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Pennyroyal Green #9
Une insupportable charmeuse
À son arrivée à Pennyroyal Green, Mlle Titania Danforth, jeune orpheline élevée aux Amériques, éblouit chacun par sa beauté angélique. Pourtant, derrière cette apparence candide, se cache une redoutable séductrice bien résolue à faire un grand mariage. Titania ne tarde pas à mettre tous les hommes à ses pieds. Tous… sauf le capitaine Ian Eversea, qui a percé à jour l’intrigante. Ian est celui par qui le scandale arrive, séducteur compulsif et allergique à toute relation durable. Il n’a pas de titre de noblesse. Elle ne devrait même pas le regarder. Mais c’est oublier que sous la carapace de cette ambitieuse bat un cœur fragile.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2014
149 people are currently reading
1743 people want to read
About the author
Julie Anne Long
37 books2,971 followersWell, where should I start? I've lived in San Francisco for more than a decade, usually with at least one cat. I won the school spelling bee when I was in 7th grade; the word that clinched it was 'ukulele.' I originally set out to be a rock star when I grew up (I had a Bono fixation, but who didn't?), and I have the guitars and the questionable wardrobe stuffed in the back of my closet to prove it.
But writing was always my first love.
I was editor of my elementary school paper (believe it or not, Mrs. Little's fifth grade class at Glenmoor Elementary did have one); my high school paper (along with my best high school bud, Cindy Jorgenson); and my college paper, where our long-suffering typesetter finally forced me to learn how to typeset because my articles were usually late (and thus I probably have him to thank for all the desktop publishing jobs that ensued over the years).
Won a couple of random awards along the way: the Bank of America English Award in High School (which basically just amounted to a fancy plaque saying that I was really, really good at English); and an award for best Sports Feature article in a College Newspaper (and anyone who knows me well understands how deeply ironic that is). I began my academic career as a Journalism major; I switched to Creative Writing, which was a more comfortable fit for my freewheeling imagination and overdeveloped sense of whimsy. I dreamed of being a novelist.
But most of us, I think, tend to take for granted the things that come easily to us. I loved writing and all indications were that I was pretty good at it, but I, thank you very much, wanted to be a rock star. Which turned out to be ever-so-slightly harder to do than writing. A lot more equipment was involved, that's for sure. Heavy things, with knobs. It also involved late nights, fetid, graffiti-sprayed practice rooms, gorgeous flakey boys, bizarre gigs, in-fighting—what's not to love?
But my dream of being a published writer never faded. When the charm (ahem) of playing to four people in a tiny club at midnight on a Wednesday finally wore thin, however, I realized I could incorporate all the best things about being in a band — namely, drama, passion, and men with unruly hair — into novels, while at the same time indulging my love of history and research.
So I wrote The Runaway Duke, sent it to a literary agent (see the story here), who sold it to Warner Books a few months after that...which made 2003 one of the most extraordinary, head-spinning years I've ever had.
Why romance? Well, like most people, I read across many genres, but I've been an avid romance reader since I got in trouble for sneaking a Rosemary Rogers novel out of my mom's nightstand drawer (I think it was Sweet Savage Love). Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Laurie McBain...I cut my romance teeth on those ladies. And in general, I take a visceral sort of pleasure in creating a hero and a heroine, putting them through their emotional paces, and watching their relationship develop on the page. And of course, there's much to be said for the happy ending. :)
And why Regency Historicals? Well, for starters, I think we can blame Jane Austen. Her inimitable wit, compassion and vision brought the Regency vividly to life for generations of readers. If Jane Austen had written romances about Incas, for instance, I think, we'd have racks and racks of Inca romances in bookstores all over the country, and Warner Forever would be the Inca Romance line.
But I'm a history FREAK, in general. I read more history, to be perfectly honest, than fiction (when I have time to read!) these days. When we were little, my sister and I used to play "Littl
But writing was always my first love.
I was editor of my elementary school paper (believe it or not, Mrs. Little's fifth grade class at Glenmoor Elementary did have one); my high school paper (along with my best high school bud, Cindy Jorgenson); and my college paper, where our long-suffering typesetter finally forced me to learn how to typeset because my articles were usually late (and thus I probably have him to thank for all the desktop publishing jobs that ensued over the years).
Won a couple of random awards along the way: the Bank of America English Award in High School (which basically just amounted to a fancy plaque saying that I was really, really good at English); and an award for best Sports Feature article in a College Newspaper (and anyone who knows me well understands how deeply ironic that is). I began my academic career as a Journalism major; I switched to Creative Writing, which was a more comfortable fit for my freewheeling imagination and overdeveloped sense of whimsy. I dreamed of being a novelist.
But most of us, I think, tend to take for granted the things that come easily to us. I loved writing and all indications were that I was pretty good at it, but I, thank you very much, wanted to be a rock star. Which turned out to be ever-so-slightly harder to do than writing. A lot more equipment was involved, that's for sure. Heavy things, with knobs. It also involved late nights, fetid, graffiti-sprayed practice rooms, gorgeous flakey boys, bizarre gigs, in-fighting—what's not to love?
But my dream of being a published writer never faded. When the charm (ahem) of playing to four people in a tiny club at midnight on a Wednesday finally wore thin, however, I realized I could incorporate all the best things about being in a band — namely, drama, passion, and men with unruly hair — into novels, while at the same time indulging my love of history and research.
So I wrote The Runaway Duke, sent it to a literary agent (see the story here), who sold it to Warner Books a few months after that...which made 2003 one of the most extraordinary, head-spinning years I've ever had.
Why romance? Well, like most people, I read across many genres, but I've been an avid romance reader since I got in trouble for sneaking a Rosemary Rogers novel out of my mom's nightstand drawer (I think it was Sweet Savage Love). Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Laurie McBain...I cut my romance teeth on those ladies. And in general, I take a visceral sort of pleasure in creating a hero and a heroine, putting them through their emotional paces, and watching their relationship develop on the page. And of course, there's much to be said for the happy ending. :)
And why Regency Historicals? Well, for starters, I think we can blame Jane Austen. Her inimitable wit, compassion and vision brought the Regency vividly to life for generations of readers. If Jane Austen had written romances about Incas, for instance, I think, we'd have racks and racks of Inca romances in bookstores all over the country, and Warner Forever would be the Inca Romance line.
But I'm a history FREAK, in general. I read more history, to be perfectly honest, than fiction (when I have time to read!) these days. When we were little, my sister and I used to play "Littl
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 383 reviews
February 20, 2017
Oh hell to the no!
Hello, my name's Jilly, and I'm a masochist.
*now you say:* Hello, Jilly!
I stayed up till 5:30 am reading a book that was so stupid that I know that I would just lay in bed seething if I don't write out my rant-review and lay this puppy to rest before even trying.
Why am I so pissed off? Let's start with the easy stuff: The heroine, Tansy, and the hero, Ian, are both assholes. Vapid, vain, game-playing assholes.
She flirts with every male she comes across and immediately hates any girl who may be as pretty as her. She MUST be the most beautiful girl in the room and is highly competitive to the point of flirting with the fiances of other women.
He is a player who says that he will never give gifts to the women he sleeps with. He is gift enough. He considers his penis to be magical and is willing to wave his magic wand at any chick who will have him. Now, I don't mind a good rake. I even sometimes love them, but the thing that is most important about HR rakes is that they are charming and witty. Ian doesn't possess these qualities. He is simply a mimbo (male bimbo). He looks good, so women sleep with him. Also, a lovable rake doesn't mess with virgins or ruin marriages. Ian was previously caught naked in bed with a man's fiance, and he gets over the messing with virgins thing pretty quickly in this book.
But, even aside from the assholyness of these two characters is the problem I have with the sex that happens in this book. Let me warn you now that if you are wanting to keep your virgin eyes virginal, you need to look away. Protect your special eyes.
You were warned.
Okay, I'm going to spoiler it, because I'm getting to the nitty-gritty here.
Hello, my name's Jilly, and I'm a masochist.
*now you say:* Hello, Jilly!
I stayed up till 5:30 am reading a book that was so stupid that I know that I would just lay in bed seething if I don't write out my rant-review and lay this puppy to rest before even trying.
Why am I so pissed off? Let's start with the easy stuff: The heroine, Tansy, and the hero, Ian, are both assholes. Vapid, vain, game-playing assholes.
She flirts with every male she comes across and immediately hates any girl who may be as pretty as her. She MUST be the most beautiful girl in the room and is highly competitive to the point of flirting with the fiances of other women.
He is a player who says that he will never give gifts to the women he sleeps with. He is gift enough. He considers his penis to be magical and is willing to wave his magic wand at any chick who will have him. Now, I don't mind a good rake. I even sometimes love them, but the thing that is most important about HR rakes is that they are charming and witty. Ian doesn't possess these qualities. He is simply a mimbo (male bimbo). He looks good, so women sleep with him. Also, a lovable rake doesn't mess with virgins or ruin marriages. Ian was previously caught naked in bed with a man's fiance, and he gets over the messing with virgins thing pretty quickly in this book.
But, even aside from the assholyness of these two characters is the problem I have with the sex that happens in this book. Let me warn you now that if you are wanting to keep your virgin eyes virginal, you need to look away. Protect your special eyes.
You were warned.
Okay, I'm going to spoiler it, because I'm getting to the nitty-gritty here.
April 7, 2014
Toxic Heroine, Manwhore Hero, a Little Casual Racism