the mercy of her merciless father.
The captivating secondary characters, some of whom the reader will recognize from Darius and the fabulous Moreland Series, influence the main characters and support while giving the reader insight into the ‘doings’ of the times. Valentine Windham’s music speaks to Nicholas as he struggles to do the ‘right’ thing and keep a balance in his life. Valentine’s declaration that “it would destroy you not to marry for love” sets Nicholas on edge. Nicholas’ grandmother, Della, Dowager Marchioness, loves him dearly but is not above manipulation and machinations to nudge her grandson in the direction she sees his true happiness lays. She is a darling who does much to reconnect Nicolas with his family and especially with Ethan, his half-brother, that has a unique place his Nicholas’ heart. Leonie is a mystery that unfolds as the story progresses. She and Leah’s little half-brother add a new layer of love to the story.
Grace Burrowes exquisite writing style with its subtle humor (I love the scrappy little duck in the park) and revealing metaphors brings vibrant characters into a compelling plot with many subplots to create a love story that is breathtaking and heartwarming. Much of the story is told from Nicholas’ point of view and reveals an awesome giving love from both the hero and heroine. Nicholas is chocked full of special spots of love and actions that give the reader a vicarious experience long to be remembered. Nicholas is a keeper to be enjoyed more than once.
Two strangers converse in the dark as they retreat from the “Ballroom Battlefield” for a respite. They kiss for luck. His kiss speaks of kindness, hers of wonder and courage. Nicolas Haddonfield, Viscount Reston and Leah Lindsey connect as fellow sufferers. He deems her a damsel in distress and sets in motion actions to ease her seemingly hopeless plight. Thus begins an ardently giving, loving love story that is brimming over with lifelike characters. Nicholas is a Regency romance lover’s dream come true.
Nicholas, a gorgeous, gentle giant of a man has been no better than he had to be as he sowed his wild oats, but now feels duty bound to put his “wild and free” years behind him and marry as his ailing father wishes. He loves the ladies and is whispered about as “the berserker of the bedrooms”. He deals amiably with his public image, but his private person is another story all together—intriguing and compelling. Unknowingly, he operates from a false premise, but with the best of intentions as he seeks a wife for a “white marriage”. My goodness, what a tangled web he gets himself into with Leah somehow getting tangled in the same web. This makes for amazing reading.
Leah is a “staked goat” in London’s Polite Society marriage market as she is long past her prime. Even though her brothers, Darius and Trenton, help her as much as they can, her cruel father is determined to make a profit off her marriage and is in negotiations with an odious, diseased old man who has had several wives, all of them now dead. Leah’s has suffered much from her father all ready and knows she will lose all hope and what little self worth she has if she has to marry the old man; but she is penniless and defenseless—at the mercy of her merciless father.
The captivating secondary characters, some of whom the reader will recognize from Darius and the fabulous Moreland Series, influence the main characters and support while giving the reader insight into the ‘doings’ of the times. Valentine Windham’s music speaks to Nicholas as he struggles to do the ‘right’ thing and keep a balance in his life. Valentine’s declaration that “it would destroy you not to marry for love” sets Nicholas on edge. Nicholas’ grandmother, Della, Dowager Marchioness, loves him dearly but is not above manipulation and machinations to nudge her grandson in the direction she sees his true happiness lays. She is a darling who does much to reconnect Nicolas with his family and especially with Ethan, his half-brother, that has a unique place his Nicholas’ heart. Leonie is a mystery that unfolds as the story progresses. She and Leah’s little half-brother add a new layer of love to the story.
Grace Burrowes exquisite writing style with its subtle humor (I love the scrappy little duck in the park) and revealing metaphors brings vibrant characters into a compelling plot with many subplots to create a love story that is breathtaking and heartwarming. Much of the story is told from Nicholas’ point of view and reveals an awesome giving love from both the hero and heroine. Nicholas is chocked full of special spots of love and actions that give the reader a vicarious experience long to be remembered. Nicholas is a keeper to be enjoyed more than once.
January 23, 2014
Grace Burrowes' "Nicholas, Lord of Secrets" - #2 in the Lonely Lords series Ah, what a wonderful comfort read! Just what I needed in this cold, cold miserable January. True, Nicholas could have fessed up to his secret a lot sooner, and I couldn't see the point of Nicholas' and Leah's separation, but all in all, this is a beautiful story with some lovely insights, descriptive passages and love scenes. Grace Burrowes always has an animal character in her stories, and this time it's a cute duckling who lives in the creek running through Hyde Park, whom Nick characterizes as a "scrapper". The secondary characters are outstanding - Ethan, Nick's half-brother, who gets his own story in the next book, Della, Nick's grandmother, Darius, Leah's brother, whose story is told in the first book in this series, even horrible old Wilton, Leah's father, and the Earl of Bellefonte, Nick's father, who instigates the marriage between Nick and Leah.
April 22, 2015
I'm having a hard time figuring out why I didn't enjoy this book as much as the bazillion other Burrowes that I've read. I think the first factor is that I've read the lonely lords series completely out of order and I kind of never liked Nick, too flirty with other people's significant others. But mainly, now I think about it, it was too insta-love for me. I never really felt the connection between the characters. It was all about Nick saving Leah rather than getting to know her and love her as a person. So it fell a little flat for me. But, you know, it's still Burrowes, her greatness remains, I'm still going to read everything she's ever written.
August 15, 2016
I seem to be on a romance jag. Grace Burrowes is my latest find. She is a unique romance author. She seems to explode many of the standard tropes and injects some real people into her books.
Nicholas is the story of the elder brother of Nita from Tremaine's True Love, the only romance ever to reduce me to tears. This one was excellent too and nearly had me crying as well.
If you like historical romance, give Grace Burrowes a try!
Nicholas is the story of the elder brother of Nita from Tremaine's True Love, the only romance ever to reduce me to tears. This one was excellent too and nearly had me crying as well.
If you like historical romance, give Grace Burrowes a try!
October 18, 2022
H is a gentle giant who loves his family and friends, and he can't help rescuing the mistreated h. Her father is a terrible person forcing her to marry an evil man. The H and h fall into mutual 'like' but he kept secrets from even as he encourages her to share hers. They are are likeable but overly emotional. I liked how they worked to be happily married, and I can't help but like this melodramatic couple.
February 20, 2020
Good book. This is the story of Nicholas and Leah. Leah is the sister of Darius, from the first book in the series, which takes place at the same time as this one. Both Nicholas and Leah appear in that book, and some things alluded to there are explained here.
Nicholas is a big man with an even bigger heart. Like most men of his time, he had a pretty wild youth and has quite a reputation among a particular group of ladies. He's lately tired of that life and has spent more time with his ailing father, learning what he needs to know when he becomes the Earl of Bellefonte. The earl's greatest wish is to see Nicholas married. Nicholas knows he needs to marry, but there are reasons he doesn't want to have a typical marriage.
Leah is a woman with a past. A scandal years ago has put her firmly on the shelf. Her father, a nasty, vicious man, hates her and can't wait to marry her off. He has the perfect candidate - one of his cronies. Lord Hellerington is a randy old goat who has buried three wives. Leah is unwilling, but her father's threats against her brothers keep her in line. All she wants is to marry someone she can love and who will love her.
Nicholas and Leah met one evening when both tried to escape an uncomfortable Society function. Nicholas was pursued by two women determined to capture him, and Leah was avoiding her father's choice for her. The room was dark, and neither could see the other, making it easier for them to talk. Leah's story raises Nicholas's protective instincts, but without knowing who she is, there's no way for him to help her. Before they part ways, they share a kiss that neither one can forget.
When they meet again, and Nicholas learns who she is, he is determined to find a way to help her. He finds ways to spend time with her and quickly comes to realize that she may be the answer to his problem. Nicholas can marry Leah, satisfying his father's wishes, while at the same time protecting her from her father's plans. He feels guilty about offering her a platonic marriage, knowing that most women at least want children from their unions. However, Nicholas is adamant that he will father no children, with her or anyone else. Though she has reservations, Leah accepts his proposal.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Nicholas and Leah. There is a connection between them from the beginning that neither one can deny. I liked how easily they were able to talk to each other about anything, as long as they stayed away from Nicholas's reasons for staying out of Leah's bed. It doesn't take long for Leah to realize that she loves Nicholas. Unfortunately, getting him to reveal his secrets is an uphill battle, and one she isn't sure she can win.
Meanwhile, Nicholas's feelings for Leah grow stronger, as does his guilt. There were so many times I wanted to shake him and tell him to talk to her already. I ached for them both when they parted because it was so hard to be together under their current circumstances. I had to laugh at Nicholas because of the way he handled the separation.
The whole family knew that Nicholas and Leah were meant to be together, but getting through to Nicholas was much harder than anyone expected. I loved how his grandmother finally sat Nicholas down and got him to talk to her. Nicholas's shock when he discovered that he'd been wrong about his reasons for not having children left him speechless, then determined to return to Leah as quickly as possible. I loved their reunion, which was as sweet and intense as I expected. Even better was how Nicholas revealed that devastating secret he had kept for sixteen years. I ached for his pain, loved the big heart and sweet nature that showed the depth of who he is, and cheered for Leah's reaction. The icing on the cake was their visit to her brother Darius and the revelation of the secret he had kept.
I loved the importance of family in this book and series. I liked how Darius and Trent supported Leah when she needed them, and her determination to do what she must to protect them. Nicholas's love for his family was evident in everything he did. Even though he and his father had their differences, the love and desire for what was best were still there. He also loved his sisters and their families and was fantastic with the children. A big part of this book was also the reconciliation between Nicholas and his older, illegitimate brother Ethan. They were the best of friends as children and teens until they were driven apart by the earl. I liked seeing the steps they took to return to their old relationship. I also enjoyed seeing Nicholas confront Leah's father about his treatment of Leah and the things that Nicholas found out. I thought he got off rather easy, but it was still satisfying to see him get even a fraction of what he deserved.
Nicholas is a big man with an even bigger heart. Like most men of his time, he had a pretty wild youth and has quite a reputation among a particular group of ladies. He's lately tired of that life and has spent more time with his ailing father, learning what he needs to know when he becomes the Earl of Bellefonte. The earl's greatest wish is to see Nicholas married. Nicholas knows he needs to marry, but there are reasons he doesn't want to have a typical marriage.
Leah is a woman with a past. A scandal years ago has put her firmly on the shelf. Her father, a nasty, vicious man, hates her and can't wait to marry her off. He has the perfect candidate - one of his cronies. Lord Hellerington is a randy old goat who has buried three wives. Leah is unwilling, but her father's threats against her brothers keep her in line. All she wants is to marry someone she can love and who will love her.
Nicholas and Leah met one evening when both tried to escape an uncomfortable Society function. Nicholas was pursued by two women determined to capture him, and Leah was avoiding her father's choice for her. The room was dark, and neither could see the other, making it easier for them to talk. Leah's story raises Nicholas's protective instincts, but without knowing who she is, there's no way for him to help her. Before they part ways, they share a kiss that neither one can forget.
When they meet again, and Nicholas learns who she is, he is determined to find a way to help her. He finds ways to spend time with her and quickly comes to realize that she may be the answer to his problem. Nicholas can marry Leah, satisfying his father's wishes, while at the same time protecting her from her father's plans. He feels guilty about offering her a platonic marriage, knowing that most women at least want children from their unions. However, Nicholas is adamant that he will father no children, with her or anyone else. Though she has reservations, Leah accepts his proposal.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Nicholas and Leah. There is a connection between them from the beginning that neither one can deny. I liked how easily they were able to talk to each other about anything, as long as they stayed away from Nicholas's reasons for staying out of Leah's bed. It doesn't take long for Leah to realize that she loves Nicholas. Unfortunately, getting him to reveal his secrets is an uphill battle, and one she isn't sure she can win.
Meanwhile, Nicholas's feelings for Leah grow stronger, as does his guilt. There were so many times I wanted to shake him and tell him to talk to her already. I ached for them both when they parted because it was so hard to be together under their current circumstances. I had to laugh at Nicholas because of the way he handled the separation.
The whole family knew that Nicholas and Leah were meant to be together, but getting through to Nicholas was much harder than anyone expected. I loved how his grandmother finally sat Nicholas down and got him to talk to her. Nicholas's shock when he discovered that he'd been wrong about his reasons for not having children left him speechless, then determined to return to Leah as quickly as possible. I loved their reunion, which was as sweet and intense as I expected. Even better was how Nicholas revealed that devastating secret he had kept for sixteen years. I ached for his pain, loved the big heart and sweet nature that showed the depth of who he is, and cheered for Leah's reaction. The icing on the cake was their visit to her brother Darius and the revelation of the secret he had kept.
I loved the importance of family in this book and series. I liked how Darius and Trent supported Leah when she needed them, and her determination to do what she must to protect them. Nicholas's love for his family was evident in everything he did. Even though he and his father had their differences, the love and desire for what was best were still there. He also loved his sisters and their families and was fantastic with the children. A big part of this book was also the reconciliation between Nicholas and his older, illegitimate brother Ethan. They were the best of friends as children and teens until they were driven apart by the earl. I liked seeing the steps they took to return to their old relationship. I also enjoyed seeing Nicholas confront Leah's father about his treatment of Leah and the things that Nicholas found out. I thought he got off rather easy, but it was still satisfying to see him get even a fraction of what he deserved.
July 15, 2024
In Nicholas, book 2 of The Lonely Lords series, we have a great hulk of a man who decides he must not produce any children for a deep-seated fear. (Not my favorite trope, by the way. "I must not engage in a proper marital relationship but I'm not going to tell my new wife why, either." It's the reason I didn't much like Season 1 of Bridgerton.)
Pitted against this wrong-headed thinking is Leah Lindsey, sister of Darius from book 1. Ms Burrowes weaves this story during the events of book 1, something I sense is carried through the rest of the series. Leah exists at the mercy of her beast of a father. I found her rather dour.
Nicholas gets an idea to rescue Leah by making her his wife, but a wife in name only. (Except he does a miserable job at that, finding it hard not to hug and cuddle with Leah and give her the impression that she means something to him before refusing to copulate with her. Ever.) There is his secret daughter to deal with, a teen, one with a clear developmental disability & also Leah's miserable excuse for a father, who clearly suspects he's not her father. That tidbit of information is never resolved. Both Leah's and Nicholas were raised alongside their illegitimate half-siblings the results of one parent's indiscretion or another.
Will Nicholas wake up, smell the cocoa and get his head out of his you-know-where and make a proper life with his wife who is clearly unhappy with their in-name-only marriage?
This was a long, long & kind of boring book. I think Nicholas got off easy. I would have brained the clod-pate once he finally came around. I really enjoyed the first half of the book, hence the 3 stars & not a lower rating it might otherwise get from me. Ultimately, I recommend this only if you want to read the entire 15+ books in the series.
Pitted against this wrong-headed thinking is Leah Lindsey, sister of Darius from book 1. Ms Burrowes weaves this story during the events of book 1, something I sense is carried through the rest of the series. Leah exists at the mercy of her beast of a father. I found her rather dour.
Nicholas gets an idea to rescue Leah by making her his wife, but a wife in name only. (Except he does a miserable job at that, finding it hard not to hug and cuddle with Leah and give her the impression that she means something to him before refusing to copulate with her. Ever.) There is his secret daughter to deal with, a teen, one with a clear developmental disability & also Leah's miserable excuse for a father, who clearly suspects he's not her father. That tidbit of information is never resolved. Both Leah's and Nicholas were raised alongside their illegitimate half-siblings the results of one parent's indiscretion or another.
Will Nicholas wake up, smell the cocoa and get his head out of his you-know-where and make a proper life with his wife who is clearly unhappy with their in-name-only marriage?
This was a long, long & kind of boring book. I think Nicholas got off easy. I would have brained the clod-pate once he finally came around. I really enjoyed the first half of the book, hence the 3 stars & not a lower rating it might otherwise get from me. Ultimately, I recommend this only if you want to read the entire 15+ books in the series.
May 4, 2023
2.5 stars
I wasn't thrilled with the first book in this series when I read it last year, but after reading a couple in the overlapping True Gentlemen series, I kept running into Nicholas, so I wanted to go back and read his book. It was a tough one to get through, with much drawn-out angst and secret-keeping (I know, I know, it's right there in the title). Nicholas's big secret turned out to be pretty underwhelming, and it took way too long for him to come to his senses and tell Leah. The melodrama around Leah and her evil stepfather was pretty extreme, and the attempted kidnapping was just silly.
Oh well, you can't win them all, but I like Burrowes too much to rate this any lower. I do like the Haddonfields, though, so I'll probably read more after a little break.
I wasn't thrilled with the first book in this series when I read it last year, but after reading a couple in the overlapping True Gentlemen series, I kept running into Nicholas, so I wanted to go back and read his book. It was a tough one to get through, with much drawn-out angst and secret-keeping (I know, I know, it's right there in the title). Nicholas's big secret turned out to be pretty underwhelming, and it took way too long for him to come to his senses and tell Leah. The melodrama around Leah and her evil stepfather was pretty extreme, and the attempted kidnapping was just silly.
Oh well, you can't win them all, but I like Burrowes too much to rate this any lower. I do like the Haddonfields, though, so I'll probably read more after a little break.
October 25, 2025
One of Grace’s best! Took me a long time to get through because it’s no longer available as an audio book and I just don’t have much time to sit down with an actual book. BUT it was well worth the effort.
April 20, 2014
This is the second book I have read in the Lonely Lords series and, once again, Grace Burrowes has written an engaging story full of heartfelt emotion and richly drawn characters.
“The Snowdrop is for hope.”
Nicholas is a big man with an even bigger heart…so devoted to his family and willing to allay all Leah’s fears and do whatever it takes to protect her from harm.
“I will see to your welfare, and without bringing you further misery. You are out of the habit of hoping and trusting, and you grow frantic at the thought of fate pressing upon you. Trust me, and I will win you free of it.”
I did want to bang his big, stubborn head against the nearest wall for keeping secrets from Leah for far too long and causing so much pain and heartache. But the scene where he finally gives up all his secrets was so moving, that I couldn’t help but want to throw my arms around that great big bear of a man and hug him tightly.
Hope, he thought with a flash of insight. Hoe that set teats seeping from his closed eyes, and joy sang through him in the very coursing of his life’s blood.
Other things endeared him to me; his charm and humour and when he sends flowers to Leah with a special meaning and the fact that he likes making birdhouses.
I had so much sympathy for Leah; her life marred by a youthful scandal and feeling alone and unloved.
She’d felt cast out, judged, unclean, and unforgivably stupid as a younger woman, and Society had done its cruel best to reinforce her opinion.
She is barely tolerated by her cruel, unfeeling father, who is only too happy to see her off his hands and married to an old lecher of a man. All she has ever wanted is to be accepted, loved and cherished. I love her courage, her honesty and her wit. Despite Nicholas’s insistence on a ‘White Marriage’, Leah’s love and loyalty remains steadfast. She is there to support him when he most needs her.
The story also introduces Nicholas’s older, illegitimate half-brother, Ethan Grey. He is still living with the legacy of his father’s betrayal when he was a boy, which also caused a rift between himself and Nicholas. It was heart-warming to see these two starting to rebuild the close relationship they once shared and I was also moved by the poignant scene between Ethan and his dying father.
Favourite romantic quotes
When Nick Haddonfield held her, she felt protected, cherished, understood, and…treasured. When he kissed her, she felt all that, and so much more.
Sitting on the stone bench in the moonlight, his backside going numb, his wife in his arms, Nicholas Haddonfield knew he was absolutely and unshakeably, unequivocally and eternally loved.
Nicholas: Lord of Secrets is another wonderful addition to this delightful series.
REVIEW RATING: 4.5 /5 Stars
The Lonely Lords series to date (click on cover for more details):
This review is also posted on my blog:
http://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com/...
“The Snowdrop is for hope.”
Nicholas is a big man with an even bigger heart…so devoted to his family and willing to allay all Leah’s fears and do whatever it takes to protect her from harm.
“I will see to your welfare, and without bringing you further misery. You are out of the habit of hoping and trusting, and you grow frantic at the thought of fate pressing upon you. Trust me, and I will win you free of it.”
I did want to bang his big, stubborn head against the nearest wall for keeping secrets from Leah for far too long and causing so much pain and heartache. But the scene where he finally gives up all his secrets was so moving, that I couldn’t help but want to throw my arms around that great big bear of a man and hug him tightly.
Hope, he thought with a flash of insight. Hoe that set teats seeping from his closed eyes, and joy sang through him in the very coursing of his life’s blood.
Other things endeared him to me; his charm and humour and when he sends flowers to Leah with a special meaning and the fact that he likes making birdhouses.
I had so much sympathy for Leah; her life marred by a youthful scandal and feeling alone and unloved.
She’d felt cast out, judged, unclean, and unforgivably stupid as a younger woman, and Society had done its cruel best to reinforce her opinion.
She is barely tolerated by her cruel, unfeeling father, who is only too happy to see her off his hands and married to an old lecher of a man. All she has ever wanted is to be accepted, loved and cherished. I love her courage, her honesty and her wit. Despite Nicholas’s insistence on a ‘White Marriage’, Leah’s love and loyalty remains steadfast. She is there to support him when he most needs her.
The story also introduces Nicholas’s older, illegitimate half-brother, Ethan Grey. He is still living with the legacy of his father’s betrayal when he was a boy, which also caused a rift between himself and Nicholas. It was heart-warming to see these two starting to rebuild the close relationship they once shared and I was also moved by the poignant scene between Ethan and his dying father.
Favourite romantic quotes
When Nick Haddonfield held her, she felt protected, cherished, understood, and…treasured. When he kissed her, she felt all that, and so much more.
Sitting on the stone bench in the moonlight, his backside going numb, his wife in his arms, Nicholas Haddonfield knew he was absolutely and unshakeably, unequivocally and eternally loved.
Nicholas: Lord of Secrets is another wonderful addition to this delightful series.
REVIEW RATING: 4.5 /5 Stars
The Lonely Lords series to date (click on cover for more details):
This review is also posted on my blog:
http://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com/...
March 5, 2017
I really hope the other books in this series get better. The ideas are there, but everything feels flat - the only interesting scenes are the ones with the hero's father - and too drawn out. It's rather rare that the writing manages to be both boring and confusing, but this one did it for me. It's full of telling instead of showing, (seriously, everything is talked to death) except of course for some important events which never get any kind of introduction at all. No suspense, no real chemistry, this is pure blandness.
The big reveal in the end tries to be a shock very hard indeed, but given that the book blatantly foreshadows absolutely every detail of what's to come and the fact that it loses every bit of momentum between the hero having his oh-so-surprising epiphany and the actual reveal by talking about everything but the really important questions again, well. I'm not impressed.
The big reveal in the end tries to be a shock very hard indeed, but given that the book blatantly foreshadows absolutely every detail of what's to come and the fact that it loses every bit of momentum between the hero having his oh-so-surprising epiphany and the actual reveal by talking about everything but the really important questions again, well. I'm not impressed.
February 5, 2016
Review originally posted on The Book Adventures of Annelise Lestrange :)
Nicholas is the second book in the Lonely Lord series and we already knew the character from Darius, the first book. Nicholas is a very insanely tall man (I’m sorry for the drama, but I’m really short, haha!), handsome in his own way and very, very gentle. So much that sometimes it gets annoying. We also get pieces of Nick’s life during the first book, as both books happened at the same time.
He meets Leah, Darius sister, at a ball in a very delicate moment of his life. Nick promised his dying father to find a wife before the end of the season, as he would inherit the title of Earl of Bellefonte. Leah is a woman with a scandal in her past, so she is very badly treated by polite society in general and hates social functions. However, she doesn’t hate them more than she resents her father, a very mean and wicked man who hates her back. They meet in a dark room at the ball and Nick falls in love with Leah’s voice. He didn’t see her, just touched and heard and he was struck.
After learning about Leah’s situation and her identity, Nick decides to marry her to get his bride and protect her from her own father. They desired and burned for each other, but Nick always kept his distance. It was very frustrating and I honestly got a little bored in the end, because they kept going on circles and every circle was darker than the other was.
The plot, at first, didn’t seem so different from the others, but, as the story went and I met the couple better, both were just broken. Nick was much more broken, but Leah also faced every sort of misfortunes in life and still had the courage to keep living, even without any hope for her future. I knew Grace blooms the essence of her characters during the book, but this time it was hardcore. Analyzing the details, big revelations and all, the book won 3 out of 5 starts from me. But I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
No, it wasn’t compassion or happiness over another finished book. It was all about one specific situation in the book that got me hard, but in the good way. Nick has an older bastard brother, Ethan (the star in the third book of the series) and they were inseparable as kids and teenagers. When they were around 15, an unhappy accident made their father beat Ethan almost to death and separated his heir and his bastard son. Their father, in his deathbed, confessed he did it because he thought the boys were lovers, once they didn’t have any other friends and only dallied with the maids eventually and together. Both men are shocked with such revelation and tell their father it wasn’t anything like that. I’m not going to say that this is insane because it was another time; I can’t judge the actions of the Earl being an outsider to the English mind of the time. But I wondered almost a full day about how many of this situations happened and the involved ones never knew why they were being punished or had to pretend to be something they weren’t just to survive. All of this got Grace a bonus star, haha!
Nicholas is the second book in the Lonely Lord series and we already knew the character from Darius, the first book. Nicholas is a very insanely tall man (I’m sorry for the drama, but I’m really short, haha!), handsome in his own way and very, very gentle. So much that sometimes it gets annoying. We also get pieces of Nick’s life during the first book, as both books happened at the same time.
He meets Leah, Darius sister, at a ball in a very delicate moment of his life. Nick promised his dying father to find a wife before the end of the season, as he would inherit the title of Earl of Bellefonte. Leah is a woman with a scandal in her past, so she is very badly treated by polite society in general and hates social functions. However, she doesn’t hate them more than she resents her father, a very mean and wicked man who hates her back. They meet in a dark room at the ball and Nick falls in love with Leah’s voice. He didn’t see her, just touched and heard and he was struck.
After learning about Leah’s situation and her identity, Nick decides to marry her to get his bride and protect her from her own father. They desired and burned for each other, but Nick always kept his distance. It was very frustrating and I honestly got a little bored in the end, because they kept going on circles and every circle was darker than the other was.
The plot, at first, didn’t seem so different from the others, but, as the story went and I met the couple better, both were just broken. Nick was much more broken, but Leah also faced every sort of misfortunes in life and still had the courage to keep living, even without any hope for her future. I knew Grace blooms the essence of her characters during the book, but this time it was hardcore. Analyzing the details, big revelations and all, the book won 3 out of 5 starts from me. But I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
No, it wasn’t compassion or happiness over another finished book. It was all about one specific situation in the book that got me hard, but in the good way. Nick has an older bastard brother, Ethan (the star in the third book of the series) and they were inseparable as kids and teenagers. When they were around 15, an unhappy accident made their father beat Ethan almost to death and separated his heir and his bastard son. Their father, in his deathbed, confessed he did it because he thought the boys were lovers, once they didn’t have any other friends and only dallied with the maids eventually and together. Both men are shocked with such revelation and tell their father it wasn’t anything like that. I’m not going to say that this is insane because it was another time; I can’t judge the actions of the Earl being an outsider to the English mind of the time. But I wondered almost a full day about how many of this situations happened and the involved ones never knew why they were being punished or had to pretend to be something they weren’t just to survive. All of this got Grace a bonus star, haha!
May 11, 2013
This is book #2 in the Lonely Lords Series by Grace Burrowes. I loved the first one, Darius. There was some background things in that book that I wish had been explained. They mostly are in this one. It was interesting to see the overlap between the two books. The author didn't repeat a lot of it, just enough to make us aware of the two time lines marching together.
I don't often like to read stories where I already know the outcome. In Darius, I knew who Leah ends up with, and that's Nicholas. I was a bit leery about reading this one, since I knew how it would end. I was incredibly surprised and pleased that once I picked Nicholas up, I didn't want to put it down! Darius was dark...Nicholas is light and mostly cheerful.
He truly is a knight in shining armor. Nicholas loves small children, he loves his horse Buttercup, he loves women. Doesn't matter that he's about the size of a giant. His tender heart and sincerity shines through his interactions.
Leah needs him. Desperately. Her father is one of those characters that one loves to hate. And he truly is worthy of hatred.
Nicholas has some secrets. A couple of reasons for choosing to engage in a "white marriage." From the beginning we know that's what he's seeking. It's too bad his choice of bride is falling in love with him. Who wouldn't? He's adorable! He really should have chosen some daft little twit who wouldn't care as long as she got that title.
Leah has secrets of her own, and I had wondered while reading Darius what those were. It's good to know, now. Although I had suspected a couple of them, I was surprised by others.
This is a long, involved journey for these two characters as they try to make their marriage work. We also get to know the MC of the next book, ETHAN. Yes, I want more of him, for sure! I've just discovered that Valentine has his own book: Virtuoso (The Duke's Obsession). I'm definitely going to check that one out, too. Valentine is a sweetheart!
I have taken one bookmark off because for such a smart guy, Nicholas really should have looked further into his reasons for wanting a white marriage. The reveal was a bit of a let down.
And yet, I still loved this one, too.
I will be reading portions of it again.
FOUR BOOKMARKS from me!
*Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks ~ Casablanca, for the opportunity to read Nicholas.
This review may also be found at:
Beyond the Squee: Book Reviews
www.beyondthesquee.com
I don't often like to read stories where I already know the outcome. In Darius, I knew who Leah ends up with, and that's Nicholas. I was a bit leery about reading this one, since I knew how it would end. I was incredibly surprised and pleased that once I picked Nicholas up, I didn't want to put it down! Darius was dark...Nicholas is light and mostly cheerful.
He truly is a knight in shining armor. Nicholas loves small children, he loves his horse Buttercup, he loves women. Doesn't matter that he's about the size of a giant. His tender heart and sincerity shines through his interactions.
Leah needs him. Desperately. Her father is one of those characters that one loves to hate. And he truly is worthy of hatred.
Nicholas has some secrets. A couple of reasons for choosing to engage in a "white marriage." From the beginning we know that's what he's seeking. It's too bad his choice of bride is falling in love with him. Who wouldn't? He's adorable! He really should have chosen some daft little twit who wouldn't care as long as she got that title.
Leah has secrets of her own, and I had wondered while reading Darius what those were. It's good to know, now. Although I had suspected a couple of them, I was surprised by others.
This is a long, involved journey for these two characters as they try to make their marriage work. We also get to know the MC of the next book, ETHAN. Yes, I want more of him, for sure! I've just discovered that Valentine has his own book: Virtuoso (The Duke's Obsession). I'm definitely going to check that one out, too. Valentine is a sweetheart!
I have taken one bookmark off because for such a smart guy, Nicholas really should have looked further into his reasons for wanting a white marriage. The reveal was a bit of a let down.
And yet, I still loved this one, too.
I will be reading portions of it again.
FOUR BOOKMARKS from me!
*Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks ~ Casablanca, for the opportunity to read Nicholas.
This review may also be found at:
Beyond the Squee: Book Reviews
www.beyondthesquee.com
December 27, 2020
Nicholas is inconstant and, frankly, dreadful to his wife. Their mutual interest after their initial meeting (which I will admit was splendid and sigh inducing) was forced and largely one-sided. I knew I’d probably struggle with this because I had a feeling it would include my most hated HR trope: the dreaded, completely awful, He Won’t Have Children because X Y Z. Usually this is because our hero’s wife dies in childbirth and kicks up her toes muttering vengefully that it is our hero’s fault she was dying. This obviously would scar a fellow, and as a result he weds anew out of duty, doesn’t share this with her new wife and relegates her to childlessness. This then becomes a driving force that divides the characters throughout a book. It is tired and stupid and rarely done well, and yet...done ALL the time.
SPOILER SECTION
Nicholas follows a very, very similar canon. Only, his mentally impaired daughter is to blame. And of course, he doesn’t know that she is not congenitally impaired but as a result of a childhood fever (which struck me as dubious). What father wouldn’t know that? What caretaker wouldn’t have shared that? Oh right, it is because this trope is a strawman and inherently flawed. And stupid. Have I mentioned I don’t like this storyline choice?
END OF SPOILERS
But beyond that Nicholas is, as I mentioned, just not very likeable. Where authors usually fail to connect affectionate thoughts to actions, the reverse is true here. We get to see a Nicholas carry out GB’s favorite bedroom rituals where Nicholas tenderly attends to his lady’s hair. Brushing and braiding ensues. Then he makes love to her and is ice cold to her the moment after, typically leaving her alone in high dudgeon. Of course, an excellent place to show our characters forming a real attachment, bonding through grief, we skip right over that. Finally, despite Nicholas’s churlish inconstancy I never felt as though he had a real moment of remorse, or got his comeuppance. Our heroine is fine, if not a bit ill suited to someone as dense as Nicholas.
Anyhow, wouldn’t recommend this and wouldn’t recommend GB at all unless you like paying money for the same story again and again only served to in marginally different wrapping.
*note: also reviewed on Amazon.com
SPOILER SECTION
Nicholas follows a very, very similar canon. Only, his mentally impaired daughter is to blame. And of course, he doesn’t know that she is not congenitally impaired but as a result of a childhood fever (which struck me as dubious). What father wouldn’t know that? What caretaker wouldn’t have shared that? Oh right, it is because this trope is a strawman and inherently flawed. And stupid. Have I mentioned I don’t like this storyline choice?
END OF SPOILERS
But beyond that Nicholas is, as I mentioned, just not very likeable. Where authors usually fail to connect affectionate thoughts to actions, the reverse is true here. We get to see a Nicholas carry out GB’s favorite bedroom rituals where Nicholas tenderly attends to his lady’s hair. Brushing and braiding ensues. Then he makes love to her and is ice cold to her the moment after, typically leaving her alone in high dudgeon. Of course, an excellent place to show our characters forming a real attachment, bonding through grief, we skip right over that. Finally, despite Nicholas’s churlish inconstancy I never felt as though he had a real moment of remorse, or got his comeuppance. Our heroine is fine, if not a bit ill suited to someone as dense as Nicholas.
Anyhow, wouldn’t recommend this and wouldn’t recommend GB at all unless you like paying money for the same story again and again only served to in marginally different wrapping.
*note: also reviewed on Amazon.com
January 7, 2014
Don't read this unless you have read Darius's story first. The books events occur simultaneously and intertwine as Darius's sister Leah finds herself being "rescued" by Nicholas, a blond giant of a man. Nicholas is a perfect gentleman except in his eyes he is a freak-being over sized and having killed his mother at birth. He is known for his sexual exploits and has promised his failing father he will wed. He has difficulty because some woman fear giving birth to a child of his.
Leah is a pitiful character- with some scandal in her past she has been escorted by her 2 brothers to every society event there is because her father ( an evil person) demands it. He wants her wed but will not give a dowry, and has back burner plans for her to be some creepy lord's mistress.
Leah meets Nicholas when they both hide out in a room at an event. In the dark they discuss their dilemmas and kiss without seeing each other.
Nicholas meets Leah again and they recognize each others' voices. They begin to talk with their favorite setting being a duck pond. He slips her gold coins to hide in her glove and begins machinations to call in debts owed by her father and the creepy lord she is destined for. Eventually he knows the only way to save Leah is to offer her protection of his name. Nicholas is a knight in shining armor- almost perfect except he wants a white marriage. They are attracted to each other but he is stubborn about no coitus and won't explain why. This is where the book became frustrating. Overly long situations of sexual and emotional frustration for both characters but the explanations of why are off. Valentine (of the Duke's Obsession series has a minor role as Nick's friend. In this book we don't see why Leah's brother's aren't helping her so if you read this first you wouldn't see how their hands are tied. Definitely read Nicholas's story but don't be surprised if you are upset by his fears as much as you are enamored of his heroism.
Leah is a pitiful character- with some scandal in her past she has been escorted by her 2 brothers to every society event there is because her father ( an evil person) demands it. He wants her wed but will not give a dowry, and has back burner plans for her to be some creepy lord's mistress.
Leah meets Nicholas when they both hide out in a room at an event. In the dark they discuss their dilemmas and kiss without seeing each other.
Nicholas meets Leah again and they recognize each others' voices. They begin to talk with their favorite setting being a duck pond. He slips her gold coins to hide in her glove and begins machinations to call in debts owed by her father and the creepy lord she is destined for. Eventually he knows the only way to save Leah is to offer her protection of his name. Nicholas is a knight in shining armor- almost perfect except he wants a white marriage. They are attracted to each other but he is stubborn about no coitus and won't explain why. This is where the book became frustrating. Overly long situations of sexual and emotional frustration for both characters but the explanations of why are off. Valentine (of the Duke's Obsession series has a minor role as Nick's friend. In this book we don't see why Leah's brother's aren't helping her so if you read this first you wouldn't see how their hands are tied. Definitely read Nicholas's story but don't be surprised if you are upset by his fears as much as you are enamored of his heroism.
March 9, 2014
Reviewed by Rachel
Book provided by NetGalley for review
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
Miss Burrowes, you are seriously cutting into all my other activities during the day, including but not limited to, eating, cleaning, doing dishes–you get the picture.
This book started out a bit slower to me than Darius, the other one I read in this series, but not in a bad way. I really think Miss. Burrowes had to set the story. I kept reading only because I had liked Darius so much that I knew she would pull through with this second installment of the Lonely Lords and let me tell you- I was not disappointed.
I fell in love-IN LOVE– with Nicholas. He was like a regency Thor. If you are a historical romance fanatic you’ll know that most regency men were quite short, not attractive, and definitely not Thor like. Nicholas was EVERYTHING a girl could want in an English lord, fiercely protective, hilarious, quick witted, rich, and an all around good guy.
My heart broke for Leah in this book. Several times I caught myself crying over her situation. Here this amazing lord offers his protection by marriage but withholds the one thing she’s wanted her entire life–love and acceptance.
She loves him despite his ability to give her what she needs and then in the end sacrifices their relationship in order to protect them both.
I may have bawled. I can’t remember. I think I blacked out from severe emotional trauma.
The book had an amazing happily ever after and both Nicholas and Leah were beautifully drawn out as living, breathing characters.
If I could give it more roses, I would.
I recommend this for anyone who loves a good historical romance. There is some swearing, though minor, and a few love scenes.
Book provided by NetGalley for review
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
Miss Burrowes, you are seriously cutting into all my other activities during the day, including but not limited to, eating, cleaning, doing dishes–you get the picture.
This book started out a bit slower to me than Darius, the other one I read in this series, but not in a bad way. I really think Miss. Burrowes had to set the story. I kept reading only because I had liked Darius so much that I knew she would pull through with this second installment of the Lonely Lords and let me tell you- I was not disappointed.
I fell in love-IN LOVE– with Nicholas. He was like a regency Thor. If you are a historical romance fanatic you’ll know that most regency men were quite short, not attractive, and definitely not Thor like. Nicholas was EVERYTHING a girl could want in an English lord, fiercely protective, hilarious, quick witted, rich, and an all around good guy.
My heart broke for Leah in this book. Several times I caught myself crying over her situation. Here this amazing lord offers his protection by marriage but withholds the one thing she’s wanted her entire life–love and acceptance.
She loves him despite his ability to give her what she needs and then in the end sacrifices their relationship in order to protect them both.
I may have bawled. I can’t remember. I think I blacked out from severe emotional trauma.
The book had an amazing happily ever after and both Nicholas and Leah were beautifully drawn out as living, breathing characters.
If I could give it more roses, I would.
I recommend this for anyone who loves a good historical romance. There is some swearing, though minor, and a few love scenes.
May 16, 2013
Nicholas Haddonfield, Viscount Reston is a blond handsome giant on the hunt for a bride, due to the wish of his dying father. Nicholas is not a saint and has a colorful past, that he does not talk about. He knows he must marry, but he does not wish to have true union but a white marriage.
Lady Leah Lindsey is on the shelf with a scandalous past. Her father cannot stand to be in the same room with her and wants nothing more to marry her off the first chance he gets. She feels she is a burden to her brothers and all she wants is to be loved and love another with no shame or heartache.
In a dark corner hiding for different reasons Nicholas and Leah meet and share a kiss. That secret kiss stirs something within Nicolas that he needs to be this Lady’s champion. However, secrets, shame and pride will make it hard for both to come together in a perfect union. But if there is love, there is a way…
I really enjoyed this book. Nicholas is a sweetheart and he loves to love people. He is a big man with an even bigger heart and that heart is full of emotion. Leah is a practical woman that tells it how it is, which is refreshing. I always enjoy books that involves a big family dynamic and this book delivers that fun dynamic. It takes you into the pages and you enjoy being in those moments.
Oh and Lord Valentine Windham (Virtuoso) is in this book as a close friend to Nicholas. And any book that has Lord Val in it is makes this ready very happy! :)
I look forward to the next book in this series, Ethan (half brother to Nicholas).
Lady Leah Lindsey is on the shelf with a scandalous past. Her father cannot stand to be in the same room with her and wants nothing more to marry her off the first chance he gets. She feels she is a burden to her brothers and all she wants is to be loved and love another with no shame or heartache.
In a dark corner hiding for different reasons Nicholas and Leah meet and share a kiss. That secret kiss stirs something within Nicolas that he needs to be this Lady’s champion. However, secrets, shame and pride will make it hard for both to come together in a perfect union. But if there is love, there is a way…
I really enjoyed this book. Nicholas is a sweetheart and he loves to love people. He is a big man with an even bigger heart and that heart is full of emotion. Leah is a practical woman that tells it how it is, which is refreshing. I always enjoy books that involves a big family dynamic and this book delivers that fun dynamic. It takes you into the pages and you enjoy being in those moments.
Oh and Lord Valentine Windham (Virtuoso) is in this book as a close friend to Nicholas. And any book that has Lord Val in it is makes this ready very happy! :)
I look forward to the next book in this series, Ethan (half brother to Nicholas).
January 20, 2014
A reluctant 3 stars. I adore this author's voice: articulate, detailed, fluid. And the men in her stories are hunky, sexy, sensitive, affectionate, capable, and successful. Plus I've liked Nick since reading about him in Val's story.
But I now see the pattern: Introduce and say something intruiging about, make me curious about the hero's best friend. Make him charming, funny, thoughtful. Then give him a book of his own and... Same. Old. Plot.
She's got a secret that will cause death, mayhem, and utter destruction. Or, as in this book, he does. They are instantly attracted and inappropriately physically intimate way too soon (19th century and she lets some guy she met twice drag her under a tree and hug her?), but god forbid they talk openly about the secret. At least 3/4 of every book is spent with one agonizing about the secret and the other agonized wanting to know the secret. Lots of bathing and back rubs, and more inappropriate and incongruous but endearing signs of affection. And not a butler, valet, or ladies maid to speak of. But they can't talk about the secret. Then suddenly they talk about the secret and it's quickly vanquished, no big deal, just some foolishness in the mind of the secret holder. Plus he does something alpha and heroic to rescue her. Because. HEA ensues.
Happened with Val (I wanted so much more for him than what we got in The Virtuoso.) Now with Nick. I fear for David. Meanwhile, Ethan and Darius await, I hope with fewer secrets.
But I now see the pattern: Introduce and say something intruiging about, make me curious about the hero's best friend. Make him charming, funny, thoughtful. Then give him a book of his own and... Same. Old. Plot.
She's got a secret that will cause death, mayhem, and utter destruction. Or, as in this book, he does. They are instantly attracted and inappropriately physically intimate way too soon (19th century and she lets some guy she met twice drag her under a tree and hug her?), but god forbid they talk openly about the secret. At least 3/4 of every book is spent with one agonizing about the secret and the other agonized wanting to know the secret. Lots of bathing and back rubs, and more inappropriate and incongruous but endearing signs of affection. And not a butler, valet, or ladies maid to speak of. But they can't talk about the secret. Then suddenly they talk about the secret and it's quickly vanquished, no big deal, just some foolishness in the mind of the secret holder. Plus he does something alpha and heroic to rescue her. Because. HEA ensues.
Happened with Val (I wanted so much more for him than what we got in The Virtuoso.) Now with Nick. I fear for David. Meanwhile, Ethan and Darius await, I hope with fewer secrets.
October 26, 2016
Abandon http://lune-et-plume.fr/ces-livres-qu...
Cette histoire se passe en parallèle de celle de Darius et donc nous en connaissons en parti les aboutissements. J’ai eu l’impression de lire une histoire qui finalement se répétair un peu, de ne pas avoir les éléments de surprises mais aussi qu’il me manquait des choses, j’ai deviné trop vite un certain nombre de retournements à cause de ce que je savais déjà et surtout je n’ai pas retrouvé la vitalité de l’auteure dans la création de ses personnages. Elle ose encore sortir des sentiers battus mais ses héros ne m’ont fait ni chaud, ni froid, ils m’ont juste terriblement ennuyée et arrivée à la moitié, je suis directement allée à la fin en lisant en très grande diagonale et je n’ai pas regretté mon choix … Je vais considérer qu’il s’agit d’une erreur de parcours de l’auteure et cela ne va pas m’empêcher de lire malgré tout le troisième tome quand il sortira. [...]
Cette histoire se passe en parallèle de celle de Darius et donc nous en connaissons en parti les aboutissements. J’ai eu l’impression de lire une histoire qui finalement se répétair un peu, de ne pas avoir les éléments de surprises mais aussi qu’il me manquait des choses, j’ai deviné trop vite un certain nombre de retournements à cause de ce que je savais déjà et surtout je n’ai pas retrouvé la vitalité de l’auteure dans la création de ses personnages. Elle ose encore sortir des sentiers battus mais ses héros ne m’ont fait ni chaud, ni froid, ils m’ont juste terriblement ennuyée et arrivée à la moitié, je suis directement allée à la fin en lisant en très grande diagonale et je n’ai pas regretté mon choix … Je vais considérer qu’il s’agit d’une erreur de parcours de l’auteure et cela ne va pas m’empêcher de lire malgré tout le troisième tome quand il sortira. [...]
March 8, 2015
Horrible, horrible cover. Reminds me of Dana Carvey in Hans and Franz on Saturday Night Live. With that in mind, I did chuckle every time I saw it, which made it somewhat endearing.
All that aside, this is turning into a very addictive series for me. I read this installment in one day. I could hardly put it down. Grace Burrows writes great characters and this set was lovely. Nicholas was endearing and charming and Leah, his lady love, was sympathetic and pleasing. I enjoy characters appearing from different Burrows series and books. There is a certain comfort from the elaborate web of family and friends all getting their own heroic moment and love story.
All that aside, this is turning into a very addictive series for me. I read this installment in one day. I could hardly put it down. Grace Burrows writes great characters and this set was lovely. Nicholas was endearing and charming and Leah, his lady love, was sympathetic and pleasing. I enjoy characters appearing from different Burrows series and books. There is a certain comfort from the elaborate web of family and friends all getting their own heroic moment and love story.
May 17, 2018
3 1/2 stars
First of all, who thought that cover was a good idea.
This book answers a few questions left over from book one, Darius: Lord of Pleasures (Lonely Lords #1). Which i loved.
This book was nice but frustrating.
There's an obvious solution to both Leah and Nick's problem that took too long to resolve. Then we wait, literally, to the last few pages to find out why Nick doesn't want to have children.
Then a paragraph to wrap it up.
First of all, who thought that cover was a good idea.
This book answers a few questions left over from book one, Darius: Lord of Pleasures (Lonely Lords #1). Which i loved.
This book was nice but frustrating.
There's an obvious solution to both Leah and Nick's problem that took too long to resolve. Then we wait, literally, to the last few pages to find out why Nick doesn't want to have children.
Then a paragraph to wrap it up.
March 29, 2016
I didn't know whether to stand on a chair to hug Nick or give him a knock in the back of the head and scream wake up already! Still a very good read, but Nick's idea of a seperation was pretty cute with his flurry of mail. Thank God for HEAs or poor Nick's grooms were going to expire from running back and forth to the country.
June 13, 2021
This book is so freaking annoying. The "tension" arises from ridiculous places. There is absolutely no reason Nicholas has to keep his secrets, and so the whole time the reader wonders why he's chosen this foolishness. And, on my part, I also wondered why Leah couldn't find a spine.
I'm tempted to give one star, but I did finish the book so I'll begrudgingly give it another.
I'm tempted to give one star, but I did finish the book so I'll begrudgingly give it another.
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