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Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James #4
Une aura de scandale
The son of a duke and an infamous mother, Alistair Mabry, Marquess of Rexton, fought his way to respectability. Now, the most eligible bachelor in London, marriage-shy Rexton will take only a wife with an impeccable reputation, good breeding, and a penchant for staying out of the gossip sheets. But when he strikes a deal to be seen “courting” a sweet young debutante whose notorious older sister has blemished her chances for marriage, Rexton is unexpectedly drawn to the highly inappropriate, calamitous Tillie, Lady Landsdowne herself.
After a scandalous incident that sent shockwaves throughout society and disgraced her, Tillie refuses to cower in the face of the ton. Instead, she will hold her head high as she serves as chaperone for her younger sister, but Tillie is convinced Rexton’s courtship is shrouded with secrets—ones she vows to uncover. However, doing so requires getting dangerously close to the devilishly handsome and forbidden marquess…
After a scandalous incident that sent shockwaves throughout society and disgraced her, Tillie refuses to cower in the face of the ton. Instead, she will hold her head high as she serves as chaperone for her younger sister, but Tillie is convinced Rexton’s courtship is shrouded with secrets—ones she vows to uncover. However, doing so requires getting dangerously close to the devilishly handsome and forbidden marquess…
336 pages
First published May 30, 2017
468 people are currently reading
2056 people want to read
About the author
Lorraine Heath
90 books4,378 followersAlso writes Young Adult under Rachel Hawthorne, Jade Parker, and with her son as J.A. London.
Lorraine Heath has always had a soft spot for emotional love stories. No doubt because growing up, watching movies with her mom, she was taught that the best movies "won't half make you cry."
She is the daughter of a British beauty (her mom won second place in a beauty contest sponsored by Max Factor® during which she received a kiss from Caesar Romero, (the Joker on the original Batman TV series) and a Texan who was stationed at Bovingdon while serving in the air force. Lorraine was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, but soon after moved to Texas. Her "dual" nationality has given her a love for all things British and Texan, and she enjoys weaving both heritages through her stories.
When she received her BA degree in psychology from the University of Texas, she had no idea she had gained a foundation that would help her to create believable characters—characters that are often described as “real people.” She began her career writing training manuals and computer code for the IRS, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she became not only hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She's been writing about them ever since.
Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards including RWA's RITA®. Her novels have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA TODAY and the New York Times.
The author of more than 60 novels, she writes historical and contemporary romance for adults and historical romance for teen readers.
Under the names Rachel Hawthorne and Jade Parker, she writes popular contemporary, historical, and paranormal romance for teens readers. She also writes young adult novels with her son under the name J. A. London.
Lorraine Heath has always had a soft spot for emotional love stories. No doubt because growing up, watching movies with her mom, she was taught that the best movies "won't half make you cry."
She is the daughter of a British beauty (her mom won second place in a beauty contest sponsored by Max Factor® during which she received a kiss from Caesar Romero, (the Joker on the original Batman TV series) and a Texan who was stationed at Bovingdon while serving in the air force. Lorraine was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, but soon after moved to Texas. Her "dual" nationality has given her a love for all things British and Texan, and she enjoys weaving both heritages through her stories.
When she received her BA degree in psychology from the University of Texas, she had no idea she had gained a foundation that would help her to create believable characters—characters that are often described as “real people.” She began her career writing training manuals and computer code for the IRS, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she became not only hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She's been writing about them ever since.
Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards including RWA's RITA®. Her novels have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA TODAY and the New York Times.
The author of more than 60 novels, she writes historical and contemporary romance for adults and historical romance for teen readers.
Under the names Rachel Hawthorne and Jade Parker, she writes popular contemporary, historical, and paranormal romance for teens readers. She also writes young adult novels with her son under the name J. A. London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 337 reviews
December 12, 2021
I love this series, so I had high hopes for this book. The beginning had so much potential to be a super angsty romance. Rex is given a deal to court an heiress whose sister has a bad reputation after cheating on her husband and getting a divorce. He courts her so that more men are interested in her and he gets a horse he really wants. What he doesn't expect, though, is to fall for her fiery older sister. This wasn't a bad story, but it definitely wasn't my favorite. I really enjoyed the sisters' relationship and how they both wanted to do everything to help support the other sister. It was fun how the younger sister wasn't actually as naive as everyone played her out to be and she was rooting for her sister to actually be with Rex, even though he was "courting" her. As for the romance, though, it was definitely dragged out too much and the only reason they weren't getting together was because of their own choices. Tillie refused to believe she could have him, especially since she wanted to move back to America, and that's the conflict that kept them apart for over 400 pages. I was kind of over their inability to be together by the end. BUT I do know that the last book is a novella about the sister and I'm definitely excited to pick that up!
August 6, 2017
Alistair Mabry, Marquess of Rexton, future Duke of Greystone, must marry a woman "pure as driven snow" because of plot contrivances. Except then he meets Mathilda "Tillie" Paget, Countess of Landsdowne who is Scandal-Ridden. Obviously they must bone. This boning resolves itself into For Real Feelings. And eventually Turgid Declarations of Lurve and Stuff.
1. I don't know. I finished this yesterday and vaguely remember bits about it but nothing really stood out as obnoxiously bad or emphatically great. It just was. Oh, and all the sex. SO MUCH THINKING ABOUT / DOING SEX.
2. That is one thing I remember: from FIRST MEETING, both Rex and Tillie are like "The sex with this person would be grrrrreat." And Rex's first thought upon meeting Tillie's sister (the one he's asked to "court" to ease her movements in the Ton) is—HERE'S A QUOTE—"he'd easily break her if he were to ever bed her." OK? GREAT? GLAD YOU APPLY THAT METRIC TO EVERY WOMAN THAT CROSSES YOUR PATH? INCLUDING ONE WHO YOU'VE ALREADY DISMISSED AS TOO YOUNG??????? WTF.
3. Obviously, Tillie's scandal has more to it than a mere affair with a footman. I mean, I read. I know things. So watching Rex continually dismiss Tillie as a cheater, even after he's gotten to know her and remarked on her dedication to her sister, is really frustrating. If he'd just get his brain out of his pants and think for a few seconds maybe he'd recognize that Tillie's motives are slightly more layered than "lust for servants". But noooooooooo he'll just go on dismissing her because RUMOR HAS IT she's a CHEATING CHEATER WHO CHEATED.
3.5 OH HERE'S A THING: Tillie has to """"redeem"""" herself by confessing to Rex that he's only the SECOND SEXUAL PARTNER SHE'S EVER HAD. EXCUSE ME NOW? Sure, Rex has allegedly """forgiven""" (OMFG WHY) Tillie for her purported transgressions, but it doesn't seem like it when you need her to admit to actual chastity for it to "stick". FUCKING HELL IT IS SO GROSS. Meanwhile, Rex has no qualms about admitting to sleeping with TONS OF MARRIED LADIES, so this double standard is exceptionally rank. STOP RESTRICTING YOUR LADIES TO ONLY THE SEX OF TRUE LOVE OR THE SEX OF DISAPPOINTMENT THAT WILL BE CORRECTED BY THE HERO'S MAGNIFICENT WANG.
4. Much of this book felt like a first draft, and a rushed patchy first draft at that. Stream of conscious paragraphs and mushy motivations—other than the boners—really left things as murky.
5. Also public marriage proposal, ack.
6. I don't know. It's just a book about some attractive people that really want to see each other naked; and then when they see each other naked, they really want to see only each other naked for the rest of their lives; and then when they admit it they need to get society on board. It's kind of a overly simple romance that could be resolved with a few honest conversations instead of some of the boning. Like, so much boning.
7. I was going to give this 2 stars until I remembered the "Tillie's a dirty cheater" stuff which was infuriating.
1. I don't know. I finished this yesterday and vaguely remember bits about it but nothing really stood out as obnoxiously bad or emphatically great. It just was. Oh, and all the sex. SO MUCH THINKING ABOUT / DOING SEX.
2. That is one thing I remember: from FIRST MEETING, both Rex and Tillie are like "The sex with this person would be grrrrreat." And Rex's first thought upon meeting Tillie's sister (the one he's asked to "court" to ease her movements in the Ton) is—HERE'S A QUOTE—"he'd easily break her if he were to ever bed her." OK? GREAT? GLAD YOU APPLY THAT METRIC TO EVERY WOMAN THAT CROSSES YOUR PATH? INCLUDING ONE WHO YOU'VE ALREADY DISMISSED AS TOO YOUNG??????? WTF.
3. Obviously, Tillie's scandal has more to it than a mere affair with a footman. I mean, I read. I know things. So watching Rex continually dismiss Tillie as a cheater, even after he's gotten to know her and remarked on her dedication to her sister, is really frustrating. If he'd just get his brain out of his pants and think for a few seconds maybe he'd recognize that Tillie's motives are slightly more layered than "lust for servants". But noooooooooo he'll just go on dismissing her because RUMOR HAS IT she's a CHEATING CHEATER WHO CHEATED.
3.5 OH HERE'S A THING: Tillie has to """"redeem"""" herself by confessing to Rex that he's only the SECOND SEXUAL PARTNER SHE'S EVER HAD. EXCUSE ME NOW? Sure, Rex has allegedly """forgiven""" (OMFG WHY) Tillie for her purported transgressions, but it doesn't seem like it when you need her to admit to actual chastity for it to "stick". FUCKING HELL IT IS SO GROSS. Meanwhile, Rex has no qualms about admitting to sleeping with TONS OF MARRIED LADIES, so this double standard is exceptionally rank. STOP RESTRICTING YOUR LADIES TO ONLY THE SEX OF TRUE LOVE OR THE SEX OF DISAPPOINTMENT THAT WILL BE CORRECTED BY THE HERO'S MAGNIFICENT WANG.
4. Much of this book felt like a first draft, and a rushed patchy first draft at that. Stream of conscious paragraphs and mushy motivations—other than the boners—really left things as murky.
5. Also public marriage proposal, ack.
6. I don't know. It's just a book about some attractive people that really want to see each other naked; and then when they see each other naked, they really want to see only each other naked for the rest of their lives; and then when they admit it they need to get society on board. It's kind of a overly simple romance that could be resolved with a few honest conversations instead of some of the boning. Like, so much boning.
7. I was going to give this 2 stars until I remembered the "Tillie's a dirty cheater" stuff which was infuriating.
June 6, 2017
While I appreciated the strenght of the heroine, I found it a little bit unbelievable for the time.
I loved her unconditional love of her sister and her unweavering support of her! I loved how protective she was and how she tried to avoid her sister making the same her mistake in marriage.
Also the hero, while portrait as an intelligent man, was too stupid to believe that marrying a respectable woman somehow that respectability will make him even more respecatble in the eyes of the ton! Still I liked him even if he refused to recognize that he could have the same love his parents had and stubbornly resisted his love for the heroine.
Obviously, this being a romance, the HEA is a sure thing! :)
I loved her unconditional love of her sister and her unweavering support of her! I loved how protective she was and how she tried to avoid her sister making the same her mistake in marriage.
Also the hero, while portrait as an intelligent man, was too stupid to believe that marrying a respectable woman somehow that respectability will make him even more respecatble in the eyes of the ton! Still I liked him even if he refused to recognize that he could have the same love his parents had and stubbornly resisted his love for the heroine.
Obviously, this being a romance, the HEA is a sure thing! :)
July 16, 2017
In a nutshell? Dull and contrived.
I really, really tried with this book. And I really, really tried with Lorraine Heath. More than with any other author, actually, seeing how many books I read. Alas, I think I'm going to give up on her.
What attracted me to her books was that she uses plots and tropes that differ from the average HR. But I've never been able to warm up to her writing style or her characters. I've noticed that her heroes, in particular, bore me to tears; the heroines being only slightly better.
As to An Affair with a Notorious Heiress? Alistair is already accepted by Society. What's with the angst about achieving even more respectability?
Snoozefest.
I really, really tried with this book. And I really, really tried with Lorraine Heath. More than with any other author, actually, seeing how many books I read. Alas, I think I'm going to give up on her.
What attracted me to her books was that she uses plots and tropes that differ from the average HR. But I've never been able to warm up to her writing style or her characters. I've noticed that her heroes, in particular, bore me to tears; the heroines being only slightly better.
As to An Affair with a Notorious Heiress? Alistair is already accepted by Society. What's with the angst about achieving even more respectability?
Snoozefest.
June 6, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the plot of Alistair Mabry, Marquess of Rexton and future duke falling for a notorious American heiress.
Rexton has no plans to marry but when he does, he’ll choose a bride with a perfect reputation and past.
When he is agrees to court a young, sweet woman (Gina) to help her with marriage prospects, he meets her older and scandalous sister, Tillie, Lady Lansdowne. She divorced after her affair with a footman became known, and she lives separate from society. But her scandalous situation is more sad than what society has judged her on.
She wants to see her sister happily married so she goes along with being a chaperon while Rexton is agreeing to the charade of courting her sister. The plot might sound a bit complex but it’s not. Lorraine Heath does a great job of keeping the chemistry high and the characters confused on their attraction. It really is a forbidden love and works out rather well.
There's much joy to be found in this story. I enjoyed the love scenes and the characters. It was a great book and I plan on reading the rest of the series!
Rexton has no plans to marry but when he does, he’ll choose a bride with a perfect reputation and past.
When he is agrees to court a young, sweet woman (Gina) to help her with marriage prospects, he meets her older and scandalous sister, Tillie, Lady Lansdowne. She divorced after her affair with a footman became known, and she lives separate from society. But her scandalous situation is more sad than what society has judged her on.
She wants to see her sister happily married so she goes along with being a chaperon while Rexton is agreeing to the charade of courting her sister. The plot might sound a bit complex but it’s not. Lorraine Heath does a great job of keeping the chemistry high and the characters confused on their attraction. It really is a forbidden love and works out rather well.
There's much joy to be found in this story. I enjoyed the love scenes and the characters. It was a great book and I plan on reading the rest of the series!
Want to read
August 7, 2020After reading the Viscount Who Loved me by Julia Quinn I just couldn't vibe with this book.
September 7, 2017
This is the 4th book in Ms. Heath’s
Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James
series and, while I enjoyed it, I didn’t feel it had the same emotional intensity which I found so satisfying in the other books in the series.
As heir to the Duke of Greystone, Alistair Mabry, Marquess of Rexton (Rex) enjoys a life of wealth and privilege but, at an early age, he learned that respect didn’t come automatically, it had to be earned. He loves both his parents but, at school, he had been subjected to bullying and insults because of his mother’s scandalous past, but with physical maturity came the ability to fight back and he gradually earned the respect of his fellow pupils. He is determined that his own children will never suffer the same way he did and when he finally chooses a wife, she will be someone ‘with an impeccable reputation, good breeding, and a penchant for staying out of the gossip sheets’.
American heiress, Mathilda (Tillie) Paget, Countess of Landsdowne, caused a scandal when she was caught kissing a footman, leaving her husband no choice but to divorce her. Further scandal ensued when the divorce courts agreed, at Landsdowne’s request, to strip her of her title, but she had the audacity to appeal to a higher court and won her case. Appalled by her behaviour, society has shunned her, friends have abandoned her, and she has become the target for gossip and disdain. Only her sister, Gina, has remained loyal to her. Tillie is determined to protect Gina and ensure her sister does not make the same mistake she did.
She wanted to help Gina find the right man to wed. She wanted nothing more than she wanted her sister’s happiness.
After seeing, Gina settled, Tillie has every intention of returning to America and making a new life for herself.
The sisters’ uncle, Garrett Hammersely, is aware that Tillie’s notoriety is having an adverse effect on Gina’s chances of finding a titled suitor and persuades Rex to feign and interest in Gina. Mr Hammersley hopes that, as Rex is the most sought-after bachelor in London and well respected by his peers, his attentions will pique the interest of other suitable gentlemen. If he succeeds, Rex will acquire the stud services of Hammersley’s prize Arabian stallion. It’s an agreement he simply can’t refuse. Rex and Tillie, who is acting as Gina’s chaperone, are frequently thrown into each other’s company and soon an undeniable attraction flares between them.
Unaware of the arrangement between Rex and her uncle, Tillie feels guilty because Rex is courting her sister and she would never jeopardise Gina’s happiness. Even when she discovers the true situation, she is wary of ever trusting a man again, which I could understand given her husband’s infidelities. Tillie is just the sort of woman Rex has sworn to avoid but he is fascinated and intrigued by her.
Rex comes to appreciate how difficult it must be for Tillie to chaperone her sister, leaving herself open to society’s censure and wants to protect her from the unkindness of others. I loved him for wanting to do things that bring Tillie joy, especially in the scene where he takes her to a secret destination and she is expecting something nefarious, only to find something magical.
I loved Tillie’s unconditional love for her sister and her determination that Gina would have the happiness she never did. I also admired her for having the strength, courage and determination to fight in any way possible to escape her unhappy marriage, knowing full well the personal cost to herself.
She’d sacrificed her reputation, her standing, her place in Society for a chance to be free of Landsdowne. She’d forced a life of solitude, an absence of friends, onto herself.
Landsdowne’s mother and sister always made it clear that they didn’t consider Tillie good enough for him and treated her atrociously. So, I loved seeing Rex’s sister Grace, the Duchess of Lovingdon, spike the sister’s guns, when she tries to have Tillie and her sister removed from The Royal Tea Palace.
“Come along,” the duchess said to Tillie and Gina.
Lady Blanford had the audacity to step in front of them. “Mr. Wadsworth, I must insist you prevent this rabble from entering.”
“Come now, Countess,” the duchess said, her voice tight but controlled, “do you really think he is going to adhere to your wishes when doing so will mean that my party immediately leaves to never return? And let’s not forget Lady Landsdowne’s pistol. Scars can be a symbol of courage but I’m not certain that would hold true in your case. Now step aside and do not make a further fuss or you will find yourself being the one escorted out.”
What makes Ms. Heath’s books so special for me is her ability to write beautiful and emotionally moving love stories, but the romance between Rex and Tillie didn’t elicit the same strong emotions that I felt when reading the other books in this series. For me, there were no moments when I thought my heart might break or tears streamed down my face.
I liked Gina who is much wiser than anyone appreciates and I’m looking forward to following her own journey to a Happy Ever After in Gentlemen Prefer Heiresses. I loved how Rex’s family and friends offered their unconditional support for Tillie and it was wonderful to see Rex’s parents, Frannie and Sterling and know that their love is as strong as ever despite the obstacles they face. Their story is told in Surrender to the Devil, the third book in the original Scoundrels of St. James series.
I like how Ms. Heath highlights the unfairness of Victorian society where a divorced wife would be ostracised while her unfaithful husband could carry on as before without any repercussions.
As with all the books in this series, Ms. Heath ends with a lovely Epilogue.
MY VERDICT: This may not be my favourite book in this series but there were still many things I enjoyed about it.
Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series (click on the book covers for more details):
This review was first posted on my Rakes and Rascals Blog:
https://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com...
As heir to the Duke of Greystone, Alistair Mabry, Marquess of Rexton (Rex) enjoys a life of wealth and privilege but, at an early age, he learned that respect didn’t come automatically, it had to be earned. He loves both his parents but, at school, he had been subjected to bullying and insults because of his mother’s scandalous past, but with physical maturity came the ability to fight back and he gradually earned the respect of his fellow pupils. He is determined that his own children will never suffer the same way he did and when he finally chooses a wife, she will be someone ‘with an impeccable reputation, good breeding, and a penchant for staying out of the gossip sheets’.
American heiress, Mathilda (Tillie) Paget, Countess of Landsdowne, caused a scandal when she was caught kissing a footman, leaving her husband no choice but to divorce her. Further scandal ensued when the divorce courts agreed, at Landsdowne’s request, to strip her of her title, but she had the audacity to appeal to a higher court and won her case. Appalled by her behaviour, society has shunned her, friends have abandoned her, and she has become the target for gossip and disdain. Only her sister, Gina, has remained loyal to her. Tillie is determined to protect Gina and ensure her sister does not make the same mistake she did.
She wanted to help Gina find the right man to wed. She wanted nothing more than she wanted her sister’s happiness.
After seeing, Gina settled, Tillie has every intention of returning to America and making a new life for herself.
The sisters’ uncle, Garrett Hammersely, is aware that Tillie’s notoriety is having an adverse effect on Gina’s chances of finding a titled suitor and persuades Rex to feign and interest in Gina. Mr Hammersley hopes that, as Rex is the most sought-after bachelor in London and well respected by his peers, his attentions will pique the interest of other suitable gentlemen. If he succeeds, Rex will acquire the stud services of Hammersley’s prize Arabian stallion. It’s an agreement he simply can’t refuse. Rex and Tillie, who is acting as Gina’s chaperone, are frequently thrown into each other’s company and soon an undeniable attraction flares between them.
Unaware of the arrangement between Rex and her uncle, Tillie feels guilty because Rex is courting her sister and she would never jeopardise Gina’s happiness. Even when she discovers the true situation, she is wary of ever trusting a man again, which I could understand given her husband’s infidelities. Tillie is just the sort of woman Rex has sworn to avoid but he is fascinated and intrigued by her.
Rex comes to appreciate how difficult it must be for Tillie to chaperone her sister, leaving herself open to society’s censure and wants to protect her from the unkindness of others. I loved him for wanting to do things that bring Tillie joy, especially in the scene where he takes her to a secret destination and she is expecting something nefarious, only to find something magical.
I loved Tillie’s unconditional love for her sister and her determination that Gina would have the happiness she never did. I also admired her for having the strength, courage and determination to fight in any way possible to escape her unhappy marriage, knowing full well the personal cost to herself.
She’d sacrificed her reputation, her standing, her place in Society for a chance to be free of Landsdowne. She’d forced a life of solitude, an absence of friends, onto herself.
Landsdowne’s mother and sister always made it clear that they didn’t consider Tillie good enough for him and treated her atrociously. So, I loved seeing Rex’s sister Grace, the Duchess of Lovingdon, spike the sister’s guns, when she tries to have Tillie and her sister removed from The Royal Tea Palace.
“Come along,” the duchess said to Tillie and Gina.
Lady Blanford had the audacity to step in front of them. “Mr. Wadsworth, I must insist you prevent this rabble from entering.”
“Come now, Countess,” the duchess said, her voice tight but controlled, “do you really think he is going to adhere to your wishes when doing so will mean that my party immediately leaves to never return? And let’s not forget Lady Landsdowne’s pistol. Scars can be a symbol of courage but I’m not certain that would hold true in your case. Now step aside and do not make a further fuss or you will find yourself being the one escorted out.”
What makes Ms. Heath’s books so special for me is her ability to write beautiful and emotionally moving love stories, but the romance between Rex and Tillie didn’t elicit the same strong emotions that I felt when reading the other books in this series. For me, there were no moments when I thought my heart might break or tears streamed down my face.
I liked Gina who is much wiser than anyone appreciates and I’m looking forward to following her own journey to a Happy Ever After in Gentlemen Prefer Heiresses. I loved how Rex’s family and friends offered their unconditional support for Tillie and it was wonderful to see Rex’s parents, Frannie and Sterling and know that their love is as strong as ever despite the obstacles they face. Their story is told in Surrender to the Devil, the third book in the original Scoundrels of St. James series.
I like how Ms. Heath highlights the unfairness of Victorian society where a divorced wife would be ostracised while her unfaithful husband could carry on as before without any repercussions.
As with all the books in this series, Ms. Heath ends with a lovely Epilogue.
MY VERDICT: This may not be my favourite book in this series but there were still many things I enjoyed about it.
Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series (click on the book covers for more details):
This review was first posted on my Rakes and Rascals Blog:
https://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com...
September 5, 2021
I thank my public library for this borrow and glad I decided to read this versus audiobook. I thought the story was well-written but it somehow fell a bit flat for me although enjoyable. I liked both characters although they have a few flaws..one they both are intelligent people, however she understands her circumstances more than he. He too was intelligent but I couldn't get past him believing that a marriage with someone of respectability would make him whole as a member of the ton...scandal followed them both. Again, no excitement to read but thought it was enjoyable.
January 31, 2018
One of Heath's less memorable efforts. The dialogue lacks sizzle. The heroine is strong and proud outwardly but full of self-doubt internally. The hero is sweet but somewhat bland. It's not bad, but I known LH can be so much better than this.
May 24, 2025
4.25/5
This book was acts of service x2000 and it made my heart burst with happiness. Rex was SO INCREDIBLY SWEET to Tillie and their romance just was so fluffy and romantic.
I also loved Gina!!!!! Can’t wait to read her novella!!!
This book was acts of service x2000 and it made my heart burst with happiness. Rex was SO INCREDIBLY SWEET to Tillie and their romance just was so fluffy and romantic.
I also loved Gina!!!!! Can’t wait to read her novella!!!
April 5, 2021
Definitely my favorite in the series 🥺
October 3, 2025
3 ⭐
Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2025/...
entretenido, recomendable dentro de lo que se publica actualmente
Aunque... con Lorraine Heath no soy objetiva y espero más de sus novelas, tramas más valientes y personajes más elaborados
Lo he leído en inglés, algo que siempre comento porque afecta a mi valoración
Me ha gustado cómo sortea el tema del engaño. Me ha gustado Tellie y me ha gustado Rexton. Una relación algo picantona, pero en la que se podría haber arriesgado algo más
Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2025/...
entretenido, recomendable dentro de lo que se publica actualmente
Aunque... con Lorraine Heath no soy objetiva y espero más de sus novelas, tramas más valientes y personajes más elaborados
Lo he leído en inglés, algo que siempre comento porque afecta a mi valoración
Me ha gustado cómo sortea el tema del engaño. Me ha gustado Tellie y me ha gustado Rexton. Una relación algo picantona, pero en la que se podría haber arriesgado algo más
November 16, 2022
Nuestra reseña en A la cama con... un libro
Normalito. De la Heath espero siempre mucho y, aunque este no ha sido gran cosa, tampoco ha sido un espanto. Está bien escrito, se lee sin problemas (aunque sin enganche) y tiene unos personajes a los que coges cariño, especialmente a Rexton, el protagonista, que es maravillosísimo. Lo que pasa es que tampoco cuenta una historia que emocione y ella misma crea una tensión que a mitad del libro se carga de un plumazo.
Decente pero olvidable.
Normalito. De la Heath espero siempre mucho y, aunque este no ha sido gran cosa, tampoco ha sido un espanto. Está bien escrito, se lee sin problemas (aunque sin enganche) y tiene unos personajes a los que coges cariño, especialmente a Rexton, el protagonista, que es maravillosísimo. Lo que pasa es que tampoco cuenta una historia que emocione y ella misma crea una tensión que a mitad del libro se carga de un plumazo.
Decente pero olvidable.
September 26, 2017
I really didn't like this story, I'm sad to say. Perhaps it is just me, but I feel like Heath's writing has changed a bit and as a result, I haven't been as in sync with her as I used to be.
I skimmed most of it and couldn't even manage to get to the end. I got through more than 75% so I'm giving it a star rating though. This book had too much internal waffling and lusting on the characters' parts. While I thought the divorced woman story would be interesting, I just couldn't bring myself to connect with the romance. I thought Rexton was a bit of a boor. He was this golden boy and lacked depth. Tillie was a little more interesting, but still lacked deeper development. Characters are usually what Heath excels at because the plots are usually slim and built on the characters and their emotions. Since I couldn't connect with either character, the story went nowhere for me.
The story was just boring. I didn't like Heath's earlier series either. I have been finding her books too melancholy and don't get the bubbly, happy feeling when I read. To avoid giving more bad ratings to an author who has written some of my all-time faves, I think I'm going to take a break for awhile...at least until she finally writes about the children of Catherine and Lucian from In Bed with the Devil...man, I loved that book.
I skimmed most of it and couldn't even manage to get to the end. I got through more than 75% so I'm giving it a star rating though. This book had too much internal waffling and lusting on the characters' parts. While I thought the divorced woman story would be interesting, I just couldn't bring myself to connect with the romance. I thought Rexton was a bit of a boor. He was this golden boy and lacked depth. Tillie was a little more interesting, but still lacked deeper development. Characters are usually what Heath excels at because the plots are usually slim and built on the characters and their emotions. Since I couldn't connect with either character, the story went nowhere for me.
The story was just boring. I didn't like Heath's earlier series either. I have been finding her books too melancholy and don't get the bubbly, happy feeling when I read. To avoid giving more bad ratings to an author who has written some of my all-time faves, I think I'm going to take a break for awhile...at least until she finally writes about the children of Catherine and Lucian from In Bed with the Devil...man, I loved that book.
Want to read
June 11, 2017I've waited. And then I saw this simply...horrible thing.
Sorry but I really found it disappointing. What has happened to Lorraine Heath's covers? I love the gorgeous book art of all her books in this series. Then the last one, her latest release, was suddenly doesn't have stepback art anymore and then this.
The model's pose is just so awkward. I'm not an authority to say this but I think she appears stiff and unflattering in this illustration. And boy... her makeup is just so distracting.
Sorry but I really found it disappointing. What has happened to Lorraine Heath's covers? I love the gorgeous book art of all her books in this series. Then the last one, her latest release, was suddenly doesn't have stepback art anymore and then this.
The model's pose is just so awkward. I'm not an authority to say this but I think she appears stiff and unflattering in this illustration. And boy... her makeup is just so distracting.
February 5, 2017
ARC provide by Edelweiss and publisher for an honest review.
Rating 2.5 -3.0
I wanted to really love this but sadly was disappointed.
Review closer to publication.
Rating 2.5 -3.0
I wanted to really love this but sadly was disappointed.
Review closer to publication.
May 24, 2019
Στο τέταρτο βιβλίο της σειράς "Οι διεφθαρμένοι αριστοκράτες" διαβάζουμε την ιστορία του μαρκήσιου του Ρέξτον και της Ματίλντα Πέιτζετ, της λαίδης Λαντσντάουν- ή απλά Τίλι.
Εκείνος είναι ο πρωτότοκος γιος του δούκα του Γκρέιστοουν και αποφασισμένος να παντρευτεί μια κοπέλα της καλής κοινωνίας, που να πληροί όλες τις προδιαγραφές της αριστοκρατίας. Έχοντας υποφέρει ο ίδιος ως παιδί -εξαιτίας κακόβουλων σχολίων που λέγονταν για τη μητέρα του, που μεγάλωσε στους δρόμους- δεν θέλει σε καμία περίπτωση να περάσουν και τα δικά του παιδιά τα ίδια εξαιτίας της καταγωγής της δικής τους μητέρας. Εκείνη είναι μια νεόπλουτη Αμερικανίδα, που ήρθε στην Αγγλία για να παντρευτεί έναν αριστοκράτη. Ο γάμος της όμως δεν ήταν καθόλου αυτό που περίμενε, αυτό που ονειρευόταν, και έκανε ό,τι μπορούσε για να προκαλέσει τέτοιο σκάνδαλο, ώστε ο άντρας της να αναγκαστεί να της δώσει διαζύγιο. Και το κατάφερε. Όντας διαζευγμένη, βλέπει πλέον την αριστοκρατία να της έχει γυρίσει την πλάτη, όλες τις πόρτες να είναι κλειστές για εκείνη και να αποκαλείται απ' όλους "διαβόητη κληρονόμος".
Οι δρόμοι του Ρέξτον και της Τίλι θα συναντηθούν εξαιτίας της μικρότερης αδελφής της κι ενός στοιχήματος, που εκείνος θέλει πάση θυσία να κερδίσει. Όμως θα γοητευτεί από την περήφανη, απρόσιτη Τίλι, και θα κάνει ό,τι μπορεί για να τη φέρει στο κρεβάτι του. Ξέρει καλά πως δεν μπορούν να έχουν κοινό μέλλον. Ένας γάμος μεταξύ τους απλά θα προκαλούσε ένα μεγαλύτερο σκάνδαλο και ίσως έναν κοινωνικό εξοστρακισμό για τον μελλοντικό δούκα. Όμως ο Ρέξτον είναι πεισματάρης και, όταν ανακαλύπτει πως η Τίλι είναι το άλλο του μισό και η γυναίκα που θέλει να περάσει πλάι της όλη την υπόλοιπη ζωή του, θα προθυμοποιηθεί να αψηφίσει την κοινωνική του τάξη, τους γνωστούς του, ακόμα και τα ίδια του τα πιστεύω, προκειμένου να την πείσει πως μπορούν να ζήσουν ευτυχισμένοι, μαζί.
Είναι ενδιαφέρον αυτό το κόνσεπτ, γιατί έχουμε συναντήσει μεν αρκετές φορές μια γυναίκα που δεν είναι αρεστή στην ανώτερη κοινωνική τάξη της Αγγλίας -είτε γιατί είναι κατώτερης τάξης, είτε γιατί έχει χάσει την εύνοια των αριστοκρατών, είτε γιατί έχει προκληθεί κάποιο σκάνδαλο γύρω από το όνομα ή την οικογένειά της. Ποτέ όμως ένα σκάνδαλο τόσο μεγάλο, ώστε να επιφέρει ένα διαζύγιο. Η λέξη και μόνο σοκάρει και, όπως είναι φυσικό, μόνη ένοχη είναι η γυναίκα. Ό,τι κι αν έχει κάνει ο σύζυγος -να χαρτοπαίζει, να πίνει, να απατά ή να χτυπά ή να κακομεταχειρίζεται με οποιονδήποτε τρόπο τη σύζυγό του- εκείνη πρέπει να τα υπομένει αγόγγυστα και αδιαμαρτύρητα. Η Ματίλντα σήκωσε το ανάστημά της, διεκδίκησε την ελευθερία και την προίκα της και -όπως είναι επόμενο- έγινε δακτυλοδεικτούμενη στους αριστοκρατικούς κύκλους.
Έχει ενδιαφέρον το πώς περιγράφονται οι εκάστοτε συναντήσεις της με άλλους αριστοκράτες, το πώς της συμπεριφέρονται εκείνη και τα όσα είναι αναγκασμένη να υπομένει. Και είναι εξίσου ενδιαφέρον το πώς αντιδρά ο Ρέξτον: αρχικά διατηρεί κι εκείνος τις ίδιες επιφυλάξεις, όμως όσο τη γνωρίζει τόσο αλλάζει η γνώμη του για εκείνη. Την υπερασπίζεται σχεδόν εξαρχής - όχι μόνο γιατί είναι ερωτευμένος μαζί της (αυτό δεν το συνειδητοποιεί από την αρχή, βέβαια!) αλλά γιατί τη βλέπει ως άνθρωπο, που δεν αξίζει με τίποτα μια τέτοια συμπεριφορά από τους άλλους. Αυτό μαρτυρά πολλά και για τον χαρακτήρα του Ρέξτον, που επίσης αναπτύσσεται και ξεδιπλώνεται και εξελίσσεται από κεφάλαιο σε κεφάλαιο.
Οι σκηνές πάθους ανάμεσά τους είναι εκρηκτικές, γιατί και οι ίδιοι ως χαρακτήρες είναι έτσι. Ο Ρέξτον διατηρεί ένα χαμηλό προφίλ στις κοινωνικές του επαφές, μη θέλοντας επ' ουδενί να δώσει τροφή για σχόλια, όμως είναι ένας άντρας δυναμικός και παθιασμένος - και το πάθος αυτό το εκδηλώνει ανάμεσα στα σεντόνια. Η Τίλι, από την άλλη, δεν είναι καμιά χαμηλοβλεπούσα παρθένα. Παρόλο που στον γάμο της δεν πέρασε καλά και δεν απόλαυσε το γαμήλιο κρεβάτι ούτε στο ελάχιστον απ' ότι θα έπρεπε, δεν έχει 'κοριτσίστικες' αναστολές όταν βρίσκεται με τον Ρέξτον. Θέλει να απολαύσει όσα είναι διατεθειμένος εκείνος να της προσφέρει, όλα όσα δεν ευχαριστήθηκε με τον σύζυγό της και όσα προλάβει να γευτεί πριν αναγκαστεί να τον εγκαταλείψει, όταν εκείνος αποφασίσει να παντρευτεί. Επομένως, κάθε συνεύρεσή τους (ακόμα κι αυτές που δεν περιλαμβάνουν... μεταξωτά σεντόνια) πετάει σπίθες έντασης και πάθους, κάνοντας τον αναγνώστη να περιμένει εναγωνίως για την επόμενη.
Πολύ καλό βιβλίο, καλογραμμένο και ενδιαφέρον, αντάξιο των υπόλοιπων της σειράς. Η πένα της Lorraine Heath, εξάλλου, αποτελεί από μόνη της εγγύηση!
Εκείνος είναι ο πρωτότοκος γιος του δούκα του Γκρέιστοουν και αποφασισμένος να παντρευτεί μια κοπέλα της καλής κοινωνίας, που να πληροί όλες τις προδιαγραφές της αριστοκρατίας. Έχοντας υποφέρει ο ίδιος ως παιδί -εξαιτίας κακόβουλων σχολίων που λέγονταν για τη μητέρα του, που μεγάλωσε στους δρόμους- δεν θέλει σε καμία περίπτωση να περάσουν και τα δικά του παιδιά τα ίδια εξαιτίας της καταγωγής της δικής τους μητέρας. Εκείνη είναι μια νεόπλουτη Αμερικανίδα, που ήρθε στην Αγγλία για να παντρευτεί έναν αριστοκράτη. Ο γάμος της όμως δεν ήταν καθόλου αυτό που περίμενε, αυτό που ονειρευόταν, και έκανε ό,τι μπορούσε για να προκαλέσει τέτοιο σκάνδαλο, ώστε ο άντρας της να αναγκαστεί να της δώσει διαζύγιο. Και το κατάφερε. Όντας διαζευγμένη, βλέπει πλέον την αριστοκρατία να της έχει γυρίσει την πλάτη, όλες τις πόρτες να είναι κλειστές για εκείνη και να αποκαλείται απ' όλους "διαβόητη κληρονόμος".
Οι δρόμοι του Ρέξτον και της Τίλι θα συναντηθούν εξαιτίας της μικρότερης αδελφής της κι ενός στοιχήματος, που εκείνος θέλει πάση θυσία να κερδίσει. Όμως θα γοητευτεί από την περήφανη, απρόσιτη Τίλι, και θα κάνει ό,τι μπορεί για να τη φέρει στο κρεβάτι του. Ξέρει καλά πως δεν μπορούν να έχουν κοινό μέλλον. Ένας γάμος μεταξύ τους απλά θα προκαλούσε ένα μεγαλύτερο σκάνδαλο και ίσως έναν κοινωνικό εξοστρακισμό για τον μελλοντικό δούκα. Όμως ο Ρέξτον είναι πεισματάρης και, όταν ανακαλύπτει πως η Τίλι είναι το άλλο του μισό και η γυναίκα που θέλει να περάσει πλάι της όλη την υπόλοιπη ζωή του, θα προθυμοποιηθεί να αψηφίσει την κοινωνική του τάξη, τους γνωστούς του, ακόμα και τα ίδια του τα πιστεύω, προκειμένου να την πείσει πως μπορούν να ζήσουν ευτυχισμένοι, μαζί.
Είναι ενδιαφέρον αυτό το κόνσεπτ, γιατί έχουμε συναντήσει μεν αρκετές φορές μια γυναίκα που δεν είναι αρεστή στην ανώτερη κοινωνική τάξη της Αγγλίας -είτε γιατί είναι κατώτερης τάξης, είτε γιατί έχει χάσει την εύνοια των αριστοκρατών, είτε γιατί έχει προκληθεί κάποιο σκάνδαλο γύρω από το όνομα ή την οικογένειά της. Ποτέ όμως ένα σκάνδαλο τόσο μεγάλο, ώστε να επιφέρει ένα διαζύγιο. Η λέξη και μόνο σοκάρει και, όπως είναι φυσικό, μόνη ένοχη είναι η γυναίκα. Ό,τι κι αν έχει κάνει ο σύζυγος -να χαρτοπαίζει, να πίνει, να απατά ή να χτυπά ή να κακομεταχειρίζεται με οποιονδήποτε τρόπο τη σύζυγό του- εκείνη πρέπει να τα υπομένει αγόγγυστα και αδιαμαρτύρητα. Η Ματίλντα σήκωσε το ανάστημά της, διεκδίκησε την ελευθερία και την προίκα της και -όπως είναι επόμενο- έγινε δακτυλοδεικτούμενη στους αριστοκρατικούς κύκλους.
Έχει ενδιαφέρον το πώς περιγράφονται οι εκάστοτε συναντήσεις της με άλλους αριστοκράτες, το πώς της συμπεριφέρονται εκείνη και τα όσα είναι αναγκασμένη να υπομένει. Και είναι εξίσου ενδιαφέρον το πώς αντιδρά ο Ρέξτον: αρχικά διατηρεί κι εκείνος τις ίδιες επιφυλάξεις, όμως όσο τη γνωρίζει τόσο αλλάζει η γνώμη του για εκείνη. Την υπερασπίζεται σχεδόν εξαρχής - όχι μόνο γιατί είναι ερωτευμένος μαζί της (αυτό δεν το συνειδητοποιεί από την αρχή, βέβαια!) αλλά γιατί τη βλέπει ως άνθρωπο, που δεν αξίζει με τίποτα μια τέτοια συμπεριφορά από τους άλλους. Αυτό μαρτυρά πολλά και για τον χαρακτήρα του Ρέξτον, που επίσης αναπτύσσεται και ξεδιπλώνεται και εξελίσσεται από κεφάλαιο σε κεφάλαιο.
Οι σκηνές πάθους ανάμεσά τους είναι εκρηκτικές, γιατί και οι ίδιοι ως χαρακτήρες είναι έτσι. Ο Ρέξτον διατηρεί ένα χαμηλό προφίλ στις κοινωνικές του επαφές, μη θέλοντας επ' ουδενί να δώσει τροφή για σχόλια, όμως είναι ένας άντρας δυναμικός και παθιασμένος - και το πάθος αυτό το εκδηλώνει ανάμεσα στα σεντόνια. Η Τίλι, από την άλλη, δεν είναι καμιά χαμηλοβλεπούσα παρθένα. Παρόλο που στον γάμο της δεν πέρασε καλά και δεν απόλαυσε το γαμήλιο κρεβάτι ούτε στο ελάχιστον απ' ότι θα έπρεπε, δεν έχει 'κοριτσίστικες' αναστολές όταν βρίσκεται με τον Ρέξτον. Θέλει να απολαύσει όσα είναι διατεθειμένος εκείνος να της προσφέρει, όλα όσα δεν ευχαριστήθηκε με τον σύζυγό της και όσα προλάβει να γευτεί πριν αναγκαστεί να τον εγκαταλείψει, όταν εκείνος αποφασίσει να παντρευτεί. Επομένως, κάθε συνεύρεσή τους (ακόμα κι αυτές που δεν περιλαμβάνουν... μεταξωτά σεντόνια) πετάει σπίθες έντασης και πάθους, κάνοντας τον αναγνώστη να περιμένει εναγωνίως για την επόμενη.
Πολύ καλό βιβλίο, καλογραμμένο και ενδιαφέρον, αντάξιο των υπόλοιπων της σειράς. Η πένα της Lorraine Heath, εξάλλου, αποτελεί από μόνη της εγγύηση!
May 29, 2017
Tillie, Lady Landsdowne, is notorious for divorcing her husband. She's a wealthy American whose mother wanted her, and her sister, to marry a lord. So, at a young age she married an Earl who needed her dowry. After a few miserable years, she divorced him. Shocking! Unfortunately, her younger sister, Gina Hammersley, is having a very disappointing debut season due to her sister's scandalous reputation.
Their uncle, Garrett Hammersley, acts as chaperone at the various ton events as Tillie is not welcome. He asks Alistair Mabry, Marquess of Rexton, to pay attention to Gina in hopes that other men will be interested if they think Rexton is. In return, Garrett will let Rexton breed his mare to his famous race horse. Rexton agrees but makes it very clear he is not looking for a wife. While paying attention to Gina, he falls for Tillie. They have a mutual interest in race horses and become lovers.
There is a HEA but Tillie and Rex go through a lot of ups and downs to get there. She worries he'll be ostracized due to her reputation. If you have read the other books in this series, you know that Rex's family will always support him. This book is part of the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series, but can easily be read and enjoyed without having read the earlier books. I enjoyed this book VERY much and had a hard time putting it down. Lorraine Heath is a fabulous author so it's no surprise to me that this book is a keeper.
Their uncle, Garrett Hammersley, acts as chaperone at the various ton events as Tillie is not welcome. He asks Alistair Mabry, Marquess of Rexton, to pay attention to Gina in hopes that other men will be interested if they think Rexton is. In return, Garrett will let Rexton breed his mare to his famous race horse. Rexton agrees but makes it very clear he is not looking for a wife. While paying attention to Gina, he falls for Tillie. They have a mutual interest in race horses and become lovers.
There is a HEA but Tillie and Rex go through a lot of ups and downs to get there. She worries he'll be ostracized due to her reputation. If you have read the other books in this series, you know that Rex's family will always support him. This book is part of the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series, but can easily be read and enjoyed without having read the earlier books. I enjoyed this book VERY much and had a hard time putting it down. Lorraine Heath is a fabulous author so it's no surprise to me that this book is a keeper.
March 28, 2022
had its moments
but I forgot the majority of it
week later
but I forgot the majority of it
week later
June 10, 2017
This book represents Lorraine Heath at her best - he characters are complicated and fully fleshed, their interactions are emotional and steamy and the premise of the story is original. I highly enjoyed it. Thank you Ezi for the recommendation, it was lovely!
April 12, 2018
Την συμπαθώ την Lorraine Heath! Μπορεί να μην είναι η αγαπημένη μου στο είδος της, αλλά τα βιβλία της διαθέτουν μία ειλικρίνεια που είναι εμφανέστατη και που δεν μπορείς να μην την εκτιμήσεις. Επιπλέον, αν και τοποθετημένες σε μια άλλη εποχή, οι ιστορίες της δεν περιστρέφονται γύρω από ευάλωτες γυναίκες που περιμένουν τον πρίγκιπα που θα τους χαρίσει μια παραμυθένια ζωή, παρά παίρνουν οι ίδιες τη ζωή στα χέρια τους, διεκδικούν τα θέλω τους, δεν υποτάσσονται έτσι, απλά κι εύκολα, στις κοινωνικές συμβάσεις και, κυρίως, δεν έχουν κανέναν απολύτως ενδοιασμό στον έρωτα. Μια τέτοια ιστορία είναι και η "Διαβόητη κληρονόμος".
Ο μαρκήσιος του Ρέξτον είναι ένας άντρας με αρκετά βαθιά ψυχολογικά προβλήματα, εγκλωβισμένος, συναισθηματικά και ηθικά, στις μνήμες του παρελθόντος του που στιγματίστηκε, χωρίς ο ίδιος να το θέλει και χωρίς να μπορεί να κάνει κάτι για να τ' αποτρέψει, από τις επιλογές της μητέρας του. Αν και δυσκολεύτηκε, κατάφερε ν' αποτινάξει από πάνω του την κατακραυγή και πλέον είναι ένας περιζήτητος εργένης,εκτός των άλλων, αλλά δεν θα παντρευτεί καμία γυναίκα που δεν είναι άμεμπτου ηθικής. Όμως, η μοίρα, θα φέρει στο δρόμο του τη λαίδη Λαντσντάουν, το όνομα της οποίας συνδέεται με σωρεία πονηρών σκανδάλων του Λονδίνου, όταν εκείνος θ' αποδεχθεί να βοηθήσει την αδερφή της να βρει έναν καλό σύζυγο. Τότε είναι που όλες του οι θεωρίες, και τα πιστεύω του, θ' ανατραπούν, και θα καταλάβει πως το να πέσεις σε πειρασμό είναι κάτι πολύ εύκολο.
Θεωρητικά, έχουμε να κάνουμε με δύο ανθρώπους που είναι σαν το νερό με το λάδι. Είναι δύο στοιχεία τόσο διαφορετικά που όσο κι αν παλεύεις να τα ενώσεις, αυτό δεν πρόκειται να συμβεί. Και όμως, κατά έναν περίεργο τρόπο, η τόσο έντονη κι εκ διαμέτρου αντίθεσή τους, στα πάντα, είναι που δημιουργεί έναν εκρηκτικό συνδυασμό συγκρουόμενων δυνάμεων, με το ένα άκρο να προσπαθεί να κερδίσει ενώ με το άλλο απλώς να μην υποχωρήσει. Δεν έχουν χημεία με την κλασσική έννοια του όρου, αλλά δημιουργούν ένα μοτίβο "ζευγαριού" που προσφέρει κάτι φρέσκο, διαφορετικό και ιδιαίτερο και, αναμφίβολα, αυτό προσθέτει πόντους στο σύνολο της ιστορίας, αφού οι "στιγμές" τους είναι απολαυστικές απ' όποια οπτική κι αν τις εξετάσεις.
Οι στιχομυθίες του Ρεξ και της Τίλι είναι άκρως ενδιαφέρουσες, χαρακτηρίζονται από μία οξυδέρκεια κι ένα παιχνίδι λέξεων που σε διασκεδάζει και σε κάνει να παρακολουθείς την εξέλιξη της σχέσης του με αμείωτο ενδιαφέρον. Αρκετές φορές ξεχνάς πως διαβάζεις ένα ρομάντζο εποχής, αφού η αφήγηση -μα και η τοποθέτηση των γεγονότων μέσα σ' αυτήν- είναι ιδιαίτερα σύγχρονη, και κατά τι νεανική, ίσως περισσότερο από ποτέ άλλοτε. Όχι πως η Heath χαρακτηρίζεται από πουριτανισμό, κάθε άλλο, αλλά στην προκειμένη περίπτωση έχω την αίσθηση πως έχει αφήσει τον εαυτό της περισσότερο ελεύθερο από άλλες φορές, με μια παιχνιδιάρικη διάθεση να κυριαρχεί στο σύνολο του βιβλίου, πράγμα που, προσωπικά πάντα, εκτίμησα απαεριόριστα.
Ο μαρκήσιος του Ρέξτον είναι ένας άντρας με αρκετά βαθιά ψυχολογικά προβλήματα, εγκλωβισμένος, συναισθηματικά και ηθικά, στις μνήμες του παρελθόντος του που στιγματίστηκε, χωρίς ο ίδιος να το θέλει και χωρίς να μπορεί να κάνει κάτι για να τ' αποτρέψει, από τις επιλογές της μητέρας του. Αν και δυσκολεύτηκε, κατάφερε ν' αποτινάξει από πάνω του την κατακραυγή και πλέον είναι ένας περιζήτητος εργένης,εκτός των άλλων, αλλά δεν θα παντρευτεί καμία γυναίκα που δεν είναι άμεμπτου ηθικής. Όμως, η μοίρα, θα φέρει στο δρόμο του τη λαίδη Λαντσντάουν, το όνομα της οποίας συνδέεται με σωρεία πονηρών σκανδάλων του Λονδίνου, όταν εκείνος θ' αποδεχθεί να βοηθήσει την αδερφή της να βρει έναν καλό σύζυγο. Τότε είναι που όλες του οι θεωρίες, και τα πιστεύω του, θ' ανατραπούν, και θα καταλάβει πως το να πέσεις σε πειρασμό είναι κάτι πολύ εύκολο.
Θεωρητικά, έχουμε να κάνουμε με δύο ανθρώπους που είναι σαν το νερό με το λάδι. Είναι δύο στοιχεία τόσο διαφορετικά που όσο κι αν παλεύεις να τα ενώσεις, αυτό δεν πρόκειται να συμβεί. Και όμως, κατά έναν περίεργο τρόπο, η τόσο έντονη κι εκ διαμέτρου αντίθεσή τους, στα πάντα, είναι που δημιουργεί έναν εκρηκτικό συνδυασμό συγκρουόμενων δυνάμεων, με το ένα άκρο να προσπαθεί να κερδίσει ενώ με το άλλο απλώς να μην υποχωρήσει. Δεν έχουν χημεία με την κλασσική έννοια του όρου, αλλά δημιουργούν ένα μοτίβο "ζευγαριού" που προσφέρει κάτι φρέσκο, διαφορετικό και ιδιαίτερο και, αναμφίβολα, αυτό προσθέτει πόντους στο σύνολο της ιστορίας, αφού οι "στιγμές" τους είναι απολαυστικές απ' όποια οπτική κι αν τις εξετάσεις.
Οι στιχομυθίες του Ρεξ και της Τίλι είναι άκρως ενδιαφέρουσες, χαρακτηρίζονται από μία οξυδέρκεια κι ένα παιχνίδι λέξεων που σε διασκεδάζει και σε κάνει να παρακολουθείς την εξέλιξη της σχέσης του με αμείωτο ενδιαφέρον. Αρκετές φορές ξεχνάς πως διαβάζεις ένα ρομάντζο εποχής, αφού η αφήγηση -μα και η τοποθέτηση των γεγονότων μέσα σ' αυτήν- είναι ιδιαίτερα σύγχρονη, και κατά τι νεανική, ίσως περισσότερο από ποτέ άλλοτε. Όχι πως η Heath χαρακτηρίζεται από πουριτανισμό, κάθε άλλο, αλλά στην προκειμένη περίπτωση έχω την αίσθηση πως έχει αφήσει τον εαυτό της περισσότερο ελεύθερο από άλλες φορές, με μια παιχνιδιάρικη διάθεση να κυριαρχεί στο σύνολο του βιβλίου, πράγμα που, προσωπικά πάντα, εκτίμησα απαεριόριστα.
July 25, 2020
I love how all these books from different series end up being tied together!
July 27, 2017
3.5 stars
July 28, 2022
Ok, this one felt a lot like I was reading the latest Bridgerton series. As I haven't read the Viscount who Loved me, I can't say if I found it similar, but it was kinda similar to the series. And it worked for me!
Outcast from society, Tillie wants nothing more than to find her beloved sister a husband. When the charming son of a Duke, Rexton begins to court his sister, she is determined to be her chaperone to make sure she does not suffer the same fate that she did in society by being marred by scandal. However, the more time she spends with the man, the more she begins to realise that her is not the sibling he is most suited for.
I really liked this one. It was sweet and cute and steamy in parts. The banter between the characters was fun and I enjoy how respectful the characters are with each other. I loved some of the side characters and the story was just a lot of fun.
Such an entertaining way to lose yourself for a few hours. I really enjoy Heath's writing.
Outcast from society, Tillie wants nothing more than to find her beloved sister a husband. When the charming son of a Duke, Rexton begins to court his sister, she is determined to be her chaperone to make sure she does not suffer the same fate that she did in society by being marred by scandal. However, the more time she spends with the man, the more she begins to realise that her is not the sibling he is most suited for.
I really liked this one. It was sweet and cute and steamy in parts. The banter between the characters was fun and I enjoy how respectful the characters are with each other. I loved some of the side characters and the story was just a lot of fun.
Such an entertaining way to lose yourself for a few hours. I really enjoy Heath's writing.
May 29, 2017
Originally posted
here
on Smitten by Books Reviews
4.5 Stars ~ Top Pick
After sobbing through the end of Ms. Heath’s novella When the Marquess Falls, I was more that ready to throw myself into Rexton and Tillie’s romance in An Affair With a Notorious Heiress.
Rexton is my favorite kind of hero: uptight, disapproving, brooding but possessing passions and a sensuality that runs deep. Oh and the part where he’s also handsome and wealthy doesn’t hurt. Well he makes a deal with Tillie’s uncle to be seen courting his niece (Tillie’s younger sister) to encourage interest in her by the young bucks of the peerage. In exchange he’ll get to mate one of his horses with Hammersley’s prized stallion. Or so he believes the stallion belongs to the uncle. Alistair agrees. I mean how hard can this be?
Divorced, Tillie is a pariah in London society. Worse yet, her husband divorced her when she was caught quite brazenly kissing her footman. Yes, that’s how terrible her marriage was that she would stoop to such means to obtain a divorce. Tillie’s goal is to get her sister married before she returns to America and away from the exile in which she lives in Britain. However, Alistair, the Marquess of Rexton may not be the one. She’s not convinced he’s coming to court her sister Gina with his heart in hand. Actually, she herself is a little too aware of him and he seems equally aware of her. Not good.
Yes good! That’s what makes for an excellent romance. Their attraction to each other is instant and only grows more intense over the course of their acquaintance. The below passage is from the first outing Tillie, Rexton and Gina took together and gives you a lay of the land.
I started the book thinking Gina was ridiculously young and naïve. I’m happy to say she’s only one of those things. She may be young but she’s not blind to what’s going on around her. I loved discovering she’s rather mischievous and can hold her cards close to the chest.
But getting Tillie and Rexton together is far from an easy feat. As it should be. I love a difficult conflict-ridden romance. He wants a bride who is scandal free. Despite his parents’ happy marriage, life for him growing up as the product of a mother not fully accepted by Society was hard. He doesn’t want that for his children.
Tillie is the farthest thing from scandal free, a fact she’s well aware of. She has Rexton’s peers and her ex-husband to remind her of that every day she sticks her neck out. It’s only for the sake of her sister (so she tells herself in the beginning) that she’s putting herself out there. That Rexton is very much a part of her sojourn back out into Society is immaterial. But of course it’s not immaterial at all and she suffers the guilt of lusting after the man courting her sister.
Inevitably, Tillie and Rexton get to know each other and their passions flare. Truly good stuff. There’s nothing better than for their building attraction to each other to payoff wonderfully. Ms. Heath does pen sizzling-hot love scenes. So much more than the entangling of body parts. So much emotion and feeling. And that’s when I truly fell in love with Rexton. Such a beautiful man inside and out. What he’s willing to sacrifice to be with Tillie made my heart clench. And boy did my heart ache for Tillie because her sacrifice is just as noble.
All in all, another home run for Ms. Heath and I’m eagerly looking forward to whatever she puts out next.
~ Beverley
4.5 Stars ~ Top Pick
After sobbing through the end of Ms. Heath’s novella When the Marquess Falls, I was more that ready to throw myself into Rexton and Tillie’s romance in An Affair With a Notorious Heiress.
Rexton is my favorite kind of hero: uptight, disapproving, brooding but possessing passions and a sensuality that runs deep. Oh and the part where he’s also handsome and wealthy doesn’t hurt. Well he makes a deal with Tillie’s uncle to be seen courting his niece (Tillie’s younger sister) to encourage interest in her by the young bucks of the peerage. In exchange he’ll get to mate one of his horses with Hammersley’s prized stallion. Or so he believes the stallion belongs to the uncle. Alistair agrees. I mean how hard can this be?
Divorced, Tillie is a pariah in London society. Worse yet, her husband divorced her when she was caught quite brazenly kissing her footman. Yes, that’s how terrible her marriage was that she would stoop to such means to obtain a divorce. Tillie’s goal is to get her sister married before she returns to America and away from the exile in which she lives in Britain. However, Alistair, the Marquess of Rexton may not be the one. She’s not convinced he’s coming to court her sister Gina with his heart in hand. Actually, she herself is a little too aware of him and he seems equally aware of her. Not good.
Yes good! That’s what makes for an excellent romance. Their attraction to each other is instant and only grows more intense over the course of their acquaintance. The below passage is from the first outing Tillie, Rexton and Gina took together and gives you a lay of the land.
He hold out his arms as though surrendering. “When it comes to the ladies, I have no reason to pretend. I have always found honesty in relationships to serve me well.”
“Then you should have no fear of being found lacking while courting Gina.”
He chuckled low, provocatively. “Being found lacking has never been a fear.”
Before she could stop it, her gaze dipped to his lap, lower. She jerked her attention back to the passing scenery but not before she saw the satisfied smirk. No, he wouldn’t do at all for Gina. Tillie would always see innuendo in his eyes, read it in his face, hear it in his voice.
I started the book thinking Gina was ridiculously young and naïve. I’m happy to say she’s only one of those things. She may be young but she’s not blind to what’s going on around her. I loved discovering she’s rather mischievous and can hold her cards close to the chest.
But getting Tillie and Rexton together is far from an easy feat. As it should be. I love a difficult conflict-ridden romance. He wants a bride who is scandal free. Despite his parents’ happy marriage, life for him growing up as the product of a mother not fully accepted by Society was hard. He doesn’t want that for his children.
Tillie is the farthest thing from scandal free, a fact she’s well aware of. She has Rexton’s peers and her ex-husband to remind her of that every day she sticks her neck out. It’s only for the sake of her sister (so she tells herself in the beginning) that she’s putting herself out there. That Rexton is very much a part of her sojourn back out into Society is immaterial. But of course it’s not immaterial at all and she suffers the guilt of lusting after the man courting her sister.
Inevitably, Tillie and Rexton get to know each other and their passions flare. Truly good stuff. There’s nothing better than for their building attraction to each other to payoff wonderfully. Ms. Heath does pen sizzling-hot love scenes. So much more than the entangling of body parts. So much emotion and feeling. And that’s when I truly fell in love with Rexton. Such a beautiful man inside and out. What he’s willing to sacrifice to be with Tillie made my heart clench. And boy did my heart ache for Tillie because her sacrifice is just as noble.
All in all, another home run for Ms. Heath and I’m eagerly looking forward to whatever she puts out next.
~ Beverley
September 8, 2017
I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this book when I started it. I was on the fence about the premise, but I have read some books by Lorraine Heath that I absolutely adored, so I decided to forge through. I’m glad that I did, because I ended up enjoying this story.
Our hero is the Marquess of Rexton. Though he is obviously of the nobility, he grew up a little bit of a black sheep among his peers because his mother was a bookkeeper before she married his father. Rex loves his mother and would not trade her for anything. However, his childhood was difficult. And he resolved that he would never put his own children through the same thing. He planned to marry a woman of impeccable reputation, one that would never be a cause for ridicule or ostracism for his own kids. But you know what they say about the best laid plans.
As the story begins, Rex is made an offer by a wealthy American who is trying to see his niece settled. Gina is a sweet girl, young and proper and very rich. Unfortunately, she is not attracting any suitors because of her notorious sister, Tillie. You see, Tillie divorced amid a scandal where she was caught kissing a footman. She is still technically a lady, but she has been shunned by society. Gina’s uncle hopes that by associating with Rex, Gina will become more desirable to other men of quality. And if Rex agrees to pretend to court her, he can borrow the uncle’s champion racehorse to stud.
Stop me if you know where this is going.
Of course, Rex ends up falling for Tillie. The first part of the book was a predictable because of that. Those chapters were devoted to his internal struggle realizing that the woman he really wanted was the kind he had always vowed to stay away from. Still, I enjoyed watching him fall.
Tillie is made of some stern stuff. I appreciated how she really took control of her life and got out of a marriage which made her unhappy. She put her sister first in all things after that, even when it made her own life very difficult. That was the extra dash of angst in the beginning. She had no idea that Rex was only pretending. And while she positively burned for him, she did not want to betray her sister by ever acting on it.
It would’ve been easy for Heath to paint Rex as a totally uptight jerk, bent on propriety, but she didn’t do that. I could understand where he was coming from. And he did not wait so long in recognizing his feelings that he alienated me. I liked him. I liked her. And I liked them together. There was really good sexual tension here and the pay off satisfied.
What really surprised me was that I ended up liking Gina. I thought she was going to be a vapid child, but there was more to her than meets the eye. She has her own novella coming up and I am curious to see how her own love story plays out.
This did not bring me on the same kind of emotional roller coaster as some other heaths books. I did not end up sobbing on my couch, but I did enjoy it. This author rarely disappoints.
Rating: B
*ARC provided by Avon
Our hero is the Marquess of Rexton. Though he is obviously of the nobility, he grew up a little bit of a black sheep among his peers because his mother was a bookkeeper before she married his father. Rex loves his mother and would not trade her for anything. However, his childhood was difficult. And he resolved that he would never put his own children through the same thing. He planned to marry a woman of impeccable reputation, one that would never be a cause for ridicule or ostracism for his own kids. But you know what they say about the best laid plans.
As the story begins, Rex is made an offer by a wealthy American who is trying to see his niece settled. Gina is a sweet girl, young and proper and very rich. Unfortunately, she is not attracting any suitors because of her notorious sister, Tillie. You see, Tillie divorced amid a scandal where she was caught kissing a footman. She is still technically a lady, but she has been shunned by society. Gina’s uncle hopes that by associating with Rex, Gina will become more desirable to other men of quality. And if Rex agrees to pretend to court her, he can borrow the uncle’s champion racehorse to stud.
Stop me if you know where this is going.
Of course, Rex ends up falling for Tillie. The first part of the book was a predictable because of that. Those chapters were devoted to his internal struggle realizing that the woman he really wanted was the kind he had always vowed to stay away from. Still, I enjoyed watching him fall.
Tillie is made of some stern stuff. I appreciated how she really took control of her life and got out of a marriage which made her unhappy. She put her sister first in all things after that, even when it made her own life very difficult. That was the extra dash of angst in the beginning. She had no idea that Rex was only pretending. And while she positively burned for him, she did not want to betray her sister by ever acting on it.
It would’ve been easy for Heath to paint Rex as a totally uptight jerk, bent on propriety, but she didn’t do that. I could understand where he was coming from. And he did not wait so long in recognizing his feelings that he alienated me. I liked him. I liked her. And I liked them together. There was really good sexual tension here and the pay off satisfied.
What really surprised me was that I ended up liking Gina. I thought she was going to be a vapid child, but there was more to her than meets the eye. She has her own novella coming up and I am curious to see how her own love story plays out.
This did not bring me on the same kind of emotional roller coaster as some other heaths books. I did not end up sobbing on my couch, but I did enjoy it. This author rarely disappoints.
Rating: B
*ARC provided by Avon
August 12, 2017
What utter bullocks.
I picked this book up, having read the blurb, and thought finally, the author has decided to write about real women in the historical times.
No. This heroine has "manufactured" a romance with the footman to escape her first husband. God forbid the heroine actually have an affair with the footman. I can understand why the author would not want while the heroine was still married to the first husband, but what about after the divorce?
What crime is it for a woman to have sex? I know this is a historical romance, but the heroine is already ruined. It's not as though she is a shy virgin. My god. This novel was utter bullshit.
And of course, the hero has slept with countless other women. The heroine has been to a club where ladies of the ton (masked) can choose men to sleep with. Of course, the heroine, herself shan't be so unvirtuous as to do that - then why the hell would you even write about her going there? If she is such a goddam prude, she never would have gone to the club to begin with. Or gone once, never to return. Don't write about such stupid unbelievable "surprises".
But oh, the hero, who also frequents the same club, can and has slept with many women. Why couldn't the author have written about the hero having gone to the club and then not having slept with the women?
I picked this book up, having read the blurb, and thought finally, the author has decided to write about real women in the historical times.
No. This heroine has "manufactured" a romance with the footman to escape her first husband. God forbid the heroine actually have an affair with the footman. I can understand why the author would not want while the heroine was still married to the first husband, but what about after the divorce?
What crime is it for a woman to have sex? I know this is a historical romance, but the heroine is already ruined. It's not as though she is a shy virgin. My god. This novel was utter bullshit.
And of course, the hero has slept with countless other women. The heroine has been to a club where ladies of the ton (masked) can choose men to sleep with. Of course, the heroine, herself shan't be so unvirtuous as to do that - then why the hell would you even write about her going there? If she is such a goddam prude, she never would have gone to the club to begin with. Or gone once, never to return. Don't write about such stupid unbelievable "surprises".
But oh, the hero, who also frequents the same club, can and has slept with many women. Why couldn't the author have written about the hero having gone to the club and then not having slept with the women?
February 8, 2025
4/5 stars
It always goes from “have an affair with me” said in a dark room to “marry me” in a crowded ballroom. Men are pathetic really!
It always goes from “have an affair with me” said in a dark room to “marry me” in a crowded ballroom. Men are pathetic really!
November 26, 2021
***3.5 Stars***
"Have you any advice for snagging a man's heart?" Gina asked.
"Be yourself."
"But beware, sweeting," Tillie added. "For men seldom are."
"You haven't a very favorable opinion of our gender," Rexton said, his smile rueful.
"Prove me wrong, my lord."
"I may just do that, Lady Landsdowne."
The first half was a little too repetitive, but things greatly improved in the second half . . . and the end was just downright swoony.
Favorite Quotes:
He wondered if she had an inkling regarding how much he treasured her, how much he wanted experiences with her that he'd had with no other. He doubted it, as he, too, is finding it difficult to comprehend how much she was coming to mean to him in so short a span of time. When he'd first met her, he noticed the outer trimmings, been drawn to them, but he'd also been aware of an inner steel, a fortitude that appealed even more. She was strength and courage and determination.
***********************************
"If I say I will stand by your side in a ballroom, stand by your side I will. Anyone who crosses you crosses me. And trust me, sweetheart, no one would dare cross me."
***********************************
" . . . How better their world would be if you were in it. You've been strong for so long. Lean on me, trust me to take care of you."
***********************************
"Always. That's what we want, isn't it? Love for always. For some always is a short time. For others it is long. What matters is that we had a chance at it at all."
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