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Noble #2
Noble Destiny
A poor widow, Lady Charlotte Collins returns to England eager to take her place in the ton, only to find herself shunned by all. Her one choice is to marry a groom with wealth, a title, and good looks, but Alasdair McGregor cruelly refuses to be the answer to her problems. In fact, she is forced by Dare’s obstinacy to take extreme action: the faulty codpiece that leads to this marriage, the wedding that is literally a circus. But nothing can stand between Charlotte and what she wants most: the love of her husband.
Reissue
Reissue
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 6, 2003
89 people are currently reading
1302 people want to read
About the author
Katie MacAlister
121 books5,975 followersFor as long as she can remember, Katie MacAlister has loved reading. Growing up in a family where a weekly visit to the library was a given, Katie spent much of her time with her nose buried in a book. Despite her love for novels, she didn't think of writing them until she was contracted to write a non-fiction book about software. Since her editor refused to allow her to include either witty dialogue or love scenes in the software book, Katie swiftly resolved to switch to fiction, where she could indulge in world building, tormenting characters, and falling madly in love with all her heroes.
Two years after she started writing novels, Katie sold her first romance, Noble Intentions. More than thirty books followed during the years after Noble's publication. Her novels have been translated into numerous languages, been recorded as audiobooks, received several awards, and placed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. She also writes for the young adult audience as Katie Maxwell, and for the mystery world as Kate Marsh.
Katie lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and dogs, and can often be found lurking around online.
Two years after she started writing novels, Katie sold her first romance, Noble Intentions. More than thirty books followed during the years after Noble's publication. Her novels have been translated into numerous languages, been recorded as audiobooks, received several awards, and placed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. She also writes for the young adult audience as Katie Maxwell, and for the mystery world as Kate Marsh.
Katie lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and dogs, and can often be found lurking around online.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
February 4, 2012
Okay, the thing you have to know about Katie MacAlister is that she is a total goofball. Her characters are always wacky. The action is usually just plain silly.
This is why I usually love her books. Now, I wouldn't be able to read more than one at a time, and I need a couple of months between reads, because it takes a certain type of mood for me to put up with this sort of zany mess of a story.
I thought that this was just the sort of story I needed. I'm getting burnt out on super serious romance. I wanted something light and goofbally. And, despite the preposterousness of her storylines, I find myself always grinning ear from ear when I read MacAlister.
However, this particular book, I found annoying. Mostly because the main character had a habit of mixing up her words. At first it was endearing, but it quickly became tiresome. Because she would say something like: "you are always the model of circumsion" (meaning circumspection) and then a silly discussion would ensue about "what did you say?" "Do you know what circumsion means?" and that would devolve into a discussion about what one should call a penis and why would anyone cut off their dinky, etc. etc. It would be rather amusing if it were the occasional instance, but having this "what did you just say?" discussion every page or two just got completely tedious.
Also, the main character was daft, and shallow, and just unlikeable. Sooooo....I did not finish.
This is why I usually love her books. Now, I wouldn't be able to read more than one at a time, and I need a couple of months between reads, because it takes a certain type of mood for me to put up with this sort of zany mess of a story.
I thought that this was just the sort of story I needed. I'm getting burnt out on super serious romance. I wanted something light and goofbally. And, despite the preposterousness of her storylines, I find myself always grinning ear from ear when I read MacAlister.
However, this particular book, I found annoying. Mostly because the main character had a habit of mixing up her words. At first it was endearing, but it quickly became tiresome. Because she would say something like: "you are always the model of circumsion" (meaning circumspection) and then a silly discussion would ensue about "what did you say?" "Do you know what circumsion means?" and that would devolve into a discussion about what one should call a penis and why would anyone cut off their dinky, etc. etc. It would be rather amusing if it were the occasional instance, but having this "what did you just say?" discussion every page or two just got completely tedious.
Also, the main character was daft, and shallow, and just unlikeable. Sooooo....I did not finish.
November 13, 2025
I could not get into this story. I do like Witt, but I just couldn’t like Spoiled Charlotte.
By the time her attitude changed it was too late.
Dare got everything that could go wrong, did go wrong
. First he got trapped into marriage, then he had to put up with her selfishness, then he gets blown up. Set up for a kidnapping, he didn’t do.
No wonder at one point, he sat with a gun.
By the time her attitude changed it was too late.
Dare got everything that could go wrong, did go wrong
. First he got trapped into marriage, then he had to put up with her selfishness, then he gets blown up. Set up for a kidnapping, he didn’t do.
No wonder at one point, he sat with a gun.
November 15, 2018
La protagonista de este libro ya salía en el primero y no parecía tan loca la verdad, pero lo está, está fatal de lo suyo. Sin embargo, a diferencia de Gillian que siempre es igual, Charlotte evoluciona y aunque sigue siendo una loquilla aprende a poner las cosas en orden, a pensar en los demás y ser menos superficial.
El prota es el típico protagonista de la autora. Un hombre encantador, romántico y con las cosas claras.
Ha sido una historia en linea con la anterior, sencilla y entretenida, no se le puede pedir más. Supongo que el siguiente que ya cierra la serie seguirá igual.
El prota es el típico protagonista de la autora. Un hombre encantador, romántico y con las cosas claras.
Ha sido una historia en linea con la anterior, sencilla y entretenida, no se le puede pedir más. Supongo que el siguiente que ya cierra la serie seguirá igual.
May 13, 2014
Initial Thoughts: Hmmm...not as entertaining as Noble Intentions. I did miss Gillian and her Unfortunate Habits. This book focuses on Alasdair MacGregor and his love interest Charlotte Collins. I had a hard time connecting with Charlotte who was a bit ditzy and a lot of a schemer. She had a horrible habit of misusing vocabulary - sometimes it was funny, but by the end of the book it was a little tiresome. Alasdair or Dare as he preferred to be called, was a lot easier to like and it's one of the first times that I have seen a character in a historical/regency romance actually try to build something/work for a living. About 2.5 - 3 stars.
The Review:
Gillian’s cousin Charlotte and her love interest (and Noble’s rival) Alasdair MacGregor are the main couple in this second book in Katie MacAlister’s Noble series. This is historical romance with a touch of humor. Noble Destiny takes place several years after Noble Intentions.
Charlotte returns to London to find her cousin and best friend Gillian packing her family off to the West Indies. Charlotte is penniless after having been cut off by her family for eloping with an Italian. When her husband died, Charlotte was turned away by his family because she did not produce an heir. Gillian allows Charlotte to live in her London home while she is away and Charlotte immediately begins to plot out her return to society which is easier said than done.
Alasdair MacGregor is a much sought-after bachelor with no plans to settle down. Alasdair, or Dare as he prefers to be called, is the 7th Earl of Carlise, a title in name only with little money and a few rundown estates. Alasdair is a brilliant man and he spends all of his time working on a steam engine which he hopes to sell and make his own fortune.
Dare and Charlotte have a past – he had been in love with her. Dare is a strong believer in love. He doesn’t believe in marriages of convenience, nor does he agree to sex without love. When Charlotte proposes to Dare in order to keep the other widows and eligible ladies away, Dare refuses. He later agrees to a marriage.
Charlotte did not have the same endearing qualities as Gillian. At times she was annoying, especially when she got her vocabulary mixed up. At first, they were kind of cute, but as the story progressed, it just got tedious. I think that the butler Batsfoam stole the show. Batsfoam (have to chuckle at the name) was a long suffering character with a satiric streak. I absolutely loved him. He deserves a book of his own.
There are two more books in the series and I can’t wait to get my hands on them!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for a review copy of this book.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews. Check it out!
The Review:
Gillian’s cousin Charlotte and her love interest (and Noble’s rival) Alasdair MacGregor are the main couple in this second book in Katie MacAlister’s Noble series. This is historical romance with a touch of humor. Noble Destiny takes place several years after Noble Intentions.
Charlotte returns to London to find her cousin and best friend Gillian packing her family off to the West Indies. Charlotte is penniless after having been cut off by her family for eloping with an Italian. When her husband died, Charlotte was turned away by his family because she did not produce an heir. Gillian allows Charlotte to live in her London home while she is away and Charlotte immediately begins to plot out her return to society which is easier said than done.
Alasdair MacGregor is a much sought-after bachelor with no plans to settle down. Alasdair, or Dare as he prefers to be called, is the 7th Earl of Carlise, a title in name only with little money and a few rundown estates. Alasdair is a brilliant man and he spends all of his time working on a steam engine which he hopes to sell and make his own fortune.
Dare and Charlotte have a past – he had been in love with her. Dare is a strong believer in love. He doesn’t believe in marriages of convenience, nor does he agree to sex without love. When Charlotte proposes to Dare in order to keep the other widows and eligible ladies away, Dare refuses. He later agrees to a marriage.
Charlotte did not have the same endearing qualities as Gillian. At times she was annoying, especially when she got her vocabulary mixed up. At first, they were kind of cute, but as the story progressed, it just got tedious. I think that the butler Batsfoam stole the show. Batsfoam (have to chuckle at the name) was a long suffering character with a satiric streak. I absolutely loved him. He deserves a book of his own.
There are two more books in the series and I can’t wait to get my hands on them!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for a review copy of this book.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews. Check it out!
February 26, 2012
First off I will say that I don’t blame those that couldn’t finish this book. Charlotte isn’t likeable to begin with. She’s selfish, vain and superficial. She’s quite forceful almost to the point of becoming a bully but she’s always, always honest. I’ll admit she made this difficult to read although the humour made it easier, and perhaps at first this book will seem light-hearted and silly, it deepens to become serious with moments of utter despair. Charlotte’s personality is what makes the book work, she grows and changes but if she'd been any other woman this book would be labeled a tragedy. I’ll explain.
Charlotte as a debutante became bored during her season. Only one man intrigued her but she impulsively eloped with an entirely different man, a minor Italian nobleman. But it wasn’t a happy marriage. Apart from consummating the union on their wedding night her husband was impotent. She tried everything to encourage her husband’s member but it hated her! Anyway after 5 years her husband died. His family disowns her. Broke and homeless she just about manages to return to England and her cousin Gillian (from the first book) who is just about to walk out the door on a trip to the West Indies with her growing family. She suggests Charlotte marry because her brother has also turned his back on her as well as bad-mouthing her to all of high society. She remembers the Earl whom interested her during her last season, the only eligible bachelor left and decides to pursue him. In fact all the ladies of England are hunting him.
What people don’t know is that Dare inherited huge debts along with his title and is struggling to keep his head above water. In his efforts to make money he’s building an engine he hopes to sell one day soon. He hasn’t the time or energy to deal with the husband-hunters. Charlotte puts him in a uniquely difficult position, thereby forcing him to marry her. But he won’t give her what she most wants: a sex life, the thing that was missing in her first marriage. He refuses on the grounds that they do not yet love each other so she goes about trying to seduce him, when that fails she studies, in a clinical fashion, the act of falling in love and tries to force it. What she doesn’t know is that she’s all ready there. You see her start to think of Dare’s needs and wants before her own. She wants to make him happy. Thus begins her change as she finds out Dare’s true financial position and takes it on admirably, not the way a vain and superficial woman would. Her unhappy marriage changed her more than she realised.
However, as things start going well something absolutely horrific happens and only someone as strong-willed and eccentric as Charlotte could've handled it, otherwise this book would've ended in truly tragic circumstances.
Charlotte's growth from a girl so fixated on what the ton think of her and the superficial need for a handsome husband with a title and bags of money, to a woman who just wants a husband to love her and for her to love in return, is wonderful. This book beats her down and reshapes her into someone you'd be proud to call a friend.
She goes from:
To:
On a different note: Batsfoam, Dare's butler and all-round manservant, is hilarious. First impressions had me thinking he was a champion of sarcasm but really he's a fan of long-winded melancholy monologues at his master's expense. Still funny though. I loved his military reaction to Charlotte, acting as if she's his superior officer and the part when he tries to aid in her pursuit of sex with her husband by destroying Dare's bed and forcing him to share his wife's:
I want to give this a high rating but I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to and was actually left feeling a little low despite the happy ending but I do think it's a good, worthwhile book.
One of my favourite quotes:
Charlotte as a debutante became bored during her season. Only one man intrigued her but she impulsively eloped with an entirely different man, a minor Italian nobleman. But it wasn’t a happy marriage. Apart from consummating the union on their wedding night her husband was impotent. She tried everything to encourage her husband’s member but it hated her! Anyway after 5 years her husband died. His family disowns her. Broke and homeless she just about manages to return to England and her cousin Gillian (from the first book) who is just about to walk out the door on a trip to the West Indies with her growing family. She suggests Charlotte marry because her brother has also turned his back on her as well as bad-mouthing her to all of high society. She remembers the Earl whom interested her during her last season, the only eligible bachelor left and decides to pursue him. In fact all the ladies of England are hunting him.
What people don’t know is that Dare inherited huge debts along with his title and is struggling to keep his head above water. In his efforts to make money he’s building an engine he hopes to sell one day soon. He hasn’t the time or energy to deal with the husband-hunters. Charlotte puts him in a uniquely difficult position, thereby forcing him to marry her. But he won’t give her what she most wants: a sex life, the thing that was missing in her first marriage. He refuses on the grounds that they do not yet love each other so she goes about trying to seduce him, when that fails she studies, in a clinical fashion, the act of falling in love and tries to force it. What she doesn’t know is that she’s all ready there. You see her start to think of Dare’s needs and wants before her own. She wants to make him happy. Thus begins her change as she finds out Dare’s true financial position and takes it on admirably, not the way a vain and superficial woman would. Her unhappy marriage changed her more than she realised.
However, as things start going well something absolutely horrific happens and only someone as strong-willed and eccentric as Charlotte could've handled it, otherwise this book would've ended in truly tragic circumstances.
Charlotte's growth from a girl so fixated on what the ton think of her and the superficial need for a handsome husband with a title and bags of money, to a woman who just wants a husband to love her and for her to love in return, is wonderful. This book beats her down and reshapes her into someone you'd be proud to call a friend.
She goes from:
"Are you telling me you ran off to marry knowing that your father disapproved of your husband, knowing he would disinherit you, knowing that such an elopement would cause a scandal that would even now keep all the doors of Society closed to you, and yet you did it not for love, but because you were bored?"
To:
"What brings heartache?"
"Life," Charlotte replied, closing her eyes and giving in to the pain that filled her. "It seems like all I've done lately is fight for what I want, but for what purpose? I fought to come back to England and ended up penniless and unwanted by my own family. I fought to marry Dare and ended up a burden around his neck, driving him deeper into despair with his worry about my life with him. I fought to show him that I would stand by him, that I love him no matter what happens, and yet everything positive in my life -Dare being the exception- everything I've fought for has been stripped from me. [...] The problem is that I'm not necessary. There is no rhyme or reason to me. I am needed by no one. Ladies of our class are useless, worse than useless, dependent on everyone for everything, from cooking their meals to dressing themselves. When's the last time you dressed yourself, Caro? Combed your own hair? You see? I'm no better than the rest of our class. All I've been raised to do is look pretty and entertain people and spend my husband's money. There's no future in any of that for me -Dare wouldn't notice if I suddenly sprouted an extra limb or two, there's no one left in the ton other than you who will acknowledge me, and I have to admit that a lifetime spent with the sole purpose of entertaining you is not what I'm looking for in a life goal, and as for spending money, there's nothing to be spent."
On a different note: Batsfoam, Dare's butler and all-round manservant, is hilarious. First impressions had me thinking he was a champion of sarcasm but really he's a fan of long-winded melancholy monologues at his master's expense. Still funny though. I loved his military reaction to Charlotte, acting as if she's his superior officer and the part when he tries to aid in her pursuit of sex with her husband by destroying Dare's bed and forcing him to share his wife's:
"There was a small fire, my lord. Nothing serious, and it was extinguished almost immediately, but not before the flames rendered the mattress unsuitable." -Batsfoam's shortest ever response to anything. That alone should've seemed suspect.
I want to give this a high rating but I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to and was actually left feeling a little low despite the happy ending but I do think it's a good, worthwhile book.
One of my favourite quotes:
"I tried, I honestly tried! I wore naughty underwear, I allowed him to catch me en dishabille on many occasions, and I even sought advice from the local strumpet as to how to arouse the passion of Antonio's manly instrument, but to no avail. His instrument resisted all my efforts. I think it hated me," she added darkly.
"Oh, I'm sure that wasn't-"
"It wouldn't even twitch for me! [...] It wouldn't make even the slightest effort on my behalf. If that's not cruel and petty minded of a manly instrument, well, I don't know what is!"
October 28, 2018
Reviewed by Julie
Book provided by NetGalley for review
Originally posted at Romancing the Book
Katie MacAlister has always managed to make me laugh, sometimes I giggle right out loud when I’m reading her books. This book was no exception. There were several moments of outright hilarity.
However, while Charlotte started off being funny, her charm begin to wear thin. Dare was over the top in his refusal to make the marriage a real one, although I understood his heart was in the right place, he didn’t really handle it the best way for Charlotte. The secondary characters were long suffering as they dealt with Charlotte’s antics and woes and caused problems for Dare.
Charlotte’s goal was to be welcomed back into the Ton after having run away impulsively and married a much older man. Now widowed she has returned to London in hopes of bettering her station in life. She sets her hopes on Dare. Dare, however, is still smarting over a relationship from long ago that has him very wary of falling in love and having a family. His career as an engineer is the most important thing in the world for him. But, he also has some other insecurities that made me feel sympathetic towards him even if I was mad at him. Charlotte also behaved like a ninny for the majority of the book and I started to wonder if this relationship had any hope whatsoever.
While Dare has more on his mind than torturing Charlotte, for that was surely the way she viewed it, again I thought it was really wrong to have kept his reasons a secret from Charlotte. I thought that as immature and shallow as she was, his continuing to treat her as a child only prolonged her angst and prevented her from understanding him better. Of course as we approached the halfway point of the book, things become a little clearer and Charlotte is beginning to realize that society is not as rewarding as she thought it to be. Life with Dare and helping him with his goals and dreams began to consume more of her time she began to really fall in love with him. As Dare begins to realize some of his dreams he knows that Charlotte was a big part of his success and he is proud to see the girl he married has turned into a lovely, giving, responsible and caring woman.
This was a fun and very lighthearted novel and for the most part it was enjoyable. This is just the type of book to read when you when you’ve had a trying time . You won’t be able to read the entire book without smiling – I promise! Overall this one will be a 3.
Book provided by NetGalley for review
Originally posted at Romancing the Book
Katie MacAlister has always managed to make me laugh, sometimes I giggle right out loud when I’m reading her books. This book was no exception. There were several moments of outright hilarity.
However, while Charlotte started off being funny, her charm begin to wear thin. Dare was over the top in his refusal to make the marriage a real one, although I understood his heart was in the right place, he didn’t really handle it the best way for Charlotte. The secondary characters were long suffering as they dealt with Charlotte’s antics and woes and caused problems for Dare.
Charlotte’s goal was to be welcomed back into the Ton after having run away impulsively and married a much older man. Now widowed she has returned to London in hopes of bettering her station in life. She sets her hopes on Dare. Dare, however, is still smarting over a relationship from long ago that has him very wary of falling in love and having a family. His career as an engineer is the most important thing in the world for him. But, he also has some other insecurities that made me feel sympathetic towards him even if I was mad at him. Charlotte also behaved like a ninny for the majority of the book and I started to wonder if this relationship had any hope whatsoever.
While Dare has more on his mind than torturing Charlotte, for that was surely the way she viewed it, again I thought it was really wrong to have kept his reasons a secret from Charlotte. I thought that as immature and shallow as she was, his continuing to treat her as a child only prolonged her angst and prevented her from understanding him better. Of course as we approached the halfway point of the book, things become a little clearer and Charlotte is beginning to realize that society is not as rewarding as she thought it to be. Life with Dare and helping him with his goals and dreams began to consume more of her time she began to really fall in love with him. As Dare begins to realize some of his dreams he knows that Charlotte was a big part of his success and he is proud to see the girl he married has turned into a lovely, giving, responsible and caring woman.
This was a fun and very lighthearted novel and for the most part it was enjoyable. This is just the type of book to read when you when you’ve had a trying time . You won’t be able to read the entire book without smiling – I promise! Overall this one will be a 3.
March 30, 2014
A sweet, fun, and enjoyable historical romance, Noble Destiny was a lovely read. I didn't love it, but I did like it and I enjoyed reading it.
Charlotte was an okay heroine. But, I didn't like her all that much. She tended to be shallow, selfish, and a bit of an air head. Over the course of the book, she did start to grow up and she became much more bearable. So, overall, while I didn't really like her, I was okay with her.
Alasdair, on the other hand, was wonderful. He was so sweet and, my goodness, he had the patience of a saint, with the way he dealt with Charlotte. I loved how he was determined to protect his sister and his wife, even when the situation became dire. He was amazing and I totally adored him.
The romance was good. Since I wasn't a fan of Charlotte, I didn't fully get into it, but I did think they were well matched. As I said before, Charlotte could be aggravating, and Alasdair had some remarkable patience to handle it the way he did. But, truly, I thought they were sweet together. The chemistry between them was hot, though that wasn't the main part of their relationship (since Alasdair was determined that love should come first and would wait until it came). I thought they were a lovely couple.
The plot was well paced and I was kept interested the entire way through. The story was tons of fun, with crazy antics from the characters. It was very entertaining, though it was sometimes overly silly. I really enjoyed the story and the ending was sweet.
Noble Destiny was lovely historical romance. While I didn't love it, I did enjoy reading it. It was a fun, sweet, and thoroughly entertaining read. Romance lovers, if you want a fun read, then you might want to check this book out.
*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Charlotte was an okay heroine. But, I didn't like her all that much. She tended to be shallow, selfish, and a bit of an air head. Over the course of the book, she did start to grow up and she became much more bearable. So, overall, while I didn't really like her, I was okay with her.
Alasdair, on the other hand, was wonderful. He was so sweet and, my goodness, he had the patience of a saint, with the way he dealt with Charlotte. I loved how he was determined to protect his sister and his wife, even when the situation became dire. He was amazing and I totally adored him.
The romance was good. Since I wasn't a fan of Charlotte, I didn't fully get into it, but I did think they were well matched. As I said before, Charlotte could be aggravating, and Alasdair had some remarkable patience to handle it the way he did. But, truly, I thought they were sweet together. The chemistry between them was hot, though that wasn't the main part of their relationship (since Alasdair was determined that love should come first and would wait until it came). I thought they were a lovely couple.
The plot was well paced and I was kept interested the entire way through. The story was tons of fun, with crazy antics from the characters. It was very entertaining, though it was sometimes overly silly. I really enjoyed the story and the ending was sweet.
Noble Destiny was lovely historical romance. While I didn't love it, I did enjoy reading it. It was a fun, sweet, and thoroughly entertaining read. Romance lovers, if you want a fun read, then you might want to check this book out.
*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
February 13, 2015
¿Quién diría que alguien como Charlotte me gustaría tanto?
Sólo mirénla, tan caprichosa, consentida, egoísta, superficial, manipuladora. Y Dare, Dare que solo quería una esposa que lo amara, una esposa que no quisiera su título, su físico, su dinero y termina con Charlotte.
