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Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James #1
When the Duke Was Wicked
They are England’s most eligible bachelors, with the most scandalous reputations. But for the right woman, even an unrepentant rogue may mend his ways…
Lady Grace Mabry’s ample inheritance has made it impossible for her to tell whether a suitor is in love with her—or enamored of her riches. Who better to distinguish beau from blackguard than her notorious childhood friend, the Duke of Lovingdon?
After losing his beloved wife Juliette, Lovingdon has spent years on pleasure. He can help Grace find a proper match, being familiar with ploys of scoundrels, and how to distinguish honest emotions from false. But lessons lead to torrid passion and Grace becomes ensnared in another man’s nefarious marriage plot, Lovingdon must wage a desperate gamble: Open his heart fully—or risk losing the woman he adores . . .
Lady Grace Mabry’s ample inheritance has made it impossible for her to tell whether a suitor is in love with her—or enamored of her riches. Who better to distinguish beau from blackguard than her notorious childhood friend, the Duke of Lovingdon?
After losing his beloved wife Juliette, Lovingdon has spent years on pleasure. He can help Grace find a proper match, being familiar with ploys of scoundrels, and how to distinguish honest emotions from false. But lessons lead to torrid passion and Grace becomes ensnared in another man’s nefarious marriage plot, Lovingdon must wage a desperate gamble: Open his heart fully—or risk losing the woman he adores . . .
384 pages, ebook
First published February 25, 2014
495 people are currently reading
5656 people want to read
About the author
Lorraine Heath
90 books4,373 followersAlso writes Young Adult under Rachel Hawthorne, Jade Parker, and with her son as J.A. London.
Lorraine Heath has always had a soft spot for emotional love stories. No doubt because growing up, watching movies with her mom, she was taught that the best movies "won't half make you cry."
She is the daughter of a British beauty (her mom won second place in a beauty contest sponsored by Max Factor® during which she received a kiss from Caesar Romero, (the Joker on the original Batman TV series) and a Texan who was stationed at Bovingdon while serving in the air force. Lorraine was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, but soon after moved to Texas. Her "dual" nationality has given her a love for all things British and Texan, and she enjoys weaving both heritages through her stories.
When she received her BA degree in psychology from the University of Texas, she had no idea she had gained a foundation that would help her to create believable characters—characters that are often described as “real people.” She began her career writing training manuals and computer code for the IRS, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she became not only hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She's been writing about them ever since.
Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards including RWA's RITA®. Her novels have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA TODAY and the New York Times.
The author of more than 60 novels, she writes historical and contemporary romance for adults and historical romance for teen readers.
Under the names Rachel Hawthorne and Jade Parker, she writes popular contemporary, historical, and paranormal romance for teens readers. She also writes young adult novels with her son under the name J. A. London.
Lorraine Heath has always had a soft spot for emotional love stories. No doubt because growing up, watching movies with her mom, she was taught that the best movies "won't half make you cry."
She is the daughter of a British beauty (her mom won second place in a beauty contest sponsored by Max Factor® during which she received a kiss from Caesar Romero, (the Joker on the original Batman TV series) and a Texan who was stationed at Bovingdon while serving in the air force. Lorraine was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, but soon after moved to Texas. Her "dual" nationality has given her a love for all things British and Texan, and she enjoys weaving both heritages through her stories.
When she received her BA degree in psychology from the University of Texas, she had no idea she had gained a foundation that would help her to create believable characters—characters that are often described as “real people.” She began her career writing training manuals and computer code for the IRS, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she became not only hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She's been writing about them ever since.
Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards including RWA's RITA®. Her novels have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA TODAY and the New York Times.
The author of more than 60 novels, she writes historical and contemporary romance for adults and historical romance for teen readers.
Under the names Rachel Hawthorne and Jade Parker, she writes popular contemporary, historical, and paranormal romance for teens readers. She also writes young adult novels with her son under the name J. A. London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 961 reviews
July 17, 2016
Actual rating: 3.5
So maybe I cried a little bit. I swear to god it's not THAT type of tear-jerker book, but one paragraph just hit me hard. Before I knew it, my nose was stinging, my eyes were watering, and to my absolute horror, I felt a single tear slipping down my cheeks. DAMMIT.
There was absolutely nothing vexing about this book. It was thoroughly pleasant, thoroughly comforting, and completely enjoyable. It is the equivalent of a warm scarf on a rainy day.
The main character is a sweet, rational, absolutely likeable young woman. She has grown up in the warm embrace of a a loving family, and we can see that she has grown up all the better for it. The love interest is a dissolute rake, but not in the way you would expect. The side cast is absolutely delightful, and I look forward to seeing more of them in the next book. Nothing hurts.
The Summary: Up until 2 years ago, Henry, the Duke of Lovingdon, was an exemplary man who led a blameless life.
With their deaths, Lovingdon fell apart in a blaze of misery. He hated the world---and who can blame him?
Grace is 19. She has had a privileged existence. Her parents, the Duke and Duchess, adore her. She is well-bred, she is well-educated, spirited and lively without bitchiness, she is kind, she is not a snob, she is exemplary.
And she wants a husband. Grace doesn't want Lovingdon as her husband...she wants his help in finding one who loves her. Grace is a Duke's daughter. She comes with a huge dowry. All of England's fortune hunters are out for her hand.
But he does care. Lovingdon has grown up with Grace. He has known Grace was a little child who refused to come down from a tree. He knows that she needs his guidance. As reluctant as he is to give it to her, Lovindgon knows that she needs his help. Slowly, Lovingdon emerges from his cave of misery. Try as he might, Lovingdon can find nobody good enough for Grace, and as he starts to instruct her on what to search for in the right man...
It wouldn't be a story if there were no challenges to their love, and Lovingdon has got a whole lot of mental scars to overcome.
Grace holds her infatuation in check. Rest assured, she has had an infatuation with Lovingdon since they were children. I can't blame her, Lovingdon is, after all, the childhood rescuer of kittens. However, they are grown now, and she knows it is silly to place her heart and hopes with him, a rake in mourning, who will never accept love.
The Other Characters: This book does secondary character so well that it makes me want to go back and read the other books in Lorraine Heath's repertoire so I could get more of them. Husbands, wives, brothers, friends; the other characters in this book feel like they belong. They are not merely scenery, they feel like old friends we haven't seen in a long time.
The secondary characters in this book are so awesome. From Grace's loving parents, the best, most wondrously generous and kind of parents, to her friends, to her "adopted" brother, Drake (whom I hope we'll be seeing again soon). The love the characters in the book have for one another, the respect and protectiveness they have for Grace was a joy to read.
1. Lovingdon's relationship with Juliette: It didn't feel genuine.
Overall: a good book, if rather bland.
So maybe I cried a little bit. I swear to god it's not THAT type of tear-jerker book, but one paragraph just hit me hard. Before I knew it, my nose was stinging, my eyes were watering, and to my absolute horror, I felt a single tear slipping down my cheeks. DAMMIT.
There was absolutely nothing vexing about this book. It was thoroughly pleasant, thoroughly comforting, and completely enjoyable. It is the equivalent of a warm scarf on a rainy day.
The main character is a sweet, rational, absolutely likeable young woman. She has grown up in the warm embrace of a a loving family, and we can see that she has grown up all the better for it. The love interest is a dissolute rake, but not in the way you would expect. The side cast is absolutely delightful, and I look forward to seeing more of them in the next book. Nothing hurts.
The Summary: Up until 2 years ago, Henry, the Duke of Lovingdon, was an exemplary man who led a blameless life.
All my life I had sought to do the right and proper thing. I did not frequent gaming hells. I did not imbibe until I became a stumbling drunk. I fell in love at nineteen, married at twenty-one. I did the honorable thing: I did not bed my wife until I wed her. On our wedding night she was not the only virgin between our sheets.This flawless existence fell apart when his beloved wife and young daughter died.
With their deaths, Lovingdon fell apart in a blaze of misery. He hated the world---and who can blame him?
I was brought up to believe that we were rewarded according to our behavior. Yet the Fates had conspired to punish me, to take away that which I treasured above all else, and I could find no cause for their unkind regard.Lovingdon, heartbroken with grief, said "Fuck it all" to the world, and set out to sleep and drink and gamble and do all the good stuff that rakes do. And he's content to while away his existence in this dissolute manner until one night, when he is interrupted in flagrante delicto by his childhood neighbor, Grace.
And so I said to hell with it all. I would sow the wild oats I had not in my youth. I would gamble, I would drink, I would know many women.
Grace is 19. She has had a privileged existence. Her parents, the Duke and Duchess, adore her. She is well-bred, she is well-educated, spirited and lively without bitchiness, she is kind, she is not a snob, she is exemplary.
And she wants a husband. Grace doesn't want Lovingdon as her husband...she wants his help in finding one who loves her. Grace is a Duke's daughter. She comes with a huge dowry. All of England's fortune hunters are out for her hand.
And they were charming. Every last one of them. Which was part of her dilemma. How to separate charm from con.Grace wants to be able to tell who loves her, and who only wants her for the money she will bring to the marriage.
“I do not doubt that I will know if I love him. But how will I know if he loves me? With so many men vying for my affections, how can I know if their hearts are true? I shall marry only once, and fortune hunters abound. I want to ensure that I choose well.”Good girl. Grace has a good head on her shoulders, but Lovingdon is too busy wallowing in his misery and grief to bother.
But he does care. Lovingdon has grown up with Grace. He has known Grace was a little child who refused to come down from a tree. He knows that she needs his guidance. As reluctant as he is to give it to her, Lovindgon knows that she needs his help. Slowly, Lovingdon emerges from his cave of misery. Try as he might, Lovingdon can find nobody good enough for Grace, and as he starts to instruct her on what to search for in the right man...
“He would touch you in ways he could not touch you with his hands—not in public. But images would be filling his mind. He would be unable to tear his gaze away.” Clearing his throat, he broke the connection that was joining them and looked up into the trees. “He will look at you, Little Rose, as though you are everything, because to him you will be.”...he realizes that he wants her for himself.
It wouldn't be a story if there were no challenges to their love, and Lovingdon has got a whole lot of mental scars to overcome.
“He won’t marry again, Grace. Something inside him broke with the death of Juliette and Margaret. You can’t put him back together, sweetheart, not the way he was.”Grace herself is not the carefree miss we initially believe her to be, she, too, has scars that we will slowly come to discover.
“We all have jagged edges.” Hers more hideous than any Lovingdon might possess.They are so perfect together. Will Lovingdon ever overcome his grief to love again? Will Grace find the love she has been searching for?
“Why can’t it be you?”Grace: Grace is one of the most enjoyable HR characters I can remember reading. She is so rational, so sweet, so kind. This is not one of those books without female friendships, there is no girl hate in this book at all. Grace is more than happy to help out a friend or an acquaintance in need. She knows that she is the most desirable woman in town because of her dowry, but far from being a friendless, snobby chit, she is always happy to make friends with those who might be rivals.
“I don’t have it within me to love like that again.” His voice was somber, reflective, filled with pain and anguish.
Lady Cornelia beamed, and Grace didn’t think she looked at all like a ghoul. She thought she more closely resembled an angel. “The other girls are jealous of the attentions you get, you know.”Grace is so sensible, she knows that the world does not revolve around her falling in love. Grace wants it, but she knows that life will continue as it always does, her life does not hinge around finding the right man.
“I know. But we always want what someone else has.”
“What do you want?”
Grace gently squeezed her arm. “I want you to have Lord Ambrose.”
She cursed Lovingdon for not taking her problem seriously, but then she supposed it wasn’t truly a serious problem. No one would go hungry, be without shelter, or die because of her choice. And if she didn’t choose, her parents weren’t likely to disown her. She supposed she could live very happily without a husband, but it was the absence of love that was troubling.THANK YOU, RATIONALITY.
Grace holds her infatuation in check. Rest assured, she has had an infatuation with Lovingdon since they were children. I can't blame her, Lovingdon is, after all, the childhood rescuer of kittens. However, they are grown now, and she knows it is silly to place her heart and hopes with him, a rake in mourning, who will never accept love.
...her heart did that silly little somersault thing in her chest, which had irritated her beyond measure. She didn’t want it dancing about for him. He had proven to be a disappointment. She loved him as a friend, a brother. Her woman’s heart would never love him as more than that.Grace hurts, she hurts deeply, but she has her pride, too. She is unwilling to compromise for love.
Staring at him, she shook her head. “I can’t make it work without falling in love. I won’t. I deserve a man who cares if I die.”Grace may have a broken heart, but she never falls comatose and prostate with grief for the fact that love has passed her by.
...she certainly wasn’t going to sit here all night feeling sorry for herself. She thought about trying to sketch. She had been working on a story told through pictures of a bunny who had lost an ear and feared no other rabbit would ever love him, because he was scarred and different. She thought she would have it published as a children’s book, but at the moment she didn’t care about the damn bunny.Lovingdon: More than once in this book, I wanted to take a cold cup of ice water and toss it at Lovingdon's head because he is so incredibly stubborn. But then again, it's a rake. Stubborn is their middle name. Lovingdon is prostate with grief and guilt over his wife and daughter's death, so much that he refuses to love again. He is truly sincere about helping Grace. He cares about her, as a friend, as a woman, as someone he respects. Grace deserves the best of men.
She hurt too much to care about anything.
“She deserves better than a man who sees only a fortune when he gazes on her.”Lovingdon is so consumed by his guilt at all time.
Until that moment he hadn’t realized the truth of those words. She did deserve the love she so desperately sought.
She wanted love. He could give her lust in abundance, but not love. He had closed his heart to the possibility. He would never again experience the devastating pain of loss. He would not love. He would not.Lovingdon knows Grace wants him, but he can't give her the love that she deserves. Grace is better than what Lovingdon can give her. She deserves a man who loves her entirely, not one who is broken.
He did care about her, dammit, just not as she wished, not with his entire heart and soul. Those belonged to, would always belong to, Juliette.If there is one character that is mildly vexing about this book, it is Lovingdon's stubbornness.
He cared for Grace too much to place her second when she deserved to be some man’s first.
The Other Characters: This book does secondary character so well that it makes me want to go back and read the other books in Lorraine Heath's repertoire so I could get more of them. Husbands, wives, brothers, friends; the other characters in this book feel like they belong. They are not merely scenery, they feel like old friends we haven't seen in a long time.
The secondary characters in this book are so awesome. From Grace's loving parents, the best, most wondrously generous and kind of parents, to her friends, to her "adopted" brother, Drake (whom I hope we'll be seeing again soon). The love the characters in the book have for one another, the respect and protectiveness they have for Grace was a joy to read.
"Help her if you’ve a mind to. Otherwise walk away. I value your friendship, but I value hers more. I could destroy you within the blink of an eye.”The Faults: This book is not perfect, here is why:
1. Lovingdon's relationship with Juliette: It didn't feel genuine.
“You judge love by her,” she stated. No question, and yet he felt obligated to answer.Lovingdon's love for Juliette always feels too perfect, a pastel carnation compared to the fiery red rose of Grace. Lovingdon expresses a lot of grief for Juliette, but it feels somewhat unbelievable when he describes his relationship to Juliette as...dull.
“I judge everything by her.”
Hadn’t he taken Juliette for walks in the garden at night whether the moon was full or absent, and behaved himself? A kiss on the back of her hand. Twice he leaned over for a kiss on the cheek. Once he had grazed his mouth across hers in much the same manner that Grace had described Somerdale’s kiss. Innocent. Respectful. Boring as hell.2. Juliette's memory is lifeless His relationship with Grace seems only to heighten how perfectly bland Lovingdon's relationship with his late life was. They are calm, she is demure. She is too perfect. So perfect that she is lifeless.
Only now did he realize how dull his courtship had been.
He’d never had harsh words with Juliette. They’d never argued. She’d never been short with him or looked as though she were on the verge of reaching across the expanse separating them in order to give him a good hard shake.This serves to highlight how GOOD, how spirited Grace is in comparison, and I don't appreciate that. It feels like Juliette's memory is manufactured to be bland in order to make Grace look better in contrast.
Overall: a good book, if rather bland.
January 26, 2022
3.5 stars!
“We are up into our years now. I see no signs that we shall be parting anytime soon. My darling Grace wished only to marry a man who loved her. She met with astonishing success in that regard. For I loved her yesterday, I love her today, and I shall love her for all eternity. Whether or not the Fates are kind.” Lady Grace Mabry only has one wish when it comes to marriage: a love match. Unfortunately, her generous dowry makes it hard to know which of her many suitors are interested in her and not just the money and land she will bring to the table. Fortunately for Grace, she can ask her childhood friend, The Duke of Lovingdon who was once beyond reproach turned into a scoundrel to help her in the task of telling apart which of her suitors are in love with her. Lovingdon has no interest in helping Grace, but the lady is insistent and he does not want her to end up in an unhappy marriage either, so he unwillingly helps Grace in her quest for a potential husband with good intentions. As they spend time together, Lovingdon sees Grace more than the child he had been friends with. But the one thing Grace requires is the very same thing that Lovingdon can’t give her: Love.
When the Duke was Wicked is the first book from Lorraine Heath’s historical romance series, Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James. This book tells the story of Henry Stanford, Duke of Lovingdon, and Lady Grace Mabry. I have tried to read this one months ago in order to start with the series, but unfortunately it did not hold my interest immediately which is why I jumped to the second book instead, and I loved that one. I missed reading Lorraine Heath so I figured that I should give this book another try because it could not be that bad because it’s written by Heath and she always delivers.
Meet Lady Grace Mabry: She is the daughter to the Duke and Duchess of Greystone (I have yet to read their book). Grace is only nineteen but she is desperate to get married, but her desperation won’t allow her not to marry for love. The reason for her eagerness to marry: her father is about to be completely blind, and she hopes for her father to see her truly happy before that time comes. Her reason why she wants to marry for love: she has secrets of her own, and surely if the man loved her, he would come to accept her the way she is when her secret is revealed.
Meet Henry Stanford: He is the seventh Duke of Lovingdon. When he was nineteen, he fell in love with Juliette, and he married her when he turned twenty-one. Years later, he’s a widower. This event changed him and the way he’s been living. What once was a respectable Duke turned into a notorious blackguard. The guilt over his wife and daughter’s death burdened him for years. He has no plans to ever love again, for he had once loved but she was taken away from him by fates too soon. He has no plans to ever go through again the sorrow of losing someone he held dear.
Lady Grace had been infatuated with the Duke of Lovingdon as a child. Unfortunately for her, she was nine years his junior. When he fell in love and got married, it broke her heart. But she has moved on, or so she says. Now, Grace is a young woman of nineteen determined to pick the right husband: one who will love her. She has seen Lovingdon fall in love. Surely, he could help her distinguish which of her suitors are in love with her, and which of them are only pursuing her for her ample dowry. When the Duke eventually decided to help her, it was like he was truly seeing her for the first time. Not the child she was, but for the woman she had grown into. He has no plans to ever love someone again, yet unfortunately for Grace, her heart had done it all over again: she once again fell in love with the Duke whose grief will never allow him to experience any sort of happiness. The clock is ticking, and Lovingdon must decide whether his grief is deeper than the new found love he feels for Grace.
I did not really connect with the heroine. At the beginning, she came off as too demanding and when her secrets weren’t yet revealed, I thought her eagerness to get married immediately was silly because the problem she had was not really a problem. But to an aristocratic Lady who lived a privileged life, it is a problem indeed. Grace could deny it all she wants but it is rather obvious that she only went to Lovingdon for help because deep down, she wanted him to see her as a woman and not as his childhood friend. So, I must admit that the first time I tried reading this book, both the heroine and hero annoyed me. This is not to say she has no likable traits, I can’t name one but surely there must be something endearing about her. She, by all means, should have been the type of heroine I enjoy, but I just did not connect with her character. On another note, her secret is something I have never read about in HRs before. I was very surprised and it was not really what I expected. Somehow, that revelation made me sad even when I originally did not really like her as much as I should, perhaps it’s because a close relative passed away recently for the same thing Grace endured. So that really made me sad, and I grew to admire her for her strength. And by the time she was willing to let Lovingdon go, she earned my admiration. So yes, she wasn’t that bad. At times she felt immature but it’s only expected, the girl is nineteen. By the end, I ended up liking her enough for the epilogue to make me tear up.
Sadly, it was the same case for the hero. At the beginning and even towards the end, I found it hard to like him as a hero. He frustrated me so much. This is exactly the reason why I try to avoid books with a widowed hero/heroine especially if it was a love match. I just hate when they are constantly thinking about their spouse who passed away years ago, their guilt, the constant comparison to the new partner. I get it, it is realistic but it annoys me so much! For the whole book, the hero had an “I will never love anyone ever again.” “Juliette was the love of my life, no one could ever compare.” Type of mindset going on and honestly, it’s just not for me. He says he does not want to love again, and he knows that Grace would only ever marry for love, yet he is so selfish and can’t stop his lust for Grace. Be a decent man to let her go if you don’t want her for yourself. I love heroes who are devoted to the heroines. It is either that or nothing at all. Sadly, Lovingdon wasn’t quite that. He spent most of the book being burdened with guilt and thinking about Juliette and suddenly when he was almost dying, he realized he loved Grace. Like, you held on to that grief for so long and suddenly you’re telling me you are in love with the heroine? It’s just so sudden and unbelievable. I feel like Grace would compete with a dead person for his heart for their whole lives. Fortunately it wasn’t that way but that’s how it feels like. On another note, I think that he was a realistic character going through a profound amount of grief, and it held him back from ever wanting to love again. I can understand him in that sense. It must be really traumatizing to love someone and to have them taken away from you. So it is better not to love at all. I am actually conflicted about what I feel for the hero. I guess he had layers to him. There are parts about him that I did not like, yet he was very human. I feel like I’m being very mean to him, he wasn’t that bad honestly. I just hated how it was the classic old, “I almost died and I realized I loved her.” It’s just not my thing. I wanted for him to realize he loved her even without all that. At the end of the day, it’s just a matter of preferences. From the get go, he was not my type of hero, but if one likes widowers who are embittered, they’d like him just fine.
This book had so much potential to hurt my heart especially because of the hero’s love for the first wife but sadly, I was just neutral about the book until the epilogue. Of course, the main characters had moments together that I appreciated and found quite sweet. But because I was disconnected from both of them for most part, I was interested but I wasn’t heavily invested. I think I’m not making any sense but I don’t know how else to explain how I feel. It was a decent book with decent main characters but it just did not pull me in like other Lorraine Heath books. Perhaps, I am being biased because I’ve read the second book and loved it so much better which might explain why this book felt weaker in comparison.
There are so many things that surprised me when I was reading When the Duke was wicked. I am aware that this series is about the children of the characters from Heath’s other series, Scoundrel of St. James but I have only read the first book which is Catherine and Langdon’s story. What I’m saying is that I haven’t yet read Jack Dodger’s book, so imagine my surprise when I realized that Lovingdon is his half-brother and at the same time, his step-son. My jaw was on the floor when it sinked in. Well, that is one messy family tree! It was kind of funny though. And I did not expect that but it made sense, I just don’t know why I didn’t figure it out earlier. I feel dumb right now.
As for Grace’s secret, it really caught me by surprise. It made sense why she was so desperate to marry for love. It’s just something I’ve never read in an HR before and it haunts me because it’s like this sudden slap that although this book was fictional, it does not necessarily mean that all is rainbow and butterflies by the end. It made me realize how all book couples must part ways through death at one point and it really made me so melancholic. I am aware of sickness and death, I just did not expect to read about it in a book wherein a happily-ever-after is assumed and guaranteed. I have such conflicting feelings towards this book because of this very reason. It had affected my mood greatly and I couldn’t stop thinking about it even when I went to sleep. It definitely gave me the slap I needed that book characters and couples are mortal and they would one day die which would leave the one left behind depressed. It’s just so sad to think about. I don’t want to think about it, and yet because of this book, I am.
The epilogue was poignant. I don’t know if it is overly dramatic to say this but it is haunting me, it haunted me. There was something about the epilogue that I couldn’t stop thinking about. Because it is so realistic. We know that Lovingdon moved on eventually, and yet his love for the two women couldn’t be compared. Judging from my frustration towards Lovingdon because of his conflicting feelings regarding his ex wife, the first paragraph of the epilogue surprisingly did not make me mad. It felt real. It invoked a great sadness within me. It was just so beautifully written that I shed some tears. The whole epilogue was so bittersweet. The way the hero’s grief was portrayed was so realistic and I couldn’t help but empathize with him just because of the way the ending was written. Lorraine Heath writes the best epilogues. This book has the saddest Lorraine Heath end I’ve read and yet it gave me closure. I feel so harsh for judging Lovingdon because at the end of the day he was a human going through grief and I was not understanding enough as a reader and let my frustrations affect my feelings towards him. It seems that lately my feelings towards book characters are so contradictory but I guess it must mean one thing: they are complex which is a sign of good writing.
I say that I did not connect with the characters and yet the epilogue hasn’t left my mind the moment I read it. It’s so complicated. Am I contradictory? Yes. It seems I can never make up my mind about whether I loved someone or not. The book was well-written and it tackled an issue that is not often seen in an HR. I admire Lorraine Heath for that. Yes, there was HEA. The epilogue gives closure, and yet it leaves one feeling slapped by reality in a way. I also love some quotes and found them very moving. I sound like a broken record but I must say that the epilogue is what makes this one worth reading.
Some quotes:
“She was worthy of the whole of a heart and then some. She would give to a man all she had to give and she deserved to receive no less in return. A man would be better for having loved her. She would cause him to rise above mediocrity. Of that he had no doubt.”
“Holding her for a short time was indeed preferable to never having had the pleasure of holding her at all.”
“I feared it as well, and all I could think was that I hadn’t had enough time with you. I want years with you, so many that we’ll lose count.” “I don’t know if I can promise you that, Lovingdon. We never know how much time we’ll have.” (...) “Whatever time you have, Grace, whatever time either of us have, I want to spend it with you.”
“In my lifetime I loved two women. I cannot say which I loved more because I was a very different man when I loved each of them. And I loved each of them differently.”
“She had once asked of me, “Is it not better to hold someone for a short span of time rather than not to have held them at all?” During the agonizing hours while I waited for him to assure me that she would be well, I came to accept with startling clarity the truth of her words. All the moments we’d shared—I would not have given up a single one of them in order to spare myself the sorrow of losing her.”
“We are up into our years now. I see no signs that we shall be parting anytime soon. My darling Grace wished only to marry a man who loved her. She met with astonishing success in that regard. For I loved her yesterday, I love her today, and I shall love her for all eternity. Whether or not the Fates are kind.” Lady Grace Mabry only has one wish when it comes to marriage: a love match. Unfortunately, her generous dowry makes it hard to know which of her many suitors are interested in her and not just the money and land she will bring to the table. Fortunately for Grace, she can ask her childhood friend, The Duke of Lovingdon who was once beyond reproach turned into a scoundrel to help her in the task of telling apart which of her suitors are in love with her. Lovingdon has no interest in helping Grace, but the lady is insistent and he does not want her to end up in an unhappy marriage either, so he unwillingly helps Grace in her quest for a potential husband with good intentions. As they spend time together, Lovingdon sees Grace more than the child he had been friends with. But the one thing Grace requires is the very same thing that Lovingdon can’t give her: Love.
When the Duke was Wicked is the first book from Lorraine Heath’s historical romance series, Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James. This book tells the story of Henry Stanford, Duke of Lovingdon, and Lady Grace Mabry. I have tried to read this one months ago in order to start with the series, but unfortunately it did not hold my interest immediately which is why I jumped to the second book instead, and I loved that one. I missed reading Lorraine Heath so I figured that I should give this book another try because it could not be that bad because it’s written by Heath and she always delivers.
Meet Lady Grace Mabry: She is the daughter to the Duke and Duchess of Greystone (I have yet to read their book). Grace is only nineteen but she is desperate to get married, but her desperation won’t allow her not to marry for love. The reason for her eagerness to marry: her father is about to be completely blind, and she hopes for her father to see her truly happy before that time comes. Her reason why she wants to marry for love: she has secrets of her own, and surely if the man loved her, he would come to accept her the way she is when her secret is revealed.
Meet Henry Stanford: He is the seventh Duke of Lovingdon. When he was nineteen, he fell in love with Juliette, and he married her when he turned twenty-one. Years later, he’s a widower. This event changed him and the way he’s been living. What once was a respectable Duke turned into a notorious blackguard. The guilt over his wife and daughter’s death burdened him for years. He has no plans to ever love again, for he had once loved but she was taken away from him by fates too soon. He has no plans to ever go through again the sorrow of losing someone he held dear.
Lady Grace had been infatuated with the Duke of Lovingdon as a child. Unfortunately for her, she was nine years his junior. When he fell in love and got married, it broke her heart. But she has moved on, or so she says. Now, Grace is a young woman of nineteen determined to pick the right husband: one who will love her. She has seen Lovingdon fall in love. Surely, he could help her distinguish which of her suitors are in love with her, and which of them are only pursuing her for her ample dowry. When the Duke eventually decided to help her, it was like he was truly seeing her for the first time. Not the child she was, but for the woman she had grown into. He has no plans to ever love someone again, yet unfortunately for Grace, her heart had done it all over again: she once again fell in love with the Duke whose grief will never allow him to experience any sort of happiness. The clock is ticking, and Lovingdon must decide whether his grief is deeper than the new found love he feels for Grace.
I did not really connect with the heroine. At the beginning, she came off as too demanding and when her secrets weren’t yet revealed, I thought her eagerness to get married immediately was silly because the problem she had was not really a problem. But to an aristocratic Lady who lived a privileged life, it is a problem indeed. Grace could deny it all she wants but it is rather obvious that she only went to Lovingdon for help because deep down, she wanted him to see her as a woman and not as his childhood friend. So, I must admit that the first time I tried reading this book, both the heroine and hero annoyed me. This is not to say she has no likable traits, I can’t name one but surely there must be something endearing about her. She, by all means, should have been the type of heroine I enjoy, but I just did not connect with her character. On another note, her secret is something I have never read about in HRs before. I was very surprised and it was not really what I expected. Somehow, that revelation made me sad even when I originally did not really like her as much as I should, perhaps it’s because a close relative passed away recently for the same thing Grace endured. So that really made me sad, and I grew to admire her for her strength. And by the time she was willing to let Lovingdon go, she earned my admiration. So yes, she wasn’t that bad. At times she felt immature but it’s only expected, the girl is nineteen. By the end, I ended up liking her enough for the epilogue to make me tear up.
Sadly, it was the same case for the hero. At the beginning and even towards the end, I found it hard to like him as a hero. He frustrated me so much. This is exactly the reason why I try to avoid books with a widowed hero/heroine especially if it was a love match. I just hate when they are constantly thinking about their spouse who passed away years ago, their guilt, the constant comparison to the new partner. I get it, it is realistic but it annoys me so much! For the whole book, the hero had an “I will never love anyone ever again.” “Juliette was the love of my life, no one could ever compare.” Type of mindset going on and honestly, it’s just not for me. He says he does not want to love again, and he knows that Grace would only ever marry for love, yet he is so selfish and can’t stop his lust for Grace. Be a decent man to let her go if you don’t want her for yourself. I love heroes who are devoted to the heroines. It is either that or nothing at all. Sadly, Lovingdon wasn’t quite that. He spent most of the book being burdened with guilt and thinking about Juliette and suddenly when he was almost dying, he realized he loved Grace. Like, you held on to that grief for so long and suddenly you’re telling me you are in love with the heroine? It’s just so sudden and unbelievable. I feel like Grace would compete with a dead person for his heart for their whole lives. Fortunately it wasn’t that way but that’s how it feels like. On another note, I think that he was a realistic character going through a profound amount of grief, and it held him back from ever wanting to love again. I can understand him in that sense. It must be really traumatizing to love someone and to have them taken away from you. So it is better not to love at all. I am actually conflicted about what I feel for the hero. I guess he had layers to him. There are parts about him that I did not like, yet he was very human. I feel like I’m being very mean to him, he wasn’t that bad honestly. I just hated how it was the classic old, “I almost died and I realized I loved her.” It’s just not my thing. I wanted for him to realize he loved her even without all that. At the end of the day, it’s just a matter of preferences. From the get go, he was not my type of hero, but if one likes widowers who are embittered, they’d like him just fine.
This book had so much potential to hurt my heart especially because of the hero’s love for the first wife but sadly, I was just neutral about the book until the epilogue. Of course, the main characters had moments together that I appreciated and found quite sweet. But because I was disconnected from both of them for most part, I was interested but I wasn’t heavily invested. I think I’m not making any sense but I don’t know how else to explain how I feel. It was a decent book with decent main characters but it just did not pull me in like other Lorraine Heath books. Perhaps, I am being biased because I’ve read the second book and loved it so much better which might explain why this book felt weaker in comparison.
There are so many things that surprised me when I was reading When the Duke was wicked. I am aware that this series is about the children of the characters from Heath’s other series, Scoundrel of St. James but I have only read the first book which is Catherine and Langdon’s story. What I’m saying is that I haven’t yet read Jack Dodger’s book, so imagine my surprise when I realized that Lovingdon is his half-brother and at the same time, his step-son. My jaw was on the floor when it sinked in. Well, that is one messy family tree! It was kind of funny though. And I did not expect that but it made sense, I just don’t know why I didn’t figure it out earlier. I feel dumb right now.
As for Grace’s secret, it really caught me by surprise. It made sense why she was so desperate to marry for love. It’s just something I’ve never read in an HR before and it haunts me because it’s like this sudden slap that although this book was fictional, it does not necessarily mean that all is rainbow and butterflies by the end. It made me realize how all book couples must part ways through death at one point and it really made me so melancholic. I am aware of sickness and death, I just did not expect to read about it in a book wherein a happily-ever-after is assumed and guaranteed. I have such conflicting feelings towards this book because of this very reason. It had affected my mood greatly and I couldn’t stop thinking about it even when I went to sleep. It definitely gave me the slap I needed that book characters and couples are mortal and they would one day die which would leave the one left behind depressed. It’s just so sad to think about. I don’t want to think about it, and yet because of this book, I am.
The epilogue was poignant. I don’t know if it is overly dramatic to say this but it is haunting me, it haunted me. There was something about the epilogue that I couldn’t stop thinking about. Because it is so realistic. We know that Lovingdon moved on eventually, and yet his love for the two women couldn’t be compared. Judging from my frustration towards Lovingdon because of his conflicting feelings regarding his ex wife, the first paragraph of the epilogue surprisingly did not make me mad. It felt real. It invoked a great sadness within me. It was just so beautifully written that I shed some tears. The whole epilogue was so bittersweet. The way the hero’s grief was portrayed was so realistic and I couldn’t help but empathize with him just because of the way the ending was written. Lorraine Heath writes the best epilogues. This book has the saddest Lorraine Heath end I’ve read and yet it gave me closure. I feel so harsh for judging Lovingdon because at the end of the day he was a human going through grief and I was not understanding enough as a reader and let my frustrations affect my feelings towards him. It seems that lately my feelings towards book characters are so contradictory but I guess it must mean one thing: they are complex which is a sign of good writing.
I say that I did not connect with the characters and yet the epilogue hasn’t left my mind the moment I read it. It’s so complicated. Am I contradictory? Yes. It seems I can never make up my mind about whether I loved someone or not. The book was well-written and it tackled an issue that is not often seen in an HR. I admire Lorraine Heath for that. Yes, there was HEA. The epilogue gives closure, and yet it leaves one feeling slapped by reality in a way. I also love some quotes and found them very moving. I sound like a broken record but I must say that the epilogue is what makes this one worth reading.
Some quotes:
“She was worthy of the whole of a heart and then some. She would give to a man all she had to give and she deserved to receive no less in return. A man would be better for having loved her. She would cause him to rise above mediocrity. Of that he had no doubt.”
“Holding her for a short time was indeed preferable to never having had the pleasure of holding her at all.”
“I feared it as well, and all I could think was that I hadn’t had enough time with you. I want years with you, so many that we’ll lose count.” “I don’t know if I can promise you that, Lovingdon. We never know how much time we’ll have.” (...) “Whatever time you have, Grace, whatever time either of us have, I want to spend it with you.”
“In my lifetime I loved two women. I cannot say which I loved more because I was a very different man when I loved each of them. And I loved each of them differently.”
“She had once asked of me, “Is it not better to hold someone for a short span of time rather than not to have held them at all?” During the agonizing hours while I waited for him to assure me that she would be well, I came to accept with startling clarity the truth of her words. All the moments we’d shared—I would not have given up a single one of them in order to spare myself the sorrow of losing her.”
November 8, 2020
This was so cute! Lovingdon was a damaged hero and he was still grieving his deceased daughter and wife. I loved how Juliette wasn't a damsel in distress and she would do whatever she wanted, no matter what society thought. I also loved how Juliette was so determined to find true love and enlisted Lovingdon's help to teach her how to know when a man truly wants her and not her money. The romance was friends to lovers and more slow, especially on Lovingdon's part, but it was adorable and I really enjoyed this historical romance!
May 13, 2018
What a lovely read. I love the heroine. So brave and strong. The hero - typical tortured man.
Part of the subject matter was one I had not read in an Historical before and I loved it. Very relevant and close to my heart.
A very enjoyable read.
Part of the subject matter was one I had not read in an Historical before and I loved it. Very relevant and close to my heart.
"Lady Luck isn't with you tonight."
Beware, Beware, Beware ...
He wanted her. Stretched out on the green grass among the wildflowers.
"Now you know why it is so important that he love me, for me"
A very enjoyable read.
August 11, 2016
This book contains all the best and worst elements of Heath’s writing.
Best: A very interesting central premise around which the story pivots.
Worst: A somewhat insipid heroine who is entirely focused on marriage and a hero who is a rake.
Best: Strong characterisation.
Worst: Constant repetition of the characters’ motivations. We get it, Heath. We get it. She wants to marry for love, he’ll never love again. WE GET IT.
Best: A great connection and relationship between the hero and heroine
Worst: Some dialogue which makes me want to scream: PEOPLE DO NOT TALK THAT WAY.
Best: Lovely, sweet sex.
Worst: Easy orgasm when losing virginity.
Best: The context feels wonderfully historically correct.
Worst: Some of the language is jarringly modern and/or American. For example, “I didn’t expect you to show.” (37%) “shirk my responsibility.” (83%)
Best: Romance wins.
Worst: Only after some last minute, moustache twirling villain, puts into action the Worst Plan Ever which the hero, of course, foils.
I liked this. I read it straight through. But there were times when it made me want to pitch my kindle at the wall.
Best: A very interesting central premise around which the story pivots.
Worst: A somewhat insipid heroine who is entirely focused on marriage and a hero who is a rake.
Best: Strong characterisation.
Worst: Constant repetition of the characters’ motivations. We get it, Heath. We get it. She wants to marry for love, he’ll never love again. WE GET IT.
Best: A great connection and relationship between the hero and heroine
Worst: Some dialogue which makes me want to scream: PEOPLE DO NOT TALK THAT WAY.
Best: Lovely, sweet sex.
Worst: Easy orgasm when losing virginity.
Best: The context feels wonderfully historically correct.
Worst: Some of the language is jarringly modern and/or American. For example, “I didn’t expect you to show.” (37%) “shirk my responsibility.” (83%)
Best: Romance wins.
Worst: Only after some last minute, moustache twirling villain, puts into action the Worst Plan Ever which the hero, of course, foils.
I liked this. I read it straight through. But there were times when it made me want to pitch my kindle at the wall.
February 17, 2024
3rd Read (Jan 28, 2024)
I just love this book to pieces and recently reread the Scoundrels of St James series so I had to continue on to this 2nd gen book that is one of my favorites. Grace and Lovingdon just have a special place in my heart and their story means so much.
2nd Read (Oct 28, 2021)—
This was just as perfect as I thought the first round. I recently binged Lorraine Heath’s Scoundrels of St. James series that is the parents of these characters books (Lovingdon’s mom is featured in book 2 and he as a little boy, Grace’s parents story is book 3) and it made me really want to reread this one. Zero regrets in doing so, loved it so much all over again. The emotions and depth to the characters LH writes is just phenomenal and I love both of these series so much.
1st Read (Nov 14, 2020)—
This was my first time reading Lorraine Heath but now I want to read this entire series and everything else by this author. 😍 While this is book 1 in its series, this is a spin-off from another series by this author that follow the parents of the kids in this current series. Omg this book had my emotions all roller-coasty within the first few pages and I immediately loved it so much and just knew it would be a new fav. 🥰 The prologue utterly broke my heart and wrecked me when introducing Henry, the Duke of Lovingdon. Lovingdon grew up and lived an ordinary life doing the “right and proper things”, he didn’t frequent gambling halls, didn’t drink excessively, he fell in love at 19 and wed his wife, they were each other’s firsts everything. And then tragically, she & their daughter passed away and Lovingdon felt like he died along with them. After that he took up all the rakish things he never did before; he drank, he gambled, he drew away from society, and he spent his nights with a rotation of ladies.
So after pulling at my heartstrings for Lovingdon, in the first chapter I was laughing-out-loud being introduced to the heroine, Grace. She accidentally interrupts the Duke during one of his nightly trysts! 😆 Grace has known Lovingdon her entire life, their families have been close friends and they always shared a close relationship. Lovingdon is 9 years older than Grace and had always been her protector growing up. So she comes to him now with a problem, she is the daughter of a Duke & comes with an enormous dowry in land and coin. With so many men vying for her affection, she wants to be sure they are after her heart for the right reasons. Since Henry has known love before, she wants his help in how to tell if a man is interested in just her as opposed to her money.
This read is filled with all the angst and chemistry. While Grace did have a crush on him as a child she is merely coming to him as an adult now wanting his genuine help. But if it helps Lovingdon return back to life & society, Grace is more than happy to help her friend. Lovingdon starts to see Grace in a new light, he’s so intrigued by her and always appreciated how she does whatever she likes and owns who she is. Lovingdon has a major battle going on with not wanting to love again and lose someone else close. You really see his character struggle with wanting Grace but also being filled with guilt over his first wife’s passing. And once he starts giving examples and showing Grace how to tell if a man is interested/in love with her, oooo so much steam & angst! 🔥😍 This was such a beautiful friends-to-lovers romance, it was slow but just perfect for me as Lovingdon dealt with his grief and tried to live & come to terms with love again. Grace was a really great heroine, strong & brave and dealing with something I’ve never read about in historical romances so I really appreciated that. I loved how he & Grace both come together and how he came to realize it wasn’t about loving someone more than his first wife or replacing her, but opening himself up to love again. And how he is a different man now than he once was and it’s ok to love differently now too.
I just love this book to pieces and recently reread the Scoundrels of St James series so I had to continue on to this 2nd gen book that is one of my favorites. Grace and Lovingdon just have a special place in my heart and their story means so much.
2nd Read (Oct 28, 2021)—
This was just as perfect as I thought the first round. I recently binged Lorraine Heath’s Scoundrels of St. James series that is the parents of these characters books (Lovingdon’s mom is featured in book 2 and he as a little boy, Grace’s parents story is book 3) and it made me really want to reread this one. Zero regrets in doing so, loved it so much all over again. The emotions and depth to the characters LH writes is just phenomenal and I love both of these series so much.
1st Read (Nov 14, 2020)—
This was my first time reading Lorraine Heath but now I want to read this entire series and everything else by this author. 😍 While this is book 1 in its series, this is a spin-off from another series by this author that follow the parents of the kids in this current series. Omg this book had my emotions all roller-coasty within the first few pages and I immediately loved it so much and just knew it would be a new fav. 🥰 The prologue utterly broke my heart and wrecked me when introducing Henry, the Duke of Lovingdon. Lovingdon grew up and lived an ordinary life doing the “right and proper things”, he didn’t frequent gambling halls, didn’t drink excessively, he fell in love at 19 and wed his wife, they were each other’s firsts everything. And then tragically, she & their daughter passed away and Lovingdon felt like he died along with them. After that he took up all the rakish things he never did before; he drank, he gambled, he drew away from society, and he spent his nights with a rotation of ladies.
So after pulling at my heartstrings for Lovingdon, in the first chapter I was laughing-out-loud being introduced to the heroine, Grace. She accidentally interrupts the Duke during one of his nightly trysts! 😆 Grace has known Lovingdon her entire life, their families have been close friends and they always shared a close relationship. Lovingdon is 9 years older than Grace and had always been her protector growing up. So she comes to him now with a problem, she is the daughter of a Duke & comes with an enormous dowry in land and coin. With so many men vying for her affection, she wants to be sure they are after her heart for the right reasons. Since Henry has known love before, she wants his help in how to tell if a man is interested in just her as opposed to her money.
This read is filled with all the angst and chemistry. While Grace did have a crush on him as a child she is merely coming to him as an adult now wanting his genuine help. But if it helps Lovingdon return back to life & society, Grace is more than happy to help her friend. Lovingdon starts to see Grace in a new light, he’s so intrigued by her and always appreciated how she does whatever she likes and owns who she is. Lovingdon has a major battle going on with not wanting to love again and lose someone else close. You really see his character struggle with wanting Grace but also being filled with guilt over his first wife’s passing. And once he starts giving examples and showing Grace how to tell if a man is interested/in love with her, oooo so much steam & angst! 🔥😍 This was such a beautiful friends-to-lovers romance, it was slow but just perfect for me as Lovingdon dealt with his grief and tried to live & come to terms with love again. Grace was a really great heroine, strong & brave and dealing with something I’ve never read about in historical romances so I really appreciated that. I loved how he & Grace both come together and how he came to realize it wasn’t about loving someone more than his first wife or replacing her, but opening himself up to love again. And how he is a different man now than he once was and it’s ok to love differently now too.
December 1, 2017
Me ha gustado, pero no me parece de los mejores de esta autora.
Es una historia bonita y sencilla, muy previsible. La superación personal de dos personas y la totalmente opuesta manera de superar una desgracia. el mensaje me ha encantado
el problema es que creo que Lovington sale demasiado indemne de la situación. Durante toda la novela En mi opinión, se pasa mucho con la protagonista que pobre lo aguanta todo con una paciencia infinita. Y en general resulta una trama muy lineal.
Pese a todo, la autora y su estilo, que a mí me gusta mucho, consigue interesarte con el tema del misterio que esconde Grace, admito que cuando lo he sabido me he sorprendido pues no pensaba que eso en aquella época fuera conocido ( me ha chirriado un poco, pero luego la autora me explica al final, así que mea culpa)
Me esperaba más relevancia de personajes secundarios, aparecen algunos, pero de forma muy ligera, quizás en las próximas entregas que seguro que leere.
El epílogo emociona. Muy bonito... no es algo que eche de menos en una novela y me suelen resultar indiferentes, pero la autora ha escrito uno muy bonito.
Es una historia bonita y sencilla, muy previsible. La superación personal de dos personas y la totalmente opuesta manera de superar una desgracia. el mensaje me ha encantado
el problema es que creo que Lovington sale demasiado indemne de la situación. Durante toda la novela En mi opinión, se pasa mucho con la protagonista que pobre lo aguanta todo con una paciencia infinita. Y en general resulta una trama muy lineal.
Pese a todo, la autora y su estilo, que a mí me gusta mucho, consigue interesarte con el tema del misterio que esconde Grace, admito que cuando lo he sabido me he sorprendido pues no pensaba que eso en aquella época fuera conocido ( me ha chirriado un poco, pero luego la autora me explica al final, así que mea culpa)
Me esperaba más relevancia de personajes secundarios, aparecen algunos, pero de forma muy ligera, quizás en las próximas entregas que seguro que leere.
El epílogo emociona. Muy bonito... no es algo que eche de menos en una novela y me suelen resultar indiferentes, pero la autora ha escrito uno muy bonito.
October 24, 2020
Un inicio algo flojo para una serie que viene a darle continuidad a la que es, probablemente, la más famosa de la autora: Scoundrels of St. James. Quizá por eso iba con las expectativas demasiado altas. No es que no haya disfrutado la lectura, eso es casi imposible con una novela de Lorraine Heath, incluso con aquellas que, como en este caso, tienen una trama sencilla y sin más desarrollo que la relación de los protagonistas.
Mi principal problema fueron los personajes y sus acciones. Grace no me convenció ni me transmitió ese carácter amable, dulce y valiente con el que se la describe, por el contrario, me pareció una niña caprichosa, que hace lo que se le da la gana y empecinada en perseguir a su amor de la infancia para que le diga con quién tiene que casarse. Por su parte, Lovingdon me pareció un personaje más atormentado por la culpa que por la pena, que se recrea en su dolor (hasta el cansancio) durante toda la novela y que a raíz de un hecho puntual (al que, por cierto, se le podría haber sacado mucho más jugo) cambia su actitud casi en forma milagrosa.
Sí reconozco que el secreto que guarda Grace me sorprendió; no había leído nada similar en romántica histórica y no sabía que en esa época ya se conociera del tema, lo que es aclarado al final del libro por la autora.
Por lo demás, creo que también se desaprovechó mucho a los personajes de la serie anterior, con apariciones demasiado tangenciales. Una pena para quienes la disfrutamos tanto.
Mi principal problema fueron los personajes y sus acciones. Grace no me convenció ni me transmitió ese carácter amable, dulce y valiente con el que se la describe, por el contrario, me pareció una niña caprichosa, que hace lo que se le da la gana y empecinada en perseguir a su amor de la infancia para que le diga con quién tiene que casarse. Por su parte, Lovingdon me pareció un personaje más atormentado por la culpa que por la pena, que se recrea en su dolor (hasta el cansancio) durante toda la novela y que a raíz de un hecho puntual (al que, por cierto, se le podría haber sacado mucho más jugo) cambia su actitud casi en forma milagrosa.
Sí reconozco que el secreto que guarda Grace me sorprendió; no había leído nada similar en romántica histórica y no sabía que en esa época ya se conociera del tema, lo que es aclarado al final del libro por la autora.
Por lo demás, creo que también se desaprovechó mucho a los personajes de la serie anterior, con apariciones demasiado tangenciales. Una pena para quienes la disfrutamos tanto.
January 6, 2023
2 Stars
I have not had the best experience with Lorraine Heath. The only other book I read was Passions of A Wicked Earl, which was tepid at best and annoying at worst. This one, on the other hand had an indifferent effect on me. Been there and read that.
My Thoughts
- Ms Heath is clearly skilled with her writing considering her popularity, so I had no problems with her craft. It was penned well.
- My problem was not even with the plot, tired though it may be. The "dead wife, dead kid, I am never going to love again" (I am not making light of the tragedy, just stating it clinically) syndrome is quite popular in the HR genre, and we have seen countless variations of this theme, some good, some bad. This one leaned on the latter.
- The plot went nowhere until the very end, and the middle part was cyclical, similar to circling the drain. The same swirling shit made the pacing off and slow, especially for a short book.
- I have coined a concept, it's called the "Sigh, sigh, cringe" effect, which this book had aplenty. Allow me to demonstrate...
I want someone to love me completely, and I will only marry for love - Sigh.
She deserves the best and needs all the love in the world - Sigh.
But, I have no love to give that man is not me - Cringe.
She was his - Sigh.
He was hers - Sigh.
Until whatever time they had left - Cringe.
- There was no meat to the story. The destination of the HEA was set, but the longest possible route was taken to get there and sadly, it was not even scenic. The reason Accidentally Compromising the Duke worked for me is because of the marriage of convenience trope as there was no escape and they had to make it work some way or another. In this book, either of them could have walked away but neither could have done shit about it.
- This is my circular way of saying the character development kicked in far too late.
- Lovingdon was 'proper' turned rake due to grief. He was great at the beginning, annoying toward the middle, asshole toward the end, and miraculously transformed at the very end, only to yell loudly and frequently how in love he was. At least he was honest about his emotional unavailability; I will give him that. And he only woke up because she could seriously be lost to him and because he had to save her. Ummm, projection anyone?
- On a completely weird note, why did no one ever refer to him as Henry, his given name? Not once was he called that, not even by Grace!
- But not all blame can be laid at Lovingdon's feet. Grace was a glutton for punishment. Why run behind a guy you claim to not love anymore? Why the fixation with fixing him? But thankfully she was not completely TSTL. I also wished her secret would have been revealed sooner, as it would have given Ms Heath a lot of ammunition to build depth in the relationship.
- The romance was hidden in the lessons on love. Everything Lovingdon described that a guy in love would do - he did - whilst loudly bemoaning love. The romance was shrouded by Grace's confusion, which I felt too. (I feel for you, girl.)
- And finally, there was a third main character called Juliette, yep, you guessed it, the dearly departed wife. She popped up everywhere, in everyone's thoughts, at awkward times, including at the wedding, the wedding night, and the bloody epilogue. I do not like my romance novels crowded, and when I want to read a three-some, I will find appropriate erotica.
- The ancillary characters were somewhat interesting.
*Bottom line - wasted potential.
My Recommendation
This concludes my Lorraine Heath chapter, no more. As for this book, I am not recommending it.
I have not had the best experience with Lorraine Heath. The only other book I read was Passions of A Wicked Earl, which was tepid at best and annoying at worst. This one, on the other hand had an indifferent effect on me. Been there and read that.
My Thoughts
- Ms Heath is clearly skilled with her writing considering her popularity, so I had no problems with her craft. It was penned well.
- My problem was not even with the plot, tired though it may be. The "dead wife, dead kid, I am never going to love again" (I am not making light of the tragedy, just stating it clinically) syndrome is quite popular in the HR genre, and we have seen countless variations of this theme, some good, some bad. This one leaned on the latter.
- The plot went nowhere until the very end, and the middle part was cyclical, similar to circling the drain. The same swirling shit made the pacing off and slow, especially for a short book.
- I have coined a concept, it's called the "Sigh, sigh, cringe" effect, which this book had aplenty. Allow me to demonstrate...
I want someone to love me completely, and I will only marry for love - Sigh.
She deserves the best and needs all the love in the world - Sigh.
But, I have no love to give that man is not me - Cringe.
She was his - Sigh.
He was hers - Sigh.
Until whatever time they had left - Cringe.
- There was no meat to the story. The destination of the HEA was set, but the longest possible route was taken to get there and sadly, it was not even scenic. The reason Accidentally Compromising the Duke worked for me is because of the marriage of convenience trope as there was no escape and they had to make it work some way or another. In this book, either of them could have walked away but neither could have done shit about it.
- This is my circular way of saying the character development kicked in far too late.
- Lovingdon was 'proper' turned rake due to grief. He was great at the beginning, annoying toward the middle, asshole toward the end, and miraculously transformed at the very end, only to yell loudly and frequently how in love he was. At least he was honest about his emotional unavailability; I will give him that. And he only woke up because she could seriously be lost to him and because he had to save her. Ummm, projection anyone?
- On a completely weird note, why did no one ever refer to him as Henry, his given name? Not once was he called that, not even by Grace!
- But not all blame can be laid at Lovingdon's feet. Grace was a glutton for punishment. Why run behind a guy you claim to not love anymore? Why the fixation with fixing him? But thankfully she was not completely TSTL. I also wished her secret would have been revealed sooner, as it would have given Ms Heath a lot of ammunition to build depth in the relationship.
- The romance was hidden in the lessons on love. Everything Lovingdon described that a guy in love would do - he did - whilst loudly bemoaning love. The romance was shrouded by Grace's confusion, which I felt too. (I feel for you, girl.)
- And finally, there was a third main character called Juliette, yep, you guessed it, the dearly departed wife. She popped up everywhere, in everyone's thoughts, at awkward times, including at the wedding, the wedding night, and the bloody epilogue. I do not like my romance novels crowded, and when I want to read a three-some, I will find appropriate erotica.
- The ancillary characters were somewhat interesting.
*Bottom line - wasted potential.
My Recommendation
This concludes my Lorraine Heath chapter, no more. As for this book, I am not recommending it.
June 5, 2017
I didn't really connect with the main characters, so the the romance wasn't all that great. They did get a bit better around 60% in the book. The writing was good but I'll likely forget about this book and characters by next week. I'm glad I read books #3 and #4 before this book because I don't know if I would have continued with the series.
May 27, 2018
The author's choice to make the hero's lastname be Lovingdon was REALLY bad, considering the word 'love' is mentioned approximately a bajillion times in this book. Having love be in his name too puts it into solidly obnoxious territory.
Lovingdon is a widower who spends the entire book thinking about Grace and how he cannot love her because of his deceased wife who he doesn't think about at all. We don't even get one fleshed out memory of her out of him in this entire thing. Meanwhile Grace is supposedly busy trying to figure out which of her many suitors really does love her, but we barely spend any time with any of them either. Granted, her reason why she finds love to be so important is completely understandable, and was the only interesting thing in this book. But that's not enough to make this book worth your time.
Lovingdon is a widower who spends the entire book thinking about Grace and how he cannot love her because of his deceased wife who he doesn't think about at all. We don't even get one fleshed out memory of her out of him in this entire thing. Meanwhile Grace is supposedly busy trying to figure out which of her many suitors really does love her, but we barely spend any time with any of them either. Granted, her reason why she finds love to be so important is completely understandable, and was the only interesting thing in this book. But that's not enough to make this book worth your time.
April 5, 2024
3 Estrellitas. Ha estado bien y me ha gustado, pero no me ha parecido de las mejores novelas de Lorraine Heath. Todo lo mejor del libro lo ha tenido Grace, para mí, la protagonista indiscutible de la novela, pero quien no me ha gustado ha sido Lovingdon.
Me da mucha pena que la serie de los hijos no llegara a publicarse en España, fue tan buena la de los padres, que dejó el listón muy alto. Ahora y tras leer el primero, quizás puedo entender las reticencias a publicarlo.
En "Desear al diablo" conocimos a Olivia, la duquesa viuda de Lovingdon y al granuja Jack Dodger. Olivia tenía un hijo pequeño, que es el protagonista de ésta historia.
El principio de éste libro es duro, no lo voy a negar. Lovingdon escribió en su diario que fue el hijo perfecto, el perfecto estudiante, que nunca hizo nada mal y siempre hizo lo que se esperaba de él; hasta se casó con la muchacha que amaba y tuvieron una hija. Pero el tifus le arrebató a ambas, y haber sido tan bueno, no le había dado la satisfacción que buscaba. De modo que tras perder a su esposa y su hija, Lovingdon se dio al libertinaje, el juego, las mujeres y demás.
Y aqui es cuando entra en juego nuestra protagonista. Grace Mabry es la menor y única hija de Sterling y Frannie Darling (sin duda, mi pareja protagonista de los huérfanos de St. James). Grace tiene diecinueve años y está preparada para casarse, sabe de la condición de su padre y le gustaría casarse antes de que éste pierda la vista, y pueda llevarla al altar. El problema es que Grace quiere casarse por amor, y con su inmensa dote no atrae más que a cazafortunas, y su otro problema, es que lleva toda su vida enamorada del duque de Lovingdon.
Lovingdon vio nacer y crecer a Grace, para él siempre fue una niña y como una hermana. En el momento en que empieza la novela, han pasado más de dos años que enterró a su esposa, y en este tiempo, Grace se ha convertido en una mujer. Una mujer a la que no puede negar nada, pese a todo el empeño que le ponga.
Sí, Grace estuvo siempre enamorada de Lovingdon, pero del Lovingdon de antes, y está convencida de que será capaz de volver a traerle al mundo, tras esa fachada de rencor y resentimiento que muestra. Si ambos vuelven a verse es porque Grace acude a él en busca de ayuda, le confiesa que quiere casarse por amor y quiere saber qué signos y atenciones puede mostrar un caballero que realmente esté enamorado de ella.
En principio, Lovingdon se niega, pero no es fácil llevarle la contraria a esa testaruda pelirroja. Ninguna de sus tretas ni intentonas podrán alejarla de él, pues Grace está convencida de que quien la ame, deberá amarla aún con todas las imperfecciones físicas que tenga.
Grace me ha gustado, me ha gustado mucho. Quizás lo que no me ha convencido mucho es el problema de Grace, puede ser porque no me lo he creído mucho, o porque la autora no le ha dado la importancia que le merecía. Pero salvo en eso, Grace me ha parecido maravillosa.
Mi problema lo he tenido con Lovingdon. Puedo entender el dolor y resentimiento que tiene, hasta puedo entender que coquetee con el libertinaje, pero en muchos momentos no me ha gustado como ha tratado a Grace, y el colmo del colmo ha sido cuando discuten al final, cuando ella desvela su "problema" y él le echa en cara que no volverá a pasar por lo mismo... solo una palabra: cobarde.
Sí, al final todo se soluciona, pero la solución me ha sido muy repentina y ha hecho falta la fuerza bruta para arreglar lo que casi destruye.
Lo bueno es que se deja leer y me ha gustado gracias a Grace. Además me ha dejado con muchas ganas del libro de Drake y Ofelia.
Me da mucha pena que la serie de los hijos no llegara a publicarse en España, fue tan buena la de los padres, que dejó el listón muy alto. Ahora y tras leer el primero, quizás puedo entender las reticencias a publicarlo.
En "Desear al diablo" conocimos a Olivia, la duquesa viuda de Lovingdon y al granuja Jack Dodger. Olivia tenía un hijo pequeño, que es el protagonista de ésta historia.
El principio de éste libro es duro, no lo voy a negar. Lovingdon escribió en su diario que fue el hijo perfecto, el perfecto estudiante, que nunca hizo nada mal y siempre hizo lo que se esperaba de él; hasta se casó con la muchacha que amaba y tuvieron una hija. Pero el tifus le arrebató a ambas, y haber sido tan bueno, no le había dado la satisfacción que buscaba. De modo que tras perder a su esposa y su hija, Lovingdon se dio al libertinaje, el juego, las mujeres y demás.
Y aqui es cuando entra en juego nuestra protagonista. Grace Mabry es la menor y única hija de Sterling y Frannie Darling (sin duda, mi pareja protagonista de los huérfanos de St. James). Grace tiene diecinueve años y está preparada para casarse, sabe de la condición de su padre y le gustaría casarse antes de que éste pierda la vista, y pueda llevarla al altar. El problema es que Grace quiere casarse por amor, y con su inmensa dote no atrae más que a cazafortunas, y su otro problema, es que lleva toda su vida enamorada del duque de Lovingdon.
Lovingdon vio nacer y crecer a Grace, para él siempre fue una niña y como una hermana. En el momento en que empieza la novela, han pasado más de dos años que enterró a su esposa, y en este tiempo, Grace se ha convertido en una mujer. Una mujer a la que no puede negar nada, pese a todo el empeño que le ponga.
Sí, Grace estuvo siempre enamorada de Lovingdon, pero del Lovingdon de antes, y está convencida de que será capaz de volver a traerle al mundo, tras esa fachada de rencor y resentimiento que muestra. Si ambos vuelven a verse es porque Grace acude a él en busca de ayuda, le confiesa que quiere casarse por amor y quiere saber qué signos y atenciones puede mostrar un caballero que realmente esté enamorado de ella.
En principio, Lovingdon se niega, pero no es fácil llevarle la contraria a esa testaruda pelirroja. Ninguna de sus tretas ni intentonas podrán alejarla de él, pues Grace está convencida de que quien la ame, deberá amarla aún con todas las imperfecciones físicas que tenga.
Grace me ha gustado, me ha gustado mucho. Quizás lo que no me ha convencido mucho es el problema de Grace, puede ser porque no me lo he creído mucho, o porque la autora no le ha dado la importancia que le merecía. Pero salvo en eso, Grace me ha parecido maravillosa.
Mi problema lo he tenido con Lovingdon. Puedo entender el dolor y resentimiento que tiene, hasta puedo entender que coquetee con el libertinaje, pero en muchos momentos no me ha gustado como ha tratado a Grace, y el colmo del colmo ha sido cuando discuten al final, cuando ella desvela su "problema" y él le echa en cara que no volverá a pasar por lo mismo... solo una palabra: cobarde.
Sí, al final todo se soluciona, pero la solución me ha sido muy repentina y ha hecho falta la fuerza bruta para arreglar lo que casi destruye.
Lo bueno es que se deja leer y me ha gustado gracias a Grace. Además me ha dejado con muchas ganas del libro de Drake y Ofelia.
March 13, 2015
2.75 stars
This was not at all what I've come to expect from Lorraine Heath. I didn't really connect with the main characters, so the the romance wasn't all that spectacular. The hero was a bit of an ass. He had his reasons, and he truly cared for Grace, but I just wasn't all that convinced of his ultimate feelings. Plus, there were some parts in the first half of the book that kind of turned me off.
This was not at all what I've come to expect from Lorraine Heath. I didn't really connect with the main characters, so the the romance wasn't all that spectacular. The hero was a bit of an ass. He had his reasons, and he truly cared for Grace, but I just wasn't all that convinced of his ultimate feelings. Plus, there were some parts in the first half of the book that kind of turned me off.
September 23, 2020
I was going to give a 4 star, but the end was soooo sweet that I can't help but end up giving it a 5!
This is a secondary series. It is the story of the children from the Scoundrels of St. James series, which I super recommend!
This is a secondary series. It is the story of the children from the Scoundrels of St. James series, which I super recommend!
January 20, 2018
*2,5*
Συμπαθητική η ιστορία,αλλά χωρίς συναίσθημα..
Η συγγραφέας τα έγραφε απλά για να τα γράψει..
Συμπαθητική η ιστορία,αλλά χωρίς συναίσθημα..
Η συγγραφέας τα έγραφε απλά για να τα γράψει..
May 27, 2015
THE SCOUNDRELS OF ST. JAMES
remains my favourite Lorraine Heath series and I have been looking forward to reading the stories of their offspring in
SCANDALOUS GENTLEMEN OF ST. JAMES
. The protagonists in the first book are Henry, Duke of Lovingdon, Olivia’s son from
BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND DESIRE
and Lady Grace Mabry, Frannie and Sterling’s daughter from
SURRENDER TO THE DEVIL
.
I loved this book! Lorraine Heath weaves such a beautiful, deeply emotional and moving love story.
Lovingdon -
Lovingdon had once been a man above reproach but that was before he was totally devastated by the death of his wife and daughter from typhus. Lost in guilt, grief and remorse, he has become little more than a hollow shell…a hardened rake living a life of debauchery.
My heart went out to Lovingdon. He had always been honourable and good but, when the two people he treasured the most were taken away, he felt that fate was in some way punishing him and I could understand his reactions perfectly.
I was brought up to believe that we were rewarded according to our behavior. Yet the Fates had conspired to punish me, to take away that which I treasured above all else, and I could find no cause for their unkind regard.
And so I said to hell with it all. I would sow the wild oats I had not in my youth. I would gamble, I would drink, I would know many women.
The pain and grief he suffered was so great, he knew he could never face that sort of loss again…he could never love again.
Lady Grace Mabry -
Grace is such a wonderful heroine…lovely, charming, kind but also bold, clever and determined. She also drinks, steals her father’s cigars and cheats at cards. Hardly surprising given where her mother grew up and her associates! She has also suffered a terrible loss, something known only to her immediate family but, rather than retreating from life like Lovingdon, she has chosen to embrace it. She dreams of marrying a man who truly loves her for herself, imperfections and all.
The romance between Grace and Lovingdon evolved so beautifully…full of poignant, heart-breaking and heart-warming moments and I’m sharing some of my favourites.
She was Lady Grace Mabry, lover of kittens, thief of biscuit tins , and climber of trees. What the devil was he doing thinking of her wrapped in silk sheets?
He could imagine it. Vividly. Too vividly. Her skin flushed with the fire of passion. Her lips plump from pressure. Her gaze smoldering with blazing desire. He imagined taking her mouth, burning his brand on her soul.
He wished he could reach past the shards of his broken heart and find a fragment of love that remained unclaimed that he could offer her, but she deserved so much more than a scrap. She was worthy of a whole of a heart and then some.
Dear God, he’d certainly felt dead these past two years. Until this marvelous woman had knocked on his bedchamber door . Until she challenged him and irritated him . Until she’d shown him what it was to want, to desire, to dream of something grand that would last a lifetime.
I don’t want to give too much away about the nature of Grace’s secret but I admire Ms Heath for introducing an issue which I have never seen in historical romance before. It added another layer to Grace’s character and the scene where she reveals her secret to Lovingdon and his acceptance of her was so moving.
I enjoyed the glass-blowing scene where Grace’s descriptions of the processes evoke all sorts of erotic thoughts in Lovingdon’s mind! I love the card game at Dodger’s Drawing Room, which introduces all the other ‘scandalous gentlemen’ and gives some insight into these future heroes of the series. It was a nice touch when Grace gives the password ‘Feagan’ to gain entry to the gaming hell…a reference to the ‘kidsman’ in the original series.
The other secondary characters that really stood out were Grace’s parents, Frannie and Sterling, who obviously love her very much. They never try to rein her in and are always supportive.
There is an emotional Epilogue and the final words Lovingdon writes in his journal are truly beautiful and romantic.
Once again, Ms Heath delivers a captivating and emotionally satisfying love story and I will certainly be reading the other books in the series. You don’t have to have read THE SCOUNDRELS OF ST. JAMES to enjoy this series but it would be a pity to miss such wonderful books.
REVIEW RATING: 5/5 STARS
The Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James so far (click on covers for more details):
- 28 April 2015
This review is also posted on my Rakes and Rascals Blog:
http://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com/...
I loved this book! Lorraine Heath weaves such a beautiful, deeply emotional and moving love story.
Lovingdon -
Lovingdon had once been a man above reproach but that was before he was totally devastated by the death of his wife and daughter from typhus. Lost in guilt, grief and remorse, he has become little more than a hollow shell…a hardened rake living a life of debauchery.
My heart went out to Lovingdon. He had always been honourable and good but, when the two people he treasured the most were taken away, he felt that fate was in some way punishing him and I could understand his reactions perfectly.
I was brought up to believe that we were rewarded according to our behavior. Yet the Fates had conspired to punish me, to take away that which I treasured above all else, and I could find no cause for their unkind regard.
And so I said to hell with it all. I would sow the wild oats I had not in my youth. I would gamble, I would drink, I would know many women.
The pain and grief he suffered was so great, he knew he could never face that sort of loss again…he could never love again.
Lady Grace Mabry -
Grace is such a wonderful heroine…lovely, charming, kind but also bold, clever and determined. She also drinks, steals her father’s cigars and cheats at cards. Hardly surprising given where her mother grew up and her associates! She has also suffered a terrible loss, something known only to her immediate family but, rather than retreating from life like Lovingdon, she has chosen to embrace it. She dreams of marrying a man who truly loves her for herself, imperfections and all.
The romance between Grace and Lovingdon evolved so beautifully…full of poignant, heart-breaking and heart-warming moments and I’m sharing some of my favourites.
She was Lady Grace Mabry, lover of kittens, thief of biscuit tins , and climber of trees. What the devil was he doing thinking of her wrapped in silk sheets?
He could imagine it. Vividly. Too vividly. Her skin flushed with the fire of passion. Her lips plump from pressure. Her gaze smoldering with blazing desire. He imagined taking her mouth, burning his brand on her soul.
He wished he could reach past the shards of his broken heart and find a fragment of love that remained unclaimed that he could offer her, but she deserved so much more than a scrap. She was worthy of a whole of a heart and then some.
Dear God, he’d certainly felt dead these past two years. Until this marvelous woman had knocked on his bedchamber door . Until she challenged him and irritated him . Until she’d shown him what it was to want, to desire, to dream of something grand that would last a lifetime.
I don’t want to give too much away about the nature of Grace’s secret but I admire Ms Heath for introducing an issue which I have never seen in historical romance before. It added another layer to Grace’s character and the scene where she reveals her secret to Lovingdon and his acceptance of her was so moving.
I enjoyed the glass-blowing scene where Grace’s descriptions of the processes evoke all sorts of erotic thoughts in Lovingdon’s mind! I love the card game at Dodger’s Drawing Room, which introduces all the other ‘scandalous gentlemen’ and gives some insight into these future heroes of the series. It was a nice touch when Grace gives the password ‘Feagan’ to gain entry to the gaming hell…a reference to the ‘kidsman’ in the original series.
The other secondary characters that really stood out were Grace’s parents, Frannie and Sterling, who obviously love her very much. They never try to rein her in and are always supportive.
There is an emotional Epilogue and the final words Lovingdon writes in his journal are truly beautiful and romantic.
Once again, Ms Heath delivers a captivating and emotionally satisfying love story and I will certainly be reading the other books in the series. You don’t have to have read THE SCOUNDRELS OF ST. JAMES to enjoy this series but it would be a pity to miss such wonderful books.
REVIEW RATING: 5/5 STARS
The Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James so far (click on covers for more details):
- 28 April 2015This review is also posted on my Rakes and Rascals Blog:
http://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com/...
June 9, 2019
Henry, the Duke of Lovingdon (the son of Olivia and stepson of Jake from Between the Devil and Desire), since the death of his wife and daughter, has tried to find oblivion in women and debauchery, never again wishing to know the pain of loosing a woman he loves. He also believes he can never love again, that like his biological father he was destined to love one woman.
Grace, who is about 7 years Henry’s junior, has loved him since she was a little girl, he was her hero/champion, and so she found her young heart breaking when he wed his late wife, and it looks like her heart may break again, as she feels herself once again falling in love with the Duke, yet he is adamant that love is something he can give no woman.
As Henry tries to help Grace determine which gentleman court her for her fortune, and which truly care/love her, Henry finally starts to see her as a desirable and strong woman, rather than the little girl he helped out of trees.
I do wish the author had given us some flashbacks to Henry’s time with his first wife, or flashbacks of Grace as a child and the interactions she had with Henry, I think seeing it unfold would have been much better than being told it occurred through the characters thoughts/conversations.
I did like the fact the author touched on the issue of
Overall this was an easy light historical romance, that allowed my mind to unwind after grading papers, however it was not a read where the characters, their bond and the story gripped my attention and held it in an unyielding grasp. I will very likely read this again sometime in the future, when I need something super light/easy, but I also know the characters will not stay potently in my mind/imagination – they started to fade a short time after I had finished my read.
Grace, who is about 7 years Henry’s junior, has loved him since she was a little girl, he was her hero/champion, and so she found her young heart breaking when he wed his late wife, and it looks like her heart may break again, as she feels herself once again falling in love with the Duke, yet he is adamant that love is something he can give no woman.
As Henry tries to help Grace determine which gentleman court her for her fortune, and which truly care/love her, Henry finally starts to see her as a desirable and strong woman, rather than the little girl he helped out of trees.
I do wish the author had given us some flashbacks to Henry’s time with his first wife, or flashbacks of Grace as a child and the interactions she had with Henry, I think seeing it unfold would have been much better than being told it occurred through the characters thoughts/conversations.
I did like the fact the author touched on the issue of
Overall this was an easy light historical romance, that allowed my mind to unwind after grading papers, however it was not a read where the characters, their bond and the story gripped my attention and held it in an unyielding grasp. I will very likely read this again sometime in the future, when I need something super light/easy, but I also know the characters will not stay potently in my mind/imagination – they started to fade a short time after I had finished my read.
June 7, 2014
"He won't marry again, Grace. Something inside him broke with the death of Juliette and Margaret. You can't put him back together, sweetheart, not the way he was."
Oh sniff, this was good.
Lady Grace Mabry is on the marriage market, but she's set on finding a man who truly loves her (there's more to it than just the usual young miss stamping her feet and demanding twu wuv, but I can't give that away). She's got plenty of suitors eyeing her ample dowry, but how does she know which man will love her and not just the money?
In this story, Grace seeks the aid of childhood friend the Duke of Lovingdon (actually he was more a friend of her older brothers, but Grace always tagged along). Lovingdon has spent the last two years after the death of his wife and daughter drinking, whoring and gambling his life away. Grace and her suitors are the last things he needs in his life, or so he thinks.
The prologue is simply a two page heart-breaker of a note from Lovingdon's journal about the death of his wife and daughter, and sets up his current mindset to a 't'. I do like how Heath is able to use Lovingdon's grief and angst without going into a whining pity party. Grace is a very refreshing character, plenty of sass and spunk, but without going into the foot-stomping heroine territory that drives me bananas. She got a wee bit too much freedom to come and go from her family home, but that is a very minor quibble to a story well done.
I won't spoil, but the final resolution leading to the HEA was very well done. All in all a nice romance for a lighter read - but be warned - the sexual content is a bit steamy and might not suit all readers. This is the first book in a planned series, and from what I've picked up Heath wrote a series about the prior generation, now we're getting the children's stories as they've grown up.
Ebook obtained via library loan.
Oh sniff, this was good.
Lady Grace Mabry is on the marriage market, but she's set on finding a man who truly loves her (there's more to it than just the usual young miss stamping her feet and demanding twu wuv, but I can't give that away). She's got plenty of suitors eyeing her ample dowry, but how does she know which man will love her and not just the money?
In this story, Grace seeks the aid of childhood friend the Duke of Lovingdon (actually he was more a friend of her older brothers, but Grace always tagged along). Lovingdon has spent the last two years after the death of his wife and daughter drinking, whoring and gambling his life away. Grace and her suitors are the last things he needs in his life, or so he thinks.
The prologue is simply a two page heart-breaker of a note from Lovingdon's journal about the death of his wife and daughter, and sets up his current mindset to a 't'. I do like how Heath is able to use Lovingdon's grief and angst without going into a whining pity party. Grace is a very refreshing character, plenty of sass and spunk, but without going into the foot-stomping heroine territory that drives me bananas. She got a wee bit too much freedom to come and go from her family home, but that is a very minor quibble to a story well done.
I won't spoil, but the final resolution leading to the HEA was very well done. All in all a nice romance for a lighter read - but be warned - the sexual content is a bit steamy and might not suit all readers. This is the first book in a planned series, and from what I've picked up Heath wrote a series about the prior generation, now we're getting the children's stories as they've grown up.
Ebook obtained via library loan.
March 10, 2022
we do love reformed hoe
i mean rake
i mean rake
January 18, 2014
Grace has been in love with Lovingdon for years. Grace knows that she will need to marry soon, even though her parents aren't forcing her to choose. They want her to find true love, the same love they have for each other. So Grace goes to Lovingdon for his help. Grace is worried than any suitor she may have will only be after her dowry, and will change his tune once they are married. So she asks for his help in figuring out which man is playing her and which one is genuine in his affection for her. Lovingdon lost his wife and daughter a couple years ago. Up until the moment he lost his wife, he was the most upstanding gentleman, one you could find no fault with. But from that moment that changed his life, he decided to stop playing by the rules. So the past couple of years he is the perfect debauched rake, enjoying gambling, drinking and plenty of women. Even though Lovingdon doesn't want to help Grace, he feels a compulsion to do so. He has always held Grace in high affection, them having grown up together. But as he gives her lessons in finding the perfect mate, he comes to the conclusion that last thing he wants is for another man to have what he considers HIS....
When The Duke Was Wicked is the first in the most latest series from Lorraine Heath. This series is somewhat connection to the Scoundrels of St. James series. The two main characters in this story were children of Frannie Darling and Jack Dodger.When I realized this, I was very excited to see how this would turn out and if we would see characters from that earlier series. Well let me just say I was fully satisfied in that certain aspect. The story begins with Grace showing up at Lovingdons with no notice, and he definitely isn't reading in the library. We see the strong spirit from Grace from the beginning of the story, and doesn't back down no matter how much Lovingdon growls and does the whole Alpha Male routine. Grace is looking to find a man to love, to accept her for who she is. From the beginning of the story you see that Grace is hiding a secret, one that even Lovingdon doesn't know. All through the story you wonder what it is, and what Lovingdon's reaction to it will be. I enjoyed seeing these two interact, especially in the beginning. I loved the scoundrel of a personality that is Lovingdon, and it was quite fun seeing Grace handle him.
The characters in this story are just as charming and endearing as ever!! I couldn't help become infatuated with them from the very beginning. Now first lets talk about Lovingdon--oh boy, was he delicious, I could gobble him all up. He definitely has the tortured male routine going on a bit, with a mix of rake and bad boy thrown in, definitely makes up for a exciting hero character. Grace is quite a favorite heroine of mine. I think the only thing I wish was better about her character, is having more trust in Lovingdon, considering they were childhood playmates. Grace has quite a bit of spine though, especially when you read this story, and gain a better appreciation for her as the heroine of the story. She does have backbone, and goes after what she wants, and is willing to fight tooth and nail for it. I loved seeing both of these characters develop more from beginning to end of the story, and their connection is beautiful and tender and powerfully passionate. Reading this has made me want to re read the Scoundrels of St James once again.
Overall When The Duke Was Wicked is a endearing romance that will set your blood rate at a higher level. A intriguing tale of romance, sacrifice, and witty dialogue that is bound to take your breath away!!! These characters will make you fall in love once again. COMPELLING!!
When The Duke Was Wicked is the first in the most latest series from Lorraine Heath. This series is somewhat connection to the Scoundrels of St. James series. The two main characters in this story were children of Frannie Darling and Jack Dodger.When I realized this, I was very excited to see how this would turn out and if we would see characters from that earlier series. Well let me just say I was fully satisfied in that certain aspect. The story begins with Grace showing up at Lovingdons with no notice, and he definitely isn't reading in the library. We see the strong spirit from Grace from the beginning of the story, and doesn't back down no matter how much Lovingdon growls and does the whole Alpha Male routine. Grace is looking to find a man to love, to accept her for who she is. From the beginning of the story you see that Grace is hiding a secret, one that even Lovingdon doesn't know. All through the story you wonder what it is, and what Lovingdon's reaction to it will be. I enjoyed seeing these two interact, especially in the beginning. I loved the scoundrel of a personality that is Lovingdon, and it was quite fun seeing Grace handle him.
The characters in this story are just as charming and endearing as ever!! I couldn't help become infatuated with them from the very beginning. Now first lets talk about Lovingdon--oh boy, was he delicious, I could gobble him all up. He definitely has the tortured male routine going on a bit, with a mix of rake and bad boy thrown in, definitely makes up for a exciting hero character. Grace is quite a favorite heroine of mine. I think the only thing I wish was better about her character, is having more trust in Lovingdon, considering they were childhood playmates. Grace has quite a bit of spine though, especially when you read this story, and gain a better appreciation for her as the heroine of the story. She does have backbone, and goes after what she wants, and is willing to fight tooth and nail for it. I loved seeing both of these characters develop more from beginning to end of the story, and their connection is beautiful and tender and powerfully passionate. Reading this has made me want to re read the Scoundrels of St James once again.
Overall When The Duke Was Wicked is a endearing romance that will set your blood rate at a higher level. A intriguing tale of romance, sacrifice, and witty dialogue that is bound to take your breath away!!! These characters will make you fall in love once again. COMPELLING!!
September 6, 2021
2.5
"not my cup of tea"
stars
(friends-to-lovers, grieving widower, rake, desperate heroine, unrequited love, childhood friends)
Lady Grace Marby is nineteen-years-old and the daughter of a duke. She wishes to marry as soon as possible and has a huge dowry. She's been in love with the Duke of Lovingdon since she was seven. But Lovingdon is no longer the gallant, noble guy he used to be. He lost his wife and daughter to typhus two years ago. Embittered, he's since embarked on a life of drinking, gambling and whoring to while away his empty days. Grace is afraid that most of her suitors are fortune hunters only interested in her dowry. She therefore seeks Lovingdon's help in weeding out fortune hunters from genuine suitors.
I know I’m going to be in the minority, but I did not enjoy this read. Why? A number of things left me cold.
Misses
Lovingdon is consumed by grief and guilt over the death of his wife (Juliette) and daughter and is unwilling to love. Juliette is still the love of his life.
Grace is self-centred and insensitive in the way she desperately chases Lovingdon. Grace repeatedly brings up Juliette despite him making it clear that he doesn't want to discuss her. She even brings Juliette up when they’re kissing! She’s also stalkerish. Grace goes to Lovingdon’s bedroom uninvited twice. The second time, she walks in when he's asleep and ogles him until he wakes up.
Juliette plays such a large role in the hero's and heroine's psyches that she might as well be a third character. Lovingdon can’t let go of her. Grace keeps comparing herself to her.
The slow pacing in the first half of the book.
Finally, Lovingdon abruptly experiences a "come to Jesus" moment in the last ten pages, realizes he loves Grace and is finally willing to let go of the memories of Juliette and his daughter. It just feels too abrupt a turnaround.
Hits
A couple of poignant moments made me tear up, but these happened in the last twenty percent of the book, by which time I was ready for things to wrap up.
The friends-to-lovers trope.
Steamy love scenes.
(friends-to-lovers, grieving widower, rake, desperate heroine, unrequited love, childhood friends)
Lady Grace Marby is nineteen-years-old and the daughter of a duke. She wishes to marry as soon as possible and has a huge dowry. She's been in love with the Duke of Lovingdon since she was seven. But Lovingdon is no longer the gallant, noble guy he used to be. He lost his wife and daughter to typhus two years ago. Embittered, he's since embarked on a life of drinking, gambling and whoring to while away his empty days. Grace is afraid that most of her suitors are fortune hunters only interested in her dowry. She therefore seeks Lovingdon's help in weeding out fortune hunters from genuine suitors.
I know I’m going to be in the minority, but I did not enjoy this read. Why? A number of things left me cold.
Misses
Lovingdon is consumed by grief and guilt over the death of his wife (Juliette) and daughter and is unwilling to love. Juliette is still the love of his life.
Grace is self-centred and insensitive in the way she desperately chases Lovingdon. Grace repeatedly brings up Juliette despite him making it clear that he doesn't want to discuss her. She even brings Juliette up when they’re kissing! She’s also stalkerish. Grace goes to Lovingdon’s bedroom uninvited twice. The second time, she walks in when he's asleep and ogles him until he wakes up.
Juliette plays such a large role in the hero's and heroine's psyches that she might as well be a third character. Lovingdon can’t let go of her. Grace keeps comparing herself to her.
The slow pacing in the first half of the book.
Finally, Lovingdon abruptly experiences a "come to Jesus" moment in the last ten pages, realizes he loves Grace and is finally willing to let go of the memories of Juliette and his daughter. It just feels too abrupt a turnaround.
Hits
A couple of poignant moments made me tear up, but these happened in the last twenty percent of the book, by which time I was ready for things to wrap up.
The friends-to-lovers trope.
Steamy love scenes.
September 10, 2016
I was very excited to start this new series by Lorraine Heath, since, Grace Mabry (our heroine) was daughter of Frannie Darling & Sterling Mabry (Duke of Greystone)from book 3 of "Scoundrels of St. James"series AND Duke of Lovingdon (our not-so-wicked hero),is the son of Duchess of Lovingdon & stepson of Jack Dodger from book 2 of that series.
That was a wonderful series with amazing aforementioned characters, but somehow this book did not live up to what I had expected from a Lorraine Heath title(although the issue addressed in the end was UNUSUAL for a historical)
..I really did like Grace, but Lovingdon was not much of a hero..the first half of the book was getting quite tedious, though things changed towards the end drastically when Grace's SECRET was revealed!!!
I hope the upcoming titles in the series do better!!!
It was good to read the stories of the next generation..really lookin forward to more titles in this series and whose children will it be next :)
That was a wonderful series with amazing aforementioned characters, but somehow this book did not live up to what I had expected from a Lorraine Heath title(although the issue addressed in the end was UNUSUAL for a historical)
..I really did like Grace, but Lovingdon was not much of a hero..the first half of the book was getting quite tedious, though things changed towards the end drastically when Grace's SECRET was revealed!!!
I hope the upcoming titles in the series do better!!!
It was good to read the stories of the next generation..really lookin forward to more titles in this series and whose children will it be next :)
November 30, 2019
This book was exactly what I needed. I was complaining I haven't had anything 'unputdownable' (totally making up words) and this book totally sucked me in. I started it pretty late Thanksgiving night and just kept reading and reading and when I finally turned my kindle off and closed my eyes, I laid there ANGRY that I wasn't still reading. It actually bothered me so much, I picked up and just kept reading haha.
Heath has another series prior to this called Scoundrels of St. James which is about the parents of these characters. Both the Duke and Grace from this book, their parents have stories from this series. I haven't read either, but it did make me want to try them.
Grace is ready to begin the search for a husband, at her father's wish. She has a secret that she is sure true love will conquer but doesn't quite know how to tell love from a fortune hunter. She enlists the help of the Duke of Lovingdon, a family friend, at least before the death of his wife and child.
Lovingdon has totally withdrawn into himself. Basically abandoning his family, he has searched out only the basic needs for pleasure to dull the pain of losing his family. Drinking and brothels repeat endlessly. Until Grace barges into his life. Grace who isn't a small girl stuck in trees with scrapes on her knees anymore.
There's an age difference here, can't remember exactly how much older the hero is, but I think its either 7 or 9 years? I thought it was done pretty well though. They have known each other forever and he never really 'saw' Grace in that light. He was like an older brother, a friend, and it takes a quite a few encounters for him to see Grace as a woman.
The things I loved about this book were the feels. So much of it was spent in the hero's head, and I am always a sucker for that. Watching Lovingdon basically 'awaken' after secluding himself in his pain, was oh so sweet. Grace was perfect for pulling him out his guilt. Grace was an enjoyable character to me. She wasn't super sassy, she wasn't a wallflower. She was a society darling and everyone just loved her, myself included.
My favorite parts were the duke slowly but surely falling head over heels in love with her. He first imparts advice 'If he loves you...' and states things Grace should look out for with her many, many suitors. But as time goes on, he is sharing his own feelings without even realizing it. He is sharing how he loves her and it's oh so sweet and beautiful. I adore his jealousy and how he doesn't know how to to handle it. I love how he loses control with Grace.
My complaints are the middle just pulling something away for me. I'm not sure if it was the little villain aspect, but I just wasn't as attached to the book after the midway point, but I loved the ending. The sex scenes I wanted to be longer. It felt like the book had so much tension, feels, and build up, then the sex was so short and almost lacked some of that feeling that was there. Just totally a personal preference/observation. I adored all the kisses and touches in this book. It made it amazing.
Heath has another series prior to this called Scoundrels of St. James which is about the parents of these characters. Both the Duke and Grace from this book, their parents have stories from this series. I haven't read either, but it did make me want to try them.
Grace is ready to begin the search for a husband, at her father's wish. She has a secret that she is sure true love will conquer but doesn't quite know how to tell love from a fortune hunter. She enlists the help of the Duke of Lovingdon, a family friend, at least before the death of his wife and child.
Lovingdon has totally withdrawn into himself. Basically abandoning his family, he has searched out only the basic needs for pleasure to dull the pain of losing his family. Drinking and brothels repeat endlessly. Until Grace barges into his life. Grace who isn't a small girl stuck in trees with scrapes on her knees anymore.
There's an age difference here, can't remember exactly how much older the hero is, but I think its either 7 or 9 years? I thought it was done pretty well though. They have known each other forever and he never really 'saw' Grace in that light. He was like an older brother, a friend, and it takes a quite a few encounters for him to see Grace as a woman.
The things I loved about this book were the feels. So much of it was spent in the hero's head, and I am always a sucker for that. Watching Lovingdon basically 'awaken' after secluding himself in his pain, was oh so sweet. Grace was perfect for pulling him out his guilt. Grace was an enjoyable character to me. She wasn't super sassy, she wasn't a wallflower. She was a society darling and everyone just loved her, myself included.
My favorite parts were the duke slowly but surely falling head over heels in love with her. He first imparts advice 'If he loves you...' and states things Grace should look out for with her many, many suitors. But as time goes on, he is sharing his own feelings without even realizing it. He is sharing how he loves her and it's oh so sweet and beautiful. I adore his jealousy and how he doesn't know how to to handle it. I love how he loses control with Grace.
My complaints are the middle just pulling something away for me. I'm not sure if it was the little villain aspect, but I just wasn't as attached to the book after the midway point, but I loved the ending. The sex scenes I wanted to be longer. It felt like the book had so much tension, feels, and build up, then the sex was so short and almost lacked some of that feeling that was there. Just totally a personal preference/observation. I adored all the kisses and touches in this book. It made it amazing.
October 26, 2015
The book started out alright but quickly descended into mediocrity.
The heroine Grace is so transparent that I cringed to read about her "innocent questions" about love and lust. I mean anyone could see that Grace was using her quest for love in marriage as an excuse to get close to Lovingdon. Only Grace herself thought she was fooling anybody. For this alone, I lost respect for her.
In the story it was mentioned repeatedly that Grace had "imperfections", which appeared to be some kind of terminal illness. I wanted to find out but honestly at 70% I completely lost interest in Lovingdon and Grace, I just read other reviews and found out what her "imperfections" were. In the end, I cannot understand why Heath wrote the story this way. I think what happened to Grace was quite a life event, but somehow it was very much downplayed. I don't think this is right. Not that I want to see Grace in sorrow but I have trouble picturing someone who has suffered such a fate to be so naively conniving about pursuing the man she wanted as Grace did with Lovingdon. I expected more maturity from Grace. But instead she acted true to her age, a 19-year-old who dreams about Prince Charming and uses idiotic excuses to get close to the man she has identified as her Prince Charming.
I am always harder on the heroines than the heros because I have the need to identify with the women, whereas I have a rather low expectation for men. Lovingdon....I have trouble picturing him as an adult because I just read his mother and Jack Dodger's story where he was just 5 years old. And his "true love" with his late wife Juliette just seemed empty to me.
I think this book is a bit shallow. I apologize for my harsh words but Heath writes about huge losses in life in this book. I would expect the characters to exhibit the level of maturity which one unwillingly acquires through such losses. But she had Grace and Lovingdon act like animals in heat and engage in childish playacting and make up excuses to indulge in their lusts. You write about such significant life events, then make your characters worthy of their journeys. Grace and Lovingdon act too lustfully and childishly to do these life events justice.
Heath's writing is the only thing that saves this book from being a complete disaster for me. I was able to skim-read most of it but at 70% I completely gave up on the couple. It seemed kind of perverse what Lovingdon did with Grace. Brotherly/sisterly love, my ass. The characters believed their excuses, I lost respect for them for that.
The heroine Grace is so transparent that I cringed to read about her "innocent questions" about love and lust. I mean anyone could see that Grace was using her quest for love in marriage as an excuse to get close to Lovingdon. Only Grace herself thought she was fooling anybody. For this alone, I lost respect for her.
In the story it was mentioned repeatedly that Grace had "imperfections", which appeared to be some kind of terminal illness. I wanted to find out but honestly at 70% I completely lost interest in Lovingdon and Grace, I just read other reviews and found out what her "imperfections" were. In the end, I cannot understand why Heath wrote the story this way. I think what happened to Grace was quite a life event, but somehow it was very much downplayed. I don't think this is right. Not that I want to see Grace in sorrow but I have trouble picturing someone who has suffered such a fate to be so naively conniving about pursuing the man she wanted as Grace did with Lovingdon. I expected more maturity from Grace. But instead she acted true to her age, a 19-year-old who dreams about Prince Charming and uses idiotic excuses to get close to the man she has identified as her Prince Charming.
I am always harder on the heroines than the heros because I have the need to identify with the women, whereas I have a rather low expectation for men. Lovingdon....I have trouble picturing him as an adult because I just read his mother and Jack Dodger's story where he was just 5 years old. And his "true love" with his late wife Juliette just seemed empty to me.
I think this book is a bit shallow. I apologize for my harsh words but Heath writes about huge losses in life in this book. I would expect the characters to exhibit the level of maturity which one unwillingly acquires through such losses. But she had Grace and Lovingdon act like animals in heat and engage in childish playacting and make up excuses to indulge in their lusts. You write about such significant life events, then make your characters worthy of their journeys. Grace and Lovingdon act too lustfully and childishly to do these life events justice.
Heath's writing is the only thing that saves this book from being a complete disaster for me. I was able to skim-read most of it but at 70% I completely gave up on the couple. It seemed kind of perverse what Lovingdon did with Grace. Brotherly/sisterly love, my ass. The characters believed their excuses, I lost respect for them for that.
May 11, 2016
Review completa em: https://pepitamagica.blogspot.pt/2016...
Full review: https://pepitamagica.blogspot.pt/2016...
(...)
É um romance histórico, sim, e tem temas a que já estamos habituados (e que até esperamos que aconteçam), mas ao mesmo tempo traz à luz temas ligados à medicina que são muito raros neste tipo de livros.
Lady Grace Mabry é, à falta de melhor palavra, amorosa. Uma mulher forte e sensível, curiosa, teimosa e desejosa de encontrar alguém que a aceite por completo, com todas as imperfeições que ela, como qualquer ser humano, tem.
Já o Duque de Lovingdon é um homem marcado pela mágoa, que fez dele alguém um pouco amargo e definitivamente com uma visão muito injusta da vida, pelo que esta “lhe” fez. Mas apesar disso, Lovingdon adora a sua “Pequena Rosa”, Grace. Ainda que nunca tenha olhado para ela de outra maneira que uma irmã mais nova, Lovindgon começa a perceber que a sua Pequena Rosa floresceu, e tornou-se em algo que ele quer evitar.
(...)
Todas as personagens tinham um certo grau de profundidade que fez com que o livro não fosse “só” uma história de amor, mas uma história mudanças de vida e de aceitação de nós mesmos, e do que nos pode acontecer. Acima de tudo, é um livro sobre a procura da felicidade e, mais ainda, é uma luta pela felicidade.
Full review: https://pepitamagica.blogspot.pt/2016...
(...)
É um romance histórico, sim, e tem temas a que já estamos habituados (e que até esperamos que aconteçam), mas ao mesmo tempo traz à luz temas ligados à medicina que são muito raros neste tipo de livros.
Lady Grace Mabry é, à falta de melhor palavra, amorosa. Uma mulher forte e sensível, curiosa, teimosa e desejosa de encontrar alguém que a aceite por completo, com todas as imperfeições que ela, como qualquer ser humano, tem.
Já o Duque de Lovingdon é um homem marcado pela mágoa, que fez dele alguém um pouco amargo e definitivamente com uma visão muito injusta da vida, pelo que esta “lhe” fez. Mas apesar disso, Lovingdon adora a sua “Pequena Rosa”, Grace. Ainda que nunca tenha olhado para ela de outra maneira que uma irmã mais nova, Lovindgon começa a perceber que a sua Pequena Rosa floresceu, e tornou-se em algo que ele quer evitar.
(...)
Todas as personagens tinham um certo grau de profundidade que fez com que o livro não fosse “só” uma história de amor, mas uma história mudanças de vida e de aceitação de nós mesmos, e do que nos pode acontecer. Acima de tudo, é um livro sobre a procura da felicidade e, mais ainda, é uma luta pela felicidade.
September 19, 2022
A love so achingly beautiful it took my breath away and made me cry. Highly, highly recommended!
December 4, 2017
This was a buddy read with my buddy, Nenia, and here's her review (or it will be once she's finished reading and writes it).
Read for the URR 2017 New Year's Reading Challenge prompt 'Victorian Romance'
Big spoilers under the tags, don't click unless you already know or don't care.
5/11 - I really appreciated the way Heath wrote Grace's character. The way Grace dealt with and Lovingdon's dissolute lifestyle were really interesting. She didn't curse him or cry and wail about why didn't he love her or try overtly to get him to change his mind (even if that's exactly what she wanted), she tried to understand why he was behaving that way, how the deaths of his wife and daughter had changed him and through that understanding she was able to get through to him and he fell in love with her without her having to push him into it. Her final revelation of her to Lovingdon rang true to me . My favourite scene was Grace's . I was worried he might or ask her too many probing questions, but he was really great and reacted exactly as I would want in the same situation. He was fuelled with worry about her long term health that had him throwing his clothes off (a slightly irrational reaction, but maybe he didn't want Grace to feel more vulnerable because she was the only one topless), but considering what happened to Juliette and Margaret I think we (and Grace) can forgive him for that behaviour. I also thought Lovingdon's way of finally dealing with his first wife and child's death was very mature and sensible - not completely erasing their existence from his house, but also not shoving his past love in Grace's face.
The information about the way was very interesting, especially Heath's author's note that told us a little extra detail about how doctors were treating it in those early days.
Read for the URR 2017 New Year's Reading Challenge prompt 'Victorian Romance'
Big spoilers under the tags, don't click unless you already know or don't care.
5/11 - I really appreciated the way Heath wrote Grace's character. The way Grace dealt with and Lovingdon's dissolute lifestyle were really interesting. She didn't curse him or cry and wail about why didn't he love her or try overtly to get him to change his mind (even if that's exactly what she wanted), she tried to understand why he was behaving that way, how the deaths of his wife and daughter had changed him and through that understanding she was able to get through to him and he fell in love with her without her having to push him into it. Her final revelation of her to Lovingdon rang true to me . My favourite scene was Grace's . I was worried he might or ask her too many probing questions, but he was really great and reacted exactly as I would want in the same situation. He was fuelled with worry about her long term health that had him throwing his clothes off (a slightly irrational reaction, but maybe he didn't want Grace to feel more vulnerable because she was the only one topless), but considering what happened to Juliette and Margaret I think we (and Grace) can forgive him for that behaviour. I also thought Lovingdon's way of finally dealing with his first wife and child's death was very mature and sensible - not completely erasing their existence from his house, but also not shoving his past love in Grace's face.
The information about the way was very interesting, especially Heath's author's note that told us a little extra detail about how doctors were treating it in those early days.
October 10, 2018
1st read: March 2014
Ok, this was great. It is a marvellous story of love and second chances and everyone should read it.
2nd read: September 2014
Buddy read with Jo
I loved it even more!!!
3rd read: October 2018
I think this is my favorite book by Ms. Heath.
Ok, this was great. It is a marvellous story of love and second chances and everyone should read it.
2nd read: September 2014
Buddy read with Jo
I loved it even more!!!
3rd read: October 2018
I think this is my favorite book by Ms. Heath.
June 15, 2020
i didn't love this book nor did i hate but i appreciated how our main heroine had scars and a health history. I also liked how our male character was once married but lost his loved ones and that's what made him unique.
January 6, 2023
I was gonna round up to 2 bc the epilogue was cute but it’s 2023 and I’m tired of rude books. I’m also tired of the fact that HarperCollins still won’t bargain with its union strikers. I’ve got a lot more to say about the book but I won’t until a fair bargain is reached.
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