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The Rakes of Cavendish Square #3
Libertinage à Cavendish Square (Tome 3) - Libre avec toi
Traits fins et juvéniles derrière ses grosses lunettes, silhouette menue, voix fluette, Ross Carrow n’est décidément pas un adversaire impressionnant. Ténor du barreau, lord Lawrence Byron pense ne faire qu’une bouchée de cet avocaillon de province. Pourtant, après un affrontement serré au prétoire, Lawrence perd le procès ! Beau joueur, il décide de lier connaissance avec le jeune Carrow et l’entraîne dans les lieux de plaisir fréquentés par les messieurs. Jusqu’au jour où il découvre que Ross s’appelle en réalité… Rosamund. Au mépris des conventions, la jeune femme se travestit afin d’exercer une profession interdite à son sexe. Furieux d’avoir été dupé, Lawrence décide de lui donner une bonne leçon…
305 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 29, 2017
37 people are currently reading
999 people want to read
About the author
Tracy Anne Warren
41 books791 followersTracy Anne Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of ten Regency historical romance novels, including At The Duke’s Pleasure and The Husband Trap. Her books have appeared on the USA Today Bestsellers’ list and the Borders’ Group List of Bestselling Single Title Romance Paperbacks. She has won numerous writing awards, including Romance Writers’ of America’s prestigious RITA® Award, the National Readers’ Choice Award, the HOLT Medallion, the Golden Quill, and others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
March 9, 2017
Rating 2.5 rounded up.
Jotting down a few points that bothered me about this romance. Well more bothered by the hero actually.
~I liked the heroine but had some issues with the hero.
~He seemed selfish to me, he has an affair with the heroine and not thinking of the consequences for her as she's innocent and a virgin. Not really hero like to me.
~Bothered that he was pursuing a possible engagement for his advancement in his political career and also having an affair with the heroine all at the same time.
~The heroine was strong, smart and sweet. She began her relationship with the hero believing that the affair was purely physical and would be short lived. But ended it when she learned she was in love with him, that he was engaged or about to be engaged. She was the ultimate hero to me in that she scarified by encouraging him marry so he could advance his career.
~And in the end I was really, really ticked that when she did end their affair and he's engaged (or about to announce his engagement to another woman) he goes and has sex with other women to forget (but feels like it's wrong and feels guilty). WHAT!! Sorry that's not hero material to me. So while this booked started off with promise, in the end was a disappointment. I could have handled some of the non hero like behavior at the beginning but the last one just was NOT okay.
Jotting down a few points that bothered me about this romance. Well more bothered by the hero actually.
~I liked the heroine but had some issues with the hero.
~He seemed selfish to me, he has an affair with the heroine and not thinking of the consequences for her as she's innocent and a virgin. Not really hero like to me.
~Bothered that he was pursuing a possible engagement for his advancement in his political career and also having an affair with the heroine all at the same time.
~The heroine was strong, smart and sweet. She began her relationship with the hero believing that the affair was purely physical and would be short lived. But ended it when she learned she was in love with him, that he was engaged or about to be engaged. She was the ultimate hero to me in that she scarified by encouraging him marry so he could advance his career.
~And in the end I was really, really ticked that when she did end their affair and he's engaged (or about to announce his engagement to another woman) he goes and has sex with other women to forget (but feels like it's wrong and feels guilty). WHAT!! Sorry that's not hero material to me. So while this booked started off with promise, in the end was a disappointment. I could have handled some of the non hero like behavior at the beginning but the last one just was NOT okay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2023
Story took place in 1821. I gave it nearly a 4.
Rosamund was a daughter of a middle class barrister
who recently died. Dad taught her law. Lord Lawrence,
was described as a wealthy barrister Adonis & brother
of a Duke.
She posed as male barrister "cousin Ross" providing
moral support for her barrister brother Bert who was
nervous appearing in court, worsening his stuttering
problem. She pled a court case, at Bert's insistence,
and won it. The plan was to clear her father's cases
& then Bert would concentrate on legal work w/o
court appearances.
H & h (as Ross) become friends of sorts: went to H's
club, played billiards, traveled to a boxing match,
etc. Surely rakehell Lawrence could not be attracted
to a man? He noticed Ross was pretty, had rosy lips
& a shapely rear. And couldn't hold his liquor.
Lawrence put future goals above all else IE courted
a judge's daughter, in hopes of eventually becoming
a judge himself. Soon after hero confronted faux
man Ross, the H & h became lovers. The hero would
not have treated a gently bred aristo female as he did
Rosamund.
My favorite scene was heroine talking dirty to Leo,
hero's identical twin, mistaking him for Lawrence.
IMO the hero eventually offered an insufficient grovel.
Rosamund was a daughter of a middle class barrister
who recently died. Dad taught her law. Lord Lawrence,
was described as a wealthy barrister Adonis & brother
of a Duke.
She posed as male barrister "cousin Ross" providing
moral support for her barrister brother Bert who was
nervous appearing in court, worsening his stuttering
problem. She pled a court case, at Bert's insistence,
and won it. The plan was to clear her father's cases
& then Bert would concentrate on legal work w/o
court appearances.
H & h (as Ross) become friends of sorts: went to H's
club, played billiards, traveled to a boxing match,
etc. Surely rakehell Lawrence could not be attracted
to a man? He noticed Ross was pretty, had rosy lips
& a shapely rear. And couldn't hold his liquor.
Lawrence put future goals above all else IE courted
a judge's daughter, in hopes of eventually becoming
a judge himself. Soon after hero confronted faux
man Ross, the H & h became lovers. The hero would
not have treated a gently bred aristo female as he did
Rosamund.
My favorite scene was heroine talking dirty to Leo,
hero's identical twin, mistaking him for Lawrence.
IMO the hero eventually offered an insufficient grovel.
March 8, 2017
Yeah! another playboy manwhore hero! My latest reads are amazing! I love this author. Another passionate and intense love story. The hero is an aristocrat and heroine comes from working class. He wants her as his mistress but plans to marry his betrothed who is same class as him. Heroine loves him but she will not let him jilt his fiance, ruin his reputation and destroy his career for her and their baby. Lawrence lets ambition get in the way of his happiness and he almost loses Rosamund but thankfulky he comes to his senses before its too late. Angsty and emotional read. I loved it but I would have liked an epilogue with their baby. Did they have a boy or a girl? I need to know!
April 20, 2024
Review from 2017
I've given this an A- for narration and a B- for content at AudioGals.
I’ve enjoyed the three stories that comprise Tracy Anne Warren’s Rakes of Cavendish Square trilogy in both print and audio – with the exception of the audiobook version of Happily Bedded Bliss (book two) which is the only narration to which I’ve ever awarded an F grade. I was glad, therefore, that Tantor Audio engaged Beverley A. Crick to narrate this last instalment, Bedchamber Games, which tells the story of the one remaining unmarried Byron sibling, Lord Lawrence, who, although the brother of a duke, has built himself a career and sterling reputation as a barrister.
Lawrence is at the top of his profession, known to possess one of the keenest legal minds around, and his reputation for winning his cases is pretty much second to none. So it comes as a bit of a shock one day when he is bested in court by a young barrister, new to London, named Ross Carrow. But Lawrence is gracious in defeat, acknowledging that his opponent’s carefully reasoned arguments carried the day, and invites Mr. Carrow to have a drink with him at his club the following evening.
Rosamund Carrow and her brother, Bertram, have recently lost their father, a respected barrister. His death was sudden and he left a number of unfinished cases and commitments behind which Bertram wants to complete, but there’s a snag. He’s an extremely capable lawyer, but he suffers from a debilitating stammer when he is anxious or the centre of attention, meaning that he is very unsuited to trial work. So he persuades Rosamund – whose legal training was every bit as thorough as his, and who frequently used to assist her father with his trial preparations – to pose as their cousin Ross and make the necessary court appearances until all the cases are cleared.
Not without misgivings, Rosamund agrees and starts work, unable to believe that all the men around her are taking her at face value. During the next few weeks, she also spends time with Lord Lawrence Byron, who seems to have taken her under his wing. Lawrence feels oddly drawn to this highly intelligent young man whose gaucheness and inability to hold his drink is rather endearing; but is completely thrown when he starts to notice other things about him, like the speaking grey eyes hiding behind his spectacles, his plump lips and nicely rounded bottom. Lawrence has never before experienced feelings of attraction towards a member of his own sex, and is very unnerved by it.
Fortunately for poor, confused Lawrence, an offhand comment by his brother Leo suddenly brings things into sharp focus and he realises that Ross Carrow isn’t a man at all. After breathing a huge sigh of relief, he then becomes determined to expose ‘him’ as a fraud – but later thinks better of it, realising that while Miss Carrow’s sex prevents her from entering the legal profession, her intelligence and ability is as good as any other lawyer he knows and he believes she should be able to continue to do something she so clearly loves. Besides that, he has come to value her friendship, has enjoyed their many discussions and wants to continue to see her and talk with her … while adding in a few extra benefits. Like kissing. And more than kissing.
Rosamund has found it increasingly difficult to ignore the strength of the attraction she feels for Lawrence, even though she is well aware of the fact that even if he met her as a woman he would be unlikely to give her a second glance. When she learns that he has uncovered her deception, she expects the worst – so she is stunned when Lawrence tells her that she should continue her work… and that he desires her. At first she is wary, but eventually allows herself to accept what is being offered her – the chance to experience passion in the arms of a devastatingly attractive man.
The woman-disguised-as-a-man trope is one of my least favourite in the genre, but Ms. Warren makes it work, mostly by having Rosamund be surprised at the ease with which she carries off her deception and emphasising the care she takes to maintain her male persona. And in audio, of course, there is the extra dimension to the portrayal afforded by the narration; Ms. Crick quite rightly chooses to use a different pitch and timbre when Rosamund speaks as Ross than when she is speaking as herself. I really liked Rosamund as a character; she’s a strong, intelligent woman who knows full well that she has the ability to be and do far more than the constraints applied to her gender permit, but who also knows that she can’t afford to cross too many lines. Lawrence is perhaps less well defined, but he’s a charming, sexy hero, even though some of his actions later in the book are ill-judged.
And speaking of Lawrence’s poor judgement; while the central romance is very well developed and imbued with a slow-burn sexual tension that is very appealing, there is very little conflict in the story, and what there IS is obviously manufactured so as to provide some tension in the final few chapters. Throughout the book, we’re told that Lawrence is courting the daughter of a judge, an influential man he hopes will help him to achieve his ambition of one day ascending to the bench. He knows it will be a marriage of convenience, yet even though he recognises the strength of his feelings for Rosamund, he never thinks about marrying her. His dilemma is completely on his own head – he could change his mind, but doesn’t – and this makes the ending more than a little bit of an anti-climax.
I said at the outset that I was pleased to see that Tantor had switched narrators (again – book one, The Bedding Proposal – was excellently narrated by Barrie Kreinik, and I can’t help but wonder why she didn’t continue with the series) and brought in the ever reliable Beverley A. Crick to finish out the trilogy. I always enjoy her narrations, which are well-paced in both narrative and dialogue, and in which the various characters are clearly distinguishable. Leo and Lawrence are easy to tell apart in their scenes together, and she does a good job of portraying the various Byron family members who have cameo appearances in a couple of scenes and of differentiating effectively between them. Her acting choices are solid and she has a nice way of bringing out the humour in a story; the banter between Lawrence and ‘Ross’ is nicely done and their affection for each other is strongly communicated to the listener. Both principals are well realised and Ms. Crick really captures the strength of the emotion that lies between the pair in the latter part of the story.
Bedchamber Games isn’t my favourite book of the trilogy, (that would be The Bedding Proposal), but it’s a well-developed, sensual romance between a couple of engaging central characters and Ms. Crick’s accomplished narration is a definite plus.
I've given this an A- for narration and a B- for content at AudioGals.
I’ve enjoyed the three stories that comprise Tracy Anne Warren’s Rakes of Cavendish Square trilogy in both print and audio – with the exception of the audiobook version of Happily Bedded Bliss (book two) which is the only narration to which I’ve ever awarded an F grade. I was glad, therefore, that Tantor Audio engaged Beverley A. Crick to narrate this last instalment, Bedchamber Games, which tells the story of the one remaining unmarried Byron sibling, Lord Lawrence, who, although the brother of a duke, has built himself a career and sterling reputation as a barrister.
Lawrence is at the top of his profession, known to possess one of the keenest legal minds around, and his reputation for winning his cases is pretty much second to none. So it comes as a bit of a shock one day when he is bested in court by a young barrister, new to London, named Ross Carrow. But Lawrence is gracious in defeat, acknowledging that his opponent’s carefully reasoned arguments carried the day, and invites Mr. Carrow to have a drink with him at his club the following evening.
Rosamund Carrow and her brother, Bertram, have recently lost their father, a respected barrister. His death was sudden and he left a number of unfinished cases and commitments behind which Bertram wants to complete, but there’s a snag. He’s an extremely capable lawyer, but he suffers from a debilitating stammer when he is anxious or the centre of attention, meaning that he is very unsuited to trial work. So he persuades Rosamund – whose legal training was every bit as thorough as his, and who frequently used to assist her father with his trial preparations – to pose as their cousin Ross and make the necessary court appearances until all the cases are cleared.
Not without misgivings, Rosamund agrees and starts work, unable to believe that all the men around her are taking her at face value. During the next few weeks, she also spends time with Lord Lawrence Byron, who seems to have taken her under his wing. Lawrence feels oddly drawn to this highly intelligent young man whose gaucheness and inability to hold his drink is rather endearing; but is completely thrown when he starts to notice other things about him, like the speaking grey eyes hiding behind his spectacles, his plump lips and nicely rounded bottom. Lawrence has never before experienced feelings of attraction towards a member of his own sex, and is very unnerved by it.
Fortunately for poor, confused Lawrence, an offhand comment by his brother Leo suddenly brings things into sharp focus and he realises that Ross Carrow isn’t a man at all. After breathing a huge sigh of relief, he then becomes determined to expose ‘him’ as a fraud – but later thinks better of it, realising that while Miss Carrow’s sex prevents her from entering the legal profession, her intelligence and ability is as good as any other lawyer he knows and he believes she should be able to continue to do something she so clearly loves. Besides that, he has come to value her friendship, has enjoyed their many discussions and wants to continue to see her and talk with her … while adding in a few extra benefits. Like kissing. And more than kissing.
Rosamund has found it increasingly difficult to ignore the strength of the attraction she feels for Lawrence, even though she is well aware of the fact that even if he met her as a woman he would be unlikely to give her a second glance. When she learns that he has uncovered her deception, she expects the worst – so she is stunned when Lawrence tells her that she should continue her work… and that he desires her. At first she is wary, but eventually allows herself to accept what is being offered her – the chance to experience passion in the arms of a devastatingly attractive man.
The woman-disguised-as-a-man trope is one of my least favourite in the genre, but Ms. Warren makes it work, mostly by having Rosamund be surprised at the ease with which she carries off her deception and emphasising the care she takes to maintain her male persona. And in audio, of course, there is the extra dimension to the portrayal afforded by the narration; Ms. Crick quite rightly chooses to use a different pitch and timbre when Rosamund speaks as Ross than when she is speaking as herself. I really liked Rosamund as a character; she’s a strong, intelligent woman who knows full well that she has the ability to be and do far more than the constraints applied to her gender permit, but who also knows that she can’t afford to cross too many lines. Lawrence is perhaps less well defined, but he’s a charming, sexy hero, even though some of his actions later in the book are ill-judged.
And speaking of Lawrence’s poor judgement; while the central romance is very well developed and imbued with a slow-burn sexual tension that is very appealing, there is very little conflict in the story, and what there IS is obviously manufactured so as to provide some tension in the final few chapters. Throughout the book, we’re told that Lawrence is courting the daughter of a judge, an influential man he hopes will help him to achieve his ambition of one day ascending to the bench. He knows it will be a marriage of convenience, yet even though he recognises the strength of his feelings for Rosamund, he never thinks about marrying her. His dilemma is completely on his own head – he could change his mind, but doesn’t – and this makes the ending more than a little bit of an anti-climax.
I said at the outset that I was pleased to see that Tantor had switched narrators (again – book one, The Bedding Proposal – was excellently narrated by Barrie Kreinik, and I can’t help but wonder why she didn’t continue with the series) and brought in the ever reliable Beverley A. Crick to finish out the trilogy. I always enjoy her narrations, which are well-paced in both narrative and dialogue, and in which the various characters are clearly distinguishable. Leo and Lawrence are easy to tell apart in their scenes together, and she does a good job of portraying the various Byron family members who have cameo appearances in a couple of scenes and of differentiating effectively between them. Her acting choices are solid and she has a nice way of bringing out the humour in a story; the banter between Lawrence and ‘Ross’ is nicely done and their affection for each other is strongly communicated to the listener. Both principals are well realised and Ms. Crick really captures the strength of the emotion that lies between the pair in the latter part of the story.
Bedchamber Games isn’t my favourite book of the trilogy, (that would be The Bedding Proposal), but it’s a well-developed, sensual romance between a couple of engaging central characters and Ms. Crick’s accomplished narration is a definite plus.
May 29, 2017
I've given this a B- at AAR, so that's 3.5 stars rounded up.
This final book in the Rakes of Cavendish Square trilogy features Lord Lawrence Byron, the twin brother of Lord Leo whose story was told in the first instalment, The Bedding Proposal. I enjoyed both that and the previous book (Happily Bedded Bliss) enough to want to read this final one, even though it uses one of my least favourite tropes – a woman passing herself off as a man. It’s testament to the author’s ability to tell an entertaining story and craft strong characters that I was able to set aside that dislike and enjoy the developing relationship between the two protagonists, which is well-paced and imbued with a slow-burning sexual tension that really draws the reader in.
Rosamund Carrow and her brother, Bertram, were both extensively tutored in law by their father, a renowned barrister. Even though the profession is closed to her purely because of her gender, Rosamund showed a great aptitude for the subject and regularly assisted her father in his preparations and research, but his sudden death leaves behind a lot of unfinished, untried – and unpaid – cases. The obvious solution would be for Bertram to complete the work and make the necessary court appearances, but he suffers from a speech impediment which becomes worse whenever he gets nervous, and it quickly becomes apparent that he isn’t going to be able to take on his father’s role. Nervously, Rosamund agrees to Bertram’s suggestion that she should pose as their cousin, Ross Carrow; that way, she can assist Bertram in court and as soon as the cases are cleared, she can return to being herself again and quietly disappear.
On their first day in court, Rosamund and Bertram find themselves pitted against none other than Lord Lawrence Byron, a man with a formidable reputation for winning his lawsuits and a keen legal mind. He’s also the handsomest man Rosamund has ever seen, with a rakish reputation to go along with his abundance of good looks and charm. The case – brought by a young widow against her late husband’s family – is a tricky one, Bertram’s nerves prove his undoing and he’s forced to ask Rosamund to take over as lead counsel. Still unable to believe that nobody has noticed the deception she is practicing, she nonetheless rises to the challenge and, incredibly, wins the case.
Lawrence is gracious in defeat, acknowledging that “Mr. Carrow’s” persuasive arguments carried the day, and, finding himself rather well disposed towards the young lawyer, invites “him” to dinner at his club.
Over the next few weeks, as Rosamund continues to represent her late father’s remaining clients in court, she also gets to spend more time with Lawrence, who has taken her under his wing. Lawrence is amused at the gaucheness of this slight young man who can’t hold his drink and doesn’t quite seem comfortable in his own skin, but he can’t help admiring his quickness of mind and his ability to construct a strong legal argument. The problem is that for the first time in his life, Lawrence finds himself distracted by the speaking eyes, plump lips and nicely rounded bottom of a member of his own sex – and is unnerved by it.
Luckily for poor, confused Lawrence, a random comment made by his brother very quickly brings everything into focus with startling clarity; all those things about “Ross Carrow” that didn’t add up before do so now, and Lawrence is determined to unmask “him” as a fraud. But then he decides against it; Miss Carrow is obviously talented and clever and even though her sex precludes her from entering the profession legitimately, he believes she deserves to be able to continue to do something she so clearly loves. And besides, Lawrence has appreciated her friendship and wants it to continue – while also adding other things to the mix. Things like kissing and… more than kissing.
During the weeks of their acquaintance, Rosamund has found it more and more difficult to deny the strength of the attraction she feels towards Lawrence, but she knows that even if he met her as a woman, a twenty-eight year old spinster is unlikely to have attracted his notice. So when she realises he has seen through her disguise, the last thing she expects is for him to tell her that he wants to take her to bed – and also that she should continue her work. She is wary, but when Lawrence makes it clear that there are no strings attached, and that he doesn’t expect her to go to bed with him for any reason other than that she wants to, Rosamund decides to take what Lawrence is offering; a chance to experience pleasure and passion with a deeply sensual and devastatingly attractive man.
The story is a simple one, and because the author takes care to emphasise Rosamund’s misgivings about her disguise and how careful she is to maintain her male persona, it helped me to achieve the necessary suspension of disbelief required to accept not only that she could pass as a man, but that she could pass as a man working in as complex a profession as the law. She’s a well-defined character, a strong, intelligent woman who has the ability to be and to do more than the constraints of the time will permit, but who recognises that she’s playing a dangerous game. I particularly enjoyed watching her growing confidence as “Ross”, and seeing how much her work means to her; and, importantly, that Lawrence is able to recognise both those things, too, and to appreciate her all the more for it. Lawrence is less strongly characterised, however; while his being the son of a duke who actually has a profession makes him a bit different from so many of the other titled heroes who abound in historical romance, he’s otherwise a little stereotypical. That’s not to say he’s dull or unattractive – he’s not – just that he isn’t as fully fleshed-out as Rosamund.
While the central relationship develops at a good pace and the romance is tender and sensual, there are other aspects of the story which I found problematic and which caused me to lower my final grade. Throughout the book, Lawrence is paying court to the daughter of an influential judge whom he hopes will help him to advance in his career; which didn’t worry me because the supposed-to-marry-one-while-in-love-with-another thing isn’t uncommon in historical romance. The problem is that this is the sole element of conflict throughout the entire novel, and it’s weak, because ultimately, Lawrence hasn’t made any promises or offers and can change his mind if he wants to. The fact that he allows his ambition to blind him to what he really wants isn’t his finest hour, but if he hadn’t done that, there would have been no conflict at all in the story. Our lovers undergo a separation and are miserable for a bit, but after that, things are wrapped up quickly and easily – rather too quickly and easily, really – and I was left thinking “oh – was that it?” and also with a few unanswered questions.
Bedchamber Games is an entertaining read and I certainly don’t regret the hours I spent reading it, but it’s the weakest of the trilogy and brings it to a rather lacklustre close. So I’m giving this one a qualified recommendation, because the romance is well done, I liked the author’s exploration of what it meant to be a woman and therefore unable to enter a profession – and there aren’t enough sexy barristers in historical romance.