Yo creí que lo suyo no funcionaría, pero créanme cuando digo que son perfectos para el otro. Charlotte no es una santa, debería ser arrestada por ser tan acosadora y terca, y Dare seguramente pudo haber hecho un matrimonio mejor.
¿Pero los imagino yo con otra persona? ¡Jamás!
Porque las virtudes de uno y los defectos del otro se complementan, y los veo perfectamente como son ahora en un futuro. Y eso pocos matrimonios ficticios pueden hacerlo.
No nos engañemos, el libro no es una obra maestra, difícilmente podría llevarse cinco estrellas, pero yo terminé con una sonrisa boba en la cara y eso vale mucho.
[Soy de las pocas fans de Charlotte XD Que genial (?) Gillian no me gustó y difícilmente considere al libro anterior a este como el mejor porque no es así, hasta ahora me quedo con este, porque soy #TeamCharlotte así y toda lo mala que es]
Tiene situaciones divertidas, situaciones tiernas. Veo química en la pareja. Veo a Dare tremendamente enamorado de su esposa y veo a Charlotte terriblemente terca para seguir al lado de su esposo pese a todo. ¡Me encantan!
Sólo mirénla, tan caprichosa, consentida, egoísta, superficial, manipuladora. Y Dare, Dare que solo quería una esposa que lo amara, una esposa que no quisiera su título, su físico, su dinero y termina con Charlotte.
Yo creí que lo suyo no funcionaría, pero créanme cuando digo que son perfectos para el otro. Charlotte no es una santa, debería ser arrestada por ser tan acosadora y terca, y Dare seguramente pudo haber hecho un matrimonio mejor.
¿Pero los imagino yo con otra persona? ¡Jamás!
Porque las virtudes de uno y los defectos del otro se complementan, y los veo perfectamente como son ahora en un futuro. Y eso pocos matrimonios ficticios pueden hacerlo.
No nos engañemos, el libro no es una obra maestra, difícilmente podría llevarse cinco estrellas, pero yo terminé con una sonrisa boba en la cara y eso vale mucho.
[Soy de las pocas fans de Charlotte XD Que genial (?) Gillian no me gustó y difícilmente considere al libro anterior a este como el mejor porque no es así, hasta ahora me quedo con este, porque soy #TeamCharlotte así y toda lo mala que es]
Tiene situaciones divertidas, situaciones tiernas. Veo química en la pareja. Veo a Dare tremendamente enamorado de su esposa y veo a Charlotte terriblemente terca para seguir al lado de su esposo pese a todo. ¡Me encantan!
February 21, 2019
Dopo aver recensito il primo libro della serie, eccomi di nuovo con voi a parlarvi di questo secondo capitolo. Se vi ricordate cosa avevo scritto del primo volume, è niente a confronto del secondo.
Lady Charlotte è mille volte peggio della cugina, se a Gillian capitavano gli incidenti, Char se li crea, anzi ci va a nozze. Quello che vi rimarrà in mente di questa protagonista è il suo modo strambo di parlare. Usa termini a casaccio perchè le suonano bene sulle labbra e quando la riprendono con i termini giusti che avrebbe dovuto usare, liquida tutto con una bella alzata di spalle.
Dare o Conte di Carlisle è il protagonista di questo libro, e aimè, a volte aggiungerei anche purtroppo, si è lasciato accalappiare dalla stramba Lady fino a sposarla.
Anche qui, chi più e chi meno, fanno comparsa i protagonisti e i sotto protagonisti del libro precedente e vi garantisco che rileggere le vicissitudini di determinati personaggi rende sempre felici.
Una persona che sicuramente vi farà venire le lacrime agli occhi è il maggiordomo del Conte… ricordatevi di lui e riderete come le pazze.
Anche in questo libro come nel precedente, l’attenzione è quasi sempre sul personaggio femminile della storia, un uragano, una forza della natura, con un quoziente intellettivo non proprio elevato, ma che comunque riesce nei suoi intenti per pura forza di volontà. Dare, il nostro conte, è come nella maggior parte dei romanzi, tutto fumo e niente arrosto, ruvido, indisponente e con un cuore di pietra, ma solo in apparenza, perché, sotto sotto, è un cucciolo anche lui, bisognoso d’amore e d’affetto.
Diverse vicissitudini scorrono lungo il percorso dei due sposini, ma insieme riescono a trovare la giusta scappatoia.
Leggero, scorrevole e ben scritto. Se avete voglia di due risate, una storiella leggera e tanto amore, allora, sicuramente è il libro che fa per voi.
Lady Charlotte è mille volte peggio della cugina, se a Gillian capitavano gli incidenti, Char se li crea, anzi ci va a nozze. Quello che vi rimarrà in mente di questa protagonista è il suo modo strambo di parlare. Usa termini a casaccio perchè le suonano bene sulle labbra e quando la riprendono con i termini giusti che avrebbe dovuto usare, liquida tutto con una bella alzata di spalle.
Dare o Conte di Carlisle è il protagonista di questo libro, e aimè, a volte aggiungerei anche purtroppo, si è lasciato accalappiare dalla stramba Lady fino a sposarla.
Anche qui, chi più e chi meno, fanno comparsa i protagonisti e i sotto protagonisti del libro precedente e vi garantisco che rileggere le vicissitudini di determinati personaggi rende sempre felici.
Una persona che sicuramente vi farà venire le lacrime agli occhi è il maggiordomo del Conte… ricordatevi di lui e riderete come le pazze.
Anche in questo libro come nel precedente, l’attenzione è quasi sempre sul personaggio femminile della storia, un uragano, una forza della natura, con un quoziente intellettivo non proprio elevato, ma che comunque riesce nei suoi intenti per pura forza di volontà. Dare, il nostro conte, è come nella maggior parte dei romanzi, tutto fumo e niente arrosto, ruvido, indisponente e con un cuore di pietra, ma solo in apparenza, perché, sotto sotto, è un cucciolo anche lui, bisognoso d’amore e d’affetto.
Diverse vicissitudini scorrono lungo il percorso dei due sposini, ma insieme riescono a trovare la giusta scappatoia.
Leggero, scorrevole e ben scritto. Se avete voglia di due risate, una storiella leggera e tanto amore, allora, sicuramente è il libro che fa per voi.
April 13, 2020
Pleasantly ridiculous. Annoying at times, particularly with the words deliberately misused as a running joke/ character gimmick, but just as my nerves were at their zenith the book would manage to mildly amuse me. I would not recommend but overall, it sufficed for a brief interlude.
April 27, 2013
I got this book at a used book store, and thought the plot sounded great. I'm a sucker for funny romance novels. However, this made me see red and toss the book. I barely got through the first two chapters before I started to skim the novel, hoping against hope that it got better. Every place I stopped at only fueled my desire to get the book out of my house. The main character is a twit! Not just a little ditzy, but a full-on, overblown twit that is too stupid to live. I think her little slip-ups with common sayings was supposed to be cute, but it really wasn't. Her disrespect (from what I read) for the other members of the ton and how she tried to get into a party by Lady Jersey (who, if memory of history serves me, was pretty much just below the Prince in the hierarchy) would have had her tossed into the streets and disgraced. Not to mention, the utter disrespect the serving class had around her, which all their dialog sounded like it came from some horrible 80's sitcom. You know the ones, where the butler was allowed to mouth off to the head of the house because a laugh track said it was funny. Same thing here. There was nothing funny, just cringe-inducing. The research for this was nil. I will not be buying any more books by Katie MacAlister. Not my style.
November 26, 2011
This is the second book in the Noble series. This was fun romance story that I enjoyed.
A poor widow, Lady Charlotte Collins returns to England eager to take her place in the ton, only to find herself shunned by all. Her one choice is to marry a groom with wealth, a title, and good looks, but Alasdair McGregor cruelly refuses to be the answer to her problems.
In fact, she is forced by Dare’s obstinacy to take extreme action: the faulty codpiece that leads to this marriage, the wedding that is literally a circus. But nothing can stand between Charlotte and what she wants most: the love of her husband.
A poor widow, Lady Charlotte Collins returns to England eager to take her place in the ton, only to find herself shunned by all. Her one choice is to marry a groom with wealth, a title, and good looks, but Alasdair McGregor cruelly refuses to be the answer to her problems.
In fact, she is forced by Dare’s obstinacy to take extreme action: the faulty codpiece that leads to this marriage, the wedding that is literally a circus. But nothing can stand between Charlotte and what she wants most: the love of her husband.
December 16, 2012
Fluffy farce with some explicit bedrooms but a completely unlikeable female lead. I struggled to get through it, and only did because I enjoyed the first book and wanted to give it a fair go. I like MacAlister's writing style. I like her one-liners. I enjoyed the background characters. It could have been a book I really enjoyed. But I hated Charlotte, loathed, did not like whatsoever. It just wasn't worth the effort.
Book 2 of 3. Stands comfortably alone (in fact, skip this one altogether).
http://www.amazon.com/review/R1AK9IW9...
Book 2 of 3. Stands comfortably alone (in fact, skip this one altogether).
http://www.amazon.com/review/R1AK9IW9...
January 10, 2010
Ahhhhh.... Katie MacAlister's books never fail to make me laugh. And, this book was no exception. Parts of this book were hilarious!
Charlotte, the heroine, was always mistaking one word for another in her ineloquent speeches. Codpieces with small animals... wives with pistols... explosions... the Vyvyan La Blue's Guide to Connubial Calisthenics... carpet beating antics... eye-patches befitting the finest kilts.
What more could you ask for?
Charlotte, the heroine, was always mistaking one word for another in her ineloquent speeches. Codpieces with small animals... wives with pistols... explosions... the Vyvyan La Blue's Guide to Connubial Calisthenics... carpet beating antics... eye-patches befitting the finest kilts.
What more could you ask for?
March 29, 2008
Love this book! The author's original heroines are always entertaining. This one is constantly mangling words and expressions! And the hero is unique in that he is the one insisting on love!! Give it a read and it should end up on your keeper shelf as it is definately on mine!
June 11, 2016
Igual de buena que la primera de esta serie.
January 16, 2020
After picking up the first book, I went into this one knowing full well what it was going to be. Everything about this was so over-the-top and silly, but it never really tipped over into being too annoying for me to enjoy. Charlotte had to be the best part of this whole thing. To be honest, she was a pretty shallow and self-centered person. However, purely entertainment-wise, she made me laugh my ass off anytime she opened her mouth. She was always coming up with the most ridiculous schemes/plots and she had zero filter in terms of the things she said.
The last 20% of the story took a weird turn. I was strangely okay with it though. The way Charlotte dealt with the situation made me completely change my mind about her character. I know this is basically the fluff version of a regency romance, but it was nice seeing her grow past my initial impressions of her. For all her faults, I really liked how devoted and loyal she was to Dare.
Overall, this was ridiculous as hell, but I was so entertained by it all that I was just kind of rolling with it. I’ll probably space out the remainder of this series because I don’t think I could read too many of these books in a row without getting a headache or going slightly insane by the crazy dialogues. There were only a few really minor flaws. The one that comes to mind first is how Charlotte was constantly misusing words. I have to agree with the other reviews about the joke getting repetitive. Thankfully, the further I read, I was able to mentally skim over it for the most part.
The last 20% of the story took a weird turn. I was strangely okay with it though. The way Charlotte dealt with the situation made me completely change my mind about her character. I know this is basically the fluff version of a regency romance, but it was nice seeing her grow past my initial impressions of her. For all her faults, I really liked how devoted and loyal she was to Dare.
Overall, this was ridiculous as hell, but I was so entertained by it all that I was just kind of rolling with it. I’ll probably space out the remainder of this series because I don’t think I could read too many of these books in a row without getting a headache or going slightly insane by the crazy dialogues. There were only a few really minor flaws. The one that comes to mind first is how Charlotte was constantly misusing words. I have to agree with the other reviews about the joke getting repetitive. Thankfully, the further I read, I was able to mentally skim over it for the most part.
August 8, 2021
Secondo romanzo della serie Nobles ma che per fortuna non impone la lettura di tutta la serie perché i collegamenti sono davvero superficiali.
Anche in questo caso uno dei protagonisti del romanzo è vedovo qui però siamo davanti ad una vedova e che vedova!
All'inizio Charlotte si presenta come un personaggio che fa spavento: confonde le parole, è viziata, irritante, una ne pensa e cento ne fa, svampita, infantile e decisamente venale. Successivamente cambia ma non solo per le cose che contano davvero.
Confesso che il suo comportamento iniziale l'ha resa ai miei occhi veramente antipatica ma nonostante questo ho trovato il romanzo scorrevole, per niente noioso e divertente (non esilarante).
Lord Carlisle, invece, è davvero un santo ed è l'unico sano di mente perché anche i personaggi secondari non sono esattamente "normali". La ama profondamente ed anzi cerca in tutti i modi di farsi amare nonostante lei sia solo interessata a riprendere il suo posto in società.
La trama è decisamente corposa questo perché è un vero calderone di avvenimenti e situazioni surreali quest'ultime create da Charlotte. Basti pensare al momento in cui ha deciso di introdursi in tutti i club londinesi per rubare tutti i libri su cui gli uomini annotavano le loro scommesse per evitare che la società continuasse a spettegolare su lei e il marito.
La sensualità seppur spiccata è trattata sempre in modo elegante e non è di alcun disturbo al lettore anche perché introduce quella che sarà la protagonista del terzo libro.
Consigliato per chi non cerca letture troppo impegnate.
Anche in questo caso uno dei protagonisti del romanzo è vedovo qui però siamo davanti ad una vedova e che vedova!
All'inizio Charlotte si presenta come un personaggio che fa spavento: confonde le parole, è viziata, irritante, una ne pensa e cento ne fa, svampita, infantile e decisamente venale. Successivamente cambia ma non solo per le cose che contano davvero.
Confesso che il suo comportamento iniziale l'ha resa ai miei occhi veramente antipatica ma nonostante questo ho trovato il romanzo scorrevole, per niente noioso e divertente (non esilarante).
Lord Carlisle, invece, è davvero un santo ed è l'unico sano di mente perché anche i personaggi secondari non sono esattamente "normali". La ama profondamente ed anzi cerca in tutti i modi di farsi amare nonostante lei sia solo interessata a riprendere il suo posto in società.
La trama è decisamente corposa questo perché è un vero calderone di avvenimenti e situazioni surreali quest'ultime create da Charlotte. Basti pensare al momento in cui ha deciso di introdursi in tutti i club londinesi per rubare tutti i libri su cui gli uomini annotavano le loro scommesse per evitare che la società continuasse a spettegolare su lei e il marito.
La sensualità seppur spiccata è trattata sempre in modo elegante e non è di alcun disturbo al lettore anche perché introduce quella che sarà la protagonista del terzo libro.
Consigliato per chi non cerca letture troppo impegnate.
November 1, 2021
Inhalt:
Lady Charlotte wird in der englischen Gesellschaft gemieden, damit sich das ändert, plant sie einen reichen Mann zu finden und zu ehelichen ...
Schreibstil:
Mein erstes und mein letztes Buch von Katie MacAlister. Der Einstieg in die Geschichte war leicht, die Handlung schnell klar. Allerdings passen die Charaktere einfach nicht ins alte England - so eine verzogene, hochnäsige und abartige Lady hätte es wohl damals nicht gegeben und wenn doch, dann hat es einfach einen Grund, warum sie in der Gesellschaft keinen Fuß fassen konnte, daran kann auch ein reicher Mann nichts ändern. Negativ wirkt zudem der Ausdruck der Charaktere untereinander und die Wortwahl der Handlungsbeschreibung, alles wirkt künstlich und gestellt.
Charaktere:
Lady Charlotte ist eine Trulla, die es als Hauptcharakter echt nicht gebraucht hätte. Sie ist sowas von unsympathisch, dass man Mitleid mit dem armen Alasdair hat.
Die Charaktere an sich sind sehr eindimensional, sie wirken künstlich und mit festgelegten Rollen. Es entwickelt sich auch nicht wirklich jemand weiter, was sehr schade ist.
Cover:
Das Cover wirkt beruhigend und hoffnungsvoll. Letzteres trifft natürlich die Geschichte - beruhigend eher nicht so bei der Prota.
Fazit:
Ich habe das Buch abgebrochen. Das Leben ist zu kurz, um es mit Roman-Zicken zu vertrödeln. Mit einer angenehmeren Prota wäre es eventuell anders gewesen. Daher nur 1 Stern und keine Leseempfehlung.
Lady Charlotte wird in der englischen Gesellschaft gemieden, damit sich das ändert, plant sie einen reichen Mann zu finden und zu ehelichen ...
Schreibstil:
Mein erstes und mein letztes Buch von Katie MacAlister. Der Einstieg in die Geschichte war leicht, die Handlung schnell klar. Allerdings passen die Charaktere einfach nicht ins alte England - so eine verzogene, hochnäsige und abartige Lady hätte es wohl damals nicht gegeben und wenn doch, dann hat es einfach einen Grund, warum sie in der Gesellschaft keinen Fuß fassen konnte, daran kann auch ein reicher Mann nichts ändern. Negativ wirkt zudem der Ausdruck der Charaktere untereinander und die Wortwahl der Handlungsbeschreibung, alles wirkt künstlich und gestellt.
Charaktere:
Lady Charlotte ist eine Trulla, die es als Hauptcharakter echt nicht gebraucht hätte. Sie ist sowas von unsympathisch, dass man Mitleid mit dem armen Alasdair hat.
Die Charaktere an sich sind sehr eindimensional, sie wirken künstlich und mit festgelegten Rollen. Es entwickelt sich auch nicht wirklich jemand weiter, was sehr schade ist.
Cover:
Das Cover wirkt beruhigend und hoffnungsvoll. Letzteres trifft natürlich die Geschichte - beruhigend eher nicht so bei der Prota.
Fazit:
Ich habe das Buch abgebrochen. Das Leben ist zu kurz, um es mit Roman-Zicken zu vertrödeln. Mit einer angenehmeren Prota wäre es eventuell anders gewesen. Daher nur 1 Stern und keine Leseempfehlung.
February 13, 2022
-1 star, maybe 2 star.
the main character charlotte is just not likeable.
she's an entitled conniving snobby shallow idiot who keeps using the wrong words. which might have been entertaining the first couple times, but the hundred times after that were just downright annoying. it constantly disrupts the conversation, them trying to sort out what she did or didnt say.
and when she coerces her one remaining friend to help her arrange to get caught naked with an earl to force him to marry her, i decided i was done with this book. usually i quite enjoy this author and her sense of humor. this book utterly failed for me. i only made it 50 pages in before deciding not to waste any more of my time on this bitch of a character.
"are you telling me you ran off to marry knowing that your father disapproved of your husband, knowing he would disinherit you, knowing that such an elopement would cause a scandal that would even now keep all the doors of society closed to you, and yet you did it not for love, but because you were bored?"
"yes, will they look good against me! that is to say, will our appearances complement one another? will we have handsome children? i must have a husband who will give me handsome children. can you imagine having ugly children? it wouldn't be tolerable at all. therefore i must select a husband who not only has the fortune and position i require, but he must also have looks that will complement my own."
the main character charlotte is just not likeable.
she's an entitled conniving snobby shallow idiot who keeps using the wrong words. which might have been entertaining the first couple times, but the hundred times after that were just downright annoying. it constantly disrupts the conversation, them trying to sort out what she did or didnt say.
and when she coerces her one remaining friend to help her arrange to get caught naked with an earl to force him to marry her, i decided i was done with this book. usually i quite enjoy this author and her sense of humor. this book utterly failed for me. i only made it 50 pages in before deciding not to waste any more of my time on this bitch of a character.
"are you telling me you ran off to marry knowing that your father disapproved of your husband, knowing he would disinherit you, knowing that such an elopement would cause a scandal that would even now keep all the doors of society closed to you, and yet you did it not for love, but because you were bored?"
"yes, will they look good against me! that is to say, will our appearances complement one another? will we have handsome children? i must have a husband who will give me handsome children. can you imagine having ugly children? it wouldn't be tolerable at all. therefore i must select a husband who not only has the fortune and position i require, but he must also have looks that will complement my own."
February 25, 2018
Picked this book up from the The Ripped Bodice's "Blind Date with a Book" section.
I'm so glad I chose it. The most entertaining book I've read this year.
You have a lovely and mischievous heroine who is constantly misusing words and who seems to be a student of the connubial calisthenics. A hard working, dedicated and sentimental hero (he wants more than a bed mate, he wants friendship and love), who can't help but fall hopelessly in love with the heroine. A chatty butler / valet / secretary, your typical Man Friday, Batsfoam, who reminds me of a humorous Eeyore. He is long-winded, gloomy, obsequious yet insolent and prone to monologues.
I was constantly laughing! Though the be perfectly honest, the heroine did annoy me at times with the way she treated her best friend.
I'm so glad I chose it. The most entertaining book I've read this year.
You have a lovely and mischievous heroine who is constantly misusing words and who seems to be a student of the connubial calisthenics. A hard working, dedicated and sentimental hero (he wants more than a bed mate, he wants friendship and love), who can't help but fall hopelessly in love with the heroine. A chatty butler / valet / secretary, your typical Man Friday, Batsfoam, who reminds me of a humorous Eeyore. He is long-winded, gloomy, obsequious yet insolent and prone to monologues.
I was constantly laughing! Though the be perfectly honest, the heroine did annoy me at times with the way she treated her best friend.
May 12, 2018
A light, enjoyable, quick read. I enjoyed watching Charlotte mature and get slightly more serious (though not too serious!) and fall in love with her husband for all he is inside, instead of the frivolous outside things that drew her to him.
“How dare you! How dare you insinuate that the only reason I married you was for your money or title or social standing or your handsome face!” ..... “I’m not offended you know why I married you; I’m offended that you think those things still matter to me...A woman in love doesn’t care about money or looks.”
“How dare you! How dare you insinuate that the only reason I married you was for your money or title or social standing or your handsome face!” ..... “I’m not offended you know why I married you; I’m offended that you think those things still matter to me...A woman in love doesn’t care about money or looks.”
January 11, 2023
I am very disappointed at this book. I stopped at the 27% mark and just had no desire to keep reading. Perhaps this gets better in the end but Charlotte annoyed me to the point I didn’t want her to have her HEA. It might be different if she had even married her Italian hubby because she was caught up in romance, not because she was bored. I thought she was a quirky side character in the first book but she isn’t even quirky in this book. She is literally just annoying, coming off as selfish and shallow. I’ll pass. And it’s a shame because the first book was very enjoyable.
December 5, 2018
These books are delightful, quick reads. Katie MacAlister writes fun, silly characters into stories that don't take themselves too seriously. For anyone who enjoyed minor characters from the first book and was hoping for more, this book focuses on a different couple's journey to romance. I found the character's challenges interesting and refreshing. It was a great book to read before going to bed.
Read
January 28, 2021This is my third DNF in a row, so I know there's something going on with my state of mind that's making it hard for me to get into books. But I just cannot deal with this heroine. I loved the sound of the synopsis, but it feels wasted on a really annoying heroine. She would be funny as a side character, but as a heroine, she's obnoxious. Or maybe I could tolerate her for the length of a novella, but the audiobook is eleven freaking hours long. This book is not for me.
December 16, 2016
I have to say I almost stopped reading this after a few chapters because Charlotte was so annoying, whiny, manipulative and self centered. But then I started to see a little change happening to her and kept going and I'm very glad I did! I loved this story and how Charlotte redeemed herself and outgrew her spoiled brat attitude.
June 28, 2021
Overall I liked this book but it was so long. I listened to the narrated version. The narrator did a great job but at over 11 hours, It seemed so long. It also wasn't as funny as Noble Intentions, although it had its charm and wit. Charlotte is undaunted in her outlook and she evolves from a self-centered society brat to a caring wife and friend. Three and a half stars.
June 4, 2025
I've rarely found a protagonist that unlikable, naive and downright stupid as Charlotte. The first 150 pages were a struggle to get through, I couldn't warm up to her entitled, childish and dumb character, and to then have an explosion to maim the male love interest to show how less shallow Charlotte has become is a bit on the nose and unnecessary.
June 18, 2014
I discovered a whole new author and series to love with book one, but the love affair has only deepened after reading this one. It is a loosely tied sequel that could be read out of order giving two minor characters in the last book the lead. Historical Romance is fun, flirty and heartwarming with these. I love how it can be so silly that I'm snorting with laughter, passionate that I start to get a bit warm under the collar but then turn around and offer something so touching that I'm near tears. Entertaining? Most definitely, but also something more.
The story opens when Charlotte returns home after a runaway match to an Italian count who has since passed away. She left in a cloud of scandal that not even five years has put to bed. She is left with few options to restore her reputation in society and the best one is finding a likely husband. It has to be someone titled, wealthy and handsome and she has decided on just the man. She was intrigued by Alistair McGregor, Earl of Carlyle, before and now here he is within reach again.
Dare McGregor was never interested in the title which only came with a load of debt and three ruined estates or all the women who throw themselves at him thinking him a great match. He has more pressing things to consider. He can clear the debt and start getting the estates profitable if he can get his new engine designed and built in time to demonstrate it for his future brother in law's uncle, Elias Whitney. Into this situation, comes the only woman who managed to get under his skin before and she announces that they should get married so he will no longer be pestered by all the match-makers and he can be her ticket back to respectability. He tries to say no, but then her crazy schemes backfire and still get the result of him forced to offer for her.
Charlotte got what she wanted, but her victory isn't complete and it isn't as satisfying as she thought. First, there are still many spiteful people including her own brother that won't be satisfied until she is pushed back out of people's notice, but then her new husband has this idea that he won't have physical relations with her unless she loves him as he does her. Love? Okay, she has achieved tougher things so she can fall in love just like that. In the meantime, the long thought dead McGregor cousin turns up to contest Dare as the Earl of Carlyle, rumors are flaming up about her marriage and Dare's reputation and then a terrible event changes everything. Charlotte has to decide what is truly important and she has to decide if she can stick with her husband through thick and thin.
The plots in this series are unique when it comes to the romance in that achieving the wedding is the easy part and early on, but achieving happiness afterward is what is challenging. The romance is also a blend of sweet, playful and spicy. The men are hearty lovers and the women are no shrinking violets. The book is told with both Charlotte and Dare narrating though mostly Charlotte. The plot is also twisty so that stuff happens that the reader doesn't see coming. There is a bit of intrigue going on that lead to some dangerous excitement.
Dare is the straight man in that all the silliness and mayhem take place around him. He didn't ask for all the trouble that came his way when it came to the title he inherited, but he shoulders responsibility anyway. He didn't encourage Charlotte, but once they were married he was the perfect husband loving her just the way she was and showing big amounts of tolerance for the craziness she brings to his life. I loved how his patience was rewarded and when he was in a bad place, she was there for him.
Now Charlotte...oh man, where to start. I didn't know what to make of her in the beginning. She is so self-absorbed and oblivious that I wanted to applaud her effrontery. She had this hilarious habit of substituting the wrong words when she talked and has this circular reasoning that leaves one dizzy. However, she didn't stay stuck on herself. Marriage to Dare brought her up against a person of strong will who wouldn't be wheedled into giving in to her. Dare forced her to rethink her priorities and what she really wanted. And she responded to this while keeping her scheming and ability to get into troublesome situations. She is so open about their physical relationship and quotes this sex manual book at anyone who'll listen especially Dare. I laughed so often. There was so much about her that was appealing.
The secondary characters just sparkle and add a little something extra to an already good story. They are quirky and entertaining whether it is Charlotte's longsuffering friend, Caroline, or Dare's depressing long-faced butler/valet. Noble, Gillian, and Crouch were back too in little roles.
To sum up, this was another amusing romp in the Noble series. I am already committed to reading the next book for my dose of heartwarming romance and hilarious capers in the Regency era. I would recommend this for those who don't take their historical romances seriously and who like some spice to the relationship.
My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story opens when Charlotte returns home after a runaway match to an Italian count who has since passed away. She left in a cloud of scandal that not even five years has put to bed. She is left with few options to restore her reputation in society and the best one is finding a likely husband. It has to be someone titled, wealthy and handsome and she has decided on just the man. She was intrigued by Alistair McGregor, Earl of Carlyle, before and now here he is within reach again.
Dare McGregor was never interested in the title which only came with a load of debt and three ruined estates or all the women who throw themselves at him thinking him a great match. He has more pressing things to consider. He can clear the debt and start getting the estates profitable if he can get his new engine designed and built in time to demonstrate it for his future brother in law's uncle, Elias Whitney. Into this situation, comes the only woman who managed to get under his skin before and she announces that they should get married so he will no longer be pestered by all the match-makers and he can be her ticket back to respectability. He tries to say no, but then her crazy schemes backfire and still get the result of him forced to offer for her.
Charlotte got what she wanted, but her victory isn't complete and it isn't as satisfying as she thought. First, there are still many spiteful people including her own brother that won't be satisfied until she is pushed back out of people's notice, but then her new husband has this idea that he won't have physical relations with her unless she loves him as he does her. Love? Okay, she has achieved tougher things so she can fall in love just like that. In the meantime, the long thought dead McGregor cousin turns up to contest Dare as the Earl of Carlyle, rumors are flaming up about her marriage and Dare's reputation and then a terrible event changes everything. Charlotte has to decide what is truly important and she has to decide if she can stick with her husband through thick and thin.
The plots in this series are unique when it comes to the romance in that achieving the wedding is the easy part and early on, but achieving happiness afterward is what is challenging. The romance is also a blend of sweet, playful and spicy. The men are hearty lovers and the women are no shrinking violets. The book is told with both Charlotte and Dare narrating though mostly Charlotte. The plot is also twisty so that stuff happens that the reader doesn't see coming. There is a bit of intrigue going on that lead to some dangerous excitement.
Dare is the straight man in that all the silliness and mayhem take place around him. He didn't ask for all the trouble that came his way when it came to the title he inherited, but he shoulders responsibility anyway. He didn't encourage Charlotte, but once they were married he was the perfect husband loving her just the way she was and showing big amounts of tolerance for the craziness she brings to his life. I loved how his patience was rewarded and when he was in a bad place, she was there for him.
Now Charlotte...oh man, where to start. I didn't know what to make of her in the beginning. She is so self-absorbed and oblivious that I wanted to applaud her effrontery. She had this hilarious habit of substituting the wrong words when she talked and has this circular reasoning that leaves one dizzy. However, she didn't stay stuck on herself. Marriage to Dare brought her up against a person of strong will who wouldn't be wheedled into giving in to her. Dare forced her to rethink her priorities and what she really wanted. And she responded to this while keeping her scheming and ability to get into troublesome situations. She is so open about their physical relationship and quotes this sex manual book at anyone who'll listen especially Dare. I laughed so often. There was so much about her that was appealing.
The secondary characters just sparkle and add a little something extra to an already good story. They are quirky and entertaining whether it is Charlotte's longsuffering friend, Caroline, or Dare's depressing long-faced butler/valet. Noble, Gillian, and Crouch were back too in little roles.
To sum up, this was another amusing romp in the Noble series. I am already committed to reading the next book for my dose of heartwarming romance and hilarious capers in the Regency era. I would recommend this for those who don't take their historical romances seriously and who like some spice to the relationship.
My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 22, 2016
Charlotte is a poor man's Gillian. The silliness is still there but it doesn't have the charm. I'm only near halfway through rereading the book and I'm not a fan of Charlotte. She shows the same empty-headed characteristics Gillian does but she doesn't have Gillian's charm. I think it is because Gillian actually brings something to the situation. When Gillian is pushy with her schemes, it comes across as tolerable because it benefits others. When she is heedless of others' warnings, it is alright because it works out and she means well. With Charlotte, it just comes across as inconsiderate because, honestly, her actions are self interested. She compromises Dare and throws a tantrum over her wedding. Honestly, it is annoying since she was the one that pushed herself to others. She was already an inconvenience and she finds ways to outdo herself. It is the same kind of ridiculous plot but nowhere near enough the charm as Noble Intentions.
The book improved a bit halfway through and the build up paid off 75% through. Finally, her unhinged nature and all her negative qualities worked to Dare's advantage. She is selfish and self-interested. In this, she is determined to see through her plans no matter who is in the way. This was really annoying but it did pay off. She was able to drag Dare along when he could have easily just faded into depression. Her selfish characteristics, I'm not even sure I'm using the right word, allowed her to plow through a situation other people could have easily given up on. For that, she is admirable. It is just a shame that the bulk of the book showcased her qualities in a negative light.
I bumped the rating up to three stars because it did redeem itself in the end. It was a heartwarming story but I can't do a reread of this book. The first half was just too vapid by half. My complaints is that her self-interested ploys didn't have charm to balance it out. It was balanced out near the end when she was assiduously fighting Dare to get his life back. She didn't allow him to wallow in self-pity and Dare had reasons to. In this case, her illogical arguments worked out for the better and Dare was able to take his place in the living again. I loved that she and Batsfoam worked together and put aside their personal issues to help someone other than themselves. By personal issues, I mean their self-interest/pity. The coordinating eyepatches were really cute. The fact that she sewed a sporin to come along with it was hilarious.
I really felt for Dare in this book. From the beginning, he had issues concerning his need to provide for his family. He didn't offer for Charlotte five years ago because he wanted to be able to support his wife. He was foisted into marriage by circumstances and made the best of it. His need to provide was taken up a notch when he lost his eye and part of his right arm to an explosion gone wrong. Now, he wasn't able and it really ate at him. This was a great way to notch up and heighten the stakes. This is why Charlotte earned so much brownie points. She stuck with him and pulled him out of the mire because she loved him plain and simple. It really went a long way to balance out her less than stellar characteristics, which in some ways is the reason she was the one for him. It takes a truly unique woman to see him through the tragedy and she seemed to be able to brush them off easily.
The story revolves around the hasty marriage of Dare and Charlotte. Charlotte returned to London after eloping and having a disastrous marriage with a penniless count. She is not welcomed by society, due in large part to her family badmouthing her. She concocts a plan of making a comeback and set her sights on marrying Dare, an earl, to get her social standing up.
Unfortunately, not many know that Dare is riddled with debts. He inherited the title as well as the debts that came with the estate. He needed money and he was going to get it by selling his invention. When Charlotte trapped him in a compromising position, he offered marriage since he didn't want his name destroyed and losing potential investors. They married, according to Charlotte's plan and she was happy for a while. However, he was always talking about economizing and it took a while for Charlotte to accept that he didn't have money.
The other issue was Charlotte wanting to be useful. She wanted to do her duty but he wouldn't bed her. He wanted her to fall in love with him before they did the act. He was already there. She set about finding how to fall in love with him and was quite confused by it. She finally finds her way there.
The other problem was the rightful heir resurfacing. The real story was that Matthew had him kidnapped to get rid of his debts. When the heir returned, Matthew arranged a feud between Dare and his cousin so that they would kill each other and bury his debt issue in their grave. Anyways, he was trying to incite conflict. It all came out in the duelling field where Dare and his cousin set up a trap that would induce Matthew's confession. Charlotte made an unexpected appearance and carried out the scheme. The scene where she was wailing over him and simultaneously keeping the doctor away from inspecting her husband was hilarious.
The book improved a bit halfway through and the build up paid off 75% through. Finally, her unhinged nature and all her negative qualities worked to Dare's advantage. She is selfish and self-interested. In this, she is determined to see through her plans no matter who is in the way. This was really annoying but it did pay off. She was able to drag Dare along when he could have easily just faded into depression. Her selfish characteristics, I'm not even sure I'm using the right word, allowed her to plow through a situation other people could have easily given up on. For that, she is admirable. It is just a shame that the bulk of the book showcased her qualities in a negative light.
I bumped the rating up to three stars because it did redeem itself in the end. It was a heartwarming story but I can't do a reread of this book. The first half was just too vapid by half. My complaints is that her self-interested ploys didn't have charm to balance it out. It was balanced out near the end when she was assiduously fighting Dare to get his life back. She didn't allow him to wallow in self-pity and Dare had reasons to. In this case, her illogical arguments worked out for the better and Dare was able to take his place in the living again. I loved that she and Batsfoam worked together and put aside their personal issues to help someone other than themselves. By personal issues, I mean their self-interest/pity. The coordinating eyepatches were really cute. The fact that she sewed a sporin to come along with it was hilarious.
I really felt for Dare in this book. From the beginning, he had issues concerning his need to provide for his family. He didn't offer for Charlotte five years ago because he wanted to be able to support his wife. He was foisted into marriage by circumstances and made the best of it. His need to provide was taken up a notch when he lost his eye and part of his right arm to an explosion gone wrong. Now, he wasn't able and it really ate at him. This was a great way to notch up and heighten the stakes. This is why Charlotte earned so much brownie points. She stuck with him and pulled him out of the mire because she loved him plain and simple. It really went a long way to balance out her less than stellar characteristics, which in some ways is the reason she was the one for him. It takes a truly unique woman to see him through the tragedy and she seemed to be able to brush them off easily.
The story revolves around the hasty marriage of Dare and Charlotte. Charlotte returned to London after eloping and having a disastrous marriage with a penniless count. She is not welcomed by society, due in large part to her family badmouthing her. She concocts a plan of making a comeback and set her sights on marrying Dare, an earl, to get her social standing up.
Unfortunately, not many know that Dare is riddled with debts. He inherited the title as well as the debts that came with the estate. He needed money and he was going to get it by selling his invention. When Charlotte trapped him in a compromising position, he offered marriage since he didn't want his name destroyed and losing potential investors. They married, according to Charlotte's plan and she was happy for a while. However, he was always talking about economizing and it took a while for Charlotte to accept that he didn't have money.
The other issue was Charlotte wanting to be useful. She wanted to do her duty but he wouldn't bed her. He wanted her to fall in love with him before they did the act. He was already there. She set about finding how to fall in love with him and was quite confused by it. She finally finds her way there.
The other problem was the rightful heir resurfacing. The real story was that Matthew had him kidnapped to get rid of his debts. When the heir returned, Matthew arranged a feud between Dare and his cousin so that they would kill each other and bury his debt issue in their grave. Anyways, he was trying to incite conflict. It all came out in the duelling field where Dare and his cousin set up a trap that would induce Matthew's confession. Charlotte made an unexpected appearance and carried out the scheme. The scene where she was wailing over him and simultaneously keeping the doctor away from inspecting her husband was hilarious.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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