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Duke Trilogy #2
The English Duke: A Scintillating Regency Romance Where Brilliant Minds Spark Perfect Love
In the second in New York Times Bestselling Author Karen Ranney’s scintillating series, society’s most coveted duke finds the one thing wealth and position cannot buy—the perfect partner…
For years, Martha York has been fascinated by a man she’s never met—Jordan Hamilton, the new Duke of Roth and protégé to her inventor father. Could the elusive gentleman possibly live up to his brilliant letters? When Martha travels to his estate to carry out her father’s last bequest, she discovers that the answer is a resounding yes, for the duke’s scientific mind belies a deep sensuality…
Jordan was determined to complete his prototype alone, but it’s impossible to resist the alluring young woman who shows up at his door. Working together, they grow ever closer, until a case of mistaken identity leaves him bound to another. A woman’s heart may be more complex than the most intricate invention, but Jordan must find a way to win Martha’s, or lose the only woman who can truly satisfy him…
For years, Martha York has been fascinated by a man she’s never met—Jordan Hamilton, the new Duke of Roth and protégé to her inventor father. Could the elusive gentleman possibly live up to his brilliant letters? When Martha travels to his estate to carry out her father’s last bequest, she discovers that the answer is a resounding yes, for the duke’s scientific mind belies a deep sensuality…
Jordan was determined to complete his prototype alone, but it’s impossible to resist the alluring young woman who shows up at his door. Working together, they grow ever closer, until a case of mistaken identity leaves him bound to another. A woman’s heart may be more complex than the most intricate invention, but Jordan must find a way to win Martha’s, or lose the only woman who can truly satisfy him…
374 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 28, 2017
125 people are currently reading
448 people want to read
About the author
Karen Ranney
100 books947 followersI’m a writer who’s been privileged to have attained the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Lists.
Although I've primarily written historical romance, I've also written contemporary romantic suspense, a murder mystery, and I'm having a wonderful time writing about a vampire who is being challenged by her new state of being. (The Montgomery Chronicles: The Fertile Vampire and The Reluctant Goddess coming March 12, 2015.)
I believe in the power of the individual, the magnificence of the human spirit, and always looking for the positive in any situation. I write about people who have been challenged by life itself but who win in the end.
Newsletter: http://karenranney.com/subscribe-warm...
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WriterKarenRa...
Website: http://karenranney.com
Email: karen@karenranney.com
Twitter: @Karen_Ranney
Although I've primarily written historical romance, I've also written contemporary romantic suspense, a murder mystery, and I'm having a wonderful time writing about a vampire who is being challenged by her new state of being. (The Montgomery Chronicles: The Fertile Vampire and The Reluctant Goddess coming March 12, 2015.)
I believe in the power of the individual, the magnificence of the human spirit, and always looking for the positive in any situation. I write about people who have been challenged by life itself but who win in the end.
Newsletter: http://karenranney.com/subscribe-warm...
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WriterKarenRa...
Website: http://karenranney.com
Email: karen@karenranney.com
Twitter: @Karen_Ranney
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
May 29, 2017
I've given this a B at AAR.
I hesitate to describe Karen Ranney’s latest offering, The English Duke as being part of a series, because really, it’s a standalone novel that doesn’t feature any characters or continue any plotlines from the author’s last book, The Scottish Duke. The titles are similar, of course (the forthcoming third book is The American Duke) and there are a number of common plot elements; the hero is a scientist and there’s an evil “other woman” character, for instance. I’m not sure if the similarities are deliberate – a way of providing a link between the books – or just accidental, but whatever the case, I enjoyed this one enough to feel happy recommending it.
Martha York’s father was a scientist and inventor of some renown. Upon his death, he left his large fortune to his two daughters, and bequeathed his prototypes and notes on his latest project to his protégé and long-time collaborator, Jordan Hamilton, the Duke of Roth. York and the duke had corresponded for years, since before Jordan, a former naval officer, inherited his title, so Martha was both upset and annoyed when the duke failed to respond to her father’s request that Jordan visit before he died. The one communication Martha has received tersely informed her that the duke did not want her father’s bequest, and she can’t understand it. Over the years, she was privy to the correspondence between Jordan and her father, and feels she came to know and understand him a little through his words. She knows he was as invested in their current project – to develop a working torpedo-ship – as her father was. Why then, is he so emphatic about refusing her father’s dying wish?
She decides that if the duke won’t come to her, then she will go to him and arranges to travel to his estate, Sedgebrook, accompanied by her younger half-sister, Josephine, and their grandmother. Martha intends to deliver the numerous boxes and files her father left, stay at the village inn overnight and travel back the next day, but when her grandmother is taken ill, there is no alternative but for the ladies to accept the duke’s (somewhat begrudging) offer of hospitality.
Jordan Hamilton was never meant to be a duke. A second son, he made his career in the Navy and then at the War Office (in the department that was eventually to become the Intelligence Division) and inherited his title following the death of his older brother – discovering only then that both brother and father had dipped deep and left him with a large estate but not the means to pay for its upkeep. Not long after that, he had a serious riding accident which crushed his leg; the doctors said he’d never walk again, but he has proven them wrong through sheer bloody-mindedness, although he has to use a cane and still suffers a lot of pain. He’s not gregarious – as his brother was – much preferring his own company and “tinkering” with his various scientific projects which, of which, at the moment, the development of the torpedo-ship is the most important.
When Mrs. York is taken ill, Jordan is too gentlemanly not to allow the ladies to stay but he isn’t happy about it. The younger York sister, Josephine is beautiful but shallow, her mind full of fashion and the latest on-dits, things that don’t interest Jordan at all, but Martha… Martha is a completely different matter. She acted as her father’s assistant and is as knowledgeable about the torpedo-ship and as at home fiddling with cogs and springs or hammering out bits of copper as Jordan is. She’s inquisitive, clever and forthright but is still a woman of her time, feeling out of step because she doesn’t care much about clothes or finding a husband. The friendship that develops between Jordan and Martha is one born of mutual respect and common interests, and the author does a fabulous job of showing their growing attraction and most especially of imbuing their scenes together with a palpable sense of longing and tenderness.
If left to themselves, there’s no doubt these two lonely, unusual people would have eventually come together, but Josephine has set her sights on becoming a duchess and mistress of Sedgebrook and will do anything in order to achieve that aim. I know that some readers are not fond of the “evil other woman” trope, and I admit that I did roll my eyes a bit (mostly because, as I said at the beginning, there’s an “evil OW” in the previous book, too) but actually, it works well to heighten the tension in the story. Josephine is selfish, spoiled and treats Martha like dirt – but I like a bit of melodrama sometimes, and she’s certainly one of those characters one can love to hate while eagerly awaiting their comeuppance.
Fortunately, the author has mostly avoided the trap of making Josephine so flamboyant a character that she eclipses Martha. Martha is definitely more subdued, but there’s a quiet dignity about her that means, even when she’s at her lowest ebb, she doesn’t come across as hopelessly weak – just uncertain and a little vulnerable.
As a romantic hero, Jordan stands out from the regular crop of arrogant man-whores or roguish gambling club owners; he’s scientifically minded, and, in spite of his outwardly grumpy demeanour, rather sweet and perhaps a little introverted. I also loved the idea that he and Martha had come to know each other through the letters he exchanged with her father; I’m a big fan of stories in which letters play an important part, and although we only get snippets of the correspondence in the novel, the glimpses we do get are significant and reveal something important about both characters.
The downside is perhaps that the protagonists are a bit too nice, and that the sub-plot concerning Jordan’s friend, Reese, is a little thin and not followed through. However, I did enjoy the parts of the story that dealt with the torpedo-ship which, per Ms. Ranney’s Author’s Note was something that was actually around at the time, and had been used in a primitive form during the Crimean War.
The English Duke is an entertaining and sweetly romantic story about two misfits finding each other and having to overcome a few bumps along the way. The plot is perhaps a little hackneyed, but the most important thing is that the author has crafted a beautiful sense of emotional intimacy between the central characters, which is, after all, one of the main things I – and I suspect, most of us here – look for in a romance.
I hesitate to describe Karen Ranney’s latest offering, The English Duke as being part of a series, because really, it’s a standalone novel that doesn’t feature any characters or continue any plotlines from the author’s last book, The Scottish Duke. The titles are similar, of course (the forthcoming third book is The American Duke) and there are a number of common plot elements; the hero is a scientist and there’s an evil “other woman” character, for instance. I’m not sure if the similarities are deliberate – a way of providing a link between the books – or just accidental, but whatever the case, I enjoyed this one enough to feel happy recommending it.
Martha York’s father was a scientist and inventor of some renown. Upon his death, he left his large fortune to his two daughters, and bequeathed his prototypes and notes on his latest project to his protégé and long-time collaborator, Jordan Hamilton, the Duke of Roth. York and the duke had corresponded for years, since before Jordan, a former naval officer, inherited his title, so Martha was both upset and annoyed when the duke failed to respond to her father’s request that Jordan visit before he died. The one communication Martha has received tersely informed her that the duke did not want her father’s bequest, and she can’t understand it. Over the years, she was privy to the correspondence between Jordan and her father, and feels she came to know and understand him a little through his words. She knows he was as invested in their current project – to develop a working torpedo-ship – as her father was. Why then, is he so emphatic about refusing her father’s dying wish?
She decides that if the duke won’t come to her, then she will go to him and arranges to travel to his estate, Sedgebrook, accompanied by her younger half-sister, Josephine, and their grandmother. Martha intends to deliver the numerous boxes and files her father left, stay at the village inn overnight and travel back the next day, but when her grandmother is taken ill, there is no alternative but for the ladies to accept the duke’s (somewhat begrudging) offer of hospitality.
Jordan Hamilton was never meant to be a duke. A second son, he made his career in the Navy and then at the War Office (in the department that was eventually to become the Intelligence Division) and inherited his title following the death of his older brother – discovering only then that both brother and father had dipped deep and left him with a large estate but not the means to pay for its upkeep. Not long after that, he had a serious riding accident which crushed his leg; the doctors said he’d never walk again, but he has proven them wrong through sheer bloody-mindedness, although he has to use a cane and still suffers a lot of pain. He’s not gregarious – as his brother was – much preferring his own company and “tinkering” with his various scientific projects which, of which, at the moment, the development of the torpedo-ship is the most important.
When Mrs. York is taken ill, Jordan is too gentlemanly not to allow the ladies to stay but he isn’t happy about it. The younger York sister, Josephine is beautiful but shallow, her mind full of fashion and the latest on-dits, things that don’t interest Jordan at all, but Martha… Martha is a completely different matter. She acted as her father’s assistant and is as knowledgeable about the torpedo-ship and as at home fiddling with cogs and springs or hammering out bits of copper as Jordan is. She’s inquisitive, clever and forthright but is still a woman of her time, feeling out of step because she doesn’t care much about clothes or finding a husband. The friendship that develops between Jordan and Martha is one born of mutual respect and common interests, and the author does a fabulous job of showing their growing attraction and most especially of imbuing their scenes together with a palpable sense of longing and tenderness.
If left to themselves, there’s no doubt these two lonely, unusual people would have eventually come together, but Josephine has set her sights on becoming a duchess and mistress of Sedgebrook and will do anything in order to achieve that aim. I know that some readers are not fond of the “evil other woman” trope, and I admit that I did roll my eyes a bit (mostly because, as I said at the beginning, there’s an “evil OW” in the previous book, too) but actually, it works well to heighten the tension in the story. Josephine is selfish, spoiled and treats Martha like dirt – but I like a bit of melodrama sometimes, and she’s certainly one of those characters one can love to hate while eagerly awaiting their comeuppance.
Fortunately, the author has mostly avoided the trap of making Josephine so flamboyant a character that she eclipses Martha. Martha is definitely more subdued, but there’s a quiet dignity about her that means, even when she’s at her lowest ebb, she doesn’t come across as hopelessly weak – just uncertain and a little vulnerable.
As a romantic hero, Jordan stands out from the regular crop of arrogant man-whores or roguish gambling club owners; he’s scientifically minded, and, in spite of his outwardly grumpy demeanour, rather sweet and perhaps a little introverted. I also loved the idea that he and Martha had come to know each other through the letters he exchanged with her father; I’m a big fan of stories in which letters play an important part, and although we only get snippets of the correspondence in the novel, the glimpses we do get are significant and reveal something important about both characters.
The downside is perhaps that the protagonists are a bit too nice, and that the sub-plot concerning Jordan’s friend, Reese, is a little thin and not followed through. However, I did enjoy the parts of the story that dealt with the torpedo-ship which, per Ms. Ranney’s Author’s Note was something that was actually around at the time, and had been used in a primitive form during the Crimean War.
The English Duke is an entertaining and sweetly romantic story about two misfits finding each other and having to overcome a few bumps along the way. The plot is perhaps a little hackneyed, but the most important thing is that the author has crafted a beautiful sense of emotional intimacy between the central characters, which is, after all, one of the main things I – and I suspect, most of us here – look for in a romance.
August 16, 2017
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
The English Duke, is the second book in the Duke Trilogy. After reading book one and LOVING it, I had some high expectations for this one, and I am gratified to say that I truly enjoyed this one quite a bit. It definitely can be read as a stand alone, I am not sure how the trilogy is connected. So they are easy to read on their own.
In The English Duke we have a story that brings together two great minds. Our heroine, Martha York, has been working with her father on a certain invention, which could aid their country in the long run. But then her father passes away, and desired that all his research and items go to his one friend and colleague....The Duke of Roth. A man who has been ignoring her letters, so trying to fulfill her father's dying wish, she gathers everything together including her grandmother and her sister and head to his estate. Their welcome is less than warm and she realizes that Jordan is not what she expected and she makes it clear to him his rudeness and soon Jordan and Martha end up working together and developing an affection for each other only there is a plan to seperate them.
I have so much love for this book, and it just hit the right spot for me. Many of the players in the story I truly had a good time with except for two. Martha's sister Josephine and Jordan's close friend Reese. Josephine has had everything handed to her, been the "special" child, and is too spoiled for her own good. When they arrive at the Duke of Roth's home, Josephine makes it her mission to win the favor of Jordan. But Jordan, is drawn to Martha and not just for her looks. He appreciates her mind and her kind heart. What was most wonderful about their romance, was how comfortable they get along with each other. They both have intellectual minds and they are able to connect in this way first, but we see how content they are in each other's presence. Now I will admit I did NOT like Jordan at first. I thought he was rude and selfish. But then we learn of his leg injury, where he has pushed himself hard to make sure no one sees him as lame. We see that he uses certain defensive mechanisms. But once you learn his reasons, you start to soften toward him. Now Martha was a heroine I truly loved. I could see so much of myself in her. She isn't full speed ahead, she is more calm and relaxed. She is very patient and smart. Especially in seeing how she deals with her sister, who is completely horrid to her. I love that she is still such a wonderful human being, and hasn't let how others have treated her to effect how she treats them.
The only thing I couldn't figure out happened toward the end, so I don't want to spoil anything for those that haven't read this one yet. But I couldn't figure out why Jordan and Martha didn't speak up earlier but no worries because these two find their happy ending in the best way and this book left me happy and content!!
[foogallery id="39259"]
The English Duke, is the second book in the Duke Trilogy. After reading book one and LOVING it, I had some high expectations for this one, and I am gratified to say that I truly enjoyed this one quite a bit. It definitely can be read as a stand alone, I am not sure how the trilogy is connected. So they are easy to read on their own.
In The English Duke we have a story that brings together two great minds. Our heroine, Martha York, has been working with her father on a certain invention, which could aid their country in the long run. But then her father passes away, and desired that all his research and items go to his one friend and colleague....The Duke of Roth. A man who has been ignoring her letters, so trying to fulfill her father's dying wish, she gathers everything together including her grandmother and her sister and head to his estate. Their welcome is less than warm and she realizes that Jordan is not what she expected and she makes it clear to him his rudeness and soon Jordan and Martha end up working together and developing an affection for each other only there is a plan to seperate them.
I have so much love for this book, and it just hit the right spot for me. Many of the players in the story I truly had a good time with except for two. Martha's sister Josephine and Jordan's close friend Reese. Josephine has had everything handed to her, been the "special" child, and is too spoiled for her own good. When they arrive at the Duke of Roth's home, Josephine makes it her mission to win the favor of Jordan. But Jordan, is drawn to Martha and not just for her looks. He appreciates her mind and her kind heart. What was most wonderful about their romance, was how comfortable they get along with each other. They both have intellectual minds and they are able to connect in this way first, but we see how content they are in each other's presence. Now I will admit I did NOT like Jordan at first. I thought he was rude and selfish. But then we learn of his leg injury, where he has pushed himself hard to make sure no one sees him as lame. We see that he uses certain defensive mechanisms. But once you learn his reasons, you start to soften toward him. Now Martha was a heroine I truly loved. I could see so much of myself in her. She isn't full speed ahead, she is more calm and relaxed. She is very patient and smart. Especially in seeing how she deals with her sister, who is completely horrid to her. I love that she is still such a wonderful human being, and hasn't let how others have treated her to effect how she treats them.
The only thing I couldn't figure out happened toward the end, so I don't want to spoil anything for those that haven't read this one yet. But I couldn't figure out why Jordan and Martha didn't speak up earlier but no worries because these two find their happy ending in the best way and this book left me happy and content!!
[foogallery id="39259"]
March 30, 2017
The English Duke has to be one of the Worst Stories I have ever listen to. This is a Unhappy story!! I would love to ask Karen Ranney what was she thinking? This is a story full of Angst, Frustrations, Stupid hero Jordan Hamilton Duke of Roth and the mousy, insecure and plain spinster Martha York. Martha had No Gumption!! No Fight in her. Just Blah!!
I have been in bed very sick with phenomena while trying to listen to this story on audible. But I felt so much anger at this story I felt like throwing my kindle.
The story is not just about Jordan the Duke of Roth and Martha York but about her sister Josephine York and Jordan's best friend Reese Burthren. Josephine is a spoiled brat who feels entitled to anything she wants and sees. As soon as she sees Sedgebrook the Historical Prestigious Home of Jordan the Duke of Roths she wants the prestigious home and the title of Duchess of Roth. But Jordan is attracted to the spinster sister Martha. She is an inventor like himself and they work together on a Torpedo Ship invention of Martha's deceased father Matthew and Jordan's. Martha and Josephine are Heiress to a vast fortune. Which in the end Josephine did not deserve and the author should have found away to take away her inheritance from her "Not" father, who was not her real father. She is Illegitimate. Josephine and Reese are despicable characters. After Jordan takes Martha's virginity which was a boring scene he doesn't remember. Until Martha tells the scheming Josephine what happen. Josephine goes to the grandmother and pretends it was her that the Duke Seduced her and took her virginity. Josephine never was a virgin and had been having sex with Jordan "Supposedly" best friend Reese. Of course Jordan does the honorable thing and offers marriage to Josephine. Reese wants to Steal the plans and the designs to the Torpedo Ship to give to the War Office so that don't have to pay for it. This will advance his career. He and Josephine steal the ship from Jordan and Martha. WTF!! Poor dumb naïve Martha doesn't know how much her "Not Half Sister" hates her. This BULL CRAP goes on and on until the last few pages of the story. When Jordan realizes he is marrying the wrong sister and remembers it was Martha's virginity he took that drug and liquor induced night. So right before Jordan and Josephine's wedding all beats are off. Instead of a wedding reception Jordan and Martha celebrate there betrothal and Reese and Josephine go off together thinking they have stolen the Torpedo Ship plans and design again, but they haven't.
I will never trust this author again and I can't imagine any author writing such and Unhappy Ever After. The whole story is Frustrating and makes You Feel Unhappy and Waited down!!
I have been in bed very sick with phenomena while trying to listen to this story on audible. But I felt so much anger at this story I felt like throwing my kindle.
The story is not just about Jordan the Duke of Roth and Martha York but about her sister Josephine York and Jordan's best friend Reese Burthren. Josephine is a spoiled brat who feels entitled to anything she wants and sees. As soon as she sees Sedgebrook the Historical Prestigious Home of Jordan the Duke of Roths she wants the prestigious home and the title of Duchess of Roth. But Jordan is attracted to the spinster sister Martha. She is an inventor like himself and they work together on a Torpedo Ship invention of Martha's deceased father Matthew and Jordan's. Martha and Josephine are Heiress to a vast fortune. Which in the end Josephine did not deserve and the author should have found away to take away her inheritance from her "Not" father, who was not her real father. She is Illegitimate. Josephine and Reese are despicable characters. After Jordan takes Martha's virginity which was a boring scene he doesn't remember. Until Martha tells the scheming Josephine what happen. Josephine goes to the grandmother and pretends it was her that the Duke Seduced her and took her virginity. Josephine never was a virgin and had been having sex with Jordan "Supposedly" best friend Reese. Of course Jordan does the honorable thing and offers marriage to Josephine. Reese wants to Steal the plans and the designs to the Torpedo Ship to give to the War Office so that don't have to pay for it. This will advance his career. He and Josephine steal the ship from Jordan and Martha. WTF!! Poor dumb naïve Martha doesn't know how much her "Not Half Sister" hates her. This BULL CRAP goes on and on until the last few pages of the story. When Jordan realizes he is marrying the wrong sister and remembers it was Martha's virginity he took that drug and liquor induced night. So right before Jordan and Josephine's wedding all beats are off. Instead of a wedding reception Jordan and Martha celebrate there betrothal and Reese and Josephine go off together thinking they have stolen the Torpedo Ship plans and design again, but they haven't.
I will never trust this author again and I can't imagine any author writing such and Unhappy Ever After. The whole story is Frustrating and makes You Feel Unhappy and Waited down!!
November 29, 2016
Absolutely delightful read! It's rare in romance that I love the heroine as much as the hero but that's so true in this case! Martha is self assured, inquisitive, brave, and a genius but she's also vulnerable in a way real women can totally relate to (OK, maybe just me but still, LOVED her!) The hero is also a real character, not a stock Alapha-hole romance hero. He and Martha build a camaraderie that I loved watching, full of emotional intimacy and sexual tension.
The plot unfolds gently around these two stellar leads. Sure, what I expected to happen, happened, but how it resolved was more nuanced than most romances and showed the emotional connection between the leads beautifully.
So why only 4 stars? Usually in my romance reviews you'll see me complain that emotional intimacy didn't live up to all the sex but in this, the sex didn't live up to the emotional intimacy. The 2 sex scenes were flowery and euphemistic. The sexual tension fizzled instead of popping as I would have expected.
Still, this is a better read than 75% of the romances I read and I highly recommend it.
The plot unfolds gently around these two stellar leads. Sure, what I expected to happen, happened, but how it resolved was more nuanced than most romances and showed the emotional connection between the leads beautifully.
So why only 4 stars? Usually in my romance reviews you'll see me complain that emotional intimacy didn't live up to all the sex but in this, the sex didn't live up to the emotional intimacy. The 2 sex scenes were flowery and euphemistic. The sexual tension fizzled instead of popping as I would have expected.
Still, this is a better read than 75% of the romances I read and I highly recommend it.
April 1, 2017
A good book, but I believe there could have been more.It started off very promising and since I love geeky/intelligent/bluestocking heroines in HR books, I was pretty sure I would love it.
Martha was a really good heroine.She was intelligent,focused and determined.
Jordan was also not a beast or anything like that.He was just a man damaged by his experiences and searching for something in life.Though he appeared a little rude in the beginning, his behavior changes slowly.Their relationship also slowly developed from mutual dislike to one where they respect each other.
But in the last one third of the book, I don't know what exactly happened.The level-headed characters that I loved were acting so differently and weren't thinking their way out of problems.They were so sad and despondent.I guess love is to blame?They could have just communicated with each other properly, or atleast with others!
I pretty much hated Josephine(Martha's sister) and Reese(Jordan's friend) by the end of the book, but I loved reading the chapters from their POVs since it gives us an insight into their motivations and inner workings.Even though Reese is pretty cunning, I loved how he also got snared under Josephine's spell and managed to bring Josephine with him.Even though technically they would never be truly happy with each other, I would still love to see a follow up on them or maybe a cameo in future books.
The part that made me sad was Jordan had noone else for him other than Martha!Atleast Martha had her grandmother on her side, but Jordan didn't even have a loyal friend.I didn't like it when Martha put up with Josephine's antics and even at the end, they let her run free.Pretty shitty if you ask me.
But it was realistic in the fact that we could see the reasons why the characters behaved in certain ways.They all had well developed backstories and events that influenced them.Nobody was a 2d carboard cutout in this and that was my favorite part about this book.
Overall, it was a really good book that pulled me in and made me invested in the characters!The author's writing is also very good and I'll be definitely checking out her other works in the future as they seem very interesting!
Martha was a really good heroine.She was intelligent,focused and determined.
Jordan was also not a beast or anything like that.He was just a man damaged by his experiences and searching for something in life.Though he appeared a little rude in the beginning, his behavior changes slowly.Their relationship also slowly developed from mutual dislike to one where they respect each other.
But in the last one third of the book, I don't know what exactly happened.The level-headed characters that I loved were acting so differently and weren't thinking their way out of problems.They were so sad and despondent.I guess love is to blame?They could have just communicated with each other properly, or atleast with others!
I pretty much hated Josephine(Martha's sister) and Reese(Jordan's friend) by the end of the book, but I loved reading the chapters from their POVs since it gives us an insight into their motivations and inner workings.Even though Reese is pretty cunning, I loved how he also got snared under Josephine's spell and managed to bring Josephine with him.Even though technically they would never be truly happy with each other, I would still love to see a follow up on them or maybe a cameo in future books.
The part that made me sad was Jordan had noone else for him other than Martha!Atleast Martha had her grandmother on her side, but Jordan didn't even have a loyal friend.I didn't like it when Martha put up with Josephine's antics and even at the end, they let her run free.Pretty shitty if you ask me.
But it was realistic in the fact that we could see the reasons why the characters behaved in certain ways.They all had well developed backstories and events that influenced them.Nobody was a 2d carboard cutout in this and that was my favorite part about this book.
Overall, it was a really good book that pulled me in and made me invested in the characters!The author's writing is also very good and I'll be definitely checking out her other works in the future as they seem very interesting!
April 11, 2017
I enjoyed the premise of this book at first. Two lonely, extremely bright characters coming together to try and build a torpedo. Not something I've read in a HR before. I actually liked the technical and the scientific aspect of this story. Jordan was an interesting character, wounded inside and out. Martha was a bluestocking through and through, who made no apologies for being a woman in a man's world.
The first half of this book was pretty good. The second half fell so flat. The characters became unlikeable because they wouldn't just TALK to each other to clear up the major problem. Both Jordan and Martha retreated with their tails between their legs when the going got tough. The "villains" in this story never really got their due, but were simply sent away to go live out their own twisted version of happily ever after. And it wasn't sweet or romantic to have their first sexual encounter to be drug induced. It felt like such a cheap ploy to keep the thin plot moving forward.
I wanted to love The English Duke, or at least enjoy it as much as I enjoyed The Scottish Duke.
The first half of this book was pretty good. The second half fell so flat. The characters became unlikeable because they wouldn't just TALK to each other to clear up the major problem. Both Jordan and Martha retreated with their tails between their legs when the going got tough. The "villains" in this story never really got their due, but were simply sent away to go live out their own twisted version of happily ever after. And it wasn't sweet or romantic to have their first sexual encounter to be drug induced. It felt like such a cheap ploy to keep the thin plot moving forward.
I wanted to love The English Duke, or at least enjoy it as much as I enjoyed The Scottish Duke.
April 2, 2017
What is wrong with me? This is a Karen Ranney book and I love Karen Ranney books. I liked the storyline and I liked the characters -- it just seemed to move so very slowly that I found myself skipping chunks of it.
March 29, 2017
There’s no great secrets or surprises here, and that is perfectly fine because Ranney delivers two characters in Martha and Jordan that fairly breathe in the corner of your eye as the story unfolds. Both of these characters are intelligent, curious and slightly different from the norm that has come to be so prevalent in today’s books. Add to their complexity and moments of vulnerability, and what emerges is a story rich in layers, providing a conclusion that is richer for the nuances and subtle clues that each character offers to the other, as their connection is built.
Martha is wonderfully curious, intelligent and brave, with a serious case of love for a man she has only experienced through letters. Her father’s protégé, the young inventor, now Duke of Roth, Jordan is determined to proceed through his discoveries and inventions alone. Until Martha arrives with her father’s final bequest, and a request to participate.
Jordan is wonderfully geeky in all the best ways, and a touch awkward, which does give poor Martha a bit of pause, but to work beside him, learning and watching his mind work, perhaps will lead to a chance. And their camaraderie is wonderful. These two have science and curiosity in common, and that with Martha’s father, give her a singular, even unique, approach and understanding of his work. The quiet unveiling of their histories and concerns, along with their likes and dislikes all serve their budding friendship, and builds the foundation for a true match. A wonderfully paced and plotted story that focuses more on the emotional connections and Sympatico of the characters than on a pure physical connection to show their affections. Emotional intimacy won the day in this story, and the sensual scenes were overlaid with flowery prose and euphemism that just fell flat for me. Overall, this was a wonderful story, memorable for all of the things it was, especially for the characters of Martha and Jordan.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at < I am, Indeed
Martha is wonderfully curious, intelligent and brave, with a serious case of love for a man she has only experienced through letters. Her father’s protégé, the young inventor, now Duke of Roth, Jordan is determined to proceed through his discoveries and inventions alone. Until Martha arrives with her father’s final bequest, and a request to participate.
Jordan is wonderfully geeky in all the best ways, and a touch awkward, which does give poor Martha a bit of pause, but to work beside him, learning and watching his mind work, perhaps will lead to a chance. And their camaraderie is wonderful. These two have science and curiosity in common, and that with Martha’s father, give her a singular, even unique, approach and understanding of his work. The quiet unveiling of their histories and concerns, along with their likes and dislikes all serve their budding friendship, and builds the foundation for a true match. A wonderfully paced and plotted story that focuses more on the emotional connections and Sympatico of the characters than on a pure physical connection to show their affections. Emotional intimacy won the day in this story, and the sensual scenes were overlaid with flowery prose and euphemism that just fell flat for me. Overall, this was a wonderful story, memorable for all of the things it was, especially for the characters of Martha and Jordan.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at < I am, Indeed
April 10, 2017
Would've been five stars if not for the fact that everything could've been solved if Martha hadn't been afraid to open her mouth and admit the truth. I don't like conflicts that can be solved by the hero and heroine talking to each other. Other than that, I loved it. I haven't hated a character like Josephine so much for a long time. Man, did I hate her. I feel like she got better than she deserved in the end. It's not often an author can make me care so much what happens to the characters in the book and I was so worried Martha and Jordan wouldn't figure it out by the end and that Josephine would get her way. Can't wait for the next book!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2018
Je mets une bonne note car les émotions étaient là, mais je n'ai pas trop apprécié le quiproquo central. L'héroïne pouvait parler pour débloquer tout ça, mais elle a eu le syndrome de la victime "c'est mieux si je ne dis rien et que tout le monde soit malheureux". Mais le couple était touchant.
April 25, 2017
Review to follow at Romantic Historical Reviews.
May 26, 2017
“This is like Déjà vu all over again.”
A few months ago I was musing over why Karen Ranney isn’t one of my auto-buys. I just might have stumbled across an answer to my pondering.
To say I was disappointed with Ranney’s latest book, The English Duke would be an understatement. Sure, sure, the story started out with a smart, savvy, strong heroine by the name of Martha. On top of that we have a stoic, manly, avoid-all-humans, scientist hero, Jordan Hamilton, the Duke of Roth. While the language in the story may have been a little stilted, I thought – “Oh it will get better.” Then, because my brain is sooooo agile, I started noticing something. Something familiar. Ummm.
A pet peeve moment. I do not like becoming distracted by a sense of familiar. I don’t like it when I feel I should know someone I’m introduced to or that nagging sense of being in a place you think you've been in before or that book you just know you’ve read before. Why does this bother me? Because I have to find out just why something seems the same and when I do alllll that searching I am not focused on the book I’m holding in my hands. Well, my little Petunia’s, I started to have that feeling with this book. And before anyone says anything, it was not because allllll romance books are the same – they are not. No this was something else, something in the plotline. Something. Nagging. Ummm.
Our heroine has a terrible sister. A spoiled sister. A conniving sister. Our hero has a friend, a shady character. His friend is attracted to the horrible sister. They were in cahoots. They do hanky-panky – heavy on the hank. The secondary characters were so familiar. I knew I had read something similar before, but where? Was it possible that some other author was doing a little plagiarism? Then the light bulb went off. This secondary theme was almost an exact replica of the secondary theme from A Scandalous Scot written by – Karen Ranney. (And, by the way I know “exact replica” is redundant). Maybe if I had read the story in 2012 I might not have noticed the sameness, but I read A Scandalous Scot in January of this year. (I didn’t like the secondary characters then either). I was perplexed as to why these secondary stories were so similar. An author cannot plagiarize themselves can they? Nah – maybe – don’t know. But they can certainly reuse old ideas or become lazy. I was very disappointed when I found this recycled theme.
Not only was I treated to a reused secondary story, there was also a drugged hero having dream-sex with the heroine scene. Only it isn’t a dream. The evil conniving sister finds out her sister has had her first humpy-bumpy. She has a plan. I could see the writing on the wall, or at least the page. We were going to go down the sex mix-up-marriage-martyr road. The strong sister was going to be a martyr and the hero was going to be in angstville. And, the evil sister was not going to get her just deserts.
I could go no further. I closed the book. What a disappointment. My illusions have been shattered.
A few months ago I was musing over why Karen Ranney isn’t one of my auto-buys. I just might have stumbled across an answer to my pondering.
To say I was disappointed with Ranney’s latest book, The English Duke would be an understatement. Sure, sure, the story started out with a smart, savvy, strong heroine by the name of Martha. On top of that we have a stoic, manly, avoid-all-humans, scientist hero, Jordan Hamilton, the Duke of Roth. While the language in the story may have been a little stilted, I thought – “Oh it will get better.” Then, because my brain is sooooo agile, I started noticing something. Something familiar. Ummm.
A pet peeve moment. I do not like becoming distracted by a sense of familiar. I don’t like it when I feel I should know someone I’m introduced to or that nagging sense of being in a place you think you've been in before or that book you just know you’ve read before. Why does this bother me? Because I have to find out just why something seems the same and when I do alllll that searching I am not focused on the book I’m holding in my hands. Well, my little Petunia’s, I started to have that feeling with this book. And before anyone says anything, it was not because allllll romance books are the same – they are not. No this was something else, something in the plotline. Something. Nagging. Ummm.
Our heroine has a terrible sister. A spoiled sister. A conniving sister. Our hero has a friend, a shady character. His friend is attracted to the horrible sister. They were in cahoots. They do hanky-panky – heavy on the hank. The secondary characters were so familiar. I knew I had read something similar before, but where? Was it possible that some other author was doing a little plagiarism? Then the light bulb went off. This secondary theme was almost an exact replica of the secondary theme from A Scandalous Scot written by – Karen Ranney. (And, by the way I know “exact replica” is redundant). Maybe if I had read the story in 2012 I might not have noticed the sameness, but I read A Scandalous Scot in January of this year. (I didn’t like the secondary characters then either). I was perplexed as to why these secondary stories were so similar. An author cannot plagiarize themselves can they? Nah – maybe – don’t know. But they can certainly reuse old ideas or become lazy. I was very disappointed when I found this recycled theme.
Not only was I treated to a reused secondary story, there was also a drugged hero having dream-sex with the heroine scene. Only it isn’t a dream. The evil conniving sister finds out her sister has had her first humpy-bumpy. She has a plan. I could see the writing on the wall, or at least the page. We were going to go down the sex mix-up-marriage-martyr road. The strong sister was going to be a martyr and the hero was going to be in angstville. And, the evil sister was not going to get her just deserts.
I could go no further. I closed the book. What a disappointment. My illusions have been shattered.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2017
First of all, this book has nothing to do with the first book in the series so I'm pretty sure all the "Duke" books can be read individually. Secondly, I really liked the first half of this book.
Martha York has been her father's technical assistant for years, her father being a developer of defense weapons for England and owner of an armaments company. After her father dies, Martha is determined to fulfill his last request - sharing his latest prototype for a torpedo ship with the Duke of Roth, a fellow defense enthusiast. However, her letters to Jordan Hamilton, the Duke, are completely ignored. So Martha decides to forge ahead and bring the prototype, along with her half sister and grandmother as chaperones, to the Duke's residence.
Jordan is not happy to see the group that descends upon his house because he has been recovering from a terrible accident that left him badly injured in one leg. He hates that he has to show himself as weak and limping with a walking stick. However, he is grudgingly courteous to the group and lets them stay, especially when Martha's grandmother becomes ill.
Jordan and Martha start to work together on the prototype and discover they have a lot in common. And, at this point, Martha's half sister, Josephine, decides she likes this magnificent house and would like the title of Duchess.
This is where the whole story goes downhill. An "incident" happens and suddenly Martha turns into a completely different person. Where before she was outspoken and brave and stood up for herself, she now becomes a meek, silent martyr who thinks about how sad the rest of her life is going to be since she can't be with Jordan and how she wishes things were different but oh she will remember these moments with him for the rest of her life. Over and over and over she says these thoughts to herself. For the entire second half of the book. And do you know how she could fix everything and get what she wants? Say something!! She has multiple opportunities to say what really happened during the incident but she doesn't! I actually don't know why I finished the book. I guess because I thought she would eventually find a backbone and speak up? But she never does. It is up to someone else to fix everything and get to the happy ending.
I listened to the Audible version of this and the narrator was great. It's not his fault I didn't like the story.
Martha York has been her father's technical assistant for years, her father being a developer of defense weapons for England and owner of an armaments company. After her father dies, Martha is determined to fulfill his last request - sharing his latest prototype for a torpedo ship with the Duke of Roth, a fellow defense enthusiast. However, her letters to Jordan Hamilton, the Duke, are completely ignored. So Martha decides to forge ahead and bring the prototype, along with her half sister and grandmother as chaperones, to the Duke's residence.
Jordan is not happy to see the group that descends upon his house because he has been recovering from a terrible accident that left him badly injured in one leg. He hates that he has to show himself as weak and limping with a walking stick. However, he is grudgingly courteous to the group and lets them stay, especially when Martha's grandmother becomes ill.
Jordan and Martha start to work together on the prototype and discover they have a lot in common. And, at this point, Martha's half sister, Josephine, decides she likes this magnificent house and would like the title of Duchess.
This is where the whole story goes downhill. An "incident" happens and suddenly Martha turns into a completely different person. Where before she was outspoken and brave and stood up for herself, she now becomes a meek, silent martyr who thinks about how sad the rest of her life is going to be since she can't be with Jordan and how she wishes things were different but oh she will remember these moments with him for the rest of her life. Over and over and over she says these thoughts to herself. For the entire second half of the book. And do you know how she could fix everything and get what she wants? Say something!! She has multiple opportunities to say what really happened during the incident but she doesn't! I actually don't know why I finished the book. I guess because I thought she would eventually find a backbone and speak up? But she never does. It is up to someone else to fix everything and get to the happy ending.
I listened to the Audible version of this and the narrator was great. It's not his fault I didn't like the story.
June 28, 2017
This was a tough one. Sometimes it's hard to read about characters who are so firmly victimized by those closest around them and you want to scream at them to do something about it! That was the case here...I would have snapped way before the heroine did. And the romance wasn't as compelling either - I did not feel the connection between them. I like this author, but this is not one of my favorites.
April 14, 2017
Three and a half stars.
The heroine's sister was such an unlikable character, she almost overshadowed the story of the hero and heroine. Jordan and Martha have a lot in common. They are both inventors, intelligent, don't suffer fools and are honourable to a fault.
The heroine's sister was such an unlikable character, she almost overshadowed the story of the hero and heroine. Jordan and Martha have a lot in common. They are both inventors, intelligent, don't suffer fools and are honourable to a fault.
April 15, 2017
There is just something about a historical romance that gets me all warm and tingly inside. I love the whole façade of propriety and gentle sweetness and the forbidden being so delicious and delightful. Marth and Jordan build their relationship with the love of the work that they were both involved in. Martha was smart, sweet, strong, and had lots of determination. She loved her father and nurtured a fascination with a man she had never met before. Jordan was a duke but he was not a pretentious, pompous, pain in the arse duke. He was a man that was more in tuned with his mind. He found a deeper connection with Martha. That was until a miscommunication or so it seemed took place and there was another female involved.
Martha and Jordan forged a very strong, almost soul deep connection to each other so when it came time for conflict to arise they handled it. There was only so much that can be done with historical romance and over the course of the last few hundred years it all been pretty much out there. Its all in the way that you present it and deal with it that gets the readers excited. I enjoyed that things between Martha and Jordan were not all perfection on top of perfection. This made the read a bit more realistic for me and allowed for me to enjoy things more.
Historical romance readers pick it up and read on. This one will give you something to talk about.
Martha and Jordan forged a very strong, almost soul deep connection to each other so when it came time for conflict to arise they handled it. There was only so much that can be done with historical romance and over the course of the last few hundred years it all been pretty much out there. Its all in the way that you present it and deal with it that gets the readers excited. I enjoyed that things between Martha and Jordan were not all perfection on top of perfection. This made the read a bit more realistic for me and allowed for me to enjoy things more.
Historical romance readers pick it up and read on. This one will give you something to talk about.
March 31, 2017
Absolutely Awesome!
The Duke of Roth has a severely injured leg, causing him to limp, and have chronic pain. He is handsome as sin, a force to be reckoned with, he doesn't give into his pain. He is also a War Officer, and now inventor. The York family, wealthy beyond belief, the father's inventions were famous, that is how he met the Duke. His daughter Martha grew up following her father everywhere, and learning more about inventing, than playing the piano forte, or how to choose a dress. On the other hand, her half sister Josephine, drop dead gorgeous, and the ability to get anything she wanted! Will she get the Duke? I highly recommend today! Thanks! Enjoy!
carolintallahassee
The Duke of Roth has a severely injured leg, causing him to limp, and have chronic pain. He is handsome as sin, a force to be reckoned with, he doesn't give into his pain. He is also a War Officer, and now inventor. The York family, wealthy beyond belief, the father's inventions were famous, that is how he met the Duke. His daughter Martha grew up following her father everywhere, and learning more about inventing, than playing the piano forte, or how to choose a dress. On the other hand, her half sister Josephine, drop dead gorgeous, and the ability to get anything she wanted! Will she get the Duke? I highly recommend today! Thanks! Enjoy!
carolintallahassee
April 1, 2017
Loved it!! Great buildup to love scenes between two very right-brained people.....already looking forward to this fall's release of 'The American Duke'. I love the way Ms. Ranney's love scenes are explicit without being explicit...does that make sense? She knows her readers have very good imaginations and she just sets the stage for my left brain to take over......
March 29, 2017
It would have been a five star until halfway through the book where it takes a ridiculous turn into farce
December 30, 2017
All was so disturbing. The inner dialogue was just too much. And most of all, Josephine was such a bitch! I hate her very much. The fact that Martha thought of her as a sister was heartbreaking too. How could she do that? The reason was also so vague. I didn't understand why she hate her so much while Martha and her family had only been good to her. After Josephine went to grandmother to lie about her having sex with Jordan, I had enough of her. I skipped pages. She was so evil! What's annoying, Martha was also too nice! She just gave up and didn't fight at all. But I'm so happy when she finally found out about Jose's true color and said that she didn't think of her as sister again. Cheers! But Jose didn't get her punishment. She also had her own HEA when she obviously didn't deserve that! So disappointing
December 14, 2016
Karen Ranney turned geeky into sexy with The English Duke. Jordan proved a different type of hero with his scientific mind and sensitive soul. Ever the romantic, the fact that Martha was captivated by his words before ever having seen Jordan's face made for a beautiful story. The concept, the message, the characters all did it for me. Being unique is one of the best traits a person can have. Ms. Ranney gave a taste of beauty's true meaning. Just be you and everything will fall into place. Priceless message, unforgettable read. 4 1/2 stars
Copyright of Night Owl Reviews
Copyright of Night Owl Reviews
June 19, 2017
3.5 Stars.
Really good premise with a genuinely likeable/relatable hero and heroine. Unfortunately the amount of storyline spent on Josephine, Martha's extremely selfish and dislikable sister, takes the focus away from our main characters too much for my liking and delivers a painfully drawn-out level of angst. I think it would have been better if the focus had remained on Jordon and Martha, further exploring their characters and natural chemistry.
Really good premise with a genuinely likeable/relatable hero and heroine. Unfortunately the amount of storyline spent on Josephine, Martha's extremely selfish and dislikable sister, takes the focus away from our main characters too much for my liking and delivers a painfully drawn-out level of angst. I think it would have been better if the focus had remained on Jordon and Martha, further exploring their characters and natural chemistry.
January 6, 2025
A good book, but I believe there could have been more.It started off very promising and since I love geeky/intelligent/bluestocking heroines in HR books, I was pretty sure I would love it.
Martha was a really good heroine.She was intelligent,focused and determined.
Jordan was also not a beast or anything like that.He was just a man damaged by his experiences and searching for something in life.Though he appeared a little rude in the beginning, his behavior changes slowly.Their relationship also slowly developed from mutual dislike to one where they respect each other.
But in the last one third of the book, I don't know what exactly happened.The level-headed characters that I loved were acting so differently and weren't thinking their way out of problems.They were so sad and despondent.I guess love is to blame?They could have just communicated with each other properly, or atleast with others!
I pretty much hated Josephine(Martha's sister) and Reese(Jordan's friend) by the end of the book, but I loved reading the chapters from their POVs since it gives us an insight into their motivations and inner workings.Even though Reese is pretty cunning, I loved how he also got snared under Josephine's spell and managed to bring Josephine with him.Even though technically they would never be truly happy with each other, I would still love to see a follow up on them or maybe a cameo in future books.
The part that made me sad was Jordan had noone else for him other than Martha!Atleast Martha had her grandmother on her side, but Jordan didn't even have a loyal friend.I didn't like it when Martha put up with Josephine's antics and even at the end, they let her run free.Pretty shitty if you ask me.
But it was realistic in the fact that we could see the reasons why the characters behaved in certain ways.They all had well developed backstories and events that influenced them.Nobody was a 2d carboard cutout in this and that was my favorite part about this book.
Overall, it was a really good book that pulled me in and made me invested in the characters!The author's writing is also very good and I'll be definitely checking out her other works in the future as they seem very interesting!
Martha was a really good heroine.She was intelligent,focused and determined.
Jordan was also not a beast or anything like that.He was just a man damaged by his experiences and searching for something in life.Though he appeared a little rude in the beginning, his behavior changes slowly.Their relationship also slowly developed from mutual dislike to one where they respect each other.
But in the last one third of the book, I don't know what exactly happened.The level-headed characters that I loved were acting so differently and weren't thinking their way out of problems.They were so sad and despondent.I guess love is to blame?They could have just communicated with each other properly, or atleast with others!
I pretty much hated Josephine(Martha's sister) and Reese(Jordan's friend) by the end of the book, but I loved reading the chapters from their POVs since it gives us an insight into their motivations and inner workings.Even though Reese is pretty cunning, I loved how he also got snared under Josephine's spell and managed to bring Josephine with him.Even though technically they would never be truly happy with each other, I would still love to see a follow up on them or maybe a cameo in future books.
The part that made me sad was Jordan had noone else for him other than Martha!Atleast Martha had her grandmother on her side, but Jordan didn't even have a loyal friend.I didn't like it when Martha put up with Josephine's antics and even at the end, they let her run free.Pretty shitty if you ask me.
But it was realistic in the fact that we could see the reasons why the characters behaved in certain ways.They all had well developed backstories and events that influenced them.Nobody was a 2d carboard cutout in this and that was my favorite part about this book.
Overall, it was a really good book that pulled me in and made me invested in the characters!The author's writing is also very good and I'll be definitely checking out her other works in the future as they seem very interesting!
December 11, 2019
I Almost Got Too Frustrated With This Story
The plot was interesting, but I found myself exasperated at times by the lead characters. I believe characters need flaws, and I could appreciate Martha's desperate need for a backbone. However, she was way too wimpy when it mattered most, especially when it came to her little sister. Jordan had trouble discerning between honor and stupidity, weakly serving himself on a platter to the enemy.
Speaking of flaws, a couple of characters were utterly rotten. Such gall! They were as much as, if not more interesting than Jordan and Martha.
If you can be patient with Martha and Jordan, you might enjoy this book. By the end, I was thinking, "well, it's about time!"
The plot was interesting, but I found myself exasperated at times by the lead characters. I believe characters need flaws, and I could appreciate Martha's desperate need for a backbone. However, she was way too wimpy when it mattered most, especially when it came to her little sister. Jordan had trouble discerning between honor and stupidity, weakly serving himself on a platter to the enemy.
Speaking of flaws, a couple of characters were utterly rotten. Such gall! They were as much as, if not more interesting than Jordan and Martha.
If you can be patient with Martha and Jordan, you might enjoy this book. By the end, I was thinking, "well, it's about time!"
November 17, 2019
I found little to redeem this book. However, if you have nothing else to read, the place descriptions were excellent and her characters well developed.
Martha was weak-willed and nearly destroyed Jordan’s life simply to avoid a scandal.
Her sister, Josephine, was a viper, and I got disgusted with her prominence in the story.
The male characters were well-written. Jordan being caught-up between his work and dealing with pain. His friend, Reese, as lacking in morals as Josephine.
Martha and Jordan were perfect for each other, but the story got in the way of their romance. There was just too little of it to recommend this book.
Martha was weak-willed and nearly destroyed Jordan’s life simply to avoid a scandal.
Her sister, Josephine, was a viper, and I got disgusted with her prominence in the story.
The male characters were well-written. Jordan being caught-up between his work and dealing with pain. His friend, Reese, as lacking in morals as Josephine.
Martha and Jordan were perfect for each other, but the story got in the way of their romance. There was just too little of it to recommend this book.
March 10, 2021
1. Badly in need of editing- there were a lot of errors in grammar, vocabulary, and continuity.
2. Very low on ‘steam’ factor - the couple spends little time together and the love scenes were brief and low on details.
3. The wicked stepsister storyline was annoying, unnecessary, and took away from the romance.
The hero and heroine were likable, and it appeared they would have chemistry. Their backstories were good. The invention storyline was interesting. It could have made a good romance. Instead the author tanked it with a vicious twat that took up half the pages and didn’t even get her comeuppance. Disappointing!
2. Very low on ‘steam’ factor - the couple spends little time together and the love scenes were brief and low on details.
3. The wicked stepsister storyline was annoying, unnecessary, and took away from the romance.
The hero and heroine were likable, and it appeared they would have chemistry. Their backstories were good. The invention storyline was interesting. It could have made a good romance. Instead the author tanked it with a vicious twat that took up half the pages and didn’t even get her comeuppance. Disappointing!
August 3, 2017
Ranney seems to pad out her books reiterating various things. The staff's opinion of Josephine is mentioned and then reworded a few pages later for the reader. Why not mention some other way she's a bitch instead of the same one.
Tags: Victorian - 1871; Military - Jordan served in the Navy for the Crimean War and worked some for the War Office; Disabled - Jordan severely injured his leg after being thrown from a horse and is still recovering a little over a year later.
Tags: Victorian - 1871; Military - Jordan served in the Navy for the Crimean War and worked some for the War Office; Disabled - Jordan severely injured his leg after being thrown from a horse and is still recovering a little over a year later.
June 11, 2018
While at first this appears to be slow moving due to a fair amount of internal dialog by the main characters, it actually gives a depth to those characters that wouldn't be otherwise. Jordan and Martha are perfectly matched personality-wise, with a depth to them which isn't obvious to others. The story weaves a nice "tangled web" which leaves one anxious about the ending even though we know there "must" be a HEA. I enjoyed this.
July 25, 2018
Oh dear, such a shame I didn't love this book. I think it must be the very first Karen Ranney book that
didn't make me feel wonderful.
I like the very start and the ending, but the middle was too scientific for me. I love to read about love, romance and the like, but there was just too little hearts and flowers for me.
Book 1, for me, was a far better story. Have got book 3 to read next. Here's hoping.
3☆
didn't make me feel wonderful.
I like the very start and the ending, but the middle was too scientific for me. I love to read about love, romance and the like, but there was just too little hearts and flowers for me.
Book 1, for me, was a far better story. Have got book 3 to read next. Here's hoping.
3☆
December 19, 2022
I enjoyed the book for the most part! But found the deception by Josephine extremely upsetting. I have no idea why Marsha let her sister get away with it. She never stood up for herself. For a smart girl that was very stupid. She almost lost the man she loved. I liked the H/h. They were perfect for each other! Loved the narrator. Tim Campbell has a great voice!
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