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The Reluctant Bride Collection #4
To Tempt The Saint (The Reluctant Bride Collection)
Come back to a time when manners are everything and rules are made to never be broken. Come back to a time when men are in charge and women do what they are told...
Yeah, that never happened.
Welcome to Megan Bryce's Regencyland, where ladies with backbone get what they want. Where a woman can thumb her nose at rules and care little for convention, and yet somehow, unexpectedly and most reluctantly, find love.
"To Tempt The Saint"
Many years ago, George St. Clair loved and lost-- his heart, his faith, his future. Now, he is content to watch not-so-silently as life happens to his friends, secure in the knowledge that no woman could tempt him again. Absolutely certain that no woman is worth the risk. Confident that he is protected from the pain...
Honora Kempe lost everything after her fall from grace-- her family, her life, a future. Now, Hell hath no fury like a disgraced vicar's daughter and she is determined to get back what was hers. By hook or by crook. Man by man. Lie by lie. Until one man makes her wonder if love really can heal all pain. And if too late really is too late...
Yeah, that never happened.
Welcome to Megan Bryce's Regencyland, where ladies with backbone get what they want. Where a woman can thumb her nose at rules and care little for convention, and yet somehow, unexpectedly and most reluctantly, find love.
"To Tempt The Saint"
Many years ago, George St. Clair loved and lost-- his heart, his faith, his future. Now, he is content to watch not-so-silently as life happens to his friends, secure in the knowledge that no woman could tempt him again. Absolutely certain that no woman is worth the risk. Confident that he is protected from the pain...
Honora Kempe lost everything after her fall from grace-- her family, her life, a future. Now, Hell hath no fury like a disgraced vicar's daughter and she is determined to get back what was hers. By hook or by crook. Man by man. Lie by lie. Until one man makes her wonder if love really can heal all pain. And if too late really is too late...
170 pages, Paperback
First published September 7, 2015
743 people are currently reading
1162 people want to read
About the author
Megan Bryce
20 books281 followersMegan Bryce sits in front of a computer all day making up stories for a living. Which means she is not nearly as interesting (as well as tall, svelte, and/or dressed) as her characters. She gets bored quickly and just can't be bothered with anyone in her head who doesn't make her laugh--which translates into fun books, outrageous situations, and witty characters.
She writes both contemporary and historical romance, and you can visit her website at www.meganbryce.com
She writes both contemporary and historical romance, and you can visit her website at www.meganbryce.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
June 5, 2016
This was a cracking little book (and I do mean little, it's pretty short - I raced through it in a couple of hours) and unlike anything else I've read. Hat-tip to Georgie [no idea how to hyperlink Georgie's profile - she's here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9...] for the recommendation.
Although it wasn't without its faults, hence the four stars.
An intriguing premise, Honora, our heroine, is a proper fallen woman and is swindling her fortune by getting her alter ego engaged to successive men and then making them break the engagement because she slowly reveals herself to be a terrible potential spouse (like the plot of How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days, but much, much better than that). Then she claims damages for breach of promise or some such (English law: complete mystery). She stumbles across the hero, George, at a lecture on steam power and inadvertently shows him her true self (sans true identity).
Honora is witty, and strong, and clever and damaged by the awful, typically female tragedy that has befallen her which I won't spoiler. Suffice to say, she's got a beef with men, and it's one I can understand.
George is a reluctantly church-bound fourth son, betrayed by his elder twin brother and managed by his father. He's lonely and bored and sad.
Week by week, lecture by lecture, Honora and George bring a little happiness into one another's lives. Bryce develops their relationship with lovely humorous dialogue, and a paucity of words which is pretty remarkable. If you want detailed, lengthy exposition and metaphorical exploration of feelings, this is not the book for you. However, what is on the page is powerful and I felt the bond between the two of them. I was sad when George had to leave for his parish in Manchester and sad and happy when Honora followed him, determined to make him her final 'mark', because I knew it couldn't end well, yet I wanted them together. Great push/pull of feelings. The resolution of Honora's issues is also very powerful. Again, I won't spoiler, but I shed a little tear as it played out and felt a palpable connection with her situation in which she's done exactly the right thing that's also the most terrible thing.
As I said though, there were, for me, some issues. In many respects, Bryce's strength is her brevity. Sometimes words are more powerful if there are less of them. However, I wanted a little more. I like a detailed, dense book. I don't recall a single description of a place or a building or a room or an object in this whole book. There's a lot going on here as well (not a criticism) and I wanted Bryce to slow down and take her time with it a bit more. The second half of the book particularly needs more space to breath. Everything resolves too quickly.
And then there's the sex, or the complete lack there of. I don't just mean no sex scenes. There aren't any of those, but extraordinarily, I don't even have a sense of what the H/h look like, aside from Honora describing George to her sisters as a 'sour troll' which makes me think perhaps he's a little man, and her describing herself as not beautiful, or words to that effect. George thought her eyes were mud brown and as he comes to love her, reviews his assessment to golden brown. There's no discussion of ample bosom or strong noses or characterful chins. I don't know what dresses she wore or whether his breeches fit snugly across his strong thighs. He didn't think lewd thoughts about her (or any women, for that matter), and she didn't think any about him. They kiss. That's it. In of itself, this isn't a criticism, in some ways it was quite refreshing to have that stuff stripped away [hurr hurr]. And you know they'll work it all out in the sack because they're so obviously right for one another. But, dammit: I want sex. I'm sorry. Particularly when the characters are this compatible, this fun and intelligent and witty, outside the bedroom. A book without sex is going to have to be reeeeeally special to get five stars from me if it doesn't have at least one decent sex scene. I think only Carla Kelly has managed it.
That said, this was a very nice read. And I shall certainly be looking at more Bryce in the future.
Although it wasn't without its faults, hence the four stars.
An intriguing premise, Honora, our heroine, is a proper fallen woman and is swindling her fortune by getting her alter ego engaged to successive men and then making them break the engagement because she slowly reveals herself to be a terrible potential spouse (like the plot of How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days, but much, much better than that). Then she claims damages for breach of promise or some such (English law: complete mystery). She stumbles across the hero, George, at a lecture on steam power and inadvertently shows him her true self (sans true identity).
Honora is witty, and strong, and clever and damaged by the awful, typically female tragedy that has befallen her which I won't spoiler. Suffice to say, she's got a beef with men, and it's one I can understand.
George is a reluctantly church-bound fourth son, betrayed by his elder twin brother and managed by his father. He's lonely and bored and sad.
Week by week, lecture by lecture, Honora and George bring a little happiness into one another's lives. Bryce develops their relationship with lovely humorous dialogue, and a paucity of words which is pretty remarkable. If you want detailed, lengthy exposition and metaphorical exploration of feelings, this is not the book for you. However, what is on the page is powerful and I felt the bond between the two of them. I was sad when George had to leave for his parish in Manchester and sad and happy when Honora followed him, determined to make him her final 'mark', because I knew it couldn't end well, yet I wanted them together. Great push/pull of feelings. The resolution of Honora's issues is also very powerful. Again, I won't spoiler, but I shed a little tear as it played out and felt a palpable connection with her situation in which she's done exactly the right thing that's also the most terrible thing.
As I said though, there were, for me, some issues. In many respects, Bryce's strength is her brevity. Sometimes words are more powerful if there are less of them. However, I wanted a little more. I like a detailed, dense book. I don't recall a single description of a place or a building or a room or an object in this whole book. There's a lot going on here as well (not a criticism) and I wanted Bryce to slow down and take her time with it a bit more. The second half of the book particularly needs more space to breath. Everything resolves too quickly.
And then there's the sex, or the complete lack there of. I don't just mean no sex scenes. There aren't any of those, but extraordinarily, I don't even have a sense of what the H/h look like, aside from Honora describing George to her sisters as a 'sour troll' which makes me think perhaps he's a little man, and her describing herself as not beautiful, or words to that effect. George thought her eyes were mud brown and as he comes to love her, reviews his assessment to golden brown. There's no discussion of ample bosom or strong noses or characterful chins. I don't know what dresses she wore or whether his breeches fit snugly across his strong thighs. He didn't think lewd thoughts about her (or any women, for that matter), and she didn't think any about him. They kiss. That's it. In of itself, this isn't a criticism, in some ways it was quite refreshing to have that stuff stripped away [hurr hurr]. And you know they'll work it all out in the sack because they're so obviously right for one another. But, dammit: I want sex. I'm sorry. Particularly when the characters are this compatible, this fun and intelligent and witty, outside the bedroom. A book without sex is going to have to be reeeeeally special to get five stars from me if it doesn't have at least one decent sex scene. I think only Carla Kelly has managed it.
That said, this was a very nice read. And I shall certainly be looking at more Bryce in the future.
November 6, 2018
Honora and George
Honora Kempe is a disgraced vicar's daughter who is out for vengeance against men. With the help from her aunt and uncle, they change their names and change locales frequently. She searches for her future prey by allowing herself to become engaged. When she has him hooked, she changes her personality to force the gentleman to break the engagement. Portraying herself as ruined for potential suitors, she collects a modest sum from her former fiance for breach of promise.
George St. Clair is the fourth son of a Viscount who fell deeply in love with a woman and she was given to another. He hardens his heart against women. He will never be fallible to a woman again. His father, Viscount St. Clair, has George's life all mapped out for him -- a parish church in Manchester. George can't even pray. How can he be a minister?
George and Honora meet at a lecture on steam power. He is irritated by the companions she brings to the lecture. She feels he is a sour and cranky gentleman. She can tell by the way he acts and holds himself that he is the son of someone important. He can tell by which hat she wears as to which personality she will be that day -- sweet and sugary or spiteful and intelligent. Can two such persons form a relationship based on lies?
Another enjoyable novel. The characters are well-rounded and come off as fallible. They base their lives on explicit lies or lying to self. The plot is simple, yet I was turning the pages quickly to discover what would happen next. Just when everything seemed drenched in despair, an HEA ending came to save the day. Matter a fact, the solution to the plot seemed too easy for the mess George and Honora made of their lives, but I was so wrapped up in the story I flowed right along with it. This is an easy read and a good book. If you are looking for a story to while away a few hours, then this might be the novel for you.
Honora Kempe is a disgraced vicar's daughter who is out for vengeance against men. With the help from her aunt and uncle, they change their names and change locales frequently. She searches for her future prey by allowing herself to become engaged. When she has him hooked, she changes her personality to force the gentleman to break the engagement. Portraying herself as ruined for potential suitors, she collects a modest sum from her former fiance for breach of promise.
George St. Clair is the fourth son of a Viscount who fell deeply in love with a woman and she was given to another. He hardens his heart against women. He will never be fallible to a woman again. His father, Viscount St. Clair, has George's life all mapped out for him -- a parish church in Manchester. George can't even pray. How can he be a minister?
George and Honora meet at a lecture on steam power. He is irritated by the companions she brings to the lecture. She feels he is a sour and cranky gentleman. She can tell by the way he acts and holds himself that he is the son of someone important. He can tell by which hat she wears as to which personality she will be that day -- sweet and sugary or spiteful and intelligent. Can two such persons form a relationship based on lies?
Another enjoyable novel. The characters are well-rounded and come off as fallible. They base their lives on explicit lies or lying to self. The plot is simple, yet I was turning the pages quickly to discover what would happen next. Just when everything seemed drenched in despair, an HEA ending came to save the day. Matter a fact, the solution to the plot seemed too easy for the mess George and Honora made of their lives, but I was so wrapped up in the story I flowed right along with it. This is an easy read and a good book. If you are looking for a story to while away a few hours, then this might be the novel for you.
January 5, 2017
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 because I smiled all the way through it
A terrific end to Megan Bryce's "Reluctant Bride" collection - writing of exceptional quality, witty, moving and convincing. A non-standard H&h, falling in love in a very non-standard way in some highly unusual places (lecture halls in Manchester, anyone?), and a non-standard ending.
This is an oblique story - absolutely my highest term of praise. For me, it means a story where the author flatters her readers by assuming that they are intelligent enough to work out from a hint here and there what is going on. "Hint, don't tell." The novella format is always a difficult one to manage, because there's the same need for believable characters and convincing plot that there is in a longer novel, without the space to set up scenes at length.
But have a look at this picture by Claude Lorrain.
.
Claude merely sketches the background (a few lines here, a little shading there), and, like him, Megan Bryce just suggests backstory, a very light hand deftly dropping in a few key details. At one point, for example, the heroine (Honora) explains what has happened to her in a typically laconic manner:
That's more or less all we know about her history, yet at the end of the book I was convinced I knew far more about her than in fact was stated. But it was all just my own imagination knitting together a few gossamer details into a coherent whole.
The witty dialogue is similarly never straightforward - here's one of the best moments in the book when
The secondary characters (especially George's "valet") are given lots of room to breathe as well - again, a tribute to how well Bryce manages within the restraints of the format.
In many ways, though, this is not at all a typical historical romance. Partly because many of the overworked clichés of the genre are missing (ballrooms, chases, titles - OK, there's one viscount, but only in a walk-on role), partly because the period detail is suggested rather than laboured. It's mainly, it seems to me, because the HEA explicitly rejects the genre solutions that serve 99% of other stories. The problem to be resolved is that
I'm really sorry to see the end of this series - though as the characters aren't linked, there really doesn't seem any reason why Megan Bryce shouldn't continue. Each book has been better than the last - so please, Ms Bryce, I want some more!
PS There's a lovely hidden quotation from Pride & Prejudice in To Tempt the Saint (and another in To Wed the Widow) - I'm just off to re-read the earlier two stories, To Catch A Spinster and To Tame A Dragon, to Austen-spot there too!
A terrific end to Megan Bryce's "Reluctant Bride" collection - writing of exceptional quality, witty, moving and convincing. A non-standard H&h, falling in love in a very non-standard way in some highly unusual places (lecture halls in Manchester, anyone?), and a non-standard ending.
This is an oblique story - absolutely my highest term of praise. For me, it means a story where the author flatters her readers by assuming that they are intelligent enough to work out from a hint here and there what is going on. "Hint, don't tell." The novella format is always a difficult one to manage, because there's the same need for believable characters and convincing plot that there is in a longer novel, without the space to set up scenes at length.
But have a look at this picture by Claude Lorrain.
. Claude merely sketches the background (a few lines here, a little shading there), and, like him, Megan Bryce just suggests backstory, a very light hand deftly dropping in a few key details. At one point, for example, the heroine (Honora) explains what has happened to her in a typically laconic manner:
That's more or less all we know about her history, yet at the end of the book I was convinced I knew far more about her than in fact was stated. But it was all just my own imagination knitting together a few gossamer details into a coherent whole.
The witty dialogue is similarly never straightforward - here's one of the best moments in the book when
The secondary characters (especially George's "valet") are given lots of room to breathe as well - again, a tribute to how well Bryce manages within the restraints of the format.
In many ways, though, this is not at all a typical historical romance. Partly because many of the overworked clichés of the genre are missing (ballrooms, chases, titles - OK, there's one viscount, but only in a walk-on role), partly because the period detail is suggested rather than laboured. It's mainly, it seems to me, because the HEA explicitly rejects the genre solutions that serve 99% of other stories. The problem to be resolved is that
I'm really sorry to see the end of this series - though as the characters aren't linked, there really doesn't seem any reason why Megan Bryce shouldn't continue. Each book has been better than the last - so please, Ms Bryce, I want some more!
PS There's a lovely hidden quotation from Pride & Prejudice in To Tempt the Saint (and another in To Wed the Widow) - I'm just off to re-read the earlier two stories, To Catch A Spinster and To Tame A Dragon, to Austen-spot there too!
September 28, 2020
Witty, Clever Tale of a Vicar’s daughter and a nobleman’s son intended to be a Vicar
No date is given for the setting of this book. The author lists it as both a Victorian and a Regency so it’s set sometime in the 19th century. The hero, George St. Clair, the youngest of 4 sons of a viscount, has been targeted for the church and trained as a vicar but he has no love for the job. He wallows in the angst of losing his love to his twin and now just drifts along, attending lectures on steam power.
Along comes Honora Kempe, who is in disguise as yet another woman seeking a man to become betrothed so she can get him to cry off and leave behind a large payment for her lost reputation—a reputation that, in reality, was lost long ago with a child out of wedlock. A disgraced vicar's daughter, she is determined to get her revenge and have a life on her own terms. But she meets her match in George St. Clair.
I loved the witty banter, the dry humor. It is a cleverly told tale where its tit for tat the whole book through. And it kept me reading pages. I was a bit surprised, however, that the man trained for the church should fail to wonder at the origin of Honora’s Scripture-spouting. (She quotes verses for every occasion.) Still, weren’t they perfect for each other—the vicar’s daughter and the vicar?
No date is given for the setting of this book. The author lists it as both a Victorian and a Regency so it’s set sometime in the 19th century. The hero, George St. Clair, the youngest of 4 sons of a viscount, has been targeted for the church and trained as a vicar but he has no love for the job. He wallows in the angst of losing his love to his twin and now just drifts along, attending lectures on steam power.
Along comes Honora Kempe, who is in disguise as yet another woman seeking a man to become betrothed so she can get him to cry off and leave behind a large payment for her lost reputation—a reputation that, in reality, was lost long ago with a child out of wedlock. A disgraced vicar's daughter, she is determined to get her revenge and have a life on her own terms. But she meets her match in George St. Clair.
I loved the witty banter, the dry humor. It is a cleverly told tale where its tit for tat the whole book through. And it kept me reading pages. I was a bit surprised, however, that the man trained for the church should fail to wonder at the origin of Honora’s Scripture-spouting. (She quotes verses for every occasion.) Still, weren’t they perfect for each other—the vicar’s daughter and the vicar?
May 21, 2022
This was a unique book for sure. The writing was a bit clanky and the story line was old, you know boy seduces girl, girl gets into trouble but oops boy is already married. MB was able to tell it in a new manner so it didn't feel like an old troupe. This was a kissing only book, but didn't take away from the depth of the book. It was still an emotional read once the full back story of both our h/h came out. I loved the snarkiness between our h/h, but once you have an understanding of their history, you realized that was a protective measure for both of them. All around good book and I will look into MB's backlist.
January 22, 2024
This was a fun fast read. The plot line was a little fantastical.
January 7, 2017
A life of getting even
A story that could not have been written in its time. Honora had a child at seventeen and her father and step-mother added the child to their household. Honora had choices, she could stay at her father's home, she could become a fallen woman, or she could go with her aunt and uncle and they could make their own way. She chose the third option, overcoming the life her married lover left her when he took her innocence and left her with child. Honora became engaged to men then blackmailed them into breaking the engagement and paying her a settlement. Then she meets St. Clair. A story of a strong opinionated woman, odd in her time. For those love reading historical stories about strong women facing poor choices this is for you.
A story that could not have been written in its time. Honora had a child at seventeen and her father and step-mother added the child to their household. Honora had choices, she could stay at her father's home, she could become a fallen woman, or she could go with her aunt and uncle and they could make their own way. She chose the third option, overcoming the life her married lover left her when he took her innocence and left her with child. Honora became engaged to men then blackmailed them into breaking the engagement and paying her a settlement. Then she meets St. Clair. A story of a strong opinionated woman, odd in her time. For those love reading historical stories about strong women facing poor choices this is for you.
January 11, 2017
This is an unusual story that portrays the certain unfairness and frustration that woman of the nineteenth century endured. More than just the story itself, it describes the angst that society created in an attempt to make women even less than second class citizens. As a father with a daughter, I'm extremely of the changes that have taken place, even though we still do not have equality.
November 1, 2017
This was a very unusual and a great story! Honora and St Clair are both moving along paths of self destruction.......they both have a lot of unrest in them due to tumultuous childhood and lost loves of a sort....That they find each other is truly remarkable and that they fall in love in spite of Honora's secret life and lies. Love this story....It is never to rebuild your lives
July 20, 2017
Of the four in this series, this fourth one is the best. Sin, lies & maybe redemption.
May 23, 2024
4 1/2 stars. This is the second book I've read by the author. The story did not feel cookie cutter. The h fell for the lies of a married man and had a child. Her father and stepmother have been raising her child as their own for ten years. In retribution for having to succumb to the power of men, the h and her aunt and uncle have developed a scam in which the h becomes betrothed then acts in a way so that she is paid when her betrothed cries off. The H is to be her last scam. They meet at lectures about steam and the future. His father has planned the lives of his four sons. The H's profession is to be the church. The H's sickly twin brother married the love of the H's life with his father's blessing. Both characters realize that they have both been living a lie to deal with their hurt and pain but with their love of each other they can live again. A few kisses only in this book.
September 2, 2023
A letdown after reading the previous “To Wed the Widow.” The two main characters are filled with hate, bitterness, grief, guilt, and disappointment both in themselves and their path in life, and you’d think that this would thrill a reader who likes a heavy dose of angst, right? But no. The hero and heroine have hidden and pretended for so long that they don’t even know themselves, the connection between them feels obscure and tenuous, and darned if I could figure out what they were feeling for each other at any given moment.
As a story about two people dealing with a storm of complicated emotions in their separate lives, this is a terrific read. As a love story, it’s dreadful.
As a story about two people dealing with a storm of complicated emotions in their separate lives, this is a terrific read. As a love story, it’s dreadful.
September 7, 2019
An amazing story of "love conquered all"!
This story tells us about a woman with an unhappy past who tried to make a living for herself and the only two people who love and sacrifice for her. So she did it her own way by cheating men until she really fell in love but her past came to haunt her...You will have to read this book to find out what happens next.
This story tells us about a woman with an unhappy past who tried to make a living for herself and the only two people who love and sacrifice for her. So she did it her own way by cheating men until she really fell in love but her past came to haunt her...You will have to read this book to find out what happens next.
February 12, 2019
De la série, c'est celui que j'ai le moins apprécié. L'histoire est belle et intéressante mais Honora et George sont trop cyniques à mon goût.
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August 10, 2020🎁 The Reluctant Bride Collection (The Reluctant Bride Collection #1-4) is FREE on Amazon today (8/10/2020)! 🎁
October 20, 2017
To Tempt The Saint
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book loved the banter between George and Honora. Back in them days a women was frowned upon for any kind of sexual relations before marriage and as a young and naive girl Honora had been taken advantage of and ended up pregnant from some one she trusted and thought cared for her no wonder she took the road she did, this story tells us how she survived and found comfort through her aunt and uncle but unfortunately swindling young men. George however meets her at a lecture of up and coming steam trains and immediately have a rather sour relationship which as they get to know each other becomes so much more but her character is rather sassy and his rather abrupt which makes a very good read. I both laughed and cried for them. A must read well worth 5 stars
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book loved the banter between George and Honora. Back in them days a women was frowned upon for any kind of sexual relations before marriage and as a young and naive girl Honora had been taken advantage of and ended up pregnant from some one she trusted and thought cared for her no wonder she took the road she did, this story tells us how she survived and found comfort through her aunt and uncle but unfortunately swindling young men. George however meets her at a lecture of up and coming steam trains and immediately have a rather sour relationship which as they get to know each other becomes so much more but her character is rather sassy and his rather abrupt which makes a very good read. I both laughed and cried for them. A must read well worth 5 stars
February 3, 2017
I wanted to like this book because I am a fan of Megan Bryce.
George is a young man who has chosen to avoid his future for as long as he can. Now he must face his life.
Honora is a young woman who has had a very difficult past. She has chosen to make her way in the world by taking money from men she does not believe to be honorable.
I loved the dialog between the two. Both are witty and quick. They challenge one another and each of them find the entertainment to be too much to ignore. They are drawn to one another.
But, overall, I simply was not a huge fan of the story.
Ms Bryce is a wonderful author and I know the next book I read will be exactly what I enjoy.
George is a young man who has chosen to avoid his future for as long as he can. Now he must face his life.
Honora is a young woman who has had a very difficult past. She has chosen to make her way in the world by taking money from men she does not believe to be honorable.
I loved the dialog between the two. Both are witty and quick. They challenge one another and each of them find the entertainment to be too much to ignore. They are drawn to one another.
But, overall, I simply was not a huge fan of the story.
Ms Bryce is a wonderful author and I know the next book I read will be exactly what I enjoy.
December 31, 2016
If I told you about this book, you'd think the characters were extremely unlikable. Strangely, they really weren't. I was rooting for them the whole way and couldn't put the book down. (Yes, I have enjoyed a really good run of books lately!)
October 2, 2017
Not quite as tight as Megan's other fare, this one was still a stark and emotionally charged read. I really fell in love with these characters!
Read
July 6, 2018DNF
April 14, 2021
Unique and yet just the same
A book that demonstrates genuine creativity and mastery of the craft of writing. That is the unique. The just the same - mistaking one's grouse with religion and the church of England as a fight with God. Religions the world over have proven Marx correct- the opium of the masses. God has never been that. Soccer is that, money is that and Donald Trump used that to create a cult of his own making. Hilarious and horrific all at once.
But a question: you wanted me to feel Honora's pain but what about the pain of the children begotten and rejected by white slave masters on black? Rejected and denied but yet use to create a caste system based on the shade of one's skin? What about the fact that I have European blood but not a legacy? Some of us have learnt to live with it, some of us have no response to looting because of it, some of us are dysfunctional and angry because of it and some yet have gone insane because of it.
Are we to blame God because we be black and people use that to shame us, yet without us white, western wealth would not exist? I have never blamed God for the atrocities overlooked in Dead Poets' Society. Men must own their own shame. But somethings are too horrendous to face. Racism with roots in religion, economic theory, social studies and discourse, the entrenched fallacies upheld in movies and TV..... And yet black people are expected to be saints and for those who succeed I thank God for that.
A book that demonstrates genuine creativity and mastery of the craft of writing. That is the unique. The just the same - mistaking one's grouse with religion and the church of England as a fight with God. Religions the world over have proven Marx correct- the opium of the masses. God has never been that. Soccer is that, money is that and Donald Trump used that to create a cult of his own making. Hilarious and horrific all at once.
But a question: you wanted me to feel Honora's pain but what about the pain of the children begotten and rejected by white slave masters on black? Rejected and denied but yet use to create a caste system based on the shade of one's skin? What about the fact that I have European blood but not a legacy? Some of us have learnt to live with it, some of us have no response to looting because of it, some of us are dysfunctional and angry because of it and some yet have gone insane because of it.
Are we to blame God because we be black and people use that to shame us, yet without us white, western wealth would not exist? I have never blamed God for the atrocities overlooked in Dead Poets' Society. Men must own their own shame. But somethings are too horrendous to face. Racism with roots in religion, economic theory, social studies and discourse, the entrenched fallacies upheld in movies and TV..... And yet black people are expected to be saints and for those who succeed I thank God for that.
December 30, 2019
Honora Kempe makes a living getting engaged to middle-class men and then being so unpleasant that they are forced to break off the engagement, at which time she extorts money from them for breach of promise and loss of her ability to find another beau. She doesn't do this because she is evil but because she was cruelly taken advantage of by a married man who took her innocence and ruined her forever, now she is determined to get vengeance.
George St Clair lost his one true love to his twin brother and ever since he has been cynical about love and women. Then a chance meeting with an abrasive woman at a lecture on the future of steam changes everything. As he attends the series of weekly lectures the woman and her companions simultaneously irritate and intrigue him.
Both George and Honora are hiding their true identities, but when the truth emerges from the most unlikely source is the romance over?
I like Megan Bryce's characters. They feel real and like people I would want to get to know. Too often in historical romances the hero is a bit opaque, his feelings and motivations too formulaic, not here. George and his feelings and his hesitance are all vividly brought to life. I was disappointed to discover I have already read the other books in this series as I was looking forward to more of these clever, engaging historical romances.
George St Clair lost his one true love to his twin brother and ever since he has been cynical about love and women. Then a chance meeting with an abrasive woman at a lecture on the future of steam changes everything. As he attends the series of weekly lectures the woman and her companions simultaneously irritate and intrigue him.
Both George and Honora are hiding their true identities, but when the truth emerges from the most unlikely source is the romance over?
I like Megan Bryce's characters. They feel real and like people I would want to get to know. Too often in historical romances the hero is a bit opaque, his feelings and motivations too formulaic, not here. George and his feelings and his hesitance are all vividly brought to life. I was disappointed to discover I have already read the other books in this series as I was looking forward to more of these clever, engaging historical romances.
December 11, 2025
As usual, Megan Bryce's dialogue between the two main characters, George St. Clair and Honora (Letitia Blackstock) Kempe, is delightful and humorous. This is the most unusual meeting of two characters I've met in some time. George is the fourth son of a Viscount, who is chafing under his father's demand that he become a vicar (for which he has trained).
Honora has adopted a new name so she can become engaged, have the man jilt her, and take him to court for breach of promise. Then, she extracts money based on the gentleman's income. The story of why she does this is fascinating.
The pacing was sometimes uneven. However, I enjoyed the story. This author's strength is in writing witty dialogue that propels the story along.
Reluctant Bride Collection
1. To Catch a Spinster (2012)
2. To Tame a Dragon (2012)
3. To Wed the Widow (2014)
** 4. To Tempt the Saint (2015)
To Tame a Lady: Volume 2 (2016)
Honora has adopted a new name so she can become engaged, have the man jilt her, and take him to court for breach of promise. Then, she extracts money based on the gentleman's income. The story of why she does this is fascinating.
The pacing was sometimes uneven. However, I enjoyed the story. This author's strength is in writing witty dialogue that propels the story along.
Reluctant Bride Collection
1. To Catch a Spinster (2012)
2. To Tame a Dragon (2012)
3. To Wed the Widow (2014)
** 4. To Tempt the Saint (2015)
To Tame a Lady: Volume 2 (2016)
February 27, 2021
I purchased To Tempt the Saint as part of The Reluctant Bride Collection as an eBook Kindle book.
Honora Kempe made a mistake as a very young woman and lost everything. She left home with her Aunt and Uncle and entered into a life to get even with all men because of the one that had deceived her. George St. Clair lost his first love to his twin brother and became a grumpy, bitter and rather cold man. He met Honora while she was pretending to be Miss Blackstone in her con-game. As a vicar that doesn't pray they made an odd couple but one that worked. I loved the witty conversations and how each of them came to accept the other to find a good relationship with a several very strange marriage proposals that were rather humorous. I really enjoyed To Tempt the Saint.
Honora Kempe made a mistake as a very young woman and lost everything. She left home with her Aunt and Uncle and entered into a life to get even with all men because of the one that had deceived her. George St. Clair lost his first love to his twin brother and became a grumpy, bitter and rather cold man. He met Honora while she was pretending to be Miss Blackstone in her con-game. As a vicar that doesn't pray they made an odd couple but one that worked. I loved the witty conversations and how each of them came to accept the other to find a good relationship with a several very strange marriage proposals that were rather humorous. I really enjoyed To Tempt the Saint.
June 5, 2021
How to exact revenge
A most delightful story, I could not put it down. The story swings between George and Honora/Letitia helping the reader to keep up to date with what is happening independently to both. Honora is definitely not the usual mild, simpering heroine although she has the ability to transform when she is seeking to deceive. She has been doing this while exacting her revenge on men in general.
Everything changes when she her tricks are discovered and she falls in love. She has to return home and there we learn the reason for her hurting soul and we also learn who she is. Don't worry love wins!
A most delightful story, I could not put it down. The story swings between George and Honora/Letitia helping the reader to keep up to date with what is happening independently to both. Honora is definitely not the usual mild, simpering heroine although she has the ability to transform when she is seeking to deceive. She has been doing this while exacting her revenge on men in general.
Everything changes when she her tricks are discovered and she falls in love. She has to return home and there we learn the reason for her hurting soul and we also learn who she is. Don't worry love wins!
September 9, 2022
We met George earlier in the books and I was excited to read about him. He was intriguing in the last book. The plot of this book was quite interesting, a woman dishonoured pretending to be someone else and getting her revenge on men. It had a twist that is not as usual in HR. At the beginning I was actually confused and it kind of annoyed me because it took a while to actually understand the main characters and just get a sense of what they were doing really. The encounters between George and Honora were more witty and light hearted but at the same time managed to get in important aspects of their lives in some way.
June 16, 2019
3.25 Stars. A crankypants hero meets a damaged con artist heroine at a lecture about steam power...
George and Honora are both a hot mess, messy pasts, messy lies, messy emotions - but it works. They have a shared intelligence and sense of humor, and the whole thing winds up being fairly complicated for such a short story. Honora's character and experiences are definitely the stronger of the two as George being listless and so angry after five years sort of pales in comparison to what she's dealt with, but it was an entertaining read nonetheless!
George and Honora are both a hot mess, messy pasts, messy lies, messy emotions - but it works. They have a shared intelligence and sense of humor, and the whole thing winds up being fairly complicated for such a short story. Honora's character and experiences are definitely the stronger of the two as George being listless and so angry after five years sort of pales in comparison to what she's dealt with, but it was an entertaining read nonetheless!
July 8, 2024
I listened to this on Youtube. The narrator does an excellent job.
One of the protagonists' names is St. Clair (surname), and he has a friend named Sinclair (first name) so I was very confused in the beginning since the names are so similar. The author could have change one of these so they stood apart.
The general story was good along with the characters, but I hate the plot where a child is made to think a family member is one relation when, in fact, they are another. It creeps me out.
I found the story was slow in Part 3 when Honora returns to her father and step-mother.
One of the protagonists' names is St. Clair (surname), and he has a friend named Sinclair (first name) so I was very confused in the beginning since the names are so similar. The author could have change one of these so they stood apart.
The general story was good along with the characters, but I hate the plot where a child is made to think a family member is one relation when, in fact, they are another. It creeps me out.
I found the story was slow in Part 3 when Honora returns to her father and step-mother.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2019
Last in series
This is the last book in a four book series. I have enjoyed all of them each are different, strong characters with different humour s. The last story has two characters who you should dislike. A sour man not wanting.to face life and blames all, a con woman out to get all she can from men. Yet their story is a good one. A brilliant series I hope she writes some.historical type books
This is the last book in a four book series. I have enjoyed all of them each are different, strong characters with different humour s. The last story has two characters who you should dislike. A sour man not wanting.to face life and blames all, a con woman out to get all she can from men. Yet their story is a good one. A brilliant series I hope she writes some.historical type books
May 5, 2019
An Interesting Read
Aside from the obvious mainstream story line, Ms Bryce gives us a look at the imbalance of the social status of women in the early 1800's. The "double standard" was in full evidence in this book. We have come a long way but there are times when I can't help but wonder if we have gone too far in the opposite direction.
However I've read two of the books in this series...enjoyed them both.
Aside from the obvious mainstream story line, Ms Bryce gives us a look at the imbalance of the social status of women in the early 1800's. The "double standard" was in full evidence in this book. We have come a long way but there are times when I can't help but wonder if we have gone too far in the opposite direction.
However I've read two of the books in this series...enjoyed them both.
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