What do you think?
Rate this book
Playful Brides #2
Náhodně hraběnkou
Lady Cassandra čekala dlouhých sedm let, až se muž jejích snů vrátí z války. Stačilo jí, že žije, i když byl zasnoubený s její sestřenicí Penelope. A teď je Julian zpátky – a ani ji nepoznal! Cassandra se nejdřív náhodou, a pak čím dál ochotněji vydává za krásnou Patience, kterou si nezdárná Penelope vymyslela, aby utekla společenským povinnostem. Cass tedy s Julianem je, a zároveň není, a on se dvoří jí, ale přitom zároveň někomu jinému… Jak tahle zamotaná hra dopadne?
287 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 2014
126 people are currently reading
1742 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Bowman
59 books1,580 followersValerie Bowman is an award-winning author who writes historical and contemporary romance.
Valerie’s debut novel was published in 2012. Since then, her books have received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus. She’s been an RT Reviewers’ Choice nominee for Best First Historical Romance and Best Historical Romance Love and Laughter. Two of her books have been nominated for the Kirkus Prize for fiction.
Valerie grew up in Illinois with six sisters (she’s number seven) and a huge supply of romance novels. After a cold and snowy stint earning a degree in English Language and Literature with a minor in history at Smith College, she moved to Florida the first chance she got. Valerie now lives in Jacksonville with her family including her rascally dogs. When she’s not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or vacillating between watching crazy reality TV and PBS.
Visit Valerie on the web at www.ValerieBowmanBooks.com and sign-up for her newsletter at: https://valeriebowmanbooks.com/newsle...
Be sure to follow Valerie Bookbub for the latest on sales https://www.bookbub.com/authors/valer...
Valerie’s debut novel was published in 2012. Since then, her books have received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus. She’s been an RT Reviewers’ Choice nominee for Best First Historical Romance and Best Historical Romance Love and Laughter. Two of her books have been nominated for the Kirkus Prize for fiction.
Valerie grew up in Illinois with six sisters (she’s number seven) and a huge supply of romance novels. After a cold and snowy stint earning a degree in English Language and Literature with a minor in history at Smith College, she moved to Florida the first chance she got. Valerie now lives in Jacksonville with her family including her rascally dogs. When she’s not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or vacillating between watching crazy reality TV and PBS.
Visit Valerie on the web at www.ValerieBowmanBooks.com and sign-up for her newsletter at: https://valeriebowmanbooks.com/newsle...
Be sure to follow Valerie Bookbub for the latest on sales https://www.bookbub.com/authors/valer...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
April 19, 2019
Captain Julian Swift
Captain Julian Swift is a second son. He's craved his father's approval but his father made it clear that his love and approval were only attainable in death.
"You said you intend to make me proud....Dammit Julian! Must I spell it out for you? You’re meant to die in battle. Honororably of course. The more honorably the better. That’s why I purchased the commission for you. I expect you to make both me and your country proud."
Julian is now back from war and all he can think about is the woman that wrote him lovely letters for the past seven years.
Lady Cassandra Monroe
Lady Cassandra has been in love with Julian since she was a young girl. Even though he is betrothed to her cousin, she faithfully wrote him letters while he was away at war for seven years.
When Julian returns home and doesn't immediately recognize Cassandra, he becomes the victim of Lucy's matchmaking schemes. Lucy is Cassandra's best friend, and she is not above lies, deception, and stupid schemes. She will do anything and tell all sorts of lies in order to set Cassandra and Julian up.
I believe this was meant to be a comedy...however...the schemes and lies were over the top and absolutely ridiculous!! Lucy and Cassandra pretend to be two fictitious characters. They then convince a few friends to go along with their scheme and host a house party for 2 weeks. Even the servants are in on the shenanigans. It was just too much!!!
Captain Julian Swift is a second son. He's craved his father's approval but his father made it clear that his love and approval were only attainable in death.
"You said you intend to make me proud....Dammit Julian! Must I spell it out for you? You’re meant to die in battle. Honororably of course. The more honorably the better. That’s why I purchased the commission for you. I expect you to make both me and your country proud."
Julian is now back from war and all he can think about is the woman that wrote him lovely letters for the past seven years.
Lady Cassandra Monroe
Lady Cassandra has been in love with Julian since she was a young girl. Even though he is betrothed to her cousin, she faithfully wrote him letters while he was away at war for seven years.
When Julian returns home and doesn't immediately recognize Cassandra, he becomes the victim of Lucy's matchmaking schemes. Lucy is Cassandra's best friend, and she is not above lies, deception, and stupid schemes. She will do anything and tell all sorts of lies in order to set Cassandra and Julian up.
I believe this was meant to be a comedy...however...the schemes and lies were over the top and absolutely ridiculous!! Lucy and Cassandra pretend to be two fictitious characters. They then convince a few friends to go along with their scheme and host a house party for 2 weeks. Even the servants are in on the shenanigans. It was just too much!!!
December 25, 2014
Could these two characters be more boring?
_________
I am afraid not.
Review to come.
Okay....so...after having read Lucy's and Derek's book, comes the dreaded Cassandra and Julian book...
And I am sorry to say, that I didn't like this. I was able to finish it, but, I really couldn't care less about these two boring, gorgeous _blond god and goddess _ people!
Cassandra continues to be her same boring self, and in this one she doesn't have the excuse of not being the main character. She is the main character, and Lucy still has to come up with one of her mad schemes because Cassandra is hopeless :/ in "coming up" with anything.
The thing is I couldn't see the romance between Julian and Cass as anything more than a simple infatuation between two gorgeous beings...
Cass fell in love with him when she was a young girl, and after that, there was it.
From Julian's part, the thing that he's constantly saying is how beautiful Cass is.
The plot, inspired in Oscar Wilde's, The Importance of Being Earnest, manages to be more insane than the original play, and suffice to say that I like witty things, not insane ones.
Oh, and Cassandra blaming Lucy for everything that had happened, didn't made me a happy reader.
Yes, she ends up coming to her senses for one phrase or two, but that, just accentuaded all that I hated about Cass. Her inability to take charge of her life, and of her responsibilities.
Oh, and when she finally says someting along the lines of, "I've had it. I will take control of my life from this day forward!"
And I was like: girl, it was about time!
And then she says something like this: I am going to join a Convent!
_________
_____
yeah, Cass, that will teach them..
Oh, and how everything in the end gets presented with a nice red bow?(except for the bloke who dies, but we never knew him, so, no problem right? o_O)
I hated it.
Bottom Line: loved the first volume of this series...and I am sure that I am going to love the next one, because it is Gareth's and Jane's book! :)
_______
I just hope Cassandra and her Julian don't appear all that much!
_________
I am afraid not.
Review to come.
Okay....so...after having read Lucy's and Derek's book, comes the dreaded Cassandra and Julian book...
And I am sorry to say, that I didn't like this. I was able to finish it, but, I really couldn't care less about these two boring, gorgeous _blond god and goddess _ people!
Cassandra continues to be her same boring self, and in this one she doesn't have the excuse of not being the main character. She is the main character, and Lucy still has to come up with one of her mad schemes because Cassandra is hopeless :/ in "coming up" with anything.
The thing is I couldn't see the romance between Julian and Cass as anything more than a simple infatuation between two gorgeous beings...
Cass fell in love with him when she was a young girl, and after that, there was it.
From Julian's part, the thing that he's constantly saying is how beautiful Cass is.
The plot, inspired in Oscar Wilde's, The Importance of Being Earnest, manages to be more insane than the original play, and suffice to say that I like witty things, not insane ones.
Oh, and Cassandra blaming Lucy for everything that had happened, didn't made me a happy reader.
Yes, she ends up coming to her senses for one phrase or two, but that, just accentuaded all that I hated about Cass. Her inability to take charge of her life, and of her responsibilities.
Oh, and when she finally says someting along the lines of, "I've had it. I will take control of my life from this day forward!"
And I was like: girl, it was about time!
And then she says something like this: I am going to join a Convent!
_________
_____
yeah, Cass, that will teach them..
Oh, and how everything in the end gets presented with a nice red bow?(except for the bloke who dies, but we never knew him, so, no problem right? o_O)
I hated it.
Bottom Line: loved the first volume of this series...and I am sure that I am going to love the next one, because it is Gareth's and Jane's book! :)
_______
I just hope Cassandra and her Julian don't appear all that much!
September 29, 2014
As much as I enjoyed the first book in the series, The Unexpected Duchess, I loved this one even more. The author's take on Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" and the engaging comedy of manners humor, along with a sighworthy romance, really won me over. I'm looking forward to Jane and Garrett's story next. They really strike sparks off each other. Definitely recommend this series!
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
Reviewed for Affaire De Coeur Magazine in the November 2014 issue. http://affairedecoeur.com.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
Reviewed for Affaire De Coeur Magazine in the November 2014 issue. http://affairedecoeur.com.
June 18, 2021
The Accident Countess
1 Star
Unfortunately, this follow-up to the delightful first book, The Unexpected Duchess, is exceedingly disappointing. A retelling of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, it has none of the wit, humor or charm of the original piece.
***Warning: Rant and spoilers ahead***
To begin with, the book contains a trope that I despise - a heroine who lies constantly and consistently to the man she claims to love beyond measure. Unlike Wilde's play in which the absurd shenanigans of all of the characters are clearly farcical and meant as social criticism, Cass's actions are cruel and harmful. She not only deceives Julian about her identity for two-thirds of the book but actively encourages others to do so as well. Whether intended or not, her pretense hurts and humiliates him a great deal. Personally, he is far too forgiving in my opinion.
In addition, neither Julian nor Cass are particularly interesting characters, and they have very little chemistry. Julian has survived a near-death experience, yet seems to suffer no ill effects from his wounds either physically or psychologically. Cass is weak and insipid, allowing her parents, cousin, and friends to walk all over her. There is absolutely no spark or emotion in Julian and Cass's romance.
Finally, the writing is completely anachronistic. The dialogue, behavior, and demeanor of the various characters are so far from the norms of the Regency period that they make the setting irrelevant. This could have been set in 21st century New York, and the plot would have made more sense.
In sum, this book is an agony to read with the heroine constantly bemoaning the situation that her deceit has led to, and the reader forced to endure the constant tension of waiting for the other shoe to drop. To be honest, the only reason this was not a DNF is that it fits into the Seasonal Reading Challenge so perfectly. This book is not recommended for anyone who enjoys history, or romance or Oscar Wilde!
1 Star
Unfortunately, this follow-up to the delightful first book, The Unexpected Duchess, is exceedingly disappointing. A retelling of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, it has none of the wit, humor or charm of the original piece.
***Warning: Rant and spoilers ahead***
To begin with, the book contains a trope that I despise - a heroine who lies constantly and consistently to the man she claims to love beyond measure. Unlike Wilde's play in which the absurd shenanigans of all of the characters are clearly farcical and meant as social criticism, Cass's actions are cruel and harmful. She not only deceives Julian about her identity for two-thirds of the book but actively encourages others to do so as well. Whether intended or not, her pretense hurts and humiliates him a great deal. Personally, he is far too forgiving in my opinion.
In addition, neither Julian nor Cass are particularly interesting characters, and they have very little chemistry. Julian has survived a near-death experience, yet seems to suffer no ill effects from his wounds either physically or psychologically. Cass is weak and insipid, allowing her parents, cousin, and friends to walk all over her. There is absolutely no spark or emotion in Julian and Cass's romance.
Finally, the writing is completely anachronistic. The dialogue, behavior, and demeanor of the various characters are so far from the norms of the Regency period that they make the setting irrelevant. This could have been set in 21st century New York, and the plot would have made more sense.
In sum, this book is an agony to read with the heroine constantly bemoaning the situation that her deceit has led to, and the reader forced to endure the constant tension of waiting for the other shoe to drop. To be honest, the only reason this was not a DNF is that it fits into the Seasonal Reading Challenge so perfectly. This book is not recommended for anyone who enjoys history, or romance or Oscar Wilde!
October 6, 2014
A charming, sweet, and delightful historical romance, The Accidental Countess was a lovely read. It was thoroughly enjoyable and I really liked it.
Cass was a lovely heroine. Quiet, thoughtful, and kindhearted, she was definitely likable. And, over the course of the book, she learned to become stronger and live for herself and not others' expectation. I thought she was great.
Julian was wonderful, as well. Sweet and the epitome of a gentleman, he was simply adorable. I thought he was a perfect hero.
The romance was very sweet. Both Cass and Julian already loved each other and it was simply a matter of them finding a way to each other. However, that was also a little frustrating. It took so long for them to actually admit their feelings to each other (in the end, it wasn't even one of them taking the first step to say it). They fell trap to miscommunication and assumptions and it became frustrating. But, overall, I thought they were a good couple.
The plot moved quickly and I was kept interested the entire way through. I really liked the story and the ending was lovely.
The Accidental Countess was a witty, charming, wonderful romance that I really enjoyed. Romance lovers, this is a book you'll want to check out.
*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Cass was a lovely heroine. Quiet, thoughtful, and kindhearted, she was definitely likable. And, over the course of the book, she learned to become stronger and live for herself and not others' expectation. I thought she was great.
Julian was wonderful, as well. Sweet and the epitome of a gentleman, he was simply adorable. I thought he was a perfect hero.
The romance was very sweet. Both Cass and Julian already loved each other and it was simply a matter of them finding a way to each other. However, that was also a little frustrating. It took so long for them to actually admit their feelings to each other (in the end, it wasn't even one of them taking the first step to say it). They fell trap to miscommunication and assumptions and it became frustrating. But, overall, I thought they were a good couple.
The plot moved quickly and I was kept interested the entire way through. I really liked the story and the ending was lovely.
The Accidental Countess was a witty, charming, wonderful romance that I really enjoyed. Romance lovers, this is a book you'll want to check out.
*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Read
September 25, 2014The Importance of Being Earnest, Regency-style!
November 20, 2014
I love this series so far. A lovely Regency romp, full of lies, plots and misunderstandings.
October 29, 2018
Early on our heroine (Cass) dupes our hero (Julian) into thinking she's some imaginary person. The crazy scheme dreamed up by a friend to lure Cass's true love, was quite convoluted by the time he figured it out. This is where the story really picked up.
I loved the H/h's devotion to one another's love.
Playful and fun and well written.
I loved the H/h's devotion to one another's love.
Playful and fun and well written.
September 20, 2017
Que leitura incrível, dentro do romance histórico a autora é seguramente uma aposta. Inicialmente pensei que a história fosse estapafúrdia pela sinopse mas depois de engrenar com a Cassie e o Julian e as confusões todas provocadas pela identidade de Bunbury/Cassie e a ideia louca de Lucy! Foi ótimo rever algumas personagens do romance anterior e ver como estes dois se apaixonavam mesmo sem saber! Final foi muito fofo e lê-se numa questão de horas! Excelente leitura!
February 28, 2015
After years of procrastinating on Valerie Bowman books, I have decided I didn't mind to read mindless romance.
As usual, the author has its own style - I find this book, about unrequited love is quite funny, at the same time it did had its moments of ups and downs. I might aptly compared it to another book by Lisa Kelypas entitled Love in the Afternoon because I find Lady Cass and Captain Julian's story quite similar to Beatrix and Captain Christopher. But, I would say the Lisa Kleypas novel is well developed.
This is due to the letter writings between Beatrix and Christopher. I got to read the letters exchanged between them, as in this novel, I know that Cass writes to Julian and vice versa, but the snippets of letters were never shown. Somehow, I feel my emotional connection with these characters are not strong enough due to this part.
At the same time, I am not liking that Cass need to pretend to be someone else. Even had a dubious house tea party and invented a fake name. Beatrix from the other book really took the identity of the supposed intended of the hero.
Oh well, to sum it up, I am quite natural towards the book. But I know, that the author writes some pretty good stuff.
As usual, the author has its own style - I find this book, about unrequited love is quite funny, at the same time it did had its moments of ups and downs. I might aptly compared it to another book by Lisa Kelypas entitled Love in the Afternoon because I find Lady Cass and Captain Julian's story quite similar to Beatrix and Captain Christopher. But, I would say the Lisa Kleypas novel is well developed.
This is due to the letter writings between Beatrix and Christopher. I got to read the letters exchanged between them, as in this novel, I know that Cass writes to Julian and vice versa, but the snippets of letters were never shown. Somehow, I feel my emotional connection with these characters are not strong enough due to this part.
At the same time, I am not liking that Cass need to pretend to be someone else. Even had a dubious house tea party and invented a fake name. Beatrix from the other book really took the identity of the supposed intended of the hero.
Oh well, to sum it up, I am quite natural towards the book. But I know, that the author writes some pretty good stuff.
August 21, 2017
For complete review check out my blog at https://booksaplentybookreviews.blogs...
November 22, 2014
****Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review****
I didn't love this. I've read quite a lot of historical romances and this one didn't do it for me the way that some others in the genre do. I can see that I'm in the minority over this - because most other reviews have really loved it, but I had some issues with the way the plot panned out and with some of the language choices.
Not for me - but clearly others have loved it.
I didn't love this. I've read quite a lot of historical romances and this one didn't do it for me the way that some others in the genre do. I can see that I'm in the minority over this - because most other reviews have really loved it, but I had some issues with the way the plot panned out and with some of the language choices.
Not for me - but clearly others have loved it.
did-not-finish
May 3, 2022This was my second attempt to read this book, still did not finish it. Something about the whole lying just upsets me. Did not like it at all.
December 6, 2017
Cass had waited years for the man she loved from afar. She wrote to him everyday. More so than his very own betrothed. She fell in love with the man as a child. She watched him through the eyes of a woman. She finally gets to see him after him coming so close to death. She so close but so far. The role she has taken on has allowed her to be more than the prim and proper lady she was raised to be. She takes that chance at love and regrets very little.
Julian had come home from a war that almost took his life. He returns to a betrothed that wants nothing to do with him and an intriguing young lady before him. A house party was the last thing on his mind, but if it will get him the chance to do his deed and see more of the lovely young lady he will go.
This story had good solid characters and a fun, lighthearted house party to enjoy.
Alison Larkin does a good job with the accent, diction, pitch and tone of the various characters. There was no issue distinguishing the characters both male and female or the individuals.
Julian had come home from a war that almost took his life. He returns to a betrothed that wants nothing to do with him and an intriguing young lady before him. A house party was the last thing on his mind, but if it will get him the chance to do his deed and see more of the lovely young lady he will go.
This story had good solid characters and a fun, lighthearted house party to enjoy.
Alison Larkin does a good job with the accent, diction, pitch and tone of the various characters. There was no issue distinguishing the characters both male and female or the individuals.
November 22, 2018
(...)Onde quer que Lady Lucy está metida, é certo que haverá muita confusão e situações hilariantes.
Cassandra é uma das mais antigas amigas de Lucy e, desde muito jovem, apaixonou-se por Julian, o soldado prometido a Penelope, sua prima. No entanto, muitos anos passaram desde a última vez que se viram e, após tantas cartas trocadas entre os dois enquanto ele esteve na guerra, a verdade é que Julian não reconhece a pequena e apaixonada Cassandra, agora adulta, quando a vê pela primeira vez desde o seu regresso da batalha.(...)
Opinião completa no Sinfonia dos Livros
https://sinfoniadoslivros.blogspot.co...
Cassandra é uma das mais antigas amigas de Lucy e, desde muito jovem, apaixonou-se por Julian, o soldado prometido a Penelope, sua prima. No entanto, muitos anos passaram desde a última vez que se viram e, após tantas cartas trocadas entre os dois enquanto ele esteve na guerra, a verdade é que Julian não reconhece a pequena e apaixonada Cassandra, agora adulta, quando a vê pela primeira vez desde o seu regresso da batalha.(...)
Opinião completa no Sinfonia dos Livros
https://sinfoniadoslivros.blogspot.co...
December 8, 2021
2.5/5 stars!
“We all make mistakes, Cassandra. Some of us are merely forced to pay more for them than others”
This book contains: letters, old friendships, lies, silly shenanigans, war traumas and blond curls.
This book… omg. I initially gave it 3 stars, but I honestly can’t keep that evaluation. What went wrong here? Let’s get into it!
The main problems I had with this book were the boring main characters and the nonsense plot. If you don’t know, this book is basically built entirely on a pointless lie that is told in the beginning. So, as you can imagine, instead of developing the romantic relationship naturally, the MCs build their romantic relationship on a lie. It’s not an irreversible kind of lie too, it’s just pointless and nonsensical to the context of the book.
There were some good things about this book though - mostly the female friendships like I previously talked about in the first book -, but since the main focus here is romance, I was disappointed.
C’mon, let’s be real here: was all of that really necessary? The entire story of the book based on a weird lie that makes zero sense to the story? What was even the point of this book? I feel like it would be great if we could just follow Julian and Cassandra’s love story as it would naturally be. None of the lies told were necessary and I’m sorry but I couldn’t get past that in the book. Like Gordon Ramsay would say: “it’s bland, tasteless and undercooked… what a shame.“
Not gonna lie, I’m starting to lose hope, but I will remain strong! Next book is about Jane (whom I love) and I’m hoping that her romantic story will be as good as her character is. Fingers crossed.
Blog | Bookstagram
“We all make mistakes, Cassandra. Some of us are merely forced to pay more for them than others”
This book contains: letters, old friendships, lies, silly shenanigans, war traumas and blond curls.
This book… omg. I initially gave it 3 stars, but I honestly can’t keep that evaluation. What went wrong here? Let’s get into it!
The main problems I had with this book were the boring main characters and the nonsense plot. If you don’t know, this book is basically built entirely on a pointless lie that is told in the beginning. So, as you can imagine, instead of developing the romantic relationship naturally, the MCs build their romantic relationship on a lie. It’s not an irreversible kind of lie too, it’s just pointless and nonsensical to the context of the book.
There were some good things about this book though - mostly the female friendships like I previously talked about in the first book -, but since the main focus here is romance, I was disappointed.
C’mon, let’s be real here: was all of that really necessary? The entire story of the book based on a weird lie that makes zero sense to the story? What was even the point of this book? I feel like it would be great if we could just follow Julian and Cassandra’s love story as it would naturally be. None of the lies told were necessary and I’m sorry but I couldn’t get past that in the book. Like Gordon Ramsay would say: “it’s bland, tasteless and undercooked… what a shame.“
Not gonna lie, I’m starting to lose hope, but I will remain strong! Next book is about Jane (whom I love) and I’m hoping that her romantic story will be as good as her character is. Fingers crossed.
Blog | Bookstagram
October 29, 2014
A tangled treat!
Second in the Playful Brides series. Once again Lucy Hunt, the newly minted Duchess of Claringdon hatches a hare brained scheme and all fall into line. Really, I am struck by the fact that these friends and acquaintances lead themselves to the charade so readily. Such is the power that Lucy wields that others follow her mad capped, pied piper's tune. This time it is Cassandra, Lady Munroe and Lucy's best friend who is swept deeper and deeper into a tangled web of tortured love as her cousin Pen's betrothed, Captain Julian Swift, returns from the Napoleonic wars.
Cass and Swift have kept up an amazing correspondence throughout this time. Swift, determined to break off his arranged marriage and seek Cassandra searches for his fiancé, Cassandra's cousin Penelope. Pen is supposed to be away with her friend, the very non existent Miss Patience Bunbury.
Cass, at Lucy's insistence, takes on the mantle of the mythical Miss Bunberry at a hastily flung together house party held by Lucy posing as Lady Worthington. I know, I know, Lucy's grand plan just keeps on developing! Swift of course attends.
Swift is struck by the beauty and sensitivity of Cass as Patience. Cass is in disarray...and in love. Lucy has tied them all up in knots and it's anyone's guess at how the plot will unfold.
A madcap romp with all the features of a farce worthy of Oscar Wilde.
A NetGalley ARC
Second in the Playful Brides series. Once again Lucy Hunt, the newly minted Duchess of Claringdon hatches a hare brained scheme and all fall into line. Really, I am struck by the fact that these friends and acquaintances lead themselves to the charade so readily. Such is the power that Lucy wields that others follow her mad capped, pied piper's tune. This time it is Cassandra, Lady Munroe and Lucy's best friend who is swept deeper and deeper into a tangled web of tortured love as her cousin Pen's betrothed, Captain Julian Swift, returns from the Napoleonic wars.
Cass and Swift have kept up an amazing correspondence throughout this time. Swift, determined to break off his arranged marriage and seek Cassandra searches for his fiancé, Cassandra's cousin Penelope. Pen is supposed to be away with her friend, the very non existent Miss Patience Bunbury.
Cass, at Lucy's insistence, takes on the mantle of the mythical Miss Bunberry at a hastily flung together house party held by Lucy posing as Lady Worthington. I know, I know, Lucy's grand plan just keeps on developing! Swift of course attends.
Swift is struck by the beauty and sensitivity of Cass as Patience. Cass is in disarray...and in love. Lucy has tied them all up in knots and it's anyone's guess at how the plot will unfold.
A madcap romp with all the features of a farce worthy of Oscar Wilde.
A NetGalley ARC
October 28, 2017
3.5 out of 5 stars. I loved the first book of this trilogy The Unexpected Duchess, and I was looking forward to reading this, the second book in the series. Ms. Bowman is a very fine writer. She's a good story teller with delightful characters, and sparkling witty dialogue. And, even though there's a lot of humor and amusing situations, there's also a serious dimension that provides a good balance and gives her characters depth. All of these qualities are present in this book as well. However, here I felt there was too much general silliness that went a little too far. I admit that I'm not a fan of mistaken identities and misunderstandings, which is what this book is all about. However, I can enjoy them when they're cleared up early on. Here, they just went on for too long. So, for me, the first half of the book was more farce than romance. Also, although I liked Cass, the heroine, I got frustrated with her because while she wanted to stop the charade, she never did. The last third or so of the book was better after the charade was uncovered. This is when it began to feel like a real romance, and I would give the last third a full 4 stars.
I'm looking forward to reading the final book of the trilogy. Ms. Bowman's secondary characters are wonderful, and we will finally get Jane and Garret's story.
I'm looking forward to reading the final book of the trilogy. Ms. Bowman's secondary characters are wonderful, and we will finally get Jane and Garret's story.
August 4, 2014
Witty, funny, and a fantastic story. I could not put this book down.
Lady Cassandra Monroe has dreamed about what her life would be life with the man of her dreams if he wasn't engaged to her cousin. When her cousin hides from her betrothed and Cassie finds herself being identified as her cousin's fictitious friend Patience she plays along to spend just a few more days with the man she loves before he marries her cousin.
Captain Julian Swift has just returned from war after nearly losing his life. His first stop after he returns is to Penelope Monroe's house where he not only doesn't recognize his good friend Lady Cassandra, but he is told she is his betrothed's friend and invited to a house party where Penelope is allegedly already headed. He agrees to go, determined to speak with Penelope, and finds himself a guest at a fictitious house party with a woman he is attracted to and the object of his affection.
This is a story you don't want to miss with one fib that quickly becomes a tangled web of lies. Emotions run high when Captain Swift discovers the truth and Lady Cassandra realizes how quickly one little lie can become a complete mess. Great characters and a delicious plot!
***ARC copy
Lady Cassandra Monroe has dreamed about what her life would be life with the man of her dreams if he wasn't engaged to her cousin. When her cousin hides from her betrothed and Cassie finds herself being identified as her cousin's fictitious friend Patience she plays along to spend just a few more days with the man she loves before he marries her cousin.
Captain Julian Swift has just returned from war after nearly losing his life. His first stop after he returns is to Penelope Monroe's house where he not only doesn't recognize his good friend Lady Cassandra, but he is told she is his betrothed's friend and invited to a house party where Penelope is allegedly already headed. He agrees to go, determined to speak with Penelope, and finds himself a guest at a fictitious house party with a woman he is attracted to and the object of his affection.
This is a story you don't want to miss with one fib that quickly becomes a tangled web of lies. Emotions run high when Captain Swift discovers the truth and Lady Cassandra realizes how quickly one little lie can become a complete mess. Great characters and a delicious plot!
***ARC copy
July 19, 2015
This book was so much fun to read, and I simply adored these Ladies! Valerie Bowman created the most amazing characters for this series. They are fun, bold, brilliant, and daring. Most historical romances have happy endings, however, this one has the BEST happily ever after I have read in a long, long time! The plot of this story was fun, but the plotting IN this story was hilarious! The true hero in this story was very much in need of a lady to save his soul, and Mz. Bowman created the perfect lady to do it. All the sub-characters, ladies and gents in this story were amazing, which makes me so glad this is a series, The Playful Brides. Somehow I missed book #1, which I will correct immediately, and I will impatiently await book #3 (2015). I even think there are a couple more books that could come from this series.....hint, hint :) Please don't miss reading this book and all in The Playful Brides series. A wonderfully written, a fun and sexy romance for all time.
October 30, 2017
http://www.omundoencantadodoslivros.c...
Mais um livro de Valerie Bowman que chegou até a nós e mais uma vez a autora conseguiu deixar-me encantada. A cada página a autora consegue prender o seu leitor de uma forma inequívoca e sempre com aquele toque especial e característico que marca os seus livros. Que toque é esse? Não sei explicar, a verdade é que a autora consegue escrever de uma forma muito própria, com um toque de humor muito característico e que faz com que consiga reconhecer os seus livros de uma forma muito singular. Cada livro publicado faz-me pensar na escolha acertada da TopSeller em publicar esta autora em Portugal.
É claro que com toda esta conversa já perceberam que adorei este livro. Depois da leitura do livro anterior cheguei a pensar que seria difícil que a próxima historia igualasse o mesmo, mas a verdade é que, na minha opinião, o conseguiu superar. A historia de Julian e Cassandra é lindissima, desde o inicio que se conseguia entrever-se alguns dos contornos da trama mas estes conseguiram sempre deixar-me boquiaberta e com a vontade de ler mais um pouco. Pior mesmo foi acordar no dia seguinte para ir trabalhar! Foi ainda melhor poder rever outras personagens que apareceram no livro anterior e ver como estas estão a evoluir ao longo do tempo. Lucy continua tão louca como no livro anterior, sendo que nem o casamento a acalmou e aquela historia de apresentar Cassandra como Patience tinha tudo para trazer grandes problemas. Em relação a Penelope…nem sei o que dizer…apenas que tenho vontade de bater na miúda ou fazer com que tenha um valente susto. É o que ela merece, depois de colocar a prima em tantos problemas. Devia ter dito logo a Julian que não queria nenhum compromisso com ele e ficava tudo resolvido.
E por ultimo, mais uma vez tenho de dar os parabéns à TopSeller pelas capas dos livros que tem publicado. As escolhas têm sido fantásticas e sempre que vejo um livro com capas tão lindas só me apetece pegar nele e leva-lo para casa. Muitos parabéns e obrigada por terem arriscado na publicação deste tipo de capa. Usem e abusem, penso que o pessoal gosta tanto como eu <3
Mais um livro de Valerie Bowman que chegou até a nós e mais uma vez a autora conseguiu deixar-me encantada. A cada página a autora consegue prender o seu leitor de uma forma inequívoca e sempre com aquele toque especial e característico que marca os seus livros. Que toque é esse? Não sei explicar, a verdade é que a autora consegue escrever de uma forma muito própria, com um toque de humor muito característico e que faz com que consiga reconhecer os seus livros de uma forma muito singular. Cada livro publicado faz-me pensar na escolha acertada da TopSeller em publicar esta autora em Portugal.
É claro que com toda esta conversa já perceberam que adorei este livro. Depois da leitura do livro anterior cheguei a pensar que seria difícil que a próxima historia igualasse o mesmo, mas a verdade é que, na minha opinião, o conseguiu superar. A historia de Julian e Cassandra é lindissima, desde o inicio que se conseguia entrever-se alguns dos contornos da trama mas estes conseguiram sempre deixar-me boquiaberta e com a vontade de ler mais um pouco. Pior mesmo foi acordar no dia seguinte para ir trabalhar! Foi ainda melhor poder rever outras personagens que apareceram no livro anterior e ver como estas estão a evoluir ao longo do tempo. Lucy continua tão louca como no livro anterior, sendo que nem o casamento a acalmou e aquela historia de apresentar Cassandra como Patience tinha tudo para trazer grandes problemas. Em relação a Penelope…nem sei o que dizer…apenas que tenho vontade de bater na miúda ou fazer com que tenha um valente susto. É o que ela merece, depois de colocar a prima em tantos problemas. Devia ter dito logo a Julian que não queria nenhum compromisso com ele e ficava tudo resolvido.
E por ultimo, mais uma vez tenho de dar os parabéns à TopSeller pelas capas dos livros que tem publicado. As escolhas têm sido fantásticas e sempre que vejo um livro com capas tão lindas só me apetece pegar nele e leva-lo para casa. Muitos parabéns e obrigada por terem arriscado na publicação deste tipo de capa. Usem e abusem, penso que o pessoal gosta tanto como eu <3
June 29, 2019
Dear Ms. Bowman,
When the story switched perspectives from heroine to hero at the fifth chapter, my distinct thought was: I don’t know how I made it past the first four chapters in this book without slapping someone. It was not an auspicious start and went downhill from there.
Both the heroine’s friend and cousin were atrocious. The friend was especially unbearable, as it was her brilliant idea to have our heroine masquerade as an imaginary person rather than as herself, one of the hero’s friends whom he’d not seen in many years while away at war.
This book caught my notice because I love a shy heroine and I adore a war veteran, whether male or female. (Historicals, of course, have only males as vets, unless we’re counting lady spies. Wish that were changed. Who’d like to make up a fake country where females are allowed to go to war even in the 1800s and the princess runs away from home and fights for her country, and her commanding officer is the rival for the throne who hates her family, and he discovers her true identity after the war is over and he’s already half in love with her? It writes itself, friends.)
But although I am a huge sucker for the hidden identity trope (I blame you, Johanna Lindsey), I have a strong, strong abhorrence to friends lying to each other. And they are friends. And she’s outright lied to him, just because he didn’t recognize her at first glance because he hadn’t seen her since her sixteenth birthday, and that was seven years earlier. Still, I wanted to give them a chance. I liked what I’d seen of the hero. I liked the heroine, too. It was her friends who made me want to break out the Mr. Hyde in me and go psycho.
The novel progressed and I realized, with horror, that I’d slapped someone after all: myself. Every page I turned was like violence upon me. “I’m gonna slap you now!” *slap* “Did you like it? Good.” *slap* “I’m about to do it again! Keep reading!” *slap* “Keep reading!!” *slap* This continued the entire way through. Why do I do this to myself?
At least Penelope, Cassandra’s cousin, knew she was a selfish bitch and was semi-willing to own it. She was her own person and wanted what she wanted. I can respect that. But Lucy, a duchess and the main character of the first novel in the series, which I had not read, had one of the most enormous cases of too-stupid-to-live-itis (yes, Microsoft Word, please add that term to the dictionary; thank you) that I have ever seen. Somehow, this woman decided it was a marvelous idea to lie to our hero that Cassandra, who is in love with him, is actually a fictional person. She also gave a fake name for herself, because her husband is the hero’s best friend, and if she gives a fake name, then he’ll never connect the dots. It’s not like he’ll ever meet his best friend’s wife in his entire life, right? And what in the world was wrong with saying exactly who Cassandra was? This was never answered to my satisfaction.
From what I gather of the fake names used by Cassandra and Lucy, it is supposed to be a historical romance nod to Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. FYI: The book is nothing like it in plot, voice, or spirit. The names seemed to be thrown in without any further logic to it.
Still, I wanted to read on, because I liked the name Julian a lot because Cassandra had genuine regard for Julian and Julian seemed to have genuine regard for Cassandra, who wrote him constantly while he was at war. This trope has been accomplished with a fair amount of success in the past. Why do we need this outrageously stupid manufactured misunderstanding that serves zero purpose? Can we not just see two nice people fall in love, without needless deceit involved?
All the inane subterfuge was stressful as hell, and I couldn’t truly appreciate the story. It’s as though every interaction between the hero and heroine had a dark cloud over it, and within the dark cloud, red blinking flashbulbs spelled out, “Lying, lying, lying.” When you have a dark cloud with red blinking lightbulbs flashing “Lying, lying, lying” over the character’s heads whenever they speak, it’s a bit hard to appreciate their interactions—not that there was much to appreciate in any case, because the whole novel seemed phoned in. I’m sorry to be so harsh, but I don’t know what else to say about a story chock-full of misunderstandings and without a drop of intelligence for anyone.
Just when I thought you were in on the joke, with your characters berating Lucy and Cassandra for their stupid ploy, you just waved your authoring hands and everyone went along with it. No, I’m serious:
“So, let me see if I have the right of it. You’re telling me that you’ve staged this entire house party as a means to get Julian to fall in love with Cass?”
Lucy nodded. “Yes.”
“Only he doesn’t know she’s Cass?” Jane continued.
“Right,” Lucy said. “Though that will be easily clarified later.”
Jane blinked at Lucy. “How exactly do you see that being successful?”
“Details, Jane, details. We’ll worry about that particular bit when the time comes.”
And that time didn’t come for two-thirds of the novel. The agony was intensified by the fact that the hero, who was in love with the heroine, heard that she was in love with a man and never considered it might be himself, so he got angry and surly and my god, make it stop.
The entirety of The Accidental Countess can be summed up in this exchange:
JULIAN: “I’m back from war! Where’s Penelope?”
CASSANDRA: “She doesn’t want to see you, even though you’re practically engaged.”
JULIAN: “That’s the thing: I don’t want to marry her anymore.”
CASSANDRA: “Oh, that works out beautifully!”
JULIAN: “Who are you, again?”
CASSANDRA: “Your best friend and faithful letter-writer, Cassandra.”
JULIAN: “Cassandra! I love you! Marry me!”
CASSANDRA: “I love you, too, Julian! I have always loved you!!”
-commence sex scene-
The entire story could have been stopped in its tracks with that one exchange in the first chapter. There is nothing else in it. Worthy of a novelette, perhaps, or a novella if you try hard, but when nothing stands between the characters except stupidity, misunderstandings, lack of communication, and general jiggery-pokery, you’re not going to have a novel that reads well.
I should have known. All the Amazon reviews were four and five stars, with effusive praise for the brilliance of the novel. When will you learn, Suzanne? This is your own fault. Now, slap yourself again.
D.
https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/d...
When the story switched perspectives from heroine to hero at the fifth chapter, my distinct thought was: I don’t know how I made it past the first four chapters in this book without slapping someone. It was not an auspicious start and went downhill from there.
Both the heroine’s friend and cousin were atrocious. The friend was especially unbearable, as it was her brilliant idea to have our heroine masquerade as an imaginary person rather than as herself, one of the hero’s friends whom he’d not seen in many years while away at war.
This book caught my notice because I love a shy heroine and I adore a war veteran, whether male or female. (Historicals, of course, have only males as vets, unless we’re counting lady spies. Wish that were changed. Who’d like to make up a fake country where females are allowed to go to war even in the 1800s and the princess runs away from home and fights for her country, and her commanding officer is the rival for the throne who hates her family, and he discovers her true identity after the war is over and he’s already half in love with her? It writes itself, friends.)
But although I am a huge sucker for the hidden identity trope (I blame you, Johanna Lindsey), I have a strong, strong abhorrence to friends lying to each other. And they are friends. And she’s outright lied to him, just because he didn’t recognize her at first glance because he hadn’t seen her since her sixteenth birthday, and that was seven years earlier. Still, I wanted to give them a chance. I liked what I’d seen of the hero. I liked the heroine, too. It was her friends who made me want to break out the Mr. Hyde in me and go psycho.
The novel progressed and I realized, with horror, that I’d slapped someone after all: myself. Every page I turned was like violence upon me. “I’m gonna slap you now!” *slap* “Did you like it? Good.” *slap* “I’m about to do it again! Keep reading!” *slap* “Keep reading!!” *slap* This continued the entire way through. Why do I do this to myself?
At least Penelope, Cassandra’s cousin, knew she was a selfish bitch and was semi-willing to own it. She was her own person and wanted what she wanted. I can respect that. But Lucy, a duchess and the main character of the first novel in the series, which I had not read, had one of the most enormous cases of too-stupid-to-live-itis (yes, Microsoft Word, please add that term to the dictionary; thank you) that I have ever seen. Somehow, this woman decided it was a marvelous idea to lie to our hero that Cassandra, who is in love with him, is actually a fictional person. She also gave a fake name for herself, because her husband is the hero’s best friend, and if she gives a fake name, then he’ll never connect the dots. It’s not like he’ll ever meet his best friend’s wife in his entire life, right? And what in the world was wrong with saying exactly who Cassandra was? This was never answered to my satisfaction.
From what I gather of the fake names used by Cassandra and Lucy, it is supposed to be a historical romance nod to Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. FYI: The book is nothing like it in plot, voice, or spirit. The names seemed to be thrown in without any further logic to it.
Still, I wanted to read on, because I liked the name Julian a lot because Cassandra had genuine regard for Julian and Julian seemed to have genuine regard for Cassandra, who wrote him constantly while he was at war. This trope has been accomplished with a fair amount of success in the past. Why do we need this outrageously stupid manufactured misunderstanding that serves zero purpose? Can we not just see two nice people fall in love, without needless deceit involved?
All the inane subterfuge was stressful as hell, and I couldn’t truly appreciate the story. It’s as though every interaction between the hero and heroine had a dark cloud over it, and within the dark cloud, red blinking flashbulbs spelled out, “Lying, lying, lying.” When you have a dark cloud with red blinking lightbulbs flashing “Lying, lying, lying” over the character’s heads whenever they speak, it’s a bit hard to appreciate their interactions—not that there was much to appreciate in any case, because the whole novel seemed phoned in. I’m sorry to be so harsh, but I don’t know what else to say about a story chock-full of misunderstandings and without a drop of intelligence for anyone.
Just when I thought you were in on the joke, with your characters berating Lucy and Cassandra for their stupid ploy, you just waved your authoring hands and everyone went along with it. No, I’m serious:
“So, let me see if I have the right of it. You’re telling me that you’ve staged this entire house party as a means to get Julian to fall in love with Cass?”
Lucy nodded. “Yes.”
“Only he doesn’t know she’s Cass?” Jane continued.
“Right,” Lucy said. “Though that will be easily clarified later.”
Jane blinked at Lucy. “How exactly do you see that being successful?”
“Details, Jane, details. We’ll worry about that particular bit when the time comes.”
And that time didn’t come for two-thirds of the novel. The agony was intensified by the fact that the hero, who was in love with the heroine, heard that she was in love with a man and never considered it might be himself, so he got angry and surly and my god, make it stop.
The entirety of The Accidental Countess can be summed up in this exchange:
JULIAN: “I’m back from war! Where’s Penelope?”
CASSANDRA: “She doesn’t want to see you, even though you’re practically engaged.”
JULIAN: “That’s the thing: I don’t want to marry her anymore.”
CASSANDRA: “Oh, that works out beautifully!”
JULIAN: “Who are you, again?”
CASSANDRA: “Your best friend and faithful letter-writer, Cassandra.”
JULIAN: “Cassandra! I love you! Marry me!”
CASSANDRA: “I love you, too, Julian! I have always loved you!!”
-commence sex scene-
The entire story could have been stopped in its tracks with that one exchange in the first chapter. There is nothing else in it. Worthy of a novelette, perhaps, or a novella if you try hard, but when nothing stands between the characters except stupidity, misunderstandings, lack of communication, and general jiggery-pokery, you’re not going to have a novel that reads well.
I should have known. All the Amazon reviews were four and five stars, with effusive praise for the brilliance of the novel. When will you learn, Suzanne? This is your own fault. Now, slap yourself again.
D.
https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/d...
July 2, 2018
#2 in the Playful Brides Regency romance series
I'd rate this 4.5 stars, if I could. So cute! I'm so glad I went back and read these first 2 books in the series after starting with Book #3. Now I wish I'd started at the beginning so I can really appreciate the later books and their characters. But, in any case, now I'm caught up and loving this fun series. Bowman has a great sense of humor, so the situations the characters become embroiled in are hilarious. In this case Cassandra has always loved Julian Swift, but from afar--as a letter-writing friend. Now that he has returned from the war and recovered, she's nervous about seeing him and worried about his almost-betrothal with her cousin Penelope. But when he doesn't recognize her upon their meeting, friend Lucy immediately gets involved and sets up an elaborate scheme to bring the two of them together. The plan quickly gets out of control, with more and more people involved, and more and more fibs being told to keep Julian in the dark. Very funny house party with Cassandra pretending to be Patience Bunbury. There was a lot of set-up for Jane and Garrett's story in the next book, and even an introduction to Rafe, Daphne, and Owen in future books. I'm thoroughly enjoying this series and looking forward to continuing sooner rather than later. Very well narrated by Alison Larkin. Her male voices are not particularly good, but it was easy to follow and understand.
I'd rate this 4.5 stars, if I could. So cute! I'm so glad I went back and read these first 2 books in the series after starting with Book #3. Now I wish I'd started at the beginning so I can really appreciate the later books and their characters. But, in any case, now I'm caught up and loving this fun series. Bowman has a great sense of humor, so the situations the characters become embroiled in are hilarious. In this case Cassandra has always loved Julian Swift, but from afar--as a letter-writing friend. Now that he has returned from the war and recovered, she's nervous about seeing him and worried about his almost-betrothal with her cousin Penelope. But when he doesn't recognize her upon their meeting, friend Lucy immediately gets involved and sets up an elaborate scheme to bring the two of them together. The plan quickly gets out of control, with more and more people involved, and more and more fibs being told to keep Julian in the dark. Very funny house party with Cassandra pretending to be Patience Bunbury. There was a lot of set-up for Jane and Garrett's story in the next book, and even an introduction to Rafe, Daphne, and Owen in future books. I'm thoroughly enjoying this series and looking forward to continuing sooner rather than later. Very well narrated by Alison Larkin. Her male voices are not particularly good, but it was easy to follow and understand.
December 5, 2022
Este livro conta-nos a história da Cassandra, uma jovem humilde, simples e honesta. Cass sempre foi apaixonada por Julian desde muito jovem. Julian foi para a guerra e Cass escreveu-lhe todos os dias, desenvolvendo uma amizade profunda com ele. Eles tinham tudo para ser o par perfeito, mas… Julian está noivo de Penelope, prima de Cass. Quando Julian regressa da guerra, não reconhece Cassandra após tantos anos sem a ver. Lucy, amiga de Cass, tem então uma ideia: apresentá-la a Julian como Patience, na tentativa de os conseguir aproximar. Mas será que esta troca de identidade dará frutos?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Não achei este livro tão bom como primeiro, mas ainda assim gostei muito! A Cass é uma jovem doce e pela qual é muito fácil ganhar empatia.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
O livro está cheio de artimanhas e reviravoltas mirabolantes, que tornam a leitura muito divertida e nos fazem questionar como é que as personagens se vão desenredar do novelo que criaram.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Acompanhamos um romance que é lindo, puro e único. Faz-nos acreditar na existência de almas gémeas, de alguém que nos está destinado.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Adorei ver novamente o trio Lucy, Cass e Jane em ação. Estas amigas metem-se em cada uma 🤭 mas é surpreendente como conseguem arranjar sempre uma solução para tudo.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Um bonito romance de época com todos os ingredientes para o tornar inesquecível e viciante. Como não podia deixar de ser já li o terceiro volume e tratei a minha opinião em breve!
https://www.instagram.com/p/ClwPe5xrh...
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Não achei este livro tão bom como primeiro, mas ainda assim gostei muito! A Cass é uma jovem doce e pela qual é muito fácil ganhar empatia.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
O livro está cheio de artimanhas e reviravoltas mirabolantes, que tornam a leitura muito divertida e nos fazem questionar como é que as personagens se vão desenredar do novelo que criaram.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Acompanhamos um romance que é lindo, puro e único. Faz-nos acreditar na existência de almas gémeas, de alguém que nos está destinado.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Adorei ver novamente o trio Lucy, Cass e Jane em ação. Estas amigas metem-se em cada uma 🤭 mas é surpreendente como conseguem arranjar sempre uma solução para tudo.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Um bonito romance de época com todos os ingredientes para o tornar inesquecível e viciante. Como não podia deixar de ser já li o terceiro volume e tratei a minha opinião em breve!
https://www.instagram.com/p/ClwPe5xrh...
February 21, 2018
Um livro super divertido de se ler, adorei as tramas que as personagens femininas arranjaram para juntar Julian com Cassandra.
opinião completa em: http://aviciadadoslivros.blogspot.pt/...
opinião completa em: http://aviciadadoslivros.blogspot.pt/...
April 29, 2018
3.5 stars
I don't know why I continue this series at such a quick rate, but I do. Maybe the narrator? Maybe I find that I simply enjoy ridiculous, shallow, comedic romance even if it includes unlikable characters and unlikely events.
I don't know why I continue this series at such a quick rate, but I do. Maybe the narrator? Maybe I find that I simply enjoy ridiculous, shallow, comedic romance even if it includes unlikable characters and unlikely events.
November 5, 2022
I love this Bridgerton style of writing. 💜 sweet and easy read!
November 13, 2018
My least favorite of the group so far. Not bad, but not great and not much chemistry
November 26, 2018
2 stars - Historical Romance
May 20, 2015
Like the previous book in the series, I found this one to be mediocre. I thought the romance was contrived and not well developed. It was an intriguing start, Cass had to pretend to be Patience. However, the conversations were just so contrived. The writing failed to elicit any emotion out of me. I wanted some sort of life in the story but it just felt like cookie-cutter romance.
It was an alright book but it lacked spark. It has glimmers of it once in a while, such as Jane adapting the imaginary friend tactic. At least that was interesting.
My main issue with the book is still the writing, it just lacks life. It was quite dull, not in a boring way, but rather it wants to have life but it turns out to be bland. The emotions aren't conveyed in the writing and more often than not, they are told rather than shown. This was most explicit in their bonding conversations. It was stilted and she kept coming back to the issue of war time and time again. I thought their way of bonding was just so artificial. She asks him questions and he answers honestly, creating a bond between them. That was the extent of their intimacy. There was no build up and the closeness felt very forced. I was just disappointed with it. It set the tone of the book for me and I didn't really read anything that would change my mind.
I thought the funniest part of the book was Penelope admitting that Patience was used as an excuse to not spend time with Cass. That was at the very beginning and it made me interested. However, the rest of the book didn't live up to that lively character. I noticed this trend in the first book too. Lucy and Cass had a ridiculous scheme at the start and the rest of the book was just bland. It ropes the reader in but also leaves them disappointed.
Story:
Penelope, Julian's fiancee, roped Cass in on fooling Julian. She wants her to corroborate her story on Patience, her imaginary friend. However, Lucy takes the scheme one step further by having Cass pretend to be Patience. Her reasoning was that Cass could spend time with Julian and find out that they love each other.
Cass enjoys the time she spends with him but regrets continuing the lie. It eventually comes out and Julian isn't happy with her. He thinks it was a mean joke. Cass stops spending time with Lucy. Cass is heartbroken. Both people think that the other is in love with another person.
Lucy fixes the situation by leaving Cass' letter to Julian. She wrote it when she thought he was dying and she confessed her love. Cass had her self-revelation and she plans on joining a convent. She knew she wouldn't marry since Julian wouldn't have her. Meanwhile, Julian reads the letter and rushes to her. He finally figures out that it was him who she loved. He carries her away to his house. They get engaged.
He inherits the title because his brother died. He name drops the title of the book.
I did like this book slightly better than the first one but both are still lacking in some thing to make this a good book. It lacks character and personality.
It was an alright book but it lacked spark. It has glimmers of it once in a while, such as Jane adapting the imaginary friend tactic. At least that was interesting.
My main issue with the book is still the writing, it just lacks life. It was quite dull, not in a boring way, but rather it wants to have life but it turns out to be bland. The emotions aren't conveyed in the writing and more often than not, they are told rather than shown. This was most explicit in their bonding conversations. It was stilted and she kept coming back to the issue of war time and time again. I thought their way of bonding was just so artificial. She asks him questions and he answers honestly, creating a bond between them. That was the extent of their intimacy. There was no build up and the closeness felt very forced. I was just disappointed with it. It set the tone of the book for me and I didn't really read anything that would change my mind.
I thought the funniest part of the book was Penelope admitting that Patience was used as an excuse to not spend time with Cass. That was at the very beginning and it made me interested. However, the rest of the book didn't live up to that lively character. I noticed this trend in the first book too. Lucy and Cass had a ridiculous scheme at the start and the rest of the book was just bland. It ropes the reader in but also leaves them disappointed.
Story:
Penelope, Julian's fiancee, roped Cass in on fooling Julian. She wants her to corroborate her story on Patience, her imaginary friend. However, Lucy takes the scheme one step further by having Cass pretend to be Patience. Her reasoning was that Cass could spend time with Julian and find out that they love each other.
Cass enjoys the time she spends with him but regrets continuing the lie. It eventually comes out and Julian isn't happy with her. He thinks it was a mean joke. Cass stops spending time with Lucy. Cass is heartbroken. Both people think that the other is in love with another person.
Lucy fixes the situation by leaving Cass' letter to Julian. She wrote it when she thought he was dying and she confessed her love. Cass had her self-revelation and she plans on joining a convent. She knew she wouldn't marry since Julian wouldn't have her. Meanwhile, Julian reads the letter and rushes to her. He finally figures out that it was him who she loved. He carries her away to his house. They get engaged.
He inherits the title because his brother died. He name drops the title of the book.
I did like this book slightly better than the first one but both are still lacking in some thing to make this a good book. It lacks character and personality.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews