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Griffin Family #3

by Suzanne Enoch

Kad ju je prvi put ugledao bila je poput egzotične božice koja je lebdjela po plesnom podiju, prizivajući u misli slike toplih noći i svilenih plahti, pa je lord Charlemagne Shay Griffin osjetio pravi udar munje. Nije mogao prestati misliti na nju. No uskoro će shvatiti kako ta dama nije baš najoštroumnija, ali i da je njezino bujno poprsje neposredno iznad dubokog dekoltea više nego dobar nadomjestak za to. Prije nego što toga uopće postane svjestan, razmetljivo će se hvaliti svojim budućim poslovnim poduhvatima, želeći na nju ostaviti dobar dojam… Možda se lady Sarala Carlisle samo pravila naivnom, no Shay će prekasno shvatiti da se iza njezine nekonvencionalne ljepote skrivaju britak um i besprijekorni instinkti… jednostavno ga je nadmašila i protela mu posao! Stoga njih dvoje započinju igru u kojoj je lijepa umjetnost zavođenja samo jedna od mnogih vještina koje Shay posjeduje. Ali jedino što se u tom ratu može izgubiti jest srce…

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Fiction, Regency Romance, British Literature

372 pages, Paperback

First published August 29, 2006

About the author

Suzanne was born in Southern California sometime in the latter half of the 20th century. In the way that some people are born knowing they want to be astronauts or cellists, Suzanne always knew she wanted to be a writer. Early dreams of becoming a zoologist and writing true stories about her adventures in Africa were crushed, however, after she viewed a television special about the world’s most poisonous snakes; she did NOT want to write about how she’d been bitten and lost a limb to a cobra. Thankfully at the same time the movie “Star Wars” premiered, and she realized that she could make up adventures and write about them, and not be eaten by deadly predators while doing research.

She dabbled in romantic fantasy writing for a year or two after graduating with a degree in English from the University of California, Irvine, until her affection for traditional Regency romances led her to write one for fun. After several encouraging rejections from publishers, she snared the interest of the world’s best and most patient literary agent, who advised her to revise the manuscript. This ultimately led to the publication of her first book, The Black Duke’s Prize, from Avon Books in the Spring of 1995. A second Regency, Angel’s Devil, followed that Fall.

When Avon folded its traditional Regency line, Suzanne was encouraged to try her hand at historical romance. As she remained keenly interested in England’s Regency period, she decided to attempt another manuscript set in that time. Lady Rogue hit the shelves in March of 1997. She wrote a total of 29 books for Avon, including two anthologies and a five-part contemporary series which received a pair of starred reviews from Publishers Weekly. One of those books, Twice the Temptation, was named one of the five best romances of the year by PW in 2007.

In 2002 her well-known love of all things “Star Wars” led to an invitation to appear on the E! channel in the television special “Star Wars: The Force Is Back”, where she discussed the romance in the movie series and ended up with more air time than George Lucas.

In 2010 Suzanne left Avon Books for St. Martin’s Press, where she continues to pen historical romance novels. Her 31st book, Taming an Impossible Rogue, is set to arrive in March 2012.

Suzanne is known for her humorous characters, sexy bad boys, and whip-sharp, witty dialogue. She currently resides in Placentia, California with several hundred guppies and various other tropical fish, and handful of very loud, spinach-loving finches. And her collection of action figures and statues from “Star Wars”, “Lord of the Rings”, “X-Men”, and “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Everybody needs some inspiration, after all.

www.facebook.com/SuzanneEnoch

Reviews

[Eastofoz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of Suzanne Enoch’s best and probably my least favorite of her books so far. The story is too cookie-cutter-seen-it-all-before predictable with a very weak romance. The silly side story caper felt like a bad episode of Scooby-Doo, all that was missing was a Velma-like character crying “Jinkies” every so often (!).

The book starts out well and has a different nearly exotic kind of feel to it as the heroine is from India. She’s English but she was born and raised in India so she speaks and dresses like someone from there. Sarala is an independent minded woman who thrives on out-foxing her business competitors. This was how she met Charlemagne Griffin, the second brother in the powerful Griffin family. He’s attracted to her at first because she’s beautiful and unique. Later though he wants to strangle her when she quite unexpectedly blindsides him in a business venture. This could’ve turned into a really good battle of wills but it’s pretty tame and the romance aspect isn’t very strong because there’s virtually no tension building between the h/h so you don’t really care when they come together for the very odd stolen kiss or the “scene” itself.

Enoch usually adds a different element to her books that isn’t often found in regencies and she does the same thing here (can’t tell ya otherwise it’d be a spoiler ;) but it’s uncharacteristically rushed. The whole story felt underdeveloped when it comes down to it compared to her other books. It’s as if she owed her editor the next installment and quickly whipped something up. The side story about stolen silks from the Emperor of China was dumb and got to be annoying when the ninja characters turned up. This all felt like filler and not the best at that.

The Griffin family was a little too full of themselves in this book and the Duke needed a dressing down more than once. He wasn’t even remotely likeable with his snotty/snobbish attitude. Some other past characters turned up –the best being Valentine Corbett whose quips added a much needed bit of humor from an otherwise “dryish” read.

So basically if you’re not following the Griffin family series I’d pass on this one. Enoch writes some top notch regencies but she missed the boat here. Let’s hope the Duke of Melbourne’s story ends the series as well as it started out.

[kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lord Charlemagne "Shay" Griffin dances with a dumb hottie, Lady Sarala Carlisle, and brags about an upcoming shipment of silks he's going to make bank on. Except Sarala isn't actually dumb! Just hot! So then they negotiate with makeouts and banter before FEEEEEEEELINGS and also boners.

1. Premise: ok. Writing: decent. Chemistry: solid. HOWEVER.

2. There is some gross fetishization of Indian culture in this, including the fact that Shay repeatedly refers to Sarala as his "Indian princess", emphasizing how exotic she is, and culminating in her wearing traditional "kadeez salwar" [sic] to a ball. I'm clearly no expert on the culture (see: my referring to it as Indian culture to start with), but the very gross idealization of a community that was in the midst of straight colonization by the British during the time period of this novel is...not great. Very bad. Ew.

AND THEN the conflict revolves around the theft of silks from the Chinese emperor which is handled about as well as you might imagine.

3. The sexist shit was a bit much, too. Basically, all women are big dumb-dumbs! They don't know anything! So Shay is able to use them and lose them without issue. Except not Sarala! She's so ~special and ~smart and ~not like other girls!!!

4. Sebastian was ... something in this. I don't know. I think I liked what Enoch was trying to do with him: have a man trying to protect his family from predatory persons. But the actual reality of it is kind of...asshole-y. Dickish. Underwhelming.

[A. B. J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iznenadila me! Ocekivala sam tipicni ljubic, ali imao je brojne pustolovne zaokrete... zasigurno vise nego sam ocekivala 🤗

Naravno, ovo je prvenstveno ljubavni roman, govori o odnosu egzoticne Sarale, koja je u London stigla iz Indije, i Šarlejmana, koji pripada legendarnoj obitelji Griffin. U suštini, teško da bi se njih dvoje dvaput susreli, da nije bilo kineske svile. Naime, Šarlejman je kupovao kvalitetnu svilu, koju bi odlično prodao i time se hvalio pred Saralom. Za nju, to je bila odlična informacija, jer je onda preduhitrila kupca i kupila svilu sama.

Ali, svila pripada caru. Pa namjesnici žele kazniti Šarlejmana. To je preokret.

Sarala neprestano ne odoljeva njegovim poljupcima, no to uskoro vidi dio javnosti, zbog čega su primorani vjenčati se.

No, ona odbija čvrsto udaju. I to ne zato što ga ne voli. Što bi mogao biti razlog?

Minimalno, tri ili četiri preokreta, koja su učinila radnju zanimljivijom i bogatijom.

Sve u svemu, ako volite povijesne ljubiće, nemojte preskočiti ovu. Zanimljiva je. I zasigurno pomalo drukčija.

[Monique Takens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik heb de Nederlands talige uitgave gelezen : Zo zacht als zijde - Candlelight Historische roman 745

Om bij het begin te beginnen , de nederlandse titel vind ik goed gevonden en is stukken beter dan het origineel .
Deze nederlandse Candlelight boeken hebben allemaal 318 bladzijdes terwijl de originelen er vaak 50 of zelfs meer extra hebben , de vertaler/vertaalster moet er dus hier en daar wat uit laten en dat maakt het moeilijk voor mij als lezer om te bepalen of sommige niet helemaal kloppende gebeurtenissen schrijffoutjes , vertaalfoutjes of weglaatfoutjes zijn .

Ik vond dit verhaal origineel maar rommelig , niets is echt goed uitgewerkt . De romantiek waar het in deze verhalen toch voornamelijk om draait is maar lauwwarm en kon mij niet overtuigen van de liefde van de 2 hoofdpersonen voor elkaar .
Rapport cijfer 5 = 2 en een half sterren

[Miss Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Sarala, an English lady, has grown up in India, and has recently returned to London society with her family when her father becomes a Marquis due to the death of his brother. She’s been in town for about ten days when she attends a ball and catches the eye of Charlemagne Griffin. The Griffins are a famous noble family. He is the middle brother, and known for his business deals and his way with the ladies.

