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Once A... #2
Once an Heiress
From the author of Once a Duchess comes the next in the Once series, following the beautiful Lily Bachman who has a dowry large enough to capture the attention of the handsome but debt-ridden nobelman Ethan Helling, who attempts to seduce the heiress only to become seduced himself.Lily Bachman has the largest dowry the haut ton has seen in years. Her fortune is meant to secure her marriage to a titled gentleman, but instead it has sent every fortune hunter in London into a frenzy. Despite her father's insistence that she choose a husband, Lily swears she won't marry any of these "Leeches." Instead, she focuses on her dreams of opening a charity school. She has everything well in hand—until a devilishly handsome rake sweeps her into a scandalous waltz. Ethan Helling, Viscount Thorburn, never claimed to be a good man. A well-known rogue, he's over his ears in gaming debts and is tempted by a friend's demanding mistress. To continue indulging his appetites, he needs to marry a fortune. The lovely Miss Bachman just so happens to have one, and Ethan vows to win her dowry for himself. When the seducer becomes the seduced, Lily and Ethan are forced into a hasty marriage. Now, to gain her fortune, Ethan must find a way to make his unwilling bride happy. As he fights to win her affection, Ethan finds himself falling in love with his spirited wife—despite her determination to keep her money, and her heart, out of his hands. With her dreams in ruins and her illusions shattered, can Lily afford to gamble on love? Sensuality Sensual
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 11, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
April 23, 2017
I was really surprised with this one. I enjoyed the first book A LOT. I figured I liked the author’s writing style and so I was REALLY excited to start the second book of the series.
To me, it felt like it was written by a completely different author. I felt like the first book had the PERFECT amount of angst and tension. But Once an Heiress is 100% filled with angst and not the good kind.
You know that angst where it’s a SIMPLE misunderstanding and everything can be settled with a simple conversation. Yeah, it’s kind of like that, but times ten.
I didn’t like the summary of the book, but I went into it with an open mind because I didn’t like the summary of the first book either. The author is known to make unlikeable characters. Ethan isn’t my favorite Hero. He spends his days doing nothing and if he isn’t doing nothing, he’s gambling and so he’s in a lot of debt.
Lily is SUPER rich but has no title, so she needs to marry someone that is noble.
I thought I would only dislike Ethan, but to my surprise, I disliked Lily as well.
Gah the tortured this book put me through. Ethan is selfish, lazy and he doesn’t really notice Lily. Usually when a Hero has so many flaws, at least the attraction towards the Heroine would balance this out. This was not the case.
Lily is so set in her ways. SOOOO Set in her ways where I was screaming at the book for her to just CHILL out. If she just took a step back from her thoughts she would be surprised to see that some things may work out in her favour.
She however, never did that.
Throughout the book I wanted to stop reading, but I kept on going because there was just something I was waiting for. I was waiting for the moment in the book where things turn around and all would be well and the fun would begin.
THE WHOLE book was suffering. I’m not saying the writing is bad, if it was, I would have rated it one start, I just mean, I couldn’t take the banter, the angst, the fighting. The book was simply wasn’t for me.
I’m just going to read the next book since I loved the first book so much.
To me, it felt like it was written by a completely different author. I felt like the first book had the PERFECT amount of angst and tension. But Once an Heiress is 100% filled with angst and not the good kind.
You know that angst where it’s a SIMPLE misunderstanding and everything can be settled with a simple conversation. Yeah, it’s kind of like that, but times ten.
I didn’t like the summary of the book, but I went into it with an open mind because I didn’t like the summary of the first book either. The author is known to make unlikeable characters. Ethan isn’t my favorite Hero. He spends his days doing nothing and if he isn’t doing nothing, he’s gambling and so he’s in a lot of debt.
Lily is SUPER rich but has no title, so she needs to marry someone that is noble.
I thought I would only dislike Ethan, but to my surprise, I disliked Lily as well.
Gah the tortured this book put me through. Ethan is selfish, lazy and he doesn’t really notice Lily. Usually when a Hero has so many flaws, at least the attraction towards the Heroine would balance this out. This was not the case.
Lily is so set in her ways. SOOOO Set in her ways where I was screaming at the book for her to just CHILL out. If she just took a step back from her thoughts she would be surprised to see that some things may work out in her favour.
She however, never did that.
Throughout the book I wanted to stop reading, but I kept on going because there was just something I was waiting for. I was waiting for the moment in the book where things turn around and all would be well and the fun would begin.
THE WHOLE book was suffering. I’m not saying the writing is bad, if it was, I would have rated it one start, I just mean, I couldn’t take the banter, the angst, the fighting. The book was simply wasn’t for me.
I’m just going to read the next book since I loved the first book so much.
July 21, 2013
Actual rating: 1.5
It was probably a bad idea to read this book after The Heiress Effect . Two books about heiresses in one week, it figures that I'd strike out with one of them. This is the one to skip. It is definitely jarring, though, to follow up with this one. There could hardly be more of a difference between the two heiresses and their loves. Overall, this was a terrible, insipid book with a foolish, contrary heroine and an immature, gambling-addicted, angry-for-no-good-reason, womanizing asshat of an future Earl.
I would give this a one, but bumped it up because my opinion might have been biased negatively towards this book due to my reading of The Heiress Effect. So, 1 added star for benefit of the doubt. Even with the bonus of said benefit of the doubt, I still would not recommend this book to anyone I actually like. I will keep the rest of my review strictly on topic, and on this book alone.
Initially, I liked the main character; but that ended with Chapter One. Lily was greatly likeable when we first met her; an heiress with a rumored dowry of £100,000. We initially make her acquaintance as she is shooting down a so-called "Leech." Said Leech is one of the many fortune-hunting gentlemen (usually second or third sons) out for Lily's enormous dowry. She rapidly shoots him down, and I was impressed with her spirit and nature, as well as her intelligence and purpose, since she aims to open up a charity school for less fortunate young women.
Suffice it to say, our intrepid, spirited heroine's intelligence went down the crapper as soon as she meets the douchebag that is Lord Ethan Helling. He is a real fucking winner.
I've read a lot of Historical Romance about fortune-hunters. They haven't all been nice guys (no shit), but at least their purpose in getting said fortune is somewhat noble. Those guys have inherited crumbling estates in need of repair, they were indebted through no fault of their own, but due to the misbehavior of their predecessors, whose mistakes they have to fix. They have close, beloved relatives and numerous tenants relying on them. They need the money to inject into business ventures or projects to help many others, not just themselves.
Not so with Lord Ethan, no sir. We first meet him when he's waking up from a boner-ridden dream of his mistress's luscious tits & ass (well, technically, his best friend's mistress), hung-over as hell from drinking and gambling the night before. And he freaks out over his staff's sudden resignation because they haven't been properly paid in months. How dare they?! They're just servants, and he's a Lord! Ethan is nothing if not dismissing of those of a lower social class, even to Lily and her stinking New Money wealth, which he needs. Generally, if one is in debt from gambling, one stops. But no. Ethan cannot possibly give up gaming.
"How could he give up gaming? He had no money with which to pay his debts, so he had to make money. To make money, he had to gamble, but doing so inevitably ended with him further in debt."
How about you get a fucking job, you idiot?
Ethan's noble goal in life is to see his loathsome father dead so he can inherit his estate and entire fortune. His other noble goal in life is to steal away his best friend's mistress, Ghita, who is a stereotypically hot-blooded, bitchy, sensual Italian Venus of a goddess. So really, he needs Lily's fortune so he can win and keep Ghita.
"Ethan's mind reeled. With a dowry of a hundred thousand for his daughter, Mr. Bachman himself could easily be worth a half-million, or a full million, or more. Ethan could pay off his debts. He could afford Ghita. Hell, he could afford ten Ghitas."
Oh, and he takes care of an old aunt suffering from dementia. Well, that came out of nowhere. Sure, that justifies all of his brutish behavior to compromise and win Lily, then! Ethan is supposed to have a sad backstory. You know, typical noble family, no love, cold parents, etc. Get the fuck over it. It does not justify him growing up to be an asshole who is looking to be as deplorable of a man as his father. He supposedly grows to love Lily, even as he woos her for her fortune, but he shows his love in really strange ways. Flowers? Poetry? No. Too old-fashioned. Ethan's love translates to being a coldhearted son of a bitch to his newlywed wife.
"When he righted himself, he pinned her with a jeering smile. 'You once told me that living in this run-down sty would offend even a bushman. Well, it’s your sty now, princess. Welcome home.'"
My positive first impression of Lily ended, as I said, with the first chapter. After she meets and falls into horrifying insta-love with the brutish Ethan, her intelligence seems confined to her freakishly large bosom and how high she can heave them. She becomes disappointed that Ethan's not hunting her for her fortune, then becomes enraged with him when she finds out that he is. Despite the warning of all of her friends and family, all of whom have known about Ethan's proclivities towards gaming and womanizing, Lily falls in love with him. She justifies his behavior, and goes so far as to follow him around as he's walking around town to prove to her friend that he's a good guy. Of course, because everyone conducts their shady business in the light of day, in a bustling shopping district. She tries to point out his normal behavior as he goes around a public street, goes into a jeweler's shop, says hi to friends, goes into a booklender.
'"If he's such a blackguard,' Lily reasoned, 'then his character should soon evidence itself.' She skittered to a halt when she spotted him. He stood in front of a shop, examining a pair of Hessians in the window. 'Oh, boots,' she said in a sarcastic tone, 'very shady.'"
But she's angry with him. You know the Katy Perry song "Hot & Cold?" Yeah. Lily is like that. She can't make up her freaking mind what she wants. Does she hate Ethan? Does she love him? No clue. She justifies his behavior, then behaves like an ass when he's trying to make amends. She blames herself when he is borderline abusive. I lost my patience with Lily five chapters into the book. Lily is the very definition of devolution, because her character in no way grows or learns from her experience. To the contrary, her love of Ethan makes her a worse person.
Do yourself a favor and read something else.
It was probably a bad idea to read this book after The Heiress Effect . Two books about heiresses in one week, it figures that I'd strike out with one of them. This is the one to skip. It is definitely jarring, though, to follow up with this one. There could hardly be more of a difference between the two heiresses and their loves. Overall, this was a terrible, insipid book with a foolish, contrary heroine and an immature, gambling-addicted, angry-for-no-good-reason, womanizing asshat of an future Earl.
I would give this a one, but bumped it up because my opinion might have been biased negatively towards this book due to my reading of The Heiress Effect. So, 1 added star for benefit of the doubt. Even with the bonus of said benefit of the doubt, I still would not recommend this book to anyone I actually like. I will keep the rest of my review strictly on topic, and on this book alone.
Initially, I liked the main character; but that ended with Chapter One. Lily was greatly likeable when we first met her; an heiress with a rumored dowry of £100,000. We initially make her acquaintance as she is shooting down a so-called "Leech." Said Leech is one of the many fortune-hunting gentlemen (usually second or third sons) out for Lily's enormous dowry. She rapidly shoots him down, and I was impressed with her spirit and nature, as well as her intelligence and purpose, since she aims to open up a charity school for less fortunate young women.
Suffice it to say, our intrepid, spirited heroine's intelligence went down the crapper as soon as she meets the douchebag that is Lord Ethan Helling. He is a real fucking winner.
I've read a lot of Historical Romance about fortune-hunters. They haven't all been nice guys (no shit), but at least their purpose in getting said fortune is somewhat noble. Those guys have inherited crumbling estates in need of repair, they were indebted through no fault of their own, but due to the misbehavior of their predecessors, whose mistakes they have to fix. They have close, beloved relatives and numerous tenants relying on them. They need the money to inject into business ventures or projects to help many others, not just themselves.
Not so with Lord Ethan, no sir. We first meet him when he's waking up from a boner-ridden dream of his mistress's luscious tits & ass (well, technically, his best friend's mistress), hung-over as hell from drinking and gambling the night before. And he freaks out over his staff's sudden resignation because they haven't been properly paid in months. How dare they?! They're just servants, and he's a Lord! Ethan is nothing if not dismissing of those of a lower social class, even to Lily and her stinking New Money wealth, which he needs. Generally, if one is in debt from gambling, one stops. But no. Ethan cannot possibly give up gaming.
"How could he give up gaming? He had no money with which to pay his debts, so he had to make money. To make money, he had to gamble, but doing so inevitably ended with him further in debt."
How about you get a fucking job, you idiot?
Ethan's noble goal in life is to see his loathsome father dead so he can inherit his estate and entire fortune. His other noble goal in life is to steal away his best friend's mistress, Ghita, who is a stereotypically hot-blooded, bitchy, sensual Italian Venus of a goddess. So really, he needs Lily's fortune so he can win and keep Ghita.
"Ethan's mind reeled. With a dowry of a hundred thousand for his daughter, Mr. Bachman himself could easily be worth a half-million, or a full million, or more. Ethan could pay off his debts. He could afford Ghita. Hell, he could afford ten Ghitas."
Oh, and he takes care of an old aunt suffering from dementia. Well, that came out of nowhere. Sure, that justifies all of his brutish behavior to compromise and win Lily, then! Ethan is supposed to have a sad backstory. You know, typical noble family, no love, cold parents, etc. Get the fuck over it. It does not justify him growing up to be an asshole who is looking to be as deplorable of a man as his father. He supposedly grows to love Lily, even as he woos her for her fortune, but he shows his love in really strange ways. Flowers? Poetry? No. Too old-fashioned. Ethan's love translates to being a coldhearted son of a bitch to his newlywed wife.
"When he righted himself, he pinned her with a jeering smile. 'You once told me that living in this run-down sty would offend even a bushman. Well, it’s your sty now, princess. Welcome home.'"
My positive first impression of Lily ended, as I said, with the first chapter. After she meets and falls into horrifying insta-love with the brutish Ethan, her intelligence seems confined to her freakishly large bosom and how high she can heave them. She becomes disappointed that Ethan's not hunting her for her fortune, then becomes enraged with him when she finds out that he is. Despite the warning of all of her friends and family, all of whom have known about Ethan's proclivities towards gaming and womanizing, Lily falls in love with him. She justifies his behavior, and goes so far as to follow him around as he's walking around town to prove to her friend that he's a good guy. Of course, because everyone conducts their shady business in the light of day, in a bustling shopping district. She tries to point out his normal behavior as he goes around a public street, goes into a jeweler's shop, says hi to friends, goes into a booklender.
'"If he's such a blackguard,' Lily reasoned, 'then his character should soon evidence itself.' She skittered to a halt when she spotted him. He stood in front of a shop, examining a pair of Hessians in the window. 'Oh, boots,' she said in a sarcastic tone, 'very shady.'"
But she's angry with him. You know the Katy Perry song "Hot & Cold?" Yeah. Lily is like that. She can't make up her freaking mind what she wants. Does she hate Ethan? Does she love him? No clue. She justifies his behavior, then behaves like an ass when he's trying to make amends. She blames herself when he is borderline abusive. I lost my patience with Lily five chapters into the book. Lily is the very definition of devolution, because her character in no way grows or learns from her experience. To the contrary, her love of Ethan makes her a worse person.
Do yourself a favor and read something else.
June 18, 2019
Turned out better than I expected. And certainly better than the first book.
May 7, 2013
Reading this was a pain in the ass.
I was not impressed. Not ever.
It’s so pocketbook generic.
This is worse than the first book. Ah well probably equally worse.
“The eyes of the man standing there hit Lily with a stunning force.”
Oh my god how ridiculous. How utterly ridiculous!
Pukes. Excessive eye-rolling.
“Lily do you know what happens between a man and a woman… in bed?”
Dear God!!!
Can this get any dumber?!
“It hurts… doesn’t it?” “It often does hurt the lady a bit…”
*laughs maniacally* GOOD HEAVENS. What is this I can’t even...
Lily to Ethan: “Your body is so different from mine. I don’t have hair like yours (referring to Ethan’s chest hair).”
Oh my god are you kidding me? It’s not even funny.
Once more, he considered dropping to his knees, this time in prayer of thanksgiving for the twin gifts from above that were Lily Bachman’s magnificent breasts.
I’m in hysterics you have no idea.
I regret every wasted minute reading this blasted ‘Regency’ romance. In fact it doesn’t seem like Regency at all. It’s so pocketbook-is romance. The sexual innuendoes are pathetic.
Thorburn is an annoying little shit, and he is most definitely not a rake. I refuse to even acknowledge him as part of the ‘ton’. Lily can go drown herself in a bucket.
I was not impressed. Not ever.
It’s so pocketbook generic.
This is worse than the first book. Ah well probably equally worse.
“The eyes of the man standing there hit Lily with a stunning force.”
Oh my god how ridiculous. How utterly ridiculous!
Pukes. Excessive eye-rolling.
“Lily do you know what happens between a man and a woman… in bed?”
Dear God!!!
Can this get any dumber?!
“It hurts… doesn’t it?” “It often does hurt the lady a bit…”
*laughs maniacally* GOOD HEAVENS. What is this I can’t even...
Lily to Ethan: “Your body is so different from mine. I don’t have hair like yours (referring to Ethan’s chest hair).”
Oh my god are you kidding me? It’s not even funny.
Once more, he considered dropping to his knees, this time in prayer of thanksgiving for the twin gifts from above that were Lily Bachman’s magnificent breasts.
I’m in hysterics you have no idea.
I regret every wasted minute reading this blasted ‘Regency’ romance. In fact it doesn’t seem like Regency at all. It’s so pocketbook-is romance. The sexual innuendoes are pathetic.
Thorburn is an annoying little shit, and he is most definitely not a rake. I refuse to even acknowledge him as part of the ‘ton’. Lily can go drown herself in a bucket.
February 3, 2013
More 4.5
I loved this. I enjoyed it even more than Once a Duchess. I really enjoyed the urban setting here. It was so fascinating to read about London at the time -- how people got around, what their houses were like, what institutions they frequented, how they gambled, what prisons were like... I could really appreciate the amount of research that went into this book. And I loved the flawed characters, especially Ethan. I love a series where each book is better than the last!
I loved this. I enjoyed it even more than Once a Duchess. I really enjoyed the urban setting here. It was so fascinating to read about London at the time -- how people got around, what their houses were like, what institutions they frequented, how they gambled, what prisons were like... I could really appreciate the amount of research that went into this book. And I loved the flawed characters, especially Ethan. I love a series where each book is better than the last!
March 13, 2013
When I first started this book, my husband asked me how I liked it. My response was that the hero was a terrible man, and I couldn’t wait to see him reformed. I was solidly in the corner of the heroine, Lily. That was chapter one. In a masterful twist, Elizabeth Boyce had me sympathizing with bad-boy Ethan to the point I was nearly in tears on almost the very next page. I never expected the character I was going to hate to be the book’s heroine. Her fears turned her into a frigid, castigating witch while Ethan was reformed and loving almost right away. The story morphed into one of a woman who had thought she was independent learning the true meaning of independence without alienating those she loved. A book I thought I had figured out from the very beginning turned on me and continued to surprise me in the best ways until the wonderful Happily Ever After. Boyce’s prose is among some of the best I’ve read; her figurative language is both original and breath-taking. She’s certainly gained a fan for life in me.
July 1, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Surprisingly, I liked the insta-lust with Lily & Ethan. It was refreshing cos we get the feel that Lily is independent and level headed & pretty sure about herself but she surprises herself by being attracted to Ethan as soon as she sees her. The plot was well though out without being overly dramatic. Ethan was a likeable hero. Highly recommend!!
Surprisingly, I liked the insta-lust with Lily & Ethan. It was refreshing cos we get the feel that Lily is independent and level headed & pretty sure about herself but she surprises herself by being attracted to Ethan as soon as she sees her. The plot was well though out without being overly dramatic. Ethan was a likeable hero. Highly recommend!!
October 4, 2015
Lily. I liked her a lot in the first one but she's so unlike what I'd seen in the first book once chapter one was over. Rational and level-headed...and insta-love? Um...Lily, girl...what happened?
I wasn't at all a fan of Lily or Ethan or their relationship. Part way through I was just reading it to get it over with because there was just so much unnecessary drama. Yes, Ethan had his faults but Lily was being ridiculous from the beginning (pre- and post- marriage) and I just ended up being sick of both of them. And Lord...if I have to hear about Ethan going on about her body one more time...just, ugh.
I wasn't at all a fan of Lily or Ethan or their relationship. Part way through I was just reading it to get it over with because there was just so much unnecessary drama. Yes, Ethan had his faults but Lily was being ridiculous from the beginning (pre- and post- marriage) and I just ended up being sick of both of them. And Lord...if I have to hear about Ethan going on about her body one more time...just, ugh.
February 21, 2013
Once again Elizabeth Boyce has managed to mix the appropriate amounts of history, character drama, and steamy sex. It was a delightful read! This is not your average romance story; you walk away having learned so much about the time period and lifestyle of London's high society.
April 28, 2016
Enjoyed the story greatly, just couldn't stand the mean, vindictive person Lily (the "heroine") morphed into. Her behavior towards Ethan was beyond despicable and far beneath the "good" hearted character she was set up to be.
May 12, 2013
Not as good as Once a Duchess, but definitely an author to stick with. There was a lot to like about this book, but all the miscommunication and misunderstandings and "I'll-explain-later"s drove me nuts. (N-V-T-S, nuts! (Sorry, it's a reflex.))
One thing this book does really well is not glamorizing the rake. Ethan's lifestyle means that he is in tons of debt and has almost no friends. Very early on, he realizes that this whole thing is no good for him, and that he needs to change. By the time he and Lily get married, he's pretty much a paragon. And, of course, that's when all their troubles start.
It's misunderstanding after misunderstanding after misunderstanding, and it just gets tedious after a while. If only Ethan had said to Lily's father that he actually liked her (which was true by that time), if only Lily hadn't been quite so quick to demand a separate marriage and play passive-aggressive "Isn't that what you want too? Great!" games (and by the way, Lily, it is seriously rude to not show up to dinner when you've been invited out and then not even apologize afterwards; I cannot get behind that at all), if only Ethan had told Lily about going over to Ghita's house that day (I actually think that would have been a very smart move, given Lily's personality), if only Aunt Janine had said, "She can't be his mistress because she's 80-something years old," like why are these people not talking to each other? What is this, LOST?
I usually love strong, even abrasive, female characters, but more than once I wanted to sit Lily down and hand her a glass of water and a chill pill.
Despite it all, I really did like both Lily and Ethan, and I was cheering for their happy ending, which is rare for me when I get this frustrated by the romantic leads. This is a testament to Boyce's writing and characterization. (By the way, the writing? Top notch. Descriptions are evocative without dragging down the pace.) I rated it three stars, but it's really 3.5, maybe even 3.8.
Now, about that third book...
One thing this book does really well is not glamorizing the rake. Ethan's lifestyle means that he is in tons of debt and has almost no friends. Very early on, he realizes that this whole thing is no good for him, and that he needs to change. By the time he and Lily get married, he's pretty much a paragon. And, of course, that's when all their troubles start.
It's misunderstanding after misunderstanding after misunderstanding, and it just gets tedious after a while. If only Ethan had said to Lily's father that he actually liked her (which was true by that time), if only Lily hadn't been quite so quick to demand a separate marriage and play passive-aggressive "Isn't that what you want too? Great!" games (and by the way, Lily, it is seriously rude to not show up to dinner when you've been invited out and then not even apologize afterwards; I cannot get behind that at all), if only Ethan had told Lily about going over to Ghita's house that day (I actually think that would have been a very smart move, given Lily's personality), if only Aunt Janine had said, "She can't be his mistress because she's 80-something years old," like why are these people not talking to each other? What is this, LOST?
I usually love strong, even abrasive, female characters, but more than once I wanted to sit Lily down and hand her a glass of water and a chill pill.
Despite it all, I really did like both Lily and Ethan, and I was cheering for their happy ending, which is rare for me when I get this frustrated by the romantic leads. This is a testament to Boyce's writing and characterization. (By the way, the writing? Top notch. Descriptions are evocative without dragging down the pace.) I rated it three stars, but it's really 3.5, maybe even 3.8.
Now, about that third book...
July 26, 2015
I really hated this book! So much deception, so many shallow reasons why these two got together. There wasn't even a real "woo me so I can fall in love with you" romance! It was more like they just suddenly realized that they loved one another after they treated each other like total crap. I really couldn't connect with any of the characters in this book, although it was nice to see how things were going with the first couple of the series. Thankfully, there is only one book left in the series, but I am not looking forward to it. I doubt that I'll keep the series, once I finish it.
August 5, 2015
stupid, selfish, spoilt heroine who blamed the hero for her predicament though it was in fact her own fault. she knew of his reputation but followed him anyway and ignored him when he tried to protect her! then when they get together it is she who decides she wants a marriage in name only. she says he humiliated her but she took money from daddy even after their marriage and failed to turn up at a dinner at friend without even an apology so she humiliated him! She didn't seem to know what she wanted! got right on my nerves! Don't even know why I bothered finishing it.
November 26, 2016
I dont believe it
The author did a great job of creating a poor rake. However, the heroine seemed different than she was in the first book.
The heart wrenching events tugged at my emotions. The disasters had real consequences.
But I didn't believe in the hero's reformation. That made the happy ending fall flat.
Mature content
The author did a great job of creating a poor rake. However, the heroine seemed different than she was in the first book.
The heart wrenching events tugged at my emotions. The disasters had real consequences.
But I didn't believe in the hero's reformation. That made the happy ending fall flat.
Mature content
April 29, 2013
ONCE AN HEIRESS combines everything readers love about historical romance with a twisting, suspenseful story that will have you on the edge of your seat hoping Lily and Ethan can find a way to be together.
I'm not going to lie – my first introduction to Ethan Helling had me wondering if I'd misunderstood the summary. This is the guy I'm supposed to fall in love with? Really? Because he sounds every bit the rake I've been warned about. Not only is he buried in gambling debt, but his lust for a friend's mistress has him agreeing to woo a girl with a large dowry just so he can turn around and take the mistress for himself. I really can't imagine a worse kind of guy: to marry one woman just so you can use her dowry money to purchase another woman you intend to have on the side.
Intelligent and opinionated Lily knew she had to weed through the fortune hunters to find a husband she can respect, but who could anticipate a guy like Ethan? Especially since she's grown up with a father who has treated her like an heir and an equal instead of a bargaining tool in the effort to gain a title.
Fast-forward a few chapters and we get to see not only what hardships in his adolescence have made Ethan the man he has become, but a heart that promises it is more than redeemable. But add a secret obligation, a forced wedding, and collectors demanding their money and Lily and Ethan have a lot to overcome before they can truly trust and love each other.
I loved every second of ONCE AN HEIRESS – it had the intrigue I love about historical romance combined with an excellent storyline that kept me on my toes. I fell completely in love with Lily and Ethan and can't wait for Naomi to get her own story that I'm positive will be filled with its own share of romance and turmoil!
**Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.
**Reviewed by preppea on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews and The Romance Reviews.
I'm not going to lie – my first introduction to Ethan Helling had me wondering if I'd misunderstood the summary. This is the guy I'm supposed to fall in love with? Really? Because he sounds every bit the rake I've been warned about. Not only is he buried in gambling debt, but his lust for a friend's mistress has him agreeing to woo a girl with a large dowry just so he can turn around and take the mistress for himself. I really can't imagine a worse kind of guy: to marry one woman just so you can use her dowry money to purchase another woman you intend to have on the side.
Intelligent and opinionated Lily knew she had to weed through the fortune hunters to find a husband she can respect, but who could anticipate a guy like Ethan? Especially since she's grown up with a father who has treated her like an heir and an equal instead of a bargaining tool in the effort to gain a title.
Fast-forward a few chapters and we get to see not only what hardships in his adolescence have made Ethan the man he has become, but a heart that promises it is more than redeemable. But add a secret obligation, a forced wedding, and collectors demanding their money and Lily and Ethan have a lot to overcome before they can truly trust and love each other.
I loved every second of ONCE AN HEIRESS – it had the intrigue I love about historical romance combined with an excellent storyline that kept me on my toes. I fell completely in love with Lily and Ethan and can't wait for Naomi to get her own story that I'm positive will be filled with its own share of romance and turmoil!
**Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.
**Reviewed by preppea on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews and The Romance Reviews.
May 7, 2013
why i actually find rakes attractive and intriguing is beyond me..
another feel good regency story i really like.kudos to the author!
another feel good regency story i really like.kudos to the author!
April 9, 2016
If I thought I was in love with this author’s work with the first novel in this series I was sorely mistaken. She has outdone herself by half again this time. What a fabulous story! Boyce’s unique brank of sass and romance really brings out the best of the time period she takes you back to. The mix of periodesque colloquialisms and narratives complete the transition for the reader. There is an inherent undertone of comedy running underneath this romance of misunderstandings and disappointments.
The characters were so real and lifelike that I couldn’t help but fall for them. The main characters definitely pulled at my heart, if in very different manners. Boyce’s development of both their thoughts and emotions allows readers to see the innermost workings of the story. The ensuing comedy of errors and miscommunications had me giggling throughout. The supporting characters were quite charming as well. They rounded out the story well, giving you a sneak peek at what’s to come for this group In the future.
As a whole this was a fantastic story that I couldn’t put down for a second. This amazing author has done a phenomenal job on both the time period and the story as a whole.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
The characters were so real and lifelike that I couldn’t help but fall for them. The main characters definitely pulled at my heart, if in very different manners. Boyce’s development of both their thoughts and emotions allows readers to see the innermost workings of the story. The ensuing comedy of errors and miscommunications had me giggling throughout. The supporting characters were quite charming as well. They rounded out the story well, giving you a sneak peek at what’s to come for this group In the future.
As a whole this was a fantastic story that I couldn’t put down for a second. This amazing author has done a phenomenal job on both the time period and the story as a whole.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
March 21, 2013
Once an Heiress will delight readers of Once a Duchess and newcomers to Elizabeth Boyce alike. Here is another clever plot with unexpected twists, focusing on a smart, sassy, strong heroine and a deliciously flawed hero. As much as I think every woman would aspire to be as independent, ambitious, and self-possessed as the heroine Lily, the author of this series never balks from showing us the foibles that lead the characters into their sticky situations and the honest, troubled, and sometimes even down and dirty truth about the lives these women and men lead. Once an Heiress has all the historical insight and accuracy, the sparkling dialogue, and page-turning writing of Once a Duchess... and even more passionate, intense romance, thanks to the smoldering fire that burns between Lily and Ethan.
March 18, 2013
Once An Heiress by Elizabeth Boyce is an interesting, fun and very knowledgeable historical romance.
Lily Bachman is every momma’s worst nightmare and every bachelor’s dream. She has the largest dowry the town has seen in years, which is meant to secure her a place in society and secure a marriage to a titled gentleman.
Ethan Helling, Viscount Thorburn, is the man everyone knows as a rake and gambler. He is indebted to all of London society and now with his friend’s mistress tempting him, he is in need of a fortune to get her for himself.
Too bad that at their first meeting, Lily mistook Ethan for a stuck up butler.
Now as he learns about her at a ball and recognizes her, he will have to use all his charms to steal her away from all her suitors.Read More...
Lily Bachman is every momma’s worst nightmare and every bachelor’s dream. She has the largest dowry the town has seen in years, which is meant to secure her a place in society and secure a marriage to a titled gentleman.
Ethan Helling, Viscount Thorburn, is the man everyone knows as a rake and gambler. He is indebted to all of London society and now with his friend’s mistress tempting him, he is in need of a fortune to get her for himself.
Too bad that at their first meeting, Lily mistook Ethan for a stuck up butler.
Now as he learns about her at a ball and recognizes her, he will have to use all his charms to steal her away from all her suitors.Read More...
March 13, 2013
Warning: a rant is coming up...
Ugh!! I'm so angry at this story, it was a waste of time and money. I started skipping pages and in the end stopped reading it. The heroine was too stupid, I couldn't stand her any longer! The predicament in which the hero and the heroine ended up in was her own fault!! And then she started to blame the hero! She was childish, pompous, selfish and brainless!! I'm sorry, I liked Once a Duchess but this one is one of the worst I've read.
April 3, 2013
Loved it! This was so much fun to read after having read Once a Duchess three times already! It was so great to read the second book in the series. I find these characters to have the depth to make you think of their stories even after you've closed the book. Lily was a splendid minor character in Once a Duchess, so it was good fun to see her take the starring lead in this novel. Can't wait to read Naomi's story next!
Read
June 8, 2015I find Ethan's character acceptable. Ok, he's a handsome loser, owed half the ton, and seemed to be living in vain. But with family like that and that poor Vanessa he somehow came to take charge for - OK he fit the bill for tortured hero. But Lily...argh! I like her in Once A Duchess, but here it's as if she was loosing her character. Honestly, I expect her to be smarter than that in dealing with Ethan.
February 5, 2014
This hero was in sorry shape, hunted by creditors, and scorned by society. I liked him because not only was he different from the usual hero, he was still a good person despite his 'vices.' Lily, on the other hand, was an immature woman despite her philanthropic goals, and annoyingly vacillated between her desire and disdain for Ethan. Poor Ethan. He deserved a much better heroine than Lily. Three stars.
May 2, 2018
This wasn't as good as the first book. Lily the heroine is rich, with a dowry of 100,000 pounds. And she's insufferable. The whole book takes on this quality of Lily behaving as someone even better than aristocracy because of her wealth.
Ethan needs money, but he's taking care of people everyone else would have cast aside. Ethan's character is transparent, open and honest, while Lily is a spoiled brat and completely different from the woman we see in the first book.
Ethan needs money, but he's taking care of people everyone else would have cast aside. Ethan's character is transparent, open and honest, while Lily is a spoiled brat and completely different from the woman we see in the first book.
March 18, 2013
Another great Regency Romance by Elizabeth Boyce--this one focuses on Lily, Isabelle's friend from Once a Duchess. This isn't a sequel, per se, more of a companion book, but I recommend you read Duchess in order to understand some of the things in this book. Like the previous installment, this has steamy romance and a headstrong leading lady, all set in the regency period. Loved it!!
December 31, 2017
Could have been better. The constant back and forth of the affection to hatred grew extremely tedious very quickly.
August 1, 2020
Wow, another book with an heroine I greatly despised!!!
Why did the author turn Lily into that horrible, unlikable and smackable bitch in book 2?
I read book 1, enjoyed it and quite liked Lily there.
But in this story, eww seriously.
Ethan is an impoverished lord... more than impoverished, the guy is drowning in debts that's laughable lool! At the begining, his whole staff quit and that scene is just too funny, the way they completely don't care about his station lmao
But still, he remains optimistic. Enter the bitch, Lily.
Lily thinks she is so great, such a badass, wants to scare off the leechs but at the same has her father publicly announces her dowry will be 100K pounds. Ok...
Lily decides to open a school for the less fortunates and while looking for a house to buy, she met Ethan and sparks flies. But because she is stupid, insecure, afraid of feelings she is quite rude and insults him that first day.
They meet again, at a ball, right after his silly friend tells him she is an heiress with a huge dowry. Now he is interested, but he kind of gives up the plan because after meeting Lily and kissing her, he doesnt want to use/hurt her...
Stupid Lily keep thinking about that kiss. She litteraly obsesses over him and is mad he doesnt reveal himself to be a leech, coming to call on her and ask for her hand. They meet again, and again and she follows him around like an idiot.
Around half the story, Lily's stupidity leads to her being compromised and she still finds a way to blame Ethan. At that point I just couldn't believe it.
They get married, and the bitch even becomes worse! I'm used to the husband disappointed the bride the next day but this time, Lily did it.
And she kept being a fking SHREW!! Rubbing his poverty in his face, being hysterical for no reasons...
And the way she treated the Holliers without having meeting them first ugh! First she complained he didnt invited his friends to the wedding, but she refuses to meet his friends?
I would have loved to see her grovel at the end.
The only redeeming quality she showed was when she sacrificed her project at the end.
I was ready to hate Ethan, being a leech and all, marrying for money, but the author failed to make him despicable in my eyes. Lily on the other end, Fk her seriously
First half was great, 5 stars. Second half gets only 1 so the book ends up with a 3 stars rating
Why did the author turn Lily into that horrible, unlikable and smackable bitch in book 2?
I read book 1, enjoyed it and quite liked Lily there.
But in this story, eww seriously.
Ethan is an impoverished lord... more than impoverished, the guy is drowning in debts that's laughable lool! At the begining, his whole staff quit and that scene is just too funny, the way they completely don't care about his station lmao
But still, he remains optimistic. Enter the bitch, Lily.
Lily thinks she is so great, such a badass, wants to scare off the leechs but at the same has her father publicly announces her dowry will be 100K pounds. Ok...
Lily decides to open a school for the less fortunates and while looking for a house to buy, she met Ethan and sparks flies. But because she is stupid, insecure, afraid of feelings she is quite rude and insults him that first day.
They meet again, at a ball, right after his silly friend tells him she is an heiress with a huge dowry. Now he is interested, but he kind of gives up the plan because after meeting Lily and kissing her, he doesnt want to use/hurt her...
Stupid Lily keep thinking about that kiss. She litteraly obsesses over him and is mad he doesnt reveal himself to be a leech, coming to call on her and ask for her hand. They meet again, and again and she follows him around like an idiot.
Around half the story, Lily's stupidity leads to her being compromised and she still finds a way to blame Ethan. At that point I just couldn't believe it.
They get married, and the bitch even becomes worse! I'm used to the husband disappointed the bride the next day but this time, Lily did it.
And she kept being a fking SHREW!! Rubbing his poverty in his face, being hysterical for no reasons...
And the way she treated the Holliers without having meeting them first ugh! First she complained he didnt invited his friends to the wedding, but she refuses to meet his friends?
I would have loved to see her grovel at the end.
The only redeeming quality she showed was when she sacrificed her project at the end.
I was ready to hate Ethan, being a leech and all, marrying for money, but the author failed to make him despicable in my eyes. Lily on the other end, Fk her seriously
First half was great, 5 stars. Second half gets only 1 so the book ends up with a 3 stars rating
December 30, 2017
I read this as part of an anthology of five romances. This novel is a comedy of errors, each with its own set of compounding circumstances.
Lily always been a dutiful daughter. First, afianced to the son of a family friend who was 10 years her senior, and then a year in mourning his death even though she did not grieve because she did not know him. Her father, who had made all his money in coal mines, and seeking to let the world know just how precious she was to him, set her dowry at the unheard of amount of £100,000. Her father will allow her to choose her own suitor with the private stipulation being that he be entitled or in line to inherit. This, of course, brings every fortune hunter and second son in the land to vie for her hand. Lily is not interested in a man who just wants her for her money. The young women of the ton are jealous of Lily because she is diverting the attention of the eligible bachelors away from them.
Lord Thornburn, since the death of his brother, is his father's heir, but he has a veritable mountain of gambling debt. He owes money to all sorts of tradesmen, as well. He also wants to make his friend's mistress his own and that, of course, costs money he doesn't have.
Through the machinations of said mistress, a lack of understanding what is going on on her part, and the spite of the young women in the ton, Lily finds herself "ruined" and forced into a marriage with Thorburn.
What follows says a lot about lack of communication in all marriages, especially when the newlyweds know little or nothing about one another. All is well that ends well and, in this story, it does.
Lily always been a dutiful daughter. First, afianced to the son of a family friend who was 10 years her senior, and then a year in mourning his death even though she did not grieve because she did not know him. Her father, who had made all his money in coal mines, and seeking to let the world know just how precious she was to him, set her dowry at the unheard of amount of £100,000. Her father will allow her to choose her own suitor with the private stipulation being that he be entitled or in line to inherit. This, of course, brings every fortune hunter and second son in the land to vie for her hand. Lily is not interested in a man who just wants her for her money. The young women of the ton are jealous of Lily because she is diverting the attention of the eligible bachelors away from them.
Lord Thornburn, since the death of his brother, is his father's heir, but he has a veritable mountain of gambling debt. He owes money to all sorts of tradesmen, as well. He also wants to make his friend's mistress his own and that, of course, costs money he doesn't have.
Through the machinations of said mistress, a lack of understanding what is going on on her part, and the spite of the young women in the ton, Lily finds herself "ruined" and forced into a marriage with Thorburn.
What follows says a lot about lack of communication in all marriages, especially when the newlyweds know little or nothing about one another. All is well that ends well and, in this story, it does.
July 17, 2017
Thank you!
In many ways this is a typical girl meets rake, falls in love, marries, unhappy, etc. Rake is self-absorbed, bumbling, etc. BUT, there are delightful differences. First, her father makes hard but real, important, choices for and about his daughter, he is a real parent. The rake is likable from the first and he only gets better. None of the hurdles or misunderstandings are allowed to go on for too long. Characters actually say what needs saying to clear the air and love brings them back together and ready to listen. Sure, feelings are hurt and time is needed but you aren't left wanting to knock their heads together! I enjoyed the first book and look forward to reading the final book to learn Naomi's story.
In many ways this is a typical girl meets rake, falls in love, marries, unhappy, etc. Rake is self-absorbed, bumbling, etc. BUT, there are delightful differences. First, her father makes hard but real, important, choices for and about his daughter, he is a real parent. The rake is likable from the first and he only gets better. None of the hurdles or misunderstandings are allowed to go on for too long. Characters actually say what needs saying to clear the air and love brings them back together and ready to listen. Sure, feelings are hurt and time is needed but you aren't left wanting to knock their heads together! I enjoyed the first book and look forward to reading the final book to learn Naomi's story.
May 5, 2017
I love the way Elizabeth Boyce makes you feel like her characters are friends. The tension between Lilly and Ethan was anxiety producing. She did a wonderful job of demonstrating that love conquers all. Thanks for the good read.
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