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The Most to Lose
“Some day, when you have the most to lose…I’ll take it all.”
Jonah Armstrong, Earl of Haywood, and the Duke of Hadleigh were best friends until a scandal involving Hadleigh’s fiancée destroyed their friendship. Three years later, Jonah returns from the Crimea as a war hero and London’s most eligible bachelor, setting the gossip afire and fanning Hadleigh’s long-simmering rage into an inferno. Hadleigh has not forgotten his old friend’s betrayal, and now that Jonah has returned, he will take his revenge.
Lady Cecelia Randolph has loved Jonah Armstrong for as long as she can remember. The moment they share a passionate kiss, she dares to hope that he feels the same for her and that his attention is driven by more than his desire to taunt her brother or his desperation for her dowry. It isn’t until Hadleigh’s quest for vengeance nearly destroys her that she realizes that Jonah loves her enough to risk everything to protect her.
Jonah Armstrong, Earl of Haywood, and the Duke of Hadleigh were best friends until a scandal involving Hadleigh’s fiancée destroyed their friendship. Three years later, Jonah returns from the Crimea as a war hero and London’s most eligible bachelor, setting the gossip afire and fanning Hadleigh’s long-simmering rage into an inferno. Hadleigh has not forgotten his old friend’s betrayal, and now that Jonah has returned, he will take his revenge.
Lady Cecelia Randolph has loved Jonah Armstrong for as long as she can remember. The moment they share a passionate kiss, she dares to hope that he feels the same for her and that his attention is driven by more than his desire to taunt her brother or his desperation for her dowry. It isn’t until Hadleigh’s quest for vengeance nearly destroys her that she realizes that Jonah loves her enough to risk everything to protect her.
293 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 19, 2012
375 people are currently reading
623 people want to read
About the author
Laura Landon
67 books368 followersLaura Landon taught high school for ten years before leaving the classroom to open her own ice-cream shop. As much as she loved serving up sundaes and malts from behind the counter, she closed up shop after penning her first novel. Now she spends nearly every waking minute writing, guiding her heroes and heroines to find their happily ever afters.
She is the author of more than a dozen historical novels, including SILENT REVENGE, INTIMATE DECEPTION, and her newest Montlake Romance release, INTIMATE SURRENDER.
Her books are enjoyed by readers around the world and you can find out more about her by visiting her website at www.lauralandon.com
She is the author of more than a dozen historical novels, including SILENT REVENGE, INTIMATE DECEPTION, and her newest Montlake Romance release, INTIMATE SURRENDER.
Her books are enjoyed by readers around the world and you can find out more about her by visiting her website at www.lauralandon.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
April 26, 2018
This is not my first listen by this author but fell a little short. It had a nice plot, romance but the characters were not at all fantastic...they were just a bit plain. The story is about a penniless war hero, the Early of Hayward, who must marry wealth in order to save his own that his father and brother squandered. Prior to going to war, he was friends to someone that his best friend the Duke of Hadleigh was infatuated with but who had an evil other side to her. She ends up accidentally killed and his best friend blames him and turns the ton against him.
When he returns from war, he is again accepted by society but his best friend is bent on revenge. What the Earl did not count on was falling in love with the Duke's sister. In the end, I felt it lacked a bit with passion, especially between the M/C'. There was a lot of banter between the Duke and Celi's best friend Amanda which I thought was going to transpire a little spark between them at some point in the story.
As this was a listen, the narrator's voice was not that great. Every character sounded a bit bratty but the male voices weren't much better. It could have been more male. Maybe talented narrators like Anne Flosnik or Rosalyn Landor could have done it much better. I started to put it down but truly wanted to hear what the end would be for the M/Cs. Could have rated higher than 3.5 Stars if the narration was better.
3.5 Stars
When he returns from war, he is again accepted by society but his best friend is bent on revenge. What the Earl did not count on was falling in love with the Duke's sister. In the end, I felt it lacked a bit with passion, especially between the M/C'. There was a lot of banter between the Duke and Celi's best friend Amanda which I thought was going to transpire a little spark between them at some point in the story.
As this was a listen, the narrator's voice was not that great. Every character sounded a bit bratty but the male voices weren't much better. It could have been more male. Maybe talented narrators like Anne Flosnik or Rosalyn Landor could have done it much better. I started to put it down but truly wanted to hear what the end would be for the M/Cs. Could have rated higher than 3.5 Stars if the narration was better.
3.5 Stars
August 24, 2015
When I started this book, I thought oh my, I love Jonah and Celie.
Then I was about 30% into the book, I thought oh my God I really love Jonah and Celie. Writing flows and I was drawn into the story. 5 stars, I thought.
At 50% I thought OK I love the lead characters and find Celie's brother, aka the stupid Duke very annoying. Something needed to happen for Jonah and Celie, but well, I can wait. At this point, 4 stars.
Then the story went downhill. What a shame really. It had a great first half. I went through the pages hoping that it would get better again but it didn't. It finished with a mediocre ending. 3 stars it is.
Having read Landon before, I did notice that she does very well in creating lovable characters. Her characters have a quiet strength, both males and females, which I really really really like. Her writing is very soothing and calming. I enjoy reading her proses. She writes stories with characters whose struggles speak to me, whose hidden longings I share. For all that, I love her books.
But this book lacks a credible plot line. Things really could have been resolved a lot earlier but for the sake of the book people did not. They conveniently waited until the end of the book to reveal things they know which would have saved the lead characters the pains. It went on and on so that Jonah and Celie could have a book. It really is such a shame because Jonah and Celie are a wonderful couple. They deserve a better story.
I also think Landon could really work on her intimate scenes. Usually with other writers, it is too much. They write graphic paragraphs which leave me thinking: oh my is this necessary? But with Landon it is the opposite. She does not dedicate enough space for the intimacy. When she does, it is kind of all too "pretty". It is as if she ran out of words. Then she uses the same or similar expressions to describe a kiss. The one sex scene in this book was most disappointing. It did not do much for the story because it just did not serve any purpose.
I would still continue reading Landon's books. As I said, I love her characters. They have a warm depth to them which I really can relate to. I hope her plot development improves, because she creates such wonderful characters who deserve a once in a lifetime love story.
Then I was about 30% into the book, I thought oh my God I really love Jonah and Celie. Writing flows and I was drawn into the story. 5 stars, I thought.
At 50% I thought OK I love the lead characters and find Celie's brother, aka the stupid Duke very annoying. Something needed to happen for Jonah and Celie, but well, I can wait. At this point, 4 stars.
Then the story went downhill. What a shame really. It had a great first half. I went through the pages hoping that it would get better again but it didn't. It finished with a mediocre ending. 3 stars it is.
Having read Landon before, I did notice that she does very well in creating lovable characters. Her characters have a quiet strength, both males and females, which I really really really like. Her writing is very soothing and calming. I enjoy reading her proses. She writes stories with characters whose struggles speak to me, whose hidden longings I share. For all that, I love her books.
But this book lacks a credible plot line. Things really could have been resolved a lot earlier but for the sake of the book people did not. They conveniently waited until the end of the book to reveal things they know which would have saved the lead characters the pains. It went on and on so that Jonah and Celie could have a book. It really is such a shame because Jonah and Celie are a wonderful couple. They deserve a better story.
I also think Landon could really work on her intimate scenes. Usually with other writers, it is too much. They write graphic paragraphs which leave me thinking: oh my is this necessary? But with Landon it is the opposite. She does not dedicate enough space for the intimacy. When she does, it is kind of all too "pretty". It is as if she ran out of words. Then she uses the same or similar expressions to describe a kiss. The one sex scene in this book was most disappointing. It did not do much for the story because it just did not serve any purpose.
I would still continue reading Landon's books. As I said, I love her characters. They have a warm depth to them which I really can relate to. I hope her plot development improves, because she creates such wonderful characters who deserve a once in a lifetime love story.
December 27, 2023
My goodness, I really hate having to do this. I've actually been putting off writing this review for the past several days because I was dreading having to write it.
But I have to be honest, and this was not good.
Good points: I really do enjoy historical romance. I have actually read quite a few of them. So I did like the setting. I also tend to like feisty, independent main female characters.
Bad points/constructive criticism:
(i) THE RELATIONSHIP: In the beginning of the book we are told that the two main characters grew up together and that she followed Jonah (the male main character) and her brother Hadleigh everywhere as the two were great friends growing up. Soon after we are told that the main female character (Cecelia) has been in love with him her entire life. They eventually meet again a few years later and go for a carriage ride during which he is touched by her sensitivity, notably with regard to his recent experiences in the Crimean war. We are then told (but not shown) that they spend much more time together and fall in love (or perhaps more in love, on her part). Anyways, the point is that we are never SHOWN what these two characters have in common, so we never get a feel for why they would be together in the first place.
Instead, as is the issue in all too many romance novels, various body parts keep tingling and wanting to merge, etc, etc. This is featured heavily in lieu of actually taking the time to show the gradual building of a *relationship* between the two characters.
(ii) THE CHARACTERS: We also never get a good sense for what makes these characters distinctive human beings. Instead, they feel somewhat like cardboard cutouts or generic character 'types'. For instance, Jonah is The Wounded Soldier/Wounded Soul. Cecelia is The Independent Young Lady of the English Nobility. Her brother Hadleigh, in this book at least, fills the role of Evil (or at least Nasty) Character Bent on Keeping Our Two Main Characters Apart. One important reason for this is the fact that we are mostly TOLD and not SHOWN about these characters and little information is provided about them.
Cecelia's brother Hadleigh's attempts to be an evil mastermind are also rather laughable, to be honest, in large part because his fundamental problem seems to be that he is still incapable of thinking with his big (i.e. rather than his little) head. (I apologize for my crudeness here, but really.) I mean, when you've been best friends with someone all their life, wouldn't you at least *try* to give them the benefit of the doubt, even if it was the woman you loved who was telling you stories about them? I mean, I understand that you love her, but he's your best friend. He later compounds his stupidity by attempting to arrange the financial ruin of his former friend. This made this character so detestable and the plot so silly that I wished someone would just put Mr. Stupid out of everyone's misery by conking him over the head so that he could grow an actual personality.
(iii) THE PLOT: The plot was problematic.
In particular, one plot line was completely dropped: we eventually learn that the mother of Hadleigh's former fiancée is crazed when she tries to kill Jonah (i.e. she blames him for her daughter's death). Earlier in the novel some mysterious figure had evidently waited quite some time to try to shoot Cecelia (possibly because she and Jonah were seeing each other). However, after the crazed mother is taken away by her husband, nothing further is ever said about trying to find out/make sure that she was behind the earlier shooting attempt. I mean, wouldn't a normal person want to make SURE that there wouldn't be another murder attempt, as well as to find out who was behind it? And if it was strictly the work of the crazed woman in question, what guarantee did they really have that she would never try again? Especially since it wasn't clear that her husband was aware of the shooting attempt (I mean, wouldn't his knowing everything his wife was capable of help him keep her from offing anyone)? Yet nothing is mentioned regarding any investigation after the crazy lady is taken away willy-nilly. In fact it is as if nothing at all ever happened. (???)
The rest of the plot consisted of Hadleigh being so bamboozled by his former fiancée that, years later, he is still incapable of forgiving his former friend for events that were not his fault (events which led to the woman's death). And... That's it. That's the entire drama and plotline of this novel.
Oh well. I guess the drama had to come from somewhere. (??)
(v) THE WORLD BUILDING OR SETTING: Another interesting touch would have been to add some historical elements to this in order to have a bit of 'world building', as it were. What was English high society like in this time? It is really not possible for the reader to get any sense of it from this book, which indeed could almost have been set today/written as a contemporary romance and have the main character go to Afghanistan, for instance. Hadleigh could have been some wealthy fellow whose fiancée died and accused his best friend of untoward advances.
See what I mean? The setting is quite thin, here.
(vi) ADDITIONAL COMMENT(S): A final element refers back to my discussion of the plot. Another element that was unfortunate in this novel was its reliance on romance novel clichés. (I say this as someone who has read hundreds of them.)
-The feisty heroine who is 'unconventional' and strong-willed: check.
-The main male character who is a 'wounded soul' who has returned from battle and is in need of healing: check.
-Nebulous plotline featuring murder attempt(s) on one or both of the main characters: check.
-Ridiculous misunderstandings of the type (he loves me! he doesn't love me!): check.
I would also add that I find it rather unlikely that a young woman of the time would have been so insistent on having sex before being married. I understand that she loved Jonah, that she had indeed loved him forever, but there is such a thing as cultural conditioning. At the time this would NOT have been acceptable behavior, so to have her insisting on this seems rather unlikely to me.
All in all I was disappointed in this one. And so saddened to have to write such a negative review.
**Disclosure: I received a free copy of this novel as a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
But I have to be honest, and this was not good.
Good points: I really do enjoy historical romance. I have actually read quite a few of them. So I did like the setting. I also tend to like feisty, independent main female characters.
Bad points/constructive criticism:
(i) THE RELATIONSHIP: In the beginning of the book we are told that the two main characters grew up together and that she followed Jonah (the male main character) and her brother Hadleigh everywhere as the two were great friends growing up. Soon after we are told that the main female character (Cecelia) has been in love with him her entire life. They eventually meet again a few years later and go for a carriage ride during which he is touched by her sensitivity, notably with regard to his recent experiences in the Crimean war. We are then told (but not shown) that they spend much more time together and fall in love (or perhaps more in love, on her part). Anyways, the point is that we are never SHOWN what these two characters have in common, so we never get a feel for why they would be together in the first place.
Instead, as is the issue in all too many romance novels, various body parts keep tingling and wanting to merge, etc, etc. This is featured heavily in lieu of actually taking the time to show the gradual building of a *relationship* between the two characters.
(ii) THE CHARACTERS: We also never get a good sense for what makes these characters distinctive human beings. Instead, they feel somewhat like cardboard cutouts or generic character 'types'. For instance, Jonah is The Wounded Soldier/Wounded Soul. Cecelia is The Independent Young Lady of the English Nobility. Her brother Hadleigh, in this book at least, fills the role of Evil (or at least Nasty) Character Bent on Keeping Our Two Main Characters Apart. One important reason for this is the fact that we are mostly TOLD and not SHOWN about these characters and little information is provided about them.
Cecelia's brother Hadleigh's attempts to be an evil mastermind are also rather laughable, to be honest, in large part because his fundamental problem seems to be that he is still incapable of thinking with his big (i.e. rather than his little) head. (I apologize for my crudeness here, but really.) I mean, when you've been best friends with someone all their life, wouldn't you at least *try* to give them the benefit of the doubt, even if it was the woman you loved who was telling you stories about them? I mean, I understand that you love her, but he's your best friend. He later compounds his stupidity by attempting to arrange the financial ruin of his former friend. This made this character so detestable and the plot so silly that I wished someone would just put Mr. Stupid out of everyone's misery by conking him over the head so that he could grow an actual personality.
(iii) THE PLOT: The plot was problematic.
In particular, one plot line was completely dropped: we eventually learn that the mother of Hadleigh's former fiancée is crazed when she tries to kill Jonah (i.e. she blames him for her daughter's death). Earlier in the novel some mysterious figure had evidently waited quite some time to try to shoot Cecelia (possibly because she and Jonah were seeing each other). However, after the crazed mother is taken away by her husband, nothing further is ever said about trying to find out/make sure that she was behind the earlier shooting attempt. I mean, wouldn't a normal person want to make SURE that there wouldn't be another murder attempt, as well as to find out who was behind it? And if it was strictly the work of the crazed woman in question, what guarantee did they really have that she would never try again? Especially since it wasn't clear that her husband was aware of the shooting attempt (I mean, wouldn't his knowing everything his wife was capable of help him keep her from offing anyone)? Yet nothing is mentioned regarding any investigation after the crazy lady is taken away willy-nilly. In fact it is as if nothing at all ever happened. (???)
The rest of the plot consisted of Hadleigh being so bamboozled by his former fiancée that, years later, he is still incapable of forgiving his former friend for events that were not his fault (events which led to the woman's death). And... That's it. That's the entire drama and plotline of this novel.
Oh well. I guess the drama had to come from somewhere. (??)
(v) THE WORLD BUILDING OR SETTING: Another interesting touch would have been to add some historical elements to this in order to have a bit of 'world building', as it were. What was English high society like in this time? It is really not possible for the reader to get any sense of it from this book, which indeed could almost have been set today/written as a contemporary romance and have the main character go to Afghanistan, for instance. Hadleigh could have been some wealthy fellow whose fiancée died and accused his best friend of untoward advances.
See what I mean? The setting is quite thin, here.
(vi) ADDITIONAL COMMENT(S): A final element refers back to my discussion of the plot. Another element that was unfortunate in this novel was its reliance on romance novel clichés. (I say this as someone who has read hundreds of them.)
-The feisty heroine who is 'unconventional' and strong-willed: check.
-The main male character who is a 'wounded soul' who has returned from battle and is in need of healing: check.
-Nebulous plotline featuring murder attempt(s) on one or both of the main characters: check.
-Ridiculous misunderstandings of the type (he loves me! he doesn't love me!): check.
I would also add that I find it rather unlikely that a young woman of the time would have been so insistent on having sex before being married. I understand that she loved Jonah, that she had indeed loved him forever, but there is such a thing as cultural conditioning. At the time this would NOT have been acceptable behavior, so to have her insisting on this seems rather unlikely to me.
All in all I was disappointed in this one. And so saddened to have to write such a negative review.
**Disclosure: I received a free copy of this novel as a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
August 11, 2015
This is a story about how terrible revenge can be and how true love conquers all obstacles. This love story will appeal to people who enjoys a romance that takes time to develop and is not full of descriptive sex scenes. The story per se is pretty good and the ending is very satisfying. The secondary character (Celia's brother the duke) is despicable and is so full of grief and blinded by vengeance that uses his sister as pawn for revenge against his ex best friend and Celia's love interest. For those of you who like this story I did some research to see if there was a second book because the dynamic between Celia's brother and best friend is so explosive that I knew the author wouldn't leave it unresolved and I found that there is a second book: The Dark Duke that is the love story between them. That book is not currently available in audiobook format but hopefully it will be added since I'm curious and would like to know their story.
Narration: Terrible. I don't know what happened to Ms. Coomes but she did not do her best work. I've listened to other books narrated by her and this is not her level of work. Her male voices were winny. Amanda's voice sounded just like the men and sometimes it was difficult to know which character was speaking because they sounded the same. The narrator emphasized the drama and bitterness and not the tender moments between the main couple which really took away from the story.
This is love story for people who like their books rated PG-13 and that can stand barely passable narration. If you get it via Whispersync it will be quite inexpensive so you don't have to wait for a sale. I listened to the whole book and found it ok. My rating most likely would have been higher with a better narrator so you may want to try it.
Narration: Terrible. I don't know what happened to Ms. Coomes but she did not do her best work. I've listened to other books narrated by her and this is not her level of work. Her male voices were winny. Amanda's voice sounded just like the men and sometimes it was difficult to know which character was speaking because they sounded the same. The narrator emphasized the drama and bitterness and not the tender moments between the main couple which really took away from the story.
This is love story for people who like their books rated PG-13 and that can stand barely passable narration. If you get it via Whispersync it will be quite inexpensive so you don't have to wait for a sale. I listened to the whole book and found it ok. My rating most likely would have been higher with a better narrator so you may want to try it.
December 31, 2012
I have to say I quite enjoyed this one.
It wasn't a literacy masterpiece but it was a nice lighthearted romance, very easy to get into.
The storyline isn't original and has been done by other authors but I did like the characters of Jonah and Celie as well as the secondary characters of Amanda and Hadleigh.
To be honest it doesn't need a long and in depth review.
Good story, good characters = good read.
If you like historical romances then you will probably like this. New author for me and maybe one to keep an eye on in this genre. She isn't as good as some authors like Lisa Kleypas, Christina Dodd etc but I will definately read more from her in the future.
It wasn't a literacy masterpiece but it was a nice lighthearted romance, very easy to get into.
The storyline isn't original and has been done by other authors but I did like the characters of Jonah and Celie as well as the secondary characters of Amanda and Hadleigh.
To be honest it doesn't need a long and in depth review.
Good story, good characters = good read.
If you like historical romances then you will probably like this. New author for me and maybe one to keep an eye on in this genre. She isn't as good as some authors like Lisa Kleypas, Christina Dodd etc but I will definately read more from her in the future.
April 20, 2021
The book would have been better as a short story. It starts off with a bang then drags a bit in the middle and picks up at the end. As pointed out by another reviewer the side characters have better dialogue.
March 3, 2018
Oh my goodness, such hate and vitriol from the Duke of Hadleigh, it is all consuming. His only thought is to ruin his one-time best friend, Jonah, at ANY cost. He doesn't care who gets in his way, as long as he brings ruin to Jonah. He's so caught up in himself, that he doesn't see anyone around him as anything other than pawns, including his sister.
***Complete side note here. This is like the 4th or 5th book by Landon that I've read, and I honestly think her stories would be better served without the token sex scene. Granted, they're not explicit or excessive, but they don't really fit into the story itself either. I thoroughly have enjoyed her books so far because her characters and stories are rich in depth, but I hate that she feels there has to be a bedroom scene to complete the story.****
CONTENT
Violence - Mild
Language - Mild
Romance - Sketchy Clean 🔥
***Complete side note here. This is like the 4th or 5th book by Landon that I've read, and I honestly think her stories would be better served without the token sex scene. Granted, they're not explicit or excessive, but they don't really fit into the story itself either. I thoroughly have enjoyed her books so far because her characters and stories are rich in depth, but I hate that she feels there has to be a bedroom scene to complete the story.****
CONTENT
Violence - Mild
Language - Mild
Romance - Sketchy Clean 🔥
February 27, 2017
I am unashamed to admit that I am a total sucker for best friend/little sister romances. Especially if the brother is overprotective and/or cause of trouble. It's possibly one of my favourite romance cliches ever.
So, duh, of course I picked this one up because also rrrrrrrevenge. I love revenge. Especially when it involves traps. (Although, I do think this particular trap was both very well aimed but also had some not-so-tiny holes in it but it's ok, nobody's perfect.)
While being charming, the love story just didn't make me swoon. The supposed drama isn't particularly dramatic and the characters aren't especially amazing. Cute, yes. The kind of couple that would make people roll their eyes at how sweet they are. But that's pretty much all. There wasn't enough conflict to really make me hurt (read: feel) aside from a small tingle during The Final Confrontation.
Which, sadly, makes this romance yet another occupant on my three-star shelf: not bad, but will be soon erased from my mind by other books. Because brain space is limited and one must prioritises in order to avoid messy implosions.
(Honestly, though, my favourite part about The Most to Lost has to be the BFF because damn, you go girl. Amanda is both an incredible friend without whom everything would've gone to hell and somebody would have ended up dead, as well as such a source of entertainment both on her own and when clashing with the duke. I'm so reading the sequel just for that.)
So, duh, of course I picked this one up because also rrrrrrrevenge. I love revenge. Especially when it involves traps. (Although, I do think this particular trap was both very well aimed but also had some not-so-tiny holes in it but it's ok, nobody's perfect.)
While being charming, the love story just didn't make me swoon. The supposed drama isn't particularly dramatic and the characters aren't especially amazing. Cute, yes. The kind of couple that would make people roll their eyes at how sweet they are. But that's pretty much all. There wasn't enough conflict to really make me hurt (read: feel) aside from a small tingle during The Final Confrontation.
Which, sadly, makes this romance yet another occupant on my three-star shelf: not bad, but will be soon erased from my mind by other books. Because brain space is limited and one must prioritises in order to avoid messy implosions.
(Honestly, though, my favourite part about The Most to Lost has to be the BFF because damn, you go girl. Amanda is both an incredible friend without whom everything would've gone to hell and somebody would have ended up dead, as well as such a source of entertainment both on her own and when clashing with the duke. I'm so reading the sequel just for that.)
October 7, 2012
Author Laura Landon's skill with characterization adds depth to the revenge-fueled story line of "The Most to Lose". Childhood friends become the bitterest of enemies when a spoiled heiress tries to avoid an unwanted marriage. Beautiful Melisande, daughter of the Duke of Kendall, does not want to marry the man her father has chosen for her, Sterling Randolph, Duke of Hadleigh. Her failed attempt to persuade a marriage from Jonah Armstrong, a friend since childhood to both Melisande and Hadleigh, results in tragedy. Hadleigh blames Jonah for the loss of Melisande, telling him: "Some day, when you have the most to lose...I will take it all!". Jonah soon becomes an outcast from society. Years after leaving England in disgrace, Jonah returns a war hero and also as the new Earl of Haywood, his family estate. Jonah was a second son, but during his time away, his father and older brother had both died, leaving the estate deep in debt. Determined to restore his family home and claim his heritage, Jonah knows he must find a suitably wealthy bride. Lady Cecelia Randolph, sister to the Duke of Hadleigh, has loved Jonah all of her life. When Jonah begins to pay her court, her heart will not let her turn him away. When her brother eventually agrees to the courtship, with conditions unknown to Cecelia, events are set in motion which will change all their lives. Will the deep, true feelings that bloom between Jonah and Cecelia survive the twisted hate that dwells within her brother? Will Melisande's deception from so long ago finally be revealed? Can two hearts triumph over a legacy of lies? Author Laura Landon creates stirring historical romance set in the fascinating era of Victorian England.
Review Copy Gratis Amazon Vine
Review Copy Gratis Amazon Vine
August 4, 2013
This was so repetitive I had to double track three times to make sure my iPod hasn't gone back wards instead of forwards. The language was too flowery even for my taste and the characters were uninspiring. I am intrigued as to how the next pairing will turn out but not enough to endure the mediocrity.
January 22, 2021
Only okay
2 stars
I am an avid romance reader but this book just didn't hit the mark with me. Everything was just okay. The characters were okay. The plot was okay. The writing, fine. It just never elevated itself to something special that set itself apart from all the other romances I like to read.
I think that my main issue was with the lack of sensuality and sexual tension. I never felt that the two main characters really felt much for each other and even then, I couldn't understand their motivations. Was Jonah really falling for Cecilia or was it all a ruse? We were told but weren't shown so I didn't really believe it.
Another little bugbear of mine is when two main characters have similar names (or at least names with the same initial). Hadleigh did this while Haywood did that - for some reason I can't easily distinguish between them which draws me out of the story as I try and figure out what's going on. That could just be a personal idiosyncrasy so I haven't let this affect my rating overly much.
If you have this book and are happy with a sweet, uncomplicated Victorian romance story then it's certainly not offensive. But if you're looking for something a little bit, well, more, then I can't really recommend this to you.
January 5, 2017
Das ist das erste Buch der Autorin, das ich gelesen habe, obwohl ich ja öfters mal einen historischen Liebesroman lese.
Ich war sofort begeistert von dem Buch, denn es ist ein wunderbarer Mix aus Liebe und Spannung und einer historischen Komponente. Dieser Mix war für mich sehr gelungen.
Schon der Prolog, der drei Jahre vor der Handlung spielt, fand ich sehr interessant, denn man erfährt hier als Leser, wieso Jonah und Hadleigh sich aus dem Weg gehen und wieso hier soviel Hass zwischen den beiden ist.
Drei Jahre sind dann vergangen und Jonah, der außer Landes war, kehrt nach London zurück und trifft Lady Cecelia und so beginnt dann die Handlung.
Mir hat diese sehr gut gefallen, denn ja, es gab die typischen Komponente dieses Genre, aber es gab auch sehr interessante Dinge, wie zB. das Gehabe von Hadleigh und seine Reaktionen auf Jonah. Teilweise war es aber auch richtig spannend, denn man weiß als Leser ja nicht, ob es zwischen den beiden klappen wird. Hat mich wirklich begeistern können.
Toll fand ich auch die beiden Hauptcharaktere, Jonah und Cecelia. Bei Cecelia hat mir sehr gut gefallen, wie sie immer wieder versucht hat, ihren Bruder und Jonah zu versöhnen. Bei Jonah fand ich interessant, wie ruhig er immer geblieben ist, wenn Hadleigh in der Nähe war. Auch die Nebencharaktere waren toll gezeichnet.
Der Schreibstil hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Das Buch lässt sich locker und flüssig lesen und man kann wunderbar in eine historische Welt abtauchen.
Fazit:
5 von 5 Sterne. Die Geschichte erhält von mir eine Kauf – und Leseempfehlung. Toll.
Ich war sofort begeistert von dem Buch, denn es ist ein wunderbarer Mix aus Liebe und Spannung und einer historischen Komponente. Dieser Mix war für mich sehr gelungen.
Schon der Prolog, der drei Jahre vor der Handlung spielt, fand ich sehr interessant, denn man erfährt hier als Leser, wieso Jonah und Hadleigh sich aus dem Weg gehen und wieso hier soviel Hass zwischen den beiden ist.
Drei Jahre sind dann vergangen und Jonah, der außer Landes war, kehrt nach London zurück und trifft Lady Cecelia und so beginnt dann die Handlung.
Mir hat diese sehr gut gefallen, denn ja, es gab die typischen Komponente dieses Genre, aber es gab auch sehr interessante Dinge, wie zB. das Gehabe von Hadleigh und seine Reaktionen auf Jonah. Teilweise war es aber auch richtig spannend, denn man weiß als Leser ja nicht, ob es zwischen den beiden klappen wird. Hat mich wirklich begeistern können.
Toll fand ich auch die beiden Hauptcharaktere, Jonah und Cecelia. Bei Cecelia hat mir sehr gut gefallen, wie sie immer wieder versucht hat, ihren Bruder und Jonah zu versöhnen. Bei Jonah fand ich interessant, wie ruhig er immer geblieben ist, wenn Hadleigh in der Nähe war. Auch die Nebencharaktere waren toll gezeichnet.
Der Schreibstil hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Das Buch lässt sich locker und flüssig lesen und man kann wunderbar in eine historische Welt abtauchen.
Fazit:
5 von 5 Sterne. Die Geschichte erhält von mir eine Kauf – und Leseempfehlung. Toll.
January 29, 2017
Inhalt:
Cecila liebt schon ewig Jonah, doch dieser zog in den Krieg, da ihr Bruder ihn des Mordes an dessen (Fast)Verlobte beschuldigte. Doch jetzt kommt Jonah als Kriegsheld und Herr von Haywood zurück und die Gefühle sind wieder da!
Fazit:
Die Idee für das Buch finde ich ganz gut. Die Umsetzung leider aber nicht so. Es gibt viele Wortwiederholungen, aber auch Sinnwiederholungen. Also eine Szene zweimal aufeinander. Das fand ich mega störend. Außerdem dreht sich die Geschichte nur um Cecilia und Jonah. Es gibt kaum Szenen wo die beiden nicht dabei sind. Dies war sowas wie Tunnel-Lesen, wenn ihr wisst was ich meine. Für zwischendurch ist das Buch ganz gut, aber keine perfekte Lesekost, was ich sehr schade finde, da die Idee mir wirklich sehr gut gefallen hat. Die Magie zwischen den Hauptprotagnisten wurde richtig gut eingefangen und war das Highlight in diesem Buch.
Cecila liebt schon ewig Jonah, doch dieser zog in den Krieg, da ihr Bruder ihn des Mordes an dessen (Fast)Verlobte beschuldigte. Doch jetzt kommt Jonah als Kriegsheld und Herr von Haywood zurück und die Gefühle sind wieder da!
Fazit:
Die Idee für das Buch finde ich ganz gut. Die Umsetzung leider aber nicht so. Es gibt viele Wortwiederholungen, aber auch Sinnwiederholungen. Also eine Szene zweimal aufeinander. Das fand ich mega störend. Außerdem dreht sich die Geschichte nur um Cecilia und Jonah. Es gibt kaum Szenen wo die beiden nicht dabei sind. Dies war sowas wie Tunnel-Lesen, wenn ihr wisst was ich meine. Für zwischendurch ist das Buch ganz gut, aber keine perfekte Lesekost, was ich sehr schade finde, da die Idee mir wirklich sehr gut gefallen hat. Die Magie zwischen den Hauptprotagnisten wurde richtig gut eingefangen und war das Highlight in diesem Buch.
January 14, 2021
Historical romance is one of my favorite genres; it’s my escape ticket on what I hope to be a smooth enjoyable ride. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t enjoyable at all. I usually reserve the less than 3 stars reviews in this genre for books that romanticize breeches of consent or acts of aggression. This book didn’t suffer from this ailment thank Hades! It suffered however, from something far more basic which is the lack of good writing and editing. The characters, especially the males, were two dimensional and melodramatic. There were too many misunderstandings and unwarranted secrecy used as a plot, which I found difficult to swallow. The dialogues and internal monologues were cliches and monotonous.
November 2, 2017
I've gotta give it the five stars because this is the first regency book in a long time I've actually got all the way through while liking it.
I found the characters interesting and positively infuriating when needed and I sighed and admired when they were sweet & were making sense.
I think this is a really nice read if you want a regency romance. Its full of vengence, simpering females and not so simpering females.
I'm not sure its completely accurate when looking from the historical point of view. I'm not sure there were ladies or men like this back in time, however you could argue there were just not so many... As of course us sassy ladies had to come from somewhere...
I found the characters interesting and positively infuriating when needed and I sighed and admired when they were sweet & were making sense.
I think this is a really nice read if you want a regency romance. Its full of vengence, simpering females and not so simpering females.
I'm not sure its completely accurate when looking from the historical point of view. I'm not sure there were ladies or men like this back in time, however you could argue there were just not so many... As of course us sassy ladies had to come from somewhere...
November 27, 2016
Well written historical romance that takes place in the mid 1850's.
Jonah returns from the Crimean War and finds Celie. He is honest with her in why he wants to see her. At least she sees through his first three lies and calls him on them. She has always loved him. He realizes that he has come to love her. I especially liked the interactions between Duke Hadleigh and Lady Amanda. She really takes him down a peg or two. Jonah and Hadleigh were best friends until Milesandra came between them.
Highly recommend reading.
Jonah returns from the Crimean War and finds Celie. He is honest with her in why he wants to see her. At least she sees through his first three lies and calls him on them. She has always loved him. He realizes that he has come to love her. I especially liked the interactions between Duke Hadleigh and Lady Amanda. She really takes him down a peg or two. Jonah and Hadleigh were best friends until Milesandra came between them.
Highly recommend reading.
July 31, 2018
This book pulled me in on the first page. The mystery, revenge, love, twists made this book so good! I gave this book 4 stars because I was nervous about how indepth the author would take the love scene but it wasn't too bad at all. I'm glad because I wanted to know the ending result.
It's always good to find the whole story or both sides of the story so your not angry at the wrong person for something that happened. That's how I am I like to see both sides of an issue so I can make up my own mind.
It's always good to find the whole story or both sides of the story so your not angry at the wrong person for something that happened. That's how I am I like to see both sides of an issue so I can make up my own mind.
December 8, 2019
Love doesn't loose
Cecelia and Jonah were childhood friends but Jonah fell out with her brother Hadleigh over a woman! Jonah was broke but came back a war hero needing a heiress he was drawn to Cecelia instead not she's wasn't wealthy but her brother hated Jonah! Love does bloom between Jonah and Cecelia but 2 murder attempts and several lies later what is true? Will Jonah trust Cecelia and find love and can she trust him?
Cecelia and Jonah were childhood friends but Jonah fell out with her brother Hadleigh over a woman! Jonah was broke but came back a war hero needing a heiress he was drawn to Cecelia instead not she's wasn't wealthy but her brother hated Jonah! Love does bloom between Jonah and Cecelia but 2 murder attempts and several lies later what is true? Will Jonah trust Cecelia and find love and can she trust him?
June 18, 2018
Ich liebe die Werke von Laura Landon, dieses war, bei aller Sympathie für die Charaktere einfach etwas zu langwierig im Mittelteil und ich musste mich zum Teil zwingen weiterzulesen. Auch waren mir die Figuren wirklich etwas zu schnulzig. Mein Liebling ist Amanda, deren Wortgefechte mit Cecilias Bruder einfach herrlich zu lesen war. Deswegen baue ich auf die Fortsetzung.
August 26, 2022
I’m honestly left confused after reading this book. There were times where things were one way, then switched to the opposite. Then there was a ton of over explaining everything. To the point where I had to skim to get through it. The book was so slow and a bit childish. The base of the story is pretty good, it just wasn’t written very well.
August 6, 2023
Another great read from Laura Landon
This was a very good read, though I did have anger issues with several characters. Jonah and Cecilia were a couple that fell deeply in love but circumstances seemed determined to keep them apart. How they finally get their happily ever after makes for a very good book.
This was a very good read, though I did have anger issues with several characters. Jonah and Cecilia were a couple that fell deeply in love but circumstances seemed determined to keep them apart. How they finally get their happily ever after makes for a very good book.
November 17, 2023
Good read
I enjoyed this novel. It got a little long with the whole revenge story - it kind of took over the storyline - but the characters were well developed. I especially liked the banter between Lady Amanda and Hadleigh. It’s worth the read even as you want to skip through the revenge plan that is described quite often.
I enjoyed this novel. It got a little long with the whole revenge story - it kind of took over the storyline - but the characters were well developed. I especially liked the banter between Lady Amanda and Hadleigh. It’s worth the read even as you want to skip through the revenge plan that is described quite often.
May 31, 2017
Wonderfully written
I could not put this book down! I read all night,the way the brother got caught was just wonderful. Then the way they got together was so tear jerking, I loved it!
I could not put this book down! I read all night,the way the brother got caught was just wonderful. Then the way they got together was so tear jerking, I loved it!
June 24, 2017
AMAZING!
This is one of the best books I have read in a good while. Love always finds a way and Celie knew from an early age what that was. Her brother on the other hand ... Well suffice it to say he DIDN'T. Enjoy this book I couldn't put it down.
This is one of the best books I have read in a good while. Love always finds a way and Celie knew from an early age what that was. Her brother on the other hand ... Well suffice it to say he DIDN'T. Enjoy this book I couldn't put it down.
February 24, 2018
Good
I think it was a good book not the best I have read from her but it seems the story plays out the same way whenever a couple kisses or began sharing feelings for one another if that makes sense.
I think it was a good book not the best I have read from her but it seems the story plays out the same way whenever a couple kisses or began sharing feelings for one another if that makes sense.
July 22, 2018
Die Idee war gut, die Umsetzung leider mangelhaft. Die Story und die Missverständnisse wirkten zunehmend konstruiert und die Liebesszenen und der Dialog war für meinen Geschmack eindeutig zu schmalzig.
November 26, 2018
An interesting romance. The spinster gets the hurt, penniless war hero but not before her brother throws a major wrench in the works. Throw in an insane, grieving mother. I thought the story had some major holes but the writing was humorous and entertaining.
May 17, 2019
The Most to Lose
This author did an outstanding job in her descriptive version of the time period, costumes, characters, storyline, and drawing the reader into the depths of the novel. I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys reading about this time period.
This author did an outstanding job in her descriptive version of the time period, costumes, characters, storyline, and drawing the reader into the depths of the novel. I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys reading about this time period.
May 1, 2020
Celie fell in love with Jonah as a child. He was her brother's bestfriend and they had a falling out over the woman her brother wished to marry. Three years later he returns and falls head over heels for Celie.
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