What do you think?
Rate this book
Chance Sisters #4
Poletna nevesta
Nagrajena avtorica Spomladanske neveste zaključuje serijo o štirih sestrah, štirih porokah in nevesti za vsak letni čas.
Skrajno neodvisna Daisy Chance ima sanje, te pa ne vključujejo poroke ali dojenčkov (sploh pa ne tega, da bi se morala pokoriti soprogu). Odraščala je v revščini, a je njena strast izdelovanje lepih oblačil, za kar je nadvse nadarjena. Meri na to, da bi postala najboljša modistka v Londonu.
Privlačni Irec Patrick Flynn je bogat in ambiciozen, in v londonsko družbo je vstopil, da bi si poiskal žlahtno nevesto. Namesto tega pa ga vse bolj privlači svojeglava in bistra Daisy, ki je brez dlake na jeziku. V vsakem oziru je napačna zanj – razen tega, da mu pospeši srčni utrip. Ko Flynn nazadnje zasnubi Daisy, ga ta zavrne. Svoji težko prisluženi neodvisnosti se že ne bo odpovedala, sploh pa se imenitnim damam iz družbene smetane noče pridružiti – oblačila bi jih rada. Morda pa bi lahko postala skrivna Flynnova ljubica … Flynn pa si želi žene, in ko se z vsem srcem za nekaj odloči, mu nič ne more prekrižati računov.
Skrajno neodvisna Daisy Chance ima sanje, te pa ne vključujejo poroke ali dojenčkov (sploh pa ne tega, da bi se morala pokoriti soprogu). Odraščala je v revščini, a je njena strast izdelovanje lepih oblačil, za kar je nadvse nadarjena. Meri na to, da bi postala najboljša modistka v Londonu.
Privlačni Irec Patrick Flynn je bogat in ambiciozen, in v londonsko družbo je vstopil, da bi si poiskal žlahtno nevesto. Namesto tega pa ga vse bolj privlači svojeglava in bistra Daisy, ki je brez dlake na jeziku. V vsakem oziru je napačna zanj – razen tega, da mu pospeši srčni utrip. Ko Flynn nazadnje zasnubi Daisy, ga ta zavrne. Svoji težko prisluženi neodvisnosti se že ne bo odpovedala, sploh pa se imenitnim damam iz družbene smetane noče pridružiti – oblačila bi jih rada. Morda pa bi lahko postala skrivna Flynnova ljubica … Flynn pa si želi žene, in ko se z vsem srcem za nekaj odloči, mu nič ne more prekrižati računov.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published July 5, 2016
330 people are currently reading
1415 people want to read
About the author
Anne Gracie
95 books1,536 followersI've always loved stories. Family legend has it that I used to spend hours playing in the sand pit, with a dog on either side of me and Rocka the horse leaning over me, his head just touching my shoulder, while I told them stories. I have to say, dogs and horses are great audiences, apart from their tendency to drool occasionally. But people are even nicer.
In case you imagine we were a filthy rich horse-owning family, let me assure you we weren't. The horse period was a time when my parents entered a "let's-be-self-sufficient" phase, so we had a horse, but no electricity and all our water came from the rain tank.
As well as the horse and dogs, we had 2 cows (Buttercup and Daisy and one of them always had a calf), a sheep (Woolly,) goats (Billy and Nanny) dozens of ducks, chooks, and a couple of geese, a pet bluetongue lizard and a huge vegie patch. I don't know how my mother managed, really, because both she and Dad taught full time, but she came home and cooked on a wood stove and did all the laundry by hand, boiling the clothes and sheets in a big copper kettle. Somehow, we were always warm, clean, well fed and happy. She's pretty amazing, my mum.
Once I learned to read, I spent my days outside playing with the animals (I include my brother and 2 sisters here) and when inside I read. For most of my childhood we didn't have TV, so books have always been a big part of my life. Luckily our house was always full of them. Travel was also a big part of my childhood. My parents had itchy feet. We spent a lot of time driving from one part of Australia to another, visiting relatives or friends or simply to see what was there. I've lived in Scotland, Malaysia and Greece. We travelled through Europe in a caravan and I'd swum most of the famous rivers in Europe by the time I was eight.
This is me and my classmates in Scotland. I am in the second front row, in the middle, to the right of the girl in the dark tunic.
Sounds like I was raised by gypsies, doesn't it? I was even almost born in a tent --Mum, Dad and 3 children were camping and one day mum left the tent and went to hospital to have me. But in fact we are a family of chalkies (Australian slang for teachers)- and Dad was a school principal during most of my life. And I am an expert in being "the new girl" having been to 6 different schools in 12 years.The last 4 years, however, were in the same high school and I still have my 2 best friends from that time.
No matter where I lived, I read. I devoured whatever I could get my hands on -- old Enid Blyton and Mary Grant Bruce books, old schoolboys annuals. I learned history by reading Rosemary Sutcliffe, Henry Treece and Georgette Heyer. I loved animal books -- Elyne Mitchell's Silver Brumby books and Mary Patchett and Finn the Wolf Hound. And then I read Jane Austen and Dickens and Mary Stewart and Richard Llewellyn and Virginia Woolf and EF Benson and Dick Francis and David Malouf and Patrick White and Doris Lessing and PD James and...the list is never ending.
This is me posing shamelessly on a glacier in New Zealand.
This is me in Greece with my good friend Fay in our village outfits. The film went a funny colour, but you get the idea. I'm the one in the pink apron.
I escaped from my parents, settled down and went to university.To my amazement I became a chalkie myself and found a lot of pleasure in working with teenagers and later, adults. I taught English and worked as a counsellor and helped put on plays and concerts and supervised camps and encouraged other people to write but never did much myself. It took a year of backpacking around the world to find that my early desire to write hadn't left me, it had just got buried under a busy and demanding job.
I wrote my first novel on notebooks bought in Quebec, Spain, Greece and Indonesia. That story never made it out of the notebooks, but I'd been bitten by the writing bug.
My friends and I formed a band called Platform Souls a
In case you imagine we were a filthy rich horse-owning family, let me assure you we weren't. The horse period was a time when my parents entered a "let's-be-self-sufficient" phase, so we had a horse, but no electricity and all our water came from the rain tank.
As well as the horse and dogs, we had 2 cows (Buttercup and Daisy and one of them always had a calf), a sheep (Woolly,) goats (Billy and Nanny) dozens of ducks, chooks, and a couple of geese, a pet bluetongue lizard and a huge vegie patch. I don't know how my mother managed, really, because both she and Dad taught full time, but she came home and cooked on a wood stove and did all the laundry by hand, boiling the clothes and sheets in a big copper kettle. Somehow, we were always warm, clean, well fed and happy. She's pretty amazing, my mum.
Once I learned to read, I spent my days outside playing with the animals (I include my brother and 2 sisters here) and when inside I read. For most of my childhood we didn't have TV, so books have always been a big part of my life. Luckily our house was always full of them. Travel was also a big part of my childhood. My parents had itchy feet. We spent a lot of time driving from one part of Australia to another, visiting relatives or friends or simply to see what was there. I've lived in Scotland, Malaysia and Greece. We travelled through Europe in a caravan and I'd swum most of the famous rivers in Europe by the time I was eight.
This is me and my classmates in Scotland. I am in the second front row, in the middle, to the right of the girl in the dark tunic.
Sounds like I was raised by gypsies, doesn't it? I was even almost born in a tent --Mum, Dad and 3 children were camping and one day mum left the tent and went to hospital to have me. But in fact we are a family of chalkies (Australian slang for teachers)- and Dad was a school principal during most of my life. And I am an expert in being "the new girl" having been to 6 different schools in 12 years.The last 4 years, however, were in the same high school and I still have my 2 best friends from that time.
No matter where I lived, I read. I devoured whatever I could get my hands on -- old Enid Blyton and Mary Grant Bruce books, old schoolboys annuals. I learned history by reading Rosemary Sutcliffe, Henry Treece and Georgette Heyer. I loved animal books -- Elyne Mitchell's Silver Brumby books and Mary Patchett and Finn the Wolf Hound. And then I read Jane Austen and Dickens and Mary Stewart and Richard Llewellyn and Virginia Woolf and EF Benson and Dick Francis and David Malouf and Patrick White and Doris Lessing and PD James and...the list is never ending.
This is me posing shamelessly on a glacier in New Zealand.
This is me in Greece with my good friend Fay in our village outfits. The film went a funny colour, but you get the idea. I'm the one in the pink apron.
I escaped from my parents, settled down and went to university.To my amazement I became a chalkie myself and found a lot of pleasure in working with teenagers and later, adults. I taught English and worked as a counsellor and helped put on plays and concerts and supervised camps and encouraged other people to write but never did much myself. It took a year of backpacking around the world to find that my early desire to write hadn't left me, it had just got buried under a busy and demanding job.
I wrote my first novel on notebooks bought in Quebec, Spain, Greece and Indonesia. That story never made it out of the notebooks, but I'd been bitten by the writing bug.
My friends and I formed a band called Platform Souls a
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews
July 6, 2016
4.5
'The Summer Bride' by Anne Gracie is book four in the "Chance Sisters" series.
This is the story of Daisy Chance and Patrick Flynn. Daisy and Flynn have been friends for a little while and each know what they want. Fylnn wants a aristocratic wife to go along with the money he has made in trade and Daisy wants to own a dress shop to be a independent women.
But Flynn starts to know that a aristocratic wife won't bring him the love his parents had and wants instead to have a friend and lover in his wife. Which he slowly starts to think it is Daisy he wants.
Daisy is always been attracted to Flynn but didn't want to ruin their friendship and also she doesn't really trust anyone enough to give up her dream.
This book didn't really disappoint at all! Ms. Gracie is my favorite author and her books always makes me have an emotional attachment to her characters! I do wish they would have decided that they want and love each other a lot sooner but that is just a preference.
Please follow more reviews at the below sites:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2H...
http://sissymaereads.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/sally.mae.39...
http://booklikes.com/
https://romancebookreviewforyou.wordp...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/17091...
https://twitter.com/soapsrus68
'The Summer Bride' by Anne Gracie is book four in the "Chance Sisters" series.
This is the story of Daisy Chance and Patrick Flynn. Daisy and Flynn have been friends for a little while and each know what they want. Fylnn wants a aristocratic wife to go along with the money he has made in trade and Daisy wants to own a dress shop to be a independent women.
But Flynn starts to know that a aristocratic wife won't bring him the love his parents had and wants instead to have a friend and lover in his wife. Which he slowly starts to think it is Daisy he wants.
Daisy is always been attracted to Flynn but didn't want to ruin their friendship and also she doesn't really trust anyone enough to give up her dream.
This book didn't really disappoint at all! Ms. Gracie is my favorite author and her books always makes me have an emotional attachment to her characters! I do wish they would have decided that they want and love each other a lot sooner but that is just a preference.
Please follow more reviews at the below sites:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2H...
http://sissymaereads.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/sally.mae.39...
http://booklikes.com/
https://romancebookreviewforyou.wordp...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/17091...
https://twitter.com/soapsrus68
August 2, 2017
Heroine, adamant about not wanting marriage / babies, is PROVEN WRONG by boners, genre standards. Breaking news at 10.
1. Ugh.
2. This was better than I was expecting but still ultimately a shit show.
3. I was given a heroine who is against children and marriage! Albeit in an extremely superficial way, setup to be perfectly collapsible when the story needs its HEA, but still! A heroine who has ambitions and dreams and does not shy away from pursuing them! ...until her lover's boner leads her astray because we can't have nice things.
4. Seriously, the ending is such a sad trombone noise mixed in with gross gender expectations mixed in with gross genre conventions. Aren't we past that? Or, at the least, can't we do better than this? I've seen so much discussion of this being a book that could have ended with a non-traditional HEA and in such a way that felt honest and true to these characters. Except we can't have that because ALL WOMEN MUST HAVE BABIES. ALL WOMEN MUST BE GOOD WIVES. ALL WOMEN MUST KOWTOW TO THEIR MEN.
5. This is just a line to say that I lost all respect for Flynn when, after Daisy's announcement, he casually drops into the conversation the assumption that she was taking precautions. THIS IS JUST SUCH A GROSS, DISGUSTING THING TO TOSS INTO A ROMANCE. HE KNEW SHE DIDN'T WANT TO GET PREGNANT. HE CLAIMS TO CARE ABOUT HER AND HER WANTS AND DESIRES. AND YET HE DOES NOTHING—NOTHING—TO ASSIST IN THE PREVENTION OF A CHILD THAT SHE HAS VOCALLY CLAIMED NOT TO WANT????
GET THAT SHIT AWAY FROM ME.
6. Obviously Daisy's aversion to children is just a lack of practice jesus fuck kill me now.
7. Here's why I'm so upset: the scene where Flynn gives Daisy the gift of the modified shoes SLAYED ME. What an unintentionally thoughtless, yet deeply sincere attempt. The capturing of Daisy's betrayal and hurt and the poisoning of a once-fond memory, and Flynn's unwitting attempts to understand why his well-meant gift was so wrong: GUT ME WITH A SPOON. This is what I read for; this is why I came to this damn party. (I'm ignoring the shoes-at-the-wedding thing because ugh.)
But all that carefulness gets tossed out the window in favor of some rushed "look inside yourself" character realization that Daisy is """afraid of love""". It's so lazy. It's so damned lazy that I'm too lazy to describe how lazy it is.
Meanwhile, Flynn has already gone through his share of emotional development because he wants to marry Daisy, so then the text has to spend the next 50% of the book getting Daisy on the same page. Which it does only via character assassination because there is no other way to reconcile the woman from the opening chapters to the woman cooing at her newborn.
8. Further proof that Gracie just didn't care enough to resolve this well: THE EPILOGUE IS A "COOING AT HER NEWBORN" EPILOGUE. It makes no mention of her dress shop, her designing, her business, NONE OF IT.
I am disgust.
9. Handwaving away Flynn's sizable lie to Daisy in the second-to-last-chapter is also an egregious sin; don't think I haven't forgotten!!!
10. I'm just going to end this with a final petty complaint because it's just too much: The condensing of Jane's plot into a "concurrent" plot was poorly done and also very bad.
1. Ugh.
2. This was better than I was expecting but still ultimately a shit show.
3. I was given a heroine who is against children and marriage! Albeit in an extremely superficial way, setup to be perfectly collapsible when the story needs its HEA, but still! A heroine who has ambitions and dreams and does not shy away from pursuing them! ...until her lover's boner leads her astray because we can't have nice things.
4. Seriously, the ending is such a sad trombone noise mixed in with gross gender expectations mixed in with gross genre conventions. Aren't we past that? Or, at the least, can't we do better than this? I've seen so much discussion of this being a book that could have ended with a non-traditional HEA and in such a way that felt honest and true to these characters. Except we can't have that because ALL WOMEN MUST HAVE BABIES. ALL WOMEN MUST BE GOOD WIVES. ALL WOMEN MUST KOWTOW TO THEIR MEN.
5. This is just a line to say that I lost all respect for Flynn when, after Daisy's announcement, he casually drops into the conversation the assumption that she was taking precautions. THIS IS JUST SUCH A GROSS, DISGUSTING THING TO TOSS INTO A ROMANCE. HE KNEW SHE DIDN'T WANT TO GET PREGNANT. HE CLAIMS TO CARE ABOUT HER AND HER WANTS AND DESIRES. AND YET HE DOES NOTHING—NOTHING—TO ASSIST IN THE PREVENTION OF A CHILD THAT SHE HAS VOCALLY CLAIMED NOT TO WANT????
GET THAT SHIT AWAY FROM ME.
6. Obviously Daisy's aversion to children is just a lack of practice jesus fuck kill me now.
7. Here's why I'm so upset: the scene where Flynn gives Daisy the gift of the modified shoes SLAYED ME. What an unintentionally thoughtless, yet deeply sincere attempt. The capturing of Daisy's betrayal and hurt and the poisoning of a once-fond memory, and Flynn's unwitting attempts to understand why his well-meant gift was so wrong: GUT ME WITH A SPOON. This is what I read for; this is why I came to this damn party. (I'm ignoring the shoes-at-the-wedding thing because ugh.)
But all that carefulness gets tossed out the window in favor of some rushed "look inside yourself" character realization that Daisy is """afraid of love""". It's so lazy. It's so damned lazy that I'm too lazy to describe how lazy it is.
Meanwhile, Flynn has already gone through his share of emotional development because he wants to marry Daisy, so then the text has to spend the next 50% of the book getting Daisy on the same page. Which it does only via character assassination because there is no other way to reconcile the woman from the opening chapters to the woman cooing at her newborn.
8. Further proof that Gracie just didn't care enough to resolve this well: THE EPILOGUE IS A "COOING AT HER NEWBORN" EPILOGUE. It makes no mention of her dress shop, her designing, her business, NONE OF IT.
I am disgust.
9. Handwaving away Flynn's sizable lie to Daisy in the second-to-last-chapter is also an egregious sin; don't think I haven't forgotten!!!
10. I'm just going to end this with a final petty complaint because it's just too much: The condensing of Jane's plot into a "concurrent" plot was poorly done and also very bad.
December 19, 2017
This was the final book in the Chance Sisters series, and it was the one I had been very eager to start! This installment featured Patrick Flynn; the "pirate", Irish man who loved to dress in flamboyant colors!! By the time he gets to London where his business partner and friend live, he is shown how he must dress and act to be accepted by the famous "Ton." Flynn is quite the rebel though, and shedding that layer of himself isn't something he wants to do; but he is willing to as he figures he needs to find a wife. He wants a wife who is a lady of the highest order, because Flynn feels he deserves the best!
I adored Flynn from back when we met him in the past books. There is something about a man that has risen from his street rat beginnings, and become a wealthy man who no woman in her right mind would turn down! The thing is...he may be rich....but Flynn is a nice guy!!! When he finally realizes that it is not a "snobby lady" he needs or wants; the story really gets started then! He turns his sights one Daisy! I loved every single scene him and Daisy shared!! They were perfect for each other, and seeing as they had been friends since a few books back...they had a wonderful foundation for a beautiful romance!
My biggest complaint with the story was that Daisy took so friggen long to finally give in to wanting to be with Flynn. I am an impatient person when it comes to my romances...and I really don't like it when the heroine takes forever to admit that she wants to be with her man. I become frustrated and irritable...LOL ( I really do take my books seriously!!) The thing that I did like in this fourth book was that there were quite a bit of intimate scenes with the couple...( I'm being polite...the intimate scenes were very HOT sex...LOL) This installment had to be the sexiest out of the whole series!!
All in all, this was my favorite out of all the Chance Sisters books! I am glad that I read this series back to back..and I plan to read more of Anne Gracie's books. I love her style of writing, and her story telling is brilliant...it really is! The only thing that I would warn readers, is that if you are looking for heavy sex in this particular series...you won't find it. Even in the last book, there was the most sex; but it still wasn't full of it. There is more story, and more in depth material on friendship, family, and feelings! If that is how you enjoy your Historical romances, then you must give this a go!!
I adored Flynn from back when we met him in the past books. There is something about a man that has risen from his street rat beginnings, and become a wealthy man who no woman in her right mind would turn down! The thing is...he may be rich....but Flynn is a nice guy!!! When he finally realizes that it is not a "snobby lady" he needs or wants; the story really gets started then! He turns his sights one Daisy! I loved every single scene him and Daisy shared!! They were perfect for each other, and seeing as they had been friends since a few books back...they had a wonderful foundation for a beautiful romance!
My biggest complaint with the story was that Daisy took so friggen long to finally give in to wanting to be with Flynn. I am an impatient person when it comes to my romances...and I really don't like it when the heroine takes forever to admit that she wants to be with her man. I become frustrated and irritable...LOL ( I really do take my books seriously!!) The thing that I did like in this fourth book was that there were quite a bit of intimate scenes with the couple...( I'm being polite...the intimate scenes were very HOT sex...LOL) This installment had to be the sexiest out of the whole series!!
All in all, this was my favorite out of all the Chance Sisters books! I am glad that I read this series back to back..and I plan to read more of Anne Gracie's books. I love her style of writing, and her story telling is brilliant...it really is! The only thing that I would warn readers, is that if you are looking for heavy sex in this particular series...you won't find it. Even in the last book, there was the most sex; but it still wasn't full of it. There is more story, and more in depth material on friendship, family, and feelings! If that is how you enjoy your Historical romances, then you must give this a go!!
July 21, 2016
I’ve been waiting for Daisy’s book for so long and I’m happy to say that it was worth it! :)
I loved Daisy since the beginning of this series. She’s just plain great: honest, hardworking, plain-speaking, courageous, loving and at the same time full of sass and thornes!
She has a desire: she want to be the best dressmaker in London and she’s working herself blind working from dawn to dusk..
She’s secretly attracted to Flynn, but they’re friends, so she doesn’t act on that attraction.
Flynn, being a stupid male, wants a great titled lady as his wife, thinking that will be the crowning of his life-achievement. Stupid idiot…
But a kiss exchanged as a dare changes everything…
Flynn, opening his eyes (finally) wants to help her with acquiring a shop, but Daisy is too proud to accept it. She doesn’t want to be dependant on Fkynn knowing his tendency to command and fearing that he will take over the business. She wants it to be hers and nobody’s other!
So with a help of a lady friend, she finally opens the shop of her dreams…
… and takes Flynn as a lover! WOW, Daisy, you have guts!!!!
I loved both Daisy (when she realizes finally that she’s lovable and not a trash!!!) and Flynn (when he realizes that Daisy is the perfect wife for him and right there under his nose!!!).
