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Accidental Heirs #2
One Tempting Proposal
Becoming engaged? Simple. Resisting temptation? Impossible.
Sebastian Fennick, the newest Duke of Wrexford, prefers the straightforwardness of mathematics to romantic nonsense. When he meets Lady Katherine Adderly at the first ball of the season, he finds her as alluring as she is disagreeable. His title may now require him to marry, but Sebastian can’t think of anyone less fit to be his wife, even if he can’t get her out of his mind.
After five seasons of snubbing suitors and making small talk, Lady Kitty has seen all the ton has to offer…and she’s not impressed. But when Kitty’s overbearing father demands she must marry before her beloved younger sister can, she proposes a plan to the handsome duke. Kitty’s schemes always seem to backfire, but she knows this one can’t go wrong. After all, she’s not the least bit tempted by Sebastian, is she?
Sebastian Fennick, the newest Duke of Wrexford, prefers the straightforwardness of mathematics to romantic nonsense. When he meets Lady Katherine Adderly at the first ball of the season, he finds her as alluring as she is disagreeable. His title may now require him to marry, but Sebastian can’t think of anyone less fit to be his wife, even if he can’t get her out of his mind.
After five seasons of snubbing suitors and making small talk, Lady Kitty has seen all the ton has to offer…and she’s not impressed. But when Kitty’s overbearing father demands she must marry before her beloved younger sister can, she proposes a plan to the handsome duke. Kitty’s schemes always seem to backfire, but she knows this one can’t go wrong. After all, she’s not the least bit tempted by Sebastian, is she?
432 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 17, 2015
107 people are currently reading
359 people want to read
About the author
Christy Carlyle
54 books556 followersFueled by Pacific Northwest coffee and inspired by multiple viewings of every British costume drama she can get her hands on, USA Today bestselling author Christy Carlyle writes sensual historical romance set in the Victorian era. She loves heroes who struggle against all odds and heroines who are ahead of their time. A former teacher with a degree in history, she finds there's nothing better than being able to combine her love of the past with a die-hard belief in happy endings.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
May 17, 2016
This is book two in the "Accidental Heirs" series. I have read book one "One Scandalous Kiss" but I really did not see any reference to it or the characters in that book So I would say this is a standalone book and will have no problem reading it without the other one. Although book " One Scandalous Kiss " was really good too...so I would miss out on it. Sebastian Fennick is a newly found Duke. He has a sister and a best friend that is a "brother" to him. His best friend ask him to come to town to help with getting the girl he want's to marry father to agree to this marriage. It seems the older sister, Lady Katherine Adderly after five season is still refusing to marry. This make her father say that until she does her middle sister cannot marry. So Sebastian is to go and try to see if he can court her and possible marry her. Sebastian thinks it time for him to do so and if it helps his friend than all the more for it. But Kitty is a little bit more than he though she would be. She is beautiful but she is somewhat cold but they are both attracted to one another. This starts their story off what they did to be together. I also like the secondary characters and loved following their story too!
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September 20, 2020
DNF. I don’t know why but I just didn’t like it almost from the beginning of the book.
February 8, 2017
“Sebastian saw more, past the polite grins and inane conversation she’d perfected. The notion of him seeing beyond her facade frightened and thrilled her. He’d find fault behind her walls, surely. Such a decent man would disdain all the pettiness and the imperfection she kept from view, but at least he would see her. She wanted him to. Stark honesty had never seemed possible with any man, but Sebastian was a different sort than she’d ever expected to meet.”
Before I get into the plot or romance of One Tempting Proposal, I have to talk about my favorite part of the book: the heroine. Kitty Adderly is the perfect example of why I created my ‘ice queens and prickly princesses’ shelf. She’s the type of heroine that would ordinarily rub most people the wrong way. At the beginning, and even at times throughout the story, Kitty did and said a lot of truly unlikable things. She gave off the impression that she was coldhearted and unfeeling; Kitty was neither of these things. Kitty felt more deeply than most and masked her true feelings in barbed words and a flippant attitude. Why? Well, the main reason was her domineering father who expected absolute perfection from his eldest daughter and though she strived to live up to his unrealistic expectations, nothing she ever did or said was good enough in his eyes. Not only that, but he also would say the cruelest of things to her for no reason except to try and break her. Insulting her intelligence and belittling her worth constantly, he bullied Kitty until her only recourse was to hide behind a veneer of cool indifference and engage in subtle rebellions whenever they presented themselves.
The portrayal of Kitty really hit me hard in the feels because even at her worst, I could never bring myself to feel anything other than admiration and empathy for her. She suffered terribly at the hands of the one person who should most care about her wellbeing and happiness and instead he inflicted upon her nothing but pain. It was only after meeting kindhearted Sebastian that Kitty really began to show her true self. He showed her that not all men want to dictate, possess and mold her into what they deem fit. His honest attentions, even during their false engagement scheme, proved Kitty’s undoing. She let him in, let him see her and in return, Sebastian opened up his bruised heart to Kitty. By throwing each other off balance, they affected each other in ways they didn’t believe was possible anymore and that was just beautiful to see. Their intimacy grew over time, like one of Kitty’s seedlings in her conservatory. Bit by bit, they broke down each other’s walls until they were both laid emotionally bare and vulnerable. I loved how two such like minded people were able to recognize a similar in one another and that it ultimately led to them becoming better, stronger together. Did I mention that they were both science-y as well? Sebastian was a mathematics nerd and Kitty loved horticulture *FLAILS*
The romance was a bumpy one as you can well imagine since it involved two such closed off people. Both Sebastian and Kitty had their issues, whether it be trust or cravings of control, they were eventually able to work through it all. I actually wasn’t 100% sold on this pairing at first. I didn’t feel the pull. You know, that feeling you get when a couple makes your breath catch and your heart skip a beat? With Sebastian and Kitty, it was more about the buildup than an instant attraction. First it started with something seemingly as simple as Sebastian wiping a smudge of dirt from Kitty’s cheek, then a public kiss on the wrist, followed by another kiss, this time on the back of her neck as they viewed the night sky through Sebastian’s telescope, and in case that wasn't heart melty enough, they shared a lips to lips kiss at the Royal Botanical Gardens. I could go on, and really I had to reread A LOT of these scenes because of how feels inducing they were, but as I said, with these two, it was a slow burn and I was once again reminded of why those types of romances are among my favorites. The fact that love crept up on Kitty and Sebastian the same way that my love for them did, it made the reading experience all the more worthwhile.
The book had its fair share of blunders of course. I could’ve done with more context of just HOW Kitty’s sister’s wedding came to be at the end but at least she got her HEA. I did think that the drama surrounding Sebastian’s former lover quite unnecessary, especially since it was more or less resolved just as quickly as it was introduced deeming it a total waste of pages. Also, Sebastian’s reasons for censuring his emotions didn’t hold water in my opinion, especially when he was so bad at it and in comparison to the emotional abuse Kitty suffered her whole life. I mean, not to knock a broken heart, but a bully for a father is way worse than a youthful folly of lust masquerading as love. This in no way deterred my adoration for Sebastian in any way however. He had me the moment he braved the waters of the Serpentine to rescue Kitty’s horrendous hat and later stood up to her father by saying he’d build Kitty her own conservatory after they married. Yeah, Sebastian was pretty great.
I’m once again pleased that my first impression of Christy Carlyle, which was ironically a botched attempt of reading book 1 of this series, proved false because since then, I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with her writing. I really hope the next book isn’t the last and that Sebastian’s sister Pippa gets own romance. She deserves it!
October 17, 2016
3 star romance, gets half a star more for the heroine! (I wished more authors wrote heroines like this!)
He loved her, and she loved him. But she feared reaching out and embracing love. Loving him would change her, and for the better, but losing him would break her.
Ok so I loved a lot about this book, the characters, the romance. I loveeeeeeeed the heroine, Kat. Everyone is flawed, but usually HR heroines tend to be pretty perfect besides naivete or inexperience. Lady Katherine (or Kat) is not... She's the Queen Bee (sort of) of her social set, she's an Ice Princess, she's manipulative and has a cruel streak if she so chooses. She's basically a normal girl to me frankly, and reading characters like her make me want to wish away all the wide eyed too perfect heroines.
Kat is VERY guarded. Like VERY. Her father wanted her to be a boy and basically finds fault with everything she does, which has made her steely and cold as a result. Everything about her is poised--- and rehearsed. Underneath, she's struggling to break free.
Enter Sebastian, Duke of Wrexford. He's recently accidentally inherited his title and he's guarded too, but he has a big heart and goes along with Kat's scheme to help her younger sister Hattie marry for love. Kat puts her sisters' (Hattie and Violet)'s needs way before her own. She has a big heart too, but all she sees are her own flaws.
Sebastian sees through Kat's poise and chips away at her icy exterior. Because they are brought together through a scheme to help Hattie and Seb's friend Ollie get married, they are able to let their guards down in their fake engagement and of course, they fall in love.
The romance had all the great elements, but I think certain bits of the execution left me wanting more. The pacing for the eventual declaration of I Love Yous felt a little rushed. The book was well paced up to then, so I think it was a matter of adding more meat to the last section of the book to make the HEA feel earned enough.
There was also a matter of a subplot with Seb's ex that I hated and served no real purpose. It would have been far more interesting to continue to explore Seb's insecurities and hang ups about relationships isntead.
He loved her, and she loved him. But she feared reaching out and embracing love. Loving him would change her, and for the better, but losing him would break her.
Ok so I loved a lot about this book, the characters, the romance. I loveeeeeeeed the heroine, Kat. Everyone is flawed, but usually HR heroines tend to be pretty perfect besides naivete or inexperience. Lady Katherine (or Kat) is not... She's the Queen Bee (sort of) of her social set, she's an Ice Princess, she's manipulative and has a cruel streak if she so chooses. She's basically a normal girl to me frankly, and reading characters like her make me want to wish away all the wide eyed too perfect heroines.
Kat is VERY guarded. Like VERY. Her father wanted her to be a boy and basically finds fault with everything she does, which has made her steely and cold as a result. Everything about her is poised--- and rehearsed. Underneath, she's struggling to break free.
Enter Sebastian, Duke of Wrexford. He's recently accidentally inherited his title and he's guarded too, but he has a big heart and goes along with Kat's scheme to help her younger sister Hattie marry for love. Kat puts her sisters' (Hattie and Violet)'s needs way before her own. She has a big heart too, but all she sees are her own flaws.
Sebastian sees through Kat's poise and chips away at her icy exterior. Because they are brought together through a scheme to help Hattie and Seb's friend Ollie get married, they are able to let their guards down in their fake engagement and of course, they fall in love.
The romance had all the great elements, but I think certain bits of the execution left me wanting more. The pacing for the eventual declaration of I Love Yous felt a little rushed. The book was well paced up to then, so I think it was a matter of adding more meat to the last section of the book to make the HEA feel earned enough.
There was also a matter of a subplot with Seb's ex that I hated and served no real purpose. It would have been far more interesting to continue to explore Seb's insecurities and hang ups about relationships isntead.
October 15, 2016
Every little moment between them was magic to read.
November 24, 2015
What's the phrase....."Oh, what a tangled web we weave....." Sebastian and Katherine did just that and fell head long into it. In order to get Katherine's father to permit her sister to marry Sebastian's friend Oliver they pretended that they wanted to marry. Then the fun began. This is a sweet story of developing feelings and love. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.
February 23, 2016
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Well written with a strong story and interesting characters. There is love, unrequited love and pretend love, along with a couple of antagonists. Five people within two families become tied together. Who ends up marrying who? You have to wait until the very end of the book to find out.
April 24, 2024
4/5
This was so cute
This was so cute
Want to read
February 12, 2016Avon Impulse was giving away free books for Valentine's Day 2016, and conveniently this was both on my to-read list and on their list of freebies!
November 28, 2024
4 ⭐️
Mathematician-turned-reluctant-Duke, Sebastian is feeling the immense pressure of his new title when his best friend, Oliver, comes to him with a proposal. He's fallen in love, but the woman cannot marry until her older sister does. He needs some help and recommends Seb meet the girl and maybe they'll suit. In comes Kitty, said older sister and all-around bitchy queen bee who we met in the last book (she's the spurned debutante who initiated the kissing bet between our last two leads). She's also feeling immense pressure of a different kind- her father is fed up with her five years on the marriage mart and is ready for her to choose a husband. Either she does, or her parents will (and their pick is some skeezy old colleague of her dad's). Needless to say, our two leads have motivation to concoct a ruse for both their sakes involving a little fake engagement. Only problem- they have this undeniable attraction that both are very much trying to deny. This sure is an opposite pair, but that usually leads to some great romance and this fits that bill!
Kitty gives off Blair Waldorf energy, and I respect that on a fundamental level. I love a queen bee who is too smart for her own good and also bored with being queen. It always leads to such interesting character development, and I'm immediately excited for her to meet Sebastian. I have a feeling this scholarly Duke, who seems to see through most bullshit, will see through hers. She's a manipulator, and there's nothing he dislikes more than manipulating females. This is clearly due to some past trauma and heartbreak, which definitely becomes central to the conflict in this book. Which brings me to all of the pretty shitty side characters in this book! While normally, these types of characters can be really stand-outs, I feel like I disliked and was annoyed by most of them in this book. Starting with Kitty's father, who is the absolute WORST! Hattie and Oliver were also kind of lame and I didn't feel like rooting for their love story at all. But Seb's sister Pippa was a gem and honestly made up for all the other annoying side pieces.
I loved this book a bunch! Seb and Kitty are two of my favorite types of characters (queen bee and scholarly Nice Guy), and I love seeing an opposites-attract couple. The ending conflicts were a bit rushed and piled on rather quickly, which, including my spoiler comments above, is why this sits at a 4-star for me. Otherwise, I did like how everything was resolved. And that the ultimate conflict was our characters growing, mostly Kitty. I liked this more than the first, and has solidified Christy Carlyle as someone I want to read more from.
Mathematician-turned-reluctant-Duke, Sebastian is feeling the immense pressure of his new title when his best friend, Oliver, comes to him with a proposal. He's fallen in love, but the woman cannot marry until her older sister does. He needs some help and recommends Seb meet the girl and maybe they'll suit. In comes Kitty, said older sister and all-around bitchy queen bee who we met in the last book (she's the spurned debutante who initiated the kissing bet between our last two leads). She's also feeling immense pressure of a different kind- her father is fed up with her five years on the marriage mart and is ready for her to choose a husband. Either she does, or her parents will (and their pick is some skeezy old colleague of her dad's). Needless to say, our two leads have motivation to concoct a ruse for both their sakes involving a little fake engagement. Only problem- they have this undeniable attraction that both are very much trying to deny. This sure is an opposite pair, but that usually leads to some great romance and this fits that bill!
Kitty gives off Blair Waldorf energy, and I respect that on a fundamental level. I love a queen bee who is too smart for her own good and also bored with being queen. It always leads to such interesting character development, and I'm immediately excited for her to meet Sebastian. I have a feeling this scholarly Duke, who seems to see through most bullshit, will see through hers. She's a manipulator, and there's nothing he dislikes more than manipulating females. This is clearly due to some past trauma and heartbreak, which definitely becomes central to the conflict in this book. Which brings me to all of the pretty shitty side characters in this book! While normally, these types of characters can be really stand-outs, I feel like I disliked and was annoyed by most of them in this book. Starting with Kitty's father, who is the absolute WORST! Hattie and Oliver were also kind of lame and I didn't feel like rooting for their love story at all. But Seb's sister Pippa was a gem and honestly made up for all the other annoying side pieces.
I loved this book a bunch! Seb and Kitty are two of my favorite types of characters (queen bee and scholarly Nice Guy), and I love seeing an opposites-attract couple. The ending conflicts were a bit rushed and piled on rather quickly, which, including my spoiler comments above, is why this sits at a 4-star for me. Otherwise, I did like how everything was resolved. And that the ultimate conflict was our characters growing, mostly Kitty. I liked this more than the first, and has solidified Christy Carlyle as someone I want to read more from.
November 23, 2015
This is a fun story with the hero and heroine using deception to help others all in the name of love. This is the first book I have read from this author and I thoroughly enjoyed her voice; I will be looking for more from her in the future.
Kitty Adderly is the Marquess of Clayborne’s daughter and is about to start her sixth season. She has turned down several proposals over the years as she has no wish to marry. She has spent her entire life trying to dodge her father’s ill judgment and disapproval and refuses to live her married life with the same issues. When her beloved sister Hatty finds a suitor who wants to marry, Kitty’s life is about to change, it seems her father demands that she marry before he will give his approval to Hatty and her beau.
Sebastian (Seb) Fennick recently inherited a title and all the responsibilities that go with it when a distant cousin dies. With his mathematical mind his plan was to spend his life as a scholar, and he is not at all happy about this turn of events. Yet he is now in a position to help his good friend Ollie who wants to marry a young woman in London, yet things get complicated when Ollie’s intended Hatty needs her sister to get engaged first to win the approval of her father. Kitty and Seb find themselves deceiving both families while fighting the attraction that consumes them both.
This is a well done historical with engaging characters and a plot that kept me interesting until the end.
I like Kitty but when we first meet her she is holding court with her “friends” who are her age and have the same social standing, she acts like she hates the belittling and gossiping they do, yet she seems to add to the conversation which I did not like. But when she gets called out by Seb at their first meeting, she is contrite and vows to make it right which went a long way to redeeming herself. I also like how she stands up to her father even when she is trying to get his approval, she does not let him bully her.
Seb is a delight, he may not have wanted the title and inheritance but he is making the best of it as he is able to help both his friend Ollie and his sister experience the social functions they would not have been able to before, he is a good friend to Ollie and a wonderful brother to Pippa. I also like how he confronts Kitty when he thinks she is being mean at the ball, but after they talk he realizes she is not as she seems and he likes her immediately. When they make a plan to help Ollie and Hatty, they go in with eyes open about how it will work out but the attraction is intense and things change fast.
The writing is well done and I never felt a lag in the story as the plot developed nicely. Secondary characters play large roles in this story and I enjoyed how the author kept us guessing when there was a bit of a twist at the end. I liked both Hatty and Ollie and I especially like Pippa and her scholarly mind and will be looking to see if she gets a story one day. This is the second in the series and can easily be read as a standalone; I did not read the first book and had no trouble with the story. I will be adding this author to my list as I enjoyed this book and look forward to more.
Review at: Ramblings from a Chaotic Mind
Copy from the publisher for an honest review
Kitty Adderly is the Marquess of Clayborne’s daughter and is about to start her sixth season. She has turned down several proposals over the years as she has no wish to marry. She has spent her entire life trying to dodge her father’s ill judgment and disapproval and refuses to live her married life with the same issues. When her beloved sister Hatty finds a suitor who wants to marry, Kitty’s life is about to change, it seems her father demands that she marry before he will give his approval to Hatty and her beau.
Sebastian (Seb) Fennick recently inherited a title and all the responsibilities that go with it when a distant cousin dies. With his mathematical mind his plan was to spend his life as a scholar, and he is not at all happy about this turn of events. Yet he is now in a position to help his good friend Ollie who wants to marry a young woman in London, yet things get complicated when Ollie’s intended Hatty needs her sister to get engaged first to win the approval of her father. Kitty and Seb find themselves deceiving both families while fighting the attraction that consumes them both.
This is a well done historical with engaging characters and a plot that kept me interesting until the end.
I like Kitty but when we first meet her she is holding court with her “friends” who are her age and have the same social standing, she acts like she hates the belittling and gossiping they do, yet she seems to add to the conversation which I did not like. But when she gets called out by Seb at their first meeting, she is contrite and vows to make it right which went a long way to redeeming herself. I also like how she stands up to her father even when she is trying to get his approval, she does not let him bully her.
Seb is a delight, he may not have wanted the title and inheritance but he is making the best of it as he is able to help both his friend Ollie and his sister experience the social functions they would not have been able to before, he is a good friend to Ollie and a wonderful brother to Pippa. I also like how he confronts Kitty when he thinks she is being mean at the ball, but after they talk he realizes she is not as she seems and he likes her immediately. When they make a plan to help Ollie and Hatty, they go in with eyes open about how it will work out but the attraction is intense and things change fast.
The writing is well done and I never felt a lag in the story as the plot developed nicely. Secondary characters play large roles in this story and I enjoyed how the author kept us guessing when there was a bit of a twist at the end. I liked both Hatty and Ollie and I especially like Pippa and her scholarly mind and will be looking to see if she gets a story one day. This is the second in the series and can easily be read as a standalone; I did not read the first book and had no trouble with the story. I will be adding this author to my list as I enjoyed this book and look forward to more.
Review at: Ramblings from a Chaotic Mind
Copy from the publisher for an honest review
October 22, 2016
It seems that I have read one scandalous kiss by Ms. Christy Carlyle so many times that it now is one of my favorite books and despite how many times I read it there is just one minor female protagonist who is now the major protagonist in this book that I can’t help but dislike. Even though this book is in the same series I have started and stopped reading this book several times I wanted to finish this book no matter that I can’t stand the heroine in this novel. I felt bad that I couldn’t find anything at all pleasing about her that I had to tell myself repeatedly there has to be a redeeming quality about her somewhere she can’t be all snobby, back biting and mean. Ms. Carlyle would give the heroine something hopefully that I could like about her. I am pleased to say I think I found it maybe not in the heroine but the side characters, the story and most definitely the hero but I’ll get back to that in a moment.
Lady Katherine” Kitty” Adderly is used to refusing any male suitor that comes her way but when the sensible mathematical Sebastian Fennick the Duke of Wrexford meets Kitty the sparks fly and the dislike between the two is evident. Unfortunately Kitty’s sister Hattie has fallen in love with Ollie a friend of Sebastian’s and in order for Kitty’s father to even agree to Hattie’s marriage Kitty must find someone to be betrothed and married too. So Sebastian and Kitty agree to a fake betrothal just for Hattie and Ollie’s sake. Pretty soon the fake betrothal and the feelings between Sebastian and Kitty become more than just pretend but so much more could it be love or is it just all fake.
As I stated before I really did not like the heroine Kitty and this is what stopped me from finishing the book several times. I didn’t like how Kitty treated other characters either. Kitty was shallow, mean spirited and just not a nice person in some respect I kept praying that Sebastian would find someone like Bess who seemed a little bit nicer than Kitty. Even though Kitty was not treated respectfully and belittled by her father who probably made her the way she was. I still wondered what Sebastian saw in her sometimes. Now Sebastian on the other hand was a wonderful hero strong, intelligent, handsome, witty and had a wicked sense of humor really he was just a great hero that I couldn’t help but fall for him a little. I loved the verbal bantering he had with others especially his sister Pippa which I am hoping will get a happily ever after soon and even putting Kitty’s father in his place. I just kept cheering him on no matter the situation. That despite me not liking Kitty I couldn’t help but love the story and can’t wait to read the next book in the accidental heirs series anyway.
Lady Katherine” Kitty” Adderly is used to refusing any male suitor that comes her way but when the sensible mathematical Sebastian Fennick the Duke of Wrexford meets Kitty the sparks fly and the dislike between the two is evident. Unfortunately Kitty’s sister Hattie has fallen in love with Ollie a friend of Sebastian’s and in order for Kitty’s father to even agree to Hattie’s marriage Kitty must find someone to be betrothed and married too. So Sebastian and Kitty agree to a fake betrothal just for Hattie and Ollie’s sake. Pretty soon the fake betrothal and the feelings between Sebastian and Kitty become more than just pretend but so much more could it be love or is it just all fake.
As I stated before I really did not like the heroine Kitty and this is what stopped me from finishing the book several times. I didn’t like how Kitty treated other characters either. Kitty was shallow, mean spirited and just not a nice person in some respect I kept praying that Sebastian would find someone like Bess who seemed a little bit nicer than Kitty. Even though Kitty was not treated respectfully and belittled by her father who probably made her the way she was. I still wondered what Sebastian saw in her sometimes. Now Sebastian on the other hand was a wonderful hero strong, intelligent, handsome, witty and had a wicked sense of humor really he was just a great hero that I couldn’t help but fall for him a little. I loved the verbal bantering he had with others especially his sister Pippa which I am hoping will get a happily ever after soon and even putting Kitty’s father in his place. I just kept cheering him on no matter the situation. That despite me not liking Kitty I couldn’t help but love the story and can’t wait to read the next book in the accidental heirs series anyway.
December 12, 2015
Christy Carlyle delivered such a fun, romantic novel that I could not help except to fall in love with this story as well as the characters.
I was first introduced to the author earlier this year and I do not mind declaring that I have been hooked on her novels ever since. There is something extra special about a Carlyle novel that I just cannot find in any other writer and that something is the romance itself. I know that when I select a novel from the author I am going to get a breathtaking, steamy romance and as a reader that is what I want the most from historical-romance.
Getting to the highlights of the story I adored the attraction between both Sebastian and Kitty. The duo tried their darndest not to fall in love with one another, but Sebastian I think proved to be too irresistible. I really enjoyed Sebastian as the hero. He was bold, handsome and a little spiteful in nature. As for Kitty she had a spark about her. She was the ideal match for Sebastian and because of these two individuals the romance just brightened with each page that I turned.
-Copyrights of this review belong to Night Owl Reviews. To read this review in its entirely please click on the link that has been provided:
https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Re...
I was first introduced to the author earlier this year and I do not mind declaring that I have been hooked on her novels ever since. There is something extra special about a Carlyle novel that I just cannot find in any other writer and that something is the romance itself. I know that when I select a novel from the author I am going to get a breathtaking, steamy romance and as a reader that is what I want the most from historical-romance.
Getting to the highlights of the story I adored the attraction between both Sebastian and Kitty. The duo tried their darndest not to fall in love with one another, but Sebastian I think proved to be too irresistible. I really enjoyed Sebastian as the hero. He was bold, handsome and a little spiteful in nature. As for Kitty she had a spark about her. She was the ideal match for Sebastian and because of these two individuals the romance just brightened with each page that I turned.
-Copyrights of this review belong to Night Owl Reviews. To read this review in its entirely please click on the link that has been provided:
https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Re...
December 24, 2015
2.5 Stars - So my situation with this book was that both characters were excellent, witty, sexy, confident, humble, considerate, the works. However, the plot lacked all sorts of interest. It was not terrible but it could have been much more fun and enjoyable versus the torture of two characters not crossing that line to be happy together. And the sister - Hattie - should have been exiled from the book because she was the worse character, the worse! So ungrateful and childish and ridiculous. Pippa on the other hand, Sebastian's sister, was strong, independent, forward thinking, so sweet, she was stellar so I truly truly hope the next book is with her because she was a great character. All in all, it was a book that just killed time.
November 13, 2015
I just wanted to wrap this book around me like a blanket and snuggle in deep. What a delightfully charming story. Sebastian is the perfect man in being thoughtful to other peoples feelings while newly rich. Who could resist that? Kat is a young woman who knows what she doesn't want, trying to find her way out from under her dads rule, to discover what it is that she does want. The movement from POV of these two characters is done flawlessly. I really enjoyed the historic feel without it overwhelming you with too much of the older version of speaking. Fun classic historic romance that I really enjoyed. I was given this story for an honest review and this is mine.
November 27, 2015
Much like the first book, One Scandalous Kiss, I was not disappointed! Christy yet again wrote a wonderful story with great characters.
Sebastian and Katherine are a blast and even though I didn’t always like the way that they were acting I still loved them and understood why they were that way. There were also quite a few other characters that had big parts and I loved them as well.
Overall a great story that kept me interested and another great book by Christy Carlyle!!
*I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review.*
February 23, 2016
One Tempting Proposal Written by Christy Carlyle
Aside from the many machinations I found this book tedious. Far too long it could not hold my attention. The editing was very poorly done. The thought breaks and the chapter breaks were just ridiculous. Jumping from one unfinished scene to another.
I have read several of Ms Carlyle's book and this would have been a good story except for the improper editing and story continuity.
Aside from the many machinations I found this book tedious. Far too long it could not hold my attention. The editing was very poorly done. The thought breaks and the chapter breaks were just ridiculous. Jumping from one unfinished scene to another.
I have read several of Ms Carlyle's book and this would have been a good story except for the improper editing and story continuity.
May 9, 2016
One Tempting Proposal is about schemes that go wrong and love that goes right. Lady Kitty wants to help her sister marry the man of her dreams but her father said that Kitty must marry first. Sebastian wants to help his friend marry the woman of his dreams, Kitty's sister. Sebastian and Kitty agree to a fake betrothal until the other couple marries but their courtship develops into a love that neither expected. This is a great story.
January 10, 2016
I thought this was a really cute historical, I loved the characters and while the plot was pretty typical it was still entertaining. I know it is a good book when I am late to return from lunch because I can't put it down. It was funny and had good side characters as well. I would recommend this to my patrons.
February 29, 2016
Loved the 2nd book!! Lady Katherine's father s making her marry after 5 seasons. She must wed before her sister, if she doesn't choose someone her father will wed her to Lord Ponsby who is older than her father!! She pretends a fake engagement with Sebastian the new Duke of Wrexford since his best friend wants to marry Katherine's sister!! A fun, loving read with a great ending!!
February 27, 2016
A bit like 'Taming of the Shrew'. I liked it though I would have liked more moments getting to know moments between Seb and Kat. I do like the side characters too and I'm impatiently waiting for their book.
edit: awww, next book's not about any of the side characters :(
edit: awww, next book's not about any of the side characters :(
November 30, 2015
I really enjoyed this story. The characters were well developed and warm. I cared about them. I always love it when the smart girl gets the guy.
February 8, 2016
4.5 stars!
March 9, 2016
This book was okay as far as romance goes. The characters are cliche and the plot is entirely predictable. That said, it was a quick, fun read and I would recommend it to those who enjoy the genre.
December 10, 2025
This was a free read on Amazon, and I’m always excited to try a new romance author.
Unfortunately, this is not great. Thoughts below:
- As others have said, there is a ton of internal dialogue, and a lot of it isn't particularly witty or well done. Having Kitty endlessly describe how boring social conversations, etiquette, and the “battlefield of ballrooms” are in great detail was, shockingly, boring to me the reader.
-The Duke and Kitty enter a fake engagement to appease her Dad and allow his best friend/her sister to marry, and it turns into real love. Normally I’m a big fan of this trope, but the buildup wasn’t there at all. They sort of actively disliked each other then suddenly liked each other but each internally monologued over some very light roadblocks that are sort of non-starters. Like, the Duke occasionally bemoans that he was just a distant relation and never meant to inherit, so he didn't deserve to marry a marquess' daughter? This is just really dumb. People would be clamoring to marry him.
-A main theme of the book is that Kitty never wanted to marry (despite having a bajillion suitors, 6 proposals, and 5 seasons). She doesn’t want to because her Dad is constantly disappointed in her, and she doesn’t want to live her life constantly disappointing her husband. But the author never furthered this other than “I don’t want to marry” with any other sort of endgame. She was anti-marriage because she always disappointing her dad and didn't want it to be the same with her husband, but her options are pretty much 1) stay single and under her dad's thumb even though he said he’s determined to marry her off this season, and already has an elderly friend picked out for her, or 2) get married to any of her numerous suitors (she had 6 proposals!) and try to find a better (if still not ideal) man. By not marrying she is not furthering her independence, she's just defaulting to choosing to remain with her terrible Dad, who likely will marry her off anyway by threatening her with her sister’s futures. She was supposed to be so smart, but had literally no plan for her life.
- Her Dad didn't make a lot of sense for me as a character other than as a foil. Catching a Duke (a young, handsome one who has inherited a financially sound estate, no less) is basically the ultimate goal for a daughter in the aristocracy, so that would be a wild success for Kitty in literally anyone's book, even in her father's. If she was always a disappointment to her dad (the author claims this is because she wasn't a son), wouldn't snagging a Duke be the ultimate success for him? Instead he belittles his daughter in front of the Duke because he doesn't believe he will actually marry her. Um, if he's so obsessed with titles, this doesn't seem like a good plan from him?
-There was also a tedious side plot with Seb’s ex-gf from when he was young. It takes ages for the book to explain what the actual drama was, which it tries to piecemeal together as a big reveal which unfortunately never cohesively comes together. Basically, Alecia, Seb’s childhood fiancée lied to 3 men about all the things, including telling Seb she was pregnant with his child then coming clean she wasn't pregnant at all, and somehow Seb was shot by another one of her lovers, and even though he still wants her, she then marries the Earl (at the time the only titled suitor). As soon as he inherits (ten years later), she starts writing him letters and he destroys them, then she pops up in time for the fake engagement. Randomly, Alecia convinces Seb’s aunt that Alecia's son (born WHILE she was married to the Earl she threw over Seb for) is Seb's son, so they both ambush him saying that at the very least he has to meet the boy. Um... this makes no sense? Why wouldn't his Aunt first run any of this by Seb? Or try to validate the kids birth date? Try to do literally any tiny bit of due diligence at all? They also never mention the big issue here that regardless of whose son he was, he was born during Alecia's marriage to the Earl, so he'd still be legally the Earl's heir even if he was technically Seb's son. Anyhow, once the Aunt and Alecia ambush Seb, they tell him he needs to speak with the 10-year-old. Um, what is he supposed to do? Aside from seeing who the kid looks like (his mother, but he feels in his bones that the kid isn't his LOL WHAT), why would the Aunt involve an innocent child in this doing literally 0 due diligence? Seb established that Alecia is the worst, but this is really the only time the Aunt pops up at all. Anyhow, Kitty see’s enough of the drama to suspect that the kid is Seb's son. So when Kitty goes to talk to him about, I naively assumed that since the author made such a big deal over how Seb is such a straight shooter, I was expecting a refreshing resolution pretty easily when he agrees to tell her the whole story. Instead they end up declaring their love for each other and having the only sex in the book, and then she sadly leaves without letting Seb explaining anything even though he wants to??? Even the most uncurious person in the world would be like "just give me a 2 minute version please, and I'll be on my way"? Later on, Kitty hilariously worries society would ostracize him for getting a woman pregnant (who then went on to marry an Earl and beget him an heir during wedlock). Like, that is not how it works. The Duke would be forgiven immediately, especially if he let everyone know she is the one who threw him over and she married an Earl and didn’t give birth to the kid until 2 years later-- and everyone would still want to marry him. Have you... ever read romance novels? Then the kid’s governess voluntarily comes clean with Archie's birth records, saying Alecia wanted her to help her find someone to forge new birth documents to make Archie older so he could plausibly be Seb's son. Like, is there literally no one who remembers the age of the kid? The birth record is only in one place? They don't have legal documents everywhere regarding the heir of an earl??? No family or friends remember 10 vs. 8 years ago? Apparently, Alecia's husband isn't great, and naturally, they are broke, so her whole idea is to get money from him. But her threat to ruin his reputation doesn't hold as a threat because 1) he can pretty easily discredit her 2) the boy is an heir to an Earl regardless of his biological father, 3) the Duke will still be eminently marriageable and 4) the person most harmed in this is BY FAR Alecia herself. This is not how blackmail works?
--Circling back to the main plot to close this out-- Kitty's father allowed her to go 5 seasons declining men (even though he was terrible to her about it) but ultimately wanted her to end up with his friend, an Earl named Lord Pononsby. Her sister, Harriet, wants to marry Ollie (Seb's friend, almost brother), but their father said the only way she can marry (and poorly, as Ollie is not even a barrister yet) is by Kitty being married first. So, Kitty fakes an engagement to Seb (Harriet thinks it’s real, even though she knows Kitty doesn't want to be married at all). She doesn't seem particularly thankful of this sacrifice. Then, at the last minute, when their father decides Pononsby can marry Harriet instead of Ollie (so he has 2 titled son in laws), Harriet agrees because she is obedient and blames Kitty for everything. Um... what? Kitty is like "uh neither of us HAVE to marry him, go ahead and elope like you wanted to in the first place? Seb promised to settle a living on Ollie?" and Harriet is like "Dad is right, you never obey him, you're the worst". Um. No? So Harriet ends up being terrible, she doesn’t have the spine to stand up for the man she loves or to even recognize the sacrifices she expected and straight up asks her sister to make. Not only did she blame Kitty for not marrying Ponsonby in the first place, she blamed her for being out for 5 seasons so Harriet wasn’t the only one out. Then we just sort of gloss over this at the conclusion and we end up with a double wedding of Harriet and Ollie and Seb and Kitty (Ponsonby ends up marrying a cousin). Um, I would have a hard time ever speaking to my sister again once she revealed she was such a cow, let alone do a double wedding with her.
3 Stars, not terrible prohibitive writing or anything, but nothing to recommend it. Poor grasp of the aristocratic society’s norms that kept taking me out of the story.
Thank you for coming to my Ted talk.
Unfortunately, this is not great. Thoughts below:
- As others have said, there is a ton of internal dialogue, and a lot of it isn't particularly witty or well done. Having Kitty endlessly describe how boring social conversations, etiquette, and the “battlefield of ballrooms” are in great detail was, shockingly, boring to me the reader.
-The Duke and Kitty enter a fake engagement to appease her Dad and allow his best friend/her sister to marry, and it turns into real love. Normally I’m a big fan of this trope, but the buildup wasn’t there at all. They sort of actively disliked each other then suddenly liked each other but each internally monologued over some very light roadblocks that are sort of non-starters. Like, the Duke occasionally bemoans that he was just a distant relation and never meant to inherit, so he didn't deserve to marry a marquess' daughter? This is just really dumb. People would be clamoring to marry him.
-A main theme of the book is that Kitty never wanted to marry (despite having a bajillion suitors, 6 proposals, and 5 seasons). She doesn’t want to because her Dad is constantly disappointed in her, and she doesn’t want to live her life constantly disappointing her husband. But the author never furthered this other than “I don’t want to marry” with any other sort of endgame. She was anti-marriage because she always disappointing her dad and didn't want it to be the same with her husband, but her options are pretty much 1) stay single and under her dad's thumb even though he said he’s determined to marry her off this season, and already has an elderly friend picked out for her, or 2) get married to any of her numerous suitors (she had 6 proposals!) and try to find a better (if still not ideal) man. By not marrying she is not furthering her independence, she's just defaulting to choosing to remain with her terrible Dad, who likely will marry her off anyway by threatening her with her sister’s futures. She was supposed to be so smart, but had literally no plan for her life.
- Her Dad didn't make a lot of sense for me as a character other than as a foil. Catching a Duke (a young, handsome one who has inherited a financially sound estate, no less) is basically the ultimate goal for a daughter in the aristocracy, so that would be a wild success for Kitty in literally anyone's book, even in her father's. If she was always a disappointment to her dad (the author claims this is because she wasn't a son), wouldn't snagging a Duke be the ultimate success for him? Instead he belittles his daughter in front of the Duke because he doesn't believe he will actually marry her. Um, if he's so obsessed with titles, this doesn't seem like a good plan from him?
-There was also a tedious side plot with Seb’s ex-gf from when he was young. It takes ages for the book to explain what the actual drama was, which it tries to piecemeal together as a big reveal which unfortunately never cohesively comes together. Basically, Alecia, Seb’s childhood fiancée lied to 3 men about all the things, including telling Seb she was pregnant with his child then coming clean she wasn't pregnant at all, and somehow Seb was shot by another one of her lovers, and even though he still wants her, she then marries the Earl (at the time the only titled suitor). As soon as he inherits (ten years later), she starts writing him letters and he destroys them, then she pops up in time for the fake engagement. Randomly, Alecia convinces Seb’s aunt that Alecia's son (born WHILE she was married to the Earl she threw over Seb for) is Seb's son, so they both ambush him saying that at the very least he has to meet the boy. Um... this makes no sense? Why wouldn't his Aunt first run any of this by Seb? Or try to validate the kids birth date? Try to do literally any tiny bit of due diligence at all? They also never mention the big issue here that regardless of whose son he was, he was born during Alecia's marriage to the Earl, so he'd still be legally the Earl's heir even if he was technically Seb's son. Anyhow, once the Aunt and Alecia ambush Seb, they tell him he needs to speak with the 10-year-old. Um, what is he supposed to do? Aside from seeing who the kid looks like (his mother, but he feels in his bones that the kid isn't his LOL WHAT), why would the Aunt involve an innocent child in this doing literally 0 due diligence? Seb established that Alecia is the worst, but this is really the only time the Aunt pops up at all. Anyhow, Kitty see’s enough of the drama to suspect that the kid is Seb's son. So when Kitty goes to talk to him about, I naively assumed that since the author made such a big deal over how Seb is such a straight shooter, I was expecting a refreshing resolution pretty easily when he agrees to tell her the whole story. Instead they end up declaring their love for each other and having the only sex in the book, and then she sadly leaves without letting Seb explaining anything even though he wants to??? Even the most uncurious person in the world would be like "just give me a 2 minute version please, and I'll be on my way"? Later on, Kitty hilariously worries society would ostracize him for getting a woman pregnant (who then went on to marry an Earl and beget him an heir during wedlock). Like, that is not how it works. The Duke would be forgiven immediately, especially if he let everyone know she is the one who threw him over and she married an Earl and didn’t give birth to the kid until 2 years later-- and everyone would still want to marry him. Have you... ever read romance novels? Then the kid’s governess voluntarily comes clean with Archie's birth records, saying Alecia wanted her to help her find someone to forge new birth documents to make Archie older so he could plausibly be Seb's son. Like, is there literally no one who remembers the age of the kid? The birth record is only in one place? They don't have legal documents everywhere regarding the heir of an earl??? No family or friends remember 10 vs. 8 years ago? Apparently, Alecia's husband isn't great, and naturally, they are broke, so her whole idea is to get money from him. But her threat to ruin his reputation doesn't hold as a threat because 1) he can pretty easily discredit her 2) the boy is an heir to an Earl regardless of his biological father, 3) the Duke will still be eminently marriageable and 4) the person most harmed in this is BY FAR Alecia herself. This is not how blackmail works?
--Circling back to the main plot to close this out-- Kitty's father allowed her to go 5 seasons declining men (even though he was terrible to her about it) but ultimately wanted her to end up with his friend, an Earl named Lord Pononsby. Her sister, Harriet, wants to marry Ollie (Seb's friend, almost brother), but their father said the only way she can marry (and poorly, as Ollie is not even a barrister yet) is by Kitty being married first. So, Kitty fakes an engagement to Seb (Harriet thinks it’s real, even though she knows Kitty doesn't want to be married at all). She doesn't seem particularly thankful of this sacrifice. Then, at the last minute, when their father decides Pononsby can marry Harriet instead of Ollie (so he has 2 titled son in laws), Harriet agrees because she is obedient and blames Kitty for everything. Um... what? Kitty is like "uh neither of us HAVE to marry him, go ahead and elope like you wanted to in the first place? Seb promised to settle a living on Ollie?" and Harriet is like "Dad is right, you never obey him, you're the worst". Um. No? So Harriet ends up being terrible, she doesn’t have the spine to stand up for the man she loves or to even recognize the sacrifices she expected and straight up asks her sister to make. Not only did she blame Kitty for not marrying Ponsonby in the first place, she blamed her for being out for 5 seasons so Harriet wasn’t the only one out. Then we just sort of gloss over this at the conclusion and we end up with a double wedding of Harriet and Ollie and Seb and Kitty (Ponsonby ends up marrying a cousin). Um, I would have a hard time ever speaking to my sister again once she revealed she was such a cow, let alone do a double wedding with her.
3 Stars, not terrible prohibitive writing or anything, but nothing to recommend it. Poor grasp of the aristocratic society’s norms that kept taking me out of the story.
Thank you for coming to my Ted talk.
December 15, 2020
It’s been a while since I’ve read a Christy Carlyle book and it was alright, I guess. There were some issues I had in the book.
(1) there was too many inner thinking for the first few chapters of the book so I skimmed some
(2) I didn’t see much chemistry between Seb & Kat + I couldn’t believe they fell in love in 1 week when I felt they barely spent any time together to develop that romance
(3) I didn’t like Kat very much for her manipulating ways. Her father and herself have good intentions but I didn’t like the way they went about showing it.
(4) the part with Alecia phased out too quickly and made me wonder why the author put it in in the first place. It could have been done better.
However, I did like seeing Seb & Kat’s family appear in the story. They were nice. Though the purpose of Seb & Kat getting engaged was to ensure Ollie & Harriet get married, I liked that the author did not focus too much on Ollie & Harriet to the point it neglected Seb & Kat. But still they could have spent more time together. And Seb, I liked him. Decent guy.
Enjoyable read, despite some issues.
(1) there was too many inner thinking for the first few chapters of the book so I skimmed some
(2) I didn’t see much chemistry between Seb & Kat + I couldn’t believe they fell in love in 1 week when I felt they barely spent any time together to develop that romance
(3) I didn’t like Kat very much for her manipulating ways. Her father and herself have good intentions but I didn’t like the way they went about showing it.
(4) the part with Alecia phased out too quickly and made me wonder why the author put it in in the first place. It could have been done better.
However, I did like seeing Seb & Kat’s family appear in the story. They were nice. Though the purpose of Seb & Kat getting engaged was to ensure Ollie & Harriet get married, I liked that the author did not focus too much on Ollie & Harriet to the point it neglected Seb & Kat. But still they could have spent more time together. And Seb, I liked him. Decent guy.
Enjoyable read, despite some issues.
December 16, 2020
19 easily caught errors
I've read more than one of Christy's books but the lack of editing is frustrating. To see how bad it was, I highlighted every error and I found 19. Ms. Carlysle writes really great stories but she needs a new editor. I don't know how many more stories I will read. I'm not a stickler but these are easily avoidable errors that most readers would and probably have caught.
I've read more than one of Christy's books but the lack of editing is frustrating. To see how bad it was, I highlighted every error and I found 19. Ms. Carlysle writes really great stories but she needs a new editor. I don't know how many more stories I will read. I'm not a stickler but these are easily avoidable errors that most readers would and probably have caught.
July 6, 2020
So boring. It dragged on for me like you wouldn't believe it! I skimmed the majority of the book, searching for anything that might catch my interest but the characters were so bland and unremarkable, the plot was weak and the "plot twists" were something out of a 12 year old's imagination. Wild and unrealistic.
July 11, 2017
I liked that heroine this time was flawed... slightly cynical and caustic...not kind. Yet I didn't feel anything develop between the two main characters. The hero feels lust for most part and not much else... his rationale at the end for liking her is look warm... most of the book is Luke Warm.
October 25, 2017
This story deserved a higher rating, and I'd have given one if it had been edited. I lost track of the misused, misspelled and missing words when the count went over one hundred. Line editing is cheap and efficient; there's no excuse for these errors in a published manuscript.
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