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The Derrings #4
Surrender to Me
She had lost nearly everything . . .
When a terrible tragedy left her penniless and alone, Lady Astrid Derring did whatever it took to survive. She fired half her staff, borrowed gowns, and subsisted on cucumber sandwiches from the galas she attended. She endured the wagging tongues of the ton and the indecent proposals from noblemen who deemed her ripe for the plucking. Finally, she finds a way to escape the shame and restore her good name. But it will require a dangerous journey to Scotland, where she will come face-to-face with danger . . . and a sinfully handsome rogue who may be the greatest threat of all.
Any gentleman would lend his hand to a lady in distress, but handsome, rough-hewn Griffin Shaw is no gentleman, and Astrid is far from safe in his company. Accompanying her through the Highlands is a small price to pay for luring her into his bed. Entranced by her boldness, enchanted with her beauty, he is determined to thaw her cold heart. However, he soon finds himself wanting more than a brief affair with the proper lady. Nothing less than the total surrender of her heart will satisfy him.
When a terrible tragedy left her penniless and alone, Lady Astrid Derring did whatever it took to survive. She fired half her staff, borrowed gowns, and subsisted on cucumber sandwiches from the galas she attended. She endured the wagging tongues of the ton and the indecent proposals from noblemen who deemed her ripe for the plucking. Finally, she finds a way to escape the shame and restore her good name. But it will require a dangerous journey to Scotland, where she will come face-to-face with danger . . . and a sinfully handsome rogue who may be the greatest threat of all.
Any gentleman would lend his hand to a lady in distress, but handsome, rough-hewn Griffin Shaw is no gentleman, and Astrid is far from safe in his company. Accompanying her through the Highlands is a small price to pay for luring her into his bed. Entranced by her boldness, enchanted with her beauty, he is determined to thaw her cold heart. However, he soon finds himself wanting more than a brief affair with the proper lady. Nothing less than the total surrender of her heart will satisfy him.
372 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 29, 2008
74 people are currently reading
1028 people want to read
About the author
Sophie Jordan
84 books9,004 followersPseudonym:
Sharie Kohler
Sophie Jordan took her adolescent daydreaming one step further and penned her first historical romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History.
A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as interesting as literature - teaching English seemed the natural recourse. After several years teaching high school students to love Antigone, Sophie resigned with the birth of her first child and decided it was time to pursue the long-held dream of writing.
In less than three years, her first book, Once Upon A Wedding Night, a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Nominee for Best First Historical, hit book shelves. Her second novel, Too Wicked To Tame, released in March 2007 with a bang, landing on the USA Today Bestseller's List.
Sharie Kohler
Sophie Jordan took her adolescent daydreaming one step further and penned her first historical romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History.
A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as interesting as literature - teaching English seemed the natural recourse. After several years teaching high school students to love Antigone, Sophie resigned with the birth of her first child and decided it was time to pursue the long-held dream of writing.
In less than three years, her first book, Once Upon A Wedding Night, a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Nominee for Best First Historical, hit book shelves. Her second novel, Too Wicked To Tame, released in March 2007 with a bang, landing on the USA Today Bestseller's List.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
April 6, 2019
Yaaaa çok güzeldi 😍
Astrid’den kesinlikle böyle bir kitap beklemiyordum. Griffin ile ortaya çıkan kadın beni çok şaşırttı.
Kitap tam bonus kitabıydı erkek karakteri Amerikadan gelen bir çiftçi sanırken birbirine düşman iki klanın varisi çıktı
NERDE BENİM SALYA AKITAN EMOJİM!
Cidden bunu hiç beklemiyordum. Kitabın büyük kısmının da İskoçya’da geçmesiyle keyfime diyecek yoktu. Griffinciğime bayıldım. Tam salya akıtmalık karakterdi.
Yazardan tek şikayetim beni tatmin etmeyen epilogları. Daha uzun, daha çocuklu bir şeyler yazsa ölür mü acaba?
Astrid’den kesinlikle böyle bir kitap beklemiyordum. Griffin ile ortaya çıkan kadın beni çok şaşırttı.
Kitap tam bonus kitabıydı erkek karakteri Amerikadan gelen bir çiftçi sanırken birbirine düşman iki klanın varisi çıktı
NERDE BENİM SALYA AKITAN EMOJİM!
Cidden bunu hiç beklemiyordum. Kitabın büyük kısmının da İskoçya’da geçmesiyle keyfime diyecek yoktu. Griffinciğime bayıldım. Tam salya akıtmalık karakterdi.
Yazardan tek şikayetim beni tatmin etmeyen epilogları. Daha uzun, daha çocuklu bir şeyler yazsa ölür mü acaba?
August 17, 2008
Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Aug08
Dear me, dear me. I read “Surrender To Me” by Sophie Jordan right after reading the most recent Julia Quinn release. Unfortunately, “Surrender To Me” suffered in comparison. I have read and enjoyed a couple of Sophie Jordan’s earlier releases, but this Victorian romance just didn’t resonate with me. I didn’t feel drawn into the story and I didn’t particularly like the heroine, who reappears after a small role in an earlier book.
Astrid is the penniless Duchess of Derring (a misnomer if I ever heard one). Her husband committed forgery, stole everything of worth in their home, and left her destitute and responsible for his sister and sick grandmother. That only reinforced the lesson her father taught her with his unforgiving, stern character; she can only count on herself. After five years alone, she receives a letter saying her errant husband has assumed a false identity and is trying to wed an heiress in Scotland. On her journey to identify her husband and rescue the heiress from a horrible mistake, her carriage is stopped by brigands on the road. She and her maid are about to be raped (as there’s no money to steal) when they are saved by a stranger who talks strangely and is very handy with a rifle. When the stranger is injured in the altercation, Astrid has no choice but to take charge and tend to him.
Griffin is looking for family. On his mother’s deathbed she revealed that his Scottish birth parents died on a ship enroute to America, fleeing their warring clans. After his adoptive father dies, Griffin leaves his farm in Texas and heads for Scotland. He hears the women’s screams and rides to the rescue, becoming injured in the process. He wakes to a strange woman tending him and is soon drawn to her despite her icy exterior. She refuses to accept his efforts to protect her and mistakenly thinks she’s in charge. He doesn’t care what her rank is, in his world men protect women…period. Her inability to lose her icy control confuses, angers, and then somehow attracts him.
Frankly I don’t see what attracts Griffin to Astrid. I know she’s had a rough life. I also know Astrid refused to accept assistance from her friends. Oh, she’s happy to attend their dinners and entertainments as it provides her a free full meal enabling her to spend less on food. In an earlier work by Ms. Jordan, Astrid desperately drugs her sister-in-law in an effort to marry her off to a titled Lord enamored with her. She changed her mind and sent assistance and the incident turned out well, but Astrid is determined to punish herself for this sin and denies herself happiness and pleasure at every opportunity. I didn’t like Astrid at the beginning of the novel and my feelings never changed. She never ‘warmed up’ for me and her treatment of Griffin was appalling. She placed him in danger via several TSTL (too stupid to live) actions, further irritating me. I also felt Ms Jordan took a bit too much “author’s license” in her depiction of Scotland in early Victorian times. Other than two clans feuding, the book could have taken place in England!
Altogether, I guess you can tell I didn’t enjoy “Surrender To Me” by Sophie Jordan. Not every book can be a winner for me and just because I didn’t enjoy it, that doesn’t mean someone else won’t. I’ll still read her next one because I have enjoyed other works by her, both her historicals under the name Sophie Jordan and her paranormals under the name Sharie Kohler. But, unless you’re a diehard fan…I’d give this one a pass.
Til next time
JJ
Dear me, dear me. I read “Surrender To Me” by Sophie Jordan right after reading the most recent Julia Quinn release. Unfortunately, “Surrender To Me” suffered in comparison. I have read and enjoyed a couple of Sophie Jordan’s earlier releases, but this Victorian romance just didn’t resonate with me. I didn’t feel drawn into the story and I didn’t particularly like the heroine, who reappears after a small role in an earlier book.
Astrid is the penniless Duchess of Derring (a misnomer if I ever heard one). Her husband committed forgery, stole everything of worth in their home, and left her destitute and responsible for his sister and sick grandmother. That only reinforced the lesson her father taught her with his unforgiving, stern character; she can only count on herself. After five years alone, she receives a letter saying her errant husband has assumed a false identity and is trying to wed an heiress in Scotland. On her journey to identify her husband and rescue the heiress from a horrible mistake, her carriage is stopped by brigands on the road. She and her maid are about to be raped (as there’s no money to steal) when they are saved by a stranger who talks strangely and is very handy with a rifle. When the stranger is injured in the altercation, Astrid has no choice but to take charge and tend to him.
Griffin is looking for family. On his mother’s deathbed she revealed that his Scottish birth parents died on a ship enroute to America, fleeing their warring clans. After his adoptive father dies, Griffin leaves his farm in Texas and heads for Scotland. He hears the women’s screams and rides to the rescue, becoming injured in the process. He wakes to a strange woman tending him and is soon drawn to her despite her icy exterior. She refuses to accept his efforts to protect her and mistakenly thinks she’s in charge. He doesn’t care what her rank is, in his world men protect women…period. Her inability to lose her icy control confuses, angers, and then somehow attracts him.
Frankly I don’t see what attracts Griffin to Astrid. I know she’s had a rough life. I also know Astrid refused to accept assistance from her friends. Oh, she’s happy to attend their dinners and entertainments as it provides her a free full meal enabling her to spend less on food. In an earlier work by Ms. Jordan, Astrid desperately drugs her sister-in-law in an effort to marry her off to a titled Lord enamored with her. She changed her mind and sent assistance and the incident turned out well, but Astrid is determined to punish herself for this sin and denies herself happiness and pleasure at every opportunity. I didn’t like Astrid at the beginning of the novel and my feelings never changed. She never ‘warmed up’ for me and her treatment of Griffin was appalling. She placed him in danger via several TSTL (too stupid to live) actions, further irritating me. I also felt Ms Jordan took a bit too much “author’s license” in her depiction of Scotland in early Victorian times. Other than two clans feuding, the book could have taken place in England!
Altogether, I guess you can tell I didn’t enjoy “Surrender To Me” by Sophie Jordan. Not every book can be a winner for me and just because I didn’t enjoy it, that doesn’t mean someone else won’t. I’ll still read her next one because I have enjoyed other works by her, both her historicals under the name Sophie Jordan and her paranormals under the name Sharie Kohler. But, unless you’re a diehard fan…I’d give this one a pass.
Til next time
JJ
August 9, 2008
Honestly... I just wanted this one over... I wasn't really INTO it. I have read the others in the series and couldn't remember where Astrid related to them all. Then that got cleared up... but a while down the road. Just so much angst about their past lives... not sure... just didn't feel this one!
February 5, 2012
This is my first book by the author and sad to say, I really don't enjoy this one. The heroine is just too cold, depressing and frustrating. And I don't get how the hero can be attracted to her because I couldn't see one appealing trait about her. Except that maybe she's beautiful, judging from every male characters attraction to her.
January 20, 2019
Aşka Teslim
Sophie Jordan,
Sabah üst komşunun sayesinde erkenden uyandım. Bu tür uyanmalardan nefret ediyorum😠😬
Her neyse kitabı bitirdim en güzel yani bu. Diğer kitaplara göre kısaydı. Astrid baş kahramanımızı zaten ikinci ve üçüncü kitapta görüyoruz bu kitapta da onu okumak hoştu. Farklı bir konusu vardı. Kocasını aramaya çıkan bir kadın başından geçen onca şey ama aşk hiç beklenmedik . Griffin ..
Gizli sevecen ve ne istediğini bilen bir baş kahraman onu sevdim ikilinin aşk hikayesini okumak keyifliydi. 😄 şimdi sanırım serinin çıkmış kitapları bitti😢
Sophie Jordan,
Sabah üst komşunun sayesinde erkenden uyandım. Bu tür uyanmalardan nefret ediyorum😠😬
Her neyse kitabı bitirdim en güzel yani bu. Diğer kitaplara göre kısaydı. Astrid baş kahramanımızı zaten ikinci ve üçüncü kitapta görüyoruz bu kitapta da onu okumak hoştu. Farklı bir konusu vardı. Kocasını aramaya çıkan bir kadın başından geçen onca şey ama aşk hiç beklenmedik . Griffin ..
Gizli sevecen ve ne istediğini bilen bir baş kahraman onu sevdim ikilinin aşk hikayesini okumak keyifliydi. 😄 şimdi sanırım serinin çıkmış kitapları bitti😢
January 20, 2019
Aşka Teslim
Sophie Jordan,
Sabah üst komşunun sayesinde erkenden uyandım. Bu tür uyanmalardan nefret ediyorum😠😬
Her neyse kitabı bitirdim en güzel yani bu. Diğer kitaplara göre kısaydı. Astrid baş kahramanımızı zaten ikinci ve üçüncü kitapta görüyoruz bu kitapta da onu okumak hoştu. Farklı bir konusu vardı. Kocasını aramaya çıkan bir kadın başından geçen onca şey ama aşk hiç beklenmedik . Griffin ..
Gizli sevecen ve ne istediğini bilen bir baş kahraman onu sevdim ikilinin aşk hikayesini okumak keyifliydi. 😄 şimdi sanırım serinin çıkmış kitapları bitti😢
Sophie Jordan,
Sabah üst komşunun sayesinde erkenden uyandım. Bu tür uyanmalardan nefret ediyorum😠😬
Her neyse kitabı bitirdim en güzel yani bu. Diğer kitaplara göre kısaydı. Astrid baş kahramanımızı zaten ikinci ve üçüncü kitapta görüyoruz bu kitapta da onu okumak hoştu. Farklı bir konusu vardı. Kocasını aramaya çıkan bir kadın başından geçen onca şey ama aşk hiç beklenmedik . Griffin ..
Gizli sevecen ve ne istediğini bilen bir baş kahraman onu sevdim ikilinin aşk hikayesini okumak keyifliydi. 😄 şimdi sanırım serinin çıkmış kitapları bitti😢
November 8, 2009
Historical romance was the very first genre in the "female fiction" niche that I read...And it had been my favorite for many years (until I discovered paranormal romance and romantic suspense). So returning to it felt a little like coming back home after a long absence.
Unfortunately I couldn't have picked a worse book for this "homecoming" of mine. Sorry, but I just can't like the book where I wish a serial killer would travel back in time into Victorian England and slaughtered the heroine in the first half of the book.
Back to the paranormal and suspense we go...Next time I'll pick up an Amanda Quick novel.
Unfortunately I couldn't have picked a worse book for this "homecoming" of mine. Sorry, but I just can't like the book where I wish a serial killer would travel back in time into Victorian England and slaughtered the heroine in the first half of the book.
Back to the paranormal and suspense we go...Next time I'll pick up an Amanda Quick novel.
July 29, 2011
i love the fact that everything was almost intergrated within each other... i got about half way through the book and had a very big daja-vu about the line where astrid says something along the line of her not being something like china.
July 23, 2017
Lady Astrid mengejar suaminya, Bertram yg menyamar mjd Lord Powell ke Skotlandia. Mendekati tujuan, Astrid dirampok dan nyaris diperkosa jika tidak ditolong oleh Griffin Shaw. Ternyata tujuan mereka ke tempat yg sama di Skotlandia. Malangnya, Astrid hrs menjadi saksi saat2 terakhir kehidupan Bertram sebelum dibunuh. Bersama Griffin, Astrid berpetualang di Skotlandia yg mengakibatkan mereka jatuh dalam permainan cinta mereka yg panas. Sayangnya, Griffin dipaksa utk bertanggungjawab pada tanah leluhurnya dan hrs menikahi sepupunya. Pupus sudah harapan masa depan Astrid saat Griffin menghilang meninggalkan Astrid.
Tokoh Astrid yg pernah berperan sbg tokoh antagonis di buku Too Wicked to Tame
, kali ini diberi porsi sbg heroine tangguh yg dingin tetapi sarat dgn beban penyesalan atas masa lalunya. Bertolak belakang dgn penampilan luarnya tampak tidak berperasaan, tetapi saat bermain cinta, Astrid sangat panas dan liar. Saya tidak keberatan dgn kontradiksi ini, yg justru saya agak sayangkan adalah sifat pengecut Astrid dlm mengejar cintanya. Jelas sekali Astrid masih terbelenggu oleh masa lalu dan sulit melepaskan rasa bersalahnya.
Sedangkan tokoh Griffin mungkin tokoh hero yg agak terlalu ideal. Kebalikan dgn Astrid, Griffin terus memperjuangkan cintanya terhadap Astrid, walaupun yg diterimanya penolakan demi penolakan. Hanya kurang jelas wanita masa lalu Griffin itu siapa yg memiliki mata yg mirip dgn Astrid dan selalu membayangi sepanjang hidup Griffin.
Ending cerita juga nyaris antiklimaks.
3.5 stars
Tokoh Astrid yg pernah berperan sbg tokoh antagonis di buku Too Wicked to Tame
, kali ini diberi porsi sbg heroine tangguh yg dingin tetapi sarat dgn beban penyesalan atas masa lalunya. Bertolak belakang dgn penampilan luarnya tampak tidak berperasaan, tetapi saat bermain cinta, Astrid sangat panas dan liar. Saya tidak keberatan dgn kontradiksi ini, yg justru saya agak sayangkan adalah sifat pengecut Astrid dlm mengejar cintanya. Jelas sekali Astrid masih terbelenggu oleh masa lalu dan sulit melepaskan rasa bersalahnya.Sedangkan tokoh Griffin mungkin tokoh hero yg agak terlalu ideal. Kebalikan dgn Astrid, Griffin terus memperjuangkan cintanya terhadap Astrid, walaupun yg diterimanya penolakan demi penolakan. Hanya kurang jelas wanita masa lalu Griffin itu siapa yg memiliki mata yg mirip dgn Astrid dan selalu membayangi sepanjang hidup Griffin.
Ending cerita juga nyaris antiklimaks.
3.5 stars
May 7, 2009
I am not sure I want to discuss my personal rating system, but I guess it is something like 1 = terrible, 2 = not so good, 3 = good enough, 4 = well worth the read, and 5 = something I really think everyone should go read as soon as possible. (You'll note I do not have many of those.) More to the point, there are always books that I would just as soon not admit to reading, and this is probably one of them. In times long past, both my wife and I found a lot of enjoyment in historical romances (Georgette Heyer, et al), but in the past forty years the genre has changed so that they are now mostly historical sex adventures, and this is certainly a prime example of that. My daughter left it under the seat of the van when she borrow it last week, and now she will have to pay 50 cents a day until I get it back to her so that she can return it to the Lowell library.
As is typical, the artist who created the front cover and the editor who wrote the description for the back cover clearly had not read the book.
The story concerns one Lady Astrid Derring, whose husband had absconded some years ago with all of her jewelry after spending all of her money, so that she has had to live by eating as much as she could at ton parties so that there would be more food at home for her remaining staff. She has done this for five years or so? Is this believable? Out of the blue, however, comes a letter from an unknown author, reporting that her vile husband is masquerading as another nobleman up on Scotland and is about to marry a young lady up there. Lady Astrid promptly sets off to track him down and prevent this marriage, but her borrowed coach gets stopped by a group of three nasty highwaymen, who decide that, since she has no money for them to rob, they will take advantage of her other assets. At the last possible moment, around the corner rides a visiting horseman from Texas, who promptly whips out his rifle and shoots all the bad guys, although the last one down manages to bean him with a rock, leaving his senseless. Lady Astrid feels that she owes this stranger something for this, so she takes care of him for a few days in the next inn until he recovers, with the result that he feels he owes her something and has to accompany her for the remainder of her trip. Then things start to get complicated, as she finds herself hiding under her husband's bed when he gets killed by a visitor to his room, with the result that the authorities think she is responsible, so the two of them (Lady Astrid and the Texan) must hie away to the northern country, where one thing leads to another, as it always does in these books ... and very torridly, too, not just once but several times, while we learn the secret of who the Texan really is, as well as Lady Astrid's secret about the terrible thing she did in her past. All's well that ends well, of course, and these books always end well, with true love shining through for more than one couple, and all problems conquered.
As is typical, the artist who created the front cover and the editor who wrote the description for the back cover clearly had not read the book.
The story concerns one Lady Astrid Derring, whose husband had absconded some years ago with all of her jewelry after spending all of her money, so that she has had to live by eating as much as she could at ton parties so that there would be more food at home for her remaining staff. She has done this for five years or so? Is this believable? Out of the blue, however, comes a letter from an unknown author, reporting that her vile husband is masquerading as another nobleman up on Scotland and is about to marry a young lady up there. Lady Astrid promptly sets off to track him down and prevent this marriage, but her borrowed coach gets stopped by a group of three nasty highwaymen, who decide that, since she has no money for them to rob, they will take advantage of her other assets. At the last possible moment, around the corner rides a visiting horseman from Texas, who promptly whips out his rifle and shoots all the bad guys, although the last one down manages to bean him with a rock, leaving his senseless. Lady Astrid feels that she owes this stranger something for this, so she takes care of him for a few days in the next inn until he recovers, with the result that he feels he owes her something and has to accompany her for the remainder of her trip. Then things start to get complicated, as she finds herself hiding under her husband's bed when he gets killed by a visitor to his room, with the result that the authorities think she is responsible, so the two of them (Lady Astrid and the Texan) must hie away to the northern country, where one thing leads to another, as it always does in these books ... and very torridly, too, not just once but several times, while we learn the secret of who the Texan really is, as well as Lady Astrid's secret about the terrible thing she did in her past. All's well that ends well, of course, and these books always end well, with true love shining through for more than one couple, and all problems conquered.
September 27, 2010
Cold, distant, suffering, martyr of a woman has poor judgment. She meets a good man.
STORY BRIEF:
Astrid’s father arranged her marriage to Bertram. Bertram spent her dowry then abandoned her with no money to live on. Astrid’s parents were dead. Astrid hears that Bertram is in Scotland posing as someone else planning to marry an heiress. Astrid travels to Scotland to try to stop him. Along the way she meets Griffin. Highwaymen and feuding clans cause danger for them. Griffin was raised in Texas and came to Scotland to investigate something his mother told him on her deathbed.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I had trouble liking the heroine Astrid. She was never loved by her parents or husband, so she maintains a cold façade to everyone. Even after Griffin awakens her passionate side, she repeatedly returns to her cold and distant manner. Her coldness causes fights and other conflicts. She repeatedly causes trouble for herself by saying things based on stupid reasoning, for example: she is traveling with Griffin, and they are surrounded by a group of potential bad guys. Griffin tells the bad guys they are married so the men will leave her alone. She stupidly says “we are not married.” Another example of poor judgment: a couple is in love, but Astrid takes action and/or tries to influence the girl marry someone else to make the relatives happy. This happens twice, with two different couples. I’m guessing the point is that Astrid was never loved, so she doesn’t know how to love or interact with others in a reasonable manner. Somehow, I didn’t enjoy reading about her and her predicaments.
Griffin was a good hero: smart, strong, loving and helping others. The author did a nice job with the plot. It was good. The author has a nice voice. I just wish she would have found conflict in ways other than using the woman’s unpleasant personality and poor judgment.
DATA:
Story length: 372 pages. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: 3. Length of sex scenes: 3 to 12 pages. Total number of sex scene pages: 21. Setting: unspecified time, probably late 1800s England and Scotland. Copyright: 2008. Genre: historical romance.
STORY BRIEF:
Astrid’s father arranged her marriage to Bertram. Bertram spent her dowry then abandoned her with no money to live on. Astrid’s parents were dead. Astrid hears that Bertram is in Scotland posing as someone else planning to marry an heiress. Astrid travels to Scotland to try to stop him. Along the way she meets Griffin. Highwaymen and feuding clans cause danger for them. Griffin was raised in Texas and came to Scotland to investigate something his mother told him on her deathbed.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I had trouble liking the heroine Astrid. She was never loved by her parents or husband, so she maintains a cold façade to everyone. Even after Griffin awakens her passionate side, she repeatedly returns to her cold and distant manner. Her coldness causes fights and other conflicts. She repeatedly causes trouble for herself by saying things based on stupid reasoning, for example: she is traveling with Griffin, and they are surrounded by a group of potential bad guys. Griffin tells the bad guys they are married so the men will leave her alone. She stupidly says “we are not married.” Another example of poor judgment: a couple is in love, but Astrid takes action and/or tries to influence the girl marry someone else to make the relatives happy. This happens twice, with two different couples. I’m guessing the point is that Astrid was never loved, so she doesn’t know how to love or interact with others in a reasonable manner. Somehow, I didn’t enjoy reading about her and her predicaments.
Griffin was a good hero: smart, strong, loving and helping others. The author did a nice job with the plot. It was good. The author has a nice voice. I just wish she would have found conflict in ways other than using the woman’s unpleasant personality and poor judgment.
DATA:
Story length: 372 pages. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: 3. Length of sex scenes: 3 to 12 pages. Total number of sex scene pages: 21. Setting: unspecified time, probably late 1800s England and Scotland. Copyright: 2008. Genre: historical romance.
July 31, 2016
So I can say for sure that was the worst series of books I ever read. It's not this book fault (though I am still thinking what he H saw on the h, and still bugged on how Ms. Jordan insist on writing the same hero in every book in the series). No, my problem with that series is that it is not a series. The 1st book has one character who goes to be the h of the 2nd book, but the couple of the first book promptly disappears in the rest of the series. The h of the 2nd book has a sister-in-law who appears in all the other books, but is not related (or her relationship is explained in any way) with the h of the 3rd book. And lastly, that sister-in-law is the worst h in the series in the 4th book. And all the people who gets married in the previous books disappear. Maybe that is some alternated universe where marriage is the same as death?
November 8, 2015
So, I apparently got really confused with the order of this books, and assumed "One night with you" was the first one, and this the second, hence, I read them like that. Liking this a lot more than the other since Astrid's personality is imposible not to like, most of the times, other times, she can make you want to smother yourself with a pillow in frustration. But you know how the saying goes: "It's all well that ends well."
I'm not quite sure if I'll read the actual previous to this one, since I've pretty much spoiled myself. But we'll see...
Nevertheless I quite enjoyed this books, they proved to be entertaining but not overly corny.
Very different from "Firelight" I must add, hahaha.
I'm not quite sure if I'll read the actual previous to this one, since I've pretty much spoiled myself. But we'll see...
Nevertheless I quite enjoyed this books, they proved to be entertaining but not overly corny.
Very different from "Firelight" I must add, hahaha.
September 27, 2013
Reading through some of these reviews almost put me off reading this one for myself. However, I was pretty surprised how much I didn't agree with them. Sure, some points were valid in that I didn't feel like I really got to know the hero, only till the last third did more of his personality and why he was who he was cames through.
I thought the highland adventure they were both on was fun and I appreciate the personal journey they both took in trying to work through their past hurts and situations. Plus we got a bit of a murder mystery into the fold as well.
This was a fairly quick read and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a little bit of an escape.
I thought the highland adventure they were both on was fun and I appreciate the personal journey they both took in trying to work through their past hurts and situations. Plus we got a bit of a murder mystery into the fold as well.
This was a fairly quick read and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a little bit of an escape.
August 8, 2014
Vee bir seri daha sona erer..
İkinci kitaptan bildiğimiz Portia'nın işe yaramaz abisi Bertram ile evli olan yengesi Astrid yani Derring Düşesi burada başroldeydi.. Niyeyse kadın gözümde çok farklı bir imaj çizmiş.. Burada bambaşka biri olarak çıktı karşıma..
Kocasının peşinden İskoçya'ya giden Astrid eşkıyaların saldırısına uğruyor ve annesinin ölüm döşeğinde açıkladığı şeyler üzerine İskoçya'ya gelen Teksaslı bir çiftçi olan Griffin Shaw tarafından kurtarılıyor..
İkinci kitaptan bildiğimiz Portia'nın işe yaramaz abisi Bertram ile evli olan yengesi Astrid yani Derring Düşesi burada başroldeydi.. Niyeyse kadın gözümde çok farklı bir imaj çizmiş.. Burada bambaşka biri olarak çıktı karşıma..
Kocasının peşinden İskoçya'ya giden Astrid eşkıyaların saldırısına uğruyor ve annesinin ölüm döşeğinde açıkladığı şeyler üzerine İskoçya'ya gelen Teksaslı bir çiftçi olan Griffin Shaw tarafından kurtarılıyor..
August 9, 2014
Yazarın bazı kitapları şaşırtıyor olsada beni bu hikaye güzeldi.Değişik başladı farklı bir kurguylada bitti şuan bu yorumu okuyunca ne demek istediğimi anlamayabilirsiniz ama okuyunca hak vereceksiniz :) Sıkılmayacağınızı düşünüyorum, umarım seversiniz..
January 11, 2009
I really enjoyed this book the more you got into it the more interesting it got. Astrid and Griffin were such wonderful people that you wish that you knew them.
August 17, 2020
I really only skim-read this one as I couldn't engage with the characters. There was a lot of repetitive introspection which was quite frustrating as I just wanted to get to the actual story.
Our "heroine" in this book was a villain in a previous book in the series. I don't feel like her past actions were ever satisfactorily addressed. She felt guilty for what she did, which was good, but I didn't like the way everyone else just seemed to excuse her actions and almost blame the victim.
After this I'll be taking a break from Sophie Jordan for a while.
Our "heroine" in this book was a villain in a previous book in the series. I don't feel like her past actions were ever satisfactorily addressed. She felt guilty for what she did, which was good, but I didn't like the way everyone else just seemed to excuse her actions and almost blame the victim.
After this I'll be taking a break from Sophie Jordan for a while.
August 5, 2021
4 1/2*STARS* THAWING HER HEART
Astrid, Duchess of Derring, was abandoned by her husband five years ago. Barely surviving, she's sold everything of worth, has little staff and starving. When a letter arrives from Scotland tellingt her that her husband is alive using another name and to be married, Astrid is determined to stop the wedding. Attacked by highwaymen on the road to Scotland, she's saved by an unusual man. Griffin Shaw is from America on a mission to meet his family in Scotland. While saving the Duchess, her maid and coachman, he's injured. Astrid is afraid of emotion, but there is something about Griffin that she can't help but respond. Griffin will do whatever it takes to thaw her heart. A nice romance with a stubborn hero and an equally stubborn hero.
Astrid, Duchess of Derring, was abandoned by her husband five years ago. Barely surviving, she's sold everything of worth, has little staff and starving. When a letter arrives from Scotland tellingt her that her husband is alive using another name and to be married, Astrid is determined to stop the wedding. Attacked by highwaymen on the road to Scotland, she's saved by an unusual man. Griffin Shaw is from America on a mission to meet his family in Scotland. While saving the Duchess, her maid and coachman, he's injured. Astrid is afraid of emotion, but there is something about Griffin that she can't help but respond. Griffin will do whatever it takes to thaw her heart. A nice romance with a stubborn hero and an equally stubborn hero.
December 6, 2021
This was pretty good. I would've preferred the couple do more non-sexual bonding. It was even kind of ridiculous, given how bruised he should've been for most of it. But my big complaint was the epilogue where
March 19, 2022
A surprisingly engrossing plot. Astrid has been scrounging out an existence since her husband Duke Bertram fled the country to avoid being tried for forgery. She hears he is engaged to wed a young woman in Scotland, impersonating another man to do so, so she travels to confront him. On the way her carriage is accosted by highwaymen, and they are rescued by a handsome stranger, who is grievously injured in the process. She cares for him in the next town then sneaks away to confront her husband. Things don’t go as planned, and she herself is soon in danger of being arrested. The man who rescued her, Griffin, assists her, and as they travel together, she learns he has a mysterious past and an ambiguous purpose, but he is handsome, and of course they are drawn to each other. Can she break through her reserve and sense of duty to accept his love? I love the characters and the story itself was good.
April 22, 2022
The final book in the Derring series was definitely the best. Astrid was in previous books as quite the shrewish ice queen and she was still like that for her own story. I enjoyed the different setting and plot with the characters in Scotland and Astrid having to deal with things completely foreign for her. I also liked that Griffin was a strong male love interest without being the usual insufferable a**hole that has to change to be good by the end. Great side characters, subplots and pacing. 4.5 stars rounded up.
November 3, 2021
This one took me a while to read. But since I read the first three I felt compelled to read the last one. It was tough because we already pretty much hate the heroine from a previous book in the series. Even her explanation and reasoning for her horrific actions and the perspective of the hero trying to justify it…was pretty weak IMO. It was well written. The story/plot was pretty good. I didn’t “hate” it. But it wasn’t my favorite. 4 stars for the writing.
November 20, 2019
DNF around Chapter 5 after "Astrid had devoured the tasty soup and bread". Bah. The story seems pretty ordinary fare, but the writing is a bit too indifferent of a quality to spend more time on when there are truly good books in the world, dagnabit. Also, just..."tasty". Used straight. (Shudder.) Double bah.
July 2, 2021
Ada bagian yg menarik tapi ada beberapa yg boring.banyak diskip.terutama bagian2 akhir.
Bingung sama si duches yg plin plan.loe tu panas dingin disentuh tp g mau ngakui.
Diawal2 heronya luar biasa.pahlawan banget,tapi saat duches ditangkap highlander jadi songgong.
Palagi saat ketemu kakekx.ky gitu aja.
So far ada yg page turning ..some ada yg head turning.
Bingung sama si duches yg plin plan.loe tu panas dingin disentuh tp g mau ngakui.
Diawal2 heronya luar biasa.pahlawan banget,tapi saat duches ditangkap highlander jadi songgong.
Palagi saat ketemu kakekx.ky gitu aja.
So far ada yg page turning ..some ada yg head turning.
July 19, 2023
This is my first book by Sophie Jordan. I liked her writing style, the story was decent and I enjoyed the hero and his part of the story. The problem was, I never liked the heroine. She is cold, worries too much about being proper, and shows no gratitude when others do nice things for her. And yet, men keep falling all over themselves for her because she is beautiful. It was very frustrating. I will try another book by this author and hope the heroine is more likable.
July 1, 2019
Love Jordan's historicals
I have read several books by this author. I've never been disappointed. She is one of my favorites in the historical romance. A feel good read with characters who learn to forgive themselves and find love.
I have read several books by this author. I've never been disappointed. She is one of my favorites in the historical romance. A feel good read with characters who learn to forgive themselves and find love.
July 6, 2019
While it was an ok read in most respects the story was mostly flat and one dimensional. The heroine Astrid wasn’t a weak character which made her an interesting one but her actions toward Her sister in law Portia in a previous book were such that I never really warmed to her character.
May 17, 2020
Freedom is Love, Love is taking chances
I love the characters that Sophie Jordan, weaves her magical words around them, compelling, holding my breath of wonderfully the protagonists grow secure in finding themselves and each other.
I love the characters that Sophie Jordan, weaves her magical words around them, compelling, holding my breath of wonderfully the protagonists grow secure in finding themselves and each other.
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