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Haverston Family #2

An Unexpected Gentleman

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Adelaide Ward has but one goal-to obtain an offer of marriage from the respectable, if unappealing, Baron Maxwell. But it's the devilishly handsome Connor Brice who captures her imagination-and a kiss in broad daylight-in front of a dozen members of the ton. Now Adelaide must decide if the charming scoundrel who stole away her reputation might still be trusted with her heart. Because Brice is after more than Adelaide's affection: he wants revenge on the baron.

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2011

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About the author

Alissa Johnson

18 books367 followers
Alissa Johnson lives in the rolling hills of the Ozarks, where she is hard at work on her next romance.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 195 reviews
Profile Image for Dina.
1,324 reviews1,359 followers
November 20, 2012
Will I ever read a book by Ms. Jonhson and not fall in love with it? 'No' is the answer. :)

As Luck Would Have It, I adored everything she has written so far and hope to keep it that way, so I will not be Tempting Fate and risking my McAlistair's Fortune good fortune by thinking otherwise. My love for Ms. Johnson's writing is Destined to Last, as surely as I am Nearly a Lady.
Profile Image for Audrey.
436 reviews94 followers
January 3, 2012
4.5 stars, but because we can't give half stars, 5 stars for purposes of my Goodreads rating.

A delight. What can I say? I just think of things in this story and I think "delightful!" Really really enjoyed this one. REEEEEEEEEEEEALLY enjoyed this one. Outside of some cosmetic flaws (detailed a bit first to get them out of the way), the storytelling, pace, characters, and development were pretty much spot on.

Cosmetic Flaws

Some things irked me right off the bat. Shouldn't "Sir Robert" be a baronet, not a baron? Maybe I'm wrong in my peerage here or maybe they do things differently in Scotland, but I thought barons were "Lord"s and not "Sir"s. Also, there were some typos that were distracting, e.g., "around the weeks" when they meant to say "around the weeds" or, e.g., using the same word twice such as "at that that same time, that same moment." Those sorts of things just made an otherwise very proper and detailed book seem a bit sloppy.

Edit: Also note that the cover dude is dark-haired while Connor is a blond, green-eyed giant.

MOVING ON...

Story

Very generally, the H, Connor Brice, seeks a highly-justified and well-deserved revenge on Sir Robert, the suitor of the h, Adelaide Ward, whose impoverished family circumstances have left her in dire straits. Part of Connor's revenge involves compromising Miss Ward and, ultimately, convincing her that she should choose him over Sir Robert. A brief but insightful and sweet courtship follows, concluding in their marriage about halfway through the book. The remainder of the book explores their married life as they navigate their feelings for each other and as Connor and Adelaide work to resolve their differences over the all-consuming need for revenge that still burns within Connor. I'm not a huge fan of the revenge plot as a trope, but it worked in this one because I thought the romance was so strong that the revenge didn't overpower it or anything. The revenge was, in fact, part of the romance development, and Connor's big gesture in the end really had me choked up.

Characters

Delightful. Connor Brice, a bastard (but well-loved and acknowledged) son of a nobleman, he was forcibly press-ganged at 15 and, since escaping, has lived in America for years building his fortune. He is a hard man bent on revenge. To gain his revenge, he's not above a little manipulation, creative half-truth-telling, or maneuvering, as his deliberate compromising of Adelaide so readily shows us. His hardness makes it all the more melt-worthy when he does unexpectedly romantic and heartfelt things for Adelaide, whom we learn he has had an interest in from afar for quite some time. This unrequited hrmmm..."pining" shall I say? is what made the deliberate compromising palatable to me. He doesn't do it solely for revenge. He does it because he wants Adelaide for himself. He also gives her the opportunity to discover each of Sir Robert's and his natures before she has to make a decision.

Connor is a sweetheart when nobody is looking. He takes note of Adelaide's hobbies and her dreams, and rather than pay them lip service, he makes them happen. He's a man of action, and in this case, actions speak for him since he isn't used to expressing himself with words. He reveals his softer side in surprising ways, from his attention to his conversations with Adelaide to his patient (and somewhat bewildered) interactions with Adelaide's two-year-old nephew.

