The Brothers Sinister: The Complete Boxed Set #.5-4.5

Brothers Sinister #0.5-4.5

by Courtney Milan

This is the complete boxed set of Courtney Milan’s acclaimed Brothers Sinister Series – four full length books, three novellas – together, almost half a million words.

The Governess Affair

Miss Serena Barton intends to hold the petty, selfish duke who had her sacked responsible for his crimes. But the man who handles all the duke's dirty business has been ordered to get rid of her by fair means or foul. She’ll have to prove more than his match…

The Duchess War

The last time Minerva Lane she was the center of attention, it ended badly—so badly that she changed her name to escape her scandalous past. So when a handsome duke comes to town, the last thing she wants is his attention.

But that is precisely what she gets...

A Kiss for Midwinter

Miss Lydia Charingford does her best to forget the dark secret that nearly ruined her life, hiding it beneath her smiles. But someone else knows the truth of those dark days: the sarcastic Doctor Jonas Grantham. She wants nothing to do with him...or the butterflies that take flight in her stomach every time he looks her way...

The Heiress Effect

Miss Jane Fairfield does everything wrong in society--intentionally.

Mr. Oliver Marshall does everything right. So why is it, then, that the one woman he can't forget is the exact opposite of what he needs?

The Countess Conspiracy

Sebastian Malheur is the most dangerous sort of rake. Violet Waterfield, the widowed Countess of Cambury, on the other hand, is entirely respectable--and she’d like to stay that way. Their association would be scandalous even if someone suspected lies. But the truth about the secrets they share will bring England to its knees…

The Suffragette Scandal

A suffragette meets a scoundrel, and as scoundrels do, he lies to her, attempts to blackmail her…and falls in love with her against his better judgment. By the time he realizes that his cynical heart is hers, it's too late. Once the woman he loves realizes how much he's lied to her, he'll lose her forever.

Talk Sweetly to Me

Miss Rose Sweetly is a shy, mathematically-minded shopkeeper’s daughter who dreams of the stars. When Stephen Shaughnessy, infamous advice columnist and known rake, moves next door, she knows she should avoid him. But you know what they say about the best-laid plans of mice and astronomers…

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Ebooks, M F Romance

1771 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2015

About the author

Courtney Milan writes books about carriages, corsets, and smartwatches. Her books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. She is a New York Times and a USA Today Bestseller.

Courtney pens a weekly newsletter about tea, books, and basically anything and everything else. Sign up for it here: https://bit.ly/CourtneysTea

Before she started writing romance, Courtney got a graduate degree in theoretical physical chemistry from UC Berkeley. After that, just to shake things up, she went to law school at the University of Michigan and graduated summa cum laude. Then she did a handful of clerkships. She was a law professor for a while. She now writes full-time.

Courtney is represented by Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency.

Reviews

[HR-ML · Rating 4 out of 5]

Victorian romance. Ms Milan is a wonderful author,
but I don't always agree with her choices.

Listing of the couples in order of the stories in boxed set.

1) Hugo (coal miner's son) & Serena (of genteel poverty).
Serena had a horrific encounter with duke who employed
Hugo.

2) Robert & Minerva.
Required suspension of logic. He was an atypical duke (who
wrote/ distributed radical handbills) & yrs prior she assumed
a different name. Robt was son of duke in #1.

3) Dr. Jonas Grantham & Lydia.
He came across as too blunt + she made too many assump-
tions. She had what we now call PTSD. He helped her rec-
ognize her pain and anger from a past event & helped her
heal.

4) Oliver & Jane.
Oliver was Hugo's son: see #1 above. He had political
ambitions (MP) & she, an heiress, used her persona of
rudeness, & hideous clothing to discourage suitors who
only wanted her huge dowry.

Her sister Emma & Anjan (an Indian man who became a
barrister) were the BEST COUPLE in all these stories.


5) Sebastian & Violet
My interest waxed/ waned, but she had an interesting
secret.

6) Edward & Free. Tried to read: but I lost interest.
Went back & read this. Free was half-sis of Oliver (bk #4).
Edward was a forger & blackmailer who wanted revenge.
Free helped bring out the better man in him.

7) Stephen (a novelist) & Rose (maths & astronomy genius)
The hero was attracted to this beautiful black lady. My
favorite scene? Rose challenged a prejudiced physician
who invalidated & insulted Rose's pregnant sister who
neared birth.

Revised.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in book 5 of 7 and unless things really go down hill, I'm giving this a 5. Easily the best$9.99 I've spent on my kindle. So far we've got lots of ladies with agency and smarts, flawed individuals, a man who isn't good at sex on his wedding night and the wife fixes it, workers rights, voting rights, best friends to lovers, secret women scientists breaking all kinds of new ground.

I mean, whatever. The world's shit but this is great. If one of the two remaining books has a fake marriage, I plan to lobby Goodreads for a 6 star rating.

UPDATE: think I may still have 1 more book but marked this as read anyway.

[Ekollon]

I'm pretty sure I read the entire series from the library, and I enjoyed it massively and it's on sale right now (6/4/2019! It went on sale a few days ago, the sale won't last long, get it now if you want it!). I'm not going to review the group because I reviewed them individually.

[Chi]

The set was available on kobo/nook for AUD3.99. I couldn't pass it up. And it was also a good excuse as any to read over them again. :)

The Governess Affair: 5 stars
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

The Duchess War: 4 stars
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A Kiss for Midwinter: 5 stars
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Heiress Effect: 5 stars
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Countess Conspiracy: 4 stars
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already individually reviewed each of the books in this series. But since the boxset is how I bought and read them all, I thought it'd be nice to give my overall impression of the series. I'll link each of the reviews down below.

When I heard people talk about Courtney Milan, it was always this series. I heard about her unique heroines, and great historical settings. I had previously read the first Carhart novel, and liked it well enough. But when I saw that this series was in a boxset and on sale for $5, that was just too good a price to pass up. So I didn't. And I read The Governess Affair. And was HOOKED!!!

What everyone said about Courtney Milan is absolutely true. Her heroines in this series ranged from not-what-they-seem wallflowers, female scientists, mathematical geniuses, and suffragettes. Her heroes were dukes, doctors, liars, and more. Her settings? I absolutely loved how Courtney Milan not only set her books in Victorian England, but she set them all against some sort of political, scientific, or feminist backdrop. So, so good!!!


Now here are my reviews.

The Governess Affair, Book 0.5
5 stars
Very important themes, and likable characters who aren't aristocratic.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

The Duchess War, Book 1
4 stars
Shy hero, intelligent and sympathetic heroine, with great political themes.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

A Kiss for Midwinter, Book 1.5
4.5 stars
Plain-spoken hero with an awful sense of humor, and a flawed but strong heroine. Plus, it's set at Christmas-time.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

The Heiress Effect, Book 2
4.5 stars
A heroine who fights off marriage by being awful and wearing over-the-top clothes. And a hero who's honest. There's also a secondary romance featuring an interracial couple. Love!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

The Countess Conspiracy, Book 3
Friends-to-lovers does not usually work for me, but then. I read this novel, and oh how it worked!!! Angsty, but great. Amazingly strong heroine, and a funny and loyal hero. Plus science. YES!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

The Suffragette Scandal, book 4
5 stars
Suffragettes, scoundrels, and strife. Great book.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Talk Sweetly to me, Book 4.5
4.5 stars
I love interracial romance, and that's what Courtney Milan gives us in this book. A very sweet romance featuring a black mathematical genius heroine, and an Irish hero who was a hilarious rake. So wonderful.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

My point is, go read this series. It's smart historical romance done right. I read all of these books in a two-week span, and now I have no idea what to read next.

[BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Governess Affair ***
The Duchess War ***
A Kiss for Midwinter ***
The Heiress Effect ***
The Countess Conspiracy ***
The Suffragette Scandal ***
Talk Sweetly to Me ***

Some are slightly better than others, others are slightly less. On the whole, three stars.

[ReadWithE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked some, loved some, wasn't sure about one... overall, I'm a fan! My fave: The Heiress Effect. Literally LOL'd.

[Jojo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opinião da série em vídeo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mUU6...

[Kim Marques · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romances, Sci Fi, and Fantasy are what's getting me through this pandemic. Escapist literature all the way.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bear with me for a minute.

The New York Times recently ran an article called "How One Harasser Can Rob a Generation of Women: Closed Opportunities, dwindling role models, roads not taken." https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/14/us.... It mentions, among other Me Too moments, an accusation of sexual harassment against Judge Alex Kozinski [who has now resigned] by Heidi Bond, one of his clerks.
An excerpt, "I remember Heidi Bond. While she was in law school at the University of Michigan she wrote a blog called Letters of Marque. It was confident and witty, and covered eclectic subjects ranging from obscure case law to predictions about how the Harry Potter series might end. . . Examples matter. Exposure matters. And exposure to Heidi Bond’s work mattered enough to me that I still remember it now, over a decade later.

"But I also remember that shortly after law school, Heidi Bond disappeared from public life. Letters of Marque was deleted. She finished her subsequent clerkships with Sandra Day O’Connor and Anthony Kennedy, then briefly became a law professor before departing the profession entirely."

Still with me? Okay. The article links to a piece on Heidi Bond's website (http://www.courtneymilan.com/metoo/ko...), including this excerpt:
“I got job offers and warm congratulations, and they hurt so much I could barely acknowledge them. I could not escape the notion that my career success was built entirely on my silence, and it poisoned any joy I could have found in the job I did take."

“In other words, the harassment tainted her career so much that even though she had access to some of the most coveted jobs in the country, she wanted nothing to do with them. She left the legal profession entirely, and is now a successful romance novelist writing under the name Courtney Milan."

Since I enjoy the occasional romance, I checked out her website. I felt almost immoral - as if I was profiting from her loss. I have since read the entire "Brothers Sinister" series. Her female protagonists are usually women who have been traumatized in some way, but who (spoiler!) eventually come roaring back and reclaim their lives. Her characters, both male and female, are not the stereotypical romance characters - although these are indeed romances, with light sexual content and the requisite happily-ever-after ending that I sometimes crave. They are well written ("clothing spanning the spectrum from brown to browner," "he was virulently moderate," "“Mathematics are never wrong!” Sebastian said, aghast. “Only misapplied!”,"On other occasions, he’d dreamed of disclosing the secret on his deathbed to a confused pack of family, who would all immediately assume that he’d lost his mind"), and often reflect considerable research into the period and topic. In all, Heidi Bond's life experiences seem to echo through the stories:

All around her, the surroundings echoed wealth and generations of power - everything that had aligned itself against her. This was what she had been fighting against. Not just the Duke...or Mr. Marshall, but an entire country's worth of opinion. She was as nothing compared to this sort of power - nothing more than a single grain in an entire sack of wheat. Nobody cared whether kernels wished to be ground into flour. It didn't matter if she spoke or stayed silent; she had no voice either way.

Well, it mattered to her.

-- The Governess Affair, by Courtney Milan

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for the series as a whole. I really enjoyed reading these interesting, feminist heroines. (If you don't read my entire review, be sure you always read Milan's Author Notes.)


I did, however, find the books rather unrealistic at first. It did not detract from my enjoyment, I have absolutely no problems with a 21st century anachronistic characters in a historical romance novel, but I did find it unrealistic that all the men and all the families would be so enlightened and supportive.

Upon reflection, however, now I'm thinking whether it's unrealistic bc I'm unnecessarily bound by my expectations of the genre. For example, in Sleepy Hollow television series, where delicious John Cho plays an undead police officer and Ichabod Crane and a _headless horseman rises from the dead after 250 years_​, but people complain that he uses a machine gun. (The _automatic weapon_ was the unrealistic part??!?)
​
So my nitpicks about this series was that these women and men were undoubtedly 21st century feminists. And while I was ​_totally okay_​ with that, I'd still say that they weren't... quite realistic. Or at least, how unlikely is it that they were all together in this series.

And then I thought, how come I don't complain about anything else? How come I don't complain about the witches? or the uncountable number of maids and gentry getting married to dukes? And I'm _sure_ that the 80s and 90s saw more interesting kickass women compared to romance novels of the past, as reflecting the eras they were written. I didn't find those anachronistic at all even though I can imagine that historians would.

But I'm bothered by the 'unrealistic' feminist women and men? The scientist Countess? The black astronomy computer? The lesbian couple and the gay couple in the background?

I don't doubt they exist. I never doubted that. Just that they were statistically unlikely smaller and yet existent. In the same way that I exist in white America. The same way that my Asian American family were super supportive of my pursuing a non-traditional (doctor lawyer engineer) career. I exist. These women exist. Their "atypical" families exist.

And if you have any doubt, read the Author Notes at the end of each book, where she tells you her research and the Actual History and context of her people.

So... maybe Milan's opened my mind a bit... And opened the way for more colorful characters from everyone.

It's kinda cool.

[Lexxi Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the historical fiction I’ve read, at least the ones that are also historical romances, have tended to be set in the Regency period, are roughly around that period of time. This series here, though, covers a good chunk of the Victorian age – the period of time when Queen Victoria sat on the British throne.

The first part of this series, a prequel short story, starts in 1835. Queen Victoria’s reign started two years later in 1837. The last book in this series takes place in 1882. Queen Victoria’s reign would last until 1901, so a good chunk of the Victorian era, but still leaving out around 20 years.

That first prequel short story stars Hugo Marshall and Serena Barton. Several of the books feature either the offspring of these two, or are connected, in one way or another, to these two individuals.

Serena Barton’s son, for example, Oliver Marshall, appears in a good number of the stories in this series. Hugo Marshall is the man who raised him as his son, but Oliver’s biological father was actually a Duke who had raped Serena. Oliver gets his own story told in the second book in the series, ‘The Heiress Effect’. Also starring in that book is Jane Fairfield, the rich heiress of the title – a woman who dresses in hideous dresses because she’d rather not actually get married.

The Marshall’s make an appearance in the first book as well. ‘The Duchess War.’ Simple enough reason – Oliver’s half-brother, the Duke of Clermont, is the star of that first book in the series. Minerva Lane is the female lead in that book (though she rarely gets called by that name, for reasons).

The connection to the Marshall’s is a little more strained for the third book in the series, ‘The Countess Conspiracy’, since that one stars Sebastian Malheur, Duke Clermont’s cousin. I guess, technically, he would also be Oliver’s cousin, but, if I recall correctly, the Duke, as in the father not as in the current Duke, never recognized Oliver. Which . . . hmms, hampers the ability of Oliver and Sebastian to acknowledge each other. I guess? Mmphs. I grow forgetful.

And this just leaves the fourth book in the series. Does that also have a Hugo Marshall/Serena Barton connection? Why yes, since it stars Frederica "Free" Marshall, their daughter. Also stars, in the male lead, Edward Clark.

0.5 The Governess Affair: 3.45 stars. review
1.0 The Duchess War: 4.985 stars. review
1.5 A Kiss for Midwinter: 2.67 stars. Review
2.0 The Heiress Effect: 4.75 stars. review
3.0 The Countess Conspiracy: 3.75 stars. review
4.0 The Suffragette Scandal: 4.76 review
4.5 Talk Sweetly to Me: 3.77 stars. review

Overall: 4.02 stars


Quotes:
Governess Affair

The Duchess War

“Sebastian,” Violet replied, calmly looping the yarn about one of her needles, “it is neither proper nor respectful to let a woman know that you think of her as nothing more than a hole.”

“You don’t expect love.” She shook her head in confusion. “This is the second time you’ve said that. Is this going to be like one of those dreadful novels where you warn me not to fall in love with you, and if I do, then you’ll turn into Bluebeard and try to lop my head off? You’re handsome. You have all your teeth.” She looked into his eyes and lightly touched her hand to his cheek. He grew very still. “I can offer you no promises. If you’re any good in bed, I might fall in love with you. If that is going to be anathema…”

A Kiss For Midwinter

“We’re men. We don’t have to marry. These girls, here? They’ve seen their sisters, their friends placed firmly on the shelf. They know their prospects if they don’t catch a man. It’s not their place to like or not like. It’s their place to marry any way they can, and it’s ours to choose.”

“When I push you on it, you don’t simper or fluster or make excuses. You defend what you see with a surprising capacity for logic.”

“A surprising capacity,” she said flatly. “My, the compliments you give a woman. Do say on.”

The Heiress Effect

She shook her head in mock solemnity. “Nobody expects a false elopement.”

The Countess Conspiracy

Her niece grimaced. “I was visiting my friend Sarah. She married two months ago, you know? She told me what happens when women marry.”

“Oh?” Violet’s spirits sank. It was one thing to do Lily a favor. But she refused—absolutely refused—to have the “penises are not that bad, and in fact, many women come to like them” talk with her in Hyde Park, of all places.

“As far as I can tell,” Amanda continued, “you plan menus, look over the servants, and go on visits.” She huffed. “That’s the entirety of your life, once you marry.”

Oh, thank God. It wasn’t the penis talk.

“You’re one of the only people that I can work around. Being around you is like being around nobody at all.”

“Thank you,” Sebastian said gravely, trying to hide his smile in response. Only Violet would say something like that and intend it as a compliment.

The Suffragette Scandal

So, yes, Edward. I know the obstacles women face. I know them better than you ever will.”

“All your tasks are about men,” she told him. “And if you haven’t noticed, this is a newspaper for women.”

“Are you really left-handed?” Mr. Marshall asked.

“No. I’ve just been pretending to use my left hand my entire life because because I enjoy never being able to work scissors properly.” Edward rolled his eyes. “What do you think? My father tried to encourage me to use my right more but it never did take.”

Talk Sweetly to Me

“My father was a stable master,” he told her. “My mother was a seamstress. I’ve done very well for myself, but don’t imagine that I’m one of those gentlemen who look down on you.”

While we don’t have statistics of this by race, by 1882, Britain had probably trained at least as many black doctors as there were dukes.

[Maraya21 (The Reading Dragon)]

✔ The Governess Affair (#0.5) ▶ ★★★★

➡ The Duchess War (#1)

A Kiss for Midwinter (#1.5)

The Heiress Effect (#2)

The Countess Conspiracy (#3)

The Suffragette Scandal (#4)

Talk Sweetly to Me (#4.5)

[S.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tons of fun. My favorite was The Countess Conspiracy (I loved that one!), but they were all great and every book was special in its own way--A Kiss for Midwinter talks about the frankness and necessity of sex ed., The Heiress Effect was about learning to not care what the rest of the world thinks about you, etc.

The only one I wish I'd skipped was The Heiress Effect. I really admired the heroine, but the love interest was kind of a dick and basically had to take a long time (with lots of hemming and hawing) to decide if he liked the heroine enough to be seen with her in public. And she still wanted him after all that! Pffft, she was too good for him.

ETA: totally worth the $10, btw.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was utterly charmed by the first novella in the set. I was progressively less charmed until I put the last one aside.

The writing was very good and each book had engaging characters. Each story or book had a bit of a feminist twist to it that holds Courtney Milan apart from other historical romance writers...

But, the feminist/woke/ethnically diverse storyline got more absurd in each book. In the last one (that I put aside), the female lead was a black genius scientist in Victorian England—I mean, come on.

So, though I was convinced I had found a new author, I was disappointed after reading them at all, so I’m splitting the difference and giving the set three stars.

[Jendi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of romance I like, because it's about so much more than romance! I learned a lot about 19th-century social justice issues, science, and even contraception (surprisingly advanced for the era as I pictured it). Milan's heroines are suffragettes, scientists, a chess champion and more. Her heroes are the kind of aristocrat who wants to reform factory conditions and give the vote to commoners. The main pairings are all M/F but there are a few queer side characters including two lesbian couples. "The Duchess War" was my favorite.

[Kay B. Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

JUST RIGHT

I appreciate a book series that can be downloaded at one time and read through - especially when the books and characters are related and compelling.

All the characters in these books are fully formed and some are incredibly entertaining. I appreciated that there was the possibility of laughter and tears, and that there was detailed intimacy between the various couples who were the subjects of each story.

The historic background found between each book added to the quality of the read.

[Robert Stevenson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frustrations

I would generally consider any novel by Me Milan 5 🌟 easily. I am sure these novels are, as well. However....it is impossible to truly judge a story when every sixth page or so is a blank page!!!!! I tried changing fonts...sizes...page orientation. I Just Could Not Get The Meaning Missed By Large Pieces Of Information.
O Am Sorely Disapppointed.

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series. I love The Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn and this series was similarly witty and engaging. Great characters with some overlap across the series. My favorite couple of the set was Free and Edward; some of the things he expressed were so darned romantic it made me cry. This is not a clean read, but you can skip over them and still enjoy the story. Highly recommend.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good series with some real gems of scenes. Women who stand up for themselves, men who respect women, characters you want to know. The Countess Conspiracy is truly thought provoking. One of the most sizzling scenes is in the first novella, though: The Governess Affair. The physical encounter deftly turns on respect. It's a lesson in consent.
Glad I own this series, so I can return to them again.

[TabReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Binge reading at its best

I thoroughly enjoyed this series. Goodreads has my individual book reviews, but taken as a whole this series is delightful, smart, full of brilliant women and sexy men. Each book is a stand alone but it is wonderful to see the characters from other stories pop up.

[E.L. Roux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing series!

I've feel like I've never read a series so full of love, life, smart women, and the men who truly appreciated them set in this era. This series is a series that just kept on giving, one amazing story after the next. This is a definite reading recommendation, and well worth the amazing price!

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a nutshell: I think I underlined more of these books than not. The writing is just that good. The characters are solid, layered, three-dimensional people with (sometimes contradictory thoughts, feelings, desires), they are almost always relatable, and they are always interesting. I love that the conflicts come from sources besides ridiculous misunderstandings and that the characters talk to each other and support one another. I love that history comes alive in all its multi-colored, multi-cultured, multi-faceted diversity.

If I thought they would appreciate these books for the gems they are, I would recommend these books even to readers who aren't typically enamored of romance.

[Myrna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really wonderful series

I enjoyed this series. It was great to have all the books in order, starting with the Governess Affair. The characters are deftly drawn and the plot of each story was unpredictable. And thank you, Ms. Milan, for including a black heroine! Rose was a wonder!

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the books and novellas were 4 stars for me, and some were 5. Overall, I really enjoyed this series. Milan does a wonderful job with her romantic subplots, and I love how diverse her characters are.

[Shirley Hamlod · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a brilliant collection of stories. The characters are really detailed and life like not to mention lovable. The women are strong and intelligent and know what they want from life. A ‘must read’ collection!

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up the whole set on Kindle. I found all of the books entertaining — standard historical romance tropes with a updated modern sensibility. I think The Countess Conspiracy (Sebastian & Violet) was the weakest, while The Suffragette Scandal (Free & Edward) was the strongest.

[Rhoda Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this series. My favourite is The Governess Affair, but I enjoyed all of the books. The characterisation and dialogue are superb.

[Tracy Zullo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
This is a wonderful mix of full lengths and shorts. Totally fun read.

[April Neal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read

Started of as a most enjoyable read, with very complex character history. But it kind of lost its way a bit with the last two. Some how I didn't feel as connected