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A Lady Forsaken #1
Shunned No More
A Lady Shunned by All...Lady Viola Oberbrook only wanted to forget the ill-fated early morning duel that took the lives of two young, wealthy, promising men of the ton and sent her fleeing for her father's country estate. Eight years later, she has her life in a fulfilling business, a few trusted friends, and no plans to return to London society. What she doesn't expect is to come face to face with her past.A Lord Betrayed by One...Brock Spencer, Earl of Haversham, only wants vengeance. Recently returned from his military service to the King, his plans include repairing his family estate, finding a bride, and destroying the girl responsible for the untimely death of his twin brothers. What he doesn't anticipate is falling in love with the only woman who should never be part of his future.An Impossible Match, Destined to Be...
343 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 20, 2014
1024 people are currently reading
2002 people want to read
About the author
Christina McKnight
63 books827 followersUSA Today Bestselling Author Christina McKnight writes emotional and intricate Regency Romance with strong women and maverick heroes.
Christina enjoys a quiet life in Northern California with her family, her wine, and lots of coffee. Oh, and her books...don't forget her books! Most days she can be found writing, reading, or traveling the great state of California.
Sign up for Christina's newsletter and receive a free book: eepurl.com/VP1rP
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Keep up to date on her releases: christinamcknight.com
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Christina enjoys a quiet life in Northern California with her family, her wine, and lots of coffee. Oh, and her books...don't forget her books! Most days she can be found writing, reading, or traveling the great state of California.
Sign up for Christina's newsletter and receive a free book: eepurl.com/VP1rP
Follow her on Twitter: @CMcKnightWriter
Keep up to date on her releases: christinamcknight.com
Like Christina's FB Author page: ChristinaMcKnightWriter
Join her private FB group for all her latest project updates and teasers! facebook.com/groups/634786203293673/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
October 11, 2016
"Shunned No More" by Christina McKnight is book one in the "A Lady Forsaken" series. This is the story of Lady Viola Oberbrook and Brock Spencer, Earl of Haversham. This was a nice clean easy read!
Viola was a total different person about eight years ago when she was a young lady who attracted a lot of suitors. Two were twin brothers that had a dual over her...sadly they ended up killing each other. This of course put the town against Viola and she left the town. Viola started a horse business with the help of her father. Now eight years later she does nothing but working in the country on her horse business. Brock is the oldest brother of the two that were killed in the duel. Brock was not around for the duel and has never actually met Viola. So when he comes to her to buy some horses he doesn't know who she is. Viola also tries to keep him from knowing who she is. But they is an attraction between the two. Will this attraction lead to something else? Can they overcome the past to be together. This was a nice start to this series...can't wait for more.
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
Viola was a total different person about eight years ago when she was a young lady who attracted a lot of suitors. Two were twin brothers that had a dual over her...sadly they ended up killing each other. This of course put the town against Viola and she left the town. Viola started a horse business with the help of her father. Now eight years later she does nothing but working in the country on her horse business. Brock is the oldest brother of the two that were killed in the duel. Brock was not around for the duel and has never actually met Viola. So when he comes to her to buy some horses he doesn't know who she is. Viola also tries to keep him from knowing who she is. But they is an attraction between the two. Will this attraction lead to something else? Can they overcome the past to be together. This was a nice start to this series...can't wait for more.
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
April 21, 2015
I thought the plot line of the book was good, but the actual story needed additional planning. The idea that a young woman would put herself through 8 years of self exile to pay for her sins of letting 2 young men duel and die for her while supporting an orphanage for children maimed by fire arms was a good story. Where you lost me was the fact that in almost the entire book, the hero and heroine had actually met 3 times with 1 kiss involved, and yet didn't have any other interaction except thinking about the other. Then suddenly at the end, they were in love? Plus, the venom, hatred, and rudeness that Rodney (the cousin) spewed and his actions against both Haversham and his best friend never would have been allowed. The book was written from his point of view and alternating with her point of view. Sadly, that took up the entire book and then quickly wrapped up happily ever after at the end without any redemption from either character shown. Other parts of the story were just left with no explanations or reasons why they were there. I'm hoping that the next book explains more and has more substance to the actual involvement of the characters.
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June 17, 2018Is Christina a good friend/critique partner? Yes. So am I just being nice when I say how much I enjoyed this book? No way. I'm completely honest with Christina and I trust her to be honest with me. Brutally (but respectfully) honest. Normally, I'm a very critical reader, but that's nothing compared to what I'm like when I beta read something.
So when I say this book blew me away, I mean it. Just read the prologue and you'll know what I'm talking about. I read an early version of the book, and I know she's made a few changes and adjustments that will make the final one even better.
Great writing, great banter, great characters. Oh, and I almost cried. Seriously. Me. I almost cried.
C - If you're reading this, stop stalking me. Oh, and I guess I should tell you that all the hard work you did totally paid off. Congrats. But stop stalking me. Really. ;)
So when I say this book blew me away, I mean it. Just read the prologue and you'll know what I'm talking about. I read an early version of the book, and I know she's made a few changes and adjustments that will make the final one even better.
Great writing, great banter, great characters. Oh, and I almost cried. Seriously. Me. I almost cried.
C - If you're reading this, stop stalking me. Oh, and I guess I should tell you that all the hard work you did totally paid off. Congrats. But stop stalking me. Really. ;)
dnf
March 3, 2018about as romantic as a kick in the ass
October 28, 2016
* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and am voluntarily leaving a review.*
I did not like this book, in my opinion it was a hot mess.
There were so many glowing reviews that I thought maybe I was being too harsh, so I waited a full day before leaving a review and that respite did nothing more than solidify my already low opinion.
When Lady Viola was 17 and in her first season, she gloried in her popularity and played games with her many suitors. Games that resulted in twin brothers having a duel and killing each other and Viola fleeing to the country.
Eight years later, Brock the older brother of these two twits has inherited their father's title and has returned from the wars intent on Restoring the estates, finding a wife, siring an heir and enacting vengeance on the selfish debutante that ruined his life by causing the deaths of his brothers, which in turn caused his fathers death.
This could have been a good book - but it was just so unbelievable - Brock and Viola meet 3 times for mere minutes and I am supposed to believe that the formed a deep abiding love? In addition to this the author completely butchered the formal address for most of the characters to worst being Viola's father, he is the Duke of Liperton but is referred to as Lord Liperton and addressed as my lord. There was not a "your grace" to be found in this book despite the fact that two primary characters are dukes and one is duchess. The numerous secondary characters were all annoying (with the exception of Harold - he was the only bright spot in this book). And EVERYONE blames Viola for the death of Brock's family - even though The twins were older than Viola apparently she had the power to make them kill each other? It boggles my mind - i'm not implying that she didn't have some responsibility in the duel, but their actions were their own and how anyone to blame her exclusively is beyond me. Not only is she blamed, but this is eight years later and supposedly her name is still showing up in the scandal sheets? Please! And while I am ranting - exactly how old is Brock? It was written that he was 12 years old when the twins were born and when the twins have the duel- I am guessing their age based on another character who went to school with the twins and is supposedly seven years older than Viola, who was 17 at the time, so that would make them each around 24 which would made Brock 36 at the time of their death. So eight years later he would've been well over 40 while Viola is only 25. And yet there is never any mention of an almost 20 year age difference? Why the heck is Ruby living with Viola? What the heck happens with the villains? With Rodney? As I said this book is a HOT MESS!!
Bottom line, this book had no romance, no steam, too many secondary characters, numerous plot holes, unlikable leads and it left way too many unresolved story lines.
I would not recommend this book and I don't believe I will read another book by this author.
I did not like this book, in my opinion it was a hot mess.
There were so many glowing reviews that I thought maybe I was being too harsh, so I waited a full day before leaving a review and that respite did nothing more than solidify my already low opinion.
When Lady Viola was 17 and in her first season, she gloried in her popularity and played games with her many suitors. Games that resulted in twin brothers having a duel and killing each other and Viola fleeing to the country.
Eight years later, Brock the older brother of these two twits has inherited their father's title and has returned from the wars intent on Restoring the estates, finding a wife, siring an heir and enacting vengeance on the selfish debutante that ruined his life by causing the deaths of his brothers, which in turn caused his fathers death.
This could have been a good book - but it was just so unbelievable - Brock and Viola meet 3 times for mere minutes and I am supposed to believe that the formed a deep abiding love? In addition to this the author completely butchered the formal address for most of the characters to worst being Viola's father, he is the Duke of Liperton but is referred to as Lord Liperton and addressed as my lord. There was not a "your grace" to be found in this book despite the fact that two primary characters are dukes and one is duchess. The numerous secondary characters were all annoying (with the exception of Harold - he was the only bright spot in this book). And EVERYONE blames Viola for the death of Brock's family - even though The twins were older than Viola apparently she had the power to make them kill each other? It boggles my mind - i'm not implying that she didn't have some responsibility in the duel, but their actions were their own and how anyone to blame her exclusively is beyond me. Not only is she blamed, but this is eight years later and supposedly her name is still showing up in the scandal sheets? Please! And while I am ranting - exactly how old is Brock? It was written that he was 12 years old when the twins were born and when the twins have the duel- I am guessing their age based on another character who went to school with the twins and is supposedly seven years older than Viola, who was 17 at the time, so that would make them each around 24 which would made Brock 36 at the time of their death. So eight years later he would've been well over 40 while Viola is only 25. And yet there is never any mention of an almost 20 year age difference? Why the heck is Ruby living with Viola? What the heck happens with the villains? With Rodney? As I said this book is a HOT MESS!!
Bottom line, this book had no romance, no steam, too many secondary characters, numerous plot holes, unlikable leads and it left way too many unresolved story lines.
I would not recommend this book and I don't believe I will read another book by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2015
1806
Lady Viola Overbrook, age 17, is enjoying her first season in London. Unfortunately, she let her popularity with the gentlemen go to her head. Cody and Winston are the young, handsome twin sons of Lord Haversham. When they start to fight over Viola, she thinks it is simply a lark and a joke when the twins say they are going to fight a duel over her. However, it all turns to disaster when they actually do shoot and kill each other. Devastated and deeply ashamed, Viola flees to her family’s home, Foldger’s Hall. In London, she is still remembered as the Murderous Maiden. If there happens to be a duel somewhere, people wonder if she has struck again.
Nine years later, we find Viola running a horse farm called Foldger’s Foals. It has a terrific reputation for providing the strongest and best trained foals around. Viola lives in her family’s home, Foldger’s Hall, but walks to the neighboring area where she has her farm. To protect her identity, she has assumed the name, Lady Posey Hale.
An old friend, Connor Cale, helps her with the farm, but lately she discovers that they are no longer running at a profit and are actually losing money fast. Quite worried, she is not sure how she will be able to carry on the business. Viola’s friend, Miss Ruby St. Augustin, lives with her as her companion and good friend. Ruby has always been very supportive of her friend. Viola has tried to live an exemplary life, working hard and contributing regularly to an orphanage, in an attempt to help atone for her “sins.”
Brock Spencer, oldest son and heir to the now deceased Lord Haversham, has just returned from many years at war and fighting at Waterloo. Realizing that it is time to take over and build up his family’s home, he finds himself in the market for some horses. In addition, he realizes that it is time he searched for a bride as well.
Since Foldger’s Foals has such a good reputation for horses, Brock heads there to meet with Lady Posey Hale to negotiate the purchase of some foals. As he was away at the time of the duel, he has never seen Viola before. Brock is quite taken with Viola’s expert training and treatment of the foals and with the lady herself. Viola is attracted to him as well but is terrified that he will find out who she really is.
Where can this lead? Can Viola ever find forgiveness from society, and especially from Brock?
This is a fabulous story that I enjoyed it immensely. I’m looking forward to reading the author’s next book in this series, entitled “Forgotten No More” followed by “Scorned Ever More.”
Lady Viola Overbrook, age 17, is enjoying her first season in London. Unfortunately, she let her popularity with the gentlemen go to her head. Cody and Winston are the young, handsome twin sons of Lord Haversham. When they start to fight over Viola, she thinks it is simply a lark and a joke when the twins say they are going to fight a duel over her. However, it all turns to disaster when they actually do shoot and kill each other. Devastated and deeply ashamed, Viola flees to her family’s home, Foldger’s Hall. In London, she is still remembered as the Murderous Maiden. If there happens to be a duel somewhere, people wonder if she has struck again.
Nine years later, we find Viola running a horse farm called Foldger’s Foals. It has a terrific reputation for providing the strongest and best trained foals around. Viola lives in her family’s home, Foldger’s Hall, but walks to the neighboring area where she has her farm. To protect her identity, she has assumed the name, Lady Posey Hale.
An old friend, Connor Cale, helps her with the farm, but lately she discovers that they are no longer running at a profit and are actually losing money fast. Quite worried, she is not sure how she will be able to carry on the business. Viola’s friend, Miss Ruby St. Augustin, lives with her as her companion and good friend. Ruby has always been very supportive of her friend. Viola has tried to live an exemplary life, working hard and contributing regularly to an orphanage, in an attempt to help atone for her “sins.”
Brock Spencer, oldest son and heir to the now deceased Lord Haversham, has just returned from many years at war and fighting at Waterloo. Realizing that it is time to take over and build up his family’s home, he finds himself in the market for some horses. In addition, he realizes that it is time he searched for a bride as well.
Since Foldger’s Foals has such a good reputation for horses, Brock heads there to meet with Lady Posey Hale to negotiate the purchase of some foals. As he was away at the time of the duel, he has never seen Viola before. Brock is quite taken with Viola’s expert training and treatment of the foals and with the lady herself. Viola is attracted to him as well but is terrified that he will find out who she really is.
Where can this lead? Can Viola ever find forgiveness from society, and especially from Brock?
This is a fabulous story that I enjoyed it immensely. I’m looking forward to reading the author’s next book in this series, entitled “Forgotten No More” followed by “Scorned Ever More.”
September 6, 2015
I love that this story took me in ..at the first sentence.I could not put the book down. glad I waited to start it on my days off. Although the story lines are always classical and lead to the same ending . I found that the characters took a different venue to get there, and that was refreshing. There were a couple typo's but nothing too distracting. If that was the only thing I could find fault with..then kuddo's o you Christina McKnight.. simply said I am starting the next book in line now..
October 13, 2014
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I bought this book with my own hard earned cash because I met this author and didnt know she was a writer....LOL I knew she read for an author friend but didnt know she was until one day it "clicked" in my head. Then I was like DUH ANGIE!! So since I was going to be meeting her in Vegas, I bought a book to read.
Now I like Historical books but they are not for everyone. Now most historical that I have read have some naughty sex in it...nope not a drop of naughty here til like 97% so if you want smutty then this is not for you. HOWEVER, this book is good with chemistry. I was forever screaming at Brock and Viola to "just get with it and kiss already!!" I mean the two are sooo perfect for each other but are to busy gettin' in their own dang way!!
Brock returns from the military to all his family members being gone. He is the only member remaining. His goals are to ruin the woman who ruined his family, get a wife and have kids......simple right!!?? LOL
Viola ran far far far away from high society after she was involved in the death of two young socialites. She has been in hiding and trying to make amends for what she did. She wants to just breed horses and live a quiet life. A husband and family are not in her future because she doesn't deserve them.
Well as you know, your two enemies meet. The chemistry is CRAZY good. The first kiss was great even though we know Brock is gonna flip his lid when he finds out he is lusting over the enemy. The woman he is sworn to DESTROY!! Ok a bit over the top there Brock but he is a man on a mission.
So this story starts to unravel. There is alot of deceit and betrayal happening behind Viola's back. She thinks it is Brock and when they have a showdown...WOW!! She kicked his butt *High 5 Viola*. But when we see Brock realizing Viola is a changed woman...swoon......
I cannot wait for book 2. I want to know all about Viola's bestie Ruby. She has some skeletons in her closet that is prolly gonna be getting aired out VERY VERY soon!!
www.Twinsietalk.com
www.facebook.com/twinsietalk
@twinsietalk
I bought this book with my own hard earned cash because I met this author and didnt know she was a writer....LOL I knew she read for an author friend but didnt know she was until one day it "clicked" in my head. Then I was like DUH ANGIE!! So since I was going to be meeting her in Vegas, I bought a book to read.
Now I like Historical books but they are not for everyone. Now most historical that I have read have some naughty sex in it...nope not a drop of naughty here til like 97% so if you want smutty then this is not for you. HOWEVER, this book is good with chemistry. I was forever screaming at Brock and Viola to "just get with it and kiss already!!" I mean the two are sooo perfect for each other but are to busy gettin' in their own dang way!!
Brock returns from the military to all his family members being gone. He is the only member remaining. His goals are to ruin the woman who ruined his family, get a wife and have kids......simple right!!?? LOL
Viola ran far far far away from high society after she was involved in the death of two young socialites. She has been in hiding and trying to make amends for what she did. She wants to just breed horses and live a quiet life. A husband and family are not in her future because she doesn't deserve them.
Well as you know, your two enemies meet. The chemistry is CRAZY good. The first kiss was great even though we know Brock is gonna flip his lid when he finds out he is lusting over the enemy. The woman he is sworn to DESTROY!! Ok a bit over the top there Brock but he is a man on a mission.
So this story starts to unravel. There is alot of deceit and betrayal happening behind Viola's back. She thinks it is Brock and when they have a showdown...WOW!! She kicked his butt *High 5 Viola*. But when we see Brock realizing Viola is a changed woman...swoon......
I cannot wait for book 2. I want to know all about Viola's bestie Ruby. She has some skeletons in her closet that is prolly gonna be getting aired out VERY VERY soon!!
September 28, 2015
This was a really great book, I couldn't put it down.I was disappointed when I got to the end because that was it, no more pages. All that anguish that was heaped on Viola could have been avoided if she had not left London the way she did. I think it would have blown over quicker if she had stayed but to haul butt to the country the same day to potentially avoid scandal only created one that would not go away. She was only doing what had been drilled in her head, so who was to blame her or Society? The same goes for Brock. He was confusing his feelings of guilt for having not been in his brother's lives and not being there when his father's death. He put all the feelings into hating Viola and wanting revenge. Really funny how that worked out for the both of them. I look forward to reading about Ruby and Harold.
May 24, 2014
A delightful historical romance filled with tragedy, guilt, deception and mystery. A well written story that flows nicely and has remarkably detailed characters that have great interactions. Viola and Brock both ran away, each for different reasons. They must both face their past fears before they can move forward to find peace and contentment. She is full of guilt, he is full of hatred and seeks revenge but they are attracted to one another! Can they deal with the past tragedy to find happiness in the future? Very enjoyable story.
Gifted a copy for review.
Gifted a copy for review.
April 19, 2015
Christina McKnight has written a truly captivating book. This book has naivety, tragedy, remorse, revenge, mystery, redemption and a love story that will lift your heart. Lady Viola Oberbrook is partially responsible for the duel that caused the death of Brock Haversham's twin brothers. She goes into seclusion and builds a new life breeding horses and providing funds for an orphanage that takes care of injured children. Brock has sworn revenge but when he learns of the betrayal already surrounding Lady Viola, he has to decide if he can follow through.
January 3, 2021
Dnf after the prologue.
May 27, 2016
This was my first Historical Romance and I am so surprised at how much I enjoyed it! Lady Viola and Brock, as well as the side characters are great! I can't wait for more! I will definitely be recommending this to people! Great job Christina!
Edited 5/26/16: Even better the second time!
Edited 5/26/16: Even better the second time!
March 31, 2015
Brilliant and Fresh!
Christina McKnight leads readers in a fresh and lively story of the foolishness of youth transcended by atonement and love.
Christina McKnight leads readers in a fresh and lively story of the foolishness of youth transcended by atonement and love.
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October 8, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (10/8/2020)! 🎁
November 11, 2014
When faced with a great fear, one either stays and fights or turns and flees. Author Christina McKnight found a beautiful way to tell the story of two who fled. Their reasons are those of which many of us can understand; Mistakes from being overly selfish and not considering those we affect. Equally disparaging, is being overlooked, out of mind and invisible to those we love we expect to love us in return.
Here's a brief summary of the two main characters and a peek as to what you're in for:
Bless Lady Viola Overbrook's poor young,dumb and self centered soul. It was her first season to find a high ranking husband in the Ton and she found herself thrilled to have two very handsome twins, sons of Earl Haversham thank goodness, dueling for her affections. The theatrics took place during a foggy sunrise in London's famous Hyde Park. It couldn't have been more romantic. When the triggers were pulled and both young men fell to the ground... then didn't get up... ever... Viola still didn't realize this was not all merely for dramatics. Stunned, shaken at the sight of this and still horribly self centered, she brushed her skirt off and announced to her maid that she must start again immediately in finding a husband. The boys died and her heartless and egotistical reputation in society did too. Viola fled.
Lord Brock, the son of the Earl of Haversham, left London several years earlier. He bought his own commission into the military to dutifully serve the King. He did it very well too, leading men into battles and always at the front lines. He was a successful leader within the military ranks. As brave as it all sounds, he was really fleeing to escape the heartbroken feelings he felt for his wonderful mother, who died after the twins were born. He couldn't look at his brothers without seeing her. They had her eyes, her hair, her smile. He couldn't get the attention and affection of his heartbroken father either, for her was thrown into raising the young twins without a clue as to how to do it. No one would ever again tuck him into bed at night, lay with him and tell him stories of the world, or kiss him when he was sick, all merely because they loved him. Brock hardened his heart and fled.
Fast forward 8 years later and Viola is not quite the same foolish young girl she was then. She escaped society's hateful stares and comments, and moved to her father's scenic Folders Country Estate. Folders Foals were the family stables nearby. It is here where she learned the business of breeding foals,caring for them, hiring help and relearned how to be a better person. How to care for others rather than only herself. She also sold her foals to the London society through a manager at the stables. Her former self was ruined, but her new and improved self was more than happy hiding away in at Folder's Foals. She was humbled into a nearly completely different person. Her goals, dreams and heart were now set in a much better place than that horrific morning two young men lost their lives over her. Death will do that. She opened an orphanage for children who were victims of firearms, be it on purpose or by accident. She was making amends within her own heart and it showed on the outside too. No glory or praise for what she did, for no one except a few very close friends, knew who Viola had ultimately become.
Skip now to the handsome Lord Brock, who upon returning to his family's estate has found that he is now the new Earl of Haversham. His father passed away in his absence and yet no one had bothered to informed him. He wasn't notified on time about his brother's funerals to make it home then either. He felt vengeful and hate for the woman who took them so soon from this world. He would deal with it when the opportunity arose. The house and grounds, in a horrible state of disrepair, were his first concern. He was to fix and build and ready his home for his future as the new Earl of Haversham. A future with a wife and with many children so that the house may be filled with laughter and singing, just as it was when his mother was around. Brock dreaded the parties and mothers and fathers of eligible young ladies during the season. It would be forced and filled with giggles and untruthful behavior, in order to snare a husband of high rank, such as himself. Yes, that could wait a bit longer. First order of business was to repair the estate. He would focus on the stables and fill it with foals he could raise on his own. Brock was told Folder's Foals was the utmost of superior breeders and it is there, he meets Viola, unbeknownst to him. He didn't know her before, because he was away when the twins died, as he was when his father died too. The guilt engulfs him as he thinks about his absence during those times. His father most certainly would have needed his support and love when the boys passed on. Brock and Viola meet, although she quickly changed her name to avoid that nightmarish confrontation she would expect from the brother of the twins who died for her heart. She also did not want to be found out by the Ton.
The story is a bit of a gut wrencher when you think about what these two have gone through and will continue to go through as they move forward, constantly in each other's path. They have lovely chemistry and I found myself rooting for them every step of the way. They continue to flee what they fear will happen and until they can turn and face those fears head on, they will not find happiness. There are some nice twists in the plot, some excellent sub characters who we hope have their own books in the future. Harold and Ruby are two of them you can find in a book by Christina McKnight, during November of 2014.
For you historical romance fanatics, this won't disappoint. It's eloquently written and very descriptive with a solid plot. The ending could have been a little stronger for me. I was left with unanswered questions. I would have liked to have seen Rodney have a part in the duel of his twin cousins, for instance he could have told them the guns were unloaded, but he actually loaded them... doing away with 2 more family members in line ahead of him, for the Earldom... but that didn't happen. He's an interesting character who is easy to hate. You've got to have at least one of those and he fits the bill well.
Enjoy this book. It's appealing to a wide range of ages. I'd happily suggest this to my historical and contemporary romance enthusiast friends.
Here's a brief summary of the two main characters and a peek as to what you're in for:
Bless Lady Viola Overbrook's poor young,dumb and self centered soul. It was her first season to find a high ranking husband in the Ton and she found herself thrilled to have two very handsome twins, sons of Earl Haversham thank goodness, dueling for her affections. The theatrics took place during a foggy sunrise in London's famous Hyde Park. It couldn't have been more romantic. When the triggers were pulled and both young men fell to the ground... then didn't get up... ever... Viola still didn't realize this was not all merely for dramatics. Stunned, shaken at the sight of this and still horribly self centered, she brushed her skirt off and announced to her maid that she must start again immediately in finding a husband. The boys died and her heartless and egotistical reputation in society did too. Viola fled.
Lord Brock, the son of the Earl of Haversham, left London several years earlier. He bought his own commission into the military to dutifully serve the King. He did it very well too, leading men into battles and always at the front lines. He was a successful leader within the military ranks. As brave as it all sounds, he was really fleeing to escape the heartbroken feelings he felt for his wonderful mother, who died after the twins were born. He couldn't look at his brothers without seeing her. They had her eyes, her hair, her smile. He couldn't get the attention and affection of his heartbroken father either, for her was thrown into raising the young twins without a clue as to how to do it. No one would ever again tuck him into bed at night, lay with him and tell him stories of the world, or kiss him when he was sick, all merely because they loved him. Brock hardened his heart and fled.
Fast forward 8 years later and Viola is not quite the same foolish young girl she was then. She escaped society's hateful stares and comments, and moved to her father's scenic Folders Country Estate. Folders Foals were the family stables nearby. It is here where she learned the business of breeding foals,caring for them, hiring help and relearned how to be a better person. How to care for others rather than only herself. She also sold her foals to the London society through a manager at the stables. Her former self was ruined, but her new and improved self was more than happy hiding away in at Folder's Foals. She was humbled into a nearly completely different person. Her goals, dreams and heart were now set in a much better place than that horrific morning two young men lost their lives over her. Death will do that. She opened an orphanage for children who were victims of firearms, be it on purpose or by accident. She was making amends within her own heart and it showed on the outside too. No glory or praise for what she did, for no one except a few very close friends, knew who Viola had ultimately become.
Skip now to the handsome Lord Brock, who upon returning to his family's estate has found that he is now the new Earl of Haversham. His father passed away in his absence and yet no one had bothered to informed him. He wasn't notified on time about his brother's funerals to make it home then either. He felt vengeful and hate for the woman who took them so soon from this world. He would deal with it when the opportunity arose. The house and grounds, in a horrible state of disrepair, were his first concern. He was to fix and build and ready his home for his future as the new Earl of Haversham. A future with a wife and with many children so that the house may be filled with laughter and singing, just as it was when his mother was around. Brock dreaded the parties and mothers and fathers of eligible young ladies during the season. It would be forced and filled with giggles and untruthful behavior, in order to snare a husband of high rank, such as himself. Yes, that could wait a bit longer. First order of business was to repair the estate. He would focus on the stables and fill it with foals he could raise on his own. Brock was told Folder's Foals was the utmost of superior breeders and it is there, he meets Viola, unbeknownst to him. He didn't know her before, because he was away when the twins died, as he was when his father died too. The guilt engulfs him as he thinks about his absence during those times. His father most certainly would have needed his support and love when the boys passed on. Brock and Viola meet, although she quickly changed her name to avoid that nightmarish confrontation she would expect from the brother of the twins who died for her heart. She also did not want to be found out by the Ton.
The story is a bit of a gut wrencher when you think about what these two have gone through and will continue to go through as they move forward, constantly in each other's path. They have lovely chemistry and I found myself rooting for them every step of the way. They continue to flee what they fear will happen and until they can turn and face those fears head on, they will not find happiness. There are some nice twists in the plot, some excellent sub characters who we hope have their own books in the future. Harold and Ruby are two of them you can find in a book by Christina McKnight, during November of 2014.
For you historical romance fanatics, this won't disappoint. It's eloquently written and very descriptive with a solid plot. The ending could have been a little stronger for me. I was left with unanswered questions. I would have liked to have seen Rodney have a part in the duel of his twin cousins, for instance he could have told them the guns were unloaded, but he actually loaded them... doing away with 2 more family members in line ahead of him, for the Earldom... but that didn't happen. He's an interesting character who is easy to hate. You've got to have at least one of those and he fits the bill well.
Enjoy this book. It's appealing to a wide range of ages. I'd happily suggest this to my historical and contemporary romance enthusiast friends.
July 9, 2014
Review copy courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.
I sure do love my historical romances and this was a pretty good one. Although, this is definitely not your normal, run-of-the-mill historical. The author was a master at manipulating my feelings for the main characters, darn her! LOL! I loved and hated EVERYONE in equal parts but in the end it boiled down to me having a good time reading this book, even if there were quite a few unanswered questions.
Lady Viola... phew, what a pill! At the start of the book, she is a nasty, horrible, awful girl!! She sort of eggs these twins into a duel over her affections and she didn't even really care for them all that much. AWFUL! When they kill each other, she can't believe it but is eventually run out of town. This is one of my issues with this book. We go from the morning of the fateful duel to I think 8 years later, after Lady Viola has been shunned all these years. Where was the aftermath? Why was she run out? How did she get run out? Was her father angry? I had lots of questions and very few were ever answered by the end of the book. Luckily, Viola has grown and matured in her absence and I liked her. She's running her own business and cares about the people in her employ. She rarely thinks of herself, only what she can do for others. Well, what her business allows her to do for others. Unfortunately, we don't get to see Viola make these changes in herself and her life. We just sort of arrive and this is how things are. Even still, it was pretty easy for me to like Viola. She HAS changed and that's really what matters. Something I didn't like was that there were still glimpses of the spoiled, selfish girl when things weren't going Viola's way. She catches herself doing it but I don't recall her making an effort to change it or to not behave that way anymore.
Lord Haversham, Brock, the hero, was equally awesome and dreadful at different turns and I loved it! He comes back after fighting in the war and really just wants to get revenge on the girl/woman who had a hand in his twin brothers' deaths. On one hand, I guess I didn't blame him for wanting vengeance but on the other, was it REALLY Viola's fault? Wasn't there anyone around to stop them from this foolishness? But anyways, the way he treats Viola is just terrible and it made me not like him at all. Of course, by the end of the book, things have turned around and he's a pretty amazing guy. He's even pretty great with kids and that's pretty rare in historical romances. It was nice to see him change his opinion of Viola throughout the book. He starts off hating her and the more he learns, the he realizes that maybe she isn't who he thought she was. He begins to find out more about her and that's where things start getting interesting.
I thought that the romance between Viola and Brock was a little uneven. It was a nice, steady pace until the last quarter of the book where everything seemed really rushed. They had only just started getting to know each other and all of a sudden, they were in love, inseparable. But when they were together, there was definitely chemistry and sparks! So maybe it wasn't all of a sudden but somewhere, a switch had been flipped!
There were a lot of unanswered questions and side stories that were kind of left hanging. Brock's cousin seemed like a real jerk but what seemed like nefarious plotting on the cousin's part never amounted to anything. Viola pal and companion, Ruby, seemed to be starting a thing with Brock's pal, Harold, but that also never went anywhere. There were more bad guys, Hamp and he partner, who were out to ruin Viola and what happened to them was never mentioned. Should I imagine that they kept on with their lives, going broke? Or did they live happily ever after? Who knows? And I have no idea what was with the woman who was with Viola's father, Lady Darlingiver? I couldn't tell if she loved him or if she was after his money or title. Or why Viola's father was so into her when she could barely stand Viola!!! Gah!
Overall, I ended the book with more questions than answers but the book itself was great. Now, this is the first book in a series so perhaps these questions get answered in the next installment. To be honest, I hope not. I hate when villains get to keep on being villains from book to book. I'd rather leave the bad guys to their own devices and start with some new ones. I think I'd be able to recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romance. This is not a typical one, with a linear and predictable plot but it was fun, there was plenty of action and just a hint of heat!
I sure do love my historical romances and this was a pretty good one. Although, this is definitely not your normal, run-of-the-mill historical. The author was a master at manipulating my feelings for the main characters, darn her! LOL! I loved and hated EVERYONE in equal parts but in the end it boiled down to me having a good time reading this book, even if there were quite a few unanswered questions.
Lady Viola... phew, what a pill! At the start of the book, she is a nasty, horrible, awful girl!! She sort of eggs these twins into a duel over her affections and she didn't even really care for them all that much. AWFUL! When they kill each other, she can't believe it but is eventually run out of town. This is one of my issues with this book. We go from the morning of the fateful duel to I think 8 years later, after Lady Viola has been shunned all these years. Where was the aftermath? Why was she run out? How did she get run out? Was her father angry? I had lots of questions and very few were ever answered by the end of the book. Luckily, Viola has grown and matured in her absence and I liked her. She's running her own business and cares about the people in her employ. She rarely thinks of herself, only what she can do for others. Well, what her business allows her to do for others. Unfortunately, we don't get to see Viola make these changes in herself and her life. We just sort of arrive and this is how things are. Even still, it was pretty easy for me to like Viola. She HAS changed and that's really what matters. Something I didn't like was that there were still glimpses of the spoiled, selfish girl when things weren't going Viola's way. She catches herself doing it but I don't recall her making an effort to change it or to not behave that way anymore.
Lord Haversham, Brock, the hero, was equally awesome and dreadful at different turns and I loved it! He comes back after fighting in the war and really just wants to get revenge on the girl/woman who had a hand in his twin brothers' deaths. On one hand, I guess I didn't blame him for wanting vengeance but on the other, was it REALLY Viola's fault? Wasn't there anyone around to stop them from this foolishness? But anyways, the way he treats Viola is just terrible and it made me not like him at all. Of course, by the end of the book, things have turned around and he's a pretty amazing guy. He's even pretty great with kids and that's pretty rare in historical romances. It was nice to see him change his opinion of Viola throughout the book. He starts off hating her and the more he learns, the he realizes that maybe she isn't who he thought she was. He begins to find out more about her and that's where things start getting interesting.
I thought that the romance between Viola and Brock was a little uneven. It was a nice, steady pace until the last quarter of the book where everything seemed really rushed. They had only just started getting to know each other and all of a sudden, they were in love, inseparable. But when they were together, there was definitely chemistry and sparks! So maybe it wasn't all of a sudden but somewhere, a switch had been flipped!
There were a lot of unanswered questions and side stories that were kind of left hanging. Brock's cousin seemed like a real jerk but what seemed like nefarious plotting on the cousin's part never amounted to anything. Viola pal and companion, Ruby, seemed to be starting a thing with Brock's pal, Harold, but that also never went anywhere. There were more bad guys, Hamp and he partner, who were out to ruin Viola and what happened to them was never mentioned. Should I imagine that they kept on with their lives, going broke? Or did they live happily ever after? Who knows? And I have no idea what was with the woman who was with Viola's father, Lady Darlingiver? I couldn't tell if she loved him or if she was after his money or title. Or why Viola's father was so into her when she could barely stand Viola!!! Gah!
Overall, I ended the book with more questions than answers but the book itself was great. Now, this is the first book in a series so perhaps these questions get answered in the next installment. To be honest, I hope not. I hate when villains get to keep on being villains from book to book. I'd rather leave the bad guys to their own devices and start with some new ones. I think I'd be able to recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romance. This is not a typical one, with a linear and predictable plot but it was fun, there was plenty of action and just a hint of heat!
August 12, 2016
4 stars
historical romance, book one of a series
ARC provided by Bewitching Book Tours in exchange for an honest review
Summary
Lady Viola is filled with guilty and regrets. She runs away and hides from society because she doesn't want to face her actions as an immature teenage girl.
Lord Brock Spencer is filled with anger. He has run away in the past from the foolish life of the court, but now he has came back to fulfill his duties.
Viola must face her past, Brock must face his present. Will there be a future for them?
cover 4 stars
I really like. I would buy this book in a bookstore. I would have understood by looking at it that it was a historical romance. I enjoy the color and the woman's expression.
characters 4 stars
I like Viola, at least the Viola she has become, and I can understand how foolish a seventeen years old can be.
I like Brock and I understood all the emotions he was faced with.
Some great secondary characters such as Ruby and Harold.
Characters were easy to relate, connect and love.
plot 3.5 stars
Ms. McKinight has created a good plot filled with emotions. The characters are faced with consequences of rushed decisions in a fast-paced plot packed with mystery, deceptions, guilty, rage and all sort of feelings.
The book was easy to follow and it kept me guessing until the end. The romance intertwined was breathtaking in it's purity of emotions.
My one complain is that I wanted more of their relationship and less of their history, so I could have seen more of them together.
heat2 stars
The characters have good chemistry but there isn't many scenes of them together as a couple.
freshness 4 stars
I have really enjoy the idea of the lady being in the wrong. Is not often that we read a heroine as being wrong and not being offered excuses for her behavior. The story is one of redemption, but never of taking the blame away from the character. Really well crafted!
Impressions and Opinion
What I really liked the best about this book was it's strong plot and the author being able to perfectly executed her ideas. It was not the conventional historical plot, on which the lord is a rake and the lady is a damsel in distress.
This book is a journey of redemption, of second chances, of making it better, of making it work.
It did really work for me.
I wish the author would have added a few more scenes of the couple together, a little bit more of the romance per se.
I'm looking forward to reading more from the author.
"It didn't matter. She had the evening's entertainments to prepare for and an image to uphold- no matter the cost to her soul."
historical romance, book one of a series
ARC provided by Bewitching Book Tours in exchange for an honest review
Summary
Lady Viola is filled with guilty and regrets. She runs away and hides from society because she doesn't want to face her actions as an immature teenage girl.
Lord Brock Spencer is filled with anger. He has run away in the past from the foolish life of the court, but now he has came back to fulfill his duties.
Viola must face her past, Brock must face his present. Will there be a future for them?
cover 4 stars
I really like. I would buy this book in a bookstore. I would have understood by looking at it that it was a historical romance. I enjoy the color and the woman's expression.
characters 4 stars
I like Viola, at least the Viola she has become, and I can understand how foolish a seventeen years old can be.
I like Brock and I understood all the emotions he was faced with.
Some great secondary characters such as Ruby and Harold.
Characters were easy to relate, connect and love.
plot 3.5 stars
Ms. McKinight has created a good plot filled with emotions. The characters are faced with consequences of rushed decisions in a fast-paced plot packed with mystery, deceptions, guilty, rage and all sort of feelings.
The book was easy to follow and it kept me guessing until the end. The romance intertwined was breathtaking in it's purity of emotions.
My one complain is that I wanted more of their relationship and less of their history, so I could have seen more of them together.
heat2 stars
The characters have good chemistry but there isn't many scenes of them together as a couple.
freshness 4 stars
I have really enjoy the idea of the lady being in the wrong. Is not often that we read a heroine as being wrong and not being offered excuses for her behavior. The story is one of redemption, but never of taking the blame away from the character. Really well crafted!
Impressions and Opinion
What I really liked the best about this book was it's strong plot and the author being able to perfectly executed her ideas. It was not the conventional historical plot, on which the lord is a rake and the lady is a damsel in distress.
This book is a journey of redemption, of second chances, of making it better, of making it work.
It did really work for me.
I wish the author would have added a few more scenes of the couple together, a little bit more of the romance per se.
I'm looking forward to reading more from the author.
"It didn't matter. She had the evening's entertainments to prepare for and an image to uphold- no matter the cost to her soul."
June 21, 2016
This book hit too many wrong chords with me. Harold was the only likable character and even he came across as one-dimensional. Ruby is a bitch and an awful friend. Viola is an insufferable weeping woman-child whose business acumen is laughable at best. Viola's dad obviously doesn't love her and Brock is a misogynist.
I'm going to assume that the author DID NOT intend to have all of the women in this book come across as manipulative whores who lead men on and then ruin their lives like evil sirens but...um...that's EXACTLY how they're characterized in the book. Brock, Connor and Haversham's dead brothers are all presented as the unfortunate victims of Viola's e-v-i-l sensuality.
Readers encounter time and again (via Ruby, Viola's dad, Brock, Connor, Brock's horrid cousin and Viola's dad's "lady friend") attitudes and thought processes that remove agency from male characters in order to place blame on Viola for every poor decision in the book. The male characters in Shunned No More repeatedly rage and whine because Viola doesn't return their affections and, as a result, they all come to the conclusion that she deserves to have her life ruined...
Are you effing kidding me?!
Why on earth would the author think this is a solid character trait to apply to all of the men in this book (Note: Harold is the exception)? Is this supposed to be a historical romance demonstrating the origins of today's rape culture??? Contemporary news is FULL of accounts of women being harassed and murdered by men who become so enraged by the word "NO"that they lash out. Go on Twitter right now and search #NoWomanEver if you still don't get how poisonous this mentality is.
Needless to say, I was very disturbed by how readily everyone cast Viola as a deceitful and cruel seductress who deserves to be punished without end. Even more upsetting was that very little was done to address the sheer evil of this perspective by the end of the book. 10 minutes before Brock is ripping open Viola's bodice in a carriage, he's stalking her to an orphanage and thinking she's an evil slut on her way to meet her lover.
I mean seriously...what are readers supposed to take from this book?
It's anything but romantic.
I'm going to assume that the author DID NOT intend to have all of the women in this book come across as manipulative whores who lead men on and then ruin their lives like evil sirens but...um...that's EXACTLY how they're characterized in the book. Brock, Connor and Haversham's dead brothers are all presented as the unfortunate victims of Viola's e-v-i-l sensuality.
Readers encounter time and again (via Ruby, Viola's dad, Brock, Connor, Brock's horrid cousin and Viola's dad's "lady friend") attitudes and thought processes that remove agency from male characters in order to place blame on Viola for every poor decision in the book. The male characters in Shunned No More repeatedly rage and whine because Viola doesn't return their affections and, as a result, they all come to the conclusion that she deserves to have her life ruined...
Are you effing kidding me?!
Why on earth would the author think this is a solid character trait to apply to all of the men in this book (Note: Harold is the exception)? Is this supposed to be a historical romance demonstrating the origins of today's rape culture??? Contemporary news is FULL of accounts of women being harassed and murdered by men who become so enraged by the word "NO"that they lash out. Go on Twitter right now and search #NoWomanEver if you still don't get how poisonous this mentality is.
Needless to say, I was very disturbed by how readily everyone cast Viola as a deceitful and cruel seductress who deserves to be punished without end. Even more upsetting was that very little was done to address the sheer evil of this perspective by the end of the book. 10 minutes before Brock is ripping open Viola's bodice in a carriage, he's stalking her to an orphanage and thinking she's an evil slut on her way to meet her lover.
I mean seriously...what are readers supposed to take from this book?
It's anything but romantic.
January 28, 2015
This was a very good historical romance book. It has guilt, deception,tragedy and mystery. I feel this was very well written. I felt connected to the characters.
Lady Viola is young, stupid and very self centered. It was her first season to find a high ranking husband in the Ton. She was very excited to have Earl Havershams twins dueling for her affection. A terrible tragedy happened and being the self centered brat she is she dusted of her skirt and told her maid that she has to find a husband. That is when she fled.
Lord Brock, older son of the Earl of Haversham, had left London years earlier. He served the king. He did great leading his men to battle. He was always at the front of the line with his men. He had fled because he was in pain over losing his mother after she had the twins. He couldn't look at them without seeing her and it hurt. the Earl was just as lost and heartbroken so that left Brock to raise his brothers.
8yrs have passed and Viola has grown up no longer the foolish young girl she once was. She got away from society's stares and comments that hurt her. She moved to her fathers Estate Folder Country Estate. Folder Foals is a family stable near her. There she was taught the business of breeding , hiring help, and for that she became a better person.
Lord Brock returned home to find his father had passed an so had the twins. No one had let him know so he could come home to bury them . He felt hatred towards the woman that caused their deaths. he would deal with her when the time came. he went about repairing the house getting it ready for his future wife and children. he wanted the house to be a live again. in order to find the wife he needed he had attend parties of young ladies during the season. He thought better of it ,not ready to put up with foolish girls, he concentrated on the stables and wanting to fill it with foals. He was told the best breeders where at Folder Folds and he meets Viola. He didn't know she was the cause of his twin brothers dying. She changed her name because she didn't want Brock to know who she was.
Will these two through their problems? We are also introduced to Harold and Ruby . I can't wait to see what happens next.
Lady Viola is young, stupid and very self centered. It was her first season to find a high ranking husband in the Ton. She was very excited to have Earl Havershams twins dueling for her affection. A terrible tragedy happened and being the self centered brat she is she dusted of her skirt and told her maid that she has to find a husband. That is when she fled.
Lord Brock, older son of the Earl of Haversham, had left London years earlier. He served the king. He did great leading his men to battle. He was always at the front of the line with his men. He had fled because he was in pain over losing his mother after she had the twins. He couldn't look at them without seeing her and it hurt. the Earl was just as lost and heartbroken so that left Brock to raise his brothers.
8yrs have passed and Viola has grown up no longer the foolish young girl she once was. She got away from society's stares and comments that hurt her. She moved to her fathers Estate Folder Country Estate. Folder Foals is a family stable near her. There she was taught the business of breeding , hiring help, and for that she became a better person.
Lord Brock returned home to find his father had passed an so had the twins. No one had let him know so he could come home to bury them . He felt hatred towards the woman that caused their deaths. he would deal with her when the time came. he went about repairing the house getting it ready for his future wife and children. he wanted the house to be a live again. in order to find the wife he needed he had attend parties of young ladies during the season. He thought better of it ,not ready to put up with foolish girls, he concentrated on the stables and wanting to fill it with foals. He was told the best breeders where at Folder Folds and he meets Viola. He didn't know she was the cause of his twin brothers dying. She changed her name because she didn't want Brock to know who she was.
Will these two through their problems? We are also introduced to Harold and Ruby . I can't wait to see what happens next.
October 24, 2016
Eh...
(some spoilers ahead)
This sounded like it'd be an awesome novel. It was only "ok" instead. I wish the author had given us more insight as to what happened after the duel, how the ton reacted and why she decided to flee. I mean, we are only told that she fled because the ton shunned her. After the first chapter, we jump to the future 8 years and suddenly Viola is "changed" and "reformed." But her actions don't really give off that impression.
Then we meet Brock and he is hell bent on getting revenge for his brothers' death. He meets Viola (and I mean actual interaction with the main character face to face) like 4 times. Seriously, he first talks to her when he goes and buys some foals. Then the rest of the book goes on about how much he thinks about her. And how much she thinks about him. Then, he goes back for the foals and he kisses her out of nowhere. Then, well into the book, around the middle, they meet again for their "confrontation" which is really just petty little insults in front of the ton. Then they go back to thinking about each other until the end, when they suddenly realize that they are in love with each other and happily ever after happens. The romance was not believable. They had barely any interaction with each other, but in the end they forgive and love each other...
Not to mention that the sub plots were left pretty much unresolved. Part of what makes Regency Romances so good is the whole scandal, gossip, and intrigue going on and how the ton reacts to it all but none of that was present in this novel. Maybe the author is not very familiar with this type of setting yet?
All in all, it was ok. I was curious about Ruby and her story though, so I may read the next installment.
(some spoilers ahead)
This sounded like it'd be an awesome novel. It was only "ok" instead. I wish the author had given us more insight as to what happened after the duel, how the ton reacted and why she decided to flee. I mean, we are only told that she fled because the ton shunned her. After the first chapter, we jump to the future 8 years and suddenly Viola is "changed" and "reformed." But her actions don't really give off that impression.
Then we meet Brock and he is hell bent on getting revenge for his brothers' death. He meets Viola (and I mean actual interaction with the main character face to face) like 4 times. Seriously, he first talks to her when he goes and buys some foals. Then the rest of the book goes on about how much he thinks about her. And how much she thinks about him. Then, he goes back for the foals and he kisses her out of nowhere. Then, well into the book, around the middle, they meet again for their "confrontation" which is really just petty little insults in front of the ton. Then they go back to thinking about each other until the end, when they suddenly realize that they are in love with each other and happily ever after happens. The romance was not believable. They had barely any interaction with each other, but in the end they forgive and love each other...
Not to mention that the sub plots were left pretty much unresolved. Part of what makes Regency Romances so good is the whole scandal, gossip, and intrigue going on and how the ton reacts to it all but none of that was present in this novel. Maybe the author is not very familiar with this type of setting yet?
All in all, it was ok. I was curious about Ruby and her story though, so I may read the next installment.
August 8, 2015
I received this book for free with no strings attached. I am writing a review because I really enjoyed this book. This author does a good job of tying the characters and story together.
The characters and supporting characters are what make a story of guilt, tragedy,deception and mystery work. Viola and Brock each have to learn to start over. He because he left and his twin brothers were both killed in a duel over a woman. She, because she was the woman. He of course hates her and wants to make her pay for what she has done to his family. She has changed and tried to start over. The unforgiving ton will not allow that and neither will Brock. You will have to read the book to find out how they get past their differences. That is what makes this book so good. I will definitely read books by this author again!
The characters and supporting characters are what make a story of guilt, tragedy,deception and mystery work. Viola and Brock each have to learn to start over. He because he left and his twin brothers were both killed in a duel over a woman. She, because she was the woman. He of course hates her and wants to make her pay for what she has done to his family. She has changed and tried to start over. The unforgiving ton will not allow that and neither will Brock. You will have to read the book to find out how they get past their differences. That is what makes this book so good. I will definitely read books by this author again!
July 6, 2019
Shunned No More (A Lady Forsaken Book 1)
The love story of Lady Viola and Brock, the Earl of Haversham.Lady Viola has remove herself for all society and retired to the country after a duel of brothers. How eight years later she has been running a horse ranch but now it going bankrupt. Can she save it? That is just the beginning of her problem, Brock has return from the war and he want revenge. Will he get his revenge or will he find love? Great story.
The love story of Lady Viola and Brock, the Earl of Haversham.Lady Viola has remove herself for all society and retired to the country after a duel of brothers. How eight years later she has been running a horse ranch but now it going bankrupt. Can she save it? That is just the beginning of her problem, Brock has return from the war and he want revenge. Will he get his revenge or will he find love? Great story.
January 2, 2015
This was my first book by Christina McKnight and, although I found certain aspects disappointing, overall I enjoyed this emotive story of tragedy, revenge, betrayal, love and redemption.
I liked Ms McKnight’s use of the Prologue to show the 17 year old Viola as a foolish, shallow, selfish young girl. Moving forward eight years, this forms a sharp contrast to the hard-working and caring woman she has become. Everything she does reveals just how much she has changed. She values simplicity over extravagance; she fears that should her true identity become known, it could disrupt her life and affect those who depend on her; she supports a children’s orphanage and the scene in the orphanage shows so clearly her care and compassion.
I really felt for Viola especially when she is writing the letter to Brock… pouring her heart out.
She wrote of regrets – not only of her girlhood mistakes, the tragedy of her first season, but also all she knew that would never be hers. The words flowed across the page, filled with sorrow, sadness, and sacrifice.
Brock feels overwhelming guilt and grief because he failed in his obligations to his family. He chose to join the military instead of staying to support his father in his time of grief and take care of his stepbrothers who were foolhardy and reckless. He had also let his best friend, Harold, down.
…his friend had been left with a man who’d continually and without mercy crushed Harold’s will. His friend had needed him, but Brock had been too concerned with his own troubles to be bothered. He’d not only run from troubles at home, he’d abandoned his best friend when he’d needed him the most.
When Brock first meets Viola at Foldger’s Foals, he is not aware of her true identity and is attracted to Lady Posey Hale, the woman he believes her to be. So when he discovers her true identity, I liked the conflict within him.
The sweet girl his foal seemed to adore was indeed the cold-hearted wretch responsible for his family’s demise. How could they be one and the same?
I enjoyed the gradual pace of the romance between Viola and Brock to the point where they are able to put their pasts behind them but then I felt cheated because, the next minute, I was reading the Epilogue! I wanted to spend time with them, watching their love grow and blossom but this was a case of “telling” me rather than “showing” me.
The last month had passed in a haze of euphoria and disbelief. The euphoria was the love she saw in Brock’s eyes every time he looked at her.
I wanted to see what happened during that month. I wanted some of those lovely tender, romantic moments that make you sigh and believe that the hero and heroine are truly in love. There was some consolation in the delightful Epilogue.
I liked Viola’s best friend, Ruby and Brock’s best friend, Harold. They are both loyal but not afraid to voice their opinions when needed. I also enjoyed the banter between Brock and Harold. I have to mention Abby, the little orphan girl, who steals every scene she’s in.
Despite my disappointment with the romance side, this book still has a lot to commend it and I definitely want to read Ruby and Harold’s story in FORGOTTEN NO MORE.
REVIEW RATING: 4/5 STARS
A Lady Forsaken series (click on book cover for more details):
- 15 March 2015
*I received a complimentary copy from the author in return for an honest review.
This review is also posted on my Rakes and Rascals Blog:
http://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com/...
I liked Ms McKnight’s use of the Prologue to show the 17 year old Viola as a foolish, shallow, selfish young girl. Moving forward eight years, this forms a sharp contrast to the hard-working and caring woman she has become. Everything she does reveals just how much she has changed. She values simplicity over extravagance; she fears that should her true identity become known, it could disrupt her life and affect those who depend on her; she supports a children’s orphanage and the scene in the orphanage shows so clearly her care and compassion.
I really felt for Viola especially when she is writing the letter to Brock… pouring her heart out.
She wrote of regrets – not only of her girlhood mistakes, the tragedy of her first season, but also all she knew that would never be hers. The words flowed across the page, filled with sorrow, sadness, and sacrifice.
Brock feels overwhelming guilt and grief because he failed in his obligations to his family. He chose to join the military instead of staying to support his father in his time of grief and take care of his stepbrothers who were foolhardy and reckless. He had also let his best friend, Harold, down.
…his friend had been left with a man who’d continually and without mercy crushed Harold’s will. His friend had needed him, but Brock had been too concerned with his own troubles to be bothered. He’d not only run from troubles at home, he’d abandoned his best friend when he’d needed him the most.
When Brock first meets Viola at Foldger’s Foals, he is not aware of her true identity and is attracted to Lady Posey Hale, the woman he believes her to be. So when he discovers her true identity, I liked the conflict within him.
The sweet girl his foal seemed to adore was indeed the cold-hearted wretch responsible for his family’s demise. How could they be one and the same?
I enjoyed the gradual pace of the romance between Viola and Brock to the point where they are able to put their pasts behind them but then I felt cheated because, the next minute, I was reading the Epilogue! I wanted to spend time with them, watching their love grow and blossom but this was a case of “telling” me rather than “showing” me.
The last month had passed in a haze of euphoria and disbelief. The euphoria was the love she saw in Brock’s eyes every time he looked at her.
I wanted to see what happened during that month. I wanted some of those lovely tender, romantic moments that make you sigh and believe that the hero and heroine are truly in love. There was some consolation in the delightful Epilogue.
I liked Viola’s best friend, Ruby and Brock’s best friend, Harold. They are both loyal but not afraid to voice their opinions when needed. I also enjoyed the banter between Brock and Harold. I have to mention Abby, the little orphan girl, who steals every scene she’s in.
Despite my disappointment with the romance side, this book still has a lot to commend it and I definitely want to read Ruby and Harold’s story in FORGOTTEN NO MORE.
REVIEW RATING: 4/5 STARS
A Lady Forsaken series (click on book cover for more details):
- 15 March 2015*I received a complimentary copy from the author in return for an honest review.
This review is also posted on my Rakes and Rascals Blog:
http://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com/...
May 30, 2014
I have to admit that my feelings on this book ping ponged back and forth. This is definitely not your typical HR read.
The heroine starts out as this selfish, pampered, thoughtless bitch and quite honestly with the way the book began I was positive there was no way in hell I was going to be able to like Lady Viola Oberbrook. And yet Ms. McKnight actually managed to make me change my mind. Her character becomes a strong, mature, fair-minded business woman who feels incredible remorse for what she allowed to happen back when she was a 17 year-old girl. There is one lapse(at the ball) where in my opinion her character makes an extremely bad decision that is not in accord with the changes we believe she has gone through but I have decided to forgive her for that.
As to Brock Spencer, The Earl of Haversham, he too made me waffle in my feelings for him. In the beginning he had all of my sympathy and he had every right to feel the way he did about Viola given the past but quite frankly there were times when he was just a complete ass and I had a hard time liking him towards the end. Again he redeemed himself but I felt that there were a lot of loose ends at the end of the book and it ended a bit too abruptly. I think an additional chapter before the epilogue would have helped me to feel better closure.
I am hoping in the next book a few things might be covered in better detail.....like Rodney, what the heck is up with him. I honestly felt that at some point he was going to be found to be complicit in what happened to the twins(maybe he egged them on and it wasn't really Viola's fault). He obviously wants to inherit the Earldom but I felt like that story-line could have been explored a bit more. I can't wait to see what happens with Ruby & Harold.
And the number one thing that I would have liked to see a bit more of....sex. We came so close in the carriage....damn Viola's dad.
For those that are fine with little to no sex in their HR's this is the perfect book. I personally like a bit more but the story itself was strong even without it.
I will definitely read the next book in the series.
The heroine starts out as this selfish, pampered, thoughtless bitch and quite honestly with the way the book began I was positive there was no way in hell I was going to be able to like Lady Viola Oberbrook. And yet Ms. McKnight actually managed to make me change my mind. Her character becomes a strong, mature, fair-minded business woman who feels incredible remorse for what she allowed to happen back when she was a 17 year-old girl. There is one lapse(at the ball) where in my opinion her character makes an extremely bad decision that is not in accord with the changes we believe she has gone through but I have decided to forgive her for that.
As to Brock Spencer, The Earl of Haversham, he too made me waffle in my feelings for him. In the beginning he had all of my sympathy and he had every right to feel the way he did about Viola given the past but quite frankly there were times when he was just a complete ass and I had a hard time liking him towards the end. Again he redeemed himself but I felt that there were a lot of loose ends at the end of the book and it ended a bit too abruptly. I think an additional chapter before the epilogue would have helped me to feel better closure.
I am hoping in the next book a few things might be covered in better detail.....like Rodney, what the heck is up with him. I honestly felt that at some point he was going to be found to be complicit in what happened to the twins(maybe he egged them on and it wasn't really Viola's fault). He obviously wants to inherit the Earldom but I felt like that story-line could have been explored a bit more. I can't wait to see what happens with Ruby & Harold.
And the number one thing that I would have liked to see a bit more of....sex. We came so close in the carriage....damn Viola's dad.
For those that are fine with little to no sex in their HR's this is the perfect book. I personally like a bit more but the story itself was strong even without it.
I will definitely read the next book in the series.
January 28, 2015
Possibly some "spoiler" info below.
Yes, it is your usual "cheesy romance," but after reading the reviews here on Goodreads, I expected more. A few editing errors, which always trip up the flow when reading a book - something the copy editor really needs to work on. But perhaps the biggest problem for me is that there are a few plot points that seem to be left hanging. The author briefly introduces a cousin of the Duke, who wanders in and out of the story and at one point event appears to be starting trouble. But when another character is summarily dismissed from the action by the Duke, the cousin seems to disappear as well, despite having made threats. What happened to the cousin's big plans? What about the threats? Another plot line that simply dropped away was the potential competitor/ neighboring farm, who was secretly siphoning money away from Vi's business (through that other character I was talking about). When all seems to be resolved at the end (something I also think happened much too quickly), nothing more is heard about the potential competitor, or the fact that he was secretly taking money from Vi. The Duke mentions that he (the competitor) will likely end up in debtor's prison, but he simply disappears from the story. (Maybe he went to find the cousin?) It doesn't help that the competitor also happens to be the son of the very woman who is linked with Vi's dad and who was supposed to be helping Vi make her entre back into the ton. So where did the guy go?
I understand that these books are not meant to be "great literature," but it seems to me that connecting all of the dots and tying up all of the loose ends in a story is an important aspect - particularly when you are going to utilize some of those characters in the next installment - and what happens to those loose ends then? (Perhaps I'm overthinking a "dime store romance" a bit too much?
I liked the story idea and I liked some of the characters, but I don't like that some of the sub plots were left dangling.
Yes, it is your usual "cheesy romance," but after reading the reviews here on Goodreads, I expected more. A few editing errors, which always trip up the flow when reading a book - something the copy editor really needs to work on. But perhaps the biggest problem for me is that there are a few plot points that seem to be left hanging. The author briefly introduces a cousin of the Duke, who wanders in and out of the story and at one point event appears to be starting trouble. But when another character is summarily dismissed from the action by the Duke, the cousin seems to disappear as well, despite having made threats. What happened to the cousin's big plans? What about the threats? Another plot line that simply dropped away was the potential competitor/ neighboring farm, who was secretly siphoning money away from Vi's business (through that other character I was talking about). When all seems to be resolved at the end (something I also think happened much too quickly), nothing more is heard about the potential competitor, or the fact that he was secretly taking money from Vi. The Duke mentions that he (the competitor) will likely end up in debtor's prison, but he simply disappears from the story. (Maybe he went to find the cousin?) It doesn't help that the competitor also happens to be the son of the very woman who is linked with Vi's dad and who was supposed to be helping Vi make her entre back into the ton. So where did the guy go?
I understand that these books are not meant to be "great literature," but it seems to me that connecting all of the dots and tying up all of the loose ends in a story is an important aspect - particularly when you are going to utilize some of those characters in the next installment - and what happens to those loose ends then? (Perhaps I'm overthinking a "dime store romance" a bit too much?
I liked the story idea and I liked some of the characters, but I don't like that some of the sub plots were left dangling.
May 19, 2014
I received an ARC copy of Shunned No More for an honest review.
I would give this book a 4.5 star rating, but Goodreads doesn't do half stars. (may contain slight spoilers)
Lady Viola has been living in the country for several years trying to hide from her past, but the past is about to come back to bite her in the a--butt.
Lord Brock Haversham has been away at war, but now that he has returned to his family estate, he has a few priorities to get in order. He must get his estate back up and running, find a wife and start having heirs, and to exact revenge on the woman that ruined his family; one Lady Viola Overbrook.
The things I loved about this book:
1) Vi and Ruby's friendship. It's honest and true, no matter if Ruby needs to put Vi in her place, or be there for her when she's needed.
2) Vi isn't a damsel, despite being a "Lady" and growing up having it ingrained that she needed a man, her time away from society has made her realize that she is more than capable of surviving without a man.
3) Brock and Harold's friendship. You start to get the impression that Harold is a bit of a pansy, but then, he is the only one able to put Brock in his place, even when he is seething mad.
4) I loved that Brock and Vi were able to put the past behind them and move forward.
5) The characters (especially the supporting characters). I loved them all.
I absolutely loved this book, especially the raw emotion that you felt in certain parts of the book. The only thing that I would have changed in the slightest is to have a little more time with Vi and Brock together when they didn't want to throw things at each other. lol. I love them together, and I wanted more of them! I'm certain that they'll make a cameo in book 2, and I can't wait! :-)
I would give this book a 4.5 star rating, but Goodreads doesn't do half stars. (may contain slight spoilers)
Lady Viola has been living in the country for several years trying to hide from her past, but the past is about to come back to bite her in the a--butt.
Lord Brock Haversham has been away at war, but now that he has returned to his family estate, he has a few priorities to get in order. He must get his estate back up and running, find a wife and start having heirs, and to exact revenge on the woman that ruined his family; one Lady Viola Overbrook.
The things I loved about this book:
1) Vi and Ruby's friendship. It's honest and true, no matter if Ruby needs to put Vi in her place, or be there for her when she's needed.
2) Vi isn't a damsel, despite being a "Lady" and growing up having it ingrained that she needed a man, her time away from society has made her realize that she is more than capable of surviving without a man.
3) Brock and Harold's friendship. You start to get the impression that Harold is a bit of a pansy, but then, he is the only one able to put Brock in his place, even when he is seething mad.
4) I loved that Brock and Vi were able to put the past behind them and move forward.
5) The characters (especially the supporting characters). I loved them all.
I absolutely loved this book, especially the raw emotion that you felt in certain parts of the book. The only thing that I would have changed in the slightest is to have a little more time with Vi and Brock together when they didn't want to throw things at each other. lol. I love them together, and I wanted more of them! I'm certain that they'll make a cameo in book 2, and I can't wait! :-)
August 10, 2016
Full Review at: What's Beyond Forks?
Shunned No More is the first book in the A Lady Forsaken Series by Christina McKnight. This was one of those books that really makes you feel emotional for its characters, even the supporting characters. Viola has spent the last few years since the death of the twins hiding from London society and at times using an alternate name. Brock has so many regrets plus thoughts of revenge towards Viola. Both of these characters go through such a complete transformation as they move past their past. I enjoyed the friendships within the story. Brock had Harold and Viola had Ruby. Their friends know how to handle them and keep them in line. I was pretty jealous of their friendships. I would love to see Harold and Ruby get together. Maybe in a future book? There were some things that are still left open, but I think that may be on purpose since is only book one, so it leaves opportunity for conflict in upcoming books. I fell for these characters, and I'm really looking forward to future books!
The ARC Shunned No More by Christina McKnight was kindly provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.
November 29, 2016
O.K. let me start out by saying I don't think I have read a Historical Romance before. Maybe I did when I was younger but I don't really think so. With that being said...I absolutely fell in love with this book!
So what did I love? I loved that is was like I was set in the 1800's along with the characters in the book. I feel like I am going to the ton parties right along with them. I loved that we got good back story on the main character, Viola, without feeling like it was too much. I loved that we had a build up to the get together of the main characters with no instant love.
Viola was a girl in the 1800's coming out into her first season. She was being looked at by different guys so that they may court her. Two of these gentlemen ended up in a dual and things go terribly wrong and Lady Vi ends up running away.
After years being gone someone comes to her Estate and purchases foals for his residence but who he is and what he wants are a mystery.
To know the rest you'll just have to read it yourself. Believe me you will not be disappointed.
So what did I love? I loved that is was like I was set in the 1800's along with the characters in the book. I feel like I am going to the ton parties right along with them. I loved that we got good back story on the main character, Viola, without feeling like it was too much. I loved that we had a build up to the get together of the main characters with no instant love.
Viola was a girl in the 1800's coming out into her first season. She was being looked at by different guys so that they may court her. Two of these gentlemen ended up in a dual and things go terribly wrong and Lady Vi ends up running away.
After years being gone someone comes to her Estate and purchases foals for his residence but who he is and what he wants are a mystery.
To know the rest you'll just have to read it yourself. Believe me you will not be disappointed.
July 31, 2016
This is exactly what I wanted out of a Regency. I loved Lady Viola and how she turned into an independent, strong heroine. Her "coming out" started with turmoil and trouble.When she left her high-society life to make a new turn, she turned her life around and made something of herself.
However, he secret of who she really was didn't stay secret forever. Her newest customer, Lord Haversham, turned her comfortable life upside down. First with their strong attraction, and later when the two realized who they each were.
I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I'll stop there.
Ms. McKnight did not disappoint and I already bought the second in the series.
However, he secret of who she really was didn't stay secret forever. Her newest customer, Lord Haversham, turned her comfortable life upside down. First with their strong attraction, and later when the two realized who they each were.
I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I'll stop there.
Ms. McKnight did not disappoint and I already bought the second in the series.
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