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Lonely Lords #7
Andrew: Lord of Despair
Andrew Alexander, Earl of Greymoor, has tried to run both from memories of a boating tragedy that claimed the lives of several loved ones, and from an attraction to pretty, petite, Astrid Worthington. He returns to England to find Astrid widowed, expecting a child, and more irresistibly attractive to him than ever. When it becomes apparent that Astrid needs a husband who can keep her and her unborn child safe, Andrew must decide if old nightmares will continue to control his life, or if his love for Astrid entitles him to a second chance at happiness–and love.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 3, 2013
195 people are currently reading
775 people want to read
About the author
Grace Burrowes
185 books2,912 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
August 13, 2014
4.5 stars
Many of the books in Ms Burrowes’ Lonely Lords series have included an element of mystery or suspense alongside the romance, but Andrew has the feel of a gothic romance about it from fairly early on.
It also relates strongly to the book that preceeds it – Gareth: Lord of Rakes – which makes sense, as Andrew is Gareth’s youngest brother. As with most of the books in the series, it does work as a standalone, as Ms Burrowes includes sufficient backstory for a newcomer to the series, but I think one needs to have read Gareth in order to fully appreciate both the storyline and the characterisation of Andrew himself.
Andrew Alexander and his mother are the only survivors of a boating accident thirteen years before which took the lives of the rest of their family. Gareth was the one member of the family who had not been on the expedition, and as a result, had to live for years with accusations and gossip accusing him of engineering the accident so that he could inherit his grandfather’s title. Gareth’s reaction was to work hard and play even harder, gaining himself the reputation of the greatest womaniser in London. Andrew, meantime, grew up and went to University, presenting to the world an open, sunny disposition that, as his story shows, hides a wealth of heavily suppressed self-loathing and despair.
During the events of the previous book, Andrew fell in love with the heroine’s sister, Astrid, but for reasons known only to himself felt that he had to separate himself from her. So despite his horror of travelling by sea, he left the country.
Four years later, Andrew returns to England only to discover that Astrid, married two years previously to Herbert Allen, Viscount Amery, has recently been widowed and is very likely pregnant. Andrew’s feelings for her haven’t changed, and neither have hers for him - but believing himself to be unworthy of the love of any decent woman, and even less worthy of being entrusted with the care of a child, Andrew instead determines to stand her friend, and nothing more.
But as the couple begins to get to know each other again, and Astrid reveals the truth of her marriage to a man who spent more time and money on his horses and his mistress than his wife, and whose physical intimacies were limited to a quick lift of her nightgown once a week, Andrew finds himself unable to remain aloof. Their short-lived relationship from years earlier had not seen them become lovers, but even so, Andrew knows Astrid is a passionate woman for whom the lack of the simple comfort offered by the touch of another person must have been truly miserable. So he offers that which she has been denied – a physical relationship borne of real affection and full of the passion she longs for – making it clear to her that he can give her nothing more.
Like her sister Felicity, Astrid is no shrinking female. She understands too well the limitations society places upon her as a woman, but her inner strength will not allow her to lose the man she loves without a fight. She accepts Andrew’s offer of an affair, determined to try to discover why he feels as he does and then perhaps, to find a way to get him to stay.
While this is going on, Astrid’s brother David, Viscount Fairly, has heard gossip that perhaps Astrid’s husband took his own life and has also learned that the money that should have been her widow’s portion has been stolen and spent, no doubt by Herbert on his mistress, horses and other sporting pursuits. Gareth, Andrew and David become suspicious that there is more going on than meets the eye, and their suspicions fall mainly upon Douglas Allen, Herbert’s younger brother and now holder of the viscountcy. Douglas is a cold fish, and a stickler for propriety, unlike the youngest Allen brother, Henry, who is a gregarious spendthrift, rather like Herbert. Henry is clearly his mother’s favourite, too, and the pair complain regularly about the economies Douglas is imposing upon them in his effort to shore up the severely depleted family finances. Astrid does not feel comfortable around her brother-in-law, and is even less so when she is reminded that, as head of the family, Douglas has the right to assume guardianship of her child and to remove it from her care should he so wish.
When Astrid suffers a fall one day, she puts it down to the fact that the early stages of pregnancy have made her feel very unwell and that she is subject to fainting fits. The men, however, are more suspicious, and realise that the only way to keep Astrid safe is to remove her from Amery’s orbit altogether. And the only way to do that is for her to marry someone of equal or higher status with plenty of money to pitch into a legal battle should one become necessary. There’s only one man on hand who fits that bill, and when a further incident indicates, without doubt, that Astrid’s life is in danger, she and Andrew are married without delay.
The story that unfolds is both a tender and rather tragic love-story as well as a fairly well-handled mystery. The identity of the villain is never in doubt (given that the next book in the series is Douglas’ story), but the plot twists are deftly executed, and the mystery storyline works well.
I find that every book of Ms Burrowes’ I read invariably requires a handful of tissues, but the final chapters of Andrew are so emotionally charged, that I could have done with a whole box full! A series of utterly heart-rending circumstances conspire to have Andrew finally admit the reasons behind the depth of his self-hatred to Gareth, who is also going through his own personal version of hell. I said in my review of Gareth that the relationship between the brothers was one of the highlights of the book, and that continues to be the case here, as they talk and take comfort from each other at a truly dark time.
Andrew is a very strong addition to the Lonely Lords series; one of the more emotionally charged and angst-ridden, but if, like me, you enjoy being put though the emotional mangle, that won’t put you off.
Many of the books in Ms Burrowes’ Lonely Lords series have included an element of mystery or suspense alongside the romance, but Andrew has the feel of a gothic romance about it from fairly early on.
It also relates strongly to the book that preceeds it – Gareth: Lord of Rakes – which makes sense, as Andrew is Gareth’s youngest brother. As with most of the books in the series, it does work as a standalone, as Ms Burrowes includes sufficient backstory for a newcomer to the series, but I think one needs to have read Gareth in order to fully appreciate both the storyline and the characterisation of Andrew himself.
Andrew Alexander and his mother are the only survivors of a boating accident thirteen years before which took the lives of the rest of their family. Gareth was the one member of the family who had not been on the expedition, and as a result, had to live for years with accusations and gossip accusing him of engineering the accident so that he could inherit his grandfather’s title. Gareth’s reaction was to work hard and play even harder, gaining himself the reputation of the greatest womaniser in London. Andrew, meantime, grew up and went to University, presenting to the world an open, sunny disposition that, as his story shows, hides a wealth of heavily suppressed self-loathing and despair.
During the events of the previous book, Andrew fell in love with the heroine’s sister, Astrid, but for reasons known only to himself felt that he had to separate himself from her. So despite his horror of travelling by sea, he left the country.
Four years later, Andrew returns to England only to discover that Astrid, married two years previously to Herbert Allen, Viscount Amery, has recently been widowed and is very likely pregnant. Andrew’s feelings for her haven’t changed, and neither have hers for him - but believing himself to be unworthy of the love of any decent woman, and even less worthy of being entrusted with the care of a child, Andrew instead determines to stand her friend, and nothing more.
But as the couple begins to get to know each other again, and Astrid reveals the truth of her marriage to a man who spent more time and money on his horses and his mistress than his wife, and whose physical intimacies were limited to a quick lift of her nightgown once a week, Andrew finds himself unable to remain aloof. Their short-lived relationship from years earlier had not seen them become lovers, but even so, Andrew knows Astrid is a passionate woman for whom the lack of the simple comfort offered by the touch of another person must have been truly miserable. So he offers that which she has been denied – a physical relationship borne of real affection and full of the passion she longs for – making it clear to her that he can give her nothing more.
Like her sister Felicity, Astrid is no shrinking female. She understands too well the limitations society places upon her as a woman, but her inner strength will not allow her to lose the man she loves without a fight. She accepts Andrew’s offer of an affair, determined to try to discover why he feels as he does and then perhaps, to find a way to get him to stay.
While this is going on, Astrid’s brother David, Viscount Fairly, has heard gossip that perhaps Astrid’s husband took his own life and has also learned that the money that should have been her widow’s portion has been stolen and spent, no doubt by Herbert on his mistress, horses and other sporting pursuits. Gareth, Andrew and David become suspicious that there is more going on than meets the eye, and their suspicions fall mainly upon Douglas Allen, Herbert’s younger brother and now holder of the viscountcy. Douglas is a cold fish, and a stickler for propriety, unlike the youngest Allen brother, Henry, who is a gregarious spendthrift, rather like Herbert. Henry is clearly his mother’s favourite, too, and the pair complain regularly about the economies Douglas is imposing upon them in his effort to shore up the severely depleted family finances. Astrid does not feel comfortable around her brother-in-law, and is even less so when she is reminded that, as head of the family, Douglas has the right to assume guardianship of her child and to remove it from her care should he so wish.
When Astrid suffers a fall one day, she puts it down to the fact that the early stages of pregnancy have made her feel very unwell and that she is subject to fainting fits. The men, however, are more suspicious, and realise that the only way to keep Astrid safe is to remove her from Amery’s orbit altogether. And the only way to do that is for her to marry someone of equal or higher status with plenty of money to pitch into a legal battle should one become necessary. There’s only one man on hand who fits that bill, and when a further incident indicates, without doubt, that Astrid’s life is in danger, she and Andrew are married without delay.
The story that unfolds is both a tender and rather tragic love-story as well as a fairly well-handled mystery. The identity of the villain is never in doubt (given that the next book in the series is Douglas’ story), but the plot twists are deftly executed, and the mystery storyline works well.
I find that every book of Ms Burrowes’ I read invariably requires a handful of tissues, but the final chapters of Andrew are so emotionally charged, that I could have done with a whole box full! A series of utterly heart-rending circumstances conspire to have Andrew finally admit the reasons behind the depth of his self-hatred to Gareth, who is also going through his own personal version of hell. I said in my review of Gareth that the relationship between the brothers was one of the highlights of the book, and that continues to be the case here, as they talk and take comfort from each other at a truly dark time.
Andrew is a very strong addition to the Lonely Lords series; one of the more emotionally charged and angst-ridden, but if, like me, you enjoy being put though the emotional mangle, that won’t put you off.
December 11, 2013
(Recommend to all)Loved both Gareth's & Andrew's stories:)
I feel it in my fingers
I feel it in my toes
Love is all around me
And so the feeling grows
It's written on the wind
It's everywhere I go,
So if you really love me
Come on and let it show
I see your face before me
As I lay on my bed
I kinda get to thinking
Of all the things you said, oh yes I did
You gave your promise to me and I
Gave mine to you
I need someone beside me
In everything I do,
You know I love you, I always will,
My mind's made up by the
Way that I feel
There's no beginning,
There'll be no end
'cause on my love you can depend
(Lyrics from Wet Wet Wet's song 'Love is all around' best describes Andrew & Astrid's Love)
I feel it in my fingers
I feel it in my toes
Love is all around me
And so the feeling grows
It's written on the wind
It's everywhere I go,
So if you really love me
Come on and let it show
I see your face before me
As I lay on my bed
I kinda get to thinking
Of all the things you said, oh yes I did
You gave your promise to me and I
Gave mine to you
I need someone beside me
In everything I do,
You know I love you, I always will,
My mind's made up by the
Way that I feel
There's no beginning,
There'll be no end
'cause on my love you can depend
(Lyrics from Wet Wet Wet's song 'Love is all around' best describes Andrew & Astrid's Love)
January 6, 2014
Another Lonely Lord to Love! Ms. Burrowes takes these men, who are sometimes broken, and sets them up to fall in love with strong women, who are also sometimes broken. I love seeing the healing come to her characters.
This book, #7 in the Lonely Lords Series, has some mystery and suspense. Just who is trying to kill Astrid? Andrew would put himself in front of a bullet for her and the baby she carries. Astrid, for her part, was smart enough to allow all of the men around her try to keep her safe. I'm not fond of a woman who doesn't listen to reason when it comes to her safety. Astrid is smart and does listen. Even though she wants to slap some sense into them at times.
Especially Andrew. He needs cuddling, and some sense knocked into him.
Ms. Burrowes brings characters from previous books from the series in with a grace that is hard to beat for your reading pleasure. I always like seeing the current H/h interacting with those from earlier books. I am particularly fond of Gareth, David, Douglas and now, Andrew. I will be reviewing Douglas' book tomorrow, on it's release day. I believe David gets his own story in the spring. And I can't wait.
There's a birth scene in this book that had me on the edge of my seat. Hard to do with a cat in one's lap. Also, the many scenes of Andrew working with Magic, his somewhat skittish, yet heroic, gelding was a joy. Ms. Burrowes knows horses, and that shines through in her writing.
Yes, indeed. I highly recommend this entry in the Lonely Lords Series. FOUR and a HALF bookmarks, rounded up for Goodreads.
*Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an eARC of this book.
This book, #7 in the Lonely Lords Series, has some mystery and suspense. Just who is trying to kill Astrid? Andrew would put himself in front of a bullet for her and the baby she carries. Astrid, for her part, was smart enough to allow all of the men around her try to keep her safe. I'm not fond of a woman who doesn't listen to reason when it comes to her safety. Astrid is smart and does listen. Even though she wants to slap some sense into them at times.
Especially Andrew. He needs cuddling, and some sense knocked into him.
Ms. Burrowes brings characters from previous books from the series in with a grace that is hard to beat for your reading pleasure. I always like seeing the current H/h interacting with those from earlier books. I am particularly fond of Gareth, David, Douglas and now, Andrew. I will be reviewing Douglas' book tomorrow, on it's release day. I believe David gets his own story in the spring. And I can't wait.
There's a birth scene in this book that had me on the edge of my seat. Hard to do with a cat in one's lap. Also, the many scenes of Andrew working with Magic, his somewhat skittish, yet heroic, gelding was a joy. Ms. Burrowes knows horses, and that shines through in her writing.
Yes, indeed. I highly recommend this entry in the Lonely Lords Series. FOUR and a HALF bookmarks, rounded up for Goodreads.
*Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an eARC of this book.
January 16, 2014
Another good one from Grace Burrowes. Should come with a warning: Pregnant Women Should Not Read This Book.
August 28, 2019
Well...click.
I have chemistry with this book. In no small part due to loving Astrid every bit as much as Andrew (of the impeccable timing), and to lovely lovely love declarations.
Somehow, the scale of this love story felt sweeping and epic, maybe because it survived years and distance...Andrew works out to be as sweet a significant other as he is a brother, so really considerate, lovely hero. Astrid continues to be her open and spirited self, making the best of what comes her way
"In your present state of stubbornness, you do not deserve me," she informed him, "but you have me, and I will not give you the satisfaction of excusing you from this marriage. I did not agree to your silly terms, Andrew Alexander, and I did not agree to stop loving you,"
There were several heart-wrenching scenes and even in my current state of stony feels, tears did sting my eyes multiple times.
All that said, Gareth is a prereq in this case, because Andrew is prominently featured...and the relationship to Gareth is a central part of Andrew.
I have chemistry with this book. In no small part due to loving Astrid every bit as much as Andrew (of the impeccable timing), and to lovely lovely love declarations.
Somehow, the scale of this love story felt sweeping and epic, maybe because it survived years and distance...Andrew works out to be as sweet a significant other as he is a brother, so really considerate, lovely hero. Astrid continues to be her open and spirited self, making the best of what comes her way
"In your present state of stubbornness, you do not deserve me," she informed him, "but you have me, and I will not give you the satisfaction of excusing you from this marriage. I did not agree to your silly terms, Andrew Alexander, and I did not agree to stop loving you,"
There were several heart-wrenching scenes and even in my current state of stony feels, tears did sting my eyes multiple times.
All that said, Gareth is a prereq in this case, because Andrew is prominently featured...and the relationship to Gareth is a central part of Andrew.
October 26, 2022
Good story with sweet H who took too long with the h. He loves her, helps her when her life seems to be at risk. And while he marries her to save her life, his pride came before his love for her. Due to secondary stories, it's best to read the series in order. Loved the heroine in this book.
November 15, 2013
I have very varied reactions to Grace Burrowes' books. I love some, I only like others, and still others fall into the didn't like category. But, I'm happy to say that Andrew: Lord of Despair fell firmly into "I loved it!" This book was absolutely wonderful, romantic, and full of secrets. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
Astrid was a strong heroine. She had a terrible marriage, marked not by abuse, but by neglect. When her husband died, she was left pregnant and not knowing how to feel about her much not missed husband's death. But, she dealt with it all and she was determined to do so on her own terms. I really liked her. She was a tough woman that was intent of taking back her happiness. I thought she was lovely.
Andrew was absolutely wonderful. I really liked him when we met him in the previous book, Gareth, and I loved him even more in this. He was so charming and sweet and determined to protect his loved ones. I have to mention that I absolutely adore Andrew and Gareth's relationship. It had sibling rivalry and teasing, of course, but it was never in doubt that, if one were in trouble, the other would raise hell to help him out. I thought that was just so sweet. But, back to Andrew himself. He had a dark past (one which took me by surprise when I found out just how twisted the reality turned out to be) and it held him back. But, even while dealing with his demons, he was a perfect, charming, super attractive gentleman that was utterly lovable. I totally adored him.
The romance was perfect. Astrid and Andrew were adorable together. They had already had feelings for each other for a while and those never died down. I loved how devoted they were to each other, both determined to help the other out. And, they were absolutely steamy together. The heat between them was positively scorching. I love how Burrowes makes these love scenes (as in her other books) both tasteful and hot enough to make you fan your face. I thought these two were a perfect couple.
The plot was fast paced. I was hooked the entire way through. There were tons of thrills as the mystery of who killed Astrid's husband and who was now trying to kill her. I suspected the truth of who it turned out to be, but it still took me by surprise how determined (and crazy) this person was. There were tons of secrets, with Andrew's past and with the tangle of who the murderer really was. I really enjoyed the story and I thought they ending was perfect.
Andrew: Lord of Despair was a fantastic historical romance. It was sweet, steamy, thrilling, and full of secrets. I absolutely loved this book. Lovers of romance, this is a book that you have to check out.
*I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Astrid was a strong heroine. She had a terrible marriage, marked not by abuse, but by neglect. When her husband died, she was left pregnant and not knowing how to feel about her much not missed husband's death. But, she dealt with it all and she was determined to do so on her own terms. I really liked her. She was a tough woman that was intent of taking back her happiness. I thought she was lovely.
Andrew was absolutely wonderful. I really liked him when we met him in the previous book, Gareth, and I loved him even more in this. He was so charming and sweet and determined to protect his loved ones. I have to mention that I absolutely adore Andrew and Gareth's relationship. It had sibling rivalry and teasing, of course, but it was never in doubt that, if one were in trouble, the other would raise hell to help him out. I thought that was just so sweet. But, back to Andrew himself. He had a dark past (one which took me by surprise when I found out just how twisted the reality turned out to be) and it held him back. But, even while dealing with his demons, he was a perfect, charming, super attractive gentleman that was utterly lovable. I totally adored him.
The romance was perfect. Astrid and Andrew were adorable together. They had already had feelings for each other for a while and those never died down. I loved how devoted they were to each other, both determined to help the other out. And, they were absolutely steamy together. The heat between them was positively scorching. I love how Burrowes makes these love scenes (as in her other books) both tasteful and hot enough to make you fan your face. I thought these two were a perfect couple.
The plot was fast paced. I was hooked the entire way through. There were tons of thrills as the mystery of who killed Astrid's husband and who was now trying to kill her. I suspected the truth of who it turned out to be, but it still took me by surprise how determined (and crazy) this person was. There were tons of secrets, with Andrew's past and with the tangle of who the murderer really was. I really enjoyed the story and I thought they ending was perfect.
Andrew: Lord of Despair was a fantastic historical romance. It was sweet, steamy, thrilling, and full of secrets. I absolutely loved this book. Lovers of romance, this is a book that you have to check out.
*I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
April 3, 2014
Bless him. Andrew is a lovely chap - and Astrid obviously needs a bit of TLC after her stupid marriage (I had a similar stupid one, so I say this with a mingling of exasperation and sympathy) - but this book is essentially Gareth Pt II: The pregnancies. I didn't like it any the less but I think the book was difficult to disentangle from the events and the characters in Gareth's tale. So I was pleased that A&A got their HEA but more satisfied about the wider family unit pulling through and together. So it was a 3.5 for Andrew and a 4 for the two books together.
August 24, 2019
Plutôt 3,5/5.
Je n'avais lu qu'un seul tome de cette série (le 3ème) et il m'avait un peu traumatisée. J'ai choisi celui-ci pour son résumé.
L'histoire est assez classique. Le héros m'a fait enrager de garder ses secrets (qui font rapidement pchiiiitttt à la fin) et de se cacher derrière pour ne pas s'engager.
Je n'avais lu qu'un seul tome de cette série (le 3ème) et il m'avait un peu traumatisée. J'ai choisi celui-ci pour son résumé.
L'histoire est assez classique. Le héros m'a fait enrager de garder ses secrets (qui font rapidement pchiiiitttt à la fin) et de se cacher derrière pour ne pas s'engager.
September 11, 2020
4.5 stars
August 3, 2016
Grace Burrowes' "Andrew, Lord of Despair" - #7 in the Lonely Lords series
Enjoyable, but not as excellent as the next one in the series (Douglas). The title should be "Andrew, Lord of Guilt", because most of the book is about Andrew trying to get over his guilt about a tragedy that happened when he was 15 and that he blames himself for. And in the end, no guilt was even necessary! (I don't think this is a spoiler because the book *is* a romance after all, where all problems are resolved by the end.)
The book's heroine, Astrid, is pregnant, although her husband died in a hunting accident recently. Astrid and Andrew had a bit of a relationship about 4 years prior to the book, and then Andrew, because of his guilt, took off to foreign parts for 4 years and to get over Astrid, because he felt unworthy of her. When Andrew comes back, he and Astrid more or less take up where they left off, and Andrew doesn't feel guilty about that because Astrid is already pregnant, so she can't have his baby. But of course, he plans to leave again as soon as Astrid has her baby, and Astrid has to try to convince him to stay with her.
Douglas, the hero of the next book, is introduced in this book as the younger brother of Astrid's deceased husband. For most of the book he is suspected by Gareth and Andrew of causing the death of his brother and for wanting to kill Astrid and her baby too. There is a somewhat over-the-top murder plot going on in the book, with nasty things happening to Astrid. This aspect of the book was not very effective, IMO.
There is also a secondary plot about Gareth, Andrew's brother and the hero of the previous book in the series, and his wife Felicity, who is expecting twins. Another reviewer said this book might be hard to read if you're pregnant, because the twins have a very difficult birth, but all's well that ends well.
Enjoyable, but not as excellent as the next one in the series (Douglas). The title should be "Andrew, Lord of Guilt", because most of the book is about Andrew trying to get over his guilt about a tragedy that happened when he was 15 and that he blames himself for. And in the end, no guilt was even necessary! (I don't think this is a spoiler because the book *is* a romance after all, where all problems are resolved by the end.)
The book's heroine, Astrid, is pregnant, although her husband died in a hunting accident recently. Astrid and Andrew had a bit of a relationship about 4 years prior to the book, and then Andrew, because of his guilt, took off to foreign parts for 4 years and to get over Astrid, because he felt unworthy of her. When Andrew comes back, he and Astrid more or less take up where they left off, and Andrew doesn't feel guilty about that because Astrid is already pregnant, so she can't have his baby. But of course, he plans to leave again as soon as Astrid has her baby, and Astrid has to try to convince him to stay with her.
Douglas, the hero of the next book, is introduced in this book as the younger brother of Astrid's deceased husband. For most of the book he is suspected by Gareth and Andrew of causing the death of his brother and for wanting to kill Astrid and her baby too. There is a somewhat over-the-top murder plot going on in the book, with nasty things happening to Astrid. This aspect of the book was not very effective, IMO.
There is also a secondary plot about Gareth, Andrew's brother and the hero of the previous book in the series, and his wife Felicity, who is expecting twins. Another reviewer said this book might be hard to read if you're pregnant, because the twins have a very difficult birth, but all's well that ends well.
December 6, 2013
This is my Favorite Lonely Lords story so far. Thank you once again Miss Burrowes for hours of wonderfulk entertainment :)
September 6, 2020
The characters were likable, the plot absurd.
March 1, 2022
With each book in this series, I want more… more of these amazing characters, more of the unique and wonderful stories created by this author, and more of the captivating world this family and extended friends bring each and every time. Andrew and Astrid will steal your heart!
January 12, 2021
This novel is four years after Gareth, but is essentially a continuation of the the story begun in the previous novel: two brothers fall in love with two sisters, and because of a family tragedy years previously, both are too wounded to believe they deserve to be loved. While parts of Gareth's story had a touch of the despicable that I found uncomfortable, Andrew and Astrid's love story is heartbreaking with a great deal of sweetness. Andrew's reasons for denying Astrid is based on the tragedy of a 15-year-old boy's mistakes and impossible choices, which come to light in a powerful and poignant scene between the two brothers. It was Burrowes at her best. The family conflicts, the exploration of loves costs and its joys, the humor and the tears, were the stuff of a very absorbing and moving novel . . . then she added a villain.
What should have been a sublime dessert of a novel had that one bite with the eggshell in it. I found this in previous Burrowes' novels, too: she writes extremely intelligent and wily characters who are always two steps ahead of everyone else, but to make her plot work, they have to be stupid about something obvious for the length of the novel. Yes, anyone who observes human nature knows that really intelligent people can make stupid mistakes, but in this novel three of her smartest, most cunning, male characters all fail to consider the person with the second most to gain from the crimes that endanger Astrid, despite the fact that he is the only one present at several of the crimes and/or the only person with the requisite knowledge to commit them. It made no sense that three men who always expect the worst of humanity never even mentioned such an obvious possibility. Also the various details about Julia Ponsby, seducer of Alexander men, in both Gareth and Andrew's story don't quite add up, maybe because her part in the Alexander family tragedy kept shifting.
Finally, since one of my pet peeves in Burrowes' novels is that she often omits to give us the gender and names of her couples' offspring (an odd thing for an author who loves to have her characters call each other by their full names), I must give kudos here. She provides us with the names and gender for all three babies born in this novel. Thank you.
For readers of the Windham series, we finally learn how Douglas Allen enters the lives of that frequently invoked familial threesome of power: Gareth, Marquis of Heathgate, Andrew, Earl of Greymoor and David, Viscount Fairly. Huzzah!
What should have been a sublime dessert of a novel had that one bite with the eggshell in it. I found this in previous Burrowes' novels, too: she writes extremely intelligent and wily characters who are always two steps ahead of everyone else, but to make her plot work, they have to be stupid about something obvious for the length of the novel. Yes, anyone who observes human nature knows that really intelligent people can make stupid mistakes, but in this novel three of her smartest, most cunning, male characters all fail to consider the person with the second most to gain from the crimes that endanger Astrid, despite the fact that he is the only one present at several of the crimes and/or the only person with the requisite knowledge to commit them. It made no sense that three men who always expect the worst of humanity never even mentioned such an obvious possibility. Also the various details about Julia Ponsby, seducer of Alexander men, in both Gareth and Andrew's story don't quite add up, maybe because her part in the Alexander family tragedy kept shifting.
Finally, since one of my pet peeves in Burrowes' novels is that she often omits to give us the gender and names of her couples' offspring (an odd thing for an author who loves to have her characters call each other by their full names), I must give kudos here. She provides us with the names and gender for all three babies born in this novel. Thank you.
For readers of the Windham series, we finally learn how Douglas Allen enters the lives of that frequently invoked familial threesome of power: Gareth, Marquis of Heathgate, Andrew, Earl of Greymoor and David, Viscount Fairly. Huzzah!
December 3, 2013
' "Dratted man"... Dear, dratted man'...more Burrowes' entangled delights!
'He should never have left in the first place.'
So true and the story of the Alexander family continues, this time focusing on Gareth's brother Andrew and Felicity's sister, Astrid Worthington, now Astrid Allen, Viscountess Amery. You may remember the interplay between a younger Astrid and Andrew at that time.
Lord Andrew Alexander has returned from abroad having fled his demons--his guilt at the drowning of his brother, father and Gareth's fiancé, and his good intentions with respect to not burdening Astrid with his heaviness. But, as Andrew reflects, 'Haring off to the four corners of the globe hadn't solved what was wrong with [him].
Astrid has been married in his absence, not happily, but comfortably. She is now widowed and pregnant.
Intrigue rears it's ugly head though and it seems that Astrid may be the target of someone who has something to gain by her demise. What's more, it may be that the death of her husband Herbert may not be the accident first thought.
Who benefits most is the question. I had my suspicions.
How can Andrew appease his tormented soul and protect the woman he loves from all this and from himself?
Ah! The wheels of love grind round and about torturously and mysteriously.
Astrid is a delightful person. Forthright and honest, we can't help but take her to our hearts.
I must admit to sparing a puzzled thought for Lord Douglas who seems to be carrying a heavy burden and yet seems unaware of many things, is emotionally contained, even stilted.
So we have pregnancies and possible murders and Saint Andrew thinking he is a vile, unworthy person and self flagellating by deserting any idea of love being a goal he can partake of.
There is an interesting foray into child birth of the times. It was fascinating seeing birthing practices or non practices of the time through Felicity's delivery experience with the assistance of Andrew and Astrid. More advice is given by their brother David Holbrooke.
We have some loose ends being tied up and the result is a finely crafted novel to enjoy.
p.s. I really recommend looking on Grace Burrowes' website at the Lonely Lords Family Tree to see how the families hang together.
http://graceburrowes.com/books/bonus/...
A NetGalley ARC
'He should never have left in the first place.'
So true and the story of the Alexander family continues, this time focusing on Gareth's brother Andrew and Felicity's sister, Astrid Worthington, now Astrid Allen, Viscountess Amery. You may remember the interplay between a younger Astrid and Andrew at that time.
Lord Andrew Alexander has returned from abroad having fled his demons--his guilt at the drowning of his brother, father and Gareth's fiancé, and his good intentions with respect to not burdening Astrid with his heaviness. But, as Andrew reflects, 'Haring off to the four corners of the globe hadn't solved what was wrong with [him].
Astrid has been married in his absence, not happily, but comfortably. She is now widowed and pregnant.
Intrigue rears it's ugly head though and it seems that Astrid may be the target of someone who has something to gain by her demise. What's more, it may be that the death of her husband Herbert may not be the accident first thought.
Who benefits most is the question. I had my suspicions.
How can Andrew appease his tormented soul and protect the woman he loves from all this and from himself?
Ah! The wheels of love grind round and about torturously and mysteriously.
Astrid is a delightful person. Forthright and honest, we can't help but take her to our hearts.
I must admit to sparing a puzzled thought for Lord Douglas who seems to be carrying a heavy burden and yet seems unaware of many things, is emotionally contained, even stilted.
So we have pregnancies and possible murders and Saint Andrew thinking he is a vile, unworthy person and self flagellating by deserting any idea of love being a goal he can partake of.
There is an interesting foray into child birth of the times. It was fascinating seeing birthing practices or non practices of the time through Felicity's delivery experience with the assistance of Andrew and Astrid. More advice is given by their brother David Holbrooke.
We have some loose ends being tied up and the result is a finely crafted novel to enjoy.
p.s. I really recommend looking on Grace Burrowes' website at the Lonely Lords Family Tree to see how the families hang together.
http://graceburrowes.com/books/bonus/...
A NetGalley ARC
May 7, 2015
Reviewed by Rachel
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
Book provided by NetGalley
I take it back! Yes, that was the first phrase that came to mind when reading this book. Allow me to explain.
As with the other books in this series–I believed Andrew would start the same, it would take a while, as the reader, to get your feet wet, then you’d dive happily into the pond, swim around, tear up a bit, and feel all better in the end.
Not true.
This book grabbed me by the first few pages and had me so transfixed, so completely twisted up inside–that I literally didn’t speak to anyone for a solid three hours while I was reading.
Did I mention it’s Christmas?
Andrew, or Lord Andrew as I like to call him even though technically he’s Greymoore, escaped the continent to rid himself of his feelings for Astrid. In his absence, she has since married and been widowed, but is left with the fortunate or possibly unfortunate sign that she is increasing.
Andrew, being the most amazing type of rake Ms. Burrowes has written to date, has taken it upon himself to be her friend. Yes, you read that right. Friend. He wants to be friendly with her. Even though he’s been away for four dang years and still hasn’t been able to get her off his mind.
Astrid, lonely, a bit betrayed by her late husband, and really still in love with Andrew, gives in to the feelings he brings.
They fall into a happy type of romance, but she knows as well as he that it wont last. Andrew is hiding a deep dark secret, one that makes him feel unworthy of Astrid. If that isn’t enough drama to keep you awake–someone is also out to kill Astrid and the heir she carries.
The emotion I felt while reading this book was surprising–I didn’t expect to connect with the characters as much as I did and I fell IN LOVE with the way that Astrid dealt with Andrews self defeating ways. He was constantly seeing himself in such a horrific light—never understanding that he was the hero, not the villain. I loved the way she loved him. That’s the best way to put it. She loved him even when he didn’t love himself and she never once gave up on him.
In return, Andrew was the type of hero I wanted to root for. Yes, he had issues, but he never let his selfishness get in the way of Astrid’s needs.
It was a beautiful story that will stay with me for a long time! Five lovely roses–excellent read!
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
Book provided by NetGalley
I take it back! Yes, that was the first phrase that came to mind when reading this book. Allow me to explain.
As with the other books in this series–I believed Andrew would start the same, it would take a while, as the reader, to get your feet wet, then you’d dive happily into the pond, swim around, tear up a bit, and feel all better in the end.
Not true.
This book grabbed me by the first few pages and had me so transfixed, so completely twisted up inside–that I literally didn’t speak to anyone for a solid three hours while I was reading.
Did I mention it’s Christmas?
Andrew, or Lord Andrew as I like to call him even though technically he’s Greymoore, escaped the continent to rid himself of his feelings for Astrid. In his absence, she has since married and been widowed, but is left with the fortunate or possibly unfortunate sign that she is increasing.
Andrew, being the most amazing type of rake Ms. Burrowes has written to date, has taken it upon himself to be her friend. Yes, you read that right. Friend. He wants to be friendly with her. Even though he’s been away for four dang years and still hasn’t been able to get her off his mind.
Astrid, lonely, a bit betrayed by her late husband, and really still in love with Andrew, gives in to the feelings he brings.
They fall into a happy type of romance, but she knows as well as he that it wont last. Andrew is hiding a deep dark secret, one that makes him feel unworthy of Astrid. If that isn’t enough drama to keep you awake–someone is also out to kill Astrid and the heir she carries.
The emotion I felt while reading this book was surprising–I didn’t expect to connect with the characters as much as I did and I fell IN LOVE with the way that Astrid dealt with Andrews self defeating ways. He was constantly seeing himself in such a horrific light—never understanding that he was the hero, not the villain. I loved the way she loved him. That’s the best way to put it. She loved him even when he didn’t love himself and she never once gave up on him.
In return, Andrew was the type of hero I wanted to root for. Yes, he had issues, but he never let his selfishness get in the way of Astrid’s needs.
It was a beautiful story that will stay with me for a long time! Five lovely roses–excellent read!
December 13, 2013
ANDREW: LORD OF DESPAIR by Grace Burrowes is another exciting Regency Historical Romance. #7 in the "Lonely Lords" series, but can be read as a stand alone. Although, Andrew's brother, Gareth was in an earlier story,Andrew is guilt ridden with not only grief but with regrets from a tragic yachting accident that took five of his family members along with his brother Gareth's fiancee. He is filled with guilt and despair. Than along comes.....Astrid, who is pregnant,widowed,and just may be in trouble.
Andrew, has sworn off marrying, he believes he would be a terrible husband and father. But Astrid has loved him from afar for years. Together, they just may heal each other. Astrid is in danger of losing her life as well as the life of her unborn child, someone is trying to eliminate her. While, Andrew can not stand by and watch her or her unborn child hurt, he will do what he has to to save her.
Fast paced and filled with intrigue, suspense, mystery, passion and finally Andrew learns the truth of the yachting accident that cost him and his family so much grief and gains forgiveness and healing. I thoroughly enjoy Ms. Burrowes' stories. This is an intriguing series of Lonely Lords and their true loves. Each story is well written, with engaging,charming,flawed characters as well as suspenseful and intriguing storylines. Another hit by this author. Received for an honest review from the publisher and Net Galley.
RATING: 4.5
HEAT RATING: MILD
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, Courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
Andrew, has sworn off marrying, he believes he would be a terrible husband and father. But Astrid has loved him from afar for years. Together, they just may heal each other. Astrid is in danger of losing her life as well as the life of her unborn child, someone is trying to eliminate her. While, Andrew can not stand by and watch her or her unborn child hurt, he will do what he has to to save her.
Fast paced and filled with intrigue, suspense, mystery, passion and finally Andrew learns the truth of the yachting accident that cost him and his family so much grief and gains forgiveness and healing. I thoroughly enjoy Ms. Burrowes' stories. This is an intriguing series of Lonely Lords and their true loves. Each story is well written, with engaging,charming,flawed characters as well as suspenseful and intriguing storylines. Another hit by this author. Received for an honest review from the publisher and Net Galley.
RATING: 4.5
HEAT RATING: MILD
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, Courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
February 9, 2016
I've been working my way through all of Grace Burrowes books and have liked all of them so far. They can all be read as stand-alone books, but they are all interwoven together. You'll find characters from one series popping up in another series of books, etc. I love it -- it is kind of like a huge family of folks living their lives and letting you peek inside. BTW -- these things aren't all written in some sort of chronological order -- they sort of all take place at the same time, so you might see a married and settled version of a couple appear in a book before the book about them is written.
Anyway -- I really liked Andrew and Astrid. I fist met them in Gareth and Felicity's story. Gareth is Andrew's brother and Felicity is Astrid's sister. At the end of their sibling's book you could tell Astrid and Andrew were in love, but -- Andrew left -- headed for the continent.
Four years later Andrew heads home -- thinking Astrid is safely married and thus unavailable to such an undeserving slug as himself. Yes -- standard storyline. However, when he arrives, he find that Astrid is a widow -- and she's in danger.
Andrew along with Gareth and David (Astrid's brother) set about keeping Astrid safe and, of course, Astrid and Andrew end up with their HEA. There are quite a few twists and turns and tense moments along the way.
I hope you'll read this book because I think you'll enjoy it. Also pay attention to Douglas and Gwen because their stories are in the next book.
Anyway -- I really liked Andrew and Astrid. I fist met them in Gareth and Felicity's story. Gareth is Andrew's brother and Felicity is Astrid's sister. At the end of their sibling's book you could tell Astrid and Andrew were in love, but -- Andrew left -- headed for the continent.
Four years later Andrew heads home -- thinking Astrid is safely married and thus unavailable to such an undeserving slug as himself. Yes -- standard storyline. However, when he arrives, he find that Astrid is a widow -- and she's in danger.
Andrew along with Gareth and David (Astrid's brother) set about keeping Astrid safe and, of course, Astrid and Andrew end up with their HEA. There are quite a few twists and turns and tense moments along the way.
I hope you'll read this book because I think you'll enjoy it. Also pay attention to Douglas and Gwen because their stories are in the next book.
January 3, 2014
This was a difficult book to read at one sitting. Twice the emotions were so strong I had to put it down and come back to it after a "rest".
Andrew and Astrid have a history (see Gareth's book). They have been friends for several years, but Andrew left England when their friendship became serious. Astrid never knew why but after waiting for him to come back, she went on with her life, marrying and expecting a child. When her husband die, she goes to stay with her sister, Gareth's wife. Felicty is also pregnant, with twins, so the sisters are more bonded than ever.
Andrew comes home to this, and has a hard time, but he and Astrid fall into a lusty affair. Their lives become so entwined that emotions are overwhelming. When circumstances lead to marriage, neither is prepared for the emotional attachemtn, and when Felicty and Gareth need help, Andrew and Astrid join forces. It is their combined strength and love that wins happiness for them in the end. The two couples are not just in-laws, they are true brothers and sisters.
Andrew and Astrid have a history (see Gareth's book). They have been friends for several years, but Andrew left England when their friendship became serious. Astrid never knew why but after waiting for him to come back, she went on with her life, marrying and expecting a child. When her husband die, she goes to stay with her sister, Gareth's wife. Felicty is also pregnant, with twins, so the sisters are more bonded than ever.
Andrew comes home to this, and has a hard time, but he and Astrid fall into a lusty affair. Their lives become so entwined that emotions are overwhelming. When circumstances lead to marriage, neither is prepared for the emotional attachemtn, and when Felicty and Gareth need help, Andrew and Astrid join forces. It is their combined strength and love that wins happiness for them in the end. The two couples are not just in-laws, they are true brothers and sisters.
August 13, 2017
I really liked this one from the Lonely Lords series. The entire series has been good overall, but vary quite a bit in appeal. This was an emotional and sweet story of redemption (like most of Burrowes' books). I liked almost everything except the crazy villain (a personal pet peeve of mine). Now on to the next one in the series....
January 17, 2016
Andrew was a long read for me because he wanted to be a martyr so bad it made me want to punch him in the face. It was a good book , just not a favorite because I truly hate martyrs.
I had thought to take a break from the series but I am interested in reading about Douglas and Gwen so I think I'll stick around.
I had thought to take a break from the series but I am interested in reading about Douglas and Gwen so I think I'll stick around.
April 15, 2021
great series. I shed a tear at one point
December 29, 2013
I couldn't put this book down. It was such an emotional roller coaster..and I couldn't wait to see who the "bad guy" was!! Great characters, intense storyline.. wonderful!
September 17, 2021
**Trigger Warnings Below**
Heroine: Astrid Worthington Allen, 22. Widow of Viscount Amery (Herbert Allen). Sister of Felicity Worthington Alexander, the Marchioness of Heathgate. Daughter of Viscount Fairly. Both her parents are deceased.
Hero: Andrew Alexander, about 28. Earl of Greymoor. Brother of Gareth Alexander, Marquess of Heathgate. Most of his family died in a boating accident, except for his mother and a his brother Gareth.
Date: 18??
How they meet: They first meet in the book, Gareth, when Andrew comes to the Worthington house in the immediate aftermath of a fire to help his brother take care of Felicity and Astrid. Andrew and Astrid, who was 17 at the time, had an immediate connection and seemed to share affection for each other. They are reunited in this novel when Andrew returns from 5 years of traveling the Continent to learn that Astrid has recently been widowed. He finds her crying over a baby blanket and comforts her. They both find they still have feelings for one another.
What happens: Astrid finds herself grieving not just over her husband, but over a marriage that lacked the warmth she needed. She finds it difficult to be in the presence of her blissfully happy sister and brother-in-law, but does not feel safe with her husband’s family. The situation is further complicated by the fact that she may be pregnant, and if it is a son, the heir to the Viscountancy. She decides to spend a few weeks in the country with her sister’s family. Her options are to remain under her deceased husband’s brother’s control with him as the guardian of her future child or she could marry someone who would outrank the Viscount with the hopes of having more control over both her and her child’s lives, Andrew being an option for a marriage of convenience (despite his feeling for her, he does not want to marry or have children, so it would not be the type of marriage she would want). The book is complex, with interweaving storylines.
Trigger Warnings:
Verdict: I was excited for Andrew and Astrid’s story after reading Gareth. The set up was interesting and I liked the first half or so of the novel. Things fell apart for me when The situation surrounding Felicity’s childbirth did drag on a bit. On the plus side, the complex plotlines worked and weren't confusing or forced. I recommend reading Gareth before reading this book as it sets up Andrew and Astrid’s story and Gareth and Felicity’s story (they feature prominently in this one).
Steam-level: Frequent but mostly brief intimate scenes described mostly with vague language.
Supporting characters appearing in this book: Gareth Alexander (Marquess of Heathgate), Felicity Alexander (Marchioness of Heathgate), Douglas Allen (Viscount Amery), Henry Allen, Urania Allen, David Worthington (Viscount Fairly), Guinevere “Gwen” Hollister, Rose Hollister.
Rating: 3 stars
Heroine: Astrid Worthington Allen, 22. Widow of Viscount Amery (Herbert Allen). Sister of Felicity Worthington Alexander, the Marchioness of Heathgate. Daughter of Viscount Fairly. Both her parents are deceased.
Hero: Andrew Alexander, about 28. Earl of Greymoor. Brother of Gareth Alexander, Marquess of Heathgate. Most of his family died in a boating accident, except for his mother and a his brother Gareth.
Date: 18??
How they meet: They first meet in the book, Gareth, when Andrew comes to the Worthington house in the immediate aftermath of a fire to help his brother take care of Felicity and Astrid. Andrew and Astrid, who was 17 at the time, had an immediate connection and seemed to share affection for each other. They are reunited in this novel when Andrew returns from 5 years of traveling the Continent to learn that Astrid has recently been widowed. He finds her crying over a baby blanket and comforts her. They both find they still have feelings for one another.
What happens: Astrid finds herself grieving not just over her husband, but over a marriage that lacked the warmth she needed. She finds it difficult to be in the presence of her blissfully happy sister and brother-in-law, but does not feel safe with her husband’s family. The situation is further complicated by the fact that she may be pregnant, and if it is a son, the heir to the Viscountancy. She decides to spend a few weeks in the country with her sister’s family. Her options are to remain under her deceased husband’s brother’s control with him as the guardian of her future child or she could marry someone who would outrank the Viscount with the hopes of having more control over both her and her child’s lives, Andrew being an option for a marriage of convenience (despite his feeling for her, he does not want to marry or have children, so it would not be the type of marriage she would want). The book is complex, with interweaving storylines.
Trigger Warnings:
Verdict: I was excited for Andrew and Astrid’s story after reading Gareth. The set up was interesting and I liked the first half or so of the novel. Things fell apart for me when The situation surrounding Felicity’s childbirth did drag on a bit. On the plus side, the complex plotlines worked and weren't confusing or forced. I recommend reading Gareth before reading this book as it sets up Andrew and Astrid’s story and Gareth and Felicity’s story (they feature prominently in this one).
Steam-level: Frequent but mostly brief intimate scenes described mostly with vague language.
Supporting characters appearing in this book: Gareth Alexander (Marquess of Heathgate), Felicity Alexander (Marchioness of Heathgate), Douglas Allen (Viscount Amery), Henry Allen, Urania Allen, David Worthington (Viscount Fairly), Guinevere “Gwen” Hollister, Rose Hollister.
Rating: 3 stars
August 26, 2018
This is my first Grace Burrowes book and I suspect it may be my last. Many (though not all) of the plot elements were unobjectionable, but their execution was missing something for me.
This book follows the story of Andrew and Astrid. Andrew bolted from home after a terrible boating accident killed most of his family and left him feeling horribly guilty for not saving a woman who had been on the boat with them. He believed that she was pregnant with his child despite being engaged to his brother. Andrew spends most of the book agonising about this and using it as an excuse to be emotionally distant from Astrid, but a number of things about this storyline bothered me. One of the more trivial ones - why does he know so much about pregnancy? He implies that he is distressed by the sight of pregnant women because of the memories they bring up, but he has a lot to say about how childbirth works that doesn't seem to all come from his one involuntary experience with a woman in labour. Also - why paint Julia as such a horrible villain? At the end of the book we discover that she actually caused the boat accident by tampering with the boat in such a way that it would be damaged in rough seas, which apparently she did for the purpose of killing a husband she didn't even have yet. What? That is a TERRIBLE PLAN and there was so little chance of it going the way that she apparently intended it to go.
But my least favourite thing about this storyline is how Andrew doesn't grow or develop a single bit from his agony. He spends years and years believing that he is a terrible person for saving his mother first and then being unable to save Julia. However, as soon as he learns that Julia was a terrible person and that she most likely wasn't actually pregnant by him, he just....gets over it? I was really impressed when Astrid asked him why this knowledge changes anything since he didn't have it at the time and so his decision is just as moral or immoral regardless of what he knows now. But he doesn't answer the question! So firstly it didn't make sense that he was in so much pain about the very reasonable decision to save his mother first, and then it didn't make sense that he got over the whole thing so quickly.
Astrid as a character was thoroughly insipid. I had no sense at all of what she was like as a person - what did she enjoy? What did she dislike? What were her values? She was completely indistinguishable from her sister and both of them were barely distinguishable from cardboard cutouts.
Finally, the mystery of who was trying to kill Astrid was extremely poorly handled in-universe. Apparently every single man involved in trying to protect Astrid (and they were all men) didn't think it was worthwhile to actually try to discover who was behind it by any means but thought experiments. They didn't ask servants about odd behaviour or comings and goings that were unusual, they didn't hire an investigator or even post any actual additional security. It was utterly bizarre how they all went on and on about how much danger Astrid was in while none of them lifted a single finger to try to prevent any further attempts on her life. Apparently merely being married to Andrew was going to cast some sort of protective spell over her.
The one thing I did like about the book was the character of Douglas, who seemed to actually have some personality and whose story I might bring myself to read sometime.
This book follows the story of Andrew and Astrid. Andrew bolted from home after a terrible boating accident killed most of his family and left him feeling horribly guilty for not saving a woman who had been on the boat with them. He believed that she was pregnant with his child despite being engaged to his brother. Andrew spends most of the book agonising about this and using it as an excuse to be emotionally distant from Astrid, but a number of things about this storyline bothered me. One of the more trivial ones - why does he know so much about pregnancy? He implies that he is distressed by the sight of pregnant women because of the memories they bring up, but he has a lot to say about how childbirth works that doesn't seem to all come from his one involuntary experience with a woman in labour. Also - why paint Julia as such a horrible villain? At the end of the book we discover that she actually caused the boat accident by tampering with the boat in such a way that it would be damaged in rough seas, which apparently she did for the purpose of killing a husband she didn't even have yet. What? That is a TERRIBLE PLAN and there was so little chance of it going the way that she apparently intended it to go.
But my least favourite thing about this storyline is how Andrew doesn't grow or develop a single bit from his agony. He spends years and years believing that he is a terrible person for saving his mother first and then being unable to save Julia. However, as soon as he learns that Julia was a terrible person and that she most likely wasn't actually pregnant by him, he just....gets over it? I was really impressed when Astrid asked him why this knowledge changes anything since he didn't have it at the time and so his decision is just as moral or immoral regardless of what he knows now. But he doesn't answer the question! So firstly it didn't make sense that he was in so much pain about the very reasonable decision to save his mother first, and then it didn't make sense that he got over the whole thing so quickly.
Astrid as a character was thoroughly insipid. I had no sense at all of what she was like as a person - what did she enjoy? What did she dislike? What were her values? She was completely indistinguishable from her sister and both of them were barely distinguishable from cardboard cutouts.
Finally, the mystery of who was trying to kill Astrid was extremely poorly handled in-universe. Apparently every single man involved in trying to protect Astrid (and they were all men) didn't think it was worthwhile to actually try to discover who was behind it by any means but thought experiments. They didn't ask servants about odd behaviour or comings and goings that were unusual, they didn't hire an investigator or even post any actual additional security. It was utterly bizarre how they all went on and on about how much danger Astrid was in while none of them lifted a single finger to try to prevent any further attempts on her life. Apparently merely being married to Andrew was going to cast some sort of protective spell over her.
The one thing I did like about the book was the character of Douglas, who seemed to actually have some personality and whose story I might bring myself to read sometime.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2017
I gave up at about 75% and skimmed to the end to confirm my suspicions. The book didn't even deserve that much of my attention. Burrowes's book are often hit or miss for me and this one was more miss than anything else. Astrid is so bland and uninteresting that I can't tell you much about her but at least I had no objections to her. Andrew spends the entire novel in some self-indulgent bullshit snit about how he's a terrible person because of something that happened when he was fifteen. Look, I get it was traumatic, and maybe it's because I read Nicholas first and that had a similar plot line with the hero not wanting to be a father, but this was just ridiculous. He's painfully selfish in his refusal to talk about what happened, and he's remarkably stupid if he thinks his plan will work and not hurt Astrid. He is so wrapped up in his own hurt that he's an asshole to everyone else, and he makes zero effort. He instead learns something that makes him realize he was wrong without trying to move on from it himself. It's emotionally unhealthy, and I'm done with it. He's unlikable, undesirable, and unworthy of anything this novel gave him.
The villain is so easily guessable I literally figured it out in the first scene they were in. Their motivations were easily guessed as well. There is very little plot, and the drama is created in Andrew's head because he can't pull himself out of his own ass long enough to realize he's a terrible person. Astrid is nearly harmed a couple of times but not enough to really make me feel like she was in terrible danger. However, I did sort of enjoy the book until Astrid and Andrew married; I also felt as though there had to have been a better solution than risking Astrid's good name and having her marry less than six months into mourning. The way Burrowes writes is as easy to read as ever, but this plot was both too similar Nicholas and too contrived and ridiculous to be good.
I think this book can adequately be summed up thus: A brooding hero, a "good" heroine, a dastardly villain, and a "unexpected" romance--technically all the makings of a typical romance novel but without the careful crafting that makes it a story rather than a collection of tropes and cliches.
The villain is so easily guessable I literally figured it out in the first scene they were in. Their motivations were easily guessed as well. There is very little plot, and the drama is created in Andrew's head because he can't pull himself out of his own ass long enough to realize he's a terrible person. Astrid is nearly harmed a couple of times but not enough to really make me feel like she was in terrible danger. However, I did sort of enjoy the book until Astrid and Andrew married; I also felt as though there had to have been a better solution than risking Astrid's good name and having her marry less than six months into mourning. The way Burrowes writes is as easy to read as ever, but this plot was both too similar Nicholas and too contrived and ridiculous to be good.
I think this book can adequately be summed up thus: A brooding hero, a "good" heroine, a dastardly villain, and a "unexpected" romance--technically all the makings of a typical romance novel but without the careful crafting that makes it a story rather than a collection of tropes and cliches.
June 22, 2019
A Note
According to her website, by the time Grace Burrowes was first published, she’d written a lot of books already. Apparently, her agent/publisher sorted through her manuscripts and picked out the Windham trilogy beginning with The Heir as a starting place. Those books are good and they show off her talent, but man, does it mess with the chronology of the series which we’ll talk about when I get to The Heir.
It also makes it difficult to get through the Lonely Lords series of which many were written prior to her Windham novels (the trilogy about the brothers followed by the quintet of sisters). These books are just not as good as the Windhams. Her writing style and everything I love about her is present, but the plotting and character work just isn’t as well done. Reading Gareth and Andrew halfway through the Lonely Lords, nearly fifteen books into her publishing career, doesn’t work.
It also doesn’t work because there are things in The Heir that are soooo much better once you’ve read this book and its follow-up, Douglas. I think we’ve finally exhausted material Grace Burrowes hadn’t published already which is a relief. Her universe is intricately connected which is lovely, but because they were written chronologically and published wildly out of order, it makes it more difficult to appreciate the way they build upon each other. If they had been written out of order, there wouldn’t be nearly as much interplay between the characters and callbacks.
Anyway, that’s just mostly to say that I liked Andrew more with the realization that this is Grace Burrowes at the beginning of career, not several years in and this is a theme we’re going to come to for most of this reread. I understand the decision not to publish them in order, but I definitely don’t agree with it in a lot of respects.
Back to the Book - Overall Impressions
Because Andrew and Gareth’s characters are both motivated by the same backstory, it’s not surprising they both follow the same basic linear plot. Tortured by a drowning incident that destroyed most of the male members of the succession, the Alexander brothers have both decided they are not worthy of love and the Worthington sisters tempt them into forgiving themselves.
That’s it. That’s the romantic throughline in both books. There are subplots that differentiate them both, but not wildly. So all that matters here is asking ourselves is Andrew a better book than Gareth, and if so, why?
So it is a better book and that’s because Andrew’s role in the backstory (he was on the boat, rescued his mother, but no one else) is a bit more understandable than Gareth’s overwrought survivor’s guilt. There are still oddities we’ll get into during the spoilers, but I found Andrew to be a more convincing martyr-hero than Gareth.
Astrid is fine. She doesn’t really do much, to be honest, and I find her a little less interesting than Felicity, but not in a bad way. Their romance is also fine as is the subplot about her first husband’s family maybe trying to kill her and/or the unborn child she’s carrying.
This book is important to the next few in the series — it plants the seeds for both David and Douglas, who both appear here. It also even sets up the Windham brothers trilogy. It’s also a decent romance with an interesting hero and mystery. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty good.
Spoilers
The big problem with the tragic backstory is that there is a lot of pressure put on the character of Julia, the fiancée that died in the accident. Felicity discovered her existence in the first book because there was a portrait of Gareth and Julia. But here, Gareth claims there was no engagement, only an unofficial agreement because Julia was trying to seduce her way into the family, through either their grandfather, their elder cousin Jeffrey, or Gareth, and as we discover, Andrew. All of them, save maybe the grandfather, slept with this young woman who claimed she was pregnant. And...there was time for a portrait...?
It’s an odd choice to give so much evil to a character who never appears in the book. Andrew was also apparently seduced by Julia, believed it was his child, and for thirteen years, he has believed he chose his mother to save rather than his own child. I don’t like how much big bad type stuff Grace Burrowes throws Julia, but I also think Andrew torturing himself over being responsible for the death of his own child makes a lot more sense than whatever Gareth was dealing with.
The subplot of Astrid’s in-laws was slightly more interesting, and this time through, I read with the knowledge that it was Henry that was the ultimate big bad though the book was written to make you think it might have been Douglas. I knew it wasn’t Douglas because this book was published out of order and I’d already met Douglas in another book with his wife. See what I mean about that choice coming back to bite the books in the ass over and over again?
But I did think Burrowes did a sort of an okay job keeping us in the dark as to Douglas’s motivations, even if there are pieces that are overdone. When Astrid falls down the steps, Douglas apparently comes across her right away and then yells at her while she’s still on the ground? It leans heavily on trying to make us suspicious of Douglas, but she draws it back for the rest of the book and there’s more ambiguity. I’m looking forward to rereading Douglas’s book now that I’ve read it in the proper order.
I liked this book though because the romance was as good as Gareth, with a better hero to match it.
According to her website, by the time Grace Burrowes was first published, she’d written a lot of books already. Apparently, her agent/publisher sorted through her manuscripts and picked out the Windham trilogy beginning with The Heir as a starting place. Those books are good and they show off her talent, but man, does it mess with the chronology of the series which we’ll talk about when I get to The Heir.
It also makes it difficult to get through the Lonely Lords series of which many were written prior to her Windham novels (the trilogy about the brothers followed by the quintet of sisters). These books are just not as good as the Windhams. Her writing style and everything I love about her is present, but the plotting and character work just isn’t as well done. Reading Gareth and Andrew halfway through the Lonely Lords, nearly fifteen books into her publishing career, doesn’t work.
It also doesn’t work because there are things in The Heir that are soooo much better once you’ve read this book and its follow-up, Douglas. I think we’ve finally exhausted material Grace Burrowes hadn’t published already which is a relief. Her universe is intricately connected which is lovely, but because they were written chronologically and published wildly out of order, it makes it more difficult to appreciate the way they build upon each other. If they had been written out of order, there wouldn’t be nearly as much interplay between the characters and callbacks.
Anyway, that’s just mostly to say that I liked Andrew more with the realization that this is Grace Burrowes at the beginning of career, not several years in and this is a theme we’re going to come to for most of this reread. I understand the decision not to publish them in order, but I definitely don’t agree with it in a lot of respects.
Back to the Book - Overall Impressions
Because Andrew and Gareth’s characters are both motivated by the same backstory, it’s not surprising they both follow the same basic linear plot. Tortured by a drowning incident that destroyed most of the male members of the succession, the Alexander brothers have both decided they are not worthy of love and the Worthington sisters tempt them into forgiving themselves.
That’s it. That’s the romantic throughline in both books. There are subplots that differentiate them both, but not wildly. So all that matters here is asking ourselves is Andrew a better book than Gareth, and if so, why?
So it is a better book and that’s because Andrew’s role in the backstory (he was on the boat, rescued his mother, but no one else) is a bit more understandable than Gareth’s overwrought survivor’s guilt. There are still oddities we’ll get into during the spoilers, but I found Andrew to be a more convincing martyr-hero than Gareth.
Astrid is fine. She doesn’t really do much, to be honest, and I find her a little less interesting than Felicity, but not in a bad way. Their romance is also fine as is the subplot about her first husband’s family maybe trying to kill her and/or the unborn child she’s carrying.
This book is important to the next few in the series — it plants the seeds for both David and Douglas, who both appear here. It also even sets up the Windham brothers trilogy. It’s also a decent romance with an interesting hero and mystery. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty good.
Spoilers
The big problem with the tragic backstory is that there is a lot of pressure put on the character of Julia, the fiancée that died in the accident. Felicity discovered her existence in the first book because there was a portrait of Gareth and Julia. But here, Gareth claims there was no engagement, only an unofficial agreement because Julia was trying to seduce her way into the family, through either their grandfather, their elder cousin Jeffrey, or Gareth, and as we discover, Andrew. All of them, save maybe the grandfather, slept with this young woman who claimed she was pregnant. And...there was time for a portrait...?
It’s an odd choice to give so much evil to a character who never appears in the book. Andrew was also apparently seduced by Julia, believed it was his child, and for thirteen years, he has believed he chose his mother to save rather than his own child. I don’t like how much big bad type stuff Grace Burrowes throws Julia, but I also think Andrew torturing himself over being responsible for the death of his own child makes a lot more sense than whatever Gareth was dealing with.
The subplot of Astrid’s in-laws was slightly more interesting, and this time through, I read with the knowledge that it was Henry that was the ultimate big bad though the book was written to make you think it might have been Douglas. I knew it wasn’t Douglas because this book was published out of order and I’d already met Douglas in another book with his wife. See what I mean about that choice coming back to bite the books in the ass over and over again?
But I did think Burrowes did a sort of an okay job keeping us in the dark as to Douglas’s motivations, even if there are pieces that are overdone. When Astrid falls down the steps, Douglas apparently comes across her right away and then yells at her while she’s still on the ground? It leans heavily on trying to make us suspicious of Douglas, but she draws it back for the rest of the book and there’s more ambiguity. I’m looking forward to rereading Douglas’s book now that I’ve read it in the proper order.
I liked this book though because the romance was as good as Gareth, with a better hero to match it.
July 27, 2020
I usually hate wish-washy men who can’t make up their minds and commit. But, in the case of Andrew, I have to give him a pass. After the horrendous accident he survived, he was carrying a load of guilt over the lives he could not have saved.
The mystery of who was causing the many attempts on Astrid’s life added to the drama of the story. To me, it was fairly obvious who was to blame, but it didn’t come to light until the end, so there was an air of mystery always in the background.
Felicity’s brush with death was well written. Childbirth was always a life or death threat during that time period.
Andrew & Astrid’s love life was really steamy while it lasted, but as their relationship became strained, the romance gave way to drama. If they had managed to keep that part of their relationship alive, I would have definitely giving this book five stars.
The mystery of who was causing the many attempts on Astrid’s life added to the drama of the story. To me, it was fairly obvious who was to blame, but it didn’t come to light until the end, so there was an air of mystery always in the background.
Felicity’s brush with death was well written. Childbirth was always a life or death threat during that time period.
Andrew & Astrid’s love life was really steamy while it lasted, but as their relationship became strained, the romance gave way to drama. If they had managed to keep that part of their relationship alive, I would have definitely giving this book five stars.
August 4, 2022
Better than the first book in this series, but still unsatisfying to some degree. Andrew was traumatized by a truly horrific choice he was forced to make at the age of 15, and he has my sympathy for that. However, it wasn’t revealed until well into the book that his incomprehensibly cruel behavior toward Astrid—a woman he supposedly loved—was motivated by the trauma of that choice. By the time that revelation occurred, (a) I disliked him intensely and it was hard to feel otherwise, and (b) as something that occurred 13 years in the past it felt like pretty thin ice to still be the motive for him to reject all connection in his life. There were some truly lovely and moving aspects to this story, notably the beautifully written recounting of the birth of the Heathgate twins. Overall, except for an unlikeable hero, this is more like the Grace Burrowes I know and love.
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