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The Bride Price
Winner take all . . .Sebastien Deville, the debauched, dangerously handsome illegitimate son of the Duke of Grandien, has waited his whole life for revenge—and suddenly it is there for the taking. A competition sponsored by the ing has all the ton talking. The winner will receive an immense fortune, a newly created title, sponsorship, and a well-born bride—everything Sebastien needs to reclaim his mother's stolen lands and to wield the colossal power itching beneath his fingertips. His victory is all but assured . . . until he meets Caroline.
Caroline Martin knows all about Sebastien, the legendary heartbreaker who leaves women weeping in his wake, and she is determined not to see him win the competition in which he would claim her friend as his bride. Yet sabotage is so very hard to concentrate on when the target's searing glances promise incredible pleasure and his skillful hands vow unimaginable desire. She knows the danger he presents, the temptation he offers, yet she is willing to risk everything for all she holds dear.
But Sebastien Deville will do anything to win . . . and Caroline's heart may become the ultimate prize.
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 16, 2008
70 people are currently reading
619 people want to read
About the author
Anne Mallory
12 books431 followersSome people have always known they wanted to write. Others fall into it and discover its inherent joy. I’m somewhere in between. As an avid reader, writing a novel had always tickled the back of my mind. There seem to be a lot of people who say, “Someday I’ll write a book.” For me, the feeling tickled, moved into an incessant knocking and finally became a dull roar. All I needed was to make that “someday” into “today.”
I’ve always considered myself a creator, so transitioning to writer was not as grueling as it might have been. From creating two minute stories for people on the street, to creating jewelry, crafts, stained glass, pottery, music, crazy art projects… the list of things I like to create (and buy all the necessary materials for) keeps getting longer amidst my family’s exasperated groans. I love to start something from scratch, and then mold and shape it into a finished project. Writing books provides a challenge I accept with relish (and a bit of hair pulling). Building a world, populating it with characters and giving them a script and satisfying ending - what more could a creative type ask for?
I’ve always loved romance novels, ever since I started sneaking them from my Mom in elementary school. I mean, what’s not to love? Rakish men and smart, feisty women, adventure and mystery, the love and loyalty between two people. Give me a roomful of romances, some Agatha Christie, some Edgar Allan Poe, the Harry Potter series and an armful of other fantasy novels, (and steady meals with chocolate) and I’m in heaven.
And heaven is what I consider a particular cottage on an inland lake in northern Michigan during the summertime. If you are headed “up north” this summer, maybe I’ll see you on the way…
Anne Bytes (or pseudo trivia)
Started writing on September 11th, 2001 as an escape from the day (needed an escape with a happy ending).
Thinks that 11pm is a perfectly normal time to begin reading a 400 page book.
Escaped from Alcatraz (story here).
Got a hole-in-one on a Par 3 and was just happy to have beaten her Dad on a hole for once. After a quick rotating hip dance, she was surprised to see her Dad still looking from the tee to the hole where the ball had bounced once and dropped in. His mouth was hanging open. Anne’s response? “What?” (In coding terms, Anne != golfer. That’s “Anne is obviously not a golfer” for you normal people).
Loves tubing (behind a boat) and roller coasters (Cedar Point, here we come!).
Loves paddleball, especially “extreme” paddleball. In the normal variety of paddleball, she helped score 432 hits with Cousins J and Mg one summer day.
Played at Carnegie Hall and was so excited she launched her violin bow across the stage when she got to the picking section of the piece. Thankfully said bow was recovered in time to start bowing once more.
Saw a Great White Shark in real life (at Monterey Bay Aquarium, thankfully).
Wrote her first (and only until Masquerading) book in sixth grade. It was a thriller/mystery centering around two sixth grade detectives. Her Mom assures her it is still well loved (read: stashed in the attic).
Began Masquerading the Marquess on Good Friday 2002, sold it on Good Friday 2003.
Considers herself a hobby collector. Friends and Family like to call her hobby “pack ratting.”
Can relate to the line in Office Space, “Um, I’m gonna need you to go ahead and come in tomorrow. So if you could be here around nine, that would be great. Oh, oh, yea… I forgot. I’m gonna also need you to come in Sunday too.”
I’ve always considered myself a creator, so transitioning to writer was not as grueling as it might have been. From creating two minute stories for people on the street, to creating jewelry, crafts, stained glass, pottery, music, crazy art projects… the list of things I like to create (and buy all the necessary materials for) keeps getting longer amidst my family’s exasperated groans. I love to start something from scratch, and then mold and shape it into a finished project. Writing books provides a challenge I accept with relish (and a bit of hair pulling). Building a world, populating it with characters and giving them a script and satisfying ending - what more could a creative type ask for?
I’ve always loved romance novels, ever since I started sneaking them from my Mom in elementary school. I mean, what’s not to love? Rakish men and smart, feisty women, adventure and mystery, the love and loyalty between two people. Give me a roomful of romances, some Agatha Christie, some Edgar Allan Poe, the Harry Potter series and an armful of other fantasy novels, (and steady meals with chocolate) and I’m in heaven.
And heaven is what I consider a particular cottage on an inland lake in northern Michigan during the summertime. If you are headed “up north” this summer, maybe I’ll see you on the way…
Anne Bytes (or pseudo trivia)
Started writing on September 11th, 2001 as an escape from the day (needed an escape with a happy ending).
Thinks that 11pm is a perfectly normal time to begin reading a 400 page book.
Escaped from Alcatraz (story here).
Got a hole-in-one on a Par 3 and was just happy to have beaten her Dad on a hole for once. After a quick rotating hip dance, she was surprised to see her Dad still looking from the tee to the hole where the ball had bounced once and dropped in. His mouth was hanging open. Anne’s response? “What?” (In coding terms, Anne != golfer. That’s “Anne is obviously not a golfer” for you normal people).
Loves tubing (behind a boat) and roller coasters (Cedar Point, here we come!).
Loves paddleball, especially “extreme” paddleball. In the normal variety of paddleball, she helped score 432 hits with Cousins J and Mg one summer day.
Played at Carnegie Hall and was so excited she launched her violin bow across the stage when she got to the picking section of the piece. Thankfully said bow was recovered in time to start bowing once more.
Saw a Great White Shark in real life (at Monterey Bay Aquarium, thankfully).
Wrote her first (and only until Masquerading) book in sixth grade. It was a thriller/mystery centering around two sixth grade detectives. Her Mom assures her it is still well loved (read: stashed in the attic).
Began Masquerading the Marquess on Good Friday 2002, sold it on Good Friday 2003.
Considers herself a hobby collector. Friends and Family like to call her hobby “pack ratting.”
Can relate to the line in Office Space, “Um, I’m gonna need you to go ahead and come in tomorrow. So if you could be here around nine, that would be great. Oh, oh, yea… I forgot. I’m gonna also need you to come in Sunday too.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
July 28, 2023
➥ 3 Stars *:･ﾟ✧
I can't lie, I bought this book because I thought the woman on the cover was beautiful and because the cover was pink 🤧. This proved disappointing, for the usual qualms I tend to have with historical romance. The hero, Sebastien (H) was pretty dickish, and his romantic gestures didn't make up for it. In his inner monologue, he expresses that the heroine is an exception, and that most women are shallow and ditsy. He also has a #notallmen moment when the heroine expresses her apprehension toward men because her literal ex-husband mistreated her. And, he has one of those moments where she's trying to have a serious discussion yet he tries to initiate sex, rather than just fucking listening to her. You would not believe how hard it is to find a likable hero in historical romances 😿. Caroline (h) was a decent heroine, though she didn't stand out to me much. I did think it was someone homoerotic when she grabbed her best friend's chin to remind her of her value...
Gay. I did enjoy some aspects of this book though, there were some well-written sex scenes, and overall the book had a great solid writing style. There was gonna be some spanking which like...okay 😹...but it was cute because he didn't actually want her to be on an uncomfortable surface.
Cute 😋. The games/competition plot was fun too! Though that whole "bet" scenario gave me unpleasant After flashbacks.
Becky and I somewhat buddy read this together, failing slightly, but it was fun anyway 💞
She swallowed. "Did you kiss her?" She couldn't ask if he'd done more. "No, I couldn't." His thumb ran over her bottom lip. "Her lips were completely wrong. How could I?" Her breath caught as his eyes held hers. "Oh." And something inside her, some devil, prompted her to add, "And mine?" "Perfect." He pulled her the rest of the way toward him and her lips met his.
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
I can't lie, I bought this book because I thought the woman on the cover was beautiful and because the cover was pink 🤧. This proved disappointing, for the usual qualms I tend to have with historical romance. The hero, Sebastien (H) was pretty dickish, and his romantic gestures didn't make up for it. In his inner monologue, he expresses that the heroine is an exception, and that most women are shallow and ditsy. He also has a #notallmen moment when the heroine expresses her apprehension toward men because her literal ex-husband mistreated her. And, he has one of those moments where she's trying to have a serious discussion yet he tries to initiate sex, rather than just fucking listening to her. You would not believe how hard it is to find a likable hero in historical romances 😿. Caroline (h) was a decent heroine, though she didn't stand out to me much. I did think it was someone homoerotic when she grabbed her best friend's chin to remind her of her value...
Sarah's voice lowered. “You know there is no way for me to make a powerful marriage otherwise. I need Father's help. I‟m just not—”
Caroline tipped her chin up. “You are a wonderful woman, Sarah. The right man will see that. You need to see it.”
Gay. I did enjoy some aspects of this book though, there were some well-written sex scenes, and overall the book had a great solid writing style. There was gonna be some spanking which like...okay 😹...but it was cute because he didn't actually want her to be on an uncomfortable surface.
The only thing in the room that didn't look like it would break upon impact was an ornate wooden desk covered in burgundy leather.
Sense returned as she realized what was about to happen, right underneath the earl's nose, as he'd said.
“Oh no, I'm not—”
He pulled her head back up and devoured her lips. “I wouldn't hurt your pretty back on that,” he said against her mouth.
Cute 😋. The games/competition plot was fun too! Though that whole "bet" scenario gave me unpleasant After flashbacks.
Becky and I somewhat buddy read this together, failing slightly, but it was fun anyway 💞
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
September 18, 2022
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 - there’s a mix, a couple are longer and some are short
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, it’s a bit sarcastic, a touch dark and subtle but I laughed at a few parts
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and Tartans Book Club )
Should I read in order?
This is *gasp A STAND ALONE NOVEL
Basic plot:
Sebastian can finally have his revenge against his father and society – if he wins this tournament he will have his family home, a title...he doesn’t need the bride that comes with it though, especially when another woman catches his eye instead. But he can’t give up one without the other.
Give this a try if you want:
- Late Georgian time period (1822)
- London setting
- Hero wanting revenge against the world/his father is a big plot point
- Tournament feel – hero competes in games for the prize of a title, bride, and holdings
- Forbidden love feel – heroine is friends/companion with the bride prize of the competition the hero is competing in
- You’re okay with a pushy, arrogant jerk of a hero that doesn’t listen to the word no. Dubcon kisses but intimate scenes are consensual
- Experienced heroine – she ran off with a stable hand and was married years prior
- Artist bastard hero
- Mid steam – 4 full scenes a few that were too short to count
Ages:
- “Hero couldn’t be more than 30” and I think it’s mentioned he’s 28 but I’m not sure about the heroine (would guess mid 20s)
My thoughts:
This book. This book! I LOVED and HATED this book. So, so conflicted over it.
I struggled with a couple things in it – the whole plot was honestly a bit silly and contrived. But I could let that go. My big struggle was the hero. I just loved and hated him. He would do things that made me so mad and dislike him and then he would turn around and do things that utterly melted my heart.
In this book, our hero (another Sebastian! The 90s and early 2000s sure were overrun with them weren’t they??) is a bastard and will do anything to stick it to his family. He covets his home that his father holds and refuses to sell to him. And it’s being offered as a prize in a tournament. Along with a bride and a title. It would give him everything he has ever craved in this life that he has been unable to obtain.
But soon after he agrees to the competition, he meets Caroline and she just captivates him. He can’t seem to keep his hands off her and it leads to a whole lot of great sexual tension and emotional angst.
Sebastian was very much like a child in many scenes. I wanted him to grow up and become the man he could be and not be a bitter brat. There were a few very frustrating parts. But then he would do things that just stole my breath. He was just so broken and angry but underneath it ran so much emotion. I fell for him unwillingly has his heart clamored for Caroline. He did a lot of sweet things too.
Caroline I enjoyed too. She was given a crappy situation in life and doesn’t have a lot of choices. I wanted happiness for her so badly.
The emotional pull of this book really did get me. It’s what I crave in romance and it really tugged on my heart. The sex was emotional for me too, though perhaps not the first scene. The first scene happened really soon in the book before I could really feel any tension (they had just met!) and it broke some of that wanting that builds up for me in a romance. Still the later scenes I felt his change, his longing for her and her for him, and I really enjoyed a lot of that.
So this book put me through the emotional gamut. It was my first Anne Mallory and I ABSOLUTELY will be reading more by her. She has so much that I really enjoy in romance – I could feel it here. I have a feeling I could really love her books.
A few other notes:
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 - there’s a mix, a couple are longer and some are short
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, it’s a bit sarcastic, a touch dark and subtle but I laughed at a few parts
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and Tartans Book Club )
Should I read in order?
This is *gasp A STAND ALONE NOVEL
Basic plot:
Sebastian can finally have his revenge against his father and society – if he wins this tournament he will have his family home, a title...he doesn’t need the bride that comes with it though, especially when another woman catches his eye instead. But he can’t give up one without the other.
Give this a try if you want:
- Late Georgian time period (1822)
- London setting
- Hero wanting revenge against the world/his father is a big plot point
- Tournament feel – hero competes in games for the prize of a title, bride, and holdings
- Forbidden love feel – heroine is friends/companion with the bride prize of the competition the hero is competing in
- You’re okay with a pushy, arrogant jerk of a hero that doesn’t listen to the word no. Dubcon kisses but intimate scenes are consensual
- Experienced heroine – she ran off with a stable hand and was married years prior
- Artist bastard hero
- Mid steam – 4 full scenes a few that were too short to count
Ages:
- “Hero couldn’t be more than 30” and I think it’s mentioned he’s 28 but I’m not sure about the heroine (would guess mid 20s)
My thoughts:
This book. This book! I LOVED and HATED this book. So, so conflicted over it.
I struggled with a couple things in it – the whole plot was honestly a bit silly and contrived. But I could let that go. My big struggle was the hero. I just loved and hated him. He would do things that made me so mad and dislike him and then he would turn around and do things that utterly melted my heart.
In this book, our hero (another Sebastian! The 90s and early 2000s sure were overrun with them weren’t they??) is a bastard and will do anything to stick it to his family. He covets his home that his father holds and refuses to sell to him. And it’s being offered as a prize in a tournament. Along with a bride and a title. It would give him everything he has ever craved in this life that he has been unable to obtain.
But soon after he agrees to the competition, he meets Caroline and she just captivates him. He can’t seem to keep his hands off her and it leads to a whole lot of great sexual tension and emotional angst.
Sebastian was very much like a child in many scenes. I wanted him to grow up and become the man he could be and not be a bitter brat. There were a few very frustrating parts. But then he would do things that just stole my breath. He was just so broken and angry but underneath it ran so much emotion. I fell for him unwillingly has his heart clamored for Caroline. He did a lot of sweet things too.
Caroline I enjoyed too. She was given a crappy situation in life and doesn’t have a lot of choices. I wanted happiness for her so badly.
The emotional pull of this book really did get me. It’s what I crave in romance and it really tugged on my heart. The sex was emotional for me too, though perhaps not the first scene. The first scene happened really soon in the book before I could really feel any tension (they had just met!) and it broke some of that wanting that builds up for me in a romance. Still the later scenes I felt his change, his longing for her and her for him, and I really enjoyed a lot of that.
So this book put me through the emotional gamut. It was my first Anne Mallory and I ABSOLUTELY will be reading more by her. She has so much that I really enjoy in romance – I could feel it here. I have a feeling I could really love her books.
A few other notes:
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
August 2, 2022
I had the best time with this one!
The Earl of Cheevers pairs up with his aristocratic friends to create a competition: a tournament where the winner gets a title, property, and the hand of the earl's daughter. This is partially so the earl can easily marry off his daughter, Julia, and partially so one of his noble friend's younger or bastard son will get his hands on a title. It's a win for everyone, it seems!
Except for Caroline, a poor relation of the earl, who wants to protect Julia from a loveless marriage. What can she do, aside from sabotaging the frontrunners of the competition?
Enter Sebastian, one of the best rakes I've ever read, and the favorite to win the competition. (All the fun rakes are named Sebastian, apparently?) Mallory imbues him with easy confidence, charm, and just enough sinister behavior that I couldn't wait to see what he would do next. When he and Caroline interact they suck all the air out of the room. It's intense!
This also might be the spiciest Mallory book I've read so far! It's also a good way to ease yourself into her writing, because her later works definitely make more unconventional structure choices that you have to pay more attention to.
The Earl of Cheevers pairs up with his aristocratic friends to create a competition: a tournament where the winner gets a title, property, and the hand of the earl's daughter. This is partially so the earl can easily marry off his daughter, Julia, and partially so one of his noble friend's younger or bastard son will get his hands on a title. It's a win for everyone, it seems!
Except for Caroline, a poor relation of the earl, who wants to protect Julia from a loveless marriage. What can she do, aside from sabotaging the frontrunners of the competition?
Enter Sebastian, one of the best rakes I've ever read, and the favorite to win the competition. (All the fun rakes are named Sebastian, apparently?) Mallory imbues him with easy confidence, charm, and just enough sinister behavior that I couldn't wait to see what he would do next. When he and Caroline interact they suck all the air out of the room. It's intense!
This also might be the spiciest Mallory book I've read so far! It's also a good way to ease yourself into her writing, because her later works definitely make more unconventional structure choices that you have to pay more attention to.
June 5, 2020
The Bride Price by Anne Mallory was an enjoyable read by this new author to this reader.
June 7, 2009
I have enjoyed Anne Mallory’s books in the past, and her latest release, The Bride Price, has an interesting set up with an amoral hero who is the illegitimate son of a Duke. Sebastian is so delusional and as anti-hero as you can get. He enjoys seducing the innocents and being as reckless as he can, which is the perfect way to give his father the middle finger. Sebastian joins the other bastard sons of the aristocrats, who don’t have a chance of being accepted in polite society or having a name for themselves, in a competition where the winner will be able to marry a gentlewoman, known as the bosom of the ton. If Sebastian can win, he will have a title, a massive fortune and a piece of land that was his mother’s that his father owns and holds over his head. Sebastian accepts because there is nothing more important that belonging even though he acts as if he doesn’t care.
Caroline Martin is a widow who married the wrong man, so much so, she must be ever so respectful so she is not the topic of rumors. She is a friend and confidant to Sarah, the bosom of the ton. She is so disgusted by what Sarah’s father, the Earl of Cheevers is doing. But Caroline can not be too vocal because she relies on the Earl for her livelihood. Caroline is also quite the artist and Sebastian comes upon her as she is drawing a cottage that is on the property Sebastian wants so badly. Out of the blue, one thing leads to another and before Caroline can find out his name, Sebastian as given her the best orgasm of her life on the garden bench. From that moment on Sebastian will find a way to seduce Caroline and even places a bet that he can do so.
I do love an amoral hero, but Sebastian was more of a whiny brat if anything. Caroline feels she must take the moral high road because of the way she eloped with her deceased husband, and because of that she must gain her respectability back. She acts like she can’t stand Sebastian because of who he is and the way he treats people, but when it comes to sex, she opens her arms to him and let’s Sebastian do all types of naughty unrespectable things to her. The chemistry between these two were so lacking and I wanted to tell Sebastian to grow up and get over his issues he has with his daddy.
Half-way through I wanted to close this book.
Caroline Martin is a widow who married the wrong man, so much so, she must be ever so respectful so she is not the topic of rumors. She is a friend and confidant to Sarah, the bosom of the ton. She is so disgusted by what Sarah’s father, the Earl of Cheevers is doing. But Caroline can not be too vocal because she relies on the Earl for her livelihood. Caroline is also quite the artist and Sebastian comes upon her as she is drawing a cottage that is on the property Sebastian wants so badly. Out of the blue, one thing leads to another and before Caroline can find out his name, Sebastian as given her the best orgasm of her life on the garden bench. From that moment on Sebastian will find a way to seduce Caroline and even places a bet that he can do so.
I do love an amoral hero, but Sebastian was more of a whiny brat if anything. Caroline feels she must take the moral high road because of the way she eloped with her deceased husband, and because of that she must gain her respectability back. She acts like she can’t stand Sebastian because of who he is and the way he treats people, but when it comes to sex, she opens her arms to him and let’s Sebastian do all types of naughty unrespectable things to her. The chemistry between these two were so lacking and I wanted to tell Sebastian to grow up and get over his issues he has with his daddy.
Half-way through I wanted to close this book.
June 16, 2020
3.5/5. Not so good the second time around for me. It was an unevenly matched pairing between the devastatingly devious and seductive hero and the clever but more reticent heroine. While Sebastien uses his alpha-maleness to overtly intimidate and dominate, Caroline prefers the more subtle and behind the scene resistance. She didn't stand a chance with him. There's much deceit, sabotage and dirty dealings between contestants (and supporters/bystanders) competing in a tournament promising the winner a title, land, wealth and power. The tension between the illegitimate Sebastien, his legitimate half-brother and ducal father is taut and very well-written. The romance didn't seem to work for me this time. She was overwhelmed by his sexual prowess and threw caution to the wind despite her past ruinous mistake. He had dishonest intentions with her almost to the very end. I did not feel the feels.
Original review in April 2016:
4.5/5. Brilliant writing with complex characters and dialogue. Absolutely wicked hero with seduction in mind, and doesn't he know how to do it well?! Even the secondary players are so well-drawn. Lots of psychological mind games and interplay between the individuals. The ending, I agree, is somewhat abrupt, hence the half star deduction.
Original review in April 2016:
4.5/5. Brilliant writing with complex characters and dialogue. Absolutely wicked hero with seduction in mind, and doesn't he know how to do it well?! Even the secondary players are so well-drawn. Lots of psychological mind games and interplay between the individuals. The ending, I agree, is somewhat abrupt, hence the half star deduction.
June 19, 2020
2.5 to 3 stars. It was okay....
My first book by this writer. The premise was a bit of a stretch, but I went with it and tried to get into the zone of the pretty ridiculous wager and game. If I had connected with the MCs more, I might have actually liked the book much more, regardless of the premise. But as it was, I didn't particularly like or admire either of them terribly much. The hero especially was a little too aggressive in his sexual advances towards the heroine for my taste (especially in their first meeting - yikes!) So, yeah, it was an OK read, but I won't be rushing out to read more by this writer at the moment.
I read this book for the June 2020 BOTM for the HRBC, Wagers on hero or heroine theme.
My first book by this writer. The premise was a bit of a stretch, but I went with it and tried to get into the zone of the pretty ridiculous wager and game. If I had connected with the MCs more, I might have actually liked the book much more, regardless of the premise. But as it was, I didn't particularly like or admire either of them terribly much. The hero especially was a little too aggressive in his sexual advances towards the heroine for my taste (especially in their first meeting - yikes!) So, yeah, it was an OK read, but I won't be rushing out to read more by this writer at the moment.
I read this book for the June 2020 BOTM for the HRBC, Wagers on hero or heroine theme.
February 20, 2024
4.5 ⭐️! This was stressful!
But so good and so worth it. I guess all the best rakes are named Sebastien!
Sebastien is a rake and “natural” son of a Duke, who enters a competition hosted by the king and peers of the realm that would give the winner a new title, lands, a seat in parliament. Caroline, whose friend is included in the prize, is doing everything she can to sabotage these games and save her friend, all while trying to avoid Seb who is very into her.
This book is intense and horny! These are some of horniest MC’s I’ve ever read, its like watching an intense tennis match every time these two interact, at least in the first half of the book. If you love your reformed rake stories, this is a must read.
This book also has one of the most…moving sex scenes I think I’ve ever read? I felt embarrassed reading it in that sense that like, I shouldn’t be witnessing this moment of vulnerability and love? I was genuinely touched by the end of this book, I read romance all the time but it can unfortunately be rare for me to be truly moved by a love story.
I struggled to get into this book at first, but as I read more and more and these two became closer and closer, I found myself enjoying the book more and more, which I think is masterful on Mallory’s part. I think she’s super underrated in HR and I will for sure be checking out more of her books.
The character arcs and the pacing of the romance here is just great, there is some great writing and banter in here as well, and conversations about power, revenge, what sex really means for people, what really is love, etc. Both MC’s surprised me in their actions and depth, and I was again, just genuinely moved by this story.
We all know a romance novel gets a HEA, but a mark for me of a good romance novel (or movie) is genuinely not knowing how the hell everything is going to get resolved. It’s nice knowing that no matter what, it will be resolved, but the fun is in how the author sets everything up and resolves it.
Also I’m being petty and “subtweeting” other reviews here who don’t like Seb because he isn’t the perfect morally correct modern day hero - he’s a rake and it’s set in the 1800s, how the hell do you think he’s going to act? Also why do your main characters in NOVELS need to morally correct? It’s a book. It’s made up, it’s not real. I’m not interested in reading about Mary-sue’s I want characters who make bad choices and learn and grow and change as people, which Seb definitely does by the end of this story. “Novels aren’t textbooks”!
Also saw someone call Caroline “dull and prudish”. Disrespectfully, learn to read! Of course she’s cold, she gave into passion once and it made her a widow and a social outcast! How the fuck do you expect her to treat Seb! ALSO ITS THE 1800s!!! If she acted like Seb, she’d lose everything, the Earl would cast her out! That’s like a major conflict for her for the whole book!
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Spoilers!
Who tf took the note and rose Seb left Caro after the bet reveal? Did I miss that in the closing chapters?
Also caro being Cheevers daughter makes so much sense and I feel dumb I didn’t guess that before. I was wondering the whole book what her relationship to him was, distant cousin?
But so good and so worth it. I guess all the best rakes are named Sebastien!
Sebastien is a rake and “natural” son of a Duke, who enters a competition hosted by the king and peers of the realm that would give the winner a new title, lands, a seat in parliament. Caroline, whose friend is included in the prize, is doing everything she can to sabotage these games and save her friend, all while trying to avoid Seb who is very into her.
This book is intense and horny! These are some of horniest MC’s I’ve ever read, its like watching an intense tennis match every time these two interact, at least in the first half of the book. If you love your reformed rake stories, this is a must read.
This book also has one of the most…moving sex scenes I think I’ve ever read? I felt embarrassed reading it in that sense that like, I shouldn’t be witnessing this moment of vulnerability and love? I was genuinely touched by the end of this book, I read romance all the time but it can unfortunately be rare for me to be truly moved by a love story.
I struggled to get into this book at first, but as I read more and more and these two became closer and closer, I found myself enjoying the book more and more, which I think is masterful on Mallory’s part. I think she’s super underrated in HR and I will for sure be checking out more of her books.
The character arcs and the pacing of the romance here is just great, there is some great writing and banter in here as well, and conversations about power, revenge, what sex really means for people, what really is love, etc. Both MC’s surprised me in their actions and depth, and I was again, just genuinely moved by this story.
We all know a romance novel gets a HEA, but a mark for me of a good romance novel (or movie) is genuinely not knowing how the hell everything is going to get resolved. It’s nice knowing that no matter what, it will be resolved, but the fun is in how the author sets everything up and resolves it.
Also I’m being petty and “subtweeting” other reviews here who don’t like Seb because he isn’t the perfect morally correct modern day hero - he’s a rake and it’s set in the 1800s, how the hell do you think he’s going to act? Also why do your main characters in NOVELS need to morally correct? It’s a book. It’s made up, it’s not real. I’m not interested in reading about Mary-sue’s I want characters who make bad choices and learn and grow and change as people, which Seb definitely does by the end of this story. “Novels aren’t textbooks”!
Also saw someone call Caroline “dull and prudish”. Disrespectfully, learn to read! Of course she’s cold, she gave into passion once and it made her a widow and a social outcast! How the fuck do you expect her to treat Seb! ALSO ITS THE 1800s!!! If she acted like Seb, she’d lose everything, the Earl would cast her out! That’s like a major conflict for her for the whole book!
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Spoilers!
Who tf took the note and rose Seb left Caro after the bet reveal? Did I miss that in the closing chapters?
Also caro being Cheevers daughter makes so much sense and I feel dumb I didn’t guess that before. I was wondering the whole book what her relationship to him was, distant cousin?
April 9, 2019
Me if I ever meet Anne Mallory IRL:
The Bride Price is INCREDIBLE!!! I'm honestly shocked by how good it was, considering I've been reading Anne Mallory nonstop for the past few days. You tend to come across a dud or two going through an author's back list. At the very least, you eventually figure out the author's writing style and you start mentally checking off a box when you notice their stylistic idiosyncrasies each scene they write. There was no lull here (And thus I have jinxed myself for the next book I read by her). I wonder why each book I've read just seems to get better than the next. It's not because I've become easy-to-please as a reader. Definitely not. I do think it's because I was not intrigued by the blurb, and had already lowered my expectations a smidge. I've been on this journey before and haven't always loved the journey. To be clear, I'm not talking about the bride tournament plotline that sets up the spare sons against the illegitimate sons - which is AMAZING - but the formula where the hero courts the woman he needs to secure his status in society, while the heroine is fending him off from the bride-to-be, her close friend/relation. But well-played, Anne Mallory. I ate this shit up.
Sebastien is perfect.
Best. Meetcute. Ever. Some bully comes to mock your sketches you are making on the orders of your rude distant relation, eventually doing some things that should not be done in public? Madam, this is romance. I'm sold.
What I loved about The Bride Price, as I love about every Anne Mallory story, are the layers on layers of schemes.
He's doing a little of this, he's also doing a little of that, he can't let her know he's doing that, but she figures it out etc. etc. The thing I love most about the house of cards Mallory builds is that she sends it crashing down without resorting to Big Misunderstandings. You can write a story full of intrigue without having to rely on misunderstandings. You can have conflict without building it on a shaky foundation. Sebastien's revenge drove the plot, and he had to figure out what he was willing to sacrifice for that revenge. He fell hard, so the unfolding scenes were full of incredible emotion, particularly the card game scene.
Caroline's character arc was also fascinating. She is paying for a mistake she made in her youth, a gamble that didn't pay off by falling for a rouge, trusting in this instinctive ideal for love. She now hides and dims her own glow, but learns to embrace all sides of her nature. To be okay with the fear and the freedom of trusting someone. That's a great lesson to learn. I was also relieved to find out Sebastien didn't make such a big deal about showing Caroline who she really is, a tendency that was with good intentions but executed too Devil's Embrace/Pygmalion in some of Mallory's other heroes.
The secondary characters are also hilarious too. Mallory can write naughty scenes of the Ton. I live for her scandalous female characters - they are so much fun. I also enjoy the nuance Mallory creates with her villains, where the villain's sons are generally not little despots in the making, but confused and manipulated as much as the hero and heroine by unseen strings.
Loved this on the same level as For The Earl's Pleasure for the sheer sappiness that got me hook, line and sinker (that epilogue, I can't even). The Bride Price also has the added bonus of sensuality ;)
The Bride Price is INCREDIBLE!!! I'm honestly shocked by how good it was, considering I've been reading Anne Mallory nonstop for the past few days. You tend to come across a dud or two going through an author's back list. At the very least, you eventually figure out the author's writing style and you start mentally checking off a box when you notice their stylistic idiosyncrasies each scene they write. There was no lull here (And thus I have jinxed myself for the next book I read by her). I wonder why each book I've read just seems to get better than the next. It's not because I've become easy-to-please as a reader. Definitely not. I do think it's because I was not intrigued by the blurb, and had already lowered my expectations a smidge. I've been on this journey before and haven't always loved the journey. To be clear, I'm not talking about the bride tournament plotline that sets up the spare sons against the illegitimate sons - which is AMAZING - but the formula where the hero courts the woman he needs to secure his status in society, while the heroine is fending him off from the bride-to-be, her close friend/relation. But well-played, Anne Mallory. I ate this shit up.
Sebastien is perfect.
Best. Meetcute. Ever. Some bully comes to mock your sketches you are making on the orders of your rude distant relation, eventually doing some things that should not be done in public? Madam, this is romance. I'm sold.
What I loved about The Bride Price, as I love about every Anne Mallory story, are the layers on layers of schemes.
He's doing a little of this, he's also doing a little of that, he can't let her know he's doing that, but she figures it out etc. etc. The thing I love most about the house of cards Mallory builds is that she sends it crashing down without resorting to Big Misunderstandings. You can write a story full of intrigue without having to rely on misunderstandings. You can have conflict without building it on a shaky foundation. Sebastien's revenge drove the plot, and he had to figure out what he was willing to sacrifice for that revenge. He fell hard, so the unfolding scenes were full of incredible emotion, particularly the card game scene.
Caroline's character arc was also fascinating. She is paying for a mistake she made in her youth, a gamble that didn't pay off by falling for a rouge, trusting in this instinctive ideal for love. She now hides and dims her own glow, but learns to embrace all sides of her nature. To be okay with the fear and the freedom of trusting someone. That's a great lesson to learn. I was also relieved to find out Sebastien didn't make such a big deal about showing Caroline who she really is, a tendency that was with good intentions but executed too Devil's Embrace/Pygmalion in some of Mallory's other heroes.
The secondary characters are also hilarious too. Mallory can write naughty scenes of the Ton. I live for her scandalous female characters - they are so much fun. I also enjoy the nuance Mallory creates with her villains, where the villain's sons are generally not little despots in the making, but confused and manipulated as much as the hero and heroine by unseen strings.
Loved this on the same level as For The Earl's Pleasure for the sheer sappiness that got me hook, line and sinker (that epilogue, I can't even). The Bride Price also has the added bonus of sensuality ;)
November 29, 2008
Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Nov08
“The Bride Price” by Anne Mallory has all the elements of a steamy historical romance: a dangerously sexy ‘natural’ child of the peerage hero, a disgraced yet beautiful young widow who married beneath her for love, an innocent and shy maiden, and a scandalous contest created by the jaded aristocrats of the ton. Doesn’t it sound delicious? That’s what I thought. But something was missing from Mallory’s latest and that’s a real shame as I normally enjoy her historicals.
Caroline is a young widow who married beneath her for love and wound up regretting tossing away her innocence and respectability for a man who didn’t know the meaning of the word honor. She has finally clawed her way back up to ‘almost respectable’ in her country society where she lives on the edge of the estate of her uncle the Earl of Cheevers. She owes the Earl for helping her to redeem herself, but his involvement with this horrid ‘game’ and agreement to offer his daughter Sarah, Caroline’s niece, as heiress wife to the victor is beyond the pale. Caroline has the knowledge and the cunning to sabotage the games, but would any of the men competing be worthy of Sarah? Well, certainly NOT Sebastien Deville.
Sebastien is the unacknowledged ‘natural’ son of the dissolute and cruel Duke of Grandien. Once he realized as a young child that he would never ‘earn’ his father’s regard or love, he set out to be his father’s nightmare. Between his antics with the debutantes of the ton and his antipathy toward his brother, the Duke’s legitimate son, AND the Duke, he’s made quite a name for himself amongst the darker salons and gambling establishments in London. And when his father approaches him about a contest whose winner will receive a title, money, and several estates (his beloved Mother’s estate for one), he takes the bait and agrees to compete. He WILL win this contest, he WILL have a title, and he WILL take his revenge on the ton who made his life miserable.
What a great plot! But I disliked BOTH of the main characters. Now that I think about it, I didn’t particularly like any characters in the book! I understand redeeming the ‘bad boy’ is a staple of the romance genre, but there wasn’t much about Sebastien to WANT to redeem. He was a bitter, angry, thoughtless, and heartless man for all but the last few pages of the book. How could I like him? And how could I like a strong woman who could fall in love with someone like him? Well…I couldn’t. And that pretty much spoiled my enjoyment in this story. Although there was a happy ending, it wasn’t one I could believe in at all, and wasn’t particularly happy with either.
The setting was beautiful, the plot was intricate and well paced, the sex was very steamy and abundant…but I just couldn’t get past my dislike of the entire cast of characters. They all grated on my nerves. Anne Mallory usually delivers a solid, feel-good, historical romance…but “The Bride Price” just wasn’t one of them for me.
“The Bride Price” by Anne Mallory has all the elements of a steamy historical romance: a dangerously sexy ‘natural’ child of the peerage hero, a disgraced yet beautiful young widow who married beneath her for love, an innocent and shy maiden, and a scandalous contest created by the jaded aristocrats of the ton. Doesn’t it sound delicious? That’s what I thought. But something was missing from Mallory’s latest and that’s a real shame as I normally enjoy her historicals.
Caroline is a young widow who married beneath her for love and wound up regretting tossing away her innocence and respectability for a man who didn’t know the meaning of the word honor. She has finally clawed her way back up to ‘almost respectable’ in her country society where she lives on the edge of the estate of her uncle the Earl of Cheevers. She owes the Earl for helping her to redeem herself, but his involvement with this horrid ‘game’ and agreement to offer his daughter Sarah, Caroline’s niece, as heiress wife to the victor is beyond the pale. Caroline has the knowledge and the cunning to sabotage the games, but would any of the men competing be worthy of Sarah? Well, certainly NOT Sebastien Deville.
Sebastien is the unacknowledged ‘natural’ son of the dissolute and cruel Duke of Grandien. Once he realized as a young child that he would never ‘earn’ his father’s regard or love, he set out to be his father’s nightmare. Between his antics with the debutantes of the ton and his antipathy toward his brother, the Duke’s legitimate son, AND the Duke, he’s made quite a name for himself amongst the darker salons and gambling establishments in London. And when his father approaches him about a contest whose winner will receive a title, money, and several estates (his beloved Mother’s estate for one), he takes the bait and agrees to compete. He WILL win this contest, he WILL have a title, and he WILL take his revenge on the ton who made his life miserable.
What a great plot! But I disliked BOTH of the main characters. Now that I think about it, I didn’t particularly like any characters in the book! I understand redeeming the ‘bad boy’ is a staple of the romance genre, but there wasn’t much about Sebastien to WANT to redeem. He was a bitter, angry, thoughtless, and heartless man for all but the last few pages of the book. How could I like him? And how could I like a strong woman who could fall in love with someone like him? Well…I couldn’t. And that pretty much spoiled my enjoyment in this story. Although there was a happy ending, it wasn’t one I could believe in at all, and wasn’t particularly happy with either.
The setting was beautiful, the plot was intricate and well paced, the sex was very steamy and abundant…but I just couldn’t get past my dislike of the entire cast of characters. They all grated on my nerves. Anne Mallory usually delivers a solid, feel-good, historical romance…but “The Bride Price” just wasn’t one of them for me.
January 24, 2009
The best of Mallory's books so far.
This. Hero. Is. Awesome.
This. Hero. Is. Awesome.
January 3, 2012
*4.5 Stars*
After discovering Anne Mallory last year I bought her backlist and have been working my way through them. Usually I would read them all immediately, but this time I wanted to spread it out and savor it. This is the last book I had left to read and I'm glad to say that I went out with a bang.
I was a bit hesitant about reading this because revenge plots have to be handled a certain way for me to enjoy them. Luckily the revenge plot was nothing like what I expected. Indeed, I would be hesitant to say that this is even a "revenge plot" book. The back cover gave me the wrong impression on that.
I really loved how this book was setup. It put the spotlight on the bastards and younger sons of the nobility; an area that I don't often get to read about. It really highlighted how hard it can be for them, especially if they don't have a parent who cares for them. It's even worse when the parent plays the bastard son against the legitimate son, as is the case with Sebastian's father, the duke.
The duke warped Sebastian into a cold, hard man who had little regard for other people. His every move was calculated to put himself on top or to piss off his father. He didn't start out very likable, but I found him fascinating. I enjoyed watching him slowly change and fall for Caroline.
This was one of Mallory's heavier books, so the banter wasn't quite as pronounced as it usually is. The tension and the slow building emotion was just enjoyable as usual, though. The only thing that I would have changed about the book was the ending. I would have liked if it had been more drawn out and leisurely. The epilogue helped a bit, but it would have been nice to have more.
After discovering Anne Mallory last year I bought her backlist and have been working my way through them. Usually I would read them all immediately, but this time I wanted to spread it out and savor it. This is the last book I had left to read and I'm glad to say that I went out with a bang.
I was a bit hesitant about reading this because revenge plots have to be handled a certain way for me to enjoy them. Luckily the revenge plot was nothing like what I expected. Indeed, I would be hesitant to say that this is even a "revenge plot" book. The back cover gave me the wrong impression on that.
I really loved how this book was setup. It put the spotlight on the bastards and younger sons of the nobility; an area that I don't often get to read about. It really highlighted how hard it can be for them, especially if they don't have a parent who cares for them. It's even worse when the parent plays the bastard son against the legitimate son, as is the case with Sebastian's father, the duke.
The duke warped Sebastian into a cold, hard man who had little regard for other people. His every move was calculated to put himself on top or to piss off his father. He didn't start out very likable, but I found him fascinating. I enjoyed watching him slowly change and fall for Caroline.
This was one of Mallory's heavier books, so the banter wasn't quite as pronounced as it usually is. The tension and the slow building emotion was just enjoyable as usual, though. The only thing that I would have changed about the book was the ending. I would have liked if it had been more drawn out and leisurely. The epilogue helped a bit, but it would have been nice to have more.
June 7, 2011
2.5 stars.Yet another book in which the heroine fails me! Why can't these heroines be as appealing as the heroes?! Why can't they be witty, and mysterious too? Why do they have to be dull and prudish and boring in every book! If I read one more book where the heroine gets seduced and discarded by another rake before she even meets the hero, I'm going to scream! I just discovered AM after reading "Seven Secrets of Seduction" and I loved that book so much that I went in search of her back list. The heroine in that book was great, she had spunk and I could tell why the hero fell for her, but not in this book.For the life of me, I could not see what the hero saw in her. There was nothing that made her stand out, save for the fact that she was used and abused by another man.(yawn) I wouldn't even have cared about that so much if she didn't keep beating herself up about it and and kept trying to refuse the hero advances because of it- while failing big time! I mean, she swore she would never allow herself to be seduced again and yet the first hour she met the hero he had his fingers in her u- know- where! The hero made the book in this story yet again, with no help from the boring heroine.
November 23, 2008
I really enjoyed this one. I liked the concept of the contests for a title, land and bride for illegitamate sons. But of course the one that might win is the one that was pursuing someone other than the bride choice. His choice then becomes, if he wins should he give it all up for her... I liked the hero's "hunt" for her that he does that finally breaks down her walls and they become very close without the games and mind play. Great read.
September 19, 2022
4 and a half stars out of 5. Sebastian Deville is the illegitimate son of a shitty Duke. The king decides to sponsor a competition to hand out a title and some land, and a bride. Lady Sarah is attached. Sebastian wants this land mainly because it’s his mother’s stolen land, which his father refused to sell to him. Caroline Martin is Lady Sarah’s close confidant and is aware of Sebastian’s reputation with women. She decides to sabotage his chances of winning and since most of the competitors are cheating, she has a good cover. She married young and passionately and while she’s now a widow, she still pays for her initial mistake in judgment. Her view of passion is that it’s dangerous. Sebastian tries to persuade her otherwise and even though it’s likely he’ll marry Lady Sarah, they get caught up in liaison. Sebastian thinks falling in love is unlikely especially when everything he ever wants is tied to winning the competition. Lady Sarah’s father, an earl, exercises a lot of power over her. And if Caroline is caught, he could cut off Caroline’s livelihood, kick her out of her cabin, and make her a social outcast.
Like other Anne Mallory’s books there is A Lot of Plot, but in the tradition of other romance novelists where we have this competition where the whole point is to get Sebastian into a situation where he could get everything he wants: legitimacy and a home. Sticking it to his dad and brother is a bonus. Honestly, by the title, I thought Caroline would be the Bride and it would be a forced proximity situation but I should’ve known better with Mallory. Putting Caroline at cross purposes with Sebastian and forcing him into a position where he has to choose puts him and Caroline into much more active roles as characters.
Maybe it’s been a while since I’ve read a book with a rake in it, but he’s not a reformed rake, he’s still in full rake mode and not looking to change before this competition. Caroline has no expectations of him almost in a modern sense. Not in a, she’s a cool girl, no expectations. But more, the recognition of outside forces at work and she’s genuinely attracted to him so she’ll let this play out for as long as she can before everything unravels on her. The ending of this book, the very last paragraph of this book though, I think that’s what bumped up the rating for me.
Like other Anne Mallory’s books there is A Lot of Plot, but in the tradition of other romance novelists where we have this competition where the whole point is to get Sebastian into a situation where he could get everything he wants: legitimacy and a home. Sticking it to his dad and brother is a bonus. Honestly, by the title, I thought Caroline would be the Bride and it would be a forced proximity situation but I should’ve known better with Mallory. Putting Caroline at cross purposes with Sebastian and forcing him into a position where he has to choose puts him and Caroline into much more active roles as characters.
Maybe it’s been a while since I’ve read a book with a rake in it, but he’s not a reformed rake, he’s still in full rake mode and not looking to change before this competition. Caroline has no expectations of him almost in a modern sense. Not in a, she’s a cool girl, no expectations. But more, the recognition of outside forces at work and she’s genuinely attracted to him so she’ll let this play out for as long as she can before everything unravels on her. The ending of this book, the very last paragraph of this book though, I think that’s what bumped up the rating for me.
July 20, 2020
4 stars. A moving plot. Lots of family dynamics drama. Several people maturing over the two month duration of the story.
Strangely, third book in a row I read with a main character named Sara(h).
Strangely, third book in a row I read with a main character named Sara(h).
April 24, 2012
It took me a while to get into this book for some reason; possibly because I didn't find either of the main characters especially sympathetic to start with. But that changed as I progressed and on the whole I enjoyed the book. I think that some of the secondary characters could have been developed a little more (like Sarah and William, for example) and we could have seem a little more of how Sarah finally learned to stand up for herself, although I can understand how that could have stalled the main plot.
To sum up - I enjoyed it, but it's not on my to re-read list right now.
To sum up - I enjoyed it, but it's not on my to re-read list right now.
January 13, 2011
This was pretty fun. I really liked the characters, and as with most of Mallory's books, the spark between them was pretty palpable. The banter wasn't as playful as she can sometimes be, but it was still fun - it just tended towards heaviness.
Definitely a fun, fast read. :)
Definitely a fun, fast read. :)
October 5, 2020
An enjoyable read..
August 14, 2022
I initially thought I would give this four stars, but all day I haven't stopped thinking about Sebastian and Caro.
Every time I think I've landed on how to talk about how much I love Anne Mallory, she surprises me! This one is surprisingly because of how standard it is, even with a pretty high concept conceit. But it still had all these Mallory fingerprints all over it, but just much more subtle. Though I will say, there were still a few scenes that I was surprised by which POV character got as the main perspective. She always surprises me here!
The image of Caro fussing with the set-up of the midsummer party and Sebastian diligently fidgeting with the layout under her directives when he knows exactly where everything ought to go is a image that is going to stick with me. So charming!
"What if simply being by your side is my boon?"
Every time I think I've landed on how to talk about how much I love Anne Mallory, she surprises me! This one is surprisingly because of how standard it is, even with a pretty high concept conceit. But it still had all these Mallory fingerprints all over it, but just much more subtle. Though I will say, there were still a few scenes that I was surprised by which POV character got as the main perspective. She always surprises me here!
The image of Caro fussing with the set-up of the midsummer party and Sebastian diligently fidgeting with the layout under her directives when he knows exactly where everything ought to go is a image that is going to stick with me. So charming!
"What if simply being by your side is my boon?"
January 26, 2019
Good romance with enjoyable characters. I liked the plot throughout and the competition.
June 13, 2020
Fun story but the use of contemporary language was unfortunate.
May 28, 2012
DNF
I want to punch these characters in the face. What a bunch of whiners.
I want to punch these characters in the face. What a bunch of whiners.
June 6, 2020
3.5 stars Caroline and Sebastien. Wagers trope. Wishes of mine: 1)That in the first 15 minutes of meeting that they would have had a "make out" season instead of how far she actually let him go. 2)That Sebastien would have told her that he loved her. 3)That instead of asking Caroline to be his mistress that he would at some point in the story asked her to marry him. 4)That they would not have did the modern society living together before marriage. 5)That the heroine could tell her sister that she was her sister. 6)That the readers would know for sure that he accepted the Kings scrolls of being a knight (so he would not have to gamble to earn a living) and so we know that he married her (though it would have been sweeter to me if they were married before the king's request). 6)How did their small community react to them living together without being married.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2013
Premise: A bunch of creepy old titled gents who couldn’t keep their pants zipped and thus have a slew of bastards, got together with George IV and came up with a really great idea:
Yeah, genius. They decide to set up a tournament for bastards and younger sons who have no hope of inheriting. There will be a series of competitions, designed to “prove” the winner a "worthy" man. (Worthy of what, nobody seems inclined to ask.)
The winner of the overall tourney gets A) a viscountcy, B) an estate named Roseford Grange, and C) a bride, specifically Lady Sarah Pims, the quiet, less-than-inspiring daughter of the Earl Cheevers.
Sebastian DeVille loathes his cold, manipulative father and would love nothing more to refuse to play, but the estate in question is Sebastien's boyhood home. If Sebastien doesn’t play—and win—the only home he's ever loved will be out of reach forever. It might even might go to Sebastien's disgusting half-brother Benedict, whom Seb loathes almost as much as their father.
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Caroline Martin is a distant relation of the Earl Cheevers, and she happens to be fond of his daughter, Sarah, the "prize" in this worthless game. Caro tries to persuade the earl to give Sarah a chance to find a husband who will care for her instead of someone who has to take her on in order to get the other goodies. But Cheevers has very little regard for his daughter and he's more than pleased to dump her on whoever wins this title. It's a great way to kiss some Prinny ass.
So Caro comes up with her own plan—sabotage. She'll try to disrupt the tourney, or at least disqualify the most disgusting of the competitors.
Topping the list of disgusting competitors is Sebastien. Seb and Caro met just before the contest, and he managed to get underskirts skin. Now, he’s bent on a more thorough seduction, and she’s finding him hard to resist.
Now, if a guy who is fighting for the hand of a good friend was also working to seduce me, I doubt I’d find it hard to tell him to go to hell. I’d value my friend—and myself—a lot more than that. But not Caro. Nope. Let Seb blow in Caro's ear and she's all
Still, Caro turns out to be a creative saboteur, and one of her ideas is particularly amusing. Let's just say Sebastien is revealed as the shameless ass he is.
Anyway, for a guy who’s guy who's keen to marry Sarah and bang Caro on the side, I did find myself, surprisingly, rooting for him. Let's just say there’s some character growth that makes him a bit less unlikeable by the end.
As for Caro, the fact that she was all
for a guy who is doing his best to wed her BF is a little off-putting. But even so, I did empathize with her. The villains, though, were so thoroughly horrible that I’d have rooted for Lord Voldemort if he could get over on them.
This one gets 3 stars—barely.
Yeah, genius. They decide to set up a tournament for bastards and younger sons who have no hope of inheriting. There will be a series of competitions, designed to “prove” the winner a "worthy" man. (Worthy of what, nobody seems inclined to ask.)
The winner of the overall tourney gets A) a viscountcy, B) an estate named Roseford Grange, and C) a bride, specifically Lady Sarah Pims, the quiet, less-than-inspiring daughter of the Earl Cheevers.
Sebastian DeVille loathes his cold, manipulative father and would love nothing more to refuse to play, but the estate in question is Sebastien's boyhood home. If Sebastien doesn’t play—and win—the only home he's ever loved will be out of reach forever. It might even might go to Sebastien's disgusting half-brother Benedict, whom Seb loathes almost as much as their father.
Caroline Martin is a distant relation of the Earl Cheevers, and she happens to be fond of his daughter, Sarah, the "prize" in this worthless game. Caro tries to persuade the earl to give Sarah a chance to find a husband who will care for her instead of someone who has to take her on in order to get the other goodies. But Cheevers has very little regard for his daughter and he's more than pleased to dump her on whoever wins this title. It's a great way to kiss some Prinny ass.
So Caro comes up with her own plan—sabotage. She'll try to disrupt the tourney, or at least disqualify the most disgusting of the competitors.
Topping the list of disgusting competitors is Sebastien. Seb and Caro met just before the contest, and he managed to get under
Now, if a guy who is fighting for the hand of a good friend was also working to seduce me, I doubt I’d find it hard to tell him to go to hell. I’d value my friend—and myself—a lot more than that. But not Caro. Nope. Let Seb blow in Caro's ear and she's all
Still, Caro turns out to be a creative saboteur, and one of her ideas is particularly amusing. Let's just say Sebastien is revealed as the shameless ass he is.
Anyway, for a guy who’s guy who's keen to marry Sarah and bang Caro on the side, I did find myself, surprisingly, rooting for him. Let's just say there’s some character growth that makes him a bit less unlikeable by the end.
As for Caro, the fact that she was all
for a guy who is doing his best to wed her BF is a little off-putting. But even so, I did empathize with her. The villains, though, were so thoroughly horrible that I’d have rooted for Lord Voldemort if he could get over on them.
This one gets 3 stars—barely.
January 19, 2016
Here ye! Here ye!! A notice to all the eligible 3rd sons and bastards....errr...naturalsons in the land, the King has come up with a most interesting tourney for ya'll to compete in. Should you win this tournament, you shall gain an instant title, a forture, some nice property oh and yes lets not forget a bride! What could be easier for natural son of a Duke, Sebastian, who all his life has fought for those very things to win. Shy wallflower, Lady Sarah, won't be a problem, he will just wed her and dump her in his London home and be on his way to the home that is included in the in the winnings...the home he grew up in. There is only one blond, blue eyed fly in the oitment named Caroline and she isn't going to let anybody get her friends hand in marriage for anything less than true love and she will do anything to ensure that.
So that my friends is the set up for the book. It was a fun and sexy book to say the least. The word play between Sebastian and Caroline was flat out funny at times. Sebastian was used to women falling all over themselves and Caroline refused to fall in with the masses. Her comebacks were tart and witty, just the kind to put Sebastian in his place. Then we have Carolines antics to put a kink in the tournament in any way she could, those were too funny. Another unique thing was that Sebastian and Caroline didn't jump right into bed with one another, it was rather nicely drawn out, so by the time they did make the leap, I was just as hot for it as they were.
It was a wonderful book and I am glad that I picked it up out of the 100s I had to read. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because the ending was too short and fast, even the short epilogue couldn't save it.
So that my friends is the set up for the book. It was a fun and sexy book to say the least. The word play between Sebastian and Caroline was flat out funny at times. Sebastian was used to women falling all over themselves and Caroline refused to fall in with the masses. Her comebacks were tart and witty, just the kind to put Sebastian in his place. Then we have Carolines antics to put a kink in the tournament in any way she could, those were too funny. Another unique thing was that Sebastian and Caroline didn't jump right into bed with one another, it was rather nicely drawn out, so by the time they did make the leap, I was just as hot for it as they were.
It was a wonderful book and I am glad that I picked it up out of the 100s I had to read. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because the ending was too short and fast, even the short epilogue couldn't save it.
March 10, 2009
I really enjoyed this book! I loved the fact that there were no stolen jewels or hidden important documents to find, or other spy nonsense that seems to be the trend in every other regency book right now. I also loved the fact that the hero and heroine were together so much throughout the book! No pining away for each other, they actually spent most of their time together!
I would have given this book 5 stars, but I was a little disappointed in the ending, in that the hero didn't ever say those most important three little words, I love you! Who is he, Chuck Bass? Maybe I'm being old fashioned, and maybe the author was trying to prove something, or maybe the character didn't change as much as we thought he did, or didn't care about the heroine as much as we thought he did, if he couldn't break down his guard enough to say those words!
I would have given this book 5 stars, but I was a little disappointed in the ending, in that the hero didn't ever say those most important three little words, I love you! Who is he, Chuck Bass? Maybe I'm being old fashioned, and maybe the author was trying to prove something, or maybe the character didn't change as much as we thought he did, or didn't care about the heroine as much as we thought he did, if he couldn't break down his guard enough to say those words!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2019
What Price 💘Love?
Wow! What a wonderful, well written emotional trip through Regency Era England! I can't say enough about how this book transported me into The arms of the handsome, devastating, and intelligent rake, Sebastien. The author could not have created a more perfect lover!
I highly recommend this one of a kind, very Adult page turning romance to all lovers of the genre.
Wow! What a wonderful, well written emotional trip through Regency Era England! I can't say enough about how this book transported me into The arms of the handsome, devastating, and intelligent rake, Sebastien. The author could not have created a more perfect lover!
I highly recommend this one of a kind, very Adult page turning romance to all lovers of the genre.
February 20, 2019
Wonderful book!
This was a very good book. I can see the ton doing something like this. Father's putting sons together for their own purposes. Was very disappointed with the end. Would have liked an extended version.
This was a very good book. I can see the ton doing something like this. Father's putting sons together for their own purposes. Was very disappointed with the end. Would have liked an extended version.
July 23, 2011
Really liked this one! Anne Mallory is now an auto-read for me.
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