Shay, as Charlemagne is known to friends and family, sees Sarala from across the room and is intrigued. She has darkly tanned skin, and is wearing a brighter, different, gown than any English lady he has ever seen. She dark paint on her eyes, and did he just glimpse a tattoo on her ankle? He asks her dance, and is so enamored of her that he begins bragging about a lucrative business deal he about to make the next morning.

The next morning, Shay arrives to complete his business and is shocked to find that Sarala has moved in on it and took it away from him! He is angry for being played a fool, and to top it off--she is a woman, too! He is determined to get what should be rightfully his returned to him.

Sarala’s mother’s only concern is to get her to act like a proper English lady. She should not be doing business deals. She should be making friends and looking for a husband. Her mother even goes so far as to tell Sarala that she must now go by the name of Sarah vs. Sarala. Sarala doesn’t agree with her mother, and only feels that she is being forced to become a different person. She had always done business and helped her father while they were in India.

I hate to write any spoilers, so I will stop here. The story started out a bit slow for me, but picked up about half way through. There is a surprising bit of suspense, a lot of humor, and a great HEA.

[daemyra, the realm's delight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something Sinful blew my little brain when I first read it in 2009. It still holds up as one of Enoch's most enduring works, in spite of the fact Chinese swordsmen are involved. Sigh. Sarala has recently returned to London after her father unexpectedly inherited the family title, due to her uncle's early passing. She has spent the majority of her life in Delhi. Naturally, the smell of cinnamon is associated with her and this scent marker will be dutifully observed every other page to signify how exotic she is. No damn lemon smell for her. As we all know, a heroine must inspire the hero to constantly think to himself she smells like this fruit or that flower at any point during the novel a placeholder compliment is required.

Sarala assists her father with his business transactions, and she continues to do so in London by literally pulling the rug under Charlemagne when she makes off with his primo bolts of silks. Charlemagne is immediately attracted to Sarala and soon realizes she's more than a new face in society. The lust-at-first-sight bit adds a splash of personality to his character, as his most discernible trait in the Griffin Family series thus far has been his love of a good business deal. Yet. Her name is Sarala, she has a henna tattoo and oh did I mention that Chinese swordsmen are an integral plot device? Ultimately, the chemistry between Sarala and Charlemagne made the story as enjoyable as it was, and for this reason alone, Something Sinful manages to squeak past the finish line as a must-read romance.

[Amarilli 73 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sebbene la serie dedicata alla famiglia Griffin non sia la migliore della Enoch, si legge comunque con divertimento. E questo terzo volume mi è piaciuto parecchio.
Tra tutti i fratelli (e io sto ancora aspettando al varco Seb, il duca indurito dalla vita e dalle responsabilità), Charlemagne era quello sinora più pomposo e sbruffone (e, in effetti, il nome altisonante non lo aiutava per nulla...).
Ci voleva un peperino per ridurlo (o tentare di ridurlo) al silenzio da innamorato!

Qui la Enoch sfoggia niente meno che lady Sarala, nata e cresciuta in India al seguito del padre commerciante e improvvisamente titolato. Alla nostra fanciulla l'Inghilterra sta stretta, la soffoca: lei era abituata a uscire con il sari, confondendosi tra i locali, parla hindu, si intende di pietre e tessuti. Logico che ora la famiglia tenti in ogni modo di "addomesticarla", a cominciare dal darle un nome meno esotico.
E logico che Sarala si ribelli, anche perché lei ha fiuto più per gli affari che per i balli noiosi.

Dunque galeotto sarà un carico di seta cinese, che Sarala, ovvio, si accaparra a danno di Charlemagne, con grande scorno e beffe.
Ma è anche un carico pericoloso e tutti i Griffin si ritroveranno a dare man forte alla neo-coppia.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

As one can tell from the downward slide in Goodreads ratings for the "Griffin Family" series, "Something Sinful" was just as disappointing (for me) as the previous books. It continues in the same vein of pairing up a faulty heroine (and I'm NOT talking about her past) with a generally OK guy who compromises endlessly because he finds that he can't live without her fire. No matter how unreasonable. What? Exactly.

Sarala is somewhat of an oddity. Just like the independence-seeking Eleanor. And the portraitist Caroline. It would appear that she could fit into the Griffin family without any issues simply because she is an English lady born and raised in India. It is this exotic quality that first draws Shay to her and after one dance he suddenly finds himself to be her business rival. Except that the business is all a charade. And the fact that she pretty much stole his shipment. I felt so upset on behalf of Shay that I could not connect with the heroine at all. The gall!

Of course, by the time this frivolous melodrama is resolved, the author decides to add in some more masala. Sarala/Sarah has a terrible secret that has been fueling her hesitation to marry. Cue a villainous lord intent on blackmail. Cue more drama as she sacrifices her happiness to preserve the reputation of the man she loves. Or tries to anyway. Thank goodness Shay has enough sense to put a stop to her supposedly acute mind. The problem is solved (albeit absurdly, but I'll get to that later) with a nice bow until we get another curveball. And then the book ends abruptly. What was the point of the last few pages? It really is quite baffling that the author went through all that trouble to tune us into Shay's interior decorating skills.

The entire sub-plot was far-fetched, especially for this genre. As an Asian, I found myself somewhat offended by the cultural appropriation which fueled Sarala's backstory as well as the existence of the three Chinese swordsmen. Because a Chinese emperor did not have enough silk that he would send his personal guard on a wild goose chase halfway around the world. Really? The only redeeming quality was that Sebastian, the stodgy patriarch, is somewhat less stodgy when Shay is in danger. Otherwise the heroine just has too many problems (and a social climber of a mother). Shay could have done better and should have dropped her like a hot paratha.

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Polvere d'Arte -per RFS
.
Vorrei iniziare con una premessa: si tratta di una dilogia in cui i due volumi sembrano uno il risvolto dell’altro.

Questo primo è tenero e romantico, esplora le prime volte, l’innamoramento, la scoperta di sé e dei propri limiti, sia come uomo che come amante. Ma è anche un processo che porta Ned a giocare il tutto per tutto fino a perdere la sua umanità, combattuto tra l’amore per Cole e il desiderio di vendetta per i genitori uccisi.

La prima trama smonta un bravo ragazzo pezzo a pezzo fino a sgretolare la sua morale e i suoi valori, rubandogli l’unica cosa per cui è disposto a morire. Dopo aver fallito e perso tutto, ciò che rimane di Ned è un uomo disfatto, imbruttito e senza più niente per cui vivere.

Il secondo volume avrà il compito di raccontare la difficile risalita di un selvaggio preda degli istinti verso la civiltà, di un mostro disilluso verso il calore dei sentimenti e la sensibilità.

Né Cole né Ned saranno più l’uomo puro e pieno di speranza che erano nelle prime pagine, eppure, si spera, alla fine saranno insieme, cocci che si completano.

«Ned O’Leary è il mio uomo. Me lo hai detto tu stesso, Tom, che avrei potuto avere tutto ciò che avrei voluto prendermi. E io voglio lui. L’ho trovato. L’ho preso. Ed è mio.»

“L’uomo che amava Cole Flores” è una bellissima storia western in cui Cole fa parte di una banda di fuorilegge mentre Ned è un bravo ragazzo irlandese che, nel tentativo di vendicare l’omicidio dei genitori, si aggrega alla stessa comunità di pistoleri.

Col passare del tempo, grazie all’amicizia profonda con Cole e alla quotidianità priva di regole stringenti sulla morale, la religione, il peccato e il senso di colpa, Ned arriva ad apprezzare la progressiva libertà e riesce a scovare la propria identità, a capire meglio i propri desideri. La rigida formazione cattolica gli ha sempre impedito di comprendere il motivo per cui non era mai stato attratto da una donna. Ingenuo e inesperto, non si accorge di flirtare con Cole, non poteva neppure immaginare di essere “un pervertito, una persona nata sbagliata, un essere aberrante, uno scherzo della natura”.
Tenerissimo e molto introspettivo il viaggio alla scoperta di sé, di esplorazione e di graduale risveglio emotivo e anche sessuale. Grazie alla vicinanza di Cole, un po’ più esperto della sessualità alternativa, anche Ned riesce ad approcciarsi all’esplorazione del corpo, ai primi baci e alle prime volte.

La comunità di fuorilegge è per molti versi priva di moralità e sessualmente promiscua e depravata, eppure l’omosessualità rimane un tabù perfino in questo contesto. Essere temuti e apparire virili e rispettati può fare la differenza tra la vita e la morte, quando tutti vogliono dimostrare il loro essere più alfa degli altri. Ma prima di tutto, Ned deve affrontare i propri dubbi interiori, anni di moralismo, di giudizi da parte di zii bigotti che risuonano nella sua mente. Ma il piacere di stare con Cole e di essere toccato per la prima volta, l’amicizia, la sintonia, la tenerezza che prova con lui, oltre che l’attrazione innocente e virginale per il suo corpo sono così forti da superare qualsiasi insicurezza.

«Il mondo non è giusto, vero? Quando sono stato lasciato da mio zio, ho lavorato così tanto al ranch per dimostrare quanto valgo e lui mi ha cacciato quando sua figlia ha iniziato a farmi gli occhi dolci.» Il calore nello sguardo di Cole era inconfondibile quando annuì. «È vero. Le persone semplici sono bloccate in un pozzo di merda e più cercano di uscirne, più scivolano giù. Quindi non esiterò a prendere le cose che voglio, anche quando la gente dirà che non è giusto. Soldi. Gioielli…» Deglutì e gli afferrò il mento per far incontrare i loro occhi. «Tu.»

A lungo andare, la libertà che la comune regala non è più senza corrispettivo; a Ned viene chiesto di partecipare ad azioni violente o immorali che non condivide, e sempre più spesso è costretto a decidere se perdere un pezzo della propria umanità tenendo duro con la prospettiva di ottenere giustizia oppure fuggire ed essere felice in un futuro con Cole, rinunciando al suo piano di vendetta.

Questa scelta atroce lo dilania, ma la rabbia continua a spingerlo avanti e ad avvelenargli l’animo, finendo per distruggere tutto ciò che di meraviglioso ha trovato con Cole.

Ned porta a compimento la totale disfatta di un uomo; il bravo ingenuo irlandese, cattolico e timoroso di Dio, che viene costretto a vivere come fuorilegge e finisce sulla cattiva strada, arriva a compiere il suo gesto più estremo e a perdere completamente la sua umanità.

Al culmine del suo arco di crescita, capisce l’unica cosa per cui è disposto a morire, l’amore per Cole, e finisce per giocare il tutto per tutto, la sua intera identità… fallendo.

Cole gli afferrò la mano buona e intrecciò le loro dita. «Chiunque ti guardi anche solo in modo sbagliato morderà la terra! Non permetterò che questo accada di nuovo.» Ned lo fissò, rigirando lentamente la situazione nella sua testa. La furia protettiva di Cole, la tenerezza, l’orologio che aveva insistito per regalargli una volta che lui aveva riso del mazzo di fiori… A quel punto, la sua rabbia si trasformò in confusione. «Mi… mi stai corteggiando?»

Le caratterizzazioni sono davvero potenti. Cole non è solo il tenero pistolero sexy vestito di nero, sa anche essere letale, perché la vita gli ha insegnato che certe cose vanno semplicemente fatte. Il suo unico desiderio è quello di essere amato, il suo unico valore è la lealtà.

Mentre Ned è un bocciolo che si schiude e trova la sua dimensione, il suo equilibrio, la sua moralità, la sua libertà, prima di buttarsi a capofitto per ciò in cui crede. Se all’inizio vede le cose in bianco o nero, scoprirà le sfumature grazie alle continue scelte, ai segreti costretto a tenere, al senso di colpa per aver deluso la persona che ama.

È indubbiamente un romanzo molto, molto tenero, ma troverete anche una certa dose di una violenza cruda, non censurata. La passione è esplosiva e coinvolgente, ma intrisa di quella dolcezza che si basa su un affetto sincero e onesto tra i due ragazzi. Oltre a questo, troviamo una vera avventura western, con giornate che non finiscono mai senza un imprevisto e vicende rocambolesche, pericoli del tipo vivi-o-muori, sparatorie, e tante scelte difficili. Molti momenti ricchi di azione che portano il ritmo di lettura da zero a cento in un secondo.

[Pamela Shropshire · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Griffin family series has been disappointing as a whole and this one is, sadly, the worst so far.

Charlemagne ("Shay") meets Lady Sarala at a party and is fascinated because she's tanned. Oh, yeah, she smells like cinnamon, too. *eyeroll* While they are dancing, he brags about a business deal - he is going to buy 500 bolts of exquisite Chinese silk from a ship captain and make a killing off it. Sarala has been helping her father in his business for years, so she gets to the docks early and buys the silks before Shay gets there.

Shay is outraged to have been bested by a woman. He keeps trying to negotiate with Sarala - or at least that's the excuse for them to be together.

Actually this setup could have been a good one. Instead it turned into a complete farce and it's only because I can't stand to DNF a book that I persevered to the end.

3 very generous stars.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I enjoyed the first one in the series especially the beginning of the story because it made me laugh. This 3rd book I enjoyed all the way through beginning to end. The romance between Charlemagne (Shay) Griffin the second eldest and Lady Sarala Carlisle fresh off the boat from India begins when she took tips on a profitable business deal and bested him. They begin negotiations which take a little longer as they enjoy each other’s company using their business cunning in deal making and kissing a lot. Sebastian Griffin Duke of Melbourne decides to check out Sarala Carlisle by asking his sister Eleanor and his brother Zachary to help out. Suddenly Sarala is being invited to a lady’s luncheon by Shay’s sister Eleanor with his sister in law Caroline Zachary’s wife, the theatre with the Griffin family, dinner at Griffin House, invitations to several balls. The rest of the story is surrounded in mystery concerning the silk shipment and Sarala’s good name. It is a good read.

[Elaine]

DNF at 25%
I'm giving up on this series. I really like Suzanne Enoch but this series just doesn't work for me. Each book just seems to be more boring than the previous one. Maybe I'll revisit it some other time but for now I'm moving on.

[Nisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first SE book that I couldn't really fall in love with. There's a lot of parts that I throughly enjoyed, but the book was only so-so for me.

Shay, whose name I love, is not exactly my ideal hero, though he is a great guy. Steady, dependable, smart, ambitious, whatnot. Sarala is nice too. She's fiercely competent and manages to be somewhat likeable. Until the end's hysterics. Her parents were lame, especially the mother.

I just found the book so implausible, especially with that Chinese silk plot. As well as the fact that there were situations that just didn't seem acceptable to the period. Shay and Sarala basically walked on scandal. The villain was extra dumb and there was not enough tension.

What I did enjoy was the bit of foreignness mixed in and Peep, who is one adorable 7 year old. The entire family had a part in this book, which was fun to watch. Valentine's part was the best, I thought. There are some parts when Sebastian gets on my nerves. But he had his faults too, I guess. Shay and Sarala's rivalry was great, but the tension was lacking. Am I sounding contradictory? I just felt that something was missing.

[Lady Darcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord Charlemagne Giffin is someone who prides himself on being a great business man but when Lady Sarala Hansover enters into his life and takes the one business arragment he plans to be the best ever from underneath his nose he never thought that she would also catch his interest.
Lady Sarala Hansover new to England never thought to find a solution to help her family with their debt struggles utnil someone as amazing as Shay shows up and asks her to dance and tells her of his business arragnment she knew that was the one way to change her luck around.
One would think that negotiation business is boring, but when Shay and Sarala battle out their wits will one win and one lose or will something the game?

[Becca]

No star rating as I’m not sure what to think at the moment. This book has been on my shelf for years because I remember loving it. However, diving into it again certain it would be a comfort read did not deliver for me. At the time, it was one of my first Suzanne Enoch reads. And Enoch has style. I love her style. But now I’ve read many many wonderful Enoch books and I have gotten spoiled. I don’t think this is a bad book. There’s plenty of action, humor, and sharp banter. Not to mention more history than usual with trade and India and politics. But I just think Enoch has some books I personally like better that I’ll prefer to re-read in the future instead with characters I enjoy and relate to more.

[Sabina_bere · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 *
Prva knjiga me je navdušila, druga za odtenek manj, pri tretji pa imam sploh mešane občutke.
Sama zasnova je luštna, sploh zaplet z blagom in s kitajskimi mečevalci, da ne omenjam duhovitih dialogov, vendar sem dobila občutek, da nekaj manjka. Pravzaprav me zgodba ni tako pritegnila, kot sem upala in mestoma se mi je zdela po nepotrebnem razvlečena. Oh, da ne omenjam Shayjeve čudne reakcije med ljubezenskim prizorom in bolj me je pritegnil njegov brat, vojvoda. No, če sem iskrena, mi je tudi Sarala včasih "kodrala" živce, čeprav je kljub temu meni všečna junakinja, saj je zelo bistroumna in neizprosna pogajalka.

[Rikijana]

I liked the book overall, the plot, the flow and the writing. But there were many times that I felt as if it was not well proofread. Twice the heroin calls her father Pati( husband) instead of pita. And around that time period in that setting I don't think anyone called fathers Pita, they were refered to as babuji, or bapuji, or pitaji, but never pita. Other than that there were also times where costumes were not researched well. You can either wear a sari or a salwaar not both together. These mistakes were entirely off-putting for me who knows the correct terms and the like.

[sexxxy shelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this book!!! I really feel that even if you're not a fan of historical romances, this could be your exception. 1st off I love this series and Suzanne Enoch rocks! This book cracked me up. I just really got a kick out of how they met. Shay was just so hot and sweet, not much missing on this book. Great storyline, entertaining on so many levels.

[Dolly · Rating 1 out of 5]

After such a promising start to the series this was so disappointing. Lots of out of touch orientalism and an exotically ~tanned~ heroine who's just so ~different~, not to mention the end where the women all dress up in Indian clothes to spice things up. I just can't.

[Aileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed it very much and once again another family (next to Julia Quinn's Bridgertons series) that I wouldn't mind having as one of my own. The story flow and pace was just right.

[Dija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful story overall, but I never really warmed up to the heroine.

3.5/5 stars

[Lyanne Quay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Qualcosa di proibito è un’occasione mancata per Enoch.
Dalla vostra Lyanne Quay di Un Conte per Tiranno!

Qualcosa di proibito Tanto mi era piaciuto "Peccati e sentimenti" il primo della serie Griffin eletto a mio romanzo del cuore, tanto questo m'ha fatto orrore. Questo "Qualcosa di Proibito" della Enoch fa venire veramente i nervi, comincia con una prosa ipersemplificata, e anche in termini di storia romantica nel modo peggiore, con l'eroe di turno che la vede e, sbam, la bacia senza un perché. E il romanzo va avanti così di bacio in bacio fino allo scioglimento basato su fantomatici "spadaccinici cinesi". Insomma il tutto si configura come un episodio in costume di Scooby Doo, dove lord Cane slinguazza l'innamorata in faccia fino a farle la festa nel finale. È un peccato perché, per una volta, avevamo un romanzo dedicato a esplorare il fascino dell'intelligenza, sia per l'uomo che per la donna, e avevamo una protagonista forte e sagace. Il portato di tutto questo acume, malgrado il disastro narrativo, ci regala tuttavia una vera perla, un approdo per tutte noi che leggiamo romance storici: la protagonista, udite udite, – e non sono sarcastica, – è consapevole che "essere rovinata" non è peggio che vivere in un matrimonio infelice, quanto meno per lei che è in grado di cavarsela egregiamente negli affari e non avrebbe problemi a mantener se stessa senza un marito.
Oltre alla perla, questo romanzo ci regala anche un'occasione per riflettere sul perché Tess Thompson, la E. Rose, la London degli Highlander, Nora Roberts... indichino alle loro eroine il felice approdo in una grande famiglia solidale, con tanti fratelli e sorelle e relativi coniugi. Queste autrici sembrano offire alle loro eroine un traguardo di protezione rafforzata, non più un solo marito ricco a tutelare il loro benessere, ma tutto il suo clan, e sopratutto offrono al lieto fine un contesto in cui possa dispiegarsi il potere del ruolo di moglie. Non più dunque il matrimonio come porsi della donna fuori dai giochi, confinata nella gestione della casa e nella maternità, bensì microcosmo sociale dove la maritata possa "vantarsi sul divano" di essere tale al cospetto delle più più giovani e pertanto rampanti in agguato.
È una formula che ho trovato anche leggendo un romanzo di Marianna Vidal ambientato in un albergo di Ischia: questo compiacersi delle donne maritate di essere "assignurute" come si dice in Sicilia.
Colgo questa estetica e compiacimento come retaggio di un modo di pensare obsoleto, m pare appartenere a prospettive storiche e sociali ormai liquidate per sempre. La società in alt'Italia è irrimediabilmente atomizzata. Non che tutte le mie amiche scrittrici del Sud abbiano questo mito del clan peraltro, penso a Giusy De Nicolo che me ne sembra perfettamente immune. E peraltro nelle autrici anglosassoni menzionate questo mito del clan familiare non può essere legato alla loro esperienza personale datosi che le società anglosassoni sono iperindividualiste. Sapete cosa? Immagino in questi contesti familiari allargati una grande competitività e un enorme sforzo di mariti e mogli di nascondere i problemi agli occhi degli altri, un licenziamento, un problema di salute dei figli, o difficoltà scolastiche, tutto da nascondere per non sfigurare... mi sbaglio?

[LadyAileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Qualcosa di proibito è il terzo volume della serie romance Griffin, chiamata così perché i protagonisti sono i membri dell'omonima famiglia. I volumi possono essere letti anche singolarmente in quanto ognuno di essi vede protagonista una coppia diversa.
La storia è narrata attraverso il punto di vista di entrambi i protagonisti (quello femminile ha più spazio) e racconta le vicende di Charles, un nobile e ricco uomo d'affari che una sera, durante un ballo incontra Lady Sarala, un'affascinate donna appena tornata dall'India, e ne rimane immediatamente affascinato. Per fare colpo su di lei e credendola un'ingenua, le parla di un affare riguardante delle preziose sete dalla Cina, non immaginando che Lady Sarala gli soffierà l'affare sotto il naso. A quel punto tra i due scoppierà una vera guerra...
Sarala è una protagonista particolare, è cresciuta in India e ha goduto di una libertà che una donna di Londra non avrebbe mai avuto. E' intelligente, una donna pratica e sa come condurre una trattativa ed ottenere ciò che vuole. Sembra che sia lei a tenere le redini delle finanze familiari peccato che non ci venga mostrato in alcun modo questa sua abilità salvo per l'affare della seta. Anche Charles è un uomo intelligente e un abile uomo d'affari. Non si lascia governare dai sentimenti ma dalla logica. Le cose cambiano quando incontra Sarala che sa come tenergli testa.
La parte più intrigante è la prima metà del libro quando i due protagonisti battibeccano continuamente ed esplorano l'attrazione tra loro mentre la seconda perde un po' di mordente. Non ho molto apprezzato quest'idea di introdurre un cattivo che all'improvviso si rifà vivo nell'ultima parte del romanzo (meglio continuare con i problemi legati all'affare della seta).
Lo stile è scorrevole, a tratti persino divertente, il livello di sensualità è basso, storia carina ma niente di memorabile.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is my least favorite but only for one odd decision in the story line, otherwise we have a heroine, Sarala, who plays dumb when she first meets Charlemagne who is instantly in lust with her but is a bit disappointed when he finds her less intelligent so he decides to brag about a business deal he's going to wrap up the next day. However the next day he arrives to find that his deal has already been sold to someone else, Sarala swooped in and took the silks that he was bragging about the night before.
Sarala has spent at least half her life helping her father with his business deals when they lived in India, so she takes advantage of Charlemagne's foolish bragging and now he must deal with her to get them back before she sells them off to someone else. She names a ridiculously high sum and he still thinks that she can't out do him in a deal because she's a woman he offers an insultingly low number and a kiss, starting all the back and forth insults, arguments and steam as he realizes he loves how intelligent and challenging he finds her.
These 2 where a lot of fun to watch, the odd aspect involving the Chinese emperor felt a bit out of place to me but otherwise this was a good time.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite of the series so far. Yes, there were situations with the Chinese swordsmen which were ridiculous and unbelievable. Yes, there were annoying moments where I didn't like some of the characters. But, I found it very entertaining and wanted to keep reading to see what they would do next. I appreciated Shay's intelligence, his passion for Sarala, and his intensity. The fact that he was so drawn to her and couldn't help the little touches and kisses made me love him even more. It was also wonderful how he valued the things about her that were unique- he was attracted to who she really was. The more he learned about her, the more he respected her and didn't try to change her into the "proper" English lady.

[Zeahaa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Skipped through this because the heroine is a fully English woman who grew up in in India leading her to
-have tanned and an accent and being referred to as exotic multiple times
-hero literally refers to her as Indian princess multiple times. again, this woman is fully English
-the heroine apparently learned how to charm snakes during her time there
-she dresses up in India clothes at a masquerade ball and somehow wears a “salwar kadeez” (not how it’s actually spelled) WITH a sari.
-she also has a henna tattoo on her foot
-calls her father “pati” (which means husband) instead of “pita” (and it should be pita-ji if she grew up in India smh)
-also there’s a plot point involving Chinese swordsmen that I’m not even going to touch on

[Emanuellen Trizi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlemagne and Sarala story (because of course they both had to had complexes names) is vibrant and lovely! I think that the bit of bussiness is great and refreshing, a lot of funny scenes and good sparring between the two. Sarala is so cute, and I loved that she shared her secret soon with Shay, so he could help. I was expecting more about the chineses, but the final part is great, so funny to see DeLayne's fall. And its nice to see Melbourne melt a little too, its a great warming to next book!

[Nancy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a delightful book with some unexpected events happening that lift it a bit higher than the normal romance. When Lord Chamberlain, known as Shay, brags to a young woman, Lady Sarala, about an impending business deal that will make him a lot of money, no one is more surprised than he to discover that she stole the deal right out from under his nose. The ending is, of course, predictable, but the story is fun and a quick read for romance fans.

[Ash · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was okay but I was a bit turned off by weird ways that Indian culture and Chinese people are written about in a time when Britain was unashamedly colonizing the whole world. Eh, it was a little awkward and could have been handled differently without negatively impacting the rest of the book.

[Miriamgreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a great story
forgot had read nearly all Griffin family until looked up reviews
surprised did not remember Eleanor's book,
This one was totally absorbed with characters and plot
excellent
DNF seb's book apparently