I loved the love and the honest passion between the two of them.
I’m really, really happy to having read this book even if I’m sad that this series is fiished…
I loved Daisy since the beginning of this series. She’s just plain great: honest, hardworking, plain-speaking, courageous, loving and at the same time full of sass and thornes!
She has a desire: she want to be the best dressmaker in London and she’s working herself blind working from dawn to dusk..
She’s secretly attracted to Flynn, but they’re friends, so she doesn’t act on that attraction.
Flynn, being a stupid male, wants a great titled lady as his wife, thinking that will be the crowning of his life-achievement. Stupid idiot…
But a kiss exchanged as a dare changes everything…
Flynn, opening his eyes (finally) wants to help her with acquiring a shop, but Daisy is too proud to accept it. She doesn’t want to be dependant on Fkynn knowing his tendency to command and fearing that he will take over the business. She wants it to be hers and nobody’s other!
So with a help of a lady friend, she finally opens the shop of her dreams…
… and takes Flynn as a lover! WOW, Daisy, you have guts!!!!
I loved both Daisy (when she realizes finally that she’s lovable and not a trash!!!) and Flynn (when he realizes that Daisy is the perfect wife for him and right there under his nose!!!).
I loved the love and the honest passion between the two of them.
I’m really, really happy to having read this book even if I’m sad that this series is fiished…
October 26, 2016
I've given this a B- at AAR, so that's 3.5 stars rounded up.
The Summer Bride is the final book in Anne Gracie’s Chance Sisters quartet which began with The Autumn Bride and then progressed through Winter and Spring as the “sisters” (who aren’t actual sisters, but who regard themselves as being “sisters of the heart”) found love. This instalment is a decent enough read, but it doesn’t have anything new to offer and the romantic tension isn’t very, well, tense.
It’s the turn of Daisy, the only one of the four who wasn’t born a Lady, to get her HEA. She’s a cockney foundling brought up in a brothel, and her ambition is to be the most fashionable modiste in London. She’s already making a name for herself by creating gowns for Abby and Damaris – two of her sisters who are now happily married to society gentlemen – and new orders are coming in all the time. Daisy can barely keep up; she spends every waking moment designing, cutting, sewing and embellishing in order to meet the demand. She forgets to eat and hardly sleeps, but she’s so driven by her ambition to earn enough money to open up her own shop that taking care of herself falls way down the list of her priorities.
Also a long way down Daisy’s list of priorities – in fact, so far down that it’s not even on there – is marriage. It’s not that she doesn’t like men, but she’s determined that when she does become the owner of a business, it will be hers alone. In the eyes of the law, anything that belongs to a woman automatically belongs to her husband once she has one, ergo, she isn’t going to have one. Simple.
Or it would be were it not for the fact that she fancies the pants off Patrick Flynn, Irish charmer, handsome rogue and owner of Flynn shipping, the company in which Max and Freddie (heroes of books one and two) are investors. Born in Dublin, Flynn lost his whole family to cholera at a young age, but has never forgotten the loving home provided by his parents and is keen to have a family of his own. He worked hard at anything and everything and has become a successful businessman, so now he has his eye on raising himself up further by making an advantageous marriage. With the end of the Season approaching, pickings are fairly slim, but Flynn has settled upon Lady Elizabeth Compton, the daughter of an earl who badly needs the money Flynn can provide, so the match is all but a done deal.
Daisy and Flynn are good mates. He gives her first pick of his cargoes and tries to make sure she eats, and she makes him the vibrant waistcoats he favours. In spite of her determination not to marry, Daisy can’t help being a bit jealous when Flynn tells her all about his plans to nab himself an aristocratic bride; and here I confess that his motivations didn’t make much sense to me. The self-made man wanting a titled wife is a fairly common plotline, but there’s usually more of a reason for it than “I might as well”, which is all I could come up with on Flynn’s behalf. Well, that and that it’s because the author needed a reason to keep Daisy and Flynn apart for the first part of the book.
Fortunately, however, Flynn soon realises his genteel would-be-bride has only agreed to marry him because the alternative proposed by her father is to tie her to an historical romance cliché – an older, nasty widower who probably beat his other wives to death. Not wanting to throw Lady Elizabeth to the wolves (or wolf) Flynn quickly and altruistically gets her out of the picture, clearing the way for him to court the woman he’s suddenly realised he really wants.
Who doesn’t want him. Or, more precisely, who wants him in her bed, but doesn’t want to marry him. The rest of the story revolves around Daisy refusing Flynn’s daily offers of marriage while she sets up her business. He had originally offered to be her investor, but she was convinced that even as a silent partner, Flynn would take over so she turned him down. Luck threw another possibility in Daisy’s path, a widowed lady who had some money to invest, and voilà! – the House of Chance is born.
As I said at the beginning of this review, The Summer Bride is a solid read, but not one that’s going to set the world alight. Flynn and Daisy are attractive characters and the romantic chemistry between them is fairly strong, but while I admire an independently minded heroine, Daisy’s stubbornness and her inability to take good advice got annoying quickly. The obstacles lying along their road to happiness are flimsy; Flynn abandons his desire for a society bride at the drop of a hat, and Daisy’s persistent belief that he will try to take over her business is suddenly dispensed with when another trip around cliché corner sees her having to change her mind.
The Summer Bride kept me entertained for the few hours it took me to read it, and it’s by no means a bad book. It’s well written, but it lacks a certain spark – the one that pulls you in and means you absolutely HAVE to know what happens to these characters; and as I write this review, I’m struggling to think of anyone or anything that stands out as being particularly memorable. It’s a pleasant, undemanding read, and I’m sure fans of the series will enjoy it, but there’s nothing new to be found within its pages and I certainly can’t see myself reading it more than this once.
The Summer Bride is the final book in Anne Gracie’s Chance Sisters quartet which began with The Autumn Bride and then progressed through Winter and Spring as the “sisters” (who aren’t actual sisters, but who regard themselves as being “sisters of the heart”) found love. This instalment is a decent enough read, but it doesn’t have anything new to offer and the romantic tension isn’t very, well, tense.
It’s the turn of Daisy, the only one of the four who wasn’t born a Lady, to get her HEA. She’s a cockney foundling brought up in a brothel, and her ambition is to be the most fashionable modiste in London. She’s already making a name for herself by creating gowns for Abby and Damaris – two of her sisters who are now happily married to society gentlemen – and new orders are coming in all the time. Daisy can barely keep up; she spends every waking moment designing, cutting, sewing and embellishing in order to meet the demand. She forgets to eat and hardly sleeps, but she’s so driven by her ambition to earn enough money to open up her own shop that taking care of herself falls way down the list of her priorities.
Also a long way down Daisy’s list of priorities – in fact, so far down that it’s not even on there – is marriage. It’s not that she doesn’t like men, but she’s determined that when she does become the owner of a business, it will be hers alone. In the eyes of the law, anything that belongs to a woman automatically belongs to her husband once she has one, ergo, she isn’t going to have one. Simple.
Or it would be were it not for the fact that she fancies the pants off Patrick Flynn, Irish charmer, handsome rogue and owner of Flynn shipping, the company in which Max and Freddie (heroes of books one and two) are investors. Born in Dublin, Flynn lost his whole family to cholera at a young age, but has never forgotten the loving home provided by his parents and is keen to have a family of his own. He worked hard at anything and everything and has become a successful businessman, so now he has his eye on raising himself up further by making an advantageous marriage. With the end of the Season approaching, pickings are fairly slim, but Flynn has settled upon Lady Elizabeth Compton, the daughter of an earl who badly needs the money Flynn can provide, so the match is all but a done deal.
Daisy and Flynn are good mates. He gives her first pick of his cargoes and tries to make sure she eats, and she makes him the vibrant waistcoats he favours. In spite of her determination not to marry, Daisy can’t help being a bit jealous when Flynn tells her all about his plans to nab himself an aristocratic bride; and here I confess that his motivations didn’t make much sense to me. The self-made man wanting a titled wife is a fairly common plotline, but there’s usually more of a reason for it than “I might as well”, which is all I could come up with on Flynn’s behalf. Well, that and that it’s because the author needed a reason to keep Daisy and Flynn apart for the first part of the book.
Fortunately, however, Flynn soon realises his genteel would-be-bride has only agreed to marry him because the alternative proposed by her father is to tie her to an historical romance cliché – an older, nasty widower who probably beat his other wives to death. Not wanting to throw Lady Elizabeth to the wolves (or wolf) Flynn quickly and altruistically gets her out of the picture, clearing the way for him to court the woman he’s suddenly realised he really wants.
Who doesn’t want him. Or, more precisely, who wants him in her bed, but doesn’t want to marry him. The rest of the story revolves around Daisy refusing Flynn’s daily offers of marriage while she sets up her business. He had originally offered to be her investor, but she was convinced that even as a silent partner, Flynn would take over so she turned him down. Luck threw another possibility in Daisy’s path, a widowed lady who had some money to invest, and voilà! – the House of Chance is born.
As I said at the beginning of this review, The Summer Bride is a solid read, but not one that’s going to set the world alight. Flynn and Daisy are attractive characters and the romantic chemistry between them is fairly strong, but while I admire an independently minded heroine, Daisy’s stubbornness and her inability to take good advice got annoying quickly. The obstacles lying along their road to happiness are flimsy; Flynn abandons his desire for a society bride at the drop of a hat, and Daisy’s persistent belief that he will try to take over her business is suddenly dispensed with when another trip around cliché corner sees her having to change her mind.
The Summer Bride kept me entertained for the few hours it took me to read it, and it’s by no means a bad book. It’s well written, but it lacks a certain spark – the one that pulls you in and means you absolutely HAVE to know what happens to these characters; and as I write this review, I’m struggling to think of anyone or anything that stands out as being particularly memorable. It’s a pleasant, undemanding read, and I’m sure fans of the series will enjoy it, but there’s nothing new to be found within its pages and I certainly can’t see myself reading it more than this once.
November 16, 2016
4.5 stars. I've really enjoyed the Chance Sisters and #4 book all about Daisy rounded it off very nicely. Daisy had a lot of spirit and loved seeing her enveloped in love by so many.
I really liked the quotes from Jane Austen at the beginning of each chapter. Makes me want to go read her books!
I really liked the quotes from Jane Austen at the beginning of each chapter. Makes me want to go read her books!
March 19, 2025
5 ⭐️s
What a series! Simply irresistible!
Love all the characters. Aunt Bea though, was that extra bit special.
I have to mention Flynn, he's so funny always calling his friend, Freddy hyphen-hyphen. Love the connection and banter between Flynn and Daisy.
A brilliant end to a brilliant series
Thanks Anne Gracie for the escape from reality.
What a series! Simply irresistible!
Love all the characters. Aunt Bea though, was that extra bit special.
I have to mention Flynn, he's so funny always calling his friend, Freddy hyphen-hyphen. Love the connection and banter between Flynn and Daisy.
A brilliant end to a brilliant series
Thanks Anne Gracie for the escape from reality.
July 6, 2016
Been waiting for Daisy's story since the beginning of the series. FINALLY! Can't wait......
I know that this would be the best one and I was right! I had lots of tears and snots while reading this story. It was so good and heart-wrenching.
I'm so sad that the series has come to an end.
I know that this would be the best one and I was right! I had lots of tears and snots while reading this story. It was so good and heart-wrenching.
I'm so sad that the series has come to an end.
August 19, 2016
Yeahhhh, I didn't like this. It's partly the cliches, partly the annoying callbacks to previous books, and partly
Read
February 12, 2025Get you a man who will propose to you every single day.
August 5, 2016
So the whole point of this book was that if a woman doesn't want children, she will change her mind and realize that really she wanted children all along. Riiiight. I'm so tired of babies being mandatory for a happy ending, I want a story where the heroine's decision not to have children is respected for a change, both by the man in her life and by the author. This story wasn't it.
I was so looking forward to Daisy and Flynn's story and the part about Daisy opening her own shop was great, but after she got pregnant and decided to keep the baby it was all over. She never even mentioned her shop again, except in passing, or to say that of course she cared about Flynn more than her shop. Creating her own business had been her biggest passion and driving force for four books and she was going to just... throw it all away, because babies. Of course Flynn told her that she could keep working (how kind) but it seemed that her heart was no longer in it. Who needs a business when you can have a husband and babies, amirite?
Gag.
This could have still been a good book if the last chapters had been about Daisy finding ways to juggle motherhood and the shop, instead it was saccharine crap. As for me, I need to stop reading Anne Gracie because it's not the first time her old-fashioned bullshit pissed me off.
I was so looking forward to Daisy and Flynn's story and the part about Daisy opening her own shop was great, but after she got pregnant and decided to keep the baby it was all over. She never even mentioned her shop again, except in passing, or to say that of course she cared about Flynn more than her shop. Creating her own business had been her biggest passion and driving force for four books and she was going to just... throw it all away, because babies. Of course Flynn told her that she could keep working (how kind) but it seemed that her heart was no longer in it. Who needs a business when you can have a husband and babies, amirite?
Gag.
This could have still been a good book if the last chapters had been about Daisy finding ways to juggle motherhood and the shop, instead it was saccharine crap. As for me, I need to stop reading Anne Gracie because it's not the first time her old-fashioned bullshit pissed me off.
August 5, 2017
I thought I'd be like my friends and upset that a woman who didn't want marriage or babies got them anyway, but instead I'm upset that it wasn't even a good portrayal of a woman who didn't want babies or marriage! She didn't seem to have really thought about kids and I am not sure she would've objected to marrying a ~low class~ man. It just wasn't set up well.
And super upset that
And super upset that
October 11, 2021
This heroine was infuriating. Like... drove me up a wall. The hero was swoon worthy and I hope they work well together as a married couple because she was frustrating as hell.
July 9, 2016
Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup.
Oh I just loved it! The Summer Bride was the perfect end to a stunning series from Gracie. The characters, the romance, the humor and passion all came together for an absolutely charming experience as the last Chance "sister" meets her match in a cocky Irishman who has a naughty gleam in his eye.
The quick of it is that Flynn is searching for the perfect wife--elegant, classy, and a true Lady. And he's found himself incredibly bored with the polite, reserved women who fit that bill. His good friend Daisy, however, is another story. She'd rather dress the ladies of the ton than be a lady herself. She's crass, headstrong, ambitious and tempting him something fierce! She'll be damned if romance will get in her way, though. She's got things to do! Step aside, Flynn! Step aside! lol
These two were a trip. Both are part of society but...not really. Flynn's wealthy as all get out but he's an Irishman in trade *heaven forbid!* He's a bit of a peacock and loves flashy clothes and thumbing his nose at society (he even wears a gold earring), and is rather cheeky. I totally have a thing for Flynn. lol
And Daisy...the girl has a mouth on her! She's talented and makes gorgeous clothing but really has no time for anything else proper and girlie. She's slow to trust which could be a bit frustrating but knowing her past--she was a foundling and raised in a brothel until she escaped-- made it so understandable at the same time. She was passionate and determined in making her dream of owning a dress shop come true and I loved that about her.
The romance was slow going but fun. You see them as friends and then the light bulb moment go off for Flynn and the hunt beginning. Once he's in he's...in. He wants it all. Marriage and babies and everything Daisy but Daisy is a stubborn one and not about to have none of that since it'll derail her plans to own her own dress making shop. The girl was crazy stubborn and it was pretty funny watching his courting her and her trying to avoid said courting. They had amazing chemistry both in and out of the bedroom. The two really were so perfectly suited personality-wise and so fun to watch battle, talk shop--even though such a crass thing! to talk money and business lol--and then realize their dreams together.
For those that don't know the series. Daisy and her "sisters" aren't really related. They found each other on the streets and helped each other survive until an elderly lady took them in and decided to pretend they were long lost relatives of hers with the goal of turning them into ladies and setting them loose on the ton. It's been quite fun watching them all become a real family and find love in all it's different forms.
All in all, The Summer Bride was a charming end to an amazing series. Gracie's writing is just lovely--unique, romantic and simply irresistible.
July 9, 2016
3.5 stars
Unlike most regency romances, this one’s protagonists do not belong to the ton. The hero Flynn is a self-made businessman. He owns a fleet of trade ship. Now that he has amassed his fortune, he wants to get married into society, to get himself a London lady of the first water. Despite his humble origins and a childhood as a dockside rat, the aristocracy are ready to oblige him. Although most of them despise him as a vulgar ‘man in trade,’ a number of impoverished lords are willing to overlook Flynn’s unseemly occupation in exchange for a hefty settlement. They have young daughters for sale and creditors to keep at bay, after all, so Flynn has his pick.
Daisy dreams of having a dress shop of her own. Lady Beatrice, Daisy’s adapted faux-aunt, wants to make a lady out of her, but Daisy resists. She was born in the gutter, raised in a brothel, and she knows she can’t be a lady. Her exquisite designs are fast becoming fashionable among the high society ladies, and she would trade her own business for anything. She definitely doesn’t want marriage or children – they might complicate her budding dress-making enterprise – but Flynn fills her with disquiet. She likes him too much; she makes flamboyant waistcoats for him, but he only sees her as a friendly girl. Or does he?
The story is uneven. In the beginning, I was bored. Towards the end, I couldn’t stop reading. There are some strange logical gaps in the plot but there are also moments of emotional catharsis and a couple of funny interludes. The heroine’s resistance to marriage sometimes seem ridiculous, not realistic at all, and the hero’s boundless tenderness towards her belies his image as a ruthless owner of a large trading empire. Nevertheless, it reads easy, and I enjoyed the experience. Overall, a solid romance.
Unlike most regency romances, this one’s protagonists do not belong to the ton. The hero Flynn is a self-made businessman. He owns a fleet of trade ship. Now that he has amassed his fortune, he wants to get married into society, to get himself a London lady of the first water. Despite his humble origins and a childhood as a dockside rat, the aristocracy are ready to oblige him. Although most of them despise him as a vulgar ‘man in trade,’ a number of impoverished lords are willing to overlook Flynn’s unseemly occupation in exchange for a hefty settlement. They have young daughters for sale and creditors to keep at bay, after all, so Flynn has his pick.
Daisy dreams of having a dress shop of her own. Lady Beatrice, Daisy’s adapted faux-aunt, wants to make a lady out of her, but Daisy resists. She was born in the gutter, raised in a brothel, and she knows she can’t be a lady. Her exquisite designs are fast becoming fashionable among the high society ladies, and she would trade her own business for anything. She definitely doesn’t want marriage or children – they might complicate her budding dress-making enterprise – but Flynn fills her with disquiet. She likes him too much; she makes flamboyant waistcoats for him, but he only sees her as a friendly girl. Or does he?
The story is uneven. In the beginning, I was bored. Towards the end, I couldn’t stop reading. There are some strange logical gaps in the plot but there are also moments of emotional catharsis and a couple of funny interludes. The heroine’s resistance to marriage sometimes seem ridiculous, not realistic at all, and the hero’s boundless tenderness towards her belies his image as a ruthless owner of a large trading empire. Nevertheless, it reads easy, and I enjoyed the experience. Overall, a solid romance.
October 18, 2022
The Summer Bride
4 Stars
Patrick Flynn, a self-made shipping mogul, is determined to marry the most perfect lady in London. Little does he know that the woman for him is not the elegant and aristocratic lady with whom he has nothing in common, but the fiery and feisty Daisy Chance who would rather build her own business than marry. Fortunately for Flynn and Daisy, love finds a way and the two soon embark on an amorous adventure together.
After the disappointment of the previous book, this installment ends the series on a high note as Daisy and Flynn's romance has the intimacy, sensuality, and emotion missing from Jane and Zach's story.
Concealed beneath his gregarious nature and flamboyant clothing, Flynn is a stalwart and steady man who truly cares about others. Daisy is his perfect match with her rough exterior, ambition, and determination hiding an empathetic woman afraid to give her trust and her heart. Flynn does everything in his power to show Daisy her true worth and there are some truly touching scenes between them.
Overall, the Chance Sisters is a wonderful series highlighting that the bonds of family and friendship have little to do with blood and everything to do with heart.
4 Stars
Patrick Flynn, a self-made shipping mogul, is determined to marry the most perfect lady in London. Little does he know that the woman for him is not the elegant and aristocratic lady with whom he has nothing in common, but the fiery and feisty Daisy Chance who would rather build her own business than marry. Fortunately for Flynn and Daisy, love finds a way and the two soon embark on an amorous adventure together.
After the disappointment of the previous book, this installment ends the series on a high note as Daisy and Flynn's romance has the intimacy, sensuality, and emotion missing from Jane and Zach's story.
Concealed beneath his gregarious nature and flamboyant clothing, Flynn is a stalwart and steady man who truly cares about others. Daisy is his perfect match with her rough exterior, ambition, and determination hiding an empathetic woman afraid to give her trust and her heart. Flynn does everything in his power to show Daisy her true worth and there are some truly touching scenes between them.
Overall, the Chance Sisters is a wonderful series highlighting that the bonds of family and friendship have little to do with blood and everything to do with heart.
Read
August 5, 2016I absolutely adore Anne Gracie's books, and have really, really enjoyed this series...however, is it terribly bad of me to say that I could not get into this book because reading Daisy's cockney detracted from the smoothness of my reading experience? :(
July 18, 2016
Aw, really loved this! Full review to come
January 29, 2021
Дейзи Смит/Чанс и Патрик Флин
Дейзи Чанс не е никаква лейди. Израсла по улиците на Лондон, отхвърлена от родителите, които никога не е познавала, тя е приютена от собственицата на публичен дом в който Дейзи работи като прислужница и момиче за всичко. Когато й се отдава възможност да избяга от ужасното си съществуване, и да заживее в дома на възрастната лейди Биатрис, представяйки се за нейна племенница, и сестра на още три момичета, Дейзи сграбчва шанса с две ръце. Но тя не е готова да се преструва, че е дама. Факта, че има проблем с крака и накуцва, факта, че може да чете й пише, че няма светски маниери и че не може да говори правилно, са нещо повече от очевидно, а тя е прекалено честна, че да се преструва на нещо, което никога няма как да бъде. Дейзи иска само едно нещо. Да има свой магазин за дрехи, където да се превърне в най-търсената модистка в Лондон, и малко по малко с таланта си, тя започва да се бори за сбъдването на тази мечта.
Патрик Флин е богат ирландец, започнал от нищото и построи империя, заедно със съдружниците си. Сега той е изключително заможен и готов да стане част от висшето общество, като си вземе за съпруга истинска дама. Следвайки своя план, той е набелязал перфектната мишена, млада, изключително изискана лейди, чийто баща е затънал в такива дългове, че е готов на драго сърце да приеме за зет един богат ирландеца. След една съдбовна целувка обаче, Флин ще разбере, че това, за което винаги е копнял, няма да го открие в лицето на богата наследница, жената на мечтите му винаги е била пред очите му. Сега само трябва да убеди упоритата Дейзи да се съгласи да стане негова жена... нещо, което се оказва повече от сложно.
Напоследък явно ми върви на книги с отвратителни героини. Дейзи беше ужасна героиня. Постоянно отблъскваше Флин, постоянно се сърдеше или си правеше погрешните заключения, непрестанно го отблъскваше и нараняваше. . Имам чувството, че голяма част от книгата ни беше показана през погледа на Флин. Поне до средата на книгата, виждахме Дейзи най-вече, когато Флин беше до нея. А той беше много чаровен герой. Шумен, ухилен, нарушаващ всички модни правила с шарените жилетки, които Дейзи му шиеше по поръчка, той си беше поставил цел и се стремеше да я постигне. Много ми хареса, когато научи истината за дамата, която ухажваше.
Хареса ми частта с магазина на Дейзи, където Флин се опитваше да й помогне, давайки й съвети, и за това, че ще е по-добре да си наеме място и шивачки, които да шият, вместо да си избожда очите денонощно и сама да се мъчи да свърши всичко.
Хареса ми и начина по който я ухажваше
Флин беше този, който за мен направи книгата интересна и поносима. За нещастие негативното влияние на Дейзи беше доста голямо и някак не успях да се насладя пълноценно на историята, която е последна за поредицата. Отделно малко ми беше объркващо всичко, имайки предвид, че книгата е след тази на Джейн, и все пак тук действието явно се развиваше паралелно с това от книга 3. Може би, ако се четат 2те книги една след друга, няма да е проблем, но за мен са минали месеци откакто четох 3та книга и по тази причина на моменти ми беше леко объркано.
Дейзи Чанс не е никаква лейди. Израсла по улиците на Лондон, отхвърлена от родителите, които никога не е познавала, тя е приютена от собственицата на публичен дом в който Дейзи работи като прислужница и момиче за всичко. Когато й се отдава възможност да избяга от ужасното си съществуване, и да заживее в дома на възрастната лейди Биатрис, представяйки се за нейна племенница, и сестра на още три момичета, Дейзи сграбчва шанса с две ръце. Но тя не е готова да се преструва, че е дама. Факта, че има проблем с крака и накуцва, факта, че може да чете й пише, че няма светски маниери и че не може да говори правилно, са нещо повече от очевидно, а тя е прекалено честна, че да се преструва на нещо, което никога няма как да бъде. Дейзи иска само едно нещо. Да има свой магазин за дрехи, където да се превърне в най-търсената модистка в Лондон, и малко по малко с таланта си, тя започва да се бори за сбъдването на тази мечта.
Патрик Флин е богат ирландец, започнал от нищото и построи империя, заедно със съдружниците си. Сега той е изключително заможен и готов да стане част от висшето общество, като си вземе за съпруга истинска дама. Следвайки своя план, той е набелязал перфектната мишена, млада, изключително изискана лейди, чийто баща е затънал в такива дългове, че е готов на драго сърце да приеме за зет един богат ирландеца. След една съдбовна целувка обаче, Флин ще разбере, че това, за което винаги е копнял, няма да го открие в лицето на богата наследница, жената на мечтите му винаги е била пред очите му. Сега само трябва да убеди упоритата Дейзи да се съгласи да стане негова жена... нещо, което се оказва повече от сложно.
Напоследък явно ми върви на книги с отвратителни героини. Дейзи беше ужасна героиня. Постоянно отблъскваше Флин, постоянно се сърдеше или си правеше погрешните заключения, непрестанно го отблъскваше и нараняваше. . Имам чувството, че голяма част от книгата ни беше показана през погледа на Флин. Поне до средата на книгата, виждахме Дейзи най-вече, когато Флин беше до нея. А той беше много чаровен герой. Шумен, ухилен, нарушаващ всички модни правила с шарените жилетки, които Дейзи му шиеше по поръчка, той си беше поставил цел и се стремеше да я постигне. Много ми хареса, когато научи истината за дамата, която ухажваше.
Хареса ми частта с магазина на Дейзи, където Флин се опитваше да й помогне, давайки й съвети, и за това, че ще е по-добре да си наеме място и шивачки, които да шият, вместо да си избожда очите денонощно и сама да се мъчи да свърши всичко.
Хареса ми и начина по който я ухажваше
Флин беше този, който за мен направи книгата интересна и поносима. За нещастие негативното влияние на Дейзи беше доста голямо и някак не успях да се насладя пълноценно на историята, която е последна за поредицата. Отделно малко ми беше объркващо всичко, имайки предвид, че книгата е след тази на Джейн, и все пак тук действието явно се развиваше паралелно с това от книга 3. Може би, ако се четат 2те книги една след друга, няма да е проблем, но за мен са минали месеци откакто четох 3та книга и по тази причина на моменти ми беше леко объркано.
July 8, 2016
Originally posted
HERE
.
When we met Daisy in the first book in this series, I never had any idea she would be a heroine later on. She was such a great character, but such an unlikely heroine. However, at the same time, she made a massive impression on me with her bravado and determination to make it on her own.
In fact, her introduction in book one is sending me back there to reread, to meet Daisy all over again and see her evolution across the series.
There are SO MANY historical romances that go the My Fair Lady route, and they’re always wholly unrealistic and impossible to believe in. I don’t care how much people love Cinderella; it is just a silly, impossible story. However, Anne Gracie lets her working class heroine and hero hang out with the ton
I also liked that the plot of the book before this one happens in the background. It’s not intrusive; more like an added bonus for people who read in order.
Gracie’s books are on the light-hearted end of the historical romance spectrum. I tell you from experience: the toffs (as Daisy calls them, and a term that didn’t actually exist until decades after this book is set!) in reality are nowhere near as nice and accepting as they are in this series! Not even in the 2000s, when I was being treated like garbage left, right, and centre while living and working in a truly “toff” part of London!
However, the world Gracie creates is special, and I cannot call it “wallpaper romance” because her research is fantastic, and even though her main players are all very nice, she does recognise the snobbery. I love an author who can throw in a bit of research here or there without making readers feel like they’re reading a textbook. I love being given bits and pieces that make me go running to research as soon as I read them.
Daisy breaks your heart a bit, with her backstory that means she was always struggling. (And please read her introduction in the first book, where she nearly doesn’t become one of the heroines of the series, because she is determined to refuse help when she needs it!) She is strong and smart, and makes no apologies for who she is. It is why she is such a great heroine.
And isn’t it wonderful to have a male lead who wants marriage and family! If only more of them existed in reality… I’m tired of the heroes who need to be “tamed” into wanting a wife.
I become annoyed with authors who anachronistically unload knowledge and attitudes onto their heroines that are totally unrealistic for the era, so this was a nice change.
I think it is great that the last (aristocratic, sheltered) heroine in this series was realistically clueless about marriage and sex, while in this book we had a totally different lead character, and so the book was written in a style – and with beliefs and behaviour – that was true to her. I love that the publisher allowed the author to present completely opposite women depending on the book, and a different level of heat to reflect the completely different characters.
There are a few authors who manage to present the struggle of women in their era alongside a lighter mood in their writing. Lisa Kleypas and Anne Gracie are the two I think of immediately. The charm of these books is exactly why people love the genre.
When we met Daisy in the first book in this series, I never had any idea she would be a heroine later on. She was such a great character, but such an unlikely heroine. However, at the same time, she made a massive impression on me with her bravado and determination to make it on her own.
In fact, her introduction in book one is sending me back there to reread, to meet Daisy all over again and see her evolution across the series.
There are SO MANY historical romances that go the My Fair Lady route, and they’re always wholly unrealistic and impossible to believe in. I don’t care how much people love Cinderella; it is just a silly, impossible story. However, Anne Gracie lets her working class heroine and hero hang out with the ton
I also liked that the plot of the book before this one happens in the background. It’s not intrusive; more like an added bonus for people who read in order.
Gracie’s books are on the light-hearted end of the historical romance spectrum. I tell you from experience: the toffs (as Daisy calls them, and a term that didn’t actually exist until decades after this book is set!) in reality are nowhere near as nice and accepting as they are in this series! Not even in the 2000s, when I was being treated like garbage left, right, and centre while living and working in a truly “toff” part of London!
However, the world Gracie creates is special, and I cannot call it “wallpaper romance” because her research is fantastic, and even though her main players are all very nice, she does recognise the snobbery. I love an author who can throw in a bit of research here or there without making readers feel like they’re reading a textbook. I love being given bits and pieces that make me go running to research as soon as I read them.
Daisy breaks your heart a bit, with her backstory that means she was always struggling. (And please read her introduction in the first book, where she nearly doesn’t become one of the heroines of the series, because she is determined to refuse help when she needs it!) She is strong and smart, and makes no apologies for who she is. It is why she is such a great heroine.
And isn’t it wonderful to have a male lead who wants marriage and family! If only more of them existed in reality… I’m tired of the heroes who need to be “tamed” into wanting a wife.
I become annoyed with authors who anachronistically unload knowledge and attitudes onto their heroines that are totally unrealistic for the era, so this was a nice change.
I think it is great that the last (aristocratic, sheltered) heroine in this series was realistically clueless about marriage and sex, while in this book we had a totally different lead character, and so the book was written in a style – and with beliefs and behaviour – that was true to her. I love that the publisher allowed the author to present completely opposite women depending on the book, and a different level of heat to reflect the completely different characters.
There are a few authors who manage to present the struggle of women in their era alongside a lighter mood in their writing. Lisa Kleypas and Anne Gracie are the two I think of immediately. The charm of these books is exactly why people love the genre.
October 20, 2021
“I wouldn’t care if you had a wooden leg—or two wooden legs and a great damned hook instead of a hand! It’s you I want—you.”
“Sometimes the feelings get . . . too much.”
“Then marry me and we’ll have a bunch of little feelings together.”
**Synopsis:**
Daisy and Flynn were introduced in previous books, but there was little interaction between them. What we know from previous books is that Flynn wants to have children and wants to marry a high born English lady. Daisy dreams of being a modiste and never wants to marry.
In this book, Flynn starts to realize that friendship (as the basis for marriage) is pretty important. His feelings for Daisy continue to grow until one day he absolutely knows she is the one for him. So, he proposes marriage and receives a resounding No. However, Flynn is persistent and pops the question every day, hoping that someday he will hear a Yes! from Daisy.
Daisy is terrified that she will lose everything she’s worked so hard for if she marries. After all, once a woman marries, everything she has goes to the man. There is no way she is letting any man have control of all her dreams, no matter how perfect that man is.
~ “If you marry me, you’ll be a rich woman.”
She shook her head. “Nope. If I marry you, everything I own will belong to you. That’s the law.”
“She could see no solution to their problem.
He wanted marriage and she didn’t. End of story.”
Flynn certainly has his work cut out for him if he’s ever going to get a Yes! out of Daisy.
~ “It wasn’t Flynn she didn’t want; it was marriage.
“All right, I promise you I won’t bring it up again—”
“Good.”
“—today. You have to allow me at least one proposal a day.”
** The following are my thoughts about this book: **
* * Flynn has a beautiful soul. He wants what his parents had and it was refreshing to find a man who was actually pining for a family.
* * this book was steamier than the other books and because of that I felt a stronger connection between Daisy and Flynn.
* * heartbreaking when Flynn was talking about the loss of his family. I love a “rough around the edges” hero who comes from a loving family.
* * Flynn never gave up. Each day brought a proposal, each day brought a no and the next day was another day for him to try to win her over. Flynn was everything I wanted him to be….and more.
* * this was the best book in the series. As I mentioned above, steamier, but beyond that I loved the way everything turned out. I was a little sad about Lady Beatrice being all alone once all the girls married, but thankfully Flynn and Daisy came to the rescue.
* * Lady Beatrice’s unconditional love for these girls was very heartwarming. But I honestly felt she had a special place in her heart for Daisy. Her ability to gently reproach, but fully support made her a very lovable character.
~ “All my girls are precious to me, but this gel—as I hope you appreciate, Mr. Flynn—is as rare and precious and full of light as any diamond”
* * lady Beatrice making sure that Featherby and William would be taken care of…❤❤. My heart melted into a puddle!!
~ “Those two gentlemen tended me when I was at the lowest point of my life and never once turned a hair at what they were asked to do. They looked after me and my gels not simply as loyal servants, but almost as . . . family.”
**Overview:**
- Content Warning: None
- Setting: London 1817
- Do you need to read previous books in series?: Yes. The timeline of this book somewhat parallels Book 3, but this should be read last. The characters are intertwining and the series needs to be read in order.
- POV: Dual POV
- Tropes: historical
- Who is the Hero? Patrick Flynn (age: late 20’s, I think).
Grew up in the gutters of Dublin, but by the time he was 23 had created a successful life for himself. He owns a shipping / trading business with Max (Book 1 and Freddy (Book 2). He wants children and is seeking a highborn English lady to marry.
* The following words/phrases were used to describe Hero: has a brain like a razor. tough around the edges, raffish charm, silver-tongued rogue, shameless flirt, an outsider, lonely, slightly untamed, confident, a born storyteller, has been at sea since the age of twelve
* H likable? Yes.
- Who is the Heroine? Daisy Chance (age: 22). Daisy grew up in the roughest parts of London, never knew her mom and dad, raised in a whorehouse and has a crippled leg. Before she met Abby, Jane, Damaris and Lady Beatrice, she’d never been loved. She speaks with a cockney accent, is not a “lady” (as defined by the ton) and absolutely has no desire to become married. All she wants to be is a fashionable modiste in London.
* The following words/phrases were used to describe Heroine: down to earth, practical, has quite the temper, stubborn, a tough nut on the outside but vulnerable on the inside, a survivor, doesn’t trust, loyal
* h likable? Yes.
~ “She knew what it was to stand in the gutter and look up at the stars.”
- h virgin? No
- First time they kiss: 33%
- First time they sleep together: 66%
- Safe sex? as is common with historical romance, no protection used
- First time they say I Love You 88%
- steamy? Yes. A few descriptive bedroom scenes
- OW/OM drama? No
- H/h cheat? No
- Time apart? No
- Did I skip pages? No
- Big secrets? Flynn keeps something from Daisy. She finds out around 89%
- Did I cry? No
- Did I laugh? No
- Did I swoon🥰? Yes. I loved Flynn! He did so many thoughtful things. Very swoony! And this 👇 💖💖
~ “The next day pink roses arrived, again with a single white daisy in the center.
“Aren’t they lovely?” You can’t claim these are from a customer—not with that daisy at the heart. So romantic.”
Daisy sniffed. “What’s romantic about a daisy? Pretty common flower if you ask me.”
“It’s symbolic—he’s saying there’s only one Daisy.”
- Cliffhanger? No
- HEA? Yes
- Epilogue? about six months later
- Recommend? I really enjoyed this series, but I think book 1 (the establishment of the sisters and their budding relationship with Lady Beatrice and, of course, Featherby and William) and this book (the love story between Daisy and Flynn) were my favorites.
**Quotes**
“Flynn was different, and she wasn’t going to risk spoiling their friendship with a bit of rumpy-pumpy,”
“Something botherin’ you, sweetheart? I thought you liked flowers.”
“Don’t call me that! I’m not your sweetheart!”
“Something botherin’ you, my little hedgehog?”
“Half a loaf was better than no loaf at all, his mother used to say.
But sometimes all it did was make you realize how hungry you really were.”
“I might’ve been gutter-born and gutter-bred, but the gutter ain’t goin’ to tell me who I am. I’m Daisy Chance now. I’ve been given a chance to make something better of meself—and by God I’m going to take it!”
“Daisy’s life passed in a flurry of activity. Dream-of-a-lifetime or not, it wasn’t all beer and skittles.”
“Whatever the source of your fear, it is buried deep inside you. Look inside your heart, child, for what you truly want. And then ask yourself what you’re so afraid of. Because until you know what it is—and confront it—you’ll be forever running, and never knowing why.”
“Sometimes the feelings get . . . too much.”
“Then marry me and we’ll have a bunch of little feelings together.”
**Synopsis:**
Daisy and Flynn were introduced in previous books, but there was little interaction between them. What we know from previous books is that Flynn wants to have children and wants to marry a high born English lady. Daisy dreams of being a modiste and never wants to marry.
In this book, Flynn starts to realize that friendship (as the basis for marriage) is pretty important. His feelings for Daisy continue to grow until one day he absolutely knows she is the one for him. So, he proposes marriage and receives a resounding No. However, Flynn is persistent and pops the question every day, hoping that someday he will hear a Yes! from Daisy.
Daisy is terrified that she will lose everything she’s worked so hard for if she marries. After all, once a woman marries, everything she has goes to the man. There is no way she is letting any man have control of all her dreams, no matter how perfect that man is.
~ “If you marry me, you’ll be a rich woman.”
She shook her head. “Nope. If I marry you, everything I own will belong to you. That’s the law.”
“She could see no solution to their problem.
He wanted marriage and she didn’t. End of story.”
Flynn certainly has his work cut out for him if he’s ever going to get a Yes! out of Daisy.
~ “It wasn’t Flynn she didn’t want; it was marriage.
“All right, I promise you I won’t bring it up again—”
“Good.”
“—today. You have to allow me at least one proposal a day.”
** The following are my thoughts about this book: **
* * Flynn has a beautiful soul. He wants what his parents had and it was refreshing to find a man who was actually pining for a family.
* * this book was steamier than the other books and because of that I felt a stronger connection between Daisy and Flynn.
* * heartbreaking when Flynn was talking about the loss of his family. I love a “rough around the edges” hero who comes from a loving family.
* * Flynn never gave up. Each day brought a proposal, each day brought a no and the next day was another day for him to try to win her over. Flynn was everything I wanted him to be….and more.
* * this was the best book in the series. As I mentioned above, steamier, but beyond that I loved the way everything turned out. I was a little sad about Lady Beatrice being all alone once all the girls married, but thankfully Flynn and Daisy came to the rescue.
* * Lady Beatrice’s unconditional love for these girls was very heartwarming. But I honestly felt she had a special place in her heart for Daisy. Her ability to gently reproach, but fully support made her a very lovable character.
~ “All my girls are precious to me, but this gel—as I hope you appreciate, Mr. Flynn—is as rare and precious and full of light as any diamond”
* * lady Beatrice making sure that Featherby and William would be taken care of…❤❤. My heart melted into a puddle!!
~ “Those two gentlemen tended me when I was at the lowest point of my life and never once turned a hair at what they were asked to do. They looked after me and my gels not simply as loyal servants, but almost as . . . family.”
**Overview:**
- Content Warning: None
- Setting: London 1817
- Do you need to read previous books in series?: Yes. The timeline of this book somewhat parallels Book 3, but this should be read last. The characters are intertwining and the series needs to be read in order.
- POV: Dual POV
- Tropes: historical
- Who is the Hero? Patrick Flynn (age: late 20’s, I think).
Grew up in the gutters of Dublin, but by the time he was 23 had created a successful life for himself. He owns a shipping / trading business with Max (Book 1 and Freddy (Book 2). He wants children and is seeking a highborn English lady to marry.
* The following words/phrases were used to describe Hero: has a brain like a razor. tough around the edges, raffish charm, silver-tongued rogue, shameless flirt, an outsider, lonely, slightly untamed, confident, a born storyteller, has been at sea since the age of twelve
* H likable? Yes.
- Who is the Heroine? Daisy Chance (age: 22). Daisy grew up in the roughest parts of London, never knew her mom and dad, raised in a whorehouse and has a crippled leg. Before she met Abby, Jane, Damaris and Lady Beatrice, she’d never been loved. She speaks with a cockney accent, is not a “lady” (as defined by the ton) and absolutely has no desire to become married. All she wants to be is a fashionable modiste in London.
* The following words/phrases were used to describe Heroine: down to earth, practical, has quite the temper, stubborn, a tough nut on the outside but vulnerable on the inside, a survivor, doesn’t trust, loyal
* h likable? Yes.
~ “She knew what it was to stand in the gutter and look up at the stars.”
- h virgin? No
- First time they kiss: 33%
- First time they sleep together: 66%
- Safe sex? as is common with historical romance, no protection used
- First time they say I Love You 88%
- steamy? Yes. A few descriptive bedroom scenes
- OW/OM drama? No
- H/h cheat? No
- Time apart? No
- Did I skip pages? No
- Big secrets? Flynn keeps something from Daisy. She finds out around 89%
- Did I cry? No
- Did I laugh? No
- Did I swoon🥰? Yes. I loved Flynn! He did so many thoughtful things. Very swoony! And this 👇 💖💖
~ “The next day pink roses arrived, again with a single white daisy in the center.
“Aren’t they lovely?” You can’t claim these are from a customer—not with that daisy at the heart. So romantic.”
Daisy sniffed. “What’s romantic about a daisy? Pretty common flower if you ask me.”
“It’s symbolic—he’s saying there’s only one Daisy.”
- Cliffhanger? No
- HEA? Yes
- Epilogue? about six months later
- Recommend? I really enjoyed this series, but I think book 1 (the establishment of the sisters and their budding relationship with Lady Beatrice and, of course, Featherby and William) and this book (the love story between Daisy and Flynn) were my favorites.
**Quotes**
“Flynn was different, and she wasn’t going to risk spoiling their friendship with a bit of rumpy-pumpy,”
“Something botherin’ you, sweetheart? I thought you liked flowers.”
“Don’t call me that! I’m not your sweetheart!”
“Something botherin’ you, my little hedgehog?”
“Half a loaf was better than no loaf at all, his mother used to say.
But sometimes all it did was make you realize how hungry you really were.”
“I might’ve been gutter-born and gutter-bred, but the gutter ain’t goin’ to tell me who I am. I’m Daisy Chance now. I’ve been given a chance to make something better of meself—and by God I’m going to take it!”
“Daisy’s life passed in a flurry of activity. Dream-of-a-lifetime or not, it wasn’t all beer and skittles.”
“Whatever the source of your fear, it is buried deep inside you. Look inside your heart, child, for what you truly want. And then ask yourself what you’re so afraid of. Because until you know what it is—and confront it—you’ll be forever running, and never knowing why.”
June 14, 2016
Daisy's story was worth the wait what a story this one is Daisy as always is the most stubborn gel she is more determined than ever to be the best modiste to the toffs and have her own shop while her sisters Abby, Damaris and Jane have found the heroes so well suited to them but Daisy is determined to stay single, because of the life that she has led up until meeting her sisters and Lady Bea Daisy has a hard time trusting but she is working her fingers to the bone at the moment with her beautiful clothing.
Patrick Flynn runs a shipping company with Max and Freddy he has made his money and has now arrived in London to find himself a wife and settle down he wants a Lady. Flynn is Irish and not your normal gentleman but he is honest and caring with memories from his childhood that he keeps close. Daisy has been making him some vests and they have become close friends they get along so well and there is a pull but neither of them are going to do anything about it they have their lives mapped out for themselves and are both determined to stick to their ideas.
This is the final book in The Chance Sisters series and I think Daisy's finished it off wonderfully truly Lady Bea was at her best with Daisy and her worries such a stubborn gel and well Flynn is just the best hero and when he realized that Daisy was the perfect woman for him there was no stopping him two stubborn determined people their journey was filled with ups and downs but so sensually sizzling I loved it from page one and of course the characters that we have made friends with in the first three books are all there to join in this one.
I highly recommend this one and this series they were a joy to read so many hours of reading pleasure you will smile shed some tears and sigh while reading this fabulous story one for the keeper shelf.
Patrick Flynn runs a shipping company with Max and Freddy he has made his money and has now arrived in London to find himself a wife and settle down he wants a Lady. Flynn is Irish and not your normal gentleman but he is honest and caring with memories from his childhood that he keeps close. Daisy has been making him some vests and they have become close friends they get along so well and there is a pull but neither of them are going to do anything about it they have their lives mapped out for themselves and are both determined to stick to their ideas.
This is the final book in The Chance Sisters series and I think Daisy's finished it off wonderfully truly Lady Bea was at her best with Daisy and her worries such a stubborn gel and well Flynn is just the best hero and when he realized that Daisy was the perfect woman for him there was no stopping him two stubborn determined people their journey was filled with ups and downs but so sensually sizzling I loved it from page one and of course the characters that we have made friends with in the first three books are all there to join in this one.
I highly recommend this one and this series they were a joy to read so many hours of reading pleasure you will smile shed some tears and sigh while reading this fabulous story one for the keeper shelf.
May 14, 2019
UGH! I hate when something ruins aaaall the warm and fuzzies for me like it happened in this one.
It is the story of Daisy, the last unmarried "Chance sister", and Flynn, the Irish rogue and business partner and friend of her brothers-in-law, and a friend of Daisy's as well, since the two had a lot in common and could understand each other quite well.
I loved Flynn, who was awesome all around, and admired Daisy and her resolve to achieve her dream of owning her own dress shop, and rooted for them as a couple since we first met them in the previous books.
There is chemistry between the two, but sparks positively fly when Flynn, . He soon realizes that she is exactly what he wants in a wife and starts seriously pursuing her, something she objects to vocally.
Everything was going fine for a while, with the two advancing from good friends to more, with Flynn determined to get her to agree to marry him, while Daisy is focusing on her career and doing her best to resist his charms.
Unfortunately, she ended up losing all the cookie points when she went from being wary with good reason, to being idiotic and a stubborn know-it-all, who .
She pissed me off so much that I spent most of the last chapters looking for frustrated gifs instead of paying attention to the audiobook and enjoying the happily ever after. I would have rated it lower if I hadn't liked Flynn so much and hadn't enjoyed most of the story before Daisy's idiocy reached its peak. Maybe it's just me but I'd hoped for better...
Previous book reviews:
✦ The Spring Bride (Chance Sisters #3)
✦ The Winter Bride (Chance Sisters #2)
✦ The Autumn Bride (Chance Sisters #1)
September 27, 2016
Halfway through the book I was ready to give this five stars. Because it had (gasp) an ambitious heroine who (double-gasp) doesn't want to have kids! What sorcery is this?! You mean there's a heroine who thinks baaabies and getting married aren't the only ways to be happy? Get out of here!
But sadly,
The ending pissed me off. Still, Daisy is kickass and my favourite character in the whole series, and Flynn was good as well, so it wasn’t actually that bad. But it could've been better. So, so much better.
But sadly,
The ending pissed me off. Still, Daisy is kickass and my favourite character in the whole series, and Flynn was good as well, so it wasn’t actually that bad. But it could've been better. So, so much better.
May 19, 2018
I loved this whole series, mainly Lady Beatriz, the old lady who, in the end, helped all her “nieces” get their happily ever after and even provided each one with a special ring.
In this last book Daisy, the maid of the brothel and amazing seamstress falls for the Irish pirate Flynn, who is on a quest to marry “The Finest Lady in London”.
Daisy, differently from her sisters (friends turned into sisters of the heart), had no lady education, a strong cockney accent and no intention of joining the ton.
Flynn also has humble origins, but he managed to build an empire and now thinks that a lady bride will be the coronation to his success.
But while he looks for this ideal bride his heart finds Daisy but even when he drops his quest for her she will not have him.
He thinks it is because she doesn’t love him and prefers to think about her shop (she dreams of becoming a modiste), but the truth is she doesn’t believe she is good enough for him.
Amazingly sweet story of two lovely human beings that had misconceptions against each other and even a misunderstanding of their own wants and feelings.
Great read!
In this last book Daisy, the maid of the brothel and amazing seamstress falls for the Irish pirate Flynn, who is on a quest to marry “The Finest Lady in London”.
Daisy, differently from her sisters (friends turned into sisters of the heart), had no lady education, a strong cockney accent and no intention of joining the ton.
Flynn also has humble origins, but he managed to build an empire and now thinks that a lady bride will be the coronation to his success.
But while he looks for this ideal bride his heart finds Daisy but even when he drops his quest for her she will not have him.
He thinks it is because she doesn’t love him and prefers to think about her shop (she dreams of becoming a modiste), but the truth is she doesn’t believe she is good enough for him.
Amazingly sweet story of two lovely human beings that had misconceptions against each other and even a misunderstanding of their own wants and feelings.
Great read!
July 11, 2024
Review from 2016
B+ for narration; C+ for content at AudioGals.
This is the fourth book in Anne Gracie’s quartet about the Chance sisters, four young women who banded together through adversity and regard themselves as “sisters of the heart” even though only two of them are actually related by blood. In the first book in the series, The Autumn Bride, the ladies were taken in by Lady Beatrice Davenham, an elderly lady who had been neglected by her staff and family and whom the ladies nursed back to health.
The other books in the series have seen each of the ‘sisters’ fall in love and in The Summer Bride, it is now the turn of Daisy, the only one of them not to have been born a lady. By her own admission, she was born in the gutter and was brought up in a brothel; she doesn’t want to learn posh manners or deportment or how to dance because her ambitions lie in another direction. A talented seamstress, Daisy dreams of becoming the best modiste in London, with – eventually – her own shop that will be patronised by all the great ladies of the ton. With her married sisters already going about town in Daisy’s creations, work is starting to come in in a steady stream, but Daisy is finding it difficult to keep up. She works all the hours God sends, and then some, but even with the occasional help from Lady Bea’s maids, she is forever worried about falling behind and never takes any time for herself. She forgets to eat, she hardly sleeps and is working herself into the ground, but Daisy is determined to earn success by dint of her own hard work and looking after herself is a long way down her list of priorities.
She is also determined that marriage and children aren’t for her. For one thing, she hasn’t got time, and for another, her business would automatically belong to any man she marries, and that just isn’t going to happen, ergo, no husband.
The fact that she fancies the pants off Patrick Flynn, a wealthy, self-made businessman and partner to two of her brothers-in-law in their shipping firm, is perhaps a little inconvenient, but Flynn is a good friend and engaging in a few bouts of “rumpy-pumpy” with him would only ruin a friendship that Daisy holds dear. Besides, Dublin-born Flynn has his sights set higher than a cockney seamstress; having worked hard at anything and everything in order to make something of himself, Flynn is intent on getting himself an aristocratic bride and has settled upon the daughter of Lord Compton, an impoverished earl desperately in need of the funds Flynn can provide.
One of the things that drives Flynn is his desire for a home and family. While he was raised in poverty, his family was a close-knit, loving one, and he was devastated when he lost them all to illness. Now he is secure and well-heeled he wants only a wife and children to complete his happiness – but he quickly realises that the lady he is chosen is reluctant, and when he discovers that her father has given her a choice between an elderly roué and him, Flynn instead helps her to abscond to safety, away from her father’s influence.
So the field is clear and Flynn is free to pay court to the woman he has suddenly realised he really wants instead. But in spite of the strong attraction between them, Daisy doesn’t want him. Or, rather, she wants him in her bed, but doesn’t want to marry him; and the rest of the story revolves around Flynn’s daily proposals of marriage while Daisy, having found an investor, sets up her business.
Flynn and Daisy are attractive characters who work well together, but the story itself is somewhat dull and contrived. I never quite understood exactly why Flynn wanted an aristocratic wife, other than that he had enough money to net one; it’s really just a device to keep him and Daisy apart for half a book, and then he abandons that plan at the drop of a hat. I did understand Daisy’s reluctance to marry given the fact that as a married woman, she would have no rights to her business, but her stubbornness and her refusal to take good advice were just plain annoying. And then comes the biggest cliché in the book to remove Daisy’s objections to marriage; and her (erroneous) belief that Flynn would take over her business if she married him just disappears.
I haven’t listened to Alison Larkin narrate an historical romance for a while, but she’s someone I know I can usually rely on to provide an accomplished performance. That is certainly the case here; her pacing and acting choices are all good, and while in the past, I’ve criticised her ‘hero’ voices for sounding pompous or un-masculine, I noted a definite improvement here in her portrayal of Flynn. I don’t know if it’s because he doesn’t need to sound aristocratic like many of the other heroes she voices, but with a drop in pitch and the addition of a slight Irish lilt (which is, I have to admit, a little inconsistent) she makes him sound like the attractive Irish rogue he is. Her characterisation of Daisy is similarly good; the cockney accent she gives her is just about right, not so broad as to be unintelligible, but with suitably rough edges and enough dropped ‘h’s and ‘g’s to be convincing. I am a fan of her interpretation of Lady Bea, one of those formidable aristocratic ladies whose crusty exterior masks a heart of gold; although she continues to mispronounce “Bea” as “beer” (or “bee-ah”) for some strange reason.
Apart from that, however, this is a very enjoyable performance, and definitely one of Ms. Larkins’ best. It’s just a shame that it comes in a somewhat lacklustre novel. The Summer Bride isn’t a bad book, by any means, and listeners who have been following the series will no doubt want to pick it up to find out what happens to Daisy. But it’s not an especially memorable story and there’s certainly nothing new to be found in it. It passed the time I took to listen to it pleasantly enough, but it’s not something I think I’ll be listening to again.
B+ for narration; C+ for content at AudioGals.
This is the fourth book in Anne Gracie’s quartet about the Chance sisters, four young women who banded together through adversity and regard themselves as “sisters of the heart” even though only two of them are actually related by blood. In the first book in the series, The Autumn Bride, the ladies were taken in by Lady Beatrice Davenham, an elderly lady who had been neglected by her staff and family and whom the ladies nursed back to health.
The other books in the series have seen each of the ‘sisters’ fall in love and in The Summer Bride, it is now the turn of Daisy, the only one of them not to have been born a lady. By her own admission, she was born in the gutter and was brought up in a brothel; she doesn’t want to learn posh manners or deportment or how to dance because her ambitions lie in another direction. A talented seamstress, Daisy dreams of becoming the best modiste in London, with – eventually – her own shop that will be patronised by all the great ladies of the ton. With her married sisters already going about town in Daisy’s creations, work is starting to come in in a steady stream, but Daisy is finding it difficult to keep up. She works all the hours God sends, and then some, but even with the occasional help from Lady Bea’s maids, she is forever worried about falling behind and never takes any time for herself. She forgets to eat, she hardly sleeps and is working herself into the ground, but Daisy is determined to earn success by dint of her own hard work and looking after herself is a long way down her list of priorities.
She is also determined that marriage and children aren’t for her. For one thing, she hasn’t got time, and for another, her business would automatically belong to any man she marries, and that just isn’t going to happen, ergo, no husband.
The fact that she fancies the pants off Patrick Flynn, a wealthy, self-made businessman and partner to two of her brothers-in-law in their shipping firm, is perhaps a little inconvenient, but Flynn is a good friend and engaging in a few bouts of “rumpy-pumpy” with him would only ruin a friendship that Daisy holds dear. Besides, Dublin-born Flynn has his sights set higher than a cockney seamstress; having worked hard at anything and everything in order to make something of himself, Flynn is intent on getting himself an aristocratic bride and has settled upon the daughter of Lord Compton, an impoverished earl desperately in need of the funds Flynn can provide.
One of the things that drives Flynn is his desire for a home and family. While he was raised in poverty, his family was a close-knit, loving one, and he was devastated when he lost them all to illness. Now he is secure and well-heeled he wants only a wife and children to complete his happiness – but he quickly realises that the lady he is chosen is reluctant, and when he discovers that her father has given her a choice between an elderly roué and him, Flynn instead helps her to abscond to safety, away from her father’s influence.
So the field is clear and Flynn is free to pay court to the woman he has suddenly realised he really wants instead. But in spite of the strong attraction between them, Daisy doesn’t want him. Or, rather, she wants him in her bed, but doesn’t want to marry him; and the rest of the story revolves around Flynn’s daily proposals of marriage while Daisy, having found an investor, sets up her business.
Flynn and Daisy are attractive characters who work well together, but the story itself is somewhat dull and contrived. I never quite understood exactly why Flynn wanted an aristocratic wife, other than that he had enough money to net one; it’s really just a device to keep him and Daisy apart for half a book, and then he abandons that plan at the drop of a hat. I did understand Daisy’s reluctance to marry given the fact that as a married woman, she would have no rights to her business, but her stubbornness and her refusal to take good advice were just plain annoying. And then comes the biggest cliché in the book to remove Daisy’s objections to marriage; and her (erroneous) belief that Flynn would take over her business if she married him just disappears.
I haven’t listened to Alison Larkin narrate an historical romance for a while, but she’s someone I know I can usually rely on to provide an accomplished performance. That is certainly the case here; her pacing and acting choices are all good, and while in the past, I’ve criticised her ‘hero’ voices for sounding pompous or un-masculine, I noted a definite improvement here in her portrayal of Flynn. I don’t know if it’s because he doesn’t need to sound aristocratic like many of the other heroes she voices, but with a drop in pitch and the addition of a slight Irish lilt (which is, I have to admit, a little inconsistent) she makes him sound like the attractive Irish rogue he is. Her characterisation of Daisy is similarly good; the cockney accent she gives her is just about right, not so broad as to be unintelligible, but with suitably rough edges and enough dropped ‘h’s and ‘g’s to be convincing. I am a fan of her interpretation of Lady Bea, one of those formidable aristocratic ladies whose crusty exterior masks a heart of gold; although she continues to mispronounce “Bea” as “beer” (or “bee-ah”) for some strange reason.
Apart from that, however, this is a very enjoyable performance, and definitely one of Ms. Larkins’ best. It’s just a shame that it comes in a somewhat lacklustre novel. The Summer Bride isn’t a bad book, by any means, and listeners who have been following the series will no doubt want to pick it up to find out what happens to Daisy. But it’s not an especially memorable story and there’s certainly nothing new to be found in it. It passed the time I took to listen to it pleasantly enough, but it’s not something I think I’ll be listening to again.
January 25, 2023
Gosh, this one had my feelings all over the place. I’m swinging between 4.5 and 5⭐️ in my head. There were a lot of things that I liked about this. One of them was seeing how Daisy’s experience was different from the other girls’ because of her class. Flynn also had this element to his story. I thought it was really well explored and helped me understand them as characters. They were so cute together! I loved their banter. Daisy’s reluctance and stubbornness was frustrating at times but in the end, I think it made a lot of sense for her character. Such a great conclusion to the series.
August 8, 2018
Second best of the series!
July 21, 2016
There are already many good summaries of the book, so I'm just going to make my comments.
I have been eagerly anticipating this book since The Autumn Bride (the first and incomparable best of the series in my opinion). I loved Daisy's gumption and bravery. She was my favourite character. And although I enjoyed The Summer Bride, it did not measure up to my expectations. I think it was because Daisy kept "cutting off her nose to spite her face" so to speak. I found this incredibly annoying.
Her adoptive aunt tries to teach her to be a lady and she refuses. Yet she wants to be the favoured modiste of the ton. One would think that such a smart young woman would realize that having the manners and, especially, the speech of a lady and not of a guttersnipe, would help her achieve her goal. But she is so adamant that she's not a lady and doesn't want to pretend otherwise, that her language stays abomidable throughout the book. This made no sense to me. I expected her language to be vastly improved over the year she's been living as a Chance sister. I think you'd have to work really hard at NOT improving your language under these conditions. Why would she be so stupid? It just doesn't fit.
Hobnobbing with the ton would also help her business through connections, etc. She refuses most of these opportunities as well.
Then Flynn (our absolutely wonderful hero) has a shoemaker make Daisy a special pair of shoes to enable her to walk properly. (She has one leg shorter than the other and limps - which she hates.) It works, but when she discovers the thicker sole on the shoe she takes offence and refuses to wear them. After Flynn explains that he was not trying to insult her but to help her overcome something she feels is a short-coming, she gives in and wears them to her wedding, but states that she won't wear them at all times. So although the shoes fix her limp and enable her to walk without pain, she chooses to maintain her hated limp. She's just stupidly stubborn.
This book should have been as good as the first one but Daisy's refusal to take advantage of the opportunities available to her and her stubbornness/stupidity really took away from the story for me. I expected a My Fair Lady transformation. This Daisy was not the Daisy I envisioned.
I have been eagerly anticipating this book since The Autumn Bride (the first and incomparable best of the series in my opinion). I loved Daisy's gumption and bravery. She was my favourite character. And although I enjoyed The Summer Bride, it did not measure up to my expectations. I think it was because Daisy kept "cutting off her nose to spite her face" so to speak. I found this incredibly annoying.
Her adoptive aunt tries to teach her to be a lady and she refuses. Yet she wants to be the favoured modiste of the ton. One would think that such a smart young woman would realize that having the manners and, especially, the speech of a lady and not of a guttersnipe, would help her achieve her goal. But she is so adamant that she's not a lady and doesn't want to pretend otherwise, that her language stays abomidable throughout the book. This made no sense to me. I expected her language to be vastly improved over the year she's been living as a Chance sister. I think you'd have to work really hard at NOT improving your language under these conditions. Why would she be so stupid? It just doesn't fit.
Hobnobbing with the ton would also help her business through connections, etc. She refuses most of these opportunities as well.
Then Flynn (our absolutely wonderful hero) has a shoemaker make Daisy a special pair of shoes to enable her to walk properly. (She has one leg shorter than the other and limps - which she hates.) It works, but when she discovers the thicker sole on the shoe she takes offence and refuses to wear them. After Flynn explains that he was not trying to insult her but to help her overcome something she feels is a short-coming, she gives in and wears them to her wedding, but states that she won't wear them at all times. So although the shoes fix her limp and enable her to walk without pain, she chooses to maintain her hated limp. She's just stupidly stubborn.
This book should have been as good as the first one but Daisy's refusal to take advantage of the opportunities available to her and her stubbornness/stupidity really took away from the story for me. I expected a My Fair Lady transformation. This Daisy was not the Daisy I envisioned.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews