What do you think?
Rate this book
Regency #2
Un amor escondido
Él es, al mismo tiempo, su protector y su mayor peligro...
Para escandalizar a la estricta, mojigata y puritana sociedad en la que vive, Catherine Ashfield, vizcondesa Bickley, acaba de ayudar a una amiga en la publicación de un manual para las damas que subvierte todas las normas del decoro. Nunca pensó que esta diversión fuera a perjudicarla, obligándola a abandonar Londres en compañía de un atractivo protector... Su guardián es el plebeyo Andrew Stanton, el mejor amigo de su hermano, que lejos de ser ignorado y sin saber el interés que despierta, está obligando a la hermosa e independiente Catherine, que reniega del amor, a reconsiderar su posición. Así los secretos, las pasiones y un amor escondido están convirtiendo al hombre que ha prometido proteger a la vizcondesa en el más dulce de los peligros...
Para escandalizar a la estricta, mojigata y puritana sociedad en la que vive, Catherine Ashfield, vizcondesa Bickley, acaba de ayudar a una amiga en la publicación de un manual para las damas que subvierte todas las normas del decoro. Nunca pensó que esta diversión fuera a perjudicarla, obligándola a abandonar Londres en compañía de un atractivo protector... Su guardián es el plebeyo Andrew Stanton, el mejor amigo de su hermano, que lejos de ser ignorado y sin saber el interés que despierta, está obligando a la hermosa e independiente Catherine, que reniega del amor, a reconsiderar su posición. Así los secretos, las pasiones y un amor escondido están convirtiendo al hombre que ha prometido proteger a la vizcondesa en el más dulce de los peligros...
413 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
21 people are currently reading
321 people want to read
About the author
Jacquie D'Alessandro
121 books417 followersJacquie D'Alessandro grew up on Long Island and fell in love with romance at an early age. She dreamed of being swept away by a dashing rogue riding a spirited stallion. When Joe, her hero finally showed up, he was dressed in jeans and driving a Volkswagen, but she recognized him anyway. They married after they both graduated from Hofstra University, and are now living their happily-ever-after in Atlanta, Georgia, along with their very bright and active son, Christopher, alias "Junior", who is a dashing rogue in the making.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 11, 2023
This was a pretty good historical romance. It was considerably better than the first book in the series.
I love how independent the woman was and the suspense plotline kept me going. The lovemaking was sweet and steamy. I will definitely look for book #3.
I love how independent the woman was and the suspense plotline kept me going. The lovemaking was sweet and steamy. I will definitely look for book #3.
September 1, 2017
I really love D'Alessandro's work, but I am finding that her earlier novels to be a little too wordy for my taste. Her charming characters, low-angst plots, and easy prose are there, but the pace has been too slow for me to consider them favorites.
Love and the Single Heiress is the second book in the Regency series and discusses the sister and best friend of the hero from the first book. Both Catherine and Andrew have pasts with enormous hardship and are scared to love again (for entirely different reasons). I love this trope but found that the chemistry was slow building not for delicious tension but because there was too much internal waffling. When they finally do become an item, my interest had waned and I found myself skimming.
I kept reading because I enjoyed the interactions between Andrew and Catherine's disabled son, Spencer, and I wanted to know who the villain was. I also liked Catherine's forthright friend, Genevieve. She probably has quite an interesting story (which D'Alessandro did write in a novella)!
Overall, there are some sweet family oriented moments in here, but this book could have been shortened by 50-100 pages. There was too much internal thought and less "experience". The writing style is nice and the characters, particularly the hero, are great, but the plot was just too slow for me to love this or recommend it. Try D'Alessandro's newer, shorter works for a snappier story. No worries though--I am still reading everything on this woman's backlist. I will find more favorites :)
Love and the Single Heiress is the second book in the Regency series and discusses the sister and best friend of the hero from the first book. Both Catherine and Andrew have pasts with enormous hardship and are scared to love again (for entirely different reasons). I love this trope but found that the chemistry was slow building not for delicious tension but because there was too much internal waffling. When they finally do become an item, my interest had waned and I found myself skimming.
I kept reading because I enjoyed the interactions between Andrew and Catherine's disabled son, Spencer, and I wanted to know who the villain was. I also liked Catherine's forthright friend, Genevieve. She probably has quite an interesting story (which D'Alessandro did write in a novella)!
Overall, there are some sweet family oriented moments in here, but this book could have been shortened by 50-100 pages. There was too much internal thought and less "experience". The writing style is nice and the characters, particularly the hero, are great, but the plot was just too slow for me to love this or recommend it. Try D'Alessandro's newer, shorter works for a snappier story. No worries though--I am still reading everything on this woman's backlist. I will find more favorites :)
January 2, 2018
leído en Agosto 2012
March 28, 2010
Sequel to "Who WILL TAKE THIS MAN "
Catherine Ashfield, Viscountess Bickley, is a widow and mother just out of mourning. She has had an unhappy marraige, with her husband and society turning their back on her son Spencer, because he has a clubbed foot. She helps a friend Genevieve with the writing of a book "The Ladies guide" published under the name Charles Brightmore. This book causes uproar and it is loved by women and hated by men. Needless to say the men don't like the changes in their women. When Catherine is shot at her fathers birthday party she flees to her country estate with the protection of her brothers best friend Andrew Stanton.
Andrew has loved Catherine this past 6 years ,long before he even met her. While on expeditions with her brother Phillip (his story is in "Who Will Take This Man"), Andrew fell in love with Catherine from her letters to Phillip. He is determined to court Catherine and make her his own even but Andrew has secrets from his past. Catherine is determined to stay single and fears that her part in writing the "Ladies Guide" has placed her and her son in danger.
I found it a bit slow at the start and Catherine irritated me sometimes, but I loved Andrew he was witty, kind, romantic and sexy. The book did pick up pace halfway through and the secondry characters were great and I am delighted to find her friend Genevieve gets her own book "Touch Me" . The love scenes are very sensual and overall it is a good read, maybe a bit slower paced than her other books. The doctor Nathan's story is next in "Not Quite A Gentleman" and I loved it.
Catherine Ashfield, Viscountess Bickley, is a widow and mother just out of mourning. She has had an unhappy marraige, with her husband and society turning their back on her son Spencer, because he has a clubbed foot. She helps a friend Genevieve with the writing of a book "The Ladies guide" published under the name Charles Brightmore. This book causes uproar and it is loved by women and hated by men. Needless to say the men don't like the changes in their women. When Catherine is shot at her fathers birthday party she flees to her country estate with the protection of her brothers best friend Andrew Stanton.
Andrew has loved Catherine this past 6 years ,long before he even met her. While on expeditions with her brother Phillip (his story is in "Who Will Take This Man"), Andrew fell in love with Catherine from her letters to Phillip. He is determined to court Catherine and make her his own even but Andrew has secrets from his past. Catherine is determined to stay single and fears that her part in writing the "Ladies Guide" has placed her and her son in danger.
I found it a bit slow at the start and Catherine irritated me sometimes, but I loved Andrew he was witty, kind, romantic and sexy. The book did pick up pace halfway through and the secondry characters were great and I am delighted to find her friend Genevieve gets her own book "Touch Me" . The love scenes are very sensual and overall it is a good read, maybe a bit slower paced than her other books. The doctor Nathan's story is next in "Not Quite A Gentleman" and I loved it.
February 5, 2011
Why do I finish these books? I guess so I can justify the rating. Dumb!
April 16, 2014
Was ok, but failed to engage me.
June 19, 2025
Not going to lie, I was not impressed with this book until probably the last 20-20%, and fully anticipated giving it a mid rating. But the conclusion, how things wrapped up, the prose, and the inclusion of Spencer as a strong supporting character really changed my mind. I actually teared up! Would definitely seek out more by this author in the future
January 23, 2023
A Feminist with huge flaws
I loved the hero! He was perfect! I got rather impatient with the heroine. She had become "manly" in her desire to have sex without love. She wanted everything but was unwilling, until the very end, to give anything in return.
I loved the hero! He was perfect! I got rather impatient with the heroine. She had become "manly" in her desire to have sex without love. She wanted everything but was unwilling, until the very end, to give anything in return.
Read
June 13, 2020Not a fan of the writing style, the pacing, or the characters. I also wasn't convinced by the relationship development. DNF and unhauling this one.
September 18, 2021
Wasn't one of my favorites by her. Which is saying something as I typically love her books.
March 3, 2023
Catherine should look up the word "author" in the dictionary.
May 30, 2025
Lo senti como una perdida de tiempo
March 17, 2013
❤❤ ¾
❤❤❤ (for Andrew and the lovey stuff)
Philip's newly widowed sister Catherine Ashfield, Lady Bickey is sought after by many eligible men as well as an apparent assassin. Among her suitors is Philip's best friend, Andrew Stanton, who has loved Catherine secretly for 6 years. Now that she's available he plans to court her but Catherine has no desire to have an affair or ever marry again, a fact that distressed Andrew since love, marriage and babies are exactly what he's looking for. There is also a bit of mystery from Andrew's past and Catherine's present as well as a scandalous Ladies Guide to the Pursuit of Personal Happiness and Intimate Fulfillment book. We meet Little Longstone's town doctor, Mr. Nathan Oliver who is the hero in book #3, as well as Catherine's friend Genevieve who is featured in Touch Me.
I can't really offer a review of the plot because I finished this book nearly a week ago and can't recall bigger or smaller details now. I hate when I do that. But mostly I can't offer a summary because this book took me 5 days to read and normally I'd finish in an afternoon. After all those hours, a chapter here or there, I'm sorry to report that not much of this story made an impact. I do remember that I thought Andrew is a great character and was a great character in book #1. He offers a great deal of sparkle and seduction in the book. He has great scenes with Catherine's son Spenser and some extremely thoughtful moments with Catherine. Some other reviewers noted that they felt Catherine was annoying. Her "humph" was one of the bigger annoyances for me but I read nearly 3/4 of the novel before I begrudgingly agreed with those reviewers. :/ I thought I'd made it though free and clear and then suddenly it just hit me that I didn't really like her.
Another thing I didn't love is the repetition of phrases as it can be a double edged sword. In this book lines like "I'd prefer to call it..." and the response "I'm sure you do" are repeated and they are meant to be cute, clever lines that endear the characters to you. The first time and perhaps the last time they are spoken they are cute. Everything in between, even if it was only once or twice more, bothered me. Other lines like "He looked at her like she was a sweet in a confectioners shop" were used in the first book and perhaps if I didn't read them back to back I wouldn't have noticed, but I did read them back to back, so I noticed. It's a pattern that I noticed in book #1 as well. And while it wasn't nearly as distracting as I've read in other books, it was an added frustration this series didn't need.
There was some exceptional emotional and romantic appeal in the book. Andrew does some imaginative and charmingly sweet things and you can see a bit of D'Alessandro's brilliance shining though. Though it was only a few dozen pages I thought it was really great stuff. If it were more abundant in the novel it would have been 5 stars, easy. The problem is that most of the book was a struggle to get through. I can't explain why and like the first book I don't have a suggestion on what could make it better. I wish I could offer a solution as I love D'Alessandro's writing and wit and I think she creates some really amazing romantic moments and heroes. I did love parts of this book and in the end I think they were worth reading the book for. I guess I'm more disappointed than not because now that I reflect on it I felt similarly when I read book one but rated it based elements I enjoyed rather than didn't. Like that book there were parts to enjoy and even love but by in large something was missing so that's how I rated this book.
❤❤❤ (for Andrew and the lovey stuff)
Philip's newly widowed sister Catherine Ashfield, Lady Bickey is sought after by many eligible men as well as an apparent assassin. Among her suitors is Philip's best friend, Andrew Stanton, who has loved Catherine secretly for 6 years. Now that she's available he plans to court her but Catherine has no desire to have an affair or ever marry again, a fact that distressed Andrew since love, marriage and babies are exactly what he's looking for. There is also a bit of mystery from Andrew's past and Catherine's present as well as a scandalous Ladies Guide to the Pursuit of Personal Happiness and Intimate Fulfillment book. We meet Little Longstone's town doctor, Mr. Nathan Oliver who is the hero in book #3, as well as Catherine's friend Genevieve who is featured in Touch Me.
I can't really offer a review of the plot because I finished this book nearly a week ago and can't recall bigger or smaller details now. I hate when I do that. But mostly I can't offer a summary because this book took me 5 days to read and normally I'd finish in an afternoon. After all those hours, a chapter here or there, I'm sorry to report that not much of this story made an impact. I do remember that I thought Andrew is a great character and was a great character in book #1. He offers a great deal of sparkle and seduction in the book. He has great scenes with Catherine's son Spenser and some extremely thoughtful moments with Catherine. Some other reviewers noted that they felt Catherine was annoying. Her "humph" was one of the bigger annoyances for me but I read nearly 3/4 of the novel before I begrudgingly agreed with those reviewers. :/ I thought I'd made it though free and clear and then suddenly it just hit me that I didn't really like her.
Another thing I didn't love is the repetition of phrases as it can be a double edged sword. In this book lines like "I'd prefer to call it..." and the response "I'm sure you do" are repeated and they are meant to be cute, clever lines that endear the characters to you. The first time and perhaps the last time they are spoken they are cute. Everything in between, even if it was only once or twice more, bothered me. Other lines like "He looked at her like she was a sweet in a confectioners shop" were used in the first book and perhaps if I didn't read them back to back I wouldn't have noticed, but I did read them back to back, so I noticed. It's a pattern that I noticed in book #1 as well. And while it wasn't nearly as distracting as I've read in other books, it was an added frustration this series didn't need.
There was some exceptional emotional and romantic appeal in the book. Andrew does some imaginative and charmingly sweet things and you can see a bit of D'Alessandro's brilliance shining though. Though it was only a few dozen pages I thought it was really great stuff. If it were more abundant in the novel it would have been 5 stars, easy. The problem is that most of the book was a struggle to get through. I can't explain why and like the first book I don't have a suggestion on what could make it better. I wish I could offer a solution as I love D'Alessandro's writing and wit and I think she creates some really amazing romantic moments and heroes. I did love parts of this book and in the end I think they were worth reading the book for. I guess I'm more disappointed than not because now that I reflect on it I felt similarly when I read book one but rated it based elements I enjoyed rather than didn't. Like that book there were parts to enjoy and even love but by in large something was missing so that's how I rated this book.
March 26, 2019
Hermosa, hermosa hermosa!! Cartas a un hermano que alimentaban la imaginación de su compañero en batalla. Una mujer dejada de lado por su marido por cuidar de su hijo minusválido. Un ex soldado que teme al agua y a pesar de eso se lanza al agua cuando cree que ella se ahoga en uno de sus baños de relax nocturnos.
Ella gana la apuesta acerca de leer la Guía para Damas y pide como premio el deseo más ferviente de él. Ambos preparan el lugar de su encuentro sin imaginarse que el otro quiere lo mismo. Él le confiesa que había leído la guía y reclama su premio.
—Jeroglíficos egipcios. Deletrean los motivos por los que te he hablado de mi pasado.
—Pero ¿por qué ibas a escribir tus motivos empleando una lengua que yo no puedo comprender?
—En la fiesta de cumpleaños de tu padre, me hablaste de los métodos de lord Nordnick en relación a lady Ofelia. Dijiste que debería recitarle algo romántico en otra lengua. Esta es la única otra lengua que conozco.
La mirada sorprendida de Catherine se encontró con la de él. Andrew tocó el borde del papel vitela.
—La primera línea dice «Me salvaste la vida».
Ella gana la apuesta acerca de leer la Guía para Damas y pide como premio el deseo más ferviente de él. Ambos preparan el lugar de su encuentro sin imaginarse que el otro quiere lo mismo. Él le confiesa que había leído la guía y reclama su premio.
—Jeroglíficos egipcios. Deletrean los motivos por los que te he hablado de mi pasado.
—Pero ¿por qué ibas a escribir tus motivos empleando una lengua que yo no puedo comprender?
—En la fiesta de cumpleaños de tu padre, me hablaste de los métodos de lord Nordnick en relación a lady Ofelia. Dijiste que debería recitarle algo romántico en otra lengua. Esta es la única otra lengua que conozco.
La mirada sorprendida de Catherine se encontró con la de él. Andrew tocó el borde del papel vitela.
—La primera línea dice «Me salvaste la vida».
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2014
The characters in this book were extremely irritating. The heroine was determined to never fall in love again due to a bad first marriage. She begins to fall in love with the hero of the story, but spends the entire book giving herself stern lectures as to how this can't happen no matter how wonderful he is. She has a son from her first marriage who was born with a club foot and society treated him cruelly so they hide out in the country where nobody can ever be mean to him again.
The hero of the story has some deep dark secret that grieves him, but when it finally is revealed, you have to roll your eyes. It was not worth the wait.
The author tries to weave some adventure into the story but it seems like an afterthought. It was a relief when the book finally ended. If you like historical romance books, try Eloisa James or Connie Brockway.
The hero of the story has some deep dark secret that grieves him, but when it finally is revealed, you have to roll your eyes. It was not worth the wait.
The author tries to weave some adventure into the story but it seems like an afterthought. It was a relief when the book finally ended. If you like historical romance books, try Eloisa James or Connie Brockway.
April 21, 2015
Regency romance with sex. #2 in the series. This is Catherine, Phillip's sister & his best friend, Andrew's story. A favorite reread.
We find out that the love of Andrew's life is in fact Catherine, Phillip's sister. He's loved her for years, on the basis of the letters she sent to Phillip during their travels. Her deadbeat husband is dead now, & it's just her and her son. Andrew sets out to woo her, but an attempt on her life has him in protection mode.
I really enjoyed this story. The romance between Catherine & Andrew is lovely. The reason I read romance novels is stories like this one!
The next book in the series will be Dr Oliver's story.
We find out that the love of Andrew's life is in fact Catherine, Phillip's sister. He's loved her for years, on the basis of the letters she sent to Phillip during their travels. Her deadbeat husband is dead now, & it's just her and her son. Andrew sets out to woo her, but an attempt on her life has him in protection mode.
I really enjoyed this story. The romance between Catherine & Andrew is lovely. The reason I read romance novels is stories like this one!
The next book in the series will be Dr Oliver's story.
March 26, 2016
I really enjoyed this one! (I just wished I had read book 1 of the Regency series before I read this, as Andrew appeared in that book. But this book is totally standalone.) I just absolutely loved Andrew. In so many romance books, it's the man who fights love. But not Andrew...he started out in love. I wanted to shake some sense into Catherine at times, but could understand her reticence. I especially loved the interaction between Andrew and Spencer, Catherine's son. There was also a nice bit of mystery in this one. Now I'm heading to read book one of this series.
January 6, 2016
C'est la suite de "le marié maudit", pour information: Catherine, Lady Bickley est la sœur de Philippe, vicomte Greybourne le héros du précédent tome. j'ai hâte de le lire.
Roman achevé en un temps record, ce n'est franchement pas le meilleur, un peu triste la façon dont Andrew est amoureux et dont Catherine est devenue cynique c'était un peu malheureux, même si on comprend ses souffrances donc ses raisons de ne pas vouloir d'attaches, mais j'ai bien aimé le roman dans son ensemble et la fin est bien drôle "inversement des rôles" il faut le lire pour le voir.
Roman achevé en un temps record, ce n'est franchement pas le meilleur, un peu triste la façon dont Andrew est amoureux et dont Catherine est devenue cynique c'était un peu malheureux, même si on comprend ses souffrances donc ses raisons de ne pas vouloir d'attaches, mais j'ai bien aimé le roman dans son ensemble et la fin est bien drôle "inversement des rôles" il faut le lire pour le voir.
February 8, 2014
I very much enjoyed reading Catherine and Andrew's story. Just enough had been revealed in the first book in this series "Who Will Take This Man?"
that I had been curious to know just who Andrew had spent 6 six years loving from afar.
The story also included an intriguing mystery laced throughout the developing romance.
I would recommend you read the first book to get the full understanding of the museum undertaking.
Overall "Love and the Single Heiress" is an enjoyable read.
that I had been curious to know just who Andrew had spent 6 six years loving from afar.
The story also included an intriguing mystery laced throughout the developing romance.
I would recommend you read the first book to get the full understanding of the museum undertaking.
Overall "Love and the Single Heiress" is an enjoyable read.
June 15, 2011
The hero was wonderful, the heroine was an idiot who didn't deserve such an awesome hero, and the story was decent. I got most of the way through before I got so disgusted with the heroine that I decided to stop. *sigh*
Read
May 26, 2011This novel started out well enough but petered out about 3/4 of the way through and the last quarter barely got a skim-through from me.
You could do worse in your desperation, but I cannot recommend it.
You could do worse in your desperation, but I cannot recommend it.
January 30, 2014
Loved, loved, loved the hero and the story. Wonderfully written love story. I wish the heroine had come to her senses sooner, that was the only downfall of the book for me. Also enjoyed the mystery storyline, as well as the friendship between the hero and the heroine's son, Spencer.
May 2, 2017
Había leído malas criticas por lo que me imagine lo peor, no es malo pero tampoco es extraordinario, he leído mejores libros de esta escritora
la pareja me ha gustado y su historia de amor es una más
la pareja me ha gustado y su historia de amor es una más
May 9, 2010
couldn't finish it which is rare for me
January 2, 2012
It seemed that the characters were never happy throughout the entire novel. I would have liked the book to have a lighter tone to it.
August 28, 2018
awwww<3 what a love story!!! ms d' alessandro.... thank you!!:-)
February 16, 2013
Cute, engaging story
April 7, 2013
No better or worse then the rest in this genre. I really enjoyed the mystery, and loved the minor characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews