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Restoration #2
Silver Deceptions
In New York Times bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries’s classic, revised novel, originally written as Deborah Martin, London Theater’s newest actress is determined to find out secrets about her past.
Arriving in a cloak of mystery, London Theater’s newest actress, Annabelle Taylor, quickly became known as “The Silver Swan.” While she loved performing for her adoring audiences every night, Annabelle secretly longed to draw out the aristocratic father who abandoned her and her mother years ago.
Sent to unmask her identity, Colin Jeffreys, Marquis of Hampden, had only his dashing good looks and desirable kisses to use as bait. Sparring with wit and half-truths, Colin and Annabelle soon realized what they truly wanted was a night of passion. But when Annabelle’s vengeful quest traps her in a nest of deceit and treachery, she realizes she must place her faith in Colin—a man she doesn’t trust, but can’t resist.
Arriving in a cloak of mystery, London Theater’s newest actress, Annabelle Taylor, quickly became known as “The Silver Swan.” While she loved performing for her adoring audiences every night, Annabelle secretly longed to draw out the aristocratic father who abandoned her and her mother years ago.
Sent to unmask her identity, Colin Jeffreys, Marquis of Hampden, had only his dashing good looks and desirable kisses to use as bait. Sparring with wit and half-truths, Colin and Annabelle soon realized what they truly wanted was a night of passion. But when Annabelle’s vengeful quest traps her in a nest of deceit and treachery, she realizes she must place her faith in Colin—a man she doesn’t trust, but can’t resist.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1994
68 people are currently reading
586 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Martin
20 books60 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Pseudonym of Sabrina Jeffries, under which she wrote eight historical romance novels, Moonlight Enchantment, Creole Nights, By Love Unveiled, Silver Deceptions, Dangerous Angel, Stormswept, Windswept, and Creole Bride, and contributed to two anthologies, A Dance with the Devil, and One Night with a Rogue.
Pseudonym of Sabrina Jeffries, under which she wrote eight historical romance novels, Moonlight Enchantment, Creole Nights, By Love Unveiled, Silver Deceptions, Dangerous Angel, Stormswept, Windswept, and Creole Bride, and contributed to two anthologies, A Dance with the Devil, and One Night with a Rogue.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
October 20, 2022
Read: 10/17/22
1.5 stars
Normally, I love Sabrina Jefferies books! They are usually fun, easy reads. So what the HELL happened with this book!!! Did she have an acid trip and accidentally sent this crap to the publisher? The other books in series were very well done but this story's plot was ridiculous 🙄
Plot: The h wanted to get back at her father for abandoning her pregnant mother during the war. Her revenge is to take to the stage using his spy name. She wants to embarrass the man (who's identity she doesn't even know) by being a promiscuous actress in order to embarrass him. That will show him!!
I really wish I could get back the hours of reading this preposterous book. Take my advise and skip this one!
1.5 stars
Normally, I love Sabrina Jefferies books! They are usually fun, easy reads. So what the HELL happened with this book!!! Did she have an acid trip and accidentally sent this crap to the publisher? The other books in series were very well done but this story's plot was ridiculous 🙄
Plot: The h wanted to get back at her father for abandoning her pregnant mother during the war. Her revenge is to take to the stage using his spy name. She wants to embarrass the man (who's identity she doesn't even know) by being a promiscuous actress in order to embarrass him. That will show him!!
I really wish I could get back the hours of reading this preposterous book. Take my advise and skip this one!
December 7, 2017
I'm not enjoying this. I don't like the relationship between the leads; it just doesn't feel convincing. Colin gets jealous of Annabelle's supposed lovers the second he lays eyes on her. To make matters worse, there's a convenient excuse for her being a virgin. So every other actress is a whore and a wanton, and she's the only virgin one (though she cultivated the reputation of a wanton). She's also adamant about not bearing a bastard child, which is why she won't sleep with anyone, but the second Colin gives her an orgasm, she throws her convictions right out the window for that D.
I guess I have high expectations, but so far none of the author's other books (written as Sabrina Jeffries or under the pseudonym Deborah Martin) have lived up to Stormswept, which I absolutely loved.
DNF at 51%
I guess I have high expectations, but so far none of the author's other books (written as Sabrina Jeffries or under the pseudonym Deborah Martin) have lived up to Stormswept, which I absolutely loved.
DNF at 51%
January 13, 2019
The setting never quite felt like the 1600's. Characters never seemed, I guess, relatable would be the word. The maid was fun though. Portrayal of Buckingham suitably menacing . Emotional scenes were well-done, as were the scenes set in the theatre.
Heroine was on the 'meh' side. The revenge she concocted was rather juvenile (let me prance around and make him ashamed of me? Umm really? Sooo devastating indeed).
What actually happened was better, but on the whole a rather strange plot. Characters also came to some very childish conclusions throughout, especially with regards to inciting jealousy being thought a good tactic by two experienced women advising an innocent. Interesting to see an early work of the author's. Glad she had the time to develop which many of the new people today don't get, because she certainly matured as a writer later on.
Heroine was on the 'meh' side. The revenge she concocted was rather juvenile (let me prance around and make him ashamed of me? Umm really? Sooo devastating indeed).
What actually happened was better, but on the whole a rather strange plot. Characters also came to some very childish conclusions throughout, especially with regards to inciting jealousy being thought a good tactic by two experienced women advising an innocent. Interesting to see an early work of the author's. Glad she had the time to develop which many of the new people today don't get, because she certainly matured as a writer later on.
July 1, 2025
This was a fun plot but the main characters were too into each other too fast and the FMC was so wishy washy about EVERYTHING. She came in so strong and then fell apart once the man was there. It was disappointing.
February 12, 2015
I can't even begin to describe how much I loved this book!!
When I found out that Sabrina Jeffries wrote books under the pen name Deborah Martin, I was eager to check them out. I read By Love Unveiled and loved it - it was reminiscent of some of the older historicals I read when I was younger - and when I read about Colin in that book - I wanted more! I waited impatiently for this book to be released for kindle and it was so worth the wait!!!
Colin is my perfect hero - he is smart, sexy, protective, possessive and loyal to his friends. Yes he kept secrets from Annabelle - but she did too - so I felt like they were even.
Annabelle has had a very hard life and only wants one thing - to destroy the man who ruined her mother. She comes up with a plan to catch her fathers attention and then to humiliate him. Everything is going according to her plan - until her father sends Colin to ferret out her secrets.
Sparks fly between these two from the very beginning and don't stop. I felt their desire, their passion and their guilt. It is such a well written story. The plot is interesting, the love scenes steamy, the secondary characters entertaining, it is set in the restoration period and has the sweetest epilogue I have ever read - what more could you want???
I sincerely hope more of Ms Jeffries Deborah Martin books are made available in kindle format - because if these two books are any indication - I think I will love them all!!
When I found out that Sabrina Jeffries wrote books under the pen name Deborah Martin, I was eager to check them out. I read By Love Unveiled and loved it - it was reminiscent of some of the older historicals I read when I was younger - and when I read about Colin in that book - I wanted more! I waited impatiently for this book to be released for kindle and it was so worth the wait!!!
Colin is my perfect hero - he is smart, sexy, protective, possessive and loyal to his friends. Yes he kept secrets from Annabelle - but she did too - so I felt like they were even.
Annabelle has had a very hard life and only wants one thing - to destroy the man who ruined her mother. She comes up with a plan to catch her fathers attention and then to humiliate him. Everything is going according to her plan - until her father sends Colin to ferret out her secrets.
Sparks fly between these two from the very beginning and don't stop. I felt their desire, their passion and their guilt. It is such a well written story. The plot is interesting, the love scenes steamy, the secondary characters entertaining, it is set in the restoration period and has the sweetest epilogue I have ever read - what more could you want???
I sincerely hope more of Ms Jeffries Deborah Martin books are made available in kindle format - because if these two books are any indication - I think I will love them all!!
January 8, 2015
Wonderful writing as usual. But something seems missing. It dragged and did not hold my interest the entire way through.
March 16, 2024
This was my first time reading anything by Sabrina Jeffries. And eh, it was fine. I enjoyed the unusual historical setting (England 1667/8) and the writing was decently snappy and kept a brisk pace. But it was basically insta-love—while they’re not immediately IN love, they’ve only spent a total of like three days or nights together by the time they say "I love you." So let me just roll my eyes.
I was also VERY annoyed that we get this lovely moment of the hero explaining condoms to the heroine, and then he proceeds to not only not use one, but not even pull out either!!! They have a whole conversation where she tells him that she's a bastard and the thing she fears most about having sex is becoming pregnant, he tells her he understands and explains the way condoms work, they discuss the fact that the reason she's never heard of such a thing is because men find it less enjoyable to use them, and so of course, they keep this information from women, and then like ten pages later he's coming inside her. I???? Admittedly she tells him it's okay to not use the condom but I just assumed he would pull out??? Whatever, I can't.
Character details: Jaded, former spy hero, bastard/illegitimate turned nobleman. Revenge-motivated, actress bastard heroine.
On top of the condom conundrum, the hero also repetitively says "hell and furies" as his exclamation of choice?? He also has this ridiculous thing of acting like he's better than other men, literally every time the heroine complains about sexism and mistreatment at the hands of men he goes, "well not all men are like that you know." I kid you not, he literally says the words "not all men" MULTIPLE TIMES. I guess he's NLOG??? (Not like other guys <3)
I also cringed at the fact that the hero wants to move to the colonies, specifically the "very fertile Virginia," and they DO settle there at the end and the epilogue makes mention of their plantation house. But NO mention of slavery one way or the other. Woof.
I was also VERY annoyed that we get this lovely moment of the hero explaining condoms to the heroine, and then he proceeds to not only not use one, but not even pull out either!!! They have a whole conversation where she tells him that she's a bastard and the thing she fears most about having sex is becoming pregnant, he tells her he understands and explains the way condoms work, they discuss the fact that the reason she's never heard of such a thing is because men find it less enjoyable to use them, and so of course, they keep this information from women, and then like ten pages later he's coming inside her. I???? Admittedly she tells him it's okay to not use the condom but I just assumed he would pull out??? Whatever, I can't.
Character details: Jaded, former spy hero, bastard/illegitimate turned nobleman. Revenge-motivated, actress bastard heroine.
On top of the condom conundrum, the hero also repetitively says "hell and furies" as his exclamation of choice?? He also has this ridiculous thing of acting like he's better than other men, literally every time the heroine complains about sexism and mistreatment at the hands of men he goes, "well not all men are like that you know." I kid you not, he literally says the words "not all men" MULTIPLE TIMES. I guess he's NLOG??? (Not like other guys <3)
I also cringed at the fact that the hero wants to move to the colonies, specifically the "very fertile Virginia," and they DO settle there at the end and the epilogue makes mention of their plantation house. But NO mention of slavery one way or the other. Woof.
February 13, 2018
Nope, I did not like this one. The plot was silly and I could not be bothered to read till the end for the 'big' conclusion about A DNF for me.
It just didn't make sense. Not in a logical way and not in an emotional one.
When you set out to create a bad reputation to hurt your father while you are in the process of finding out who he actually is, what is the point of keeping it a secret? Why not let everyone know The more you talk about it, the faster and better your ploy would work.
The heroine is treated badly by men and a few times in the book it is made clear she does not trust any man and maybe even hates them. Then why not embrace her plan fully?
The writing wasn't bad, but I couldn't like the characters and the silly plot had me annoyed too much to finish the book.
It just didn't make sense. Not in a logical way and not in an emotional one.
When you set out to create a bad reputation to hurt your father while you are in the process of finding out who he actually is, what is the point of keeping it a secret? Why not let everyone know The more you talk about it, the faster and better your ploy would work.
The heroine is treated badly by men and a few times in the book it is made clear she does not trust any man and maybe even hates them. Then why not embrace her plan fully?
The writing wasn't bad, but I couldn't like the characters and the silly plot had me annoyed too much to finish the book.
October 30, 2019
Decent book, though the last half of the book could have been better.
Heroines mother was left pregnant and alone. She ended up marrying a squire in order to give her child legitimacy.
The step father was abusive and the mother ends up killing him. She is arrested and hanged.
The heroine decides that she will seek out her real father and cause a scandal by becoming an actress. She takes on the name "silver swan" in order to draw him out, since that is the nickname her real father had.
The hero, unbeknownst to her, is hired by her real father to investigate who she is.
The heroine , though an actress is untouched, but pretends that she has had relations with men in order to create an impression that she is a walking scandal.
Violence- Fist a cuff
Sex- typical RM
Heroines mother was left pregnant and alone. She ended up marrying a squire in order to give her child legitimacy.
The step father was abusive and the mother ends up killing him. She is arrested and hanged.
The heroine decides that she will seek out her real father and cause a scandal by becoming an actress. She takes on the name "silver swan" in order to draw him out, since that is the nickname her real father had.
The hero, unbeknownst to her, is hired by her real father to investigate who she is.
The heroine , though an actress is untouched, but pretends that she has had relations with men in order to create an impression that she is a walking scandal.
Violence- Fist a cuff
Sex- typical RM
May 26, 2018
Not a fan. He uses her as a sex object to get her to reveal her secrets. What's romantic about that? She seems utterly silly to have fallen for it. And even when she does find out that he's been using her, she goes right back to him. There was also no pivotal moment in the story, it just told the story of two people lying to each other and making a mess out of things. Too many characters, with none of them being fleshed out and a few being utterly ridiculous sounding. They seemed more fit for a spoof movie like "Robin Hood: Men in Tights."
September 19, 2020
3.5 stars
TW: Abuse
This is about Annabelle, an actress and Colin, a former spy who is sent to investigate Annabelle and winds up falling for her. This was a very angsty story, but it kept me pulled into it.
TW: Abuse
This is about Annabelle, an actress and Colin, a former spy who is sent to investigate Annabelle and winds up falling for her. This was a very angsty story, but it kept me pulled into it.
June 30, 2017
Wonderful sequel to "By Love Unveiled". Too bad there aren't more to the series.
September 2, 2018
Emotional roller coaster. Witty dialog and strong characters.
August 26, 2016
I read more than 20 Sabrina Jeffries' books before this one written under an other name. I can testify she can write historical romance really well and her writing style has improved with time, but I don't think this one will show how much she's talented.
This story begin with a heartbreaking scene. The heroine witness her mother's hanging. Annabelle's stepfather was beating her and her mom for so long that one day, her mother couldn't take it anymore and killed him. That's why she was sentenced to death. From that time on, Annabelle only had one goal in life : find who she think is the real responsible for the tragedy ; the man who abandonned her and her mom ; her real father.
One year later, she still hasn't find him but her plan for revenge is already set. She's now an actress and is known as the silver swan. She hope it will draw her father's attention because it's a name he used to sign a poem. Even if she's still pure, she managed to start rumors about herself and fake being a wanton ; everything to pass for a whore. That's her big plan: to have the worst possible reputation so when the man who fathered her learn she's his daughter, he'll be so embarassed and he'll be the laughingstock of the ton.
Right from the beginning I thought it was a silly plan and I didn't understand why she thought him guilty for her mother's death. But pain can make people do some silly and incomprehensible things. And I think since the real culprit is dead she had to seek revenge elsewhere. You can feel she's hurting so bad and it's stop her from seeing reason. She's so ready to do whatever it takes that it doesn't matter if she ruin her reputation. It made her appear haughty at the beginning. But that doesn't mean she's coldhearted. She fed the urchins on the streets every chance she gets.
Colin, the Marquess of Hampden, is hired by a friend to spy on Annabelle to determine if she's a spy. Lord Walcester wants to know why this woman use his nickname. Colin, being a spy himself, is used to being in control. It comes at a complete surprise to him why this woman intrigue him that much and why he can't get her out of his mind.
There's a couple of details that made me say Sabrina Jeffries certainly improved her writing style. Annabelle is so set on avoiding being with child (she doesn't want any children of her to know the shame of being a bastard like she was) but suddenly when Colin bed her she doesn't mind anymore if he doesn't take precautions. And she sought revenge for more than a year and is so determined about it but when the hero ask her to forget her plan, she obey immediately. It doesn't make any sense to me. I don't like the fact he rifled through her belongings after they became intimated because she refused to tell him the truth. It show they both don't trust the other. And later he demand that she tell him the truth but he doesn't do the same.
But it's sweet what he say to her to convince her to marry him. And I like the fact the things with her father were not automatically arranged as if by magic. There was a transition about their relashionship. And the story found a second wind when she meet him and when she goes to see the King about the poem.
This story begin with a heartbreaking scene. The heroine witness her mother's hanging. Annabelle's stepfather was beating her and her mom for so long that one day, her mother couldn't take it anymore and killed him. That's why she was sentenced to death. From that time on, Annabelle only had one goal in life : find who she think is the real responsible for the tragedy ; the man who abandonned her and her mom ; her real father.
One year later, she still hasn't find him but her plan for revenge is already set. She's now an actress and is known as the silver swan. She hope it will draw her father's attention because it's a name he used to sign a poem. Even if she's still pure, she managed to start rumors about herself and fake being a wanton ; everything to pass for a whore. That's her big plan: to have the worst possible reputation so when the man who fathered her learn she's his daughter, he'll be so embarassed and he'll be the laughingstock of the ton.
Right from the beginning I thought it was a silly plan and I didn't understand why she thought him guilty for her mother's death. But pain can make people do some silly and incomprehensible things. And I think since the real culprit is dead she had to seek revenge elsewhere. You can feel she's hurting so bad and it's stop her from seeing reason. She's so ready to do whatever it takes that it doesn't matter if she ruin her reputation. It made her appear haughty at the beginning. But that doesn't mean she's coldhearted. She fed the urchins on the streets every chance she gets.
Colin, the Marquess of Hampden, is hired by a friend to spy on Annabelle to determine if she's a spy. Lord Walcester wants to know why this woman use his nickname. Colin, being a spy himself, is used to being in control. It comes at a complete surprise to him why this woman intrigue him that much and why he can't get her out of his mind.
There's a couple of details that made me say Sabrina Jeffries certainly improved her writing style. Annabelle is so set on avoiding being with child (she doesn't want any children of her to know the shame of being a bastard like she was) but suddenly when Colin bed her she doesn't mind anymore if he doesn't take precautions. And she sought revenge for more than a year and is so determined about it but when the hero ask her to forget her plan, she obey immediately. It doesn't make any sense to me. I don't like the fact he rifled through her belongings after they became intimated because she refused to tell him the truth. It show they both don't trust the other. And later he demand that she tell him the truth but he doesn't do the same.
But it's sweet what he say to her to convince her to marry him. And I like the fact the things with her father were not automatically arranged as if by magic. There was a transition about their relashionship. And the story found a second wind when she meet him and when she goes to see the King about the poem.
January 4, 2016
One of the good things, or not so good things about me, is that I can believe ANYTHING. I can suspend my belief for any story. I could not suspend my belief for this one.
Maybe romance stories aren't for me.
This was agonizing to get through.
Dare I say that Fifty Shades of Grey, the only other romance I read, was better?!
Let's start with the setting. Late 1600's London, England.
You could pick up all of these characters, and set them in ANY part of the world or time period, and it wouldn't make any difference. I had difficulty believing it was 1600's England.
The way the characters interact with each other is also unbelievable. There isn't a standard set for how these characters should interact, so when Colin Jeffreys accosts Annabelle Taylor I didn't feel like there were any rules. Annabelle Taylor at some point goes to seek an audience with the King. That same night she is shown to him and witnesses an intimate setting between him and his friends and advisors. Since when does a commoner, an actress who is one step above a whore according to this world, and who also dismissed the King's advances (fake illness), immediately gets to talk to the King. She did say she have some scandalous news, but governments around the world have call centers for those kinds of things.
I'm also sick of the "virgin losing her innocence" theme. In this particular book she could have easily not have been a virgin. Colin Jeffreys could have been written as the only man who ever had her affection. But, I do concede that the romance genre usually has this kind of a sick, harmful to women, and pandering to society's expectations of women theme, so I can't really criticize too much about it.
I felt the romance was forced. Annabelle and Colin lusted after one another. Once they developed feelings, neither one of them trusted each other. As the story drudgingly moves along, clues of each others secrets get revealed where they rapturously love each other one minute then question each other the next, and because this is romance this whole thing is unnecessarily annoying because you know these two will end up together.
I didn't care much for the plot. Basically Annabelle wants to get revenge on her real father who abandoned her mother who then had to marry an abusive man who she then killed who is later hanged for the crime leaving Annabelle to almost fend for herself. All Annabelle has are clues that her father is someone with a title, so she becomes a fake-wanton actress in London, calling herself what she guesses is her father's code name, in hopes to draw him out and to shame him.
There were no stakes. It was going to be a happily ever after no matter what. Maybe I'm just too cynical.
Out of the four books I bought at a discount, I thought THIS was the one I would enjoy the most.
Maybe romance stories aren't for me.
This was agonizing to get through.
Dare I say that Fifty Shades of Grey, the only other romance I read, was better?!
Let's start with the setting. Late 1600's London, England.
You could pick up all of these characters, and set them in ANY part of the world or time period, and it wouldn't make any difference. I had difficulty believing it was 1600's England.
The way the characters interact with each other is also unbelievable. There isn't a standard set for how these characters should interact, so when Colin Jeffreys accosts Annabelle Taylor I didn't feel like there were any rules. Annabelle Taylor at some point goes to seek an audience with the King. That same night she is shown to him and witnesses an intimate setting between him and his friends and advisors. Since when does a commoner, an actress who is one step above a whore according to this world, and who also dismissed the King's advances (fake illness), immediately gets to talk to the King. She did say she have some scandalous news, but governments around the world have call centers for those kinds of things.
I'm also sick of the "virgin losing her innocence" theme. In this particular book she could have easily not have been a virgin. Colin Jeffreys could have been written as the only man who ever had her affection. But, I do concede that the romance genre usually has this kind of a sick, harmful to women, and pandering to society's expectations of women theme, so I can't really criticize too much about it.
I felt the romance was forced. Annabelle and Colin lusted after one another. Once they developed feelings, neither one of them trusted each other. As the story drudgingly moves along, clues of each others secrets get revealed where they rapturously love each other one minute then question each other the next, and because this is romance this whole thing is unnecessarily annoying because you know these two will end up together.
I didn't care much for the plot. Basically Annabelle wants to get revenge on her real father who abandoned her mother who then had to marry an abusive man who she then killed who is later hanged for the crime leaving Annabelle to almost fend for herself. All Annabelle has are clues that her father is someone with a title, so she becomes a fake-wanton actress in London, calling herself what she guesses is her father's code name, in hopes to draw him out and to shame him.
There were no stakes. It was going to be a happily ever after no matter what. Maybe I'm just too cynical.
Out of the four books I bought at a discount, I thought THIS was the one I would enjoy the most.
March 17, 2025
Can we....not?
First off, the plot is around this girl named Annabelle Taylor (tho she goes by Annabelle Maynard) as she goes to London to act like a slutty actress to shame her dad (who, fyi, she doesn't even know the NAME of) after her mom is hanged for killing the stepdad.
So instead of using her reasoning- daddy went to get the milk and abandoned by mom with a kid, but maybe it's my abusive stepdad fault she died and not his?- she decides.
-Im going to fuck up my birth dad's life!-
A, I wholeheartedly approve any chaos, regardless of how illogical.
B, wtf.
There were a bunch of characters with no relevance...?
Characters
Lord Somerset- Convenient fuck, incredibly stupid (minimum relevance)
Lord Charles- Just there to cause trouble and have a small wiener (miniscule relevance-like his dick)
Sir John- rake turned domestic man off page cause of a maid...? Yeah, idk too
Charity- Proud woman Annabelle views to be like an older sister before promptly making her into a maid who she talks down to. Wtf?
Aphra- queen bitch, love her, men suck
Colin- he can just go eat his own ass, the manipulative shit. He yelled at Annabelle, emotionally abused her, and we're supposed to root for him?
Walcaster- i don't even get him. He literally almost attacked Annabelle, but at the end, he's just a...normal guy? Who she forgives and accepts? Any man that can be violent toward me ain't getting anywhere near my kids
Moll Taylor- whore. That's it. She's apparently just a slut, even tho theater life was cutthroat back then, and if you didn't take a few protectors, you would die broke and used. She was villanized because she wasn't chaste and innocent like Annabelle, but she also didn't have a back out route like Annabelle. A safety net. Think about that for a minute.
King Charles- partying idiot (*frat boy*)
Rochester- Voldemort, but without the personality. Or teenage hotness
Lord Falkham- teasing friend, overprotective husband
Lady Falkham- convenient female friend there to show Colin has emotions and depth.
It was just a big mess. There were a lot of characters that didn't matter, a convoluted plot that pissed me off, characters that annoyed me, and the never ending lying and misunderstandings-
JUST HAVE A FUCKING CONVERSATION YOU TWATS
YOURE SUPPOSED TO BE FUNCTIONING ADULTS NOT HORMONAL ADOLESCENTS
ugh.
It was decent, I guess, but not the best. I wouldn't recommend, if you value your sanity.
I don't.
First off, the plot is around this girl named Annabelle Taylor (tho she goes by Annabelle Maynard) as she goes to London to act like a slutty actress to shame her dad (who, fyi, she doesn't even know the NAME of) after her mom is hanged for killing the stepdad.
So instead of using her reasoning- daddy went to get the milk and abandoned by mom with a kid, but maybe it's my abusive stepdad fault she died and not his?- she decides.
-Im going to fuck up my birth dad's life!-
A, I wholeheartedly approve any chaos, regardless of how illogical.
B, wtf.
There were a bunch of characters with no relevance...?
Characters
Lord Somerset- Convenient fuck, incredibly stupid (minimum relevance)
Lord Charles- Just there to cause trouble and have a small wiener (miniscule relevance-like his dick)
Sir John- rake turned domestic man off page cause of a maid...? Yeah, idk too
Charity- Proud woman Annabelle views to be like an older sister before promptly making her into a maid who she talks down to. Wtf?
Aphra- queen bitch, love her, men suck
Colin- he can just go eat his own ass, the manipulative shit. He yelled at Annabelle, emotionally abused her, and we're supposed to root for him?
Walcaster- i don't even get him. He literally almost attacked Annabelle, but at the end, he's just a...normal guy? Who she forgives and accepts? Any man that can be violent toward me ain't getting anywhere near my kids
Moll Taylor- whore. That's it. She's apparently just a slut, even tho theater life was cutthroat back then, and if you didn't take a few protectors, you would die broke and used. She was villanized because she wasn't chaste and innocent like Annabelle, but she also didn't have a back out route like Annabelle. A safety net. Think about that for a minute.
King Charles- partying idiot (*frat boy*)
Rochester- Voldemort, but without the personality. Or teenage hotness
Lord Falkham- teasing friend, overprotective husband
Lady Falkham- convenient female friend there to show Colin has emotions and depth.
It was just a big mess. There were a lot of characters that didn't matter, a convoluted plot that pissed me off, characters that annoyed me, and the never ending lying and misunderstandings-
JUST HAVE A FUCKING CONVERSATION YOU TWATS
YOURE SUPPOSED TO BE FUNCTIONING ADULTS NOT HORMONAL ADOLESCENTS
ugh.
It was decent, I guess, but not the best. I wouldn't recommend, if you value your sanity.
I don't.
June 20, 2016
This book was okay. Colin and Annabelle were perfectly fine as the story's hero and heroine, and Deborah Martin (actually Sabrina Jeffries), created a plausible tale as the two fell in love. I was immediately drawn in during the book's first chapter, as the reader immediately sympathizes with the trauma Annabelle experienced both in the past (during years of physical and emotional abuse), and in the present (as she watches her mother's execution). However, despite her outlandish desire for vengeance against an absent father, these traumas never seem to affect her in a visceral way. Annabelle craves vengeance more than anything, however her plot to humiliate her father, a nobleman, is just plain silly, for lack of a better word.
The espionage element to this story is woefully underused. I feel like it could have made this a far more complex tale, a la Stephanie Laurens. However, the code name "Silver Swan" turns out to be not that much of a mystery and Colin, who was supposedly a master spy, does nothing more than ask people questions. I found my mind wandering to other topics while I was trying to finish this story.
Not much separated this story from a Regency-era romance. Silver Deceptions, set in the 1600s, includes very little scenery description and only vague details regarding clothing, behaviors, and London society.
Colin and Annabelle were my favorite part of Silver Deceptions. Martin successfully created a well-matched couple, drawn to each other through mutual childhood pain, a strong attraction, and equal desires to escape the nonsense drama of the English court. The book's Epilogue was my favorite - after slogging through much of a predictable story, I found myself enchanted by the home Colin and Annabelle created in the colonies. In fact, it was the only point where I wished the book had additional pages. Both Colin and Annabelle reached contentment in the Americas and began a loving family, which, I suppose, is the ultimate goal of romance novels. 3/5 - relatively predictable story, but engaging attraction between the hero and heroine.
The espionage element to this story is woefully underused. I feel like it could have made this a far more complex tale, a la Stephanie Laurens. However, the code name "Silver Swan" turns out to be not that much of a mystery and Colin, who was supposedly a master spy, does nothing more than ask people questions. I found my mind wandering to other topics while I was trying to finish this story.
Not much separated this story from a Regency-era romance. Silver Deceptions, set in the 1600s, includes very little scenery description and only vague details regarding clothing, behaviors, and London society.
Colin and Annabelle were my favorite part of Silver Deceptions. Martin successfully created a well-matched couple, drawn to each other through mutual childhood pain, a strong attraction, and equal desires to escape the nonsense drama of the English court. The book's Epilogue was my favorite - after slogging through much of a predictable story, I found myself enchanted by the home Colin and Annabelle created in the colonies. In fact, it was the only point where I wished the book had additional pages. Both Colin and Annabelle reached contentment in the Americas and began a loving family, which, I suppose, is the ultimate goal of romance novels. 3/5 - relatively predictable story, but engaging attraction between the hero and heroine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2015
Of course, our heroine Annabelle, has a reason for coming to London to trod the boards. The early part of the novel give us a very chilling explanation of her reasons. Annabelle’s nickname of “The Silver Swan” has more implications than she originally thought, again we find this out very quickly. And then we dive into the story.
Colin and Annabelle were a charming, sexy and, at times, frustrating couple. Both to themselves and to the reader. I kept wanting to prod one or the other to just tell them the truth! But of course, they never listened to me.
Each has a hidden agenda, and each has their suspicions of the other. But despite that hurdle, the attraction between them is strong and believable. And very sensual. While the sexy scenes were at times charmingly awkward, they also became very hot, very fast.
I adored Annabelle’s friend/maid Charity. She was street-smart enough, sassy enough, loyal and had her own side story within Annabelle and Colin’s.
What this novel really brought to light as Annabelle and Colin’s love story progressed, was the reality of life for women during this time. Men truly did rule as a king in their own households. Women and children had no recourse outside of their home or village when the men in their lives were abusive toward them. It was never the man’s fault, it was the woman’s because she didn’t do (fill in the blank) fast or well enough. With all of the glamorous looking back at the time through novels and movies — the reality was most often quite gritty, horrific and unfair.
I really enjoyed the characters in Silver Deceptions. I found them to be well-rounded, believable (even at their worst) and an overall very good story.
I would definitely recommend it. If you love Historical Romance you would enjoy this novel.
Colin and Annabelle were a charming, sexy and, at times, frustrating couple. Both to themselves and to the reader. I kept wanting to prod one or the other to just tell them the truth! But of course, they never listened to me.
Each has a hidden agenda, and each has their suspicions of the other. But despite that hurdle, the attraction between them is strong and believable. And very sensual. While the sexy scenes were at times charmingly awkward, they also became very hot, very fast.
I adored Annabelle’s friend/maid Charity. She was street-smart enough, sassy enough, loyal and had her own side story within Annabelle and Colin’s.
What this novel really brought to light as Annabelle and Colin’s love story progressed, was the reality of life for women during this time. Men truly did rule as a king in their own households. Women and children had no recourse outside of their home or village when the men in their lives were abusive toward them. It was never the man’s fault, it was the woman’s because she didn’t do (fill in the blank) fast or well enough. With all of the glamorous looking back at the time through novels and movies — the reality was most often quite gritty, horrific and unfair.
I really enjoyed the characters in Silver Deceptions. I found them to be well-rounded, believable (even at their worst) and an overall very good story.
I would definitely recommend it. If you love Historical Romance you would enjoy this novel.
January 3, 2015
Let me just say that this was a very good book by one of my favorite authors. I have always enjoyed her older ones especially Storm Swept written under Deborah Martin (which I've read).
When first reading this, you will be surprised at the horrible fate of women during this time period. There was no real courts that only had a magistrate to reign over whatever the fate for those poor people. It was the tale of one woman who had killed her husband because she and her daughter were being abused. The daughter's name is Annabelle (who watched while her mother was hanged for the deed). Annabelle has no family left but her real father who abandoned her mother before she was born and had to marry the ever evil step father (who was killed by her mom). So Annabelle decides to go to London with a plan!
She now is the London's most exciting actress on the stage and goes by the name of "The Silver Swan". Annabelle hopes to get revenge on the coward her father is and expose him to the world. But there is danger in the form of one handsome man who will unmask her for what she is. A notorious, deceitful woman who Colin Jeffreys, Marquis of Hampden, who will do what he must do to uncover secrets that will hurt others. He is a spy with lots of ways to get what he wants. He wants to bed the lovely woman who tempts his soul with kisses and caresses that drive him mad. He feels something special with this woman. Could it be love or is it just lust? Can Annabelle really love this man who makes her dream of happy ever after? Will Colin and Annabelle ever get the truth they both are seeking? Can Annabelle forget about revenge and trust Colin's love to see her through this? So many twist and turns you won't want to miss reading another winner by Ms Jeffires.
When first reading this, you will be surprised at the horrible fate of women during this time period. There was no real courts that only had a magistrate to reign over whatever the fate for those poor people. It was the tale of one woman who had killed her husband because she and her daughter were being abused. The daughter's name is Annabelle (who watched while her mother was hanged for the deed). Annabelle has no family left but her real father who abandoned her mother before she was born and had to marry the ever evil step father (who was killed by her mom). So Annabelle decides to go to London with a plan!
She now is the London's most exciting actress on the stage and goes by the name of "The Silver Swan". Annabelle hopes to get revenge on the coward her father is and expose him to the world. But there is danger in the form of one handsome man who will unmask her for what she is. A notorious, deceitful woman who Colin Jeffreys, Marquis of Hampden, who will do what he must do to uncover secrets that will hurt others. He is a spy with lots of ways to get what he wants. He wants to bed the lovely woman who tempts his soul with kisses and caresses that drive him mad. He feels something special with this woman. Could it be love or is it just lust? Can Annabelle really love this man who makes her dream of happy ever after? Will Colin and Annabelle ever get the truth they both are seeking? Can Annabelle forget about revenge and trust Colin's love to see her through this? So many twist and turns you won't want to miss reading another winner by Ms Jeffires.
October 18, 2016
Barusan aja kelar baca buku ini hari ini. Sebenernya ada bumbu spionase tapi ga begitu kental. Jadi begini sinopsisnya. Diawali dari proses eksekusi ibunya Anabelle (nama heroine kita, bukan nama boneka horror ya) yang dihukum gantung karena menikam sampai tewas suaminya sendiri sekaligus ayah tirinya si anabelle. Anabelle pun berjanji pada dirinya sendiri utk balas dendam ke ayah biologisnya yang tega ninggalin ibunya saat ia mengandung dan akibatnya Anabelle mengalami nasib tragis begini. Kebetulan ada clue puisi dan nama julukan Silver Swan. Akhirnya nama Silver Swan itu dijadiin nama panggung Anabelle ketika ia berusaha mencari ayahnya. Anabelle memilih profesi jadi aktris teater dengan harapan bisa ketemu bangsawan dan orang2 penting, kali-kali aja bisa dapat info tentang siapa ayahnya tsb.
Sampai akhirnya dia ketemu dengan Collin-Lord Hampden, salah satu fans yang nguber-nguber Anabelle dan kepengen ngejadiin Anabelle mistressnya. Sebenernya si Collin ini disuruh ayah kandungnya Anabelle buat nyelidiki siapa sebenernya si Anabelle ini. Soalnya tanpa diketahui Anabelle, nickname Silver Swan adalah nama sandi mata-mata yang dipakai ayah biologis Anabelle sewaktu masih bertugas. Otomatis Anabelle pun diincar bahaya dong. Mata-mata kan musuhnya banyak.
Seductionnya si Collin pun berhasil dgn sukses. Hahaha... siapa yang kuat digodain Adonis. Keren deh seductionnya. Sabrina Jeffies emang top abis klo bikin novel romance.
Sampai akhirnya dia ketemu dengan Collin-Lord Hampden, salah satu fans yang nguber-nguber Anabelle dan kepengen ngejadiin Anabelle mistressnya. Sebenernya si Collin ini disuruh ayah kandungnya Anabelle buat nyelidiki siapa sebenernya si Anabelle ini. Soalnya tanpa diketahui Anabelle, nickname Silver Swan adalah nama sandi mata-mata yang dipakai ayah biologis Anabelle sewaktu masih bertugas. Otomatis Anabelle pun diincar bahaya dong. Mata-mata kan musuhnya banyak.
Seductionnya si Collin pun berhasil dgn sukses. Hahaha... siapa yang kuat digodain Adonis. Keren deh seductionnya. Sabrina Jeffies emang top abis klo bikin novel romance.
April 14, 2020
Restoration Book Two
Annabelle was devastated by the hanging of her mother for the murder of her step-father. After suffering his abuse for years, she doesn't regret his death. Now she is looking for revenge against her biological father for abandoning her mother in the first place, but she has to find him first. The only clue she has is a poem he had her mother deliver signed "The Silver Swan." She set herself up as an actress known as the Silver Swan with his surname "Maynard" to draw him out. Meanwhile, her father has sent Colin to see why this actress is trying to find him. On the assumption that she is a spy, Colin sets about trying to seduce the information out of her.
If you're looking for an historical romance with intrigue and mystery thrown into the mix, this is the book for you!
Annabelle was devastated by the hanging of her mother for the murder of her step-father. After suffering his abuse for years, she doesn't regret his death. Now she is looking for revenge against her biological father for abandoning her mother in the first place, but she has to find him first. The only clue she has is a poem he had her mother deliver signed "The Silver Swan." She set herself up as an actress known as the Silver Swan with his surname "Maynard" to draw him out. Meanwhile, her father has sent Colin to see why this actress is trying to find him. On the assumption that she is a spy, Colin sets about trying to seduce the information out of her.
If you're looking for an historical romance with intrigue and mystery thrown into the mix, this is the book for you!
October 5, 2015
Silver Deceptions was written under the name Deborah Martin, but it has Sabrina Jeffries all over it! I was drawn to Annabelle and felt her sorrow and heart break at the beginning of the book, then pleasure and passion at the end. Her plan is to pretend to be a London actress to draw out the man who deserted her mother. Annabelle has a letter from that man calling himself the “Silver Swan” and she uses it as a stage name. Colin Jeffreys is sent to discover her true identity and purpose. Is she a spy?
Sabrina weaves a story rich with emotion. I felt the heartbreak when Annabelle’s mother died (I even cried.) I laughed at the some of the characters and scenes. And those steamy love scenes ---- let’s just say I opened a window! The ending was so satisfying!
Sabrina weaves a story rich with emotion. I felt the heartbreak when Annabelle’s mother died (I even cried.) I laughed at the some of the characters and scenes. And those steamy love scenes ---- let’s just say I opened a window! The ending was so satisfying!
February 16, 2015
Sabrina Jeffries is well known for her best-selling Regency era novels, and I'm thrilled to report that she does just as thorough a job with the Restoration era, which is considerably more rare in historical romance. The setting was true to the history, and the story itself was extremely absorbing.
Read the full review here.
Read the full review here.
January 19, 2015
Such as great book! I love the sexual chemistry and overall plot! Wonderful!!
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September 12, 2016
Historical English romance set in London with some spy stuff.
Two bastards find love and legitimacy when Lord Colin Jeffreys, Marquis of Hampden is sent to investigate the new and popular 'Silver Swan' actrice, Miss Annabelle Taylor. Lots of secrets from the past come out when Annabelle searches for her biological father.
Fun historical read.
384 pages and borrowed
3 stars
Two bastards find love and legitimacy when Lord Colin Jeffreys, Marquis of Hampden is sent to investigate the new and popular 'Silver Swan' actrice, Miss Annabelle Taylor. Lots of secrets from the past come out when Annabelle searches for her biological father.
Fun historical read.
384 pages and borrowed
3 stars
July 11, 2015
While I respected the perseverance of the female characters, I did not think that this book showcased Jeffries' talents that made her one of my beloved romance writers. Read this when you have read everything else she has written; simply just to satisfy your curiosity!
Read
April 10, 2015Always did enjoy Sabrina's books and this was no exception. even though it was a reprint it was still good and worth the read. it had strong willed characters and story lines that you could follow easily and kept you guessing at points. good read
January 14, 2015
Well done
I just enjoy reading her books. Well thought out characters and intriguing stories. Well enjoyed book. Bring on more soon.
I just enjoy reading her books. Well thought out characters and intriguing stories. Well enjoyed book. Bring on more soon.
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