Adelaide also brings a lot to this story. She's been in charge of her family ever since her wastrel brother landed in debtor's prison, leaving 27-year-old Adelaide to fend for herself, her brother's son, and their 18-year-old sister. With this history, she could easily have sunk into deep levels of annoying stoic, doormat-ish, going-to-the-stake martyrdom, but she doesn't, for which I am eternally grateful. She learns of Sir Robert's true nature and isn't afraid to toss him over. She stands up for herself, both with Sir Robert and later with Connor when his revenge stands in the way of their marriage. Seriously, just when I was about to fuss over Connor's secrets and how hell-bent he was on revenge, Adelaide made her own fuss, and I couldn't have applauded the timing any more. I liked her a lot, and she bears up well against unfortunate circumstances that are not of her own making.

Most of the secondary characters were well done, as well. Connor's "men," who took him in years ago a little while after Sir Robert's betrayal left Connor in America without means, money, or a home, are delightfully (um, sorry, can't help using that word again) curmudgeonly, unpolished, and a bit crass. Adelaide's family are well-drawn with the precocious sister, the sweets-addicted nephew, and the selfish wastrel of a brother. I actually thought the brother was a more fleshed out villain than Sir Robert, the real villain of the piece. The only character that I didn't think was very developed was Sir Robert. He was only sketched out for us in rather cartoon-y "evil villain" terms, but I suppose that may have been necessary to justify Connor's maintaining his need for revenge for the last 15 years.

Romance

Loved the banter. Loved their interactions. LOVED THEIR WITTY DIALOGUE. Loved it. I kept thinking "oh, I should add that as a status update!" but then I got buried back into the book. Jill's review convinced me to try this book out based solely on the "ten times a day" conversation, and I was not disappointed.

A teaser from their wedding night:

"...I was jesting about the ten times."

"Oh." Well, that wasn't too terrible. She didn't care for having been the victim of his jest, but it was a relief to know she'd not be expected to--

"It's not like pulling out a thorn," Connor explained.

Relief vanished. She knew it was too much to hope that he meant it wouldn't hurt. "It's not done quickly, is it?"

His mouth curved. "Not when it's done well."


SQUEEEEEEEEEE. *insert winky face* *nudge nudge*

Note re: Steam Factor

I should note that, with regards to the sexytimes, this book was less steamy and erotic than the historicals that I've been reading lately (e.g., Elizabeth Hoyt or Lisa Kleypas). I'd say the steam level is on a steamier Mary Balogh or less-steamy Julia Quinn level. There are some heated kisses and then, of course, the wedding night, which was quite passionate and lovely. Following the wedding night, there are a couple of alluded or glossed over scenes during their marriage, as well. Personally, it worked very well for me because it seemed in keeping with the tone of the romance and writing, but I just wanted to give people a heads up in terms of expectations.

Overall

The book was really well done. I honestly don't have any quibbles with pretty much any aspects of the book. Aside from the cosmetic things mentioned earlier, there may be a few minor things plot-wise that I might fuss over . I was wavering between a 4 and a 5, but I think I'll go with that 4.5 boosted to 5. Nowadays, I don't see very many stories where the romance and likable characters take center stage with such delightful results, and this one really does deserve acknowledgement.
Profile Image for ꕥ Ange_Lives_To_Read ꕥ.
864 reviews
January 18, 2022
This was a freebie, and I didn’t realize it was number two in a trilogy. If anyone but me ever reads my reviews, they would notice a recurring theme where I bitch about how much I hate that everything has to be a freaking trilogy.

In this case, I suspect the publisher said to this author “You MUST have a trilogy.” So she wrote three books that really had nothing to do with each other, just made sure to have a character from one of the other books briefly appear in each, and called it done. I love the strategy and encourage others to use it. End the Tyranny of Trilogies.

Oh, so about this book. It was adorable, I read it in one day. Adelaide and Connor were a well-matched couple with interesting back stories. Neither of them was a Haverston. The only tie to the first book was that Freddie, Gideon, Lily and Lord Haverston appear in the first chapter at the same party, a detail that could have been omitted with zero impact on the plot.

This had all the things I like in historical romances (strong heroine; genuinely witty dialogue; good supporting characters) and none of the things I hate (silly Big Misunderstanding; ridiculous sex scenes that go on for ten pages.)

And then! I actually paid for and downloaded the other two books, which I almost never do. And I read each of those in one day. It was a three-day romance binge. So I’m now a big fan of this author. But my next book needs to be about a serial killer or something.
Profile Image for Ursula.
603 reviews184 followers
April 27, 2019
In this second book of the Haverston Family Trilogy, the story revolves around the charming Adelaide, (with a not so charming, useless brother) and our hero, Connor, who, though of gentleman stock, was falsely imprisoned, made his fortune and now is back in town ready to wreak his revenge on the villain of the piece.
I do love Alissa Johnson- she writes really well and her characterisation is terrific. Her heroes can be problematic for me. Connor is rather twisted, in a way- prison will do that to a person- and it was hard to approve of his motivation when it came to marrying Adelaide. His method was particularly repugnant and I am not sure I could have forgotten that so easily were I Adelaide, but Johnson's heroines are always so warm and loving, and yes, forgiving, that they somehow see past all the dubious actions of the hero and recognise the true value of the person underneath.
What I loved about this book is the way we see into Connor's soul and can make the journey with him, starting with the acknowledgement of his mistakes and ending with his acceptance that he needs to move on from revenge if he is ever to make the woman he loves happy. I went from disliking him and wanting to punch him in the mouth to admiring him. Adelaide was a beautiful person who was not blind to Connor's faults, and challenged him to change, but stuck to her faith in his ultimate goodness. He never treated her badly, he was as honest as he knew how to be, but he had to learn to be in a loving relationship, because it really was the first one he had ever had.
Oh, and the interactions with the toddler were cute, too!
Profile Image for Catherine.
522 reviews575 followers
January 16, 2012
Going into this read I was a little worried about what tone the author would set, given that the book revolves around revenge and the hero uses the heroine as a pawn. The hero, Connor Brice, was falsely accused of a crime by his brother and imprisoned. He was only recently released from jail and is out for revenge against said brother. Some of you might recognize him from some of the prison scenes in Nearly a Lady (loved that book).

While in prison, Brice saw Adelaide bring her nephew to visit her spendthrift brother every week. He develops a bit of a thing for her (from afar) and is determined to look her up when he gets out of jail. When he finds that she’s very close to engaging herself to his brother, it seems as though the stars align for him. He can kill two birds with one stone; get closer to her and start his revenge.

This book turned out to be very enjoyable, but there were quite a few times that I felt that Adelaide got the short end of the stick. That’s the risk that you run when you draw the heroine into the hero’s plot, though. For a while there it seemed as though Adelaide was discovering a new way she had been misled (not just by Connor) every time she turned around. She was becoming more and more depressed, although no one saw it beyond the few down moments she allowed herself to reveal. I ended up feeling really bad for her. She was trapped by circumstance and had no real choice but to continue playing the hand she had been dealt.

One of the redeeming factors of Connor’s deception is that there were no real lies involved. He behaved in a shady manner to maneuver her into considering his proposal, but he always told the truth when she confronted him directly. He was willing to omit and skate around the truth on his own, but he would never lie when she asked. I had to appreciate that, given that the same couldn’t be said of the other people misleading her. It didn’t excuse his actions, though. At times it was hard to accept his cavalier attitude toward his involvement of Adelaide in his plans, when I could see how badly her situation and the choices she was forced to make were wearing her down.

There was no malicious intent in his actions, though. He gave her anything she desired upon their marriage. She was given ghastly amounts of money and was able to save her family from ruin. He wanted to please her and loved having her around every day, although he wasn’t willing to admit just how much it pleased him. He enjoyed her family and was willing to deal with her wastrel brother to boot. Yet she still wasn’t happy. She grew to care for him quite a bit and started to resent the time he devoted to his revenge. She didn’t begrudge him it, but she was tired of how long it was taking. I could understand her feelings, but she knew going into it that he was going to be doing this after they married. He never lied. Therefore, I could also understand Connor’s frustration over her change of heart regarding it.

That’s really where my frustration with their relationship comes into play. I loved the characters and I had a great time reading the book, but Connor’s change of heart toward his revenge came way too abruptly. This was something that dominated his life and it took him mere minutes to decide to give it up? That just doesn’t jive for me. Adelaide was justified in her upset over his absentmindedness toward her whenever he received new information about his revenge plot, but I expected it to take more than a conversation and a few minutes of contemplation for him to change his ways. Especially in such an extreme manner. I think my belief in their relationship would have benefited from more page time to gradually bring about Connor’s change of heart.

Although I could have used more page time to believe in the hero and heroine’s love, I never doubted their liking for each other. This author is very skilled at creating engaging characters and giving the reader no doubt that the hero and heroine enjoy each other’s company, even when they’re pricking each other’s temper. I read the sneak peek for the next book, Practically Wicked, at the back of this one and now I can’t wait to read it. I’m already intrigued by the hero.

Favorite Quote(s):
”Do you trust me, Adelaide?”

Oh, dear, not this again. “If you’re asking if I trust you to make a fair job of…” She waved her hand in the direction of the chambers. “…that, then I suppose I really haven’t a choice.”

There was a pause before he said, in a very dry tone, “You make me feel like a king.”

“Would you prefer I be dishonest?”

”Do you know the real reason I didn’t make you my mistress, Adelaide?”

Was there a false one? She shook her head.

“For the same reason I’m not angry about the pudding. You matter.”

*Review originally posted on Fiction Vixen*
Profile Image for Samantha.
534 reviews90 followers
March 14, 2017
Connor Brice, is hellbent on revenge against his half brother, Sir Robert. The first step in his revenge? Steal Sir Robert's fiancee, Adelaide Ward. The fact that Miss Ward is the same woman Connor had been fascinated with, while sitting in prison, is just a bonus. For her part, Adelaide is trapped. She doesn't want to marry the condescending Sir Robert, but her brother's gambling habit has left her with little choice. Its either marry him for his 5,000 pounds a year or go to the poor house. Things begin to spin out of control though when Connor interferes with her plans and Adelaide gets sucked even further into the brothers' revenge schemes.

Johnson has an interesting revenge plot going on here. Connor's drive and focus on gaining vengeance is believable and I agreed that Sir Robert needed to be taken down a peg or two. The guy was horrible. Poor Adelaide just has the misfortune of getting swept up in the tide of their animosity. So then, what was my problem with the story? The elimination of Adelaide's choices and power. Was she given the choice between Sir Robert and Connor? Yes. Is this more than what the typical historical romances with compromised heroines get? Yes. But honestly, she still didn't get to decide. Sir Robert was painted so horribly that Adelaide would've been committing suicide if she chose him.

Adelaide herself was a pretty good HR heroine. She was practical, smart, and didn't take much crap from Connor. Yet she fell into the innocent "I know nothing what-so-ever about sex" trope that I so loathe. Yes, it's so integrated into the genre that it's practically a requirement, but her extreme naivete about sex still annoyed me. I actually ended up skipping the sex scene between Connor and her, because I just wasn't interested in reading another HR deflowering scene where the more experienced hero shows the heroine the ropes.

But I'll admit that most of the issues I had with this book was a "It's me, not you" situation. An Unexpected Gentleman has a wonderful hero and heroine, a fairly original plot, and some great supporting characters. Most of my problems stemmed from the tropes in the genre.


I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys Elizabeth Hoyt and Lisa Kleypas. Johnson has a writing style that fans of those two authors will enjoy immensely.
Profile Image for Zumbagirl.
154 reviews3 followers
February 26, 2012
4.5 stars
Yay!! My first Alissa Johnson and I loved it, very cute, happy read, just what I needed. Sometimes I want a real meaty story; other times something light and fluffy with humor and love - which is exactly what An Unexpected Gentleman delivered. The hero was to die for - Connor Brice - and the heroine, Adelaide Ward, was also good. She was somewhat older than the usual (maybe 26 or 27?) and the oldest in her family. Her brother, Wolfgang, wound up in prison for his debts and now she must marry well in order to save her family, which also consists of her sister, Isobel, and her nephew George, (who is adorable and I love babies/children in my stories). She is intending to marry a man, who she doesn't love, Sir Robert and who she really does not know. She unexpectedly meets and becomes attracted to Connor while at a party, in the garden. Turns out, Connor has been watching her and has fallen for her and decides she's the "one" for him. But Sir Robert is also his half-brother and there is a huge rift between them - which also makes up the revenge part of the story (it's not overdone and didn't get on my nerves like some revenge themes do). Basically, the focus was Adelaide and Connor growing to love and trust each other and make their relationship work out. IMO, this is the best kind of romance because we read/see how their attraction/love blossoms and how they work out difficulties that arise - while always together (I just hate those long separations/misunderstandings).

On the steam level, this one is pretty low, mostly kisses - it's sweet, romantic, and fits perfectly with how the book is written (so if you want/need lots of hot sex, this is not the book for you). But I would not characterize it as clean as Heyer. Maybe PG.

I really enjoyed this book!!! I only wish I read the one before it first featuring Freddie and Lord Gideon. I will def look out for more books by this author and recommend it to all who like Regency romances, sweet, funny, low angst, awesome hero and a good storyline:)
Profile Image for Steamywindows♥♫.
117 reviews27 followers
January 7, 2012
So what do you read when you are feeling jaded or out of sorts? May I recommend this book? I think for the sake of those who need an intense plot driven story, this may not suit your needs, but if you want a humorous story that is well written, I would say this one will. I was generally struck by how honest and clear this author's style is. At the same time, she doesn't sermonize or hit you on the head with her point.

The characters are not your typical fair. The heroine is 28, solely responsible for her family and the story begins with her anticipating a proposal that will secure her a $5000 a year income. Mercenary? Well no actually, simply pragmatic. I like that she didn't put herself through contortions of guilt. She is a woman of honest integrity.

The hero is a character which we develop some considerable empathy for in short order, despite some fairly unprincipled behaviour like deliberately compromising our heroine. We are later informed this is justified (in his mind) because of a despicable event where he was pressed into a ships crew and eventually found his way to America. Did I mention the charming 2 year old? Pudding filled cookies and a set of important papers made the two year old a scene steal-er for sure.

The true beauty of this story lies in the interaction between the main characters and as the reader, we see the often humorous way they see the same situation completely differently. I laughed and laughed at some of the discussions, and this humour was more poignant by the counterpoint of the villain and the idiotic brother's terrible behaviour.

There were several minor details that just didn't seem plausible, and took me out of the story,which is why I can't give it my full endorsement with a 5 star, but it is close. In the end the hero says it beautifully, making this one of the top romances filled with humour that I have read.
3,200 reviews67 followers
April 30, 2021
Not sure about this one, I struggled to connect to either H or h. He had such a strong façade, I didn't understand him and the h couldn't trust him. He wasn't telling himself the truth either, and I thought this couple and and the evil OM were all dishonest. I liked the idea more than the execution and found this couple disappointing.
Profile Image for Brandy.
1,243 reviews55 followers
May 22, 2020
Were there any characters in this book to like other than Isobel and George? The lot of them frustrated me every damn step of the way. Rude and selfish and mean and thoughtless.
Profile Image for Keertana.
1,141 reviews2,274 followers
April 28, 2014
Quite unexpectedly, An Unexpected Gentleman wound its way into my thoughts, particularly during an untimely moment in conversation or while I performed my day-to-day tasks. Johnson's Nearly a Lady is a warm, cozy read; the type of book whose characters don't demand your attention, merely command it as you become further embroiled in their story. Conversely, I read An Unexpected Gentleman tense, not even certain if I enjoyed it until the very end when I finally realized I did; truly.

From the surface, An Unexpected Gentleman seems to be a relatively common historical fiction novel. While Nearly a Lady sets itself apart with its lavender cover, not to mention its setting of a remote farmland, everything about An Unexpected Gentleman from its cover to its synopsis detailing the easily-scandalized ton merely seemed dull in comparison. As I've come to recognize from Johnson's prose, however, it isn't so much what she writes as it is who she writes. With such vibrant, distinct, and complex characterizations, it's impossible not to feel wholly involved in her tales; heart pounding, breath gasping, the whole package.

As a loose companion novel to Nearly a Lady, this story features Connor, the prison inmate we briefly saw through Freddie's eyes in Nearly a Lady, and Adelaide, the woman he pines for through the bars of his prison window. An Unexpected Gentleman, though, begins not with romance but with revenge. Sir Robert, Connor's half-brother who throws him - without justification - into prison, is about to propose to Adelaide when Connor steps in, compromises the lady, and forces her hand in marriage. For Adelaide, this is no true tragedy. After all, she finds Connor's company far more pleasing than that of Sir Robert, but his status as a gentleman and hefty sum of five thousand pounds a year is necessary for Adelaide to help her family survive. Wolfgang, Adelaide's wayward older brother who spent their money and landed himself in jail, has left Adelaide as the sole caretaker for her baby nephew and younger sister. As such, to land not one - but two! - marriage proposals has left Adelaide reeling. But, money and status aside, with two lying, scheming brothers bent on nothing but causing each other pain, is there room for Adelaide to find happiness at all?

While, at first, it can be easily to lose oneself in the entertaining, witty dialogue between our two leads, it soon becomes evident that Connor is far from the hero of our tale. Despite the predicament he has placed Adelaide in - dishonoring her name in polite society - he feels not a shred of remorse. Moreover, from the first page itself, Connor is constantly keeping secrets from his future-wife. Although Connor forces Adelaide to dream for herself, thinking beyond the mere necessities of survival, and Adelaide in turn forces Connor to appreciate his blessings, it's a long, difficult haul to love for them both. It isn't always an easy relationship to watch unfold, only because I'd spend pages stewing in anger at Connor and hurt that Adelaide found herself in such a position that she was forced to deal with the deception surrounding her with calm, not anger. I admired her. I fought for her. I wanted her to win. But, in this battle, there's no Team Adelaide - only Team Connor or Team Robert. And, trust me, it becomes quite obvious which of those two siblings is the lesser of the two evils.

For all my criticism of Connor's attitude, however, I found myself unable to resist his charms. Like Adelaide, I fell in love with his kindness, patience, and sincere caring that hid underneath his veneer of a rogue. Though he could often make my blood boil, I grew to love his faults as well. As I neared the end of An Unexpected Gentleman, however, I began to worry over the conclusion of this love story. It just wouldn't be right, to me, for Adelaide and Connor to finally win their happily-ever-after if Connor left unacknowledged his past errors - errors Adelaide forgave and saw past, trusting him despite the fact that he didn't give her much incentive to do so. But, rest assured readers, Johnson fails to disappoint and I finished An Unexpected Gentleman pleasantly surprised at having enjoyed this tumultuous journey after all.
Profile Image for Pamela(AllHoney).
2,651 reviews378 followers
February 10, 2012
Alissa Johnson is one of my favorite historical romance writers and did not disappoint me with this treat. I found it to be an enchanting tale with lots of witty banter throughout. Not a lot of action but this is a romance and not a suspense/thriller/action/adventure novel so... Anyway, light and fun and entertaining in my most humble opinion.
Profile Image for Caz.
3,236 reviews1,161 followers
July 13, 2012
Another excellent read from Alissa Johnson. The eponymous gentleman is Connor Brice, the bastard half-brother of the baronet that our heroine, Adelaide, is angling to marry. Connor's life is driven by the thirst for revenge against Sir Robert who had him press-ganged and then later, thrown into prison on trumped-up charges: and he decides that stealing his half-brother's bride would be a good way to start.

For her part, Adelaide is seeking to marry Sir Robert in order to secure her future and that of her younger sister and her nephew - her brother's son. Her brother is an inveterate gambler and is currently residing in the same prison as Connor had been in. She is immediately attracted to the handsome Connor, and although she insists that she will make up her own mind between her two suitors, it's really a foregone conclusion :)

She decides that she will marry Connor in order to make his life hell and have her revenge for his compromising her, but she soon abandons that plan; Connor turns out to be a fabulous lover (of course!) and a generally considerate husband when it comes to material desires. Yet the only thing he doesn't seem willing to give is anything of himself. He doesn't talk about himself or his past very much and Adelaide finds that she has to drag snippets of information out of him one at a time. He's also not very accommodating with his time, as he spends most of his days locked away with his cronies, plotting Sir Robert's downfall, so Adelaide begins to feel quite lonely.

There is no Big Misunderstanding in the story, as Adelaide asks Connor for help when she needs it, and I suppose that for some readers, it could seem as though nothing much happens in this novel. To an extent, that's true - no spies or pirates or revolutionaries - but that's the sort of story I prefer; one that deals with the relationship between two people in fairly ordinary circumstances, and how they find each other in the end despite the mundanity of everyday life.

That's not to say that this book is in any way boring! It's wonderfully written and characterised and the humour I so loved in Nearly a Lady is very much in evidence.

Connor might be more than a bit dense when it comes to understanding that Adelaide wants to be close to him in ways that don't involve getting horizontal, but he's nonetheless a very engaging hero, and Adelaide is delightfully spirited and waspish. I loved that she was comfortable with turning to Connor for help and didn't - as some heroines are wont to do - try to work things out alone and just make things worse!

Another superb read - and I can't wait for the next one!
Profile Image for Katyana.
1,776 reviews285 followers
September 29, 2019
What?? Where's my epilogue dammit?

Okay, that aside... I really liked this book. This author does delicious banter. Really delicious.

I was curious about Connor's story, after the first book in the series, so I'm glad we got a book with him. And I liked him more than I worried I would - this setup is a difficult one to pull off. I think it only worked because he truly did love her. He was selfish, for sure. But his actions were all rooted from that first foundation of care for her, and that helped make them palatable.

I liked Adelaide, too, but she was a little... I'm not sure how to put it. She practically qualifies for sainthood. Which is sometimes tough to swallow, given how most of the people in her life treat her like a doormat. A pawn. And throughout this book, she constantly is reacting to that - it is just a chain of discovering yet another way in which she's been manipulated. It honestly should have made me like her less - like, she has to be at least a little stupid, right? - but it didn't. I liked her a lot... probably because she was fully aware of her own flaws, and was pretty hard on herself... while at the same time, was inspiring in her ability to set aside her reaction and figure out what to do next. Adelaide is The Little Heroine That Could - she just kept chugging, and would push through whatever bullshit people threw at her, to get to the other side and keep her family together as best she can.

I think that's why the naive sainthood role didn't bother me.

Anyway, really fun read. This author is, I think, becoming a favorite.
Profile Image for Kathleen.
1,375 reviews28 followers
November 20, 2012
4.5 stars. Connor Brice wanted revenge, and thought he would use Addy to get it, but along the way he fell in love with her. An old trope, but so beautifully done. I loved Connor. My kind of guy -- protective, passionate, strong, but also willing to give it all up for love, if necessary. Loved the scenes with baby Georgie, too.
Profile Image for Keri.
2,098 reviews120 followers
January 20, 2016
This was a fun read, but in an emotional way. There were some unexpected twists and turns as the book progressed. The H/H was a wonderful match and I don't think AJ gets the recognition she deserves. I hope that we get to see the brother and sister get a story of their own in the future.
Profile Image for Becca.
703 reviews120 followers
January 25, 2020
Well written and we'll developed. I read this quickly and likes how the characters interacted. Both were strong characters who has dealt with hardship and learned a lot from being together. The end was a bit much but overall it was a great read.
Profile Image for CJ - It's only a Paper Moon.
2,314 reviews159 followers
April 4, 2012
4.8

Really enjoyed this book but then again I am supremely biased because so far, I've loved everything that Alissa Johnson has put out so far.

This story follows Connor Brice, a shady charming vulnerable sexy sexy man, and Adelaide, a sensible burdened and slightly whimsical young lady. Boy meets girl through a prison window, falls in love with said girl, evil brother knows this and manages to scheme and plot to force said girl into a position to marry her. Unbeknownest to her, Connor and her brother have a deliciously dangerous game of revenge going on (mostly Connor's doing) and poor Adelaide gets caught up in an interesting situation.

Then she makes the mistake of falling in love with her husband.

OOPS.

I loved the dialogue and the lack of ballrooms (a girl can only take so much and I needed a break). The secondary characters were cool but not entirely memorable: I loved that Isobel grew a bit of a backbone but I was saddened to see her disappear from the story after page 200 or so. I feared that poor Georgie was growing to grow up a very pudgy, diabetic and spoilt child and I wanted to see more of Gregory, Michael and Graham.

Also, I didn't understand why

All in all, a pretty damn good book that could've survived a few tweaks to have made it even stronger.
Profile Image for Amanda.
Author 11 books131 followers
August 30, 2015
Alissa Johnson needs a little more love from historical romance fans, I think. She finds the perfect balance with misinterpretations of characters' motivations and emotions, so that you never want to shake the characters for not talking to each other.

Or rather, if they hold back, they hold back for what appears to be a valid reason, and it's even more fun when they hold back the same exact secret for different reasons. Knowing both sides like that as the reader made them all that more sympathetic -- made me believe in their relationship and want them to get together.

Because I think it's important to understand a character's motivations for wanting to be with the other, even if it's not communicated to that character. Connor Brice, who wants to "steal" Adelaide from Sir Robert, could have been cold and awful, and in it for nothing more than revenge. And while it appears that way, perhaps, to Adelaide, we know it's not the full truth. And the full truth is far, far better. (And also worse, but whatever.)

Poor Adelaide. She's not exactly keen on marrying Sir Robert, but her family is in desperate need of money or they risk being sent to the poorhouse. When Connor weasels his way into her life, she doesn't know what to think. He makes her want things that are impossible, and when she finds out what Connor's been up to, well... she does try to make his life unbearable. Until, you know, she goes and falls in love with him.

She chooses the better man, after all. An Unexpected Gentleman is a well-woven story with events at the end that are only obvious once you're there. (Which is the best kind of story culmination, by the way. The one you don't think of until you're in the thick of it and it makes complete sense.) The only thing I missed was an epilogue of some kind -- the ending was good, but a bit abrupt.
Profile Image for Fayley.
208 reviews19 followers
January 6, 2018
The heroine in this book didn't make any sense, as if the author was attempting to paint her as one thing but when we looked at her character she was something else.

We are told that she was an unselfish person making sacrifices for her family, but what we saw was a woman who made zero attempts to understand the people around her, thinking only of herself. One man was press-ganged onto a ship at 15, then as an adult falsely accused of a crime and jailed. She didn't care a jot, all she cared for was that he'd kissed her in public. As if reputation would matter to a man who had been clawing for survival for years.

We are told she is modest, but what we see is her acting as if she has all the power in the relationship, as if both men will continue to want her no matter how rude and unkind she is. Generally this isn't true in relationships, and when it is, that's sad.

I have no time for this type of woman, I avoid them in life and I avoid them in fiction. That said, it was actually nicely written and compared to many romances, it wasn't the worst (I have pretty low standards for this genre)
Profile Image for Leandra Azer.
330 reviews10 followers
January 16, 2021
3.5 but I'll round it up. He deliberately sets out to ruin her which- not cool, but he also make that up to her, and has been obsessed with her for months, and is really sweet to her. I do appreciate his honesty ( brutal honesty, I'm just heading down the street then getting some revenge on an old Nemesis did you want me to pick you up anything?) But not about how he felt for her of course. I enjoyed how she came to fall in love with him. Two dimensional cliche villain but In the end it was a cute story and enjoyable read
Profile Image for Cecilia.
607 reviews59 followers
February 20, 2012
Solid piece of writing - likable and rounded characters, witty dialogue that more than once made me laugh out loud, believable motivations, lovely development of the romance. A little bit of a melodramatic scene that helps bring about the resolution, but all things considered, this was a really enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Renn.
141 reviews52 followers
December 15, 2018
DNF. Hero is a conscienceless, manipulative stalker and the heroine is stupid enough to think its charming.
Profile Image for MooseGirl.
792 reviews4 followers
August 26, 2020
I really enjoyed this. It hooked me right from the start and continued to hold my attention. Okay, so I don't think any of the characters behaved very well at times, but they were still likeable and interesting. I liked the somewhat combative nature of their relationship in the beginning.

This was a fun, enjoyable read.
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