This final book in the Rakes of Cavendish Square trilogy features Lord Lawrence Byron, the twin brother of Lord Leo whose story was told in the first instalment, The Bedding Proposal. I enjoyed both that and the previous book (Happily Bedded Bliss) enough to want to read this final one, even though it uses one of my least favourite tropes – a woman passing herself off as a man. It’s testament to the author’s ability to tell an entertaining story and craft strong characters that I was able to set aside that dislike and enjoy the developing relationship between the two protagonists, which is well-paced and imbued with a slow-burning sexual tension that really draws the reader in.
Rosamund Carrow and her brother, Bertram, were both extensively tutored in law by their father, a renowned barrister. Even though the profession is closed to her purely because of her gender, Rosamund showed a great aptitude for the subject and regularly assisted her father in his preparations and research, but his sudden death leaves behind a lot of unfinished, untried – and unpaid – cases. The obvious solution would be for Bertram to complete the work and make the necessary court appearances, but he suffers from a speech impediment which becomes worse whenever he gets nervous, and it quickly becomes apparent that he isn’t going to be able to take on his father’s role. Nervously, Rosamund agrees to Bertram’s suggestion that she should pose as their cousin, Ross Carrow; that way, she can assist Bertram in court and as soon as the cases are cleared, she can return to being herself again and quietly disappear.
On their first day in court, Rosamund and Bertram find themselves pitted against none other than Lord Lawrence Byron, a man with a formidable reputation for winning his lawsuits and a keen legal mind. He’s also the handsomest man Rosamund has ever seen, with a rakish reputation to go along with his abundance of good looks and charm. The case – brought by a young widow against her late husband’s family – is a tricky one, Bertram’s nerves prove his undoing and he’s forced to ask Rosamund to take over as lead counsel. Still unable to believe that nobody has noticed the deception she is practicing, she nonetheless rises to the challenge and, incredibly, wins the case.
Lawrence is gracious in defeat, acknowledging that “Mr. Carrow’s” persuasive arguments carried the day, and, finding himself rather well disposed towards the young lawyer, invites “him” to dinner at his club.
Over the next few weeks, as Rosamund continues to represent her late father’s remaining clients in court, she also gets to spend more time with Lawrence, who has taken her under his wing. Lawrence is amused at the gaucheness of this slight young man who can’t hold his drink and doesn’t quite seem comfortable in his own skin, but he can’t help admiring his quickness of mind and his ability to construct a strong legal argument. The problem is that for the first time in his life, Lawrence finds himself distracted by the speaking eyes, plump lips and nicely rounded bottom of a member of his own sex – and is unnerved by it.
Luckily for poor, confused Lawrence, a random comment made by his brother very quickly brings everything into focus with startling clarity; all those things about “Ross Carrow” that didn’t add up before do so now, and Lawrence is determined to unmask “him” as a fraud. But then he decides against it; Miss Carrow is obviously talented and clever and even though her sex precludes her from entering the profession legitimately, he believes she deserves to be able to continue to do something she so clearly loves. And besides, Lawrence has appreciated her friendship and wants it to continue – while also adding other things to the mix. Things like kissing and… more than kissing.
During the weeks of their acquaintance, Rosamund has found it more and more difficult to deny the strength of the attraction she feels towards Lawrence, but she knows that even if he met her as a woman, a twenty-eight year old spinster is unlikely to have attracted his notice. So when she realises he has seen through her disguise, the last thing she expects is for him to tell her that he wants to take her to bed – and also that she should continue her work. She is wary, but when Lawrence makes it clear that there are no strings attached, and that he doesn’t expect her to go to bed with him for any reason other than that she wants to, Rosamund decides to take what Lawrence is offering; a chance to experience pleasure and passion with a deeply sensual and devastatingly attractive man.
The story is a simple one, and because the author takes care to emphasise Rosamund’s misgivings about her disguise and how careful she is to maintain her male persona, it helped me to achieve the necessary suspension of disbelief required to accept not only that she could pass as a man, but that she could pass as a man working in as complex a profession as the law. She’s a well-defined character, a strong, intelligent woman who has the ability to be and to do more than the constraints of the time will permit, but who recognises that she’s playing a dangerous game. I particularly enjoyed watching her growing confidence as “Ross”, and seeing how much her work means to her; and, importantly, that Lawrence is able to recognise both those things, too, and to appreciate her all the more for it. Lawrence is less strongly characterised, however; while his being the son of a duke who actually has a profession makes him a bit different from so many of the other titled heroes who abound in historical romance, he’s otherwise a little stereotypical. That’s not to say he’s dull or unattractive – he’s not – just that he isn’t as fully fleshed-out as Rosamund.
While the central relationship develops at a good pace and the romance is tender and sensual, there are other aspects of the story which I found problematic and which caused me to lower my final grade. Throughout the book, Lawrence is paying court to the daughter of an influential judge whom he hopes will help him to advance in his career; which didn’t worry me because the supposed-to-marry-one-while-in-love-with-another thing isn’t uncommon in historical romance. The problem is that this is the sole element of conflict throughout the entire novel, and it’s weak, because ultimately, Lawrence hasn’t made any promises or offers and can change his mind if he wants to. The fact that he allows his ambition to blind him to what he really wants isn’t his finest hour, but if he hadn’t done that, there would have been no conflict at all in the story. Our lovers undergo a separation and are miserable for a bit, but after that, things are wrapped up quickly and easily – rather too quickly and easily, really – and I was left thinking “oh – was that it?” and also with a few unanswered questions.
Bedchamber Games is an entertaining read and I certainly don’t regret the hours I spent reading it, but it’s the weakest of the trilogy and brings it to a rather lacklustre close. So I’m giving this one a qualified recommendation, because the romance is well done, I liked the author’s exploration of what it meant to be a woman and therefore unable to enter a profession – and there aren’t enough sexy barristers in historical romance.
September 17, 2025
I got a bit frustrated with this story. Though it was a okay read, it wasn’t as good as the first two books.
March 10, 2017
ARC from Netgalley
3.5 stars
Bedchamber Games is the third installment of The Rakes of Cavendish Square, and while this book can certainly be read as a stand alone, I think reading the first book of this series made me enjoy this one all the more. Book one is about Lawrence’s twin brother Leo and Leo’s wife, Thalia; I loved getting to see them again in this book and can’t imagine why anyone would want to miss out on their story.
I do love a story where the heroine starts masquerading as a man, and as odd as it is to say this, Rosamund and Lawrence had a sort of chemistry from the get-go. Granted it stems from Rosamund winning against Lawrence in court, but still. Sparks! Because no one ever bests Lawrence. Seeing their friendship grow while Lawrence thought she was a man was downright hilarious. There were so many times when I was certain he’d figured out Rosamund’s secret, but she did a good job keeping her disguise. And the fact that he kept plying ‘the young man’ with liquor…there were so many moments that had me chuckling throughout this story. But on the more serious side, I love that it was Rosamund’s mind that Lawrence first was drawn to. And their love affair, while bittersweet because they both knew it couldn’t last, was seriously steamy.
I loved the secondary characters in this story, particularly the brothers of both the main characters. Rosamund and Bertram had a wonderful relationship, and I do love that Bertram was looking out for his sister while still giving her the freedom he knew she needed to make her own decisions. I also love, as Leo doesn’t hesitate to remind his brother, that the Byron’s are a rogue family. I get the feeling they enjoy being entertainment for the ton. I do feel that this story had a more modern bent to it, but I can see this because both Rosamund and Lawrence were practicing law, and I can imagine they’re both often reflecting on politics.
Bedchamber Games was a fun and steamy read; if you’re a fan of historical romance, it’s not to be missed!
This review was originally posted on Books & Beauty Are My Bag.
3.5 stars
Bedchamber Games is the third installment of The Rakes of Cavendish Square, and while this book can certainly be read as a stand alone, I think reading the first book of this series made me enjoy this one all the more. Book one is about Lawrence’s twin brother Leo and Leo’s wife, Thalia; I loved getting to see them again in this book and can’t imagine why anyone would want to miss out on their story.
I do love a story where the heroine starts masquerading as a man, and as odd as it is to say this, Rosamund and Lawrence had a sort of chemistry from the get-go. Granted it stems from Rosamund winning against Lawrence in court, but still. Sparks! Because no one ever bests Lawrence. Seeing their friendship grow while Lawrence thought she was a man was downright hilarious. There were so many times when I was certain he’d figured out Rosamund’s secret, but she did a good job keeping her disguise. And the fact that he kept plying ‘the young man’ with liquor…there were so many moments that had me chuckling throughout this story. But on the more serious side, I love that it was Rosamund’s mind that Lawrence first was drawn to. And their love affair, while bittersweet because they both knew it couldn’t last, was seriously steamy.
I loved the secondary characters in this story, particularly the brothers of both the main characters. Rosamund and Bertram had a wonderful relationship, and I do love that Bertram was looking out for his sister while still giving her the freedom he knew she needed to make her own decisions. I also love, as Leo doesn’t hesitate to remind his brother, that the Byron’s are a rogue family. I get the feeling they enjoy being entertainment for the ton. I do feel that this story had a more modern bent to it, but I can see this because both Rosamund and Lawrence were practicing law, and I can imagine they’re both often reflecting on politics.
Bedchamber Games was a fun and steamy read; if you’re a fan of historical romance, it’s not to be missed!
This review was originally posted on Books & Beauty Are My Bag.
June 12, 2018
I totally enjoyed this series!!
March 7, 2017
Kitty's review:
I love this series. Why? Well, the Byrons are just fun. They go against society, the don’t give a care about their reputations or the opinion of the Ton and, when they fall in love, they fall hard. It sometimes takes a swift kick for them to acknowledge their feelings and see the mistakes they made and are making but then it’s even more interesting because the groveling starts.
There was no better match for the staunchly Lord Lawrence than Rosamund Carrow … even if he thinks she’s a man. He is bested by her in the courtroom and holds her own in any conversation. But, there is something about Ross Carrow that has him second guessing his own sexuality. He doesn’t understand why he has thoughts about how sweet his ass is or how kissable his lips look until one chance remark puts all the pieces together. Then, the game is on.
Rosamund is enjoying her time as Ross Carrow. She is enjoying the freedom of a man while being a woman. She is seeing things that she never thought that she would. She is practicing law and loving every bit of it. When she defeats Lord Lawrence, she opens a door that may never be able to be closed. He’s intriguing, he’s gorgeous, he’s more than what the Ton make him out to be. He’s out of her league. When he finds out about the ruse, she’s mortified, yet relieved. Then, she’s in his arms and all thoughts about consequences are swept away. She knows it can’t last and knows that her heart will break, but she also knows that she doesn’t want it to stop. When she sees the notification in the paper, she has no choice but to walk away. No matter how much it shatters her.
Family and friends gather around both of them as the battle their feelings. Then unexpected surprises send them both reeling. She’s made her decision, he’s made his. Now, the groveling begins.
Tracy Anne Warren is such a wonderful writer of Historical Romances. She’s articulate, she’s knowledgeable and she makes you feel like you are back in that era. I sometimes wonder if it’s wonderful research or if she’s from that time. She has a way of transporting you back to a time when love was love and romance was romance … when mistresses were acceptable … when being a virgin was the norm and not the exception. A simpler time that held growing anticipation instead of instant gratification. I can’t say enough good about this author and her writing styles. And, I absolutely loved Bedchamber Games.
Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
I love this series. Why? Well, the Byrons are just fun. They go against society, the don’t give a care about their reputations or the opinion of the Ton and, when they fall in love, they fall hard. It sometimes takes a swift kick for them to acknowledge their feelings and see the mistakes they made and are making but then it’s even more interesting because the groveling starts.
There was no better match for the staunchly Lord Lawrence than Rosamund Carrow … even if he thinks she’s a man. He is bested by her in the courtroom and holds her own in any conversation. But, there is something about Ross Carrow that has him second guessing his own sexuality. He doesn’t understand why he has thoughts about how sweet his ass is or how kissable his lips look until one chance remark puts all the pieces together. Then, the game is on.
Rosamund is enjoying her time as Ross Carrow. She is enjoying the freedom of a man while being a woman. She is seeing things that she never thought that she would. She is practicing law and loving every bit of it. When she defeats Lord Lawrence, she opens a door that may never be able to be closed. He’s intriguing, he’s gorgeous, he’s more than what the Ton make him out to be. He’s out of her league. When he finds out about the ruse, she’s mortified, yet relieved. Then, she’s in his arms and all thoughts about consequences are swept away. She knows it can’t last and knows that her heart will break, but she also knows that she doesn’t want it to stop. When she sees the notification in the paper, she has no choice but to walk away. No matter how much it shatters her.
Family and friends gather around both of them as the battle their feelings. Then unexpected surprises send them both reeling. She’s made her decision, he’s made his. Now, the groveling begins.
Tracy Anne Warren is such a wonderful writer of Historical Romances. She’s articulate, she’s knowledgeable and she makes you feel like you are back in that era. I sometimes wonder if it’s wonderful research or if she’s from that time. She has a way of transporting you back to a time when love was love and romance was romance … when mistresses were acceptable … when being a virgin was the norm and not the exception. A simpler time that held growing anticipation instead of instant gratification. I can’t say enough good about this author and her writing styles. And, I absolutely loved Bedchamber Games.
Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
March 10, 2017
Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Two years ago, I reviewed the first book in this series, The Bedding Proposal and mentioned that I was planning on reading the SHIT out of the next book with the sequel hook twin brother. That was some time ago, and then the sequel arrived at my door and reader, I devoured it.
So the fun part about “I need to dress up like a dude for ~reasons~” plots is the question of “does she put in the work to make this work, or did she just put on some pants?” You’ll be happy to know that Rosamund and Bernard put in the effort to make the disguise successful, from voice work, practicing walking, altering clothes, and then relying on that old standby, “People see what they expect to see.” For most of the crusty old lawyers of Lincoln’s Inn, they idea that one of their number could be a woman wouldn’t even enter their minds.
I loved that Rosamund had a brilliant legal mind, and while I am very curious about the nature of her legal arguments, I also would have picked them apart. It’s probably better that Warren let it happen off screen. I would have enjoyed a few barnstorming court scenes, though.
The main obstacle between Lawrence and Rosamund is fairly easily handled, though I appreciated that it was something that Lawrence had to put thought into. The ending was a bit tidy and mildly rushed — and might have come with some social consequences, but then, the Byrons have demonstrated in previous books that they really don’t give a shit.
There was a chance for a much more complicated resolution, which could have been fun (but also would have ruined at least one legal career, maybe three), and it sucks that any reasonable resolution required something...less fun.
Bonus! There is sexy time in a law library!
- Redheadedgirl
Two years ago, I reviewed the first book in this series, The Bedding Proposal and mentioned that I was planning on reading the SHIT out of the next book with the sequel hook twin brother. That was some time ago, and then the sequel arrived at my door and reader, I devoured it.
So the fun part about “I need to dress up like a dude for ~reasons~” plots is the question of “does she put in the work to make this work, or did she just put on some pants?” You’ll be happy to know that Rosamund and Bernard put in the effort to make the disguise successful, from voice work, practicing walking, altering clothes, and then relying on that old standby, “People see what they expect to see.” For most of the crusty old lawyers of Lincoln’s Inn, they idea that one of their number could be a woman wouldn’t even enter their minds.
I loved that Rosamund had a brilliant legal mind, and while I am very curious about the nature of her legal arguments, I also would have picked them apart. It’s probably better that Warren let it happen off screen. I would have enjoyed a few barnstorming court scenes, though.
The main obstacle between Lawrence and Rosamund is fairly easily handled, though I appreciated that it was something that Lawrence had to put thought into. The ending was a bit tidy and mildly rushed — and might have come with some social consequences, but then, the Byrons have demonstrated in previous books that they really don’t give a shit.
There was a chance for a much more complicated resolution, which could have been fun (but also would have ruined at least one legal career, maybe three), and it sucks that any reasonable resolution required something...less fun.
Bonus! There is sexy time in a law library!
- Redheadedgirl
January 26, 2023
2nd read: It took a while for me to get into the book this time around, probably because I was impatient for their relationship to begin. I had forgotten that there was a carriage sex scene! :D
Warning: I think the hero sleeps with other women after he and the heroine went their separate ways.
Warning: I think the hero sleeps with other women after he and the heroine went their separate ways.
February 16, 2018
Peut-être 3,75/5 car finalement, il ne se passe pas grand chose.
J'ai trouvé la toute fin abrupte (je n'aurai pas été contre un épilogue pour le coup), et les moments avec la famille élargie ne sont pas plaisantes à lire car se sont des personnages d'anciens tomes qui n'ont jamais été traduits (donc on ne reconnaît personne).
Sinon, lecture plaisante, j'ai bien aimé le postulat de départ et le couple est sympatique.
J'ai trouvé la toute fin abrupte (je n'aurai pas été contre un épilogue pour le coup), et les moments avec la famille élargie ne sont pas plaisantes à lire car se sont des personnages d'anciens tomes qui n'ont jamais été traduits (donc on ne reconnaît personne).
Sinon, lecture plaisante, j'ai bien aimé le postulat de départ et le couple est sympatique.
March 21, 2017
3.5 stars
Once again, I was lured in by a pretty cover. I didn’t even read the blurb! Plus I’ve had such luck lately trying new historical romance authors that I thought I’d give this a go. The great thing about this story is that I had no trouble jumping right in even though this is book 3 in the series. This was a fun take on the classic trope of the heroine disguising as a man and meeting the hero under those conditions.
Rosamund is disguising as Ross Carrow and helping her brother in their family law practice. Her brother stutters under especially stressful situations and never had to appear in court because their father was always in charge of that. After his death, Rosamund steps up for a short time to finish off their current case load and be the one in the courtroom representing their clients. Good thing she always had an interest in the law and a very sharp mind. In her first case, she defeats the unbeatable Lord Byron and catches his interest. He quickly figures out Ross is actually a woman and a lot sexy shenanigans ensue.
I really liked Rosamund’s character. I love smart heroines and she has a quick mind and a witty tongue. She is killer in the courtroom but also never backs down from the otherwise intimidating Lawrence. Even if she’s enamored with him and his good looks. But at the same time, she is also strong enough to make a decision to get involved with him knowing there could be no future for them. They come from such different classes and a fairy tale ending isn’t in her cards. But she still chooses to take what she can get with the man she wants.
Lawrence on the other hand was not as spectacular for me. He’s more of a beta hero, which I’m ok with, and he is pretty hot. But there wasn’t anything that was jumping off the page and captivating my attention about his character. I thought he was even a bit inconsiderate and selfish at times, just taking whatever he wanted only to be redeemed in the end by a grand gesture.
Another thing I liked was the fact that it shows the lack of choices for women in those times. While Rosamund loves practicing law and is really good at it, she’ll never be able to fulfill that part of her life and this taste she got is more than she could hope for. It was hard for me to understand how there was a resignation that it was just something she could never have, and she would be happy with other things in her life. That speaks of the great strength of those women who wanted more for themselves but often society put a stop to their dreams.
While this was a fun read, I’m not sure I’ll be rushing to get the next one (or back one) based on this read. But I can be persuaded again by a pretty cover ;)
Once again, I was lured in by a pretty cover. I didn’t even read the blurb! Plus I’ve had such luck lately trying new historical romance authors that I thought I’d give this a go. The great thing about this story is that I had no trouble jumping right in even though this is book 3 in the series. This was a fun take on the classic trope of the heroine disguising as a man and meeting the hero under those conditions.
Rosamund is disguising as Ross Carrow and helping her brother in their family law practice. Her brother stutters under especially stressful situations and never had to appear in court because their father was always in charge of that. After his death, Rosamund steps up for a short time to finish off their current case load and be the one in the courtroom representing their clients. Good thing she always had an interest in the law and a very sharp mind. In her first case, she defeats the unbeatable Lord Byron and catches his interest. He quickly figures out Ross is actually a woman and a lot sexy shenanigans ensue.
I really liked Rosamund’s character. I love smart heroines and she has a quick mind and a witty tongue. She is killer in the courtroom but also never backs down from the otherwise intimidating Lawrence. Even if she’s enamored with him and his good looks. But at the same time, she is also strong enough to make a decision to get involved with him knowing there could be no future for them. They come from such different classes and a fairy tale ending isn’t in her cards. But she still chooses to take what she can get with the man she wants.
Lawrence on the other hand was not as spectacular for me. He’s more of a beta hero, which I’m ok with, and he is pretty hot. But there wasn’t anything that was jumping off the page and captivating my attention about his character. I thought he was even a bit inconsiderate and selfish at times, just taking whatever he wanted only to be redeemed in the end by a grand gesture.
Another thing I liked was the fact that it shows the lack of choices for women in those times. While Rosamund loves practicing law and is really good at it, she’ll never be able to fulfill that part of her life and this taste she got is more than she could hope for. It was hard for me to understand how there was a resignation that it was just something she could never have, and she would be happy with other things in her life. That speaks of the great strength of those women who wanted more for themselves but often society put a stop to their dreams.
While this was a fun read, I’m not sure I’ll be rushing to get the next one (or back one) based on this read. But I can be persuaded again by a pretty cover ;)
March 29, 2017
This series was unmemorable for me TBH. I read the first book, The Bedding Proposal and I even rated it a 4/5, but for the life me, I just can't remember the plot! I guess, this calls for a re-read! I also put the second book, Happily Bedded Bliss, on hold and I'm not really sure that I will even pick it up, but I am tempted to because of THIS book!
Let's just say that I am a fan of cross-dressing ladies! And this book has it in spades! This also features a love between the classes and I absolutely LOVE that!
Rosamund Carrow masquerades as a man so that she can be a barrister and assist her brother after their father's death. On her very first case, she soundly defeats Lord Lawrence Byron and he is intrigued. Of course, there were a few scenes where Lawrence finds himself falling for his new friend "Ross," until he discovers that Ross is in fact, female! These two start a very steamy affair, all the while she was still masquerading as a man (there are quite a few close calls).
Bedchamber Games also turned into another tearjerker for me. To be honest, I haven't really been brought to tears since I read The Hunter by Kerrigan Byrne a couple of years ago. So yes, I am really, really happy about this.
The Negs
This book does remind me a little bit of one of my favorite books written by Tracy Anne Warren, My Fair Mistress (my re-read review) in a sense that this is a very steamy assignation in the hero's townhouse That was written ten years ago but I remember it like it was yesterday! Well, I have read it multiple times, though so I may be the unicorn in this.
Another negative is that the last 1/4 of the book was just boring. Also, for Rosamund to be written a very strong heroine turn around and turn out to be weak. Although I get why she acted the way she did in the end. But STILL!
The end felt too rushed and sort of like a cop-out. Ack! I was rooting for Lawrence and Ros to get their HEA BUT their reconciliation was basically a PAGE! A PAGE!!!
And lastly, this series does have crappy titles. The titles don't make me pick a book up! I mean, if this wasn't Tracy Anne Warren, I won't be picking it up!
Read the full review on I Heart Romance & YA
Let's just say that I am a fan of cross-dressing ladies! And this book has it in spades! This also features a love between the classes and I absolutely LOVE that!
Rosamund Carrow masquerades as a man so that she can be a barrister and assist her brother after their father's death. On her very first case, she soundly defeats Lord Lawrence Byron and he is intrigued. Of course, there were a few scenes where Lawrence finds himself falling for his new friend "Ross," until he discovers that Ross is in fact, female! These two start a very steamy affair, all the while she was still masquerading as a man (there are quite a few close calls).
Bedchamber Games also turned into another tearjerker for me. To be honest, I haven't really been brought to tears since I read The Hunter by Kerrigan Byrne a couple of years ago. So yes, I am really, really happy about this.
The Negs
This book does remind me a little bit of one of my favorite books written by Tracy Anne Warren, My Fair Mistress (my re-read review) in a sense that this is a very steamy assignation in the hero's townhouse That was written ten years ago but I remember it like it was yesterday! Well, I have read it multiple times, though so I may be the unicorn in this.
Another negative is that the last 1/4 of the book was just boring. Also, for Rosamund to be written a very strong heroine turn around and turn out to be weak. Although I get why she acted the way she did in the end. But STILL!
The end felt too rushed and sort of like a cop-out. Ack! I was rooting for Lawrence and Ros to get their HEA BUT their reconciliation was basically a PAGE! A PAGE!!!
And lastly, this series does have crappy titles. The titles don't make me pick a book up! I mean, if this wasn't Tracy Anne Warren, I won't be picking it up!
Read the full review on I Heart Romance & YA
May 19, 2017
4.5 stars
Bedchamber Games the third in Tracy Anne Warren’s The Rakes of Cavendish Square series is Lord Lawrence Byron’s story and I’ve been eagerly anticipating its publication. So far I’ve loved everything about the warm, unorthodox Byron family and the fact that this latest story has a barrister at its centre – well, two actually – only whetted my appetite more. Tracy Anne Warren sets her scene particularly realistically as I know the part of London she describes and can see in my minds eye the barristers in their wigs, gowns billowing out behind them, hurrying along between their chambers and the courts, clerks struggling along with piles of documents in their wake.
Lord Lawrence and his identical twin, Lord Leo, whose extremely intriguing and unusual story was told in The Bedding Proposal, are the sexiest twosome on legs. Both studied law but only Lawrence has pursued it as a career, and he’s made quite a name for himself, as he rarely loses a case. It is with some shock that he finds himself out-manoeuvred in court by a clever young barrister he has met only briefly. Not a little miffed, he decides he needs to get to know his opponent and makes an effort to befriend the young, slightly awkward Ross Carrow. It takes only a few times in his company to uncover the truth; Ross Carrow, is in fact, Rosamund Carrow, a smart and clever young woman.
Women were not allowed to study or practice law in Regency England, but Rosamund, with the collusion of her brother, Bertram, dresses like a man and takes on the cases her father left outstanding at his sudden death. She uses the credentials and name of her cousin – who hasn’t practised law for many years and lives in the north of England – and in this way avoids detection by her peers. Bertram has always had a bad stutter which worsens when under stress, so they decide that Rosamund will be the lead counsel for the remaining cases. She had been her father’s ‘right-hand-man’ since she was a child and has learnt her skills well under his tutelage; has a keen, analytical brain, and a quick tongue and from the moment she out-argues Lawrence in open court and wins her case he is intrigued.
Lawrence Byron is a drop-dead gorgeous rakehell, and pretty much any woman he wants is his for the asking. But once he has discovered Rosamund’s secret and is over the chagrin of being duped by a woman he is enchanted by her. She not only attracts him physically, but her intelligence and ability to argue like a man has him captivated and charmed as no other woman has had the power to do and he cannot resist using his not inconsiderable charms to seduce her. For her part, Rosamund has been attracted to Lawrence from their first meeting, but no matter how intelligent and clever she may be, she’s still very much the innocent and succumbs to Lawrence’s seductive onslaught with alacrity and they embark on a clandestine, passionate and steamy affair which leaves them both reeling,
Normally the girl-dressed-as-a-boy trope leaves me cold but Tracy Anne Warren has really pulled this one off in a believable manner. No man of the time – in their very male world – would expect to see a woman in court wearing barrister robes, let alone arguing with male logic, therefore no-one questions it. There are some amusing moments during Lawrence’s outings with the slightly effeminate young ‘man’ before he gets his light bulb moment. He begins to doubt his own sexuality after hoisting a rather drunken young barrister up into his curricle and is faced with a well-rounded bottom; a ladies man to his bones, he doesn’t feel at all comfortable and is left worrying and pondering his reaction for days.
Although the story is almost entirely centred around the love story and passionate affair of Lawrence and Rosamund there is a slight tension running throughout. Lawrence is an ambitious young man whose eventual goal is to become a judge and to this end, he is tentatively courting the only daughter of a renowned high court judge who would very much like to see his daughter aligned with the clever young barrister and his powerful family. Lawrence is blasé about the courtship, seeing it leading only to a marriage of convenience and being of the opinion that love, or the lack thereof, doesn’t matter, whereas his career does. That is – until he starts to fall for Rosamund, who has no such connections. This is Lawrence’s dilemma and he doesn’t handle it well; I wanted to give him a damn good shake and tell him to look under his nose.
I adored this story. Tracy Anne Warren’s eloquent writing style is very much to my taste – witty, funny and sexy. My one complaint is that such a lovely story fizzled out with a rather mediocre ending – I would have liked to have seen more drama leading up to the final page. Don’t get me wrong Bedchamber Games is a compelling love story and one that I highly recommend, but I felt that Ms. Warren missed an opportunity to create a little more tension – everything was in place for it. Nevertheless this is a lovely, romantic story that does an excellent job in highlighting how very unfair life was in this period to women with the brains and inclination to use them but with society’s dictates refusing them the opportunity. I’m definitely planning on reading more of this author’s work – and if, like me, you love a sexy barrister – hold onto your hat!
Bedchamber Games the third in Tracy Anne Warren’s The Rakes of Cavendish Square series is Lord Lawrence Byron’s story and I’ve been eagerly anticipating its publication. So far I’ve loved everything about the warm, unorthodox Byron family and the fact that this latest story has a barrister at its centre – well, two actually – only whetted my appetite more. Tracy Anne Warren sets her scene particularly realistically as I know the part of London she describes and can see in my minds eye the barristers in their wigs, gowns billowing out behind them, hurrying along between their chambers and the courts, clerks struggling along with piles of documents in their wake.
Lord Lawrence and his identical twin, Lord Leo, whose extremely intriguing and unusual story was told in The Bedding Proposal, are the sexiest twosome on legs. Both studied law but only Lawrence has pursued it as a career, and he’s made quite a name for himself, as he rarely loses a case. It is with some shock that he finds himself out-manoeuvred in court by a clever young barrister he has met only briefly. Not a little miffed, he decides he needs to get to know his opponent and makes an effort to befriend the young, slightly awkward Ross Carrow. It takes only a few times in his company to uncover the truth; Ross Carrow, is in fact, Rosamund Carrow, a smart and clever young woman.
Women were not allowed to study or practice law in Regency England, but Rosamund, with the collusion of her brother, Bertram, dresses like a man and takes on the cases her father left outstanding at his sudden death. She uses the credentials and name of her cousin – who hasn’t practised law for many years and lives in the north of England – and in this way avoids detection by her peers. Bertram has always had a bad stutter which worsens when under stress, so they decide that Rosamund will be the lead counsel for the remaining cases. She had been her father’s ‘right-hand-man’ since she was a child and has learnt her skills well under his tutelage; has a keen, analytical brain, and a quick tongue and from the moment she out-argues Lawrence in open court and wins her case he is intrigued.
Lawrence Byron is a drop-dead gorgeous rakehell, and pretty much any woman he wants is his for the asking. But once he has discovered Rosamund’s secret and is over the chagrin of being duped by a woman he is enchanted by her. She not only attracts him physically, but her intelligence and ability to argue like a man has him captivated and charmed as no other woman has had the power to do and he cannot resist using his not inconsiderable charms to seduce her. For her part, Rosamund has been attracted to Lawrence from their first meeting, but no matter how intelligent and clever she may be, she’s still very much the innocent and succumbs to Lawrence’s seductive onslaught with alacrity and they embark on a clandestine, passionate and steamy affair which leaves them both reeling,
Normally the girl-dressed-as-a-boy trope leaves me cold but Tracy Anne Warren has really pulled this one off in a believable manner. No man of the time – in their very male world – would expect to see a woman in court wearing barrister robes, let alone arguing with male logic, therefore no-one questions it. There are some amusing moments during Lawrence’s outings with the slightly effeminate young ‘man’ before he gets his light bulb moment. He begins to doubt his own sexuality after hoisting a rather drunken young barrister up into his curricle and is faced with a well-rounded bottom; a ladies man to his bones, he doesn’t feel at all comfortable and is left worrying and pondering his reaction for days.
Although the story is almost entirely centred around the love story and passionate affair of Lawrence and Rosamund there is a slight tension running throughout. Lawrence is an ambitious young man whose eventual goal is to become a judge and to this end, he is tentatively courting the only daughter of a renowned high court judge who would very much like to see his daughter aligned with the clever young barrister and his powerful family. Lawrence is blasé about the courtship, seeing it leading only to a marriage of convenience and being of the opinion that love, or the lack thereof, doesn’t matter, whereas his career does. That is – until he starts to fall for Rosamund, who has no such connections. This is Lawrence’s dilemma and he doesn’t handle it well; I wanted to give him a damn good shake and tell him to look under his nose.
I adored this story. Tracy Anne Warren’s eloquent writing style is very much to my taste – witty, funny and sexy. My one complaint is that such a lovely story fizzled out with a rather mediocre ending – I would have liked to have seen more drama leading up to the final page. Don’t get me wrong Bedchamber Games is a compelling love story and one that I highly recommend, but I felt that Ms. Warren missed an opportunity to create a little more tension – everything was in place for it. Nevertheless this is a lovely, romantic story that does an excellent job in highlighting how very unfair life was in this period to women with the brains and inclination to use them but with society’s dictates refusing them the opportunity. I’m definitely planning on reading more of this author’s work – and if, like me, you love a sexy barrister – hold onto your hat!
February 5, 2018
This is a particularly subjective review because this book results in a situation that I would have loved reading had it been played with more angsty emotions [sorry, but I do love some angst followed by wonderful happy endings].
Oh what the hell, I'll go ahead and be spoilery.
When there is a pregnancy and the hero is unaware and goes off and gets himself engaged to someone else, this is ripe for some real angsty emotional suffering and finally glorious resolution. I love emotions and particularly expect them to be explore in romance.
However, I realize that unexpected pregnancy is not a popular trope these days as most readers prefer to read stories that feel more contemporary to their own experience, and unplanned pregnancy simply isn't as big a risk as it once was. I also assume that many readers today might prefer their heroines--especially one as intelligent and mature as this one--to handle such a pregnancy with maturity and resolution--and she does.
So it's not a criticism of the book, but simply an expression of my preference. I love this kind of heroine, but I don't mind having them stripped bare down to the emotional quick for decisions they have made. Yes, angst.
From the writing perspective, I do think some choices backed away from an emotional comeuppance that was well deserved. For example, when the poor fiancé found out publicly that the hero loved someone else--we cut away from the scene and found out what happened later in the book, in retrospect. What? This guy did some stupid and coldblooded things. Things that he could eventually be forgiven for, but not by skipping the grueling consequence he deserved. When they stepped away to speak in private--well, frankly, I wanted to see it happen. I wanted to see that softspoken, compliant young woman either give him the vivisecting he deserved or be so devastated that it served as a twisting of the knife inside him. One way or the other, he deserved to suffer for that. Not to be let off the hook later by us discovering that the girl really loved somebody else all along, tralala.
Again, a writing choice that left me a bit cold, but certainly wasn't 'wrong.'
So yes, i wanted to see more angst and suffering, and thus a much higher triumph of a resolution. The thrill of the victory is directly related to the depths of the agony undergone before getting there, and this is one of those tropes that can 'go there' quite honestly without accusations of melodrama.
I will probably regret typing all this out because I truly don't like criticizing other writers' work. And in this case I am sure that most readers found Warren's treatment of the story satisfying.
As I said, this is merely my own reading preference. In this kind of story, twist the knife. Make me suffer along with the characters, and then perhaps even wipe away a tear of joy when they manage to find their way through to each other at the end.
Oh what the hell, I'll go ahead and be spoilery.
When there is a pregnancy and the hero is unaware and goes off and gets himself engaged to someone else, this is ripe for some real angsty emotional suffering and finally glorious resolution. I love emotions and particularly expect them to be explore in romance.
However, I realize that unexpected pregnancy is not a popular trope these days as most readers prefer to read stories that feel more contemporary to their own experience, and unplanned pregnancy simply isn't as big a risk as it once was. I also assume that many readers today might prefer their heroines--especially one as intelligent and mature as this one--to handle such a pregnancy with maturity and resolution--and she does.
So it's not a criticism of the book, but simply an expression of my preference. I love this kind of heroine, but I don't mind having them stripped bare down to the emotional quick for decisions they have made. Yes, angst.
From the writing perspective, I do think some choices backed away from an emotional comeuppance that was well deserved. For example, when the poor fiancé found out publicly that the hero loved someone else--we cut away from the scene and found out what happened later in the book, in retrospect. What? This guy did some stupid and coldblooded things. Things that he could eventually be forgiven for, but not by skipping the grueling consequence he deserved. When they stepped away to speak in private--well, frankly, I wanted to see it happen. I wanted to see that softspoken, compliant young woman either give him the vivisecting he deserved or be so devastated that it served as a twisting of the knife inside him. One way or the other, he deserved to suffer for that. Not to be let off the hook later by us discovering that the girl really loved somebody else all along, tralala.
Again, a writing choice that left me a bit cold, but certainly wasn't 'wrong.'
So yes, i wanted to see more angst and suffering, and thus a much higher triumph of a resolution. The thrill of the victory is directly related to the depths of the agony undergone before getting there, and this is one of those tropes that can 'go there' quite honestly without accusations of melodrama.
I will probably regret typing all this out because I truly don't like criticizing other writers' work. And in this case I am sure that most readers found Warren's treatment of the story satisfying.
As I said, this is merely my own reading preference. In this kind of story, twist the knife. Make me suffer along with the characters, and then perhaps even wipe away a tear of joy when they manage to find their way through to each other at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2019
This was my least favorite of the trilogy due to the hero.
Lord Lawrence Byron is the twin brother of the hero in Book 1. He is a self-confident barrister who is responsible in all things related to his work, and he almost never loses. He forms a friendship with an upstart young barrister who defeated him in court. He finds himself becoming attracted to this barrister which confuses him until a story makes something click. He realizes the barrister is secretly a woman. Once his brain makes the connection, he has no reservation or second thoughts about taking her virginity and using her as his mistress until he is ready to discard her.
Rosamund Carrow is the barrister living as a man. She is smart and loyal. She lives with her brother who is also a barrister. She decides to explore the life of a man and accepts Lawrence's invitation to his club as well as as billiards and boxing. After he calls her out for her deception, she decides to become his mistress. Although Rosamund wanted to be a wife and mother, she is a spinster and sees no hope of marriage or experiencing sexual pleasure otherwise. She accepts being used and thrown away as her due.
Lawrence was irredeemable for me. He selfishly uses and takes without thought of others and barely attempts his HEA at the ninth hour.
My favorite character was Rosamund's brother. Although it was his foolish idea for Rosamund to portray their male cousin, he trusts his sister and allows her to make her own decisions even if they lead to heartbreak. When they do, he supports her and helps her put the pieces back together. This brother demonstrates how true love should behave. I hope he finds his own match in the near future.
Lord Lawrence Byron is the twin brother of the hero in Book 1. He is a self-confident barrister who is responsible in all things related to his work, and he almost never loses. He forms a friendship with an upstart young barrister who defeated him in court. He finds himself becoming attracted to this barrister which confuses him until a story makes something click. He realizes the barrister is secretly a woman. Once his brain makes the connection, he has no reservation or second thoughts about taking her virginity and using her as his mistress until he is ready to discard her.
Rosamund Carrow is the barrister living as a man. She is smart and loyal. She lives with her brother who is also a barrister. She decides to explore the life of a man and accepts Lawrence's invitation to his club as well as as billiards and boxing. After he calls her out for her deception, she decides to become his mistress. Although Rosamund wanted to be a wife and mother, she is a spinster and sees no hope of marriage or experiencing sexual pleasure otherwise. She accepts being used and thrown away as her due.
Lawrence was irredeemable for me. He selfishly uses and takes without thought of others and barely attempts his HEA at the ninth hour.
My favorite character was Rosamund's brother. Although it was his foolish idea for Rosamund to portray their male cousin, he trusts his sister and allows her to make her own decisions even if they lead to heartbreak. When they do, he supports her and helps her put the pieces back together. This brother demonstrates how true love should behave. I hope he finds his own match in the near future.
November 18, 2022
2-1/2 stars
First, I really don't care for the trope of a woman pretending to be a man. Breeches stories are often so contrived, which is annoying. Then, the whole concept that a heterosexual male has a mysterious sexual attraction to a person he thinks is a man is utter rubbish, in my opinion. Especially given western society's toxic masculinity, I find it ludicrous that Lawrence is "attracted" to Ross.
Then, I find Lawrence an utter cad that, as soon as he confirms Rosamind is a woman, practically throws her down to aggressively seduce her. Seriously, she's got about 5 seconds before his tongue is investigating her tonsils. Very unattractive. I like consent in my bed partners. The rapidity and aggressiveness of his pursuit smacks of manipulation and a jaded roué taking advantage of an innocent miss. Lawrence did not endear himself to me!
First, I really don't care for the trope of a woman pretending to be a man. Breeches stories are often so contrived, which is annoying. Then, the whole concept that a heterosexual male has a mysterious sexual attraction to a person he thinks is a man is utter rubbish, in my opinion. Especially given western society's toxic masculinity, I find it ludicrous that Lawrence is "attracted" to Ross.
Then, I find Lawrence an utter cad that, as soon as he confirms Rosamind is a woman, practically throws her down to aggressively seduce her. Seriously, she's got about 5 seconds before his tongue is investigating her tonsils. Very unattractive. I like consent in my bed partners. The rapidity and aggressiveness of his pursuit smacks of manipulation and a jaded roué taking advantage of an innocent miss. Lawrence did not endear himself to me!
February 10, 2017
I loved that Lawrence wouldn't let Rosamund demean herself, "he took hold of her arms, waiting until she looked up and into his eyes. “Just because we’re lovers doesn’t make you a harlot. And I don’t ever want you to say such a thing about yourself again. Do you understand?” When she didn’t respond , he asked her again. “Do you understand?” I really liked this book, I loved Lawrence.
March 30, 2017
Color me intrigued!!!!
September 7, 2020
The law is practiced by men. But when Miss Rosamund Carrow's barrister father passes away unexpectedly, she dons men's attire to help her tongue-tied brother argue the last remaining cases. Lord Lawrence Byron rarely loses a case, so he's shocked when an upstart defeats him in court. He's determined to find out more about this "man."
This is the third book in the Rakes of Cavendish Square series, but is a sibling continuation of the Byrons of Braebourne. It can be read alone, but some family members are mentioned.
This is a fun and sexy book! I like a good disguised character, and Warren writes it well. As Leo starts to get to know Rosamund, posing as Ross, he is concerned that he feels an attraction. But when he pieces things together, he's excited to get her out of her male garb and into bed. To a modern reader, it can be difficult to suspend disbelief that a pair or pants, glasses, and short hair tied back would really hide a woman in plain sight...so I appreciated when Lawrence sees her dressed as woman and almost doesn't recognize her.
It's a refreshing story with the focus squarely on the main characters...no villains, no kidnappings, no silly misunderstandings! It was a great ending to the series and to the Byron family as a whole.
This is the third book in the Rakes of Cavendish Square series, but is a sibling continuation of the Byrons of Braebourne. It can be read alone, but some family members are mentioned.
This is a fun and sexy book! I like a good disguised character, and Warren writes it well. As Leo starts to get to know Rosamund, posing as Ross, he is concerned that he feels an attraction. But when he pieces things together, he's excited to get her out of her male garb and into bed. To a modern reader, it can be difficult to suspend disbelief that a pair or pants, glasses, and short hair tied back would really hide a woman in plain sight...so I appreciated when Lawrence sees her dressed as woman and almost doesn't recognize her.
It's a refreshing story with the focus squarely on the main characters...no villains, no kidnappings, no silly misunderstandings! It was a great ending to the series and to the Byron family as a whole.
Read
July 24, 2025Note to self: H has sex with OW during their separation 🫠
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2017
o hai, fuck you lawrence.
the only reason his starts on this revenge plot is because he's butthurt he was "attracted to a dude" *ALL OF MY EYEROLLS* ಠ_ಠ
and he's like, "oh man, i'll never marry her, and she's a sheltered virgin.... better fuck her brains out and get butthurt she doesn't wanna be my mistress" ಠ_ಠ
the only reason his starts on this revenge plot is because he's butthurt he was "attracted to a dude" *ALL OF MY EYEROLLS* ಠ_ಠ
and he's like, "oh man, i'll never marry her, and she's a sheltered virgin.... better fuck her brains out and get butthurt she doesn't wanna be my mistress" ಠ_ಠ
March 9, 2017
http://openbooksociety.com/article/be...
Bedchamber Games
The Rakes Cavendish, Book #3
By Tracy Anne Warren
Author’s Website: http://tracyannewarren.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Omar
Synopsis:
In this irresistible romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Happily Bedded Bliss, appearances can deceive, but the heart is not so easy to fool…
Rosamund Carrow has spent years learning the law by assisting her barrister father, despite the frustrating truth that the profession is closed to women. When he dies unexpectedly, necessity compels her to disguise herself as a man so she can step into the courtroom to finish his cases. She’s willing to put her reputation at risk, but she never expects that the greatest peril will be to her heart…
Lord Lawrence Byron is a rising star in London’s legal circles, despite his reputation as an unrepentant rakehell. When an upstart young barrister defeats him in court, he’s determined to discover everything he can about his rival. He’s stunned when he uncovers the shocking secret that his new opponent is actually a beguiling, brilliant woman, one he can’t help but want in his bed. Passion draws them together as they break all the rules, but it may lead to something more lasting like love…
Review
Bedchamber Games, starts with Rosamund Carrow and her brother Bertram arriving to a gathering of lawyers and barristers at the Honorable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, where Rosamund will make friend and socialize to be able to start working as a barrister; the only difference is that all will be done under the disguise of her looking like a man, Ross Carrow. After their father died, it felt on Bertram’s shoulders to take up the cases their father had pending, the problem was that even though Bertram was a good lawyer, he had a nervous stutter, and couldn’t talk that much at court. Rosamund, who has study law under her father and helped him prepare his cases had all the knowledge and qualities need to practice law, except that she is a woman and it is not allow for them to practice it. The Carrow sibling arranged for cousin Ross to start helping Bertram with the cases, and for that Ross must be acknowledge by the members of the society. At the gathering Rosamund meets Lord Lawrence Byron, who becomes intrigued by the young barrister. The next day, Rosamund goes to first court and ends up going against Lawrence; for a good part of the session it appears that Lawrence might win, but after solid information provided by Rosamund, she wins the case.
Lawrence becomes even more intrigued and after a couple of boy night out and fighting match, he finds out the secret. Since Rosamund met Lawrence, she starts to develop feelings for Lawrence, now that he knows her secret, a flare of passion ignites between of them. The only problem is that everyone knows Rosamund as Ross, and Lawrence is soon to become engaged.
I liked Bedchamber Games. I was happy to read Lawrence’s story since we meet him the previous stories of the Rakes Cavendish series. Rosamund was the perfect person to win over Lawrence and to get him to consider more in life that just moving his way up in his career, which is not bad, but not this time for reason that you have to find out when reading the book.
I loved the Rosamund trying to pretend be a man, and who at first Lawrence was confused because he was thinking he was starting to have feelings for a person from his same sex. It was mostly because “Ross” had certain qualities of woman, and as he says, his body notice before his brain knew the truth.
It would have been quite scandalous at that time if people found out the truth about “Ross” and I was expecting for somebody in the courthouse to recognized Rosamund, but it seems that her father didn’t take her that much to his work.
If you have read the other book in the series or the Byrons of Braebourne series, then you will like this story as we see previous character and learn a couple of things from Leo and Thalia.
I liked how the story ended, I always like when one character does everything it can to find the other one that ran way or is hidden.
If you are fan of Tracy Anne Warren or her The Rakes Cavendish and Byron of Braebourne series, then I recommend you, Bedchamber Games. In the middle 1800’s we meet a woman that wants to help her family and does it by lying to all, but ends up falling for a man that never consider marrying for love until he met her.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
Bedchamber Games
The Rakes Cavendish, Book #3
By Tracy Anne Warren
Author’s Website: http://tracyannewarren.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Omar
Synopsis:
In this irresistible romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Happily Bedded Bliss, appearances can deceive, but the heart is not so easy to fool…
Rosamund Carrow has spent years learning the law by assisting her barrister father, despite the frustrating truth that the profession is closed to women. When he dies unexpectedly, necessity compels her to disguise herself as a man so she can step into the courtroom to finish his cases. She’s willing to put her reputation at risk, but she never expects that the greatest peril will be to her heart…
Lord Lawrence Byron is a rising star in London’s legal circles, despite his reputation as an unrepentant rakehell. When an upstart young barrister defeats him in court, he’s determined to discover everything he can about his rival. He’s stunned when he uncovers the shocking secret that his new opponent is actually a beguiling, brilliant woman, one he can’t help but want in his bed. Passion draws them together as they break all the rules, but it may lead to something more lasting like love…
Review
Bedchamber Games, starts with Rosamund Carrow and her brother Bertram arriving to a gathering of lawyers and barristers at the Honorable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, where Rosamund will make friend and socialize to be able to start working as a barrister; the only difference is that all will be done under the disguise of her looking like a man, Ross Carrow. After their father died, it felt on Bertram’s shoulders to take up the cases their father had pending, the problem was that even though Bertram was a good lawyer, he had a nervous stutter, and couldn’t talk that much at court. Rosamund, who has study law under her father and helped him prepare his cases had all the knowledge and qualities need to practice law, except that she is a woman and it is not allow for them to practice it. The Carrow sibling arranged for cousin Ross to start helping Bertram with the cases, and for that Ross must be acknowledge by the members of the society. At the gathering Rosamund meets Lord Lawrence Byron, who becomes intrigued by the young barrister. The next day, Rosamund goes to first court and ends up going against Lawrence; for a good part of the session it appears that Lawrence might win, but after solid information provided by Rosamund, she wins the case.
Lawrence becomes even more intrigued and after a couple of boy night out and fighting match, he finds out the secret. Since Rosamund met Lawrence, she starts to develop feelings for Lawrence, now that he knows her secret, a flare of passion ignites between of them. The only problem is that everyone knows Rosamund as Ross, and Lawrence is soon to become engaged.
I liked Bedchamber Games. I was happy to read Lawrence’s story since we meet him the previous stories of the Rakes Cavendish series. Rosamund was the perfect person to win over Lawrence and to get him to consider more in life that just moving his way up in his career, which is not bad, but not this time for reason that you have to find out when reading the book.
I loved the Rosamund trying to pretend be a man, and who at first Lawrence was confused because he was thinking he was starting to have feelings for a person from his same sex. It was mostly because “Ross” had certain qualities of woman, and as he says, his body notice before his brain knew the truth.
It would have been quite scandalous at that time if people found out the truth about “Ross” and I was expecting for somebody in the courthouse to recognized Rosamund, but it seems that her father didn’t take her that much to his work.
If you have read the other book in the series or the Byrons of Braebourne series, then you will like this story as we see previous character and learn a couple of things from Leo and Thalia.
I liked how the story ended, I always like when one character does everything it can to find the other one that ran way or is hidden.
If you are fan of Tracy Anne Warren or her The Rakes Cavendish and Byron of Braebourne series, then I recommend you, Bedchamber Games. In the middle 1800’s we meet a woman that wants to help her family and does it by lying to all, but ends up falling for a man that never consider marrying for love until he met her.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
March 12, 2017
Rant:
Very disappointed in this book. I enjoyed TAW's series so far, and was looking forward to Lawrence, the last Byron's story to wrap up the whole family saga. But sadly I found the writing subpar, with modern-ish ways of speaking and a very simple writing style that felt very flat to me. The dialogue felt flat and cringy, and the significant number of cameos by previous characters felt very much shoehorned in, which was sad given the many previous novels. (e.g. excessive soppy PDAs with the couples, Leo and Thalia mentioned to have adopted a baby girl, with no showing of Leo's thoughts on his fatherhood, etc.)
It all felt like a draft of a story, with the bare-skeleton premise and no actual fleshing out of the story. Girl-disguised-as-boy, pretending at being a lawyer, gets lots of sexing with the manwhore lord lawyer who finds her out, and after ridiculous sexing all over the place in lawyer's offices, law libraries, moving coaches, living rooms (more than half of this book was just them having sex, with no other development really), she develops feelings of luurvve for him! With passing mentions of their passionate debates and them loving to spend time with each other, with none of that ever being portrayed in the progression of the novel. It's the ultimate example of tell and not show! There needs to be more of the relationship developing than just montages and sex scenes! (There was a scene with her visiting her recently deceased father's grave and him coming along, supposed to be a bonding love-developing moment, but just fell flat.) And besides that, the characters, their motivations, were unclear and towards the end, just terrible.
It seemed like Lawrence and Rosamund were just pretending at being lawyers, like "look at us with all our lawyering work to do". She's wearing a lawyer's wig while dressed as a man and handling documents, so she must be knowledgable and excellent at lawyering! I understand that we readers might not want to read about pages of boring courtroom work, or the mundane details of the characters' profession, but the whole justification behind Rosamund masquerading as her male cousin was to help her brother handle their deceased father's outstanding cases, and aside from her shuffling some documents, her being at court and us being told she's winning all over the place and she's so amazing, all she does is sigh and moon over Lawrence, sneak around with him, etc. It's like TAW did not want to do further research on what law in the 1880s entailed and didn't bother to infuse any sort of atmosphere of the times into the story, which is an important part of a HR.
There's also no personality traits at all to Rosamund-- Leo and Lawrence at one point converse and call her a firecracker, but there wasn't any indications to this at all, beyond her being curious and going with Lawrence to a boxing mill and pub and showing just how very bad she is at pretending to be a man. And her cringy accidental sex talk to Leo who she mistakes for Lawrence (her transformation from awkward virgin to this bold sex vixen was glossed over in a "three weeks flew by" montage, too). She just wasn't a fully fleshed-out character; you would think that she would have taken care to not be found out as a woman, and refused Lawrence's offers to hang out, go do masculine-related activities as her brother Bertram warned, but she goes anyway because that's what a normal lawyer of the profession would do...? Because she finds Lawrence attractive, as mentioned by the numerous descriptions of his eyes, how striking he looks in his clothes...?
And as for Leo, where can I start. *facepalm* Great emphasis is taken to make sure us readers know he is a Rake-- he has recently slept with women in public places and had a threesome, when he finds himself attracted to "Ross Carrow" when he hasn't found out Rosamund's identity, he goes to sleep with a widow to reaffirm he is indeed attracted to women. I hate this in my romances. And he wins most of his lawyerly cases, as we are told. Basically Lawrence being a sexed up manwhore, and not being able to make up his mind as he sleeps with Rosamund while courting Phoebe Templeton, daughter of this influential judge who can help his career along, are his defining characteristics. I think the underlying issue is that the main conflict within this story is extremely thin-- it's basically just "will Lawrence want to marry Rosamund despite her not being aristocratic, and the fact that he's halfheartedly been courting this girl whose father might bring down his lawyer career if he does not marry her after all?" And this conflict just makes him look extremely douche-ish and indecisive. As if him getting engaged to Templeton wasn't bad enough, it's mentioned in a tossaway sentence that he sought solace or whatever with other women after he and Rosamund went separate ways, but stopped because it made him feel empty! Urghh, was that necessary?
Rosamund getting pregnant as the problem to solve within the main conflict, and the paper-thin story she concocts of being a widow after short few months of marriage is so dumb! It would get found out after any sort of preliminary digging! What did she think she would do to pass for someone respectable for the remainder of the kid's life? No contraceptive is ever truly foolproof, especially in HR times, but why didn't Lawrence ever use French letters instead of only giving her some goddamned herbal tea!? Isn't he supposed to be a womanizer, you'd think he'd be smarter than that? It's a stretched out conflict to try add some tension to a very non-issue plot. The story could have gone to other routes, like made the reasoning behind Rosamund's disguise more compelling, have Lawrence be confused to his attraction to her for longer to make for some comedic situations (fully explored the "girl dressing as guy" trope which started out so promising), anything else more compelling!
As it was, her being with child was a lazy route, on top of all the problems I already had with the story. To add insult to injury, there wasn't even any epilogue for the reader to see their ending, Lawrence and Rosamund probably having married scandalously since the baby would be born only like three months after a rushed marriage but it's shown they're at least blissfully happy with their child-- there was none of that. The story just ends abruptly and unceremoniously with Lawrence having just tracked Rosamund down to Yorkshire to declare his love and propose, being upset at finding out about the pregnancy, then them being all lovey-dovey declaring that they will marry.
It seemed like this book was rushed out and not given enough thought and care to actually flesh out the plotline, characters and their interactions. It's a shame because there's a lot of fun to be had in the premise, and I've found the previous books enjoyable (though now I'm wondering if maybe I'd been too forgiving on the standards of those books after all). It was sad to have this lackluster ending for the Byrons of Braebourne.
Very disappointed in this book. I enjoyed TAW's series so far, and was looking forward to Lawrence, the last Byron's story to wrap up the whole family saga. But sadly I found the writing subpar, with modern-ish ways of speaking and a very simple writing style that felt very flat to me. The dialogue felt flat and cringy, and the significant number of cameos by previous characters felt very much shoehorned in, which was sad given the many previous novels. (e.g. excessive soppy PDAs with the couples, Leo and Thalia mentioned to have adopted a baby girl, with no showing of Leo's thoughts on his fatherhood, etc.)
It all felt like a draft of a story, with the bare-skeleton premise and no actual fleshing out of the story. Girl-disguised-as-boy, pretending at being a lawyer, gets lots of sexing with the manwhore lord lawyer who finds her out, and after ridiculous sexing all over the place in lawyer's offices, law libraries, moving coaches, living rooms (more than half of this book was just them having sex, with no other development really), she develops feelings of luurvve for him! With passing mentions of their passionate debates and them loving to spend time with each other, with none of that ever being portrayed in the progression of the novel. It's the ultimate example of tell and not show! There needs to be more of the relationship developing than just montages and sex scenes! (There was a scene with her visiting her recently deceased father's grave and him coming along, supposed to be a bonding love-developing moment, but just fell flat.) And besides that, the characters, their motivations, were unclear and towards the end, just terrible.
It seemed like Lawrence and Rosamund were just pretending at being lawyers, like "look at us with all our lawyering work to do". She's wearing a lawyer's wig while dressed as a man and handling documents, so she must be knowledgable and excellent at lawyering! I understand that we readers might not want to read about pages of boring courtroom work, or the mundane details of the characters' profession, but the whole justification behind Rosamund masquerading as her male cousin was to help her brother handle their deceased father's outstanding cases, and aside from her shuffling some documents, her being at court and us being told she's winning all over the place and she's so amazing, all she does is sigh and moon over Lawrence, sneak around with him, etc. It's like TAW did not want to do further research on what law in the 1880s entailed and didn't bother to infuse any sort of atmosphere of the times into the story, which is an important part of a HR.
There's also no personality traits at all to Rosamund-- Leo and Lawrence at one point converse and call her a firecracker, but there wasn't any indications to this at all, beyond her being curious and going with Lawrence to a boxing mill and pub and showing just how very bad she is at pretending to be a man. And her cringy accidental sex talk to Leo who she mistakes for Lawrence (her transformation from awkward virgin to this bold sex vixen was glossed over in a "three weeks flew by" montage, too). She just wasn't a fully fleshed-out character; you would think that she would have taken care to not be found out as a woman, and refused Lawrence's offers to hang out, go do masculine-related activities as her brother Bertram warned, but she goes anyway because that's what a normal lawyer of the profession would do...? Because she finds Lawrence attractive, as mentioned by the numerous descriptions of his eyes, how striking he looks in his clothes...?
And as for Leo, where can I start. *facepalm* Great emphasis is taken to make sure us readers know he is a Rake-- he has recently slept with women in public places and had a threesome, when he finds himself attracted to "Ross Carrow" when he hasn't found out Rosamund's identity, he goes to sleep with a widow to reaffirm he is indeed attracted to women. I hate this in my romances. And he wins most of his lawyerly cases, as we are told. Basically Lawrence being a sexed up manwhore, and not being able to make up his mind as he sleeps with Rosamund while courting Phoebe Templeton, daughter of this influential judge who can help his career along, are his defining characteristics. I think the underlying issue is that the main conflict within this story is extremely thin-- it's basically just "will Lawrence want to marry Rosamund despite her not being aristocratic, and the fact that he's halfheartedly been courting this girl whose father might bring down his lawyer career if he does not marry her after all?" And this conflict just makes him look extremely douche-ish and indecisive. As if him getting engaged to Templeton wasn't bad enough, it's mentioned in a tossaway sentence that he sought solace or whatever with other women after he and Rosamund went separate ways, but stopped because it made him feel empty! Urghh, was that necessary?
Rosamund getting pregnant as the problem to solve within the main conflict, and the paper-thin story she concocts of being a widow after short few months of marriage is so dumb! It would get found out after any sort of preliminary digging! What did she think she would do to pass for someone respectable for the remainder of the kid's life? No contraceptive is ever truly foolproof, especially in HR times, but why didn't Lawrence ever use French letters instead of only giving her some goddamned herbal tea!? Isn't he supposed to be a womanizer, you'd think he'd be smarter than that? It's a stretched out conflict to try add some tension to a very non-issue plot. The story could have gone to other routes, like made the reasoning behind Rosamund's disguise more compelling, have Lawrence be confused to his attraction to her for longer to make for some comedic situations (fully explored the "girl dressing as guy" trope which started out so promising), anything else more compelling!
As it was, her being with child was a lazy route, on top of all the problems I already had with the story. To add insult to injury, there wasn't even any epilogue for the reader to see their ending, Lawrence and Rosamund probably having married scandalously since the baby would be born only like three months after a rushed marriage but it's shown they're at least blissfully happy with their child-- there was none of that. The story just ends abruptly and unceremoniously with Lawrence having just tracked Rosamund down to Yorkshire to declare his love and propose, being upset at finding out about the pregnancy, then them being all lovey-dovey declaring that they will marry.
It seemed like this book was rushed out and not given enough thought and care to actually flesh out the plotline, characters and their interactions. It's a shame because there's a lot of fun to be had in the premise, and I've found the previous books enjoyable (though now I'm wondering if maybe I'd been too forgiving on the standards of those books after all). It was sad to have this lackluster ending for the Byrons of Braebourne.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2017
I really loved the heroine, she's smart, strong, caring, and she's not afraid to go after what she wants. She's also realistic, she knows that even if nobody besides the hero has discovered she's a woman, she can't go on forever pretending being a man just because she's an excellent lawyer and loves this job. It was fun seeing her experience a man's life (going to the hero's club, or to a boxing match) or being flummoxed when the hero talks freely to her, especially about a crazy night with his twin.
She also knows the hero and her are not part of the same circles, and even when she falls in love with him she doesn't expect him to marry her. And she's the one who decides what's best for her and
I liked the hero, he's caring, patient, and fun, even if I thought his twin, in the first volume, was less obstinate (or at least he changed his mind more quickly), and it was fun seeing him panic because he's started having feelings for "a man". But at the same time he's a rake, so at first he wants to seduce her because he's angry at her deception, and then he's selfishly also keeping company to the daughter of a judge who could help him with his career if they marry. And when This part can disturb some readers but so that was okay with me.
I liked seeing the interaction between the hero and his twin, the author showed a good twin complicity, but there's a scene where all the siblings are together and for someone like me who didn't read the first series all theses characters named one after the other were overwhelming.
The relation between the heroine and her brother was also well done, I loved that they have a great bond and they protect each other.
She also knows the hero and her are not part of the same circles, and even when she falls in love with him she doesn't expect him to marry her. And she's the one who decides what's best for her and
I liked the hero, he's caring, patient, and fun, even if I thought his twin, in the first volume, was less obstinate (or at least he changed his mind more quickly), and it was fun seeing him panic because he's started having feelings for "a man". But at the same time he's a rake, so at first he wants to seduce her because he's angry at her deception, and then he's selfishly also keeping company to the daughter of a judge who could help him with his career if they marry. And when This part can disturb some readers but so that was okay with me.
I liked seeing the interaction between the hero and his twin, the author showed a good twin complicity, but there's a scene where all the siblings are together and for someone like me who didn't read the first series all theses characters named one after the other were overwhelming.
The relation between the heroine and her brother was also well done, I loved that they have a great bond and they protect each other.
July 28, 2018
Me voici de retour avec le dernier tome de la série Cavendish square. Et j'avoue que je n'ai pas été aussi emballé que ça par l'histoire. Je vous dis pourquoi.
Déjà avec Thalia et Leo, il manquait quelque chose pour me faire apprécié pleinement leur relation, pour Esme et Gabriel, cela avait été un peu mieux mais toujours un petit truc qui manquait. Pour ce tome avec Rosamund et Lawrence, ça ne la pas mieux fait. C'est même pire. Pourtant, l'histoire commençait bien. Rosa qui est déguisé en garçon pour régler les dernières affaires de son père avec son frère afin que celui-ci puisse se tourner vers autre chose. Le fait qu'elle arrive a mystifier tout le monde est amusant, que Lawrence se pose des questions sur son orientation sexuelle prête à sourire. Mais au final, le jeu du chat et de la souris est bien trop court et j'ai trouvé que Lawrence découvre le pot au rose trop vite. J'aurai aimé plus de développement de ce côté-là.
Ensuite ce qui m'a agacé, c'est que Rosa, d'accord ressent quelque chose pour notre héros, mais qu'elle tombe dans ces bras dès la première soirée où il lui dit qu'il sait. A partir de là j'ai trouvé l'histoire ennuyeuse. Suivre leurs différents rendez-vous secrets et autres a attiré mon attention autant qu'une mouche avec du vinaigre. Je déplore que l'auteure est pris le chemin de la facilité et du convenu.
Au final, l'histoire n'est pas trépidante, elle essouffle rapidement et mon intérêt avec. Pour conclure, j'ai bien aimé la première partie du livre, mais le reste m'a laissé sur ma faim et c'est mitigé que je ressors de ma lecture.
Déjà avec Thalia et Leo, il manquait quelque chose pour me faire apprécié pleinement leur relation, pour Esme et Gabriel, cela avait été un peu mieux mais toujours un petit truc qui manquait. Pour ce tome avec Rosamund et Lawrence, ça ne la pas mieux fait. C'est même pire. Pourtant, l'histoire commençait bien. Rosa qui est déguisé en garçon pour régler les dernières affaires de son père avec son frère afin que celui-ci puisse se tourner vers autre chose. Le fait qu'elle arrive a mystifier tout le monde est amusant, que Lawrence se pose des questions sur son orientation sexuelle prête à sourire. Mais au final, le jeu du chat et de la souris est bien trop court et j'ai trouvé que Lawrence découvre le pot au rose trop vite. J'aurai aimé plus de développement de ce côté-là.
Ensuite ce qui m'a agacé, c'est que Rosa, d'accord ressent quelque chose pour notre héros, mais qu'elle tombe dans ces bras dès la première soirée où il lui dit qu'il sait. A partir de là j'ai trouvé l'histoire ennuyeuse. Suivre leurs différents rendez-vous secrets et autres a attiré mon attention autant qu'une mouche avec du vinaigre. Je déplore que l'auteure est pris le chemin de la facilité et du convenu.
Au final, l'histoire n'est pas trépidante, elle essouffle rapidement et mon intérêt avec. Pour conclure, j'ai bien aimé la première partie du livre, mais le reste m'a laissé sur ma faim et c'est mitigé que je ressors de ma lecture.
March 22, 2017
This one is a mixed bag for me. I truly enjoyed the heroine which surprises me because I don't normally enjoy stories with a heroine impersonating a man. What really did not set well with me was the hero. I could not find any redeeming characteristics in him and no reason why he was such a manwhore. I will say Ms. Warren did redeem his character to some extent by the end, and their romance did have a satisfying ending. I do think it would have been nice to have an epilogue to tie everything up with a bow.
While I found the sexual scenes well-written, they tended to overpower the story. I would have liked a bit more introspection from the hero and heroine. I never felt like I understood their motivations. The hero, in particular, left much to be desired. Nonetheless, I did enjoy the book, other than the sagging middle, which increased my dislike of the hero. Perhaps this one will appeal to others more. Happy reading!
While I found the sexual scenes well-written, they tended to overpower the story. I would have liked a bit more introspection from the hero and heroine. I never felt like I understood their motivations. The hero, in particular, left much to be desired. Nonetheless, I did enjoy the book, other than the sagging middle, which increased my dislike of the hero. Perhaps this one will appeal to others more. Happy reading!
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