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No Regrets
Carolyn Torrington’s romantic dreams of her childhood friend Lucas Rivers are shattered when the wily lord offers her a marriage of convenience to gain his inheritance. While it breaks her heart to say yes to the arrangement with a man she’s always loved, it’s the only way to secure her sisters’ futures.
To the world, Lucas, Lord Foxhaven, is an irrepressible rogue, and wedded bliss is the furthest thing from his mind. But he’s been forced up to the mark by his father, and he’s certain the demure Carolyn won’t give him an iota of trouble—if only her voluptuous body weren’t driving him to distraction.
As Carolyn struggles to keep her true feelings hidden, Lucas is drawn ever more powerfully by thoughts of unbridled passion, and he’s stunned by his burgeoning feelings for a woman he’s always seen as a friend. When a scheming Parisian relative threatens to take her from him for good, Lucas realizes he must stand up and be the man Carolyn always knew he could be—even as he suddenly comes to know he wants their marriage in name only to become quite real . . .
This book was originally published under the author name Michele Ann Young.
To the world, Lucas, Lord Foxhaven, is an irrepressible rogue, and wedded bliss is the furthest thing from his mind. But he’s been forced up to the mark by his father, and he’s certain the demure Carolyn won’t give him an iota of trouble—if only her voluptuous body weren’t driving him to distraction.
As Carolyn struggles to keep her true feelings hidden, Lucas is drawn ever more powerfully by thoughts of unbridled passion, and he’s stunned by his burgeoning feelings for a woman he’s always seen as a friend. When a scheming Parisian relative threatens to take her from him for good, Lucas realizes he must stand up and be the man Carolyn always knew he could be—even as he suddenly comes to know he wants their marriage in name only to become quite real . . .
This book was originally published under the author name Michele Ann Young.
- GenresHistorical Romance
419 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2017
103 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Ann Lethbridge
181 books157 followersAKA Michèle Ann Young (Goodreads Author)
An army brat born in England and now living in Canada, Ann grew up loving history, but majored in business, with history on the side. She has a husband and two lovely daughters and a Maltese Terrier called Teaser, who likes to sit on a chair beside the computer while she works.
Her love of the past and the stories in her imagination led her to write her first novel in 2000, a never-see-the-light-of-day-effort, and after having her first book published in 2006, she knew she'd found her niche.
She loves the Georgian era, and within that, the period known as the long Regency. She also adores happy endings.
You will find her books in bookstores in the month of issue, as well as on line at Mills and Boon or E-harlequin.
An army brat born in England and now living in Canada, Ann grew up loving history, but majored in business, with history on the side. She has a husband and two lovely daughters and a Maltese Terrier called Teaser, who likes to sit on a chair beside the computer while she works.
Her love of the past and the stories in her imagination led her to write her first novel in 2000, a never-see-the-light-of-day-effort, and after having her first book published in 2006, she knew she'd found her niche.
She loves the Georgian era, and within that, the period known as the long Regency. She also adores happy endings.
You will find her books in bookstores in the month of issue, as well as on line at Mills and Boon or E-harlequin.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 27, 2017
Book Review For: No Regrets by Ann Lethbridge 'No Regrets' by Ann Lethbridge is the story of Carolyn 'Caro' Torrington and Lucas Rivers, Viiscount Foxhaven. Caro and Lucas where childhood friends and now they are best friends. When Lucas asked her to marry him a year ago, Caro turned him down. Caro is a Vicars daughter with sisters to help out. But even with Norwich a suitor asked her to marry him she turned him down too. But now a year later Caro is having to do manual labor to earn money. Lucas corners her while washing dishes and insists that they marry. Its seems his father has taken away him money and also convinced his Grandmother not to give him money until he settles downs and marry. Lucas tells Caro that his father insist that he marry her. Lucas strikes up a bargain to help Caro and her sisters if she would only marry him. Caro is slow to agree but asked that he give them a season in town. Caro thinks to help her sisters this way too. But Lucas had laid it down that theirs would be a marriage of convenience and that they could go on being best friends. But can Caro protect her heart...because she loves him as more than a friend. "My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2H... https://twitter.com/soapsrus68 https://www.facebook.com/RomanceBookR... http://booklikes.com/bloghttps://roma... https://www.tumblr.com/blog/romancebo...
August 30, 2018
I received this ARC from NetGalley and voluntarily chose to write a review.
1.5 stars
The blurb would have you believe that this is a marriage of convenience whereby two childhood friends enter matrimony for financial purposes. The heroine has been in love with the hero her entire life and the latter only starts seeing her as a woman after their marriage. Forget everything you know about the marriage of convenience trope because pretty much nothing happens except for crazy villains bringing their evil plan to fruition at a French castle.
The writing is fine, but choppy. First of all, the story begins in such a confusing manner that I felt like Alice trying to make her way through wonderland. I had to reread several paragraphs to truly understand why the hero and heroine were acting that way. I almost got vertigo. Moreover, it is hard to follow both the narration and the conversation. Topics are switched abruptly or the characters say something random that does not connect to the subject of the conversation. Finally, I was not a fan of the way the flashbacks were inserted in the story. The flashbacks were written in detail and it was narrated in italicized font. I think the flashbacks would have been better used had they been included in separate chapters, rather than being included right when a character is ruminating on the past.
The characters and the plot were not well-written. Both hero and heroine were unlikable. We are told that Lucas and Carolyn are childhood friends, which is something that I can believe given the number of flashbacks there are. But Lucas always refers to Carolyn as his "best friend" and that I find extremely hard to believe. Lucas and Carolyn barely know each other as adults. They barely talk to each other about anything of substance. As a matter of fact, there is zero communication between them. They simply make assumptions about each other or jump to hasty conclusions without even investigating. For example, Carolyn immediately assumes that Lucas has a mistress when she finds out he bought a house. And when she mentions this to him, he does not even try correct her assumptions. Not only does Lucas not tell her about his project, he doesn't say anything to her about her inheritance. Even though their marriage was a business transaction, they didn't act like a team at all. Finally, there was no build up leading to the intimate scenes, except for the scene after Carolyn's race and the only love scene in the last chapter.
Carolyn acted out of character many times, throwing caution to the wind, even though the main reason she entered this marriage of convenience was to help her sisters. She was also dumb: who the hell immediately accepts a random family member without even questioning him?? Why didn't her aunt seek her and her sisters in England?? She asked no questions regarding this claim and just went along with it. This made no sense at all. Furthermore, Carolyn was always so unsure of herself. She kept changing her mind about Lucas and their wedding constantly and her reasoning made zero sense. Her self-esteem was so low that she kept refusing to admit he was jealous when she was around other men. She also took every little thing he said or did (or stopped doing) out of context. The lack of communication did not help matters either. When Lucas flat out told her she was beautiful, she thought it was only because he said it in the heat of passion. Then 2 seconds later, she thought to herself that he told her she was gorgeous and that must be true because he never lies. MAKE UP YOUR MIND!!! Carolyn NEVER stood up for herself. Don't even get me started on how she broke her promise by telling Cedric about her business arrangement with Lucas. What. the. Fuck? And the author did not even describe how that happened, which irritated me even more. And she wanted to give Cedric and Francois the benefit of the doubt even after being kidnapped by them. Girl, bye. Carolyn was a passive character who failed to make up her mind even in the end.
Lucas was a bearable character, but he was also stupid at times and very prideful. I can't believe he even thought for a minute that Carolyn was in love with that asshole Francois, even after the kidnapping business. Lucas was also kind of an asshole, but at least he was not a passive character like Carolyn and took action (even if his friend had to push him to chase Carolyn). At least he came to his senses after the whole ordeal, unlike Carolyn.
Moving on to the plot. The author had two wonderful tropes to play around with: marriage of convenience and childhood friends-to-lovers tropes. The latter was done well, despite the fact that I did not like the method of flashbacks the author used. The first one was poorly executed. There were so many opportunities for character and relationship development, but all of that were thrown out of the window for some paltry, utterly predictable villains, who were revealed very early on. I think that the author had the chance to at least leave Cedric's identity a secret. She had done a good job with this one flashback where she had hinted that Cedric was not all he pretended to be (the one where Lucas and Carolyn were blamed for leaving the stable door open). Maybe then I could have been as outraged as Lucas was when he found out the truth. The rescue mission in the end was dragged endlessly.
To summarize: the writing overall was chaotic. The characters and plot were also chaotic and there was practically zero character development for Carolyn. I was going to rate this only 1 star, but the character development for Lucas's dad was well done, so 1.5 stars it is.
1.5 stars
The blurb would have you believe that this is a marriage of convenience whereby two childhood friends enter matrimony for financial purposes. The heroine has been in love with the hero her entire life and the latter only starts seeing her as a woman after their marriage. Forget everything you know about the marriage of convenience trope because pretty much nothing happens except for crazy villains bringing their evil plan to fruition at a French castle.
The writing is fine, but choppy. First of all, the story begins in such a confusing manner that I felt like Alice trying to make her way through wonderland. I had to reread several paragraphs to truly understand why the hero and heroine were acting that way. I almost got vertigo. Moreover, it is hard to follow both the narration and the conversation. Topics are switched abruptly or the characters say something random that does not connect to the subject of the conversation. Finally, I was not a fan of the way the flashbacks were inserted in the story. The flashbacks were written in detail and it was narrated in italicized font. I think the flashbacks would have been better used had they been included in separate chapters, rather than being included right when a character is ruminating on the past.
The characters and the plot were not well-written. Both hero and heroine were unlikable. We are told that Lucas and Carolyn are childhood friends, which is something that I can believe given the number of flashbacks there are. But Lucas always refers to Carolyn as his "best friend" and that I find extremely hard to believe. Lucas and Carolyn barely know each other as adults. They barely talk to each other about anything of substance. As a matter of fact, there is zero communication between them. They simply make assumptions about each other or jump to hasty conclusions without even investigating. For example, Carolyn immediately assumes that Lucas has a mistress when she finds out he bought a house. And when she mentions this to him, he does not even try correct her assumptions. Not only does Lucas not tell her about his project, he doesn't say anything to her about her inheritance. Even though their marriage was a business transaction, they didn't act like a team at all. Finally, there was no build up leading to the intimate scenes, except for the scene after Carolyn's race and the only love scene in the last chapter.
Carolyn acted out of character many times, throwing caution to the wind, even though the main reason she entered this marriage of convenience was to help her sisters. She was also dumb: who the hell immediately accepts a random family member without even questioning him?? Why didn't her aunt seek her and her sisters in England?? She asked no questions regarding this claim and just went along with it. This made no sense at all. Furthermore, Carolyn was always so unsure of herself. She kept changing her mind about Lucas and their wedding constantly and her reasoning made zero sense. Her self-esteem was so low that she kept refusing to admit he was jealous when she was around other men. She also took every little thing he said or did (or stopped doing) out of context. The lack of communication did not help matters either. When Lucas flat out told her she was beautiful, she thought it was only because he said it in the heat of passion. Then 2 seconds later, she thought to herself that he told her she was gorgeous and that must be true because he never lies. MAKE UP YOUR MIND!!! Carolyn NEVER stood up for herself. Don't even get me started on how she broke her promise by telling Cedric about her business arrangement with Lucas. What. the. Fuck? And the author did not even describe how that happened, which irritated me even more. And she wanted to give Cedric and Francois the benefit of the doubt even after being kidnapped by them. Girl, bye. Carolyn was a passive character who failed to make up her mind even in the end.
Lucas was a bearable character, but he was also stupid at times and very prideful. I can't believe he even thought for a minute that Carolyn was in love with that asshole Francois, even after the kidnapping business. Lucas was also kind of an asshole, but at least he was not a passive character like Carolyn and took action (even if his friend had to push him to chase Carolyn). At least he came to his senses after the whole ordeal, unlike Carolyn.
Moving on to the plot. The author had two wonderful tropes to play around with: marriage of convenience and childhood friends-to-lovers tropes. The latter was done well, despite the fact that I did not like the method of flashbacks the author used. The first one was poorly executed. There were so many opportunities for character and relationship development, but all of that were thrown out of the window for some paltry, utterly predictable villains, who were revealed very early on. I think that the author had the chance to at least leave Cedric's identity a secret. She had done a good job with this one flashback where she had hinted that Cedric was not all he pretended to be (the one where Lucas and Carolyn were blamed for leaving the stable door open). Maybe then I could have been as outraged as Lucas was when he found out the truth. The rescue mission in the end was dragged endlessly.
To summarize: the writing overall was chaotic. The characters and plot were also chaotic and there was practically zero character development for Carolyn. I was going to rate this only 1 star, but the character development for Lucas's dad was well done, so 1.5 stars it is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2017
"No Regrets" by Ann Lethbridge was an enjoyable read. That's not to say it didn't have its share of problems and silliness, but I enjoyed the story. Carolyn has loved her friend, Lucas, from afar for years. Lucas was a rake, Carolyn was the too-plump daughter of a local vicar, far beneath his notice. For reasons unbeknownst to Carolyn, Lucas asked for her hand after her father died and was quite dejected when she refused.
Lucas waits a year and asks again, actually plucks her from washing dishes at a party and puts her on his horse - forcing her hand. They can marry, live separate lives, and he will offer her sisters a season in London to catch fine husbands - they can divorce or continue to live apart and go on as planned.
Of course, nothing goes on as planned. They marry, Carolyn goes to London to enjoy the season and chaos starts. Carolyn believes Lucas will never see her as a desirable woman, even though he does. Lucas for his part runs hot and cold with Carolyn so often she never knows where she stands. For her part, she breaks, she leaves for France where she can forget Lucas.
Lucas follows her and more problems ensue. Carolyn has portrayed herself as a single woman, but her husband is now in the same country as her. There are villains in this story who want to ruin Carolyn and Lucas' lives and ultimately their happiness. I liked Carolyn's character, but wasn't as fond of Lucas. He should have decided what he wanted instead of being wishy-washy. It was an enjoyable read and I would read more by this author.
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Lucas waits a year and asks again, actually plucks her from washing dishes at a party and puts her on his horse - forcing her hand. They can marry, live separate lives, and he will offer her sisters a season in London to catch fine husbands - they can divorce or continue to live apart and go on as planned.
Of course, nothing goes on as planned. They marry, Carolyn goes to London to enjoy the season and chaos starts. Carolyn believes Lucas will never see her as a desirable woman, even though he does. Lucas for his part runs hot and cold with Carolyn so often she never knows where she stands. For her part, she breaks, she leaves for France where she can forget Lucas.
Lucas follows her and more problems ensue. Carolyn has portrayed herself as a single woman, but her husband is now in the same country as her. There are villains in this story who want to ruin Carolyn and Lucas' lives and ultimately their happiness. I liked Carolyn's character, but wasn't as fond of Lucas. He should have decided what he wanted instead of being wishy-washy. It was an enjoyable read and I would read more by this author.
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 25, 2018
I got this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really like these marriage of convenience stories and this is one of them. You immediately like the female lead. One of the funny things about this story is Carolyns bosom – it seems to attract lots of attention by Foxhaven, the male lead. Seldom there are female leads with a bounty bosom, usually its “ripe” and a “handful” - let’s be realistic, little women were and are like that even at 20. I think this was one of the things I really enjoyed about the love story.
Next to that there were some a little unrealistic moments but so little that you can read over them easily – the whole part in France … I don’t know … it felt like somebody felt the need to throw something more into the pot, something that would not have been needed for this story.
It’s a novel you read quickly and you will enjoy!
I really like these marriage of convenience stories and this is one of them. You immediately like the female lead. One of the funny things about this story is Carolyns bosom – it seems to attract lots of attention by Foxhaven, the male lead. Seldom there are female leads with a bounty bosom, usually its “ripe” and a “handful” - let’s be realistic, little women were and are like that even at 20. I think this was one of the things I really enjoyed about the love story.
Next to that there were some a little unrealistic moments but so little that you can read over them easily – the whole part in France … I don’t know … it felt like somebody felt the need to throw something more into the pot, something that would not have been needed for this story.
It’s a novel you read quickly and you will enjoy!
September 1, 2017
Publisher's Description:
Description
A passionate Regency romance from award-winning author Ann Lethbridge!
“A hero and heroine who don’t quite fit the conventional mold make for some interesting surprises and unexpected twists!” —Romantic Times
Carolyn Torrington’s romantic dreams of her childhood friend Lucas Rivers are shattered when the wily lord offers her a marriage of convenience to gain his inheritance. While it breaks her heart to say yes to the arrangement with a man she’s always loved, it’s the only way to secure her sisters’ futures.
To the world, Lucas, Lord Foxhaven, is an irrepressible rogue, and wedded bliss is the furthest thing from his mind. But he’s been forced up to the mark by his father, and he’s certain the demure Carolyn won’t give him an iota of trouble—if only her voluptuous body weren’t driving him to distraction.
As Carolyn struggles to keep her true feelings hidden, Lucas is drawn ever more powerfully by thoughts of unbridled passion, and he’s stunned by his burgeoning feelings for a woman he’s always seen as a friend. When a scheming Parisian relative threatens to take her from him for good, Lucas realizes he must stand up and be the man Carolyn always knew he could be—even as he suddenly comes to know he wants their marriage in name only to become quite real . . .
My Thoughts:
I had never read anything by this author before so I had no idea what I was missing.
This poignant friends to married in name only story carries our couple on a bumpy ride from friends to adversaries in spite of their no regrets agreement.
Carolyn has many reasons to mistrust her longtime friend in this marriage of convenience which is turning out to be very inconvenient.
Lucas is in love with his wife but even though she feels the same she has no idea that he loves her. It us after all not part of their arrangement.
Will they ever realize their mutual attraction has lead to mutual feelings or will they part without any knowledge of those feelings?
There were times in this story that I wanted to take both hero and heroine and shake some sense into them? It was a frustrating story at times but it held my interest. I couldn't put it down because I wanted to know what would happen next.
I gave this book 4.0 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of 3.5 of 5.9 flames. There is a frustratingly warm sensuality throughout the book that finally culminates near the end.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this story which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
Description
A passionate Regency romance from award-winning author Ann Lethbridge!
“A hero and heroine who don’t quite fit the conventional mold make for some interesting surprises and unexpected twists!” —Romantic Times
Carolyn Torrington’s romantic dreams of her childhood friend Lucas Rivers are shattered when the wily lord offers her a marriage of convenience to gain his inheritance. While it breaks her heart to say yes to the arrangement with a man she’s always loved, it’s the only way to secure her sisters’ futures.
To the world, Lucas, Lord Foxhaven, is an irrepressible rogue, and wedded bliss is the furthest thing from his mind. But he’s been forced up to the mark by his father, and he’s certain the demure Carolyn won’t give him an iota of trouble—if only her voluptuous body weren’t driving him to distraction.
As Carolyn struggles to keep her true feelings hidden, Lucas is drawn ever more powerfully by thoughts of unbridled passion, and he’s stunned by his burgeoning feelings for a woman he’s always seen as a friend. When a scheming Parisian relative threatens to take her from him for good, Lucas realizes he must stand up and be the man Carolyn always knew he could be—even as he suddenly comes to know he wants their marriage in name only to become quite real . . .
My Thoughts:
I had never read anything by this author before so I had no idea what I was missing.
This poignant friends to married in name only story carries our couple on a bumpy ride from friends to adversaries in spite of their no regrets agreement.
Carolyn has many reasons to mistrust her longtime friend in this marriage of convenience which is turning out to be very inconvenient.
Lucas is in love with his wife but even though she feels the same she has no idea that he loves her. It us after all not part of their arrangement.
Will they ever realize their mutual attraction has lead to mutual feelings or will they part without any knowledge of those feelings?
There were times in this story that I wanted to take both hero and heroine and shake some sense into them? It was a frustrating story at times but it held my interest. I couldn't put it down because I wanted to know what would happen next.
I gave this book 4.0 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of 3.5 of 5.9 flames. There is a frustratingly warm sensuality throughout the book that finally culminates near the end.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this story which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
September 3, 2017
This is the first book I've read by Ms. Lethbridge. In NO REGRETS, she takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride of misunderstandings, doubt, passion and love. Carolyn Torrington has loved Lucas, Lord Foxhaven, since she was a young girl growing up next to him in the adjoining estate. Lucas has always considered Carolyn a friend and when his father forces his hand in marriage, Lucas believes that a "in name only" marriage to Carolyn will cause him the least amount of trouble while still securing his inheritance.
I would have liked to seen more of the friendship between Carolyn and Lucas as they grew up, but without that, I didn't quite believe that she was Lucas's best friend. It would have made more sense why she agreed to marry him in the first place. Carolyn's character had depth, but I didn't like the fact that she was constantly doubting her womanly figure even though men flocked around her while in London and again in Paris. She jumped to too many conclusions about Lucas's behavior without even talking with him about it. If they were such good friends, she would have at least asked him to clarify, but she never did. She just assumed the worse. And Lucas did not help his cause by never explaining any of his actions to her. Why didn't they at least sit down and have a conversation? I thought adding in a French cousin was a good twist and helped move the plot along.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I would have liked to seen more of the friendship between Carolyn and Lucas as they grew up, but without that, I didn't quite believe that she was Lucas's best friend. It would have made more sense why she agreed to marry him in the first place. Carolyn's character had depth, but I didn't like the fact that she was constantly doubting her womanly figure even though men flocked around her while in London and again in Paris. She jumped to too many conclusions about Lucas's behavior without even talking with him about it. If they were such good friends, she would have at least asked him to clarify, but she never did. She just assumed the worse. And Lucas did not help his cause by never explaining any of his actions to her. Why didn't they at least sit down and have a conversation? I thought adding in a French cousin was a good twist and helped move the plot along.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
September 16, 2017
I will be honest, it took me a while to get into this one. I just felt like I could not connect with Carolyn or Lucas and I wasn't convinced of their prior relationship by their history or interactions. But as I pushed on, I began to understand and piece together the histories they experienced together and apart. Lucas felt like the most real "boyish man" character I've read in a while. He was an interesting mix of humorous and sweet while also infuriatingly obtuse to how to deal with women. I loved the way his character progressed through the novel, especially once we learned about his true passions and motivations regarding . Similarly, I thought Carolyn was a fun and stubborn woman to follow in this romance. I was annoyed with how often she talked about her weight or proportions - I swear it was every other page. I didn't feel like how often it was discussed was really necessary (but honestly a bit refreshing to have some physical diversity in our historical fiction ladies :D ). Additionally, I felt that initially the chemistry and interaction between Lucas and Carolyn wasn't particularly developed or structured to make it a convincing love story until about 75% in. But then the action, dialogue, and romantic writing was delicious! Overall, I thought this was a unique read and would ultimately recommend it to fellow historical fiction romance fans.
October 4, 2017
On the whole, I really liked this book but very often I felt like kicking the hero and the heroine just a teeny tiny bit because they drove me crazy with the way they kept thinking that they didn't love and didn't care for each other. Every time I felt as if they should finally, FINALLY realize that there was a bit more to their marriage than just a bargain they dodged that realization quite successfully. Unfortunately.
Somewhere in between, there were things happening that simply were a bit too much: Too much drama, too much angst and too many obstacles to break through.
It was entertaining and despite my frustration concerning their relationship and the way they always failed to understand what they meant to each other (speaking, you know, this simple act of speaking to each other, might have been a big help - if they had ever bothered to try it), I seldom put the book down. I just had to know what happened next but that didn't prevent me from getting frustrated all over again when "it" happened again and again and they just didn't get it.
Consequently, there wasn't that much chemistry between our hero and our heroine, you knew that they were in love, it was obvious but it was a bit lacking in the "sparks-compartment". The hero and the heroine, as well as the other characters, remained somewhat flat.
Nevertheless, it kept me entertained and I enjoyed reading it despite all those things that I mentioned above.
Somewhere in between, there were things happening that simply were a bit too much: Too much drama, too much angst and too many obstacles to break through.
It was entertaining and despite my frustration concerning their relationship and the way they always failed to understand what they meant to each other (speaking, you know, this simple act of speaking to each other, might have been a big help - if they had ever bothered to try it), I seldom put the book down. I just had to know what happened next but that didn't prevent me from getting frustrated all over again when "it" happened again and again and they just didn't get it.
Consequently, there wasn't that much chemistry between our hero and our heroine, you knew that they were in love, it was obvious but it was a bit lacking in the "sparks-compartment". The hero and the heroine, as well as the other characters, remained somewhat flat.
Nevertheless, it kept me entertained and I enjoyed reading it despite all those things that I mentioned above.
December 31, 2024
I am voluntarily submitting my honest review after receiving an ARC of this book from NetGalley
I find myself having a hard time to know what to say about this novel. On the one hand, I got so hooked that I stayed up almost all night so I could finish this book in one sitting, so clearly, No Regrets is entertaining. But at the same time, the emotions this book stirred up in me were far from pleasant throughout the entire book I bounced from anger to sadness to humiliation to depression until the very end. Luc's treatment of Caro is absolutely reprehensible, and her shockingly low self-esteem and acceptance of it is tragic. Worse, despite his abhorrent behavior, Lucas is Caro's only hope for salvation when two even worse men take advantage of her naivete and prey upon her. If the purpose of literature is to evoke emotion, that I cared enough about Caro's plight to stay up to finish this book is testament enough to the quality of the book. Still, the fact that I wanted beat all of the men in the book for most of it, and cajole Caro into standing up for herself until she joined in--left me feeling unsettled about the experience. This is the first book I have read by Ann Lethbridge, but I am definitely intrigued and will seek out more of her work in the future.
I find myself having a hard time to know what to say about this novel. On the one hand, I got so hooked that I stayed up almost all night so I could finish this book in one sitting, so clearly, No Regrets is entertaining. But at the same time, the emotions this book stirred up in me were far from pleasant throughout the entire book I bounced from anger to sadness to humiliation to depression until the very end. Luc's treatment of Caro is absolutely reprehensible, and her shockingly low self-esteem and acceptance of it is tragic. Worse, despite his abhorrent behavior, Lucas is Caro's only hope for salvation when two even worse men take advantage of her naivete and prey upon her. If the purpose of literature is to evoke emotion, that I cared enough about Caro's plight to stay up to finish this book is testament enough to the quality of the book. Still, the fact that I wanted beat all of the men in the book for most of it, and cajole Caro into standing up for herself until she joined in--left me feeling unsettled about the experience. This is the first book I have read by Ann Lethbridge, but I am definitely intrigued and will seek out more of her work in the future.
January 6, 2019
Carolyn Torrington’s romantic dreams of her childhood friend Lucas Rivers are shattered when the wily lord offers her a marriage of convenience to gain his inheritance. While it breaks her heart to say yes to the arrangement with a man she’s always loved, it’s the only way to secure her sisters’ futures. To the world, Lucas, Lord Foxhaven, is an irrepressible rogue, and wedded bliss is the furthest thing from his mind. But he’s been forced up to the mark by his father, and he’s certain the demure Carolyn won’t give him an iota of trouble—if only her voluptuous body weren’t driving him to distraction. As Carolyn struggles to keep her true feelings hidden, Lucas is drawn ever more powerfully by thoughts of unbridled passion, and he’s stunned by his burgeoning feelings for a woman he’s always seen as a friend. When a scheming Parisian relative threatens to take her from him for good, Lucas realizes he must stand up and be the man Carolyn always knew he could be—even as he suddenly comes to know he wants their marriage in name only to become quite real . . .
The book was decent. The plot was not bad. I liked both main characters. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book
The book was decent. The plot was not bad. I liked both main characters. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book
August 29, 2017
Carolyn Torrington’s romantic dreams of her childhood friend Lucas Rivers, Lord Foxhaven are shattered when he offers her a marriage of convenience to gain his inheritance. While it breaks her heart to say yes to the arrangement with a man she’s always loved, it’s the only way to secure her sisters’ future as they are almost destitute after their Vicar father’s death.
Lucas is seen as a gambling rake but everything isn’t as it seems. Cedric Rivers helps to manage Lucas’ father’s estate & he isn’t all he seems either & then there’s the Chevalier who encourages Caro to go to France after the debacle of her race, again someone who isn’t all he seems.
A well written easy reading book where the characters are well developed, Lucas is likeable but his pride almost cost him dearly & at times I wanted to shake him. Caro has loved Lucas forever but she is very lacking in self esteem & can’t believe he could ever love her. The plot has some twists & turns, the villain isn’t hidden & is obvious from the start as are his motives. An enjoyable read & the steady plot kept me engrossed
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Lucas is seen as a gambling rake but everything isn’t as it seems. Cedric Rivers helps to manage Lucas’ father’s estate & he isn’t all he seems either & then there’s the Chevalier who encourages Caro to go to France after the debacle of her race, again someone who isn’t all he seems.
A well written easy reading book where the characters are well developed, Lucas is likeable but his pride almost cost him dearly & at times I wanted to shake him. Caro has loved Lucas forever but she is very lacking in self esteem & can’t believe he could ever love her. The plot has some twists & turns, the villain isn’t hidden & is obvious from the start as are his motives. An enjoyable read & the steady plot kept me engrossed
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
September 4, 2017
Misunderstandings, Villains and Abduction
Once upon a time Caro and Lucas were good friends and on her side there was a deep, abiding love but now she despises his dissipated lifestyle . Their marriage of convenience, he so that he can inherit money from his grandmother and she to provide for her sisters future is a mistake. Lucas neglects her and it is only when they are torn apart and he can see past the bitterness and hurt caused by his father, that he realises he loves her. Wooing his own wife however will not be easy. Didn't rate 5* for me because both characters spent a lot of time feeling sorry for themselves.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.
Once upon a time Caro and Lucas were good friends and on her side there was a deep, abiding love but now she despises his dissipated lifestyle . Their marriage of convenience, he so that he can inherit money from his grandmother and she to provide for her sisters future is a mistake. Lucas neglects her and it is only when they are torn apart and he can see past the bitterness and hurt caused by his father, that he realises he loves her. Wooing his own wife however will not be easy. Didn't rate 5* for me because both characters spent a lot of time feeling sorry for themselves.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.
September 16, 2017
This book is a terrific story of two people who have been friends since childhood, Lucas and Carolyn. Lucas is being forced by his father to marry and he pushes Carolyn into it with him to help her and her sisters who are now without parents and living on the edge of poverty. Lucas also has other reasons of his own. Lucas and Carolyn agree to this marriage in name only and it has a few other caveats as well. The two become involved in an interesting bit of unexpected intrigue that involves several colorful characters. All the while each of them has begun to think that they may want more than a marriage without meaning, but is afraid to admit it to the other.
This was a well written and thoroughly enjoyable novel which I can recommend to readers who enjoy some intrigue with their romance!
I read this as an arc on Netgalley which affected my review in no way at all.
This was a well written and thoroughly enjoyable novel which I can recommend to readers who enjoy some intrigue with their romance!
I read this as an arc on Netgalley which affected my review in no way at all.
September 18, 2017
DISCLAIMER ALL VIEW POINTS ARE FROM MY OWN POINT OF VIEW---- Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC
Daring, adventurous, sensual, and so much more can be found between the pages of No Regrets. Although I really enjoyed the story over all there were some things I had an issue with. Horses indoors? More than once? How? Why? It was very off putting and made him look like an even bigger ass. Also they are supposedly childhood friends however it was unbelievable and not in a good way. All of the flash backs seemed to try to stuff this down your throat but came off as trying too hard. With all that being said I did in fact like it and finished it with in a day. It was full of twists that were a bit predictable but still made the plot flow nicely. I would say it’s a nice cozy read for a night in.
Daring, adventurous, sensual, and so much more can be found between the pages of No Regrets. Although I really enjoyed the story over all there were some things I had an issue with. Horses indoors? More than once? How? Why? It was very off putting and made him look like an even bigger ass. Also they are supposedly childhood friends however it was unbelievable and not in a good way. All of the flash backs seemed to try to stuff this down your throat but came off as trying too hard. With all that being said I did in fact like it and finished it with in a day. It was full of twists that were a bit predictable but still made the plot flow nicely. I would say it’s a nice cozy read for a night in.
September 13, 2017
It's usually easy for me to love the hero in historical romance but in this book, I don't know whether I should hate or just forget about Lucas. I couldn't believe what a jerk he is to Caro all the time, and in the first half of the book I get frustrated with Caro because she couldn't stand up for herself. In the second half of the book though, I just want to roll my eyes at her because she choose to run away with another man rather than ask her husband about the truth. It was so frustrating and when she got kidnapped I almost cried out loud in frustration because she's just so stupid. And even though Lucas and Caro did end up together in the end, I don't know whether they would be able to live together for long since they're not able to be honest with each other or believe in each other
September 17, 2017
It had been a while since I read a Regency Romance and I loved it. This book started out with a bang and the pace never let up. It has a great story and the hero is sexy as sin. I literally couldn't put it down. I started reading it late Friday night and I was done by Saturday afternoon. It has twist and turns, mystery and danger. All of it very well written and the ending was awesome. I recommend this book highly.
November 18, 2017
I was grateful to receive a free copy of No Regrets in Exchange for an honest review. I fell in love with the concept of the story, and became quickly engaged in the story line. However, as the story progressed I started o lose interest. The story line involving Lucus' cousin, and being whisked away to France to attend parties was a little unrealistic. I also didn't understand why no one in Paris knew she was married. Anyway, great writing, the story just needed a different plot..
September 26, 2018
A nice story by an author new to me. I found it to be just... fine. Nothing groundbreaking. And the hero was very fickle, though I enjoyed the heroine. Some stereotypical villains, but they’re typical for this type of story. I’d probably read another by the author, depending on the description, but I’ll not be running out for it.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
December 20, 2017
This was recommended to me it was an okay read nothing that sticks with me. I just wasn’t in love with it.
December 27, 2017
She has decisions to make that will affect her entire life. Will she make the right one?
I highly recommend! Thanks! Enjoy!
Carolintallahassee 👒
I highly recommend! Thanks! Enjoy!
Carolintallahassee 👒
April 10, 2018
A nice, solid read, an enjoyable way to spend a couple of evenings.
April 16, 2018
A marriage in name only becomes way more. This traditional regency romance has tons of twists and turns to make it standout and stand alone. I recommend
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March 11, 2019After reading reviews, I deleted it. I’m tired of the everlasting tease...
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