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Sweet Talking Man: A Novel
Betina Krahn, the New York Times bestselling author of The Soft Touch and The Perfect Mistress , casts her beguiling spell once more with this warm and witty love story....
She was an independent woman-with only one weakness... an irresistible downtown man...
An immovable uptown lady... rich suffragette Beatrice Von Furstenberg was tough enough to trade stocks on Wall Street and smart enough to resist the temptation of passion. Adamant about women being independent-and without a romantic bone in her lovely body-she had sternly refused to give her moonstruck sixteen-year-old ward permission to wed an eighteen-year-old suitor. Now the desperate teens have dreamed up a mock robbery and a daring rescue to change Beatrice's mind.
Attorney Connor Barrow, a rogue of an Irishman with a silver tongue, remembers all too well the burning desires of youth. So he agrees to help in a crazy plan that will land him in a world of trouble. Suddenly he is responsible for the most influential lady in the city being locked up in a brothel, furious and threatening his ruin. Neither of them expects that first breathless kiss-a deal that would make the devil himself blush-and, most of all, the ways love can change a man's mind and open a woman's heart....
She was an independent woman-with only one weakness... an irresistible downtown man...
An immovable uptown lady... rich suffragette Beatrice Von Furstenberg was tough enough to trade stocks on Wall Street and smart enough to resist the temptation of passion. Adamant about women being independent-and without a romantic bone in her lovely body-she had sternly refused to give her moonstruck sixteen-year-old ward permission to wed an eighteen-year-old suitor. Now the desperate teens have dreamed up a mock robbery and a daring rescue to change Beatrice's mind.
Attorney Connor Barrow, a rogue of an Irishman with a silver tongue, remembers all too well the burning desires of youth. So he agrees to help in a crazy plan that will land him in a world of trouble. Suddenly he is responsible for the most influential lady in the city being locked up in a brothel, furious and threatening his ruin. Neither of them expects that first breathless kiss-a deal that would make the devil himself blush-and, most of all, the ways love can change a man's mind and open a woman's heart....
372 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 5, 2000
8 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Betina Krahn
60 books312 followersKrahn, born Betina Maynard, is the second daughter of Dors Maynard and Regina Triplett. Krahn learned to read at the age of four, and began making up her own stories when she was only six. In fifth grade she won a silver "Noble Order of Bookworms" pin for her achievements in reading, and the following year she began writing down her stories.
Krane was graduated from high school in Newark, Ohio and received a B.S. in Education (Biological Sciences) at Ohio State University. After college, Krahn taught science in Newark, and studied for a graduate degree at Ohio State in the summers. It was during those summers that she met her future husband, physics graduate student Donald Krahn.
The family moved to Oklahoma, where Krahn finished the work for her Masters of Education in Counseling in 1973. In 1974, she gave birth to her first child, Nathan, with the second son Zebulun arriving in 1978. With two young children, Krahn became a stay-at-home mother for a time, also finding time to volunteer on a community board working to get funding for mental health care in part of Western Oklahoma. Once the funding was secured, Krahn worked as an HR director for a mental health center.
Krane was graduated from high school in Newark, Ohio and received a B.S. in Education (Biological Sciences) at Ohio State University. After college, Krahn taught science in Newark, and studied for a graduate degree at Ohio State in the summers. It was during those summers that she met her future husband, physics graduate student Donald Krahn.
The family moved to Oklahoma, where Krahn finished the work for her Masters of Education in Counseling in 1973. In 1974, she gave birth to her first child, Nathan, with the second son Zebulun arriving in 1978. With two young children, Krahn became a stay-at-home mother for a time, also finding time to volunteer on a community board working to get funding for mental health care in part of Western Oklahoma. Once the funding was secured, Krahn worked as an HR director for a mental health center.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 3, 2018
Certainly a lot happening here, little of it sensible. Still, it’s an interesting change of pace and setting. The accounts of olden day politicking were of some value.
It definitely improves in the ‘emoting’ if one can stick with it to the end. A rather odd book overall.
It definitely improves in the ‘emoting’ if one can stick with it to the end. A rather odd book overall.
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April 25, 2018Priscilla Lucciano was 16 and in love with 18 yr old Jeffrey Granton. She wanted to marry him and suggested that he arrange to have her aunt, Beatrice Von Furstenberg, set up to be robbed. Jeffrey could come upon her being robbed and save her. This would prove to her aunt that Jeffrey was mature and responsible enough to marry her.
Beatrice was close to 30 and had been married at 17 to Mercer Von Furstenberg. He was old and wealthy and didn't know what to do with a young wife. One year into their marriage, he began to teach Beatrice about his business and the way he ran it. She did well after inheriting his holdings upon his death. She was also involved with the National American Woman Suffrage Association and decided that she needed a man under her influence to gain the support needed to gain permission for women to vote.
Jeffrey went to Connor Sullivan Barrow, his cousin and a lawyer running for Congress, to ask for help in the scheme to set up the robbery of Beatrice. Conner asked for no details and introduced Jeffrey to a couple of Irish men and they arranged the robbery. Jeffrey was 20 minutes late and a block away. The men didn't know what to do with Beatrice so they took her to a well-known brothel, the Oriental Palace.
Jeffrey went back to Connor for help to find Beatrice when he found out that she was missing. Connor located her and tried to get Beatrice to agree to not sue the owner of the house and but Beatrice refused. Connor left her there for another day. During that time, Beatrice talked with some of the women there and one happened to be a cousin to one of the kidnappers. Beatrice learned the name of the guys who had taken her there as well as the lawyer who had come to set her free. She was surprised upon talking to the women of how much she felt they had in common. They were business women like her, just a different sort of business.
There were sparks when Connor and Beatrice met. She had never been attracted to a man before and didn't understand what she was feeling. Connor felt the challenge that Beatrice was as well. She was left in only her underclothing yet felt strong enough to challenge him. He felt compelled to kiss her and did. Beatrice instinctively responded. She had enough sense to accuse him of trying to sweet talk her into agreeing not to press charges for her abduction. He chose to let her go.
Conner couldn't get her off his mind. After a few days, she requested that he come see her and he told her of Jeffrey's plan. Beatrice and Connor argued about Priscilla and Jeffrey not being allowed to court and Beatrice decided to put them together to see how they got along. She sent them both to work at a house for women and children that she donated money to. Priscilla worked hard and Jeffrey got out of all he could and flirted with the girls. The difference in the work ethic was enough to cause them to separate. Priscilla couldn't accept the laziness of Jeffrey.
Beatrice had gotten a promise from Connor that he would support the women's right to vote but it seemed that he wasn't going along with it. He told her that he couldn't change his mind overnight. He had to work into it and she needed to convince him too. She arranged for him to visit the house where Priscilla and Jeffrey were put to work. Connor left stating that he was moved by the stories he heard there. Reporters were there with them who heard the conversations and one of those conversations involved Beatrice's idea of starting a bank where women could hold accounts. She told Connor that if he helped her to open a bank that she would let him off the hook. Connor needed to get her to let him loose to run for Congress and maintain the support of the men who were behind him so he agreed. He was reluctant because his grandfather was on the approval committee and had disowned Connor.
Connor was trying to romance Beatrice but she was resisting him. He got straight to the heart of the matter of her and romance by telling her that she was supporting women's rights because she had been married to an old man who didn't know what to do with her. She was required to hold her tongue, decorate his home and warm his bed. She was using her treatment as a reason to hate all men. He was trying to convince her that all men weren't the same. Beatrice didn't trust that he wasn't out to change her mind for political reasons. He asked her who held her at night and who did she share her laughter and pain with? She had no answers. She had never felt like she needed to share those things. He was making her rethink what she was getting out of life. He was beginning to get to her and make her think she might want more than she had in living alone.
Beatrice's role of leading her company was put to a challenge by two of the board members who had seen her at the brothel. Beatrice met the challenge by calling their bluff and saying they were lying about their reason for being there. She said she was there to convince the women to reform. She was voted to remain as the chairman.
Connor came to see Beatrice and they went to Albany, NY to meet with the board that was needed to approve of their starting a bank. Connor was a bit frightened of the outcome when he realized that one of the members of that board was his grandfather. His grandfather challenged him but Beatrice got his attention in a good way. She could tell that he was hurting in regard to his relationship with Connor and took the time to talk to him a bit. He told her that he was still worried that Connor wouldn't stick by her. Connor had stood up to him and married an Irish woman that his grandfather hadn't approved of. Connor was 32 and his wife had been dead for 7 years.
Connor and Beatrice started an affair during their time in Albany. She was disappointed that he stayed away from her after the returned home with the approval of the charter to begin the bank. She didn't realize that the leaders of the Tammany group which were his supporters and got him on the ballot, had gotten upset with the news coming out of his support of women. The leader had put guards on him to keep him away from Beatrice.
Beatrice was once again challenged by the board members when the two men took their claims to the newspapers of her time at the Oriental Palace. Beatrice hired the same men who had kidnapped her to find the author of the story. She prepared to face the board and didn't know what was going to happen because she didn't know if the men had found the reporter who wrote the story. Connor found out about the meeting and went to find Priscilla and Jeffrey to tell the truth of why she was there. Some of the women from the Oriental also showed up at the meeting. The reporter was found and admitted to the board that he got his story from the same two men who had previously challenged her leadership so the challenge was lost and she remained in charge of her companies. She was proud that Priscilla and Connor were willing to come to her rescue. The truth didn't have to come out.
The Tammany group leaders were upset at Connor's actions and told him they were no longer supporting him. His name was to be removed from the ballot. Beatrice went to his grandfather when she found out what happened and he made sure that Connor's name wasn't taken off the ballot. It was only a couple of weeks before the election. Connor was willing to break off his relationship with Beatrice because he felt he had nothing left to offer her. He was impressed to find that Beatrice had gotten his grandfather's support and it seemed to be working.
The women in town tried to pass fliers and hang posters and were bullied. They then stuffed their dresses and pretended to be pregnant. They bullies left them alone. The prostitutes then joined the ladies. They knew how to get the attention of men and got some of them to listen to them. There were more posters going up than being torn down with the women's tricks.
The election came and their were men at the polls that were stopping some of the guys they knew supported Connor to vote. They were also sending their crowd to the polls to vote more than once. The prostitutes took up the challenge to distract them from voting again after a bit fight broke out and Connor was put in jail before he even got a chance to vote. Beatrice was in jail too and they were bailed out the next morning.
They were released and were met by Connor's grandfather who told them that Connor had won the seat in Congress by a small margin, but he won. Connor asked Beatrice to marry him and she said, "yes".
It was years later and a relative was looking through some things in her attic. A picture of Beatrice and Connor was located. She was researching the women who fought for the vote. She knew of the history of Beatrice. She was interrupted by a call on her cell phone. It was from Jeffrey. Some things never change...
Beatrice was close to 30 and had been married at 17 to Mercer Von Furstenberg. He was old and wealthy and didn't know what to do with a young wife. One year into their marriage, he began to teach Beatrice about his business and the way he ran it. She did well after inheriting his holdings upon his death. She was also involved with the National American Woman Suffrage Association and decided that she needed a man under her influence to gain the support needed to gain permission for women to vote.
Jeffrey went to Connor Sullivan Barrow, his cousin and a lawyer running for Congress, to ask for help in the scheme to set up the robbery of Beatrice. Conner asked for no details and introduced Jeffrey to a couple of Irish men and they arranged the robbery. Jeffrey was 20 minutes late and a block away. The men didn't know what to do with Beatrice so they took her to a well-known brothel, the Oriental Palace.
Jeffrey went back to Connor for help to find Beatrice when he found out that she was missing. Connor located her and tried to get Beatrice to agree to not sue the owner of the house and but Beatrice refused. Connor left her there for another day. During that time, Beatrice talked with some of the women there and one happened to be a cousin to one of the kidnappers. Beatrice learned the name of the guys who had taken her there as well as the lawyer who had come to set her free. She was surprised upon talking to the women of how much she felt they had in common. They were business women like her, just a different sort of business.
There were sparks when Connor and Beatrice met. She had never been attracted to a man before and didn't understand what she was feeling. Connor felt the challenge that Beatrice was as well. She was left in only her underclothing yet felt strong enough to challenge him. He felt compelled to kiss her and did. Beatrice instinctively responded. She had enough sense to accuse him of trying to sweet talk her into agreeing not to press charges for her abduction. He chose to let her go.
Conner couldn't get her off his mind. After a few days, she requested that he come see her and he told her of Jeffrey's plan. Beatrice and Connor argued about Priscilla and Jeffrey not being allowed to court and Beatrice decided to put them together to see how they got along. She sent them both to work at a house for women and children that she donated money to. Priscilla worked hard and Jeffrey got out of all he could and flirted with the girls. The difference in the work ethic was enough to cause them to separate. Priscilla couldn't accept the laziness of Jeffrey.
Beatrice had gotten a promise from Connor that he would support the women's right to vote but it seemed that he wasn't going along with it. He told her that he couldn't change his mind overnight. He had to work into it and she needed to convince him too. She arranged for him to visit the house where Priscilla and Jeffrey were put to work. Connor left stating that he was moved by the stories he heard there. Reporters were there with them who heard the conversations and one of those conversations involved Beatrice's idea of starting a bank where women could hold accounts. She told Connor that if he helped her to open a bank that she would let him off the hook. Connor needed to get her to let him loose to run for Congress and maintain the support of the men who were behind him so he agreed. He was reluctant because his grandfather was on the approval committee and had disowned Connor.
Connor was trying to romance Beatrice but she was resisting him. He got straight to the heart of the matter of her and romance by telling her that she was supporting women's rights because she had been married to an old man who didn't know what to do with her. She was required to hold her tongue, decorate his home and warm his bed. She was using her treatment as a reason to hate all men. He was trying to convince her that all men weren't the same. Beatrice didn't trust that he wasn't out to change her mind for political reasons. He asked her who held her at night and who did she share her laughter and pain with? She had no answers. She had never felt like she needed to share those things. He was making her rethink what she was getting out of life. He was beginning to get to her and make her think she might want more than she had in living alone.
Beatrice's role of leading her company was put to a challenge by two of the board members who had seen her at the brothel. Beatrice met the challenge by calling their bluff and saying they were lying about their reason for being there. She said she was there to convince the women to reform. She was voted to remain as the chairman.
Connor came to see Beatrice and they went to Albany, NY to meet with the board that was needed to approve of their starting a bank. Connor was a bit frightened of the outcome when he realized that one of the members of that board was his grandfather. His grandfather challenged him but Beatrice got his attention in a good way. She could tell that he was hurting in regard to his relationship with Connor and took the time to talk to him a bit. He told her that he was still worried that Connor wouldn't stick by her. Connor had stood up to him and married an Irish woman that his grandfather hadn't approved of. Connor was 32 and his wife had been dead for 7 years.
Connor and Beatrice started an affair during their time in Albany. She was disappointed that he stayed away from her after the returned home with the approval of the charter to begin the bank. She didn't realize that the leaders of the Tammany group which were his supporters and got him on the ballot, had gotten upset with the news coming out of his support of women. The leader had put guards on him to keep him away from Beatrice.
Beatrice was once again challenged by the board members when the two men took their claims to the newspapers of her time at the Oriental Palace. Beatrice hired the same men who had kidnapped her to find the author of the story. She prepared to face the board and didn't know what was going to happen because she didn't know if the men had found the reporter who wrote the story. Connor found out about the meeting and went to find Priscilla and Jeffrey to tell the truth of why she was there. Some of the women from the Oriental also showed up at the meeting. The reporter was found and admitted to the board that he got his story from the same two men who had previously challenged her leadership so the challenge was lost and she remained in charge of her companies. She was proud that Priscilla and Connor were willing to come to her rescue. The truth didn't have to come out.
The Tammany group leaders were upset at Connor's actions and told him they were no longer supporting him. His name was to be removed from the ballot. Beatrice went to his grandfather when she found out what happened and he made sure that Connor's name wasn't taken off the ballot. It was only a couple of weeks before the election. Connor was willing to break off his relationship with Beatrice because he felt he had nothing left to offer her. He was impressed to find that Beatrice had gotten his grandfather's support and it seemed to be working.
The women in town tried to pass fliers and hang posters and were bullied. They then stuffed their dresses and pretended to be pregnant. They bullies left them alone. The prostitutes then joined the ladies. They knew how to get the attention of men and got some of them to listen to them. There were more posters going up than being torn down with the women's tricks.
The election came and their were men at the polls that were stopping some of the guys they knew supported Connor to vote. They were also sending their crowd to the polls to vote more than once. The prostitutes took up the challenge to distract them from voting again after a bit fight broke out and Connor was put in jail before he even got a chance to vote. Beatrice was in jail too and they were bailed out the next morning.
They were released and were met by Connor's grandfather who told them that Connor had won the seat in Congress by a small margin, but he won. Connor asked Beatrice to marry him and she said, "yes".
It was years later and a relative was looking through some things in her attic. A picture of Beatrice and Connor was located. She was researching the women who fought for the vote. She knew of the history of Beatrice. She was interrupted by a call on her cell phone. It was from Jeffrey. Some things never change...
April 28, 2019
This is a lighthearted look at a lady corporation president and an Irishman running for political office in New York in 1892. It starts out when that rich corporation president, Beatrice Von Furstenberg, refuses to allow her 16-year-old niece marry her heart-throb, one 18-year-old Jeffrey Barrow. So, they plot to have some thugs try to rob Beatrice and let Jeffrey rescue her. Their thoughts are that Beatrice would be so thankful that she'd allow the two to wed.
So Jeffrey goes to find his black-sheep relative, Connor Barrow, who is running for Congress with the help of Tammany Hall. Connor feels sorry for the boy and suggests two heavies to help him. However, the robbery is a debacle and the rest of the story is about how Beatrice and Connor try to straighten the mess out without losing their careers.
So Jeffrey goes to find his black-sheep relative, Connor Barrow, who is running for Congress with the help of Tammany Hall. Connor feels sorry for the boy and suggests two heavies to help him. However, the robbery is a debacle and the rest of the story is about how Beatrice and Connor try to straighten the mess out without losing their careers.
August 23, 2020
Sweet Talking Man
Connor Barrow is a charming sexy hero. Beatrice can’t resist him! He’s the whole book here!Their love story is adorable but love scenes are 3 in total! A long story about suffragettes and women’s rights.
A good story line but not as romantic as it could have been!
Connor Barrow is a charming sexy hero. Beatrice can’t resist him! He’s the whole book here!Their love story is adorable but love scenes are 3 in total! A long story about suffragettes and women’s rights.
A good story line but not as romantic as it could have been!
May 26, 2018
3.5 stars
January 6, 2020
Another delightful novel by Betina Krahn.
September 17, 2021
I love this story.
July 27, 2014
Beatrice Von Furstenberg is a rich suffragette who refuses to give her 16-year-old niece permission to marry her 18-year-old suitor. So, the teens come up with a scheme to stage a mock robbery then a daring rescue of Beatrice's carriage. Attorney Connor Barrow agrees to help out with the crazy plan, never dreaming he would be responsible for Beatrice being locked up in a brothel. When she finds out how she ended up spending time in this brothel, she blackmails Connor into helping women get the right to vote.
I was disappointed with the first half of this book. I didn't care for the heroine and didn't see any sparks between the her and the hero. But, the story did get more interesting and you could finally see the relationship forming. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
I was disappointed with the first half of this book. I didn't care for the heroine and didn't see any sparks between the her and the hero. But, the story did get more interesting and you could finally see the relationship forming. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
October 31, 2011
There was some gratuitous name-dropping in the first few chapters, I think in an attempt to solidify setting and the protagonist's stature. Otherwise, pretty enjoyable. I particularly liked the brothel girls.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews