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Falcon Club #3.5
How to Marry a Highlander
With seven troublesome half sisters to marry off, Duncan, the Earl of Eads, has one problem: he's broke.
With the prospect of marriage to the pompous local curate, Miss Teresa Finch-Freeworth has one dream: to wed instead the handsome Highlander she saw at a ball.
How does a desperate lady convince a reluctant laird that she's the perfect bride for him? She strikes a wager! If she can find seven husbands for seven sisters, the earl must marry her.
Duncan has no intention of wedding the meddlesome maiden, and he gives her a deadline even the most audacious matchmaker can't meet—one month. But Teresa sets terms, too: with each bridegroom she finds, the earl must pay her increasingly intimate rewards . . .
With the prospect of marriage to the pompous local curate, Miss Teresa Finch-Freeworth has one dream: to wed instead the handsome Highlander she saw at a ball.
How does a desperate lady convince a reluctant laird that she's the perfect bride for him? She strikes a wager! If she can find seven husbands for seven sisters, the earl must marry her.
Duncan has no intention of wedding the meddlesome maiden, and he gives her a deadline even the most audacious matchmaker can't meet—one month. But Teresa sets terms, too: with each bridegroom she finds, the earl must pay her increasingly intimate rewards . . .
181 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 30, 2013
87 people are currently reading
652 people want to read
About the author
Katharine Ashe
33 books1,031 followersKatharine Ashe is the USA Today bestselling author of historical romances reviewers call “intensely lush” and “sensationally intelligent,” including two Amazon's Best Romances of the Year. A professor of history and popular culture, she writes fiction because she adores the grand adventures and breathtaking sensuality of historical romance. For more information, please visit her at http://www.katharineashe.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
August 3, 2013
"She wanted to be the spring ewe to his ram. She wanted to be the nectar in the bud to his hummingbird’s probe. She wanted him to make her a woman in this hothouse."
...um. Say what? Ok, let's backtrack here.
"When the Earl of Eads had stared at her across that ballroom in London...he hadn’t even glanced at her bosom...the earl had not given her bosom even a flicker of interest. He had stared at her face.
She liked that about him."
Oh, Teresa, honey, if that's a reason for you to fall in love with this man, you really need to sort out your priorities. And by love, I mean insta-love.
Hum. let's backtrack some more.
How to Marry a Highlander, also known as Seven Grooms for Seven Sisters. You might be thinking, aghast, you can't fucking fit all that AND the love story into a decent novella! You would be correct. This would be an ambitious premise for a full-length book. It fails spectacularly as a novella, but it has its many moments of utter hilarity. For example, the tiny bit of zen as Duncan struggles fitfully (and ultimately unsuccessfully) to maintain his inner calm and not completely lose it in the wee hours of the morning as the household explodes into the chaos of a mess of loud, noisy young women, all talking at once. Epic, just epic.
Heroine: Teresa Finch-Freeworth. Right off the bat, she admits that she's got a pretty good life, but still, she lives in...*sigh* "unenviable circumstances." Why? Well, um...ok, she's not poor, she's nowhere near poor, having a respectable dowry, she has distant, but caring parents (with an income of two thousand pounds per annum), she takes yearly trips to London, she has wonderful siblings, she's got brains and an imagination. But still, she's got prooooooooblems, maaaaaaaaan.
#richregencygirlproblems
Um, so what's the problem? Oh, it's so sad! So utterly distressing! However shall one live with one's self?!
"[It] had left her remarkably frustrated and not a little despondent. For good reason: Lord Eads had once seen her, stared at her across a ballroom with great intensity and admiration and perhaps even longing that left her breathless, then promptly left London without seeking her acquaintance; he now resided on his estate in Scotland; a lady could not kiss a man from 300 miles away; and she was beginning to forget what he looked like."
Oh nooooooo. Oh, please.
I understand insta-love and its reason for existence in romance novels. I understand the need to communicate to the reader of that spark, that crucial moment in time that sends a shiver down your spine, that beginning of a series of events that lead into and ultimately becomes a grand love story. This novella is not an example of such. It is insta-love. It's not even insta-love. It is insta-lust. It is Teresa losing her mind, falling in love unreasonably with a man she has never seen before, never talked to. With one single glance across a room, in one single moment, she supposedly feels this connection so deeply as to obsess over it. Just the memory of that one moment has her throwing away every sense of decorum and thought to her future. She is willing to risk her ruination in society, the scandal that could attach itself to her family, for a ghost of a chance at the man she sees across a room. She has clung to this moment and dreamt about it over for well over a year. I find it implausible, and I find the heroine foolish.
Lust. The thought of the virile, masculine, chiseled Earl of Eads makes Teresa tingle, makes her feel warm in places she never knew existed, makes her want to do unspeakable things..."she peeked at him...and saw precisely what she wished to chew: his jaw. Then she would nibble his chin." OM NOM NOM. Scotsmen: it's what's for dinner.
Teresa hears that the Earl of Eads is back in Ton, and runs away to London to meet him. Privately. Against all sense of propriety, and against all sense, really. The Scottish Earl of Eads has a shady, bad reputation. He's also penniless, with seven unmarried half sisters to marry off. Such a prize! Teresa shows up, uninvited, unchaperoned at his house, and begs to marry him. On the one hand, I admire her initiative, I admire her acknowledgment of her sexuality. On the other hand, she is such a fucking idiot. She literally begs him to marry her. My dear, have some fucking pride in yourself. I suffered tremendously from secondhand embarrassment as she wheedles, plots, begs Duncan to marry her, all that cultivating in some nonsensical, idiotic, scatterbrained plot to find husbands for ALL OF HIS SISTERS, if he will just marry her. Ok, she'll take less than that. For example, if she is incompetent and only finds him only 3 husbands, could he please finger-fuck her? And if she only manages to find five, he can do her the favor of taking her virginity. Please? Pretty please? And while she's at it, she'll kiss the fucking hems of his kilt, too. And probably lick his boots, bending over backwards, begging for more.
This girl is just beyond thirsty. Where's your goddamn pride, woman?! It was utterly cringeworthy for me to read the first part of this novella.
The plot of finding seven husbands is a far, far stretch, and honestly, it didn't work for me. Teresa didn't do anything. Deus ex machina. She just happened to be there with the bet in place while all these things and these "meet cutes" were happening. Duncan's reason for falling in love with her is beyond a stretch of the imagination; their interaction left me cold. There is physical lust, certainly, but there is nothing that sets us up for the inevitability of the two falling in love. It's a thinly contrived plot that falls through utterly.
Read this for a laugh; don't expect anything beyond that.
...um. Say what? Ok, let's backtrack here.
"When the Earl of Eads had stared at her across that ballroom in London...he hadn’t even glanced at her bosom...the earl had not given her bosom even a flicker of interest. He had stared at her face.
She liked that about him."
Oh, Teresa, honey, if that's a reason for you to fall in love with this man, you really need to sort out your priorities. And by love, I mean insta-love.
Hum. let's backtrack some more.
How to Marry a Highlander, also known as Seven Grooms for Seven Sisters. You might be thinking, aghast, you can't fucking fit all that AND the love story into a decent novella! You would be correct. This would be an ambitious premise for a full-length book. It fails spectacularly as a novella, but it has its many moments of utter hilarity. For example, the tiny bit of zen as Duncan struggles fitfully (and ultimately unsuccessfully) to maintain his inner calm and not completely lose it in the wee hours of the morning as the household explodes into the chaos of a mess of loud, noisy young women, all talking at once. Epic, just epic.
Heroine: Teresa Finch-Freeworth. Right off the bat, she admits that she's got a pretty good life, but still, she lives in...*sigh* "unenviable circumstances." Why? Well, um...ok, she's not poor, she's nowhere near poor, having a respectable dowry, she has distant, but caring parents (with an income of two thousand pounds per annum), she takes yearly trips to London, she has wonderful siblings, she's got brains and an imagination. But still, she's got prooooooooblems, maaaaaaaaan.
#richregencygirlproblems
Um, so what's the problem? Oh, it's so sad! So utterly distressing! However shall one live with one's self?!
"[It] had left her remarkably frustrated and not a little despondent. For good reason: Lord Eads had once seen her, stared at her across a ballroom with great intensity and admiration and perhaps even longing that left her breathless, then promptly left London without seeking her acquaintance; he now resided on his estate in Scotland; a lady could not kiss a man from 300 miles away; and she was beginning to forget what he looked like."
Oh nooooooo. Oh, please.
I understand insta-love and its reason for existence in romance novels. I understand the need to communicate to the reader of that spark, that crucial moment in time that sends a shiver down your spine, that beginning of a series of events that lead into and ultimately becomes a grand love story. This novella is not an example of such. It is insta-love. It's not even insta-love. It is insta-lust. It is Teresa losing her mind, falling in love unreasonably with a man she has never seen before, never talked to. With one single glance across a room, in one single moment, she supposedly feels this connection so deeply as to obsess over it. Just the memory of that one moment has her throwing away every sense of decorum and thought to her future. She is willing to risk her ruination in society, the scandal that could attach itself to her family, for a ghost of a chance at the man she sees across a room. She has clung to this moment and dreamt about it over for well over a year. I find it implausible, and I find the heroine foolish.
Lust. The thought of the virile, masculine, chiseled Earl of Eads makes Teresa tingle, makes her feel warm in places she never knew existed, makes her want to do unspeakable things..."she peeked at him...and saw precisely what she wished to chew: his jaw. Then she would nibble his chin." OM NOM NOM. Scotsmen: it's what's for dinner.
Teresa hears that the Earl of Eads is back in Ton, and runs away to London to meet him. Privately. Against all sense of propriety, and against all sense, really. The Scottish Earl of Eads has a shady, bad reputation. He's also penniless, with seven unmarried half sisters to marry off. Such a prize! Teresa shows up, uninvited, unchaperoned at his house, and begs to marry him. On the one hand, I admire her initiative, I admire her acknowledgment of her sexuality. On the other hand, she is such a fucking idiot. She literally begs him to marry her. My dear, have some fucking pride in yourself. I suffered tremendously from secondhand embarrassment as she wheedles, plots, begs Duncan to marry her, all that cultivating in some nonsensical, idiotic, scatterbrained plot to find husbands for ALL OF HIS SISTERS, if he will just marry her. Ok, she'll take less than that. For example, if she is incompetent and only finds him only 3 husbands, could he please finger-fuck her? And if she only manages to find five, he can do her the favor of taking her virginity. Please? Pretty please? And while she's at it, she'll kiss the fucking hems of his kilt, too. And probably lick his boots, bending over backwards, begging for more.
This girl is just beyond thirsty. Where's your goddamn pride, woman?! It was utterly cringeworthy for me to read the first part of this novella.
The plot of finding seven husbands is a far, far stretch, and honestly, it didn't work for me. Teresa didn't do anything. Deus ex machina. She just happened to be there with the bet in place while all these things and these "meet cutes" were happening. Duncan's reason for falling in love with her is beyond a stretch of the imagination; their interaction left me cold. There is physical lust, certainly, but there is nothing that sets us up for the inevitability of the two falling in love. It's a thinly contrived plot that falls through utterly.
Read this for a laugh; don't expect anything beyond that.
November 20, 2015
4 sexy, charming, swoon-worthy stars!!
The Story -
Teresa doesn't want to marry the vicar, so she takes husband hunting into her own hands. Her sight is set on Duncan, Earl of Eads, a man she only saw once from across a ballroom eighteen months earlier. Even though he's practically penniless, there's something about him that compels her to seek him out and make him an offer of marriage he can't refuse. Except, much to Teresa's dismay, refuse is exactly what he does! Not easily dissuaded, Teresa proposes a wager; she'll find husbands for five of the Earl's step-sisters within a month's time, with a token to be paid upon each successful betrothal - a kiss for one, an inappropriate grope for another, and so on until marriage, or at the very least, bedding, will be her reward!
My Review -
This is such a fun story, and fans of historical romances starring swoon-worthy Scots will love How to Marry a Highlander! Witty, romantic, sexy, and clever, it's one of the few novellas that is so good, has such great characters and plot, that the only way to make it better would have been to make it longer.
For those wondering, yes, this works very well as a standalone, though Duncan and Teresa were first introduced in How a Lady Weds a Rogue, book three in this series. Katharine Ashe is a talented writer and I'm excited to read more of the Falcon Club.
My thanks to Avon books and Edelweiss for providing a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. It was a pleasure!
Read
March 10, 2021This would have made a better CR than HR. The
heroine went to the hero's residence (he did not
remember her from a ball: they stared across the
room @ each other) to propose marriage to him,
ask him to kiss her etc. Premise not credible.
Stopped at 19%.
heroine went to the hero's residence (he did not
remember her from a ball: they stared across the
room @ each other) to propose marriage to him,
ask him to kiss her etc. Premise not credible.
Stopped at 19%.
August 2, 2017
This is the lightest tale I have ever read by Ashe. It is a great foil to the dark previous book in this series.
We meet Duncan in How a Lady Weds a Rogue, and he is a villain of sorts. He also happens to have a code of honor, a tragic past, and devilishly good looks. Let's be honest, these are the makings of a good romance hero!
Teresa is also in How a Lady Weds a Rogue and she is a loyal friend with a penchant for telling stories. She has a flair for the dramatic and that shows through in this novella. Some other reviewers pulled out snippets of her thoughts and proceed to make fun of them, which is unfair. Teresa is a storyteller and several of her thoughts can be taken out of context and made fun of mercilessly.
Teresa recognizes that she has a comfortable life, but she longs for more. She makes up stories of love and romance, but has never experienced these feelings herself. When she sees Duncan at a ball, her imagination goes wild.
In a desperate move to escape the boring life she is heading toward, she approaches Duncan with an outrageous wager. She will find husbands for Duncan's seven sisters and in exchange, he will pay her increasingly intimate rewards.
Both Teresa and Duncan recognize that the wager is silly, but as they spend time together, their chemistry comes to life. This story gives a nod to seven brides for seven brothers, which is also silly but no less charming.
If you find this story too light for your taste, try another of Ashe's books. This novella is a complete departure from her other work and shows that Ashe can write just about anything in romance. The opening scene with Duncan and his sisters is pure comedic genius! This story contains no angst and is more about family, joy, and unexpected love. It is sweet, uncomplicated, and a little silly, but it sure is fun.
We meet Duncan in How a Lady Weds a Rogue, and he is a villain of sorts. He also happens to have a code of honor, a tragic past, and devilishly good looks. Let's be honest, these are the makings of a good romance hero!
Teresa is also in How a Lady Weds a Rogue and she is a loyal friend with a penchant for telling stories. She has a flair for the dramatic and that shows through in this novella. Some other reviewers pulled out snippets of her thoughts and proceed to make fun of them, which is unfair. Teresa is a storyteller and several of her thoughts can be taken out of context and made fun of mercilessly.
Teresa recognizes that she has a comfortable life, but she longs for more. She makes up stories of love and romance, but has never experienced these feelings herself. When she sees Duncan at a ball, her imagination goes wild.
In a desperate move to escape the boring life she is heading toward, she approaches Duncan with an outrageous wager. She will find husbands for Duncan's seven sisters and in exchange, he will pay her increasingly intimate rewards.
Both Teresa and Duncan recognize that the wager is silly, but as they spend time together, their chemistry comes to life. This story gives a nod to seven brides for seven brothers, which is also silly but no less charming.
If you find this story too light for your taste, try another of Ashe's books. This novella is a complete departure from her other work and shows that Ashe can write just about anything in romance. The opening scene with Duncan and his sisters is pure comedic genius! This story contains no angst and is more about family, joy, and unexpected love. It is sweet, uncomplicated, and a little silly, but it sure is fun.
September 19, 2015
This is one of the few Highlander books that I have read that doesn't deal with any fights for territorial land or a battle against good or evil. The synopsis for the book is that a penniless Earl has to marry off seven of his sisters (no small feat). There is another-Teresa Finch-Freeworth (what a mouthful) that wants to be the wife of said Earl and will go to great lengths to win him over. She comes up with a plan to get the 7 sisters hitched and they can live in Highlander bliss!
First, of all the idea of trying to find husbands for 7 sisters is really a stretch. Second, the denial of feelings by the Earl Duncan to Teresa was tiresome. Third, the throwing of herself to the Earl was really embarrassing. Lastly, the two main characters were uninspired.
I wish this book had a lot more laughs in it than it did. Trying to marry all these sisters, should have been lighthearted and fun. There were too many serious moments in this book that hampered it. It seemed like a lot going on but, nothing really happened.
First, of all the idea of trying to find husbands for 7 sisters is really a stretch. Second, the denial of feelings by the Earl Duncan to Teresa was tiresome. Third, the throwing of herself to the Earl was really embarrassing. Lastly, the two main characters were uninspired.
I wish this book had a lot more laughs in it than it did. Trying to marry all these sisters, should have been lighthearted and fun. There were too many serious moments in this book that hampered it. It seemed like a lot going on but, nothing really happened.
November 28, 2016
I looooooved this novella XD I've been digging through my to-read shelf for novella and I stumbled upon this one and oh how fun it was XD
- This book greatly resembled one of my favorite movies "7 brides for 7 brothers" it was kinda the same but there was the main couple and the rest are 6 sisters XD
- I liked how the heroine was so bold going after what she wanted, and the fact that she did it in front of his entire family was funny
- I liked the fact that the hero actually remembered her and like her he was constantly thinking about her (it's so cute)
- I liked watching how the rest of the family couple up and I have to say my favorite couple is the clumsy sister who can bake a mean cake to the French cook XD
- I liked the ending it was adorable for all of them actually
Overall, *thumbs up*
- This book greatly resembled one of my favorite movies "7 brides for 7 brothers" it was kinda the same but there was the main couple and the rest are 6 sisters XD
- I liked how the heroine was so bold going after what she wanted, and the fact that she did it in front of his entire family was funny
- I liked the fact that the hero actually remembered her and like her he was constantly thinking about her (it's so cute)
- I liked watching how the rest of the family couple up and I have to say my favorite couple is the clumsy sister who can bake a mean cake to the French cook XD
- I liked the ending it was adorable for all of them actually
Overall, *thumbs up*
August 23, 2017
Duncan, the Earl of Eads, has seven half-sisters to marry off. Teresa Finch-Freeworth wagers him her hand in marriage that she can get it done, with side bets for 1, 3, and 5.
1. She gets six and then calls it off.
2. The wager for five sisters was sex.
3. I mention this because there is so little interaction between Duncan and Teresa that the fact they sleep together felt somewhat out of left field.
4. While I didn't particularly like the blocks of this novella, the writing was solid and I'm still intrigued by Ashe.
5. Ugh dialect.
1. She gets six and then calls it off.
2. The wager for five sisters was sex.
3. I mention this because there is so little interaction between Duncan and Teresa that the fact they sleep together felt somewhat out of left field.
4. While I didn't particularly like the blocks of this novella, the writing was solid and I'm still intrigued by Ashe.
5. Ugh dialect.
November 11, 2018
Que delícia de estória...
Katharine Ashe me encanta... ouvi várias pessoas comentando não gostar da narrativa dela... eu simplesmente amo... é inteligente e bem estruturada e, principalmente, envolvente... pelo menos para mim.
Neste volume, que é mais um conto, do Falcon Club encontramos Duncan, conde de Eads, um viúvo escocês que prestou muitos serviços ao Falcon Club e fugiu para Escócia depois de colocar os olhos em uma ruiva que arrebatou seu coração e sua alma, mas ele não quer voltar a casar. Totalmente sem dinheiro, tentando recuperar seu castelo e suas terras, deteriorados pela falta de cuidado de seu pai, e arrumar casamento para suas 7 meias-irmãs... cada uma com uma personalidade e beleza diferentes.
Lady Teresa Finch-Freeworth, é muito criativa para inventar estórias e muito querida em seu povoado. Seu pai quer que ela se case com o vigário local, mas ela está decidida a ter seu primeiro beijo, e até se casar, com o escocês com quem sonha a um ano, depois de vê-lo numa festa olhando para ela através do salão.
Quando descobre que ele está em Londres tentando casar suas 7 irmãs ela corre para lá e o procura e faz uma aposta indecorosa com ele. Se ela conseguir arrumar casamento para suas 7 irmãs, em 1 mês, ele terá que se casar com ela ..., mas com prêmios para cada sucesso que tivesse.
Só posso dizer que é delicioso ver como eles vão se evolvendo... conhecer cada personalidade das irmãs dele e reencontrar alguns personagens de livros anteriores da série.
Mais um recomendado...
Katharine Ashe me encanta... ouvi várias pessoas comentando não gostar da narrativa dela... eu simplesmente amo... é inteligente e bem estruturada e, principalmente, envolvente... pelo menos para mim.
Neste volume, que é mais um conto, do Falcon Club encontramos Duncan, conde de Eads, um viúvo escocês que prestou muitos serviços ao Falcon Club e fugiu para Escócia depois de colocar os olhos em uma ruiva que arrebatou seu coração e sua alma, mas ele não quer voltar a casar. Totalmente sem dinheiro, tentando recuperar seu castelo e suas terras, deteriorados pela falta de cuidado de seu pai, e arrumar casamento para suas 7 meias-irmãs... cada uma com uma personalidade e beleza diferentes.
Lady Teresa Finch-Freeworth, é muito criativa para inventar estórias e muito querida em seu povoado. Seu pai quer que ela se case com o vigário local, mas ela está decidida a ter seu primeiro beijo, e até se casar, com o escocês com quem sonha a um ano, depois de vê-lo numa festa olhando para ela através do salão.
Quando descobre que ele está em Londres tentando casar suas 7 irmãs ela corre para lá e o procura e faz uma aposta indecorosa com ele. Se ela conseguir arrumar casamento para suas 7 irmãs, em 1 mês, ele terá que se casar com ela ..., mas com prêmios para cada sucesso que tivesse.
Só posso dizer que é delicioso ver como eles vão se evolvendo... conhecer cada personalidade das irmãs dele e reencontrar alguns personagens de livros anteriores da série.
Mais um recomendado...
March 26, 2019
I discover Mrs Katharine Ashe little by little, as her work needs time to be fully appreciated, it must be enjoyed like a tasty and delicious meal or a great wine (it is my full French side in that is speaking).
And I’m never so happy to read with my kindle app, else, i would be lost in a dictionary trying to comprehend every new or unknown words I discover.
I do remember now why I had it lined on my kindle shelves, the blurb!
And what a read it was, short but so witty and full of twists and turns.
I loved both main characters, Teresa tries to bring her dreams to life while Duncan decided dreams must stay dreams. Plus add seven so different sisters to it, and it was a ride with bumps and holes.
Despite its length, it is a praise to Mrs Ashe’s talent.
And I’m never so happy to read with my kindle app, else, i would be lost in a dictionary trying to comprehend every new or unknown words I discover.
I do remember now why I had it lined on my kindle shelves, the blurb!
And what a read it was, short but so witty and full of twists and turns.
I loved both main characters, Teresa tries to bring her dreams to life while Duncan decided dreams must stay dreams. Plus add seven so different sisters to it, and it was a ride with bumps and holes.
Despite its length, it is a praise to Mrs Ashe’s talent.
January 10, 2024
4.5/5⭐️ An outrageous plot😭and I enjoyed every second of it!
July 26, 2014
This is a novella and part of Katharine's loving series the Falcon Club! I'm super super happy that I picked this baby up and read it. Shall I say the synopsis was the thing that hooked me to this book rather than the smexy cover? Laaaa~
Okay, so there's this English proper country miss Miss Teresa. She has been in...carrying an faction for a Scottish Earl, Duncan, for over a year after glimpsing him staring at her from across the room at a Lady B's ball back in book 3 of the series, How a Lady Weds a Rouge. And then he disappears back to Scotland.
And so she devise a plan to marry him because 1) he has returned to London and 2) she didn't want to marry a country Reverend (she's too wild for that you know) and 3).........well, if the Scottish Lord didn't want to marry her she wanted a kiss from him to mope over when she's back in the country, married to the country Reverend.
And so the games begin when she sets a wager to settle his 7 sisters. And for Each wager won she received a prize in the form of, bumpbahh bahhbum drum rolls.....him~
I can truly say that I was enamored with this plot. Seven sisters! That's crazy but I highly enjoyed the set up for romance.
I loved that Teresa was shown as a proper young lady who's tired of her life in the country with barely a suitable match in sight. How she had a witty countenance within her waiting to escape their confines and release her self from their torture. I also loved that she had a writers great fantasy daydreamers' mind! She's a storyteller and a great liar of forming fake events to cover for her attention lapses. Though her thoughts at times were reasonable, witty, and understood, others...just....weren't so sure....
"She wanted to be the spring ewe to his ram. She wanted to be the nectar in the bud to his hummingbird’s probe. She wanted him to make her a woman in this hothouse."
Yeah, the fancy saying and stuff just didn't prick me the right way.
She also spoke very plainly at times which kind of threw me off because of her raring but that's towards Duncan, at times. And I did forget her status in the social realm though. I wasn't sure how she got to do things on her own without others' knowing. She did get ball invitations from the help of her friends and aunt but still she would have been outcast just by escorting the impoverished and scandalous Scottish sisters about. But I love her determination, strong will, and sometime outrageous personality for standing by the young girls even with snickers from the ton.
Duncan is a likable hero. He's the typical dark and broody male who is protective yet vulnerable at the same time towards his women brood. I love how he messes with Teresa and how control he is with her. He knows that he couldn't impinged anything upon yet couldn't help stay away and watch her play her magic upon his family. His past is a bit shady and he has a tortured soul and I know that we learn more of it in book 3 (which I'll need). He's honorable and super caring of his family and what more can you get.
On the other hand, I did have trouble with how some of the outcomes came about because I felt like I wanted more of them, especially the sisters. I wanted to get to know each of the siblings a bit better and see how their relationships grew. I also had some trouble moving past some things added in the story; like When Duncan sold his timepiece for new clothes money. I was super hoping he'll get it back, either from Teresa because she found out he sold it or by him repurchasing it. I was disappointed when that didn't happen. It was a blow to me. And tore at me.
But I was highly excited to Ms. Maya Rodale's Mr. Derek Knightly make an appearance in this novella~ And of course there was Lady B from the Ballroom Blog! :D
But all in all this was a great novella and now I'll have to read myself backwards into the series to get all my info on these two couples and more. I'm just wondering if this is the last book for the series~
This eARC is provided by the publishers via Edelweiss
Okay, so there's this English proper country miss Miss Teresa. She has been in...carrying an faction for a Scottish Earl, Duncan, for over a year after glimpsing him staring at her from across the room at a Lady B's ball back in book 3 of the series, How a Lady Weds a Rouge. And then he disappears back to Scotland.
And so she devise a plan to marry him because 1) he has returned to London and 2) she didn't want to marry a country Reverend (she's too wild for that you know) and 3).........well, if the Scottish Lord didn't want to marry her she wanted a kiss from him to mope over when she's back in the country, married to the country Reverend.
And so the games begin when she sets a wager to settle his 7 sisters. And for Each wager won she received a prize in the form of, bumpbahh bahhbum drum rolls.....him~
I can truly say that I was enamored with this plot. Seven sisters! That's crazy but I highly enjoyed the set up for romance.
I loved that Teresa was shown as a proper young lady who's tired of her life in the country with barely a suitable match in sight. How she had a witty countenance within her waiting to escape their confines and release her self from their torture. I also loved that she had a writers great fantasy daydreamers' mind! She's a storyteller and a great liar of forming fake events to cover for her attention lapses. Though her thoughts at times were reasonable, witty, and understood, others...just....weren't so sure....
"She wanted to be the spring ewe to his ram. She wanted to be the nectar in the bud to his hummingbird’s probe. She wanted him to make her a woman in this hothouse."
Yeah, the fancy saying and stuff just didn't prick me the right way.
She also spoke very plainly at times which kind of threw me off because of her raring but that's towards Duncan, at times. And I did forget her status in the social realm though. I wasn't sure how she got to do things on her own without others' knowing. She did get ball invitations from the help of her friends and aunt but still she would have been outcast just by escorting the impoverished and scandalous Scottish sisters about. But I love her determination, strong will, and sometime outrageous personality for standing by the young girls even with snickers from the ton.
Duncan is a likable hero. He's the typical dark and broody male who is protective yet vulnerable at the same time towards his women brood. I love how he messes with Teresa and how control he is with her. He knows that he couldn't impinged anything upon yet couldn't help stay away and watch her play her magic upon his family. His past is a bit shady and he has a tortured soul and I know that we learn more of it in book 3 (which I'll need). He's honorable and super caring of his family and what more can you get.
On the other hand, I did have trouble with how some of the outcomes came about because I felt like I wanted more of them, especially the sisters. I wanted to get to know each of the siblings a bit better and see how their relationships grew. I also had some trouble moving past some things added in the story; like When Duncan sold his timepiece for new clothes money. I was super hoping he'll get it back, either from Teresa because she found out he sold it or by him repurchasing it. I was disappointed when that didn't happen. It was a blow to me. And tore at me.
But I was highly excited to Ms. Maya Rodale's Mr. Derek Knightly make an appearance in this novella~ And of course there was Lady B from the Ballroom Blog! :D
But all in all this was a great novella and now I'll have to read myself backwards into the series to get all my info on these two couples and more. I'm just wondering if this is the last book for the series~
This eARC is provided by the publishers via Edelweiss
July 26, 2016
I don’t usually agree to read a book in a series out of order but I couldn’t resist this title. It had a Highlander! You know my fondness for Scottish men tales. ;P Another plus was the introduction of a new to me author. I had heard of Ashe but hadn’t yet had the opportunity to try her so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to accomplish two things at once.
I was of two minds when reading this story. I admired Teresa and her determination to find happiness and take charge of her life. Do I think she could have gone about it better? Yes, but then this book wouldn’t have been written. I liked Duncan as well. Although not as extroverted as Teresa, you could tell he was confident and caring. Probably more so with his sisters than he should have been!
I was a tad disappointed that we got to see all but one of the sisters get settled. I understood this was a novella and that doesn’t leave a lot of room for extra character development, but still! What about Sorcha? Does she settle down happily to run Duncan’s estate while he and Teresa live out their lives in London? Will she get her own book later? I would have liked to seen some sort of definitive conclusion for her.
I can’t say that it was the best place to start for those unfamiliar with the Falcon Club series. This book mentioned references to incidents and people in Duncan’s past I had no frame of reference for. Still, I did enjoy this story and, having read it, will be more apt to pick up another Ashe title.
*review copy provided by author/promoter for honest review
I was of two minds when reading this story. I admired Teresa and her determination to find happiness and take charge of her life. Do I think she could have gone about it better? Yes, but then this book wouldn’t have been written. I liked Duncan as well. Although not as extroverted as Teresa, you could tell he was confident and caring. Probably more so with his sisters than he should have been!
I was a tad disappointed that we got to see all but one of the sisters get settled. I understood this was a novella and that doesn’t leave a lot of room for extra character development, but still! What about Sorcha? Does she settle down happily to run Duncan’s estate while he and Teresa live out their lives in London? Will she get her own book later? I would have liked to seen some sort of definitive conclusion for her.
I can’t say that it was the best place to start for those unfamiliar with the Falcon Club series. This book mentioned references to incidents and people in Duncan’s past I had no frame of reference for. Still, I did enjoy this story and, having read it, will be more apt to pick up another Ashe title.
*review copy provided by author/promoter for honest review
August 27, 2015
The premise of this book sounded so promising! The delivery, sadly lacking. 7 grooms found for 7 sisters in 30 days with a special "treat" for certain milestones hit including making love after 5 of the 7 are betrothed with the culmination of Duncan marrying Theresa after the 7th sister is betrothed is the wager they make with each other after Duncan says no when Theresa asks HIM to marry HER. Throughout the entire book Duncan waffles between never wanting to marry again and lusting after Theresa so much that he follows through with each and every task up to and including making love with her. Then because of a talk with the 7th and final sister, Theresa decides that she'll never win the wager or Duncan's love so she kicks him to the curb. Days later, Duncan also talks to his sister, suddenly discovers he loves Theresa, runs to her, asks her to marry him, she says, "yes, oh my God I never thought you'd love me like I love you" and then, boom... The end. Really? Abrupt much? A couple brief chuckles, but a big disappointment overall.
December 6, 2015
I really liked Teresa, but this novella was much too short for the plot. By nature of having AT LEAST 7 background characters who had to play a prominent role in the story, we saw Teresa spend much more time with Duncan's sisters than Duncan himself. I also thought it was totally unbelievable that Diantha wouldn't have told Teresa why she had concerns about Duncan in the first place, considering Teresa's admittedly rash and problematic plan.
I guess I just needed more from Duncan to make this work. As it stood, we're told his backstory, we know he's attracted to Teresa, and then...that's it. We don't really wrestle his demons etc. It's a shame, because I think this would have made a great full length novel, which I would have happily read the shit out of.
That said, I really hope Sorcha ends up the heroine in some book in the future.
I guess I just needed more from Duncan to make this work. As it stood, we're told his backstory, we know he's attracted to Teresa, and then...that's it. We don't really wrestle his demons etc. It's a shame, because I think this would have made a great full length novel, which I would have happily read the shit out of.
That said, I really hope Sorcha ends up the heroine in some book in the future.
March 7, 2016
Fun heroine..
This was really a fun book. Other reviewers who gave it a low score said something about it being too few pages and would have been better as a whole novel. I can never understand why people buy a novella then give it 1 or 2 star reviews because it WAS a novella. I happen to love novellas. They are without all that angst and stupid misunderstandings. Oh, there are some novellas that I’ve read that were just terrible but 99% of them were great little stories.
I loved all the characters: Duncan and Teresa, Tobias, Una, Sorcha, Lily, Effie, Abigail, Moira and Elspeth. Vicar Waldon was a liar and creepy, and his idea of marriage was kinda ridiculous. I’m surprised Duncan would have given on of his sisters to him. I loved that Teresa knew who she wanted and went after him.
There was no swearing and 1 explicit sex scene. It was a truly fun and funny story.
This was really a fun book. Other reviewers who gave it a low score said something about it being too few pages and would have been better as a whole novel. I can never understand why people buy a novella then give it 1 or 2 star reviews because it WAS a novella. I happen to love novellas. They are without all that angst and stupid misunderstandings. Oh, there are some novellas that I’ve read that were just terrible but 99% of them were great little stories.
I loved all the characters: Duncan and Teresa, Tobias, Una, Sorcha, Lily, Effie, Abigail, Moira and Elspeth. Vicar Waldon was a liar and creepy, and his idea of marriage was kinda ridiculous. I’m surprised Duncan would have given on of his sisters to him. I loved that Teresa knew who she wanted and went after him.
There was no swearing and 1 explicit sex scene. It was a truly fun and funny story.
January 14, 2023
This is a very short story so there isn’t much character development so if that is what you are looking for, don’t bother with this book. Also, I had no realised this was a part of a series so there were some recurring characters which I had no connection to and so didn’t care about and was a bit confused as to why the author was writing about them as if we knew them.
Overall it’s a cute story and for the length of it it was good, but I wish it had been longer so as to flesh out the characters and have more chemistry between the hero and heroine which was lacking.
Overall it’s a cute story and for the length of it it was good, but I wish it had been longer so as to flesh out the characters and have more chemistry between the hero and heroine which was lacking.
November 17, 2014
This is the book I begged Katharine Ashe to write. The hero, Duncan Eads, was a minor character in "How A Lady Weds A Rogue" and deserved to have his own story. It's wonderful! Katharine is an excellent author.
March 15, 2021
Teresa's parents want her to marry a country vicar. But she dreams of Duncan, the Scottish laird she met at a London ball.
Broken-hearted Duncan is determined never to marry again. But Teresa makes him a bargain he can't refuse: he'll marry her if she manages to find husbands for his seven sisters. He agrees—but gives her only a month to complete the task.
This is a cute novella from the FALCON CREST series. It's a standalone story with a lot of fun moments. Teresa and Duncan are adorable together. Loved it!
Broken-hearted Duncan is determined never to marry again. But Teresa makes him a bargain he can't refuse: he'll marry her if she manages to find husbands for his seven sisters. He agrees—but gives her only a month to complete the task.
This is a cute novella from the FALCON CREST series. It's a standalone story with a lot of fun moments. Teresa and Duncan are adorable together. Loved it!
June 13, 2021
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wonderful: 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Hot: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Duncan the Earl of Eads and Miss Teresa Finch-Freeworth 🥰🥰
Esse casal é muito divertido, perfeito.. Não gostei nem um pouco de ser um livro curto.. Queria mais.. Vou lindo de ver ela lutar pelo que desejava, e mais ainda abrir mão do que queria pelo bem de outra pessoa... Mas é mais lindo ver a forma como ele não conseguiu evitar de se apaixonar por ela, durante o tempo de sua aposta... 🤩🤩
Reading this book is quick and simple. great for killing time... 🥰🥰
Good Reading!! 🎀🖤
Wonderful: 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Hot: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Duncan the Earl of Eads and Miss Teresa Finch-Freeworth 🥰🥰
Esse casal é muito divertido, perfeito.. Não gostei nem um pouco de ser um livro curto.. Queria mais.. Vou lindo de ver ela lutar pelo que desejava, e mais ainda abrir mão do que queria pelo bem de outra pessoa... Mas é mais lindo ver a forma como ele não conseguiu evitar de se apaixonar por ela, durante o tempo de sua aposta... 🤩🤩
Reading this book is quick and simple. great for killing time... 🥰🥰
Good Reading!! 🎀🖤
August 15, 2021
Lovely to see Duncan Eads a get his own book, and to see his real character. As a fan of overly tall, well built men, I've wanted to know more about him since we first met him.
Seeing him with his seven sisters, managing their differences has been wonderful. As for miss Theresa, she has always needed someone strong and supportive, to cope with her managing ways. Love how it's all pulled together in this book.
Seeing him with his seven sisters, managing their differences has been wonderful. As for miss Theresa, she has always needed someone strong and supportive, to cope with her managing ways. Love how it's all pulled together in this book.
July 13, 2017
I liked this one a lot! The female main is really great, and funny and determined to get what she wants, and I really liked it. The male lead is kinda like wtf the whole time, and it was a nice switch for the woman to pursue the man. It's a short read, and definitely one I'd recommend.
January 5, 2018
I find I enjoy Ashe's novellas more than her novels...no room for convoluted plot points. Her charming characters shine brightest on fewer pages. She's great at dialogue and really excels in Highland speech. Verra enjoyable!
January 1, 2019
A different story line and great characters
I love romances but there are only so many themes to explore. This one moves the genre sideways. The dialog is funny, the characters are plausible and unique and it is not trite. Great fun altogether and good writing.
I love romances but there are only so many themes to explore. This one moves the genre sideways. The dialog is funny, the characters are plausible and unique and it is not trite. Great fun altogether and good writing.
December 9, 2019
I smiled all the way through
This the first of her books I have read and it is a quick fun read. Good story to read on lazy afternoon curled up with a hot cup of coffee and soft blanket.
This the first of her books I have read and it is a quick fun read. Good story to read on lazy afternoon curled up with a hot cup of coffee and soft blanket.
May 22, 2022
I really liked this! I only gave it 4 stars because it was a novella and it could’ve been it’s own book. Other people in my book club agree.
Also, there was only one sex scene and it was good, but short.
Also, there was only one sex scene and it was good, but short.
July 5, 2017
Delightfully fun to read. Spunky female meets unwilling male and wins her heart's desire.
October 16, 2017
Entertaining
An easy, entertaining read that nicely filled a Sunday afternoon. I found myself chuckling at the audacity of the wager; and cheering as it progressed.
An easy, entertaining read that nicely filled a Sunday afternoon. I found myself chuckling at the audacity of the wager; and cheering as it progressed.
November 3, 2017
Have it in paperback form chapters/indigo part of a series
January 29, 2018
Awesome writing. Loved all the characters. Sure hope Sorcha gets a book!
February 3, 2020
3.5 stars
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