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Lonely Lords #8
Douglas: Lord of Heartache
Gwen Hollister, cousin to the Marquis of Heathgate, has fashioned a life as a poor relation, raising her daughter Rose in rural obscurity and focusing all of her considerable passion and intellect on stewarding the estate they live on. Douglas Allen, Viscount Amery, is sent to Gwen by their mutual relations for lessons in husbandry of the land. Only because Douglas rescues Gwen’s daughter from certain peril, does Gwen accept the task. As Douglas and Gwen find common ground, and then mutual pleasure, Gwen’s past rises up in the person of the powerful Duke of Moreland, who’s bent on wresting control of Rose from her mother, even if it means Gwen must marry the Moreland heir.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 7, 2014
354 people are currently reading
1370 people want to read
About the author
Grace Burrowes
190 books2,915 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 197 reviews
October 13, 2019
Wow, I have to say this is one of the more unusual heroes I've read. He's basically alone, very decent human, and he's also depressed.
Burrowes did a great job subtly building his "family"and friendship, but also the relationship between Gwen & her daughter. Watching Douglas with Rose was a delightful piece of this quiet love story. And it was generally quiet.
It was an easy, lovely read with a determined and opinionated woman and the man equally determined to just love her and her daughter.
Burrowes did a great job subtly building his "family"and friendship, but also the relationship between Gwen & her daughter. Watching Douglas with Rose was a delightful piece of this quiet love story. And it was generally quiet.
It was an easy, lovely read with a determined and opinionated woman and the man equally determined to just love her and her daughter.
November 20, 2014
When we met Douglas Allen, Viscount Amery in Andrew: Lord of Despair, he came across as rather cold, unfailingly correct and a bit stand-offish, so it was perhaps a little difficult to imagine him as the romantic hero of his own book.
To be fair, he has bloody good reason to be all those things. His older brother has just died, leaving him with a mountain of debts, an estate that he has never been trained to run and a younger brother and mother who complain of his every effort to curb their spending; and added to that, he is suspected by the Alexander brothers (Gareth and Andrew) and David, Viscount Fairly of possibly trying to cause harm to his sister-in-law and her unborn child. So Douglas is a man with a lot of crosses to bear, and one who, it’s made clear in the earlier book, has always been the odd-one-out of his family. Not at all gregarious as his brothers were, Douglas is the steady-hand, the practical one, which didn’t make him popular with his immediate family, who all saw him as a killjoy.
In Douglas, our eponymous hero is still struggling to repay his debts and to rebuild his life as best he can. Both his brothers are dead and his mother is very ill and he has no other family or close friends to whom he can turn for help or for simple companionship. Fortunately for him, by the end of Andrew, he’s been more or less adopted by the Alexanders and Worthingtons, all of whom prove to be steadfast friends.
One of Andrew’s estates, Enfield, is managed by his cousin, Guinevere (Gwen) Hollister. She is all but a recluse, having retired there after the birth of her illegitimate daughter, Rose, who is now five years old. Gwen is very self-reliant and even the mighty Alexander brothers are somewhat in awe of her and have tended to leave her to herself, because it has seemed to them that that is what Gwen wants. It’s what Gwen thinks she wants, too – until she is brought to see the disadvantages such isolation could bring to her daughter, as well as to realise that perhaps having someone else to shoulder some of her burdens may not be such an insupportable idea.
Gwen is a very good land-steward, so it’s to her that Andrew sends Douglas for guidance and instruction concerning estate management. His father and elder brother never bothered to learn much about the land they owned other than how to spend what money they could squeeze from it, and Douglas wants to retrench and start over. Andrew has offered to sell him one of his estates, and has suggested that Douglas asks Gwen to visit it with him to look it over and give him an honest opinion of its worth and its future viability.
Anyone who has read Ms Burrowes’ first published novel, The Heir (Duke's Obsession, #1), will have met Douglas, Gwen and Rose before, and will know a little of their backstory, which is fully fleshed-out in this book. Gwen’s experience with men left her badly burned emotionally, and she is determined never to place her trust in one of them again. But she can’t help but be won over by Douglas who is ever respectful and properly behaved towards her. He is a truly gentle man (and a lovely beta hero), one she comes to know she can rely on to do the right thing and who will never hurt her. Both Gwen and Douglas are misfits, but together, they find companionship, shared understanding and reawaken emotions so long buried they had forgotten they’d ever existed.
I applaud Ms Burrowes for the way she has turned Douglas from the aloof man we met in Andrew into a romantic lead without giving him a major personality transplant. He’s still very much the same man from the earlier book; still very proper and somewhat reserved, and it’s lovely to watch him loosen up when he’s around Gwen and Rose and to admit the possibility of affection into his life.
There is, of course, a nice big dollop of angst in the story, which comes when Gwen has to make a horrible choice between doing what she believes is the best thing for her daughter, or being with the man she has come to love – it wouldn’t be a Grace Burrowes book without it. And the crazy thing is that she does this to me book after book after book – I know it’s coming, and I still sit here sniffling and trying to locate the nearest box of tissues! (Which is in no way a complaint – I seem to have become addicted.)
The other thing I loved about the book is the Alexander/Worthington alliance and the way that Gareth, Andrew and David have taken Douglas under their collective wing. They regard him as family, even though his connection to them is fairly tenuous (his elder brother was married to Astrid, who is now Andrew’s wife, and also Gareth’s sister-in-law). The idea of these three very wealthy, very powerful men trying their hand at matchmaking is rather funny, and the scenes which feature the three of them are among the highlights of the book. The way they and their womenfolk rally around Douglas and Gwen at a time of crisis is truly touching and really brings home the importance this author places on family and familial relationships.
This one is joining Darius: Lord of Pleasures and Ethan: Lord of Scandals as one of my favourite books in the Lonely Lords series.
To be fair, he has bloody good reason to be all those things. His older brother has just died, leaving him with a mountain of debts, an estate that he has never been trained to run and a younger brother and mother who complain of his every effort to curb their spending; and added to that, he is suspected by the Alexander brothers (Gareth and Andrew) and David, Viscount Fairly of possibly trying to cause harm to his sister-in-law and her unborn child. So Douglas is a man with a lot of crosses to bear, and one who, it’s made clear in the earlier book, has always been the odd-one-out of his family. Not at all gregarious as his brothers were, Douglas is the steady-hand, the practical one, which didn’t make him popular with his immediate family, who all saw him as a killjoy.
In Douglas, our eponymous hero is still struggling to repay his debts and to rebuild his life as best he can. Both his brothers are dead and his mother is very ill and he has no other family or close friends to whom he can turn for help or for simple companionship. Fortunately for him, by the end of Andrew, he’s been more or less adopted by the Alexanders and Worthingtons, all of whom prove to be steadfast friends.
One of Andrew’s estates, Enfield, is managed by his cousin, Guinevere (Gwen) Hollister. She is all but a recluse, having retired there after the birth of her illegitimate daughter, Rose, who is now five years old. Gwen is very self-reliant and even the mighty Alexander brothers are somewhat in awe of her and have tended to leave her to herself, because it has seemed to them that that is what Gwen wants. It’s what Gwen thinks she wants, too – until she is brought to see the disadvantages such isolation could bring to her daughter, as well as to realise that perhaps having someone else to shoulder some of her burdens may not be such an insupportable idea.
Gwen is a very good land-steward, so it’s to her that Andrew sends Douglas for guidance and instruction concerning estate management. His father and elder brother never bothered to learn much about the land they owned other than how to spend what money they could squeeze from it, and Douglas wants to retrench and start over. Andrew has offered to sell him one of his estates, and has suggested that Douglas asks Gwen to visit it with him to look it over and give him an honest opinion of its worth and its future viability.
Anyone who has read Ms Burrowes’ first published novel, The Heir (Duke's Obsession, #1), will have met Douglas, Gwen and Rose before, and will know a little of their backstory, which is fully fleshed-out in this book. Gwen’s experience with men left her badly burned emotionally, and she is determined never to place her trust in one of them again. But she can’t help but be won over by Douglas who is ever respectful and properly behaved towards her. He is a truly gentle man (and a lovely beta hero), one she comes to know she can rely on to do the right thing and who will never hurt her. Both Gwen and Douglas are misfits, but together, they find companionship, shared understanding and reawaken emotions so long buried they had forgotten they’d ever existed.
I applaud Ms Burrowes for the way she has turned Douglas from the aloof man we met in Andrew into a romantic lead without giving him a major personality transplant. He’s still very much the same man from the earlier book; still very proper and somewhat reserved, and it’s lovely to watch him loosen up when he’s around Gwen and Rose and to admit the possibility of affection into his life.
There is, of course, a nice big dollop of angst in the story, which comes when Gwen has to make a horrible choice between doing what she believes is the best thing for her daughter, or being with the man she has come to love – it wouldn’t be a Grace Burrowes book without it. And the crazy thing is that she does this to me book after book after book – I know it’s coming, and I still sit here sniffling and trying to locate the nearest box of tissues! (Which is in no way a complaint – I seem to have become addicted.)
The other thing I loved about the book is the Alexander/Worthington alliance and the way that Gareth, Andrew and David have taken Douglas under their collective wing. They regard him as family, even though his connection to them is fairly tenuous (his elder brother was married to Astrid, who is now Andrew’s wife, and also Gareth’s sister-in-law). The idea of these three very wealthy, very powerful men trying their hand at matchmaking is rather funny, and the scenes which feature the three of them are among the highlights of the book. The way they and their womenfolk rally around Douglas and Gwen at a time of crisis is truly touching and really brings home the importance this author places on family and familial relationships.
This one is joining Darius: Lord of Pleasures and Ethan: Lord of Scandals as one of my favourite books in the Lonely Lords series.
March 31, 2015
31 March 2015
Grace Burrowes is nominated for two RITAs, and one of them is this excellent book, which I loved. The other is Worth: Lord of Reckoning, which I detested. Go figure.
17 January 2014
I never pass up a chance to travel to Grace Burrowes World, so I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Douglas Allen, Viscount Amery, and Guinevere Hollister. In earlier books, Douglas was not especially likeable, and Gwen was downright prickly. Here, however, we come to know them better and learn to appreciate them.
If you have not already explored GB World, however, this one probably should not be your maiden voyage. I say this even though it is chronologically the first story in the whole shebang.
Two years ago, when I read GB's first book, The Heir (Duke's Obsession, #1), I wrote a review posing several questions about things that puzzled me.
I'm not suggesting that you should read this book first, however, because there are a bunch of other characters from the previous two Lonely Lords books (Gareth: Lord of Rakes and Andrew: Lord of Despair) and you'll probably just be confused. On the other hand, I've read every one of GB's books, in order, and I'm still confused at times. So, it's a crapshoot.
The thing I adore about GB is that she has created GB World and written nearly thirty interconnected books set in that world. (In this respect, she has outpaced the great Mary Balogh, who wrote ~15 books set in Bedwyn World.) I love these books, these characters, their children and their horses. Children and horses are very important in GB World. And so is family; love and loyalty among family members is a hallmark of every book.
So take a trip to GB World if you like beautifully written historical romance with complex, fully-realized characters, large families, well-done plots, and cute but realistic children. And check out her website for the lovely family trees that will show you how all of these people are related.
Grace Burrowes is nominated for two RITAs, and one of them is this excellent book, which I loved. The other is Worth: Lord of Reckoning, which I detested. Go figure.
17 January 2014
I never pass up a chance to travel to Grace Burrowes World, so I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Douglas Allen, Viscount Amery, and Guinevere Hollister. In earlier books, Douglas was not especially likeable, and Gwen was downright prickly. Here, however, we come to know them better and learn to appreciate them.
If you have not already explored GB World, however, this one probably should not be your maiden voyage. I say this even though it is chronologically the first story in the whole shebang.
Two years ago, when I read GB's first book, The Heir (Duke's Obsession, #1), I wrote a review posing several questions about things that puzzled me.
Why did the Earl of Westhaven [hero in The Heir] almost marry Rose's mother and how was the wedding broken up? (Still, no idea, except that the duke was meddling) Who was little Rose's father? (We know that Rose is the duke’s granddaughter, but how?)Finally, in this book, those questions are answered, because Douglas is actually a sort of prequel to The Heir.
I'm not suggesting that you should read this book first, however, because there are a bunch of other characters from the previous two Lonely Lords books (Gareth: Lord of Rakes and Andrew: Lord of Despair) and you'll probably just be confused. On the other hand, I've read every one of GB's books, in order, and I'm still confused at times. So, it's a crapshoot.
The thing I adore about GB is that she has created GB World and written nearly thirty interconnected books set in that world. (In this respect, she has outpaced the great Mary Balogh, who wrote ~15 books set in Bedwyn World.) I love these books, these characters, their children and their horses. Children and horses are very important in GB World. And so is family; love and loyalty among family members is a hallmark of every book.
So take a trip to GB World if you like beautifully written historical romance with complex, fully-realized characters, large families, well-done plots, and cute but realistic children. And check out her website for the lovely family trees that will show you how all of these people are related.
July 7, 2015
Grace Burrowes' "Douglas, Lord of Heartache" - #8 in the Lonely Lords series
This one is a keeper! Beautiful love story, great characters and so many more delights. I'll just list a few of them here - Douglas, the hero, is a beta hero for the ages. Gwen, the heroine, is just a great character who has had a rough time in her life for the past 6 years or so. Rose, Gwen's daughter, is an absolute delight of a character, and believable as a 5-year old child. I loved all the scenes where she appears. And - Moreland! The Duke of Moreland, who is the central character in the Windham series (The Heir, The Soldier, The Virtuoso, plus all the Lady stories), is the villain of this piece! And what a believable villain he is in this story. The scene where he gets his comeuppance is just fantastic.
A little digression about the Lonely Lords series and how it relates to the Windham series. The Lonely Lords is actually 2 separate series. The first 5 books (Darius, Nicholas, Ethan, Beckman and Gabriel) could be called the Haddonfield series, since all of the title characters have a close connection to the Haddonfield family and they all know each other. The other 4 books (Gareth, Andrew, this one and David) have no connection to the Haddonfield family, but they are connected with each other. Gareth and Andrew are brothers who both end up marrying David's half-sisters, and Douglas is related to the other three through his older brother's marriage. So this could be called the Worthington series, since the connection between the four of them is David and his sisters, whose family name is Worthington.
This story is, as other reviewers have pointed out, the (up until now) missing "prequel" to the Windham series. David, Gwen and especially Rose make many appearances in the Windham series, but it is never clearly explained what the connection between them and the Windhams really is - the Windham series is written as if the reader should already know this prehistory with Douglas, Gwen and Rose, and be fully familiar with them as characters. So this book could also be listed as #1 in the Windham series.
If you like Grace Burrowes' books, read this one. It's terrific.
This one is a keeper! Beautiful love story, great characters and so many more delights. I'll just list a few of them here - Douglas, the hero, is a beta hero for the ages. Gwen, the heroine, is just a great character who has had a rough time in her life for the past 6 years or so. Rose, Gwen's daughter, is an absolute delight of a character, and believable as a 5-year old child. I loved all the scenes where she appears. And - Moreland! The Duke of Moreland, who is the central character in the Windham series (The Heir, The Soldier, The Virtuoso, plus all the Lady stories), is the villain of this piece! And what a believable villain he is in this story. The scene where he gets his comeuppance is just fantastic.
A little digression about the Lonely Lords series and how it relates to the Windham series. The Lonely Lords is actually 2 separate series. The first 5 books (Darius, Nicholas, Ethan, Beckman and Gabriel) could be called the Haddonfield series, since all of the title characters have a close connection to the Haddonfield family and they all know each other. The other 4 books (Gareth, Andrew, this one and David) have no connection to the Haddonfield family, but they are connected with each other. Gareth and Andrew are brothers who both end up marrying David's half-sisters, and Douglas is related to the other three through his older brother's marriage. So this could be called the Worthington series, since the connection between the four of them is David and his sisters, whose family name is Worthington.
This story is, as other reviewers have pointed out, the (up until now) missing "prequel" to the Windham series. David, Gwen and especially Rose make many appearances in the Windham series, but it is never clearly explained what the connection between them and the Windhams really is - the Windham series is written as if the reader should already know this prehistory with Douglas, Gwen and Rose, and be fully familiar with them as characters. So this book could also be listed as #1 in the Windham series.
If you like Grace Burrowes' books, read this one. It's terrific.
November 28, 2021
So much better (for me) than the previous books that I read in this series (Gareth and Andrew). I was surprised the author could write an HR that didn't revolve almost entirely around sex! The hero here is not a promiscuous pain but a very decent and honourable man trying to do the right thing. The heroine is a brave and independent woman with strong principles.
He was able to overcome her trust issues with patience and understanding, she came to see the wonderful man he actually was. There was more sexual tension in this one because he had to work so hard to win her over and she had to work so hard to let her fears go. (That was missing in the other two I have read in this series. The girls almost jumped the guys, they were that keen.)
But I think that's me done with the Lonely Lords. A sadder, more self-pitying bunch I have yet to meet. Should be called the Self-flagellation and Self-pleasuring Club. (They were keen masturbaters....yup. These boys had phenomenal sex-drives.)
Sorry to those who really love this series. It just isn't for me.
He was able to overcome her trust issues with patience and understanding, she came to see the wonderful man he actually was. There was more sexual tension in this one because he had to work so hard to win her over and she had to work so hard to let her fears go. (That was missing in the other two I have read in this series. The girls almost jumped the guys, they were that keen.)
But I think that's me done with the Lonely Lords. A sadder, more self-pitying bunch I have yet to meet. Should be called the Self-flagellation and Self-pleasuring Club. (They were keen masturbaters....yup. These boys had phenomenal sex-drives.)
Sorry to those who really love this series. It just isn't for me.
December 2, 2014
This one is FREE today (always check): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F...
Good heavens, but Douglas has had a hard year. His brothers are both gone, the family finances are in hideous array, his mother is a carping cow...and now he needs to take lessons on the land from a woman. She's really pretty, and she's warm, and she smells nice, and she really knows how to feed a hungry man...and he saved her little daughter's life. Poor Douglas, he didn't stand a chance.
But Gwen, while she falls hard for this wonderful man, has many secrets and she just can't let him in. When Gwen finally spilled ALL the beans to Douglas and her cousins, well, they are all up in arms for her. And they want to do something about it! She finds this surprising as she was pretty sure that she had shamed them beyond hope.
Ah, family. Sometimes they come via a blood bond, and sometimes by marriage. One thing you can count on with Ms. Burrowes families, they all are loyal to a fault. I also like that they are smart. They ferret out the facts and they figure out the clues. And then they DEAL with the issues. I do love that about her books. She also gives us, the readers, enough clues that we can figure things out, too. Have to laugh, as I had to go back and really READ the climax with the Duke of Moreland to get what happened. Apparently I was reading too fast to catch all the nuances the first time through!
I had a hard time liking the Duke. Which I found odd as I had really liked him in another series. I think this book was the start of him behaving a tad bit better. His wife, Her Grace, has her work cut out keeping him in line.
Back to Gwen and Douglas, they have some steamy scenes, as the characters always do in Ms. Burrowes books. But, as always, these are love scenes and not straight out erotica. I do love well written "romantica" and Ms. Burrowes gives us that.
Another thing I love about her writing are the words from "yester-year" that she throws in. Good thing I have the dictionary on my Kindle. She uses these old words, correctly, I might add, that give us a lovely extra layer in the book.
As I'm currently reading MacGregor's Lady (coming soon), I'm reminded of the theme of Ms. Burrowes books, at least in my opinion is that FAMILY FIRST IS AND FOREMOST. I do love how the characters hold family dear and they are THERE for them. No matter what. It's a joy to read.
Once again, a lovely way to spend a snowy afternoon! Or even a lovely spring day...depending upon when you are reading my review.
Can't go wrong with a Lonely Lord in your hands.
*Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an eARC of this book.
Good heavens, but Douglas has had a hard year. His brothers are both gone, the family finances are in hideous array, his mother is a carping cow...and now he needs to take lessons on the land from a woman. She's really pretty, and she's warm, and she smells nice, and she really knows how to feed a hungry man...and he saved her little daughter's life. Poor Douglas, he didn't stand a chance.
But Gwen, while she falls hard for this wonderful man, has many secrets and she just can't let him in. When Gwen finally spilled ALL the beans to Douglas and her cousins, well, they are all up in arms for her. And they want to do something about it! She finds this surprising as she was pretty sure that she had shamed them beyond hope.
Ah, family. Sometimes they come via a blood bond, and sometimes by marriage. One thing you can count on with Ms. Burrowes families, they all are loyal to a fault. I also like that they are smart. They ferret out the facts and they figure out the clues. And then they DEAL with the issues. I do love that about her books. She also gives us, the readers, enough clues that we can figure things out, too. Have to laugh, as I had to go back and really READ the climax with the Duke of Moreland to get what happened. Apparently I was reading too fast to catch all the nuances the first time through!
I had a hard time liking the Duke. Which I found odd as I had really liked him in another series. I think this book was the start of him behaving a tad bit better. His wife, Her Grace, has her work cut out keeping him in line.
Back to Gwen and Douglas, they have some steamy scenes, as the characters always do in Ms. Burrowes books. But, as always, these are love scenes and not straight out erotica. I do love well written "romantica" and Ms. Burrowes gives us that.
Another thing I love about her writing are the words from "yester-year" that she throws in. Good thing I have the dictionary on my Kindle. She uses these old words, correctly, I might add, that give us a lovely extra layer in the book.
As I'm currently reading MacGregor's Lady (coming soon), I'm reminded of the theme of Ms. Burrowes books, at least in my opinion is that FAMILY FIRST IS AND FOREMOST. I do love how the characters hold family dear and they are THERE for them. No matter what. It's a joy to read.
Once again, a lovely way to spend a snowy afternoon! Or even a lovely spring day...depending upon when you are reading my review.
Can't go wrong with a Lonely Lord in your hands.
*Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an eARC of this book.
October 26, 2022
Loved this OTT angsty book. The lonely H is lost to grief. His friends direct him to help the prickly h, who mistrusts most people for good reasons. They seduce each other and he helps her to regain her trust in herself. This story introduces some of the machinations of the Duke of Moreland. I loved it, especially the great ending.
Want to read
January 4, 2015Free on Amazon as of 11/20/14!
October 8, 2017
This is the first Lonely Lords book I've read and there's no doubt I'm going to grab the rest in this series. Grace Burrowes is an excellent author who stays true to the period in which she writes through wonderful usage of time-appropriate language and dialogue. If you really want to feel as though you've been swept away to the past, then this is the romance author for you!
Douglas Allen, Viscount Amery, has recently suffered the loss of his brothers, both of whom helped squander the rest of the family fortune. Determined to make a go at turning his situation around, he decides to seek advice in property management from a woman who comes highly recommended through a distant relation. But the lady in question is not at all ready to lend her assistance. She is standoffish and would rather show him the door than travel with Douglas to the property he needs help with. Cracking her prickly facade and securing her expertise will require cart-loads of charm, honesty and kindness on his part.
The cruelty Guinevere Hollister suffered years ago at the hands of a man still haunts her. It crushed her sense of self-worth and resulted in her seclusion from society. Since then, she has been taking care of one of her cousin's estates where she lives in blissful privacy with her daughter. The last thing she needs is a viscount intent on spending great lengths of time in her company. She especially has no desire to spirit away with him to some run-down manor where he might presume to take certain liberties. But as he convinces her that she isn't really living, but hiding, and because she owes him a favor, she eventually agrees to put her mistrust aside and accept his proposal.
I truly loved this story. The characters were compelling and lovable, the comic relief featuring dialogue between Gwen's cousins, thoroughly entertaining. A great read that I would highly recommend!
Douglas Allen, Viscount Amery, has recently suffered the loss of his brothers, both of whom helped squander the rest of the family fortune. Determined to make a go at turning his situation around, he decides to seek advice in property management from a woman who comes highly recommended through a distant relation. But the lady in question is not at all ready to lend her assistance. She is standoffish and would rather show him the door than travel with Douglas to the property he needs help with. Cracking her prickly facade and securing her expertise will require cart-loads of charm, honesty and kindness on his part.
The cruelty Guinevere Hollister suffered years ago at the hands of a man still haunts her. It crushed her sense of self-worth and resulted in her seclusion from society. Since then, she has been taking care of one of her cousin's estates where she lives in blissful privacy with her daughter. The last thing she needs is a viscount intent on spending great lengths of time in her company. She especially has no desire to spirit away with him to some run-down manor where he might presume to take certain liberties. But as he convinces her that she isn't really living, but hiding, and because she owes him a favor, she eventually agrees to put her mistrust aside and accept his proposal.
I truly loved this story. The characters were compelling and lovable, the comic relief featuring dialogue between Gwen's cousins, thoroughly entertaining. A great read that I would highly recommend!
October 20, 2017
How does an author make a character like Douglas, who is such an odd duck, a likeable hero? If that author is Grace Burrowes, it's done quite beautifully. He was quiet and reserved, unlike Gwen's cousins, yet was very strong. I'm not big on kids in books, but Rose was a delight in this story. The relationship between Douglas and Gwen was beautiful, and I spent a great deal of the book crying or feeling like I was going to cry. The Duke of Moreland was not likeable here like in the other books, but his Esther kept him on the right path.
It was weird....I was reading this book during the same time period that I'm listening to The Heir on audiobook while driving. The Heir takes place after Douglas, but many of the same characters and situations are in both books. I got so confused! And I'm usually confused during the best of times!
It was weird....I was reading this book during the same time period that I'm listening to The Heir on audiobook while driving. The Heir takes place after Douglas, but many of the same characters and situations are in both books. I got so confused! And I'm usually confused during the best of times!
January 7, 2014
4.5 stars!
After several Burrowes books where I wasn't entirely enthralled, I am back firmly in the saddle of having a girl-crush on Ms. Burrowes. I adored this book. It gave us some serious insight into the relationship Douglas has with the Moreland family (which I'd forgotten about, having read the early books in that series a long time ago), and is just overall an incredibly charming book.
Douglas has spent so much of his life alone, and I felt bad for him. He's gone through some serious crap in the not-too-distant past. His oldest brother died, passing the title to him, having badly abused the privileges that came with it and Douglas simply wants to repair the damage done.
Gwen. Oh, poor Gwen. I actually didn't make the connection to the Moreland series until late in the book, but as always I enjoyed seeing what Ms. Burrowes does when she has children in a book. Gwen loves her daughter so much, and because of what happened around the conception of said daughter, has locked herself away from any hope of marrying, feeling herself unworthy and a disgrace to family/high society. Personally, the man responsible should be smacked around a bit, buuuut I like how he was handled (and what he did in the end to somewhat redeem himself).
There was a lot of emotional angst throughout and I hurt so badly at times for Douglas. He's such a good man (can anyone tell I'm in love with Douglas - it's been a while since I had a historical romance boyfriend). Loyal, determined, and driven to undo the damage his family has done. Absolutely my hero!
As always, I will continue waiting eagerly for the next book in this series (David, and man-oh-man, after his involvement in this book and his rather interesting occupations for a title aristocrat, I can't wait to see what sort of heroine Ms. Burrowes conjures up for him!). I am utterly enamored with the Lonely Lords series.
Yes, this sort of rambled without being too clear on any point, but that's how I get sometimes after reading a lovely book. And this was a very lovely book.
Thank you Ms. Burrowes and thank you Sourcebooks.
Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
After several Burrowes books where I wasn't entirely enthralled, I am back firmly in the saddle of having a girl-crush on Ms. Burrowes. I adored this book. It gave us some serious insight into the relationship Douglas has with the Moreland family (which I'd forgotten about, having read the early books in that series a long time ago), and is just overall an incredibly charming book.
Douglas has spent so much of his life alone, and I felt bad for him. He's gone through some serious crap in the not-too-distant past. His oldest brother died, passing the title to him, having badly abused the privileges that came with it and Douglas simply wants to repair the damage done.
Gwen. Oh, poor Gwen. I actually didn't make the connection to the Moreland series until late in the book, but as always I enjoyed seeing what Ms. Burrowes does when she has children in a book. Gwen loves her daughter so much, and because of what happened around the conception of said daughter, has locked herself away from any hope of marrying, feeling herself unworthy and a disgrace to family/high society. Personally, the man responsible should be smacked around a bit, buuuut I like how he was handled (and what he did in the end to somewhat redeem himself).
There was a lot of emotional angst throughout and I hurt so badly at times for Douglas. He's such a good man (can anyone tell I'm in love with Douglas - it's been a while since I had a historical romance boyfriend). Loyal, determined, and driven to undo the damage his family has done. Absolutely my hero!
As always, I will continue waiting eagerly for the next book in this series (David, and man-oh-man, after his involvement in this book and his rather interesting occupations for a title aristocrat, I can't wait to see what sort of heroine Ms. Burrowes conjures up for him!). I am utterly enamored with the Lonely Lords series.
Yes, this sort of rambled without being too clear on any point, but that's how I get sometimes after reading a lovely book. And this was a very lovely book.
Thank you Ms. Burrowes and thank you Sourcebooks.
Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 24, 2014
Originally Posted: http://www.larissaslife.com/2014/01/m...
Although the previous book of this series left me totally unimpressed I must admit that I loved Douglas story!!! Douglas was presented to the readers as a mystery man, and although he is not the villain we expected him to be he is certainly a whimsical bachelor.
But in his book Douglas becomes a favorite character, a noble gentleman the likes of him I haven’t met in another book. Douglas has no flaws to be remedied by the influence of a lady, he is just lonely and depressed after the sudden death of this two brothers.
Guinevere Hollister is a very lucky lady, after all the tragedies that have befallen her she finally finds her happy ending in the eyes of Lord Amery.
Even though the story begins with the cliché “I’ll be your guide to find pleasure” kind of deal Douglas is SO MUCH MORE!!!! He treats his lady with the utmost respect, true to his word that he will not rush her after the violation she had endured. With small gestures and light touches he penetrates the castle Guinevere has build for herself and step by slowly step he wins her heart and the heart of little Rose.
"I had never considered what excitement raising a child entails. It is nerve-wracking, is it not? Hornets, snakes, thorns....I've known Rose only two days, and she has enlivened me existance considerably."
Ok I will admit it….I’m in love!!!! Douglas is the kind of man that makes me extremely jealous of a fictional heroine…..
I strongly recommend this book! It’s a lovely romance not heavy on the smexy but sweet and unforgettable.
*Arc provided via Netgalley in exchange for honest review.
Although the previous book of this series left me totally unimpressed I must admit that I loved Douglas story!!! Douglas was presented to the readers as a mystery man, and although he is not the villain we expected him to be he is certainly a whimsical bachelor.
But in his book Douglas becomes a favorite character, a noble gentleman the likes of him I haven’t met in another book. Douglas has no flaws to be remedied by the influence of a lady, he is just lonely and depressed after the sudden death of this two brothers.
Guinevere Hollister is a very lucky lady, after all the tragedies that have befallen her she finally finds her happy ending in the eyes of Lord Amery.
Even though the story begins with the cliché “I’ll be your guide to find pleasure” kind of deal Douglas is SO MUCH MORE!!!! He treats his lady with the utmost respect, true to his word that he will not rush her after the violation she had endured. With small gestures and light touches he penetrates the castle Guinevere has build for herself and step by slowly step he wins her heart and the heart of little Rose.
"I had never considered what excitement raising a child entails. It is nerve-wracking, is it not? Hornets, snakes, thorns....I've known Rose only two days, and she has enlivened me existance considerably."
Ok I will admit it….I’m in love!!!! Douglas is the kind of man that makes me extremely jealous of a fictional heroine…..
I strongly recommend this book! It’s a lovely romance not heavy on the smexy but sweet and unforgettable.
*Arc provided via Netgalley in exchange for honest review.
December 30, 2013
The story of Douglas Allen, Viscount Amery and Guinevere(Gwen) Hollister is finally told in this book. I have read about these characters in so many of the author's earlier books, so it is nice to finally get the full story about them.
Douglas has been offered the chance to purchase an unentailed property from Andrew, Lord Greymoor and has come to ask Gwen to assist him in evaluating the property. Gwen has functioned as the steward of one of the family estates and lives there with her daughter Rose. As an unmarried woman, Gwen is not part of society and her living situation has suited her very well even if she has been lonely at times.
Douglas is no stranger to loneliness, having buried two brothers in one year. The brothers were both blackguards but they were his family and he has had to bear the brunt of their bad behavior both with people and money. Gwen and Douglas find that they are very similar people and slowly slip into a romantic relationship which is threatened when Rose's father makes an appearance into their lives.
I loved the relationship between these two characters. One minute they were all prickly and proper and the next they were kissing each other or enjoying stolen moments away from prying eyes. Douglas is so proper that it was lovely to read about him losing his iron control and showing feelings for someone. The same goes for starchy Gwen. Rose is just an adorable imp who provides a much needed breath of joy to both adults. This series just keeps getting better with each book!
Douglas has been offered the chance to purchase an unentailed property from Andrew, Lord Greymoor and has come to ask Gwen to assist him in evaluating the property. Gwen has functioned as the steward of one of the family estates and lives there with her daughter Rose. As an unmarried woman, Gwen is not part of society and her living situation has suited her very well even if she has been lonely at times.
Douglas is no stranger to loneliness, having buried two brothers in one year. The brothers were both blackguards but they were his family and he has had to bear the brunt of their bad behavior both with people and money. Gwen and Douglas find that they are very similar people and slowly slip into a romantic relationship which is threatened when Rose's father makes an appearance into their lives.
I loved the relationship between these two characters. One minute they were all prickly and proper and the next they were kissing each other or enjoying stolen moments away from prying eyes. Douglas is so proper that it was lovely to read about him losing his iron control and showing feelings for someone. The same goes for starchy Gwen. Rose is just an adorable imp who provides a much needed breath of joy to both adults. This series just keeps getting better with each book!
Want to read
November 18, 201411/18/14: Free on Amazon right now!
June 24, 2019
Overall
When I read this book back in 2014, I was relieved because finally, here was the backstory heavily alluded to in The Heir. The Heir is one of my favorite Burrowes books, and I’m really excited to get to it in this reread because I’m finally reading everything in chronological order which means the Douglas and Gwen scenes as well as Westhaven’s relationship with his family, particularly his father, is going to be that much more rich and nuanced.
Getting that out of the way, I can’t decide if I like this book. It’s a really good read right up until the end where things get…weird. We met Gwen and Douglas in the previous entry, Andrew. Gwen is the unmarried cousin of Andrew and Gareth Alexander who was apparently able to hide her illegitimate daughter, Rose, from the rest of her family for four years. Douglas is the survivor of the Allen family in Andrew, middle son sandwiched between shitty Herbert and crazy murderer Henry. Douglas is trying to get himself back together after the events of that book and asks Gwen for assistance with an estate purchase since she has made her own estate relatively profitable.
Douglas is a beta hero—with the exception of one scene that I’m not really all that fond of at the end—who doesn’t really take over the story or push Gwen (even when maybe he should). He’s also in the midst of a low-grade depression, thinking that he doesn’t deserve Gwen or really anything nice. Normally this kind of wallowing drives me nuts, but it’s been maybe a year or so since he learned that his youngest brother murdered their elder brother and father, and the elder brother was a giant asshole who stole from his wife’s widow’s portion and beggared the family. He doesn’t feel that awesome about his DNA and it’s hard to blame him.
Gwen is a bit more difficult to pin down — in the previous book as well as for a lot of this book, the men in her family (Andrew, Gareth and their brother-in-law and future hero, David) assume that her reticence to bring Rose or herself into the world means she must have been raped. No one asks her because it’s just not the thing to do at this point. Even Douglas assumes this. I think it’s important to remind myself that Gwen literally never says this to any of them at any point because it helps me kind of understand some of the things that happen later. She never tells any of them outright exactly what happened or tells them it was rape.
For the most part, my feelings about this book is that it's a lot like the last two books — it has a relatively sweet and believable romance, but the other part of the plot is less great. I mean, it’s serviceable and does what it needs to do. In many ways, this book is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Not only are we preparing for David to get his own book (after appearing in all three books thus far), but it also introduces Loris Tanner, who will come back as a heroine in another series entirely, and introduces the Windham family with whom we will spend about eight or nine books with. Considering everything this book does for the universe, it’s actually pretty good.
Spoilers
My big problem with this book is Victor Windham and pretty much everything that happens after the Windhams are introduced. Having already read The Courtship and The Duke and His Duchess for this project, this is the first time it’s clear that this book was written first and before Grace Burrowes had spent eight books with Percy Windham, Duke of Moreland. Because this is not the Percy we meet in those novellas.
Did Victor rape Gwen? I mean, by modern standards…yes? It’s hard to tell. By the time Gwen tells the story maybe halfway through the book, she states that she willingly eloped with Victor and was interested in consummating the marriage until Victor literally shoved her over a chair, flipped her over a chair, and then…for her first time, had sex with her from behind. Gwen says she was willing at first, and then…it was just over. So did she ever say no? Did Victor know she was saying no?
I think this is where we get into some gray area when we say — well, these things were different then. Expectations were different. Gwen probably doesn’t protest because she’s likely been brought up not to say no. She later tells Victor he all but raped her, but I think this is a realization she comes to later after having been with Douglas and seeing how it should have been. It wasn’t technically rape, but the way Gwen felt about it afterward is basically the same which should put it on the side of -- Gwen was the victim of rape.
But Victor is dying of consumption, so Gwen decides to forgive him and tell him about Rose. Victor says he already knew he was dying, he was angry about it, and Gwen was his attempt at living life. And somehow this translates into how horribly he treated her on their elopement. I guess I kind of buy it, but I think Gwen is much too nice to him. Probably because he is literally weeks from death.
But she’s kept Rose from Victor and the Windhams for all these years in part because she feared she was legally married to Victor and the “old school” Duke would basically take her daughter from her. I get why she told Victor, but I guess I’m just not sure how to take all of this. She doesn’t tell her family Moreland threatened her, and then Westhaven, Victor’s older brother and the ducal heir, gets kind of weird when they’re talking about their proposed marriage (he comes on to her in a way that just feels completely out of character for the Westhaven we get literally in the rest of the universe and even in the book thus far).
And then Gwen very nearly marries Westhaven because Moreland has threatened to spread nasty rumors about literally everyone she loves and Douglas almost can’t do anything because his mother is dying elsewhere and he needs to be with her. But…the wedding is basically stopped because Douglas shows up with a sword, tells Moreland that Gwen could be pregnant with his kid and finally someone stops to tell Esther that her husband has threatened Gwen.
The fact that Moreland backs down about the wedding when his wife basically smacks him around is what doesn’t work for me. Because, ostensibly, Westhaven should have known his mother had that kind of control over him. He agreed to propose in order to get power of attorney over the ducal finances, not realizing Gwen had been threatened into accepting should Westhaven propose.
But I kind of think Westhaven should have involved Esther much earlier. I think we’re supposed to be charmed by how much Moreland loves his wife and would do anything for her, but I guess it’s hard to buy it based on just how incredibly awful he is to Gwen in this book. Like…ridiculously villainous. These two parts of his character don’t match and they really don’t match The Courtship and The Duke and His Duchess.
I know they were written at different times, but it’s like Burrowes had forgotten just how awful Moreland was in this book and in The Heir or she’d grown to love him enough to assume her audience probably wouldn’t blink at the difference—or realize it since technically, Douglas is in a different series than The Heir and the novellas. I don’t know. The last third of the book is really not great and kind of drags down the whole thing. I was in four or five star territory until that point.
When I read this book back in 2014, I was relieved because finally, here was the backstory heavily alluded to in The Heir. The Heir is one of my favorite Burrowes books, and I’m really excited to get to it in this reread because I’m finally reading everything in chronological order which means the Douglas and Gwen scenes as well as Westhaven’s relationship with his family, particularly his father, is going to be that much more rich and nuanced.
Getting that out of the way, I can’t decide if I like this book. It’s a really good read right up until the end where things get…weird. We met Gwen and Douglas in the previous entry, Andrew. Gwen is the unmarried cousin of Andrew and Gareth Alexander who was apparently able to hide her illegitimate daughter, Rose, from the rest of her family for four years. Douglas is the survivor of the Allen family in Andrew, middle son sandwiched between shitty Herbert and crazy murderer Henry. Douglas is trying to get himself back together after the events of that book and asks Gwen for assistance with an estate purchase since she has made her own estate relatively profitable.
Douglas is a beta hero—with the exception of one scene that I’m not really all that fond of at the end—who doesn’t really take over the story or push Gwen (even when maybe he should). He’s also in the midst of a low-grade depression, thinking that he doesn’t deserve Gwen or really anything nice. Normally this kind of wallowing drives me nuts, but it’s been maybe a year or so since he learned that his youngest brother murdered their elder brother and father, and the elder brother was a giant asshole who stole from his wife’s widow’s portion and beggared the family. He doesn’t feel that awesome about his DNA and it’s hard to blame him.
Gwen is a bit more difficult to pin down — in the previous book as well as for a lot of this book, the men in her family (Andrew, Gareth and their brother-in-law and future hero, David) assume that her reticence to bring Rose or herself into the world means she must have been raped. No one asks her because it’s just not the thing to do at this point. Even Douglas assumes this. I think it’s important to remind myself that Gwen literally never says this to any of them at any point because it helps me kind of understand some of the things that happen later. She never tells any of them outright exactly what happened or tells them it was rape.
For the most part, my feelings about this book is that it's a lot like the last two books — it has a relatively sweet and believable romance, but the other part of the plot is less great. I mean, it’s serviceable and does what it needs to do. In many ways, this book is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Not only are we preparing for David to get his own book (after appearing in all three books thus far), but it also introduces Loris Tanner, who will come back as a heroine in another series entirely, and introduces the Windham family with whom we will spend about eight or nine books with. Considering everything this book does for the universe, it’s actually pretty good.
Spoilers
My big problem with this book is Victor Windham and pretty much everything that happens after the Windhams are introduced. Having already read The Courtship and The Duke and His Duchess for this project, this is the first time it’s clear that this book was written first and before Grace Burrowes had spent eight books with Percy Windham, Duke of Moreland. Because this is not the Percy we meet in those novellas.
Did Victor rape Gwen? I mean, by modern standards…yes? It’s hard to tell. By the time Gwen tells the story maybe halfway through the book, she states that she willingly eloped with Victor and was interested in consummating the marriage until Victor literally shoved her over a chair, flipped her over a chair, and then…for her first time, had sex with her from behind. Gwen says she was willing at first, and then…it was just over. So did she ever say no? Did Victor know she was saying no?
I think this is where we get into some gray area when we say — well, these things were different then. Expectations were different. Gwen probably doesn’t protest because she’s likely been brought up not to say no. She later tells Victor he all but raped her, but I think this is a realization she comes to later after having been with Douglas and seeing how it should have been. It wasn’t technically rape, but the way Gwen felt about it afterward is basically the same which should put it on the side of -- Gwen was the victim of rape.
But Victor is dying of consumption, so Gwen decides to forgive him and tell him about Rose. Victor says he already knew he was dying, he was angry about it, and Gwen was his attempt at living life. And somehow this translates into how horribly he treated her on their elopement. I guess I kind of buy it, but I think Gwen is much too nice to him. Probably because he is literally weeks from death.
But she’s kept Rose from Victor and the Windhams for all these years in part because she feared she was legally married to Victor and the “old school” Duke would basically take her daughter from her. I get why she told Victor, but I guess I’m just not sure how to take all of this. She doesn’t tell her family Moreland threatened her, and then Westhaven, Victor’s older brother and the ducal heir, gets kind of weird when they’re talking about their proposed marriage (he comes on to her in a way that just feels completely out of character for the Westhaven we get literally in the rest of the universe and even in the book thus far).
And then Gwen very nearly marries Westhaven because Moreland has threatened to spread nasty rumors about literally everyone she loves and Douglas almost can’t do anything because his mother is dying elsewhere and he needs to be with her. But…the wedding is basically stopped because Douglas shows up with a sword, tells Moreland that Gwen could be pregnant with his kid and finally someone stops to tell Esther that her husband has threatened Gwen.
The fact that Moreland backs down about the wedding when his wife basically smacks him around is what doesn’t work for me. Because, ostensibly, Westhaven should have known his mother had that kind of control over him. He agreed to propose in order to get power of attorney over the ducal finances, not realizing Gwen had been threatened into accepting should Westhaven propose.
But I kind of think Westhaven should have involved Esther much earlier. I think we’re supposed to be charmed by how much Moreland loves his wife and would do anything for her, but I guess it’s hard to buy it based on just how incredibly awful he is to Gwen in this book. Like…ridiculously villainous. These two parts of his character don’t match and they really don’t match The Courtship and The Duke and His Duchess.
I know they were written at different times, but it’s like Burrowes had forgotten just how awful Moreland was in this book and in The Heir or she’d grown to love him enough to assume her audience probably wouldn’t blink at the difference—or realize it since technically, Douglas is in a different series than The Heir and the novellas. I don’t know. The last third of the book is really not great and kind of drags down the whole thing. I was in four or five star territory until that point.
September 8, 2020
I wanted to like this book. The characters were in previous books and had a quiet certainty to them, making them rather unique for a romance. The plot was moving along so well, and then the roadblocks came up. They were in my opinion, ridiculous. Then to get through or around the road blocks, the plot absolutely collapsed into mucky absurdity. It was so disappointing.
March 4, 2022
Loved Douglas & Gwen, and especially Rose!
What’s not to love about Grace Burrowes’ amazing characters! So many layers to each and every one, whether this wonderful series or any of her others. She never disappoints with her beautiful writing style and the stories she creates. She will always be one of my top authors.
What’s not to love about Grace Burrowes’ amazing characters! So many layers to each and every one, whether this wonderful series or any of her others. She never disappoints with her beautiful writing style and the stories she creates. She will always be one of my top authors.
November 21, 2013
My Rating: 3.5/5
A lovely read. Douglas: Lord of Heartache was a good historical romance. Considering how much I loved the previous couple of books in this series, I expected a lot from this book. It didn't quite meet my expectations, but I still really enjoyed this book.
Gwen was an okay heroine. She had the tendency to be shrewish at times, but it wasn't too big a deal. I liked how devoted she was to her daughter and how determined she was to be independent. Even though the determination made her push everyone away. I liked her, for the most part. She was a good character.
Douglas was better. I thought he was so sweet. He was a true gentleman, one that hadn't had the easiest time in the recent past. He was just wonderful. Sweet, honorable, devoted to his loved ones. I totally adored him.
The romance was lovely. I thought Gwen and Douglas were a perfect match. They balanced each other out and they helped each other become stronger. The heat between them was scorching. Grace Burrowes does an excellent job creating sensuous attraction in a way that is almost an art form, rather than just sex. These two were a lovely couple.
The plot was okay. I was kept interested the entire way through. This is actually a prequel to the Windham series and we see some of the characters as they were before the beginning of their stories. For some reason though, rather than making it more interesting to see those old characters again, it slowed down the pace for me. And the plot took a turn that made me so angry, I almost threw my Kindle. I had to skim ahead until it was fixed, after tons of heartache. For about the last third of the book, I was skimming, as opposed to the beginning thirds, where I was hooked. I still enjoyed the story, but that put a damper on my overall enjoyment. Overall, though, I liked the story and I though the ending was lovely.
Douglas: Lord of Heartache was a lovely historical romance. I had a few issues with it, but I still really enjoyed reading it. Fans of Grace Burrowes, I think you'll really enjoy this latest installment in the Lonely Lords series, and the cameo from the Windhams. Lovers of romance in general, I don't know that I would outright recommend this book, but I think you should check it out.
*I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Quotes:
"The weeks spent with you here have been the happiest I can recall. You have put warmth, affection, and meaning in the empty places inside me. You have challenged me, touched me, teased me, and confounded me by turns. Your generosity and strength put me in awe of you, your integrity and determination put me to shame. I love you, I will always love you, and I will always be glad I love you, come what may. Because of you, there is joy in me, Guinevere, even as we face separation, difficulties, and unknown challenges. You have no idea how much you have restored to me, and all I can do in return is offer you my love, little comfort though that may be." -Douglas.
A lovely read. Douglas: Lord of Heartache was a good historical romance. Considering how much I loved the previous couple of books in this series, I expected a lot from this book. It didn't quite meet my expectations, but I still really enjoyed this book.
Gwen was an okay heroine. She had the tendency to be shrewish at times, but it wasn't too big a deal. I liked how devoted she was to her daughter and how determined she was to be independent. Even though the determination made her push everyone away. I liked her, for the most part. She was a good character.
Douglas was better. I thought he was so sweet. He was a true gentleman, one that hadn't had the easiest time in the recent past. He was just wonderful. Sweet, honorable, devoted to his loved ones. I totally adored him.
The romance was lovely. I thought Gwen and Douglas were a perfect match. They balanced each other out and they helped each other become stronger. The heat between them was scorching. Grace Burrowes does an excellent job creating sensuous attraction in a way that is almost an art form, rather than just sex. These two were a lovely couple.
The plot was okay. I was kept interested the entire way through. This is actually a prequel to the Windham series and we see some of the characters as they were before the beginning of their stories. For some reason though, rather than making it more interesting to see those old characters again, it slowed down the pace for me. And the plot took a turn that made me so angry, I almost threw my Kindle. I had to skim ahead until it was fixed, after tons of heartache. For about the last third of the book, I was skimming, as opposed to the beginning thirds, where I was hooked. I still enjoyed the story, but that put a damper on my overall enjoyment. Overall, though, I liked the story and I though the ending was lovely.
Douglas: Lord of Heartache was a lovely historical romance. I had a few issues with it, but I still really enjoyed reading it. Fans of Grace Burrowes, I think you'll really enjoy this latest installment in the Lonely Lords series, and the cameo from the Windhams. Lovers of romance in general, I don't know that I would outright recommend this book, but I think you should check it out.
*I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Quotes:
"The weeks spent with you here have been the happiest I can recall. You have put warmth, affection, and meaning in the empty places inside me. You have challenged me, touched me, teased me, and confounded me by turns. Your generosity and strength put me in awe of you, your integrity and determination put me to shame. I love you, I will always love you, and I will always be glad I love you, come what may. Because of you, there is joy in me, Guinevere, even as we face separation, difficulties, and unknown challenges. You have no idea how much you have restored to me, and all I can do in return is offer you my love, little comfort though that may be." -Douglas.
November 22, 2015
Achingly satisfying!
I commented on Douglas in my review of Andrew (Lord of Despair) and am delighted by his story! If ever a Lord needed understanding, this is that one.
Needing to check out a property of Lord Andrew Greymore's he might buy, Douglas Allen, now Viscount Amery, persuades Guinevere Hollister, cousin to Greymore and Gareth Heathgate, and current steward of another of Greymore's properties to accompany him to Sussex. He needs someone to give him advice as to the suitability of purchasing the place and Greymore recommended Guinevere. Lady Heathgate is supposedly to meet them there to act as chaperone. Unfortunately Lady Heathgate is delayed by illness.
(I am also much struck by the role of women at this time in this society, and the lack of acceptance of their talents. Certainly Gwen is an expert in the field of husbandry and stewardship as is pointed out time and again.)
There is too, Gwen's illegitimate daughter Rose, who is precious. Some of her questions and conversations were just delightful.
I'm loving the determined awkwardness of Gwen and the stilted carefulness of Douglas.
I love the way he sets about to cater for that awkwardness of Gwen's, the way by his unfailing care and gentle manner he actually touches her soul.
The dance between Gwen and Douglas is one of retreat and advance. Slow and unhurried, two damaged people finding each other.
One rather beautiful love scene pushed itself forward into my consciousness, which reflected the biblical sense of 'covering' (mayhap a Ruth and Boab moment) and all that is implicit in that thought.
Douglas is a shy man but so determined, as comes through time and again.
When who Rose's father is, is revealed a whole new possibility of anguish opens up for Douglas and Guinevere.
Certainly, when in another twist the Duke of Windham becomes involved, there is Deception, Control, and Blackmail.
I loved the scene at the church entrance. So gratifying!
In Burrowes' Acknowledgements we are told where this novel is placed in the overall relationships of the Windhams and a little of how the story came about.
This is a truly romantic tale, beautifully told and refreshingly honest.
Douglas makes a true and unsuspecting knight, who thankfully dons his shining armour without hesitation. Guinevere is a very hurting Lady in Distress, never expecting a knight, and I cheered when that worthy captured her heart.
Gwen and Douglas have both experienced darkness, it's time for the dawn to break.
A NetGalley ARC
I commented on Douglas in my review of Andrew (Lord of Despair) and am delighted by his story! If ever a Lord needed understanding, this is that one.
Needing to check out a property of Lord Andrew Greymore's he might buy, Douglas Allen, now Viscount Amery, persuades Guinevere Hollister, cousin to Greymore and Gareth Heathgate, and current steward of another of Greymore's properties to accompany him to Sussex. He needs someone to give him advice as to the suitability of purchasing the place and Greymore recommended Guinevere. Lady Heathgate is supposedly to meet them there to act as chaperone. Unfortunately Lady Heathgate is delayed by illness.
(I am also much struck by the role of women at this time in this society, and the lack of acceptance of their talents. Certainly Gwen is an expert in the field of husbandry and stewardship as is pointed out time and again.)
There is too, Gwen's illegitimate daughter Rose, who is precious. Some of her questions and conversations were just delightful.
I'm loving the determined awkwardness of Gwen and the stilted carefulness of Douglas.
I love the way he sets about to cater for that awkwardness of Gwen's, the way by his unfailing care and gentle manner he actually touches her soul.
The dance between Gwen and Douglas is one of retreat and advance. Slow and unhurried, two damaged people finding each other.
One rather beautiful love scene pushed itself forward into my consciousness, which reflected the biblical sense of 'covering' (mayhap a Ruth and Boab moment) and all that is implicit in that thought.
Douglas is a shy man but so determined, as comes through time and again.
When who Rose's father is, is revealed a whole new possibility of anguish opens up for Douglas and Guinevere.
Certainly, when in another twist the Duke of Windham becomes involved, there is Deception, Control, and Blackmail.
I loved the scene at the church entrance. So gratifying!
In Burrowes' Acknowledgements we are told where this novel is placed in the overall relationships of the Windhams and a little of how the story came about.
This is a truly romantic tale, beautifully told and refreshingly honest.
Douglas makes a true and unsuspecting knight, who thankfully dons his shining armour without hesitation. Guinevere is a very hurting Lady in Distress, never expecting a knight, and I cheered when that worthy captured her heart.
Gwen and Douglas have both experienced darkness, it's time for the dawn to break.
A NetGalley ARC
January 14, 2014
DOUGLAS: LORD OF HEARTACHE by Grace Burrowes is a delightful Regency Romance. #8 in "The Lonely Lords" series, but can be read as a stand alone. This is the story of Douglas Allen, Viscount Amery,Guinevere Hollister and Gwen's illegitimate daughter Rose or is she? It is a backdrop to the Windham family saga. Gwen is one of the Windham's cousins. She trusts no one, after she was burned by a man,whom she loved and thought loved her....until she became pregnant.
Douglas dislikes his title for he knows nothing of stewardship,husbandry, or land management. Thus he needs Gwen in more ways than one. She is brilliant on those skills. He slowly enters into Gwen's lonely heart as well as Rose's. Who is a delightful young lady by the way. While, this was not my favorite of "The Lonely Lords" series,(not sure why, really), Ms. Burrowes is a constant storyteller and one of my favorite. She shows her skill at bringing characters to life through the pages of her stories.
Filled with heartache, sacrifice, a secret or two, the power of family, friendship, romance and the power of love. Did I mention a bit of blackmail too? For there is more to Rose's parentage than meets the eye. All will come to light in a most inconvenient time,when love is beginning to bloom! Oh a bit of sensual tension is included, for Douglas and Gwen's attraction is one step forward, two steps back. A tug of war between two strong characters.
I look forward to the next installment of "The Lonely Lords" series.
Received for an honest review from the publisher and Net Galley.
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: MILD
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
Douglas dislikes his title for he knows nothing of stewardship,husbandry, or land management. Thus he needs Gwen in more ways than one. She is brilliant on those skills. He slowly enters into Gwen's lonely heart as well as Rose's. Who is a delightful young lady by the way. While, this was not my favorite of "The Lonely Lords" series,(not sure why, really), Ms. Burrowes is a constant storyteller and one of my favorite. She shows her skill at bringing characters to life through the pages of her stories.
Filled with heartache, sacrifice, a secret or two, the power of family, friendship, romance and the power of love. Did I mention a bit of blackmail too? For there is more to Rose's parentage than meets the eye. All will come to light in a most inconvenient time,when love is beginning to bloom! Oh a bit of sensual tension is included, for Douglas and Gwen's attraction is one step forward, two steps back. A tug of war between two strong characters.
I look forward to the next installment of "The Lonely Lords" series.
Received for an honest review from the publisher and Net Galley.
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: MILD
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
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December 10, 2014#8 in a series, but the first one in the series I've read. This far in, there is naturally a cast of thousands but I'm not sure there's much of a loss by coming in partway.
Douglas, the Viscount Amery is sent to see Gwen Hollister's advice about buying a new house and estate - his now dead father and brothers have left him virtually alone (bar a sick mother) and the family finances in a perilous state.
It's a pretext of course, by Gwen's cousins, in an attempt to bring her out from her self imposed exile. She's been shamed by the family of the Duke of Moreland, and few people are aware of Rose, the daughter of the brief, shameful elopement.
The relationship between Douglas and Gwen is threatened by the arrival of the Moreland clan, whose various members become aware of Rose and Gwen. The Duke of Moreland, a bully used to getting his own way, and with 4 sons unmarried, threatens and blackmails Gwen into a marriage no other party wants to take part in, purely to ensure access to his granddaughter.
Big cast of characters, lots of angst (perhaps a bit too much, which resulted in me skim reading sections), some medium spicy scenes (not like she has a reputation to keep, after all). Reading other reviews of this book has led me to realise that this is only one of a massive set of books - approximately 30 - by the same author, focussing on various characters in the same world. So whilst this is #8 in the "Lords" series, it could also be counted as #1 in the Windham series - apparently.
Not sure I'd take this series any further though I believe other people adore this author
Douglas, the Viscount Amery is sent to see Gwen Hollister's advice about buying a new house and estate - his now dead father and brothers have left him virtually alone (bar a sick mother) and the family finances in a perilous state.
It's a pretext of course, by Gwen's cousins, in an attempt to bring her out from her self imposed exile. She's been shamed by the family of the Duke of Moreland, and few people are aware of Rose, the daughter of the brief, shameful elopement.
The relationship between Douglas and Gwen is threatened by the arrival of the Moreland clan, whose various members become aware of Rose and Gwen. The Duke of Moreland, a bully used to getting his own way, and with 4 sons unmarried, threatens and blackmails Gwen into a marriage no other party wants to take part in, purely to ensure access to his granddaughter.
Big cast of characters, lots of angst (perhaps a bit too much, which resulted in me skim reading sections), some medium spicy scenes (not like she has a reputation to keep, after all). Reading other reviews of this book has led me to realise that this is only one of a massive set of books - approximately 30 - by the same author, focussing on various characters in the same world. So whilst this is #8 in the "Lords" series, it could also be counted as #1 in the Windham series - apparently.
Not sure I'd take this series any further though I believe other people adore this author
December 15, 2014
Historical English romance with a young lady that made one mistake and ruined her life until her family's friend comes to make a new life and love. Miss Gwen Hollister has a secret daughter. She has not left her estate in the past five years and has completely left social life so to protect her secret daughter, Rose as well as dear family. She was tricked in her youth into a fake marriage and was raped by her 'husband' before getting a second chance by agreeing to pretend that the fake marriage never happened, but she never told anyone about the secret baby that came out of that one night. Gwen is a strong smart young lady but with no experience with love or lovers so her perfect match is the new Lord Douglas Allen, Viscount Amery. Douglas is patient and kind as well as being an obviously great step-daddy with little Rose.
I really enjoyed my first Grace Burrowes book, The Heir (Duke's Obsession, #1) so now I'll have to go back and do a little re-read because I hear that there are cameos with Viscount Amery and Gwen.
Duke of Moreland makes lots of trouble as well as in the The Heir (Duke's Obsession, #1) which makes sense because rich powerful people are always trying to control the people around them, but there is no real villain in this story, just lots of people making bad decisions and then trying to cover them up with lies and secrets.
375 pages and kindle freebie
2 stars
I really enjoyed my first Grace Burrowes book, The Heir (Duke's Obsession, #1) so now I'll have to go back and do a little re-read because I hear that there are cameos with Viscount Amery and Gwen.
Duke of Moreland makes lots of trouble as well as in the The Heir (Duke's Obsession, #1) which makes sense because rich powerful people are always trying to control the people around them, but there is no real villain in this story, just lots of people making bad decisions and then trying to cover them up with lies and secrets.
375 pages and kindle freebie
2 stars
February 9, 2015
“Douglas: Lord of Heartache” is part 8 of the “Lonely Lords” series by Grace Burrows.
Gwen Hollister, cousin to the Marquis of Heathgate, lives with her illegitimate child Rose on the country side and manages one of her cousin’s estates. Nobody knows who the child’s dad is because she isn’t telling. For a long part of the story it is quite unimportant but the man wasn’t unimportant.
One day Douglas Allen, Viscount Amery, heads to her place because he wants her expertise on an estate he wants to buy from her cousin. The truth is that he is looking for a wife because he needs an heir. Fact is that he father put all his money in a huge family estate, one he has no money for and doesn’t like at all.
When Douglas meets Gwen and Rose for the first time, Rose – a small girl – is up a tree and not able to get down herself. Her mother stands beneath and talks to her. Without thinking a second time Max climbs up the tree and rescues the girl.
Further along he talks Gwen into coming with him to the new estate and he shows her the huge family house – more than 300 rooms but in a rotten state because of the money issue. That’s why he want to buy the estate from Gwen’s cousin to rebuild his wealth.
Slowly she falls for him. Slowly she starts to trust him as a man. Slowly they begin an affair.
What I liked a lot about the book was the vivid description of estate issues and the house itself. I can image very well that there were men putting their fortune in a house to make it bigger and bigger, to show their wealth if it took all of their money.
Nevertheless there were some quite gassy elements and the story was with less than 200 pages rather short.
Rating: 4****
Gwen Hollister, cousin to the Marquis of Heathgate, lives with her illegitimate child Rose on the country side and manages one of her cousin’s estates. Nobody knows who the child’s dad is because she isn’t telling. For a long part of the story it is quite unimportant but the man wasn’t unimportant.
One day Douglas Allen, Viscount Amery, heads to her place because he wants her expertise on an estate he wants to buy from her cousin. The truth is that he is looking for a wife because he needs an heir. Fact is that he father put all his money in a huge family estate, one he has no money for and doesn’t like at all.
When Douglas meets Gwen and Rose for the first time, Rose – a small girl – is up a tree and not able to get down herself. Her mother stands beneath and talks to her. Without thinking a second time Max climbs up the tree and rescues the girl.
Further along he talks Gwen into coming with him to the new estate and he shows her the huge family house – more than 300 rooms but in a rotten state because of the money issue. That’s why he want to buy the estate from Gwen’s cousin to rebuild his wealth.
Slowly she falls for him. Slowly she starts to trust him as a man. Slowly they begin an affair.
What I liked a lot about the book was the vivid description of estate issues and the house itself. I can image very well that there were men putting their fortune in a house to make it bigger and bigger, to show their wealth if it took all of their money.
Nevertheless there were some quite gassy elements and the story was with less than 200 pages rather short.
Rating: 4****
December 22, 2013
If you are a fan of the Windham series by Grace Burrowes this is a must read. "This is the “missing” prequel to the Windham series." Here we meet Douglas, Gwen, and Rose and hear their story. They have been characters in some of the Windham books but there has always been a bit of a mystery as to where they fit into the family.
Douglas is an entertaining story. Douglas and Gwen are two lonely people who find attraction and love when they meet. There is just one problem and it is a big one. Half way through the book that problem shows up when one of the Windham sons arrives to see Gwen. Gwen and Douglas also have a connection to previous Lonely Lords characters. It is a story that really brings many of the characters from both series together.
I think is one of the best stories in the Lonely Lords series. It had a good plot, gave some insight into the Windham family and answered question about Rose and her parents. It does stand-alone but is much better if you have read either the Lonely Lords books or the Windham books.
Sourcebooks Casablanca published Douglas: Lord of Heartache by Grace Burrows in 2014.
I received an ARC of Douglas: Lord of Heartache from Netgalley.
Douglas is an entertaining story. Douglas and Gwen are two lonely people who find attraction and love when they meet. There is just one problem and it is a big one. Half way through the book that problem shows up when one of the Windham sons arrives to see Gwen. Gwen and Douglas also have a connection to previous Lonely Lords characters. It is a story that really brings many of the characters from both series together.
I think is one of the best stories in the Lonely Lords series. It had a good plot, gave some insight into the Windham family and answered question about Rose and her parents. It does stand-alone but is much better if you have read either the Lonely Lords books or the Windham books.
Sourcebooks Casablanca published Douglas: Lord of Heartache by Grace Burrows in 2014.
I received an ARC of Douglas: Lord of Heartache from Netgalley.
May 16, 2017
Moreland annoyed me to no end and lowered my rating of the story. Someone should have stood up to Moreland before Douglas did. Everyone told Gwen that she had a family that loved and would support her but didn't take a more active vocal role against Moreland. Someone should have called him a bully, hypocrite, etc. And Victor should have stopped being such a coward. He was determined to try to right the wrong he did to Gwen when he went through with the disaster of the their wedding when he was still alive but then than he turns coward again, and, knowing the pressure and misery that his father is causing Gwen does nothing. Even if he didn't have the strength to go into a volatile confrontation with his father, he should have written his letter and had it delivered immediately to his brother, mother and to a member of Gwen's family so it wouldn't get forgotten, overlooked, or "lost" because of the Duke's influence. Rose would be legitimate and they would be entitled to whatever monies he had.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2016
I love Douglas! What an amazingly broodworthy character. And the lady that catches his eye is too serieous for her own good, raising a daughter by herself.Gwen's pain has kept them (her and her daughter) practically locked up from the rest of the world.
What really makes this novel is Rose's interaction with Douglas. He becomes a father figure before he even knows it. The gradual but deepening relationship between Douglas and Gwen is also masterfully done.
What really makes this novel is Rose's interaction with Douglas. He becomes a father figure before he even knows it. The gradual but deepening relationship between Douglas and Gwen is also masterfully done.
July 6, 2015
There's not much history to this Regency romance, and it's delightful anyway.
It starts with a child in danger (ovaries be screaming) and ends with a happy couple in love. Something of a prequel/side tangent to the Windham Duke series, it details how Gwen, became married to Douglas. Lots of steamy romping, family help/interference, and of course, a HEA.
It starts with a child in danger (ovaries be screaming) and ends with a happy couple in love. Something of a prequel/side tangent to the Windham Duke series, it details how Gwen, became married to Douglas. Lots of steamy romping, family help/interference, and of course, a HEA.
July 16, 2015
I may be getting burnt out on these over the top stories, but I can't resist the heroes! Douglas was another wonderful one.
're-read and I liked it better. Still frustrated with Gwen' s stubbornness.
're-read and I liked it better. Still frustrated with Gwen' s stubbornness.
October 23, 2015
I think, Douglas by far, has been the best of the series - he had such a calming sense about him that you just knew you would fall in love with him just as Gwen and little Rose did. Bring on David!!
December 3, 2014
Loved this story. Great characters, a twisty plot and enough suspense to keep me entertained right to the end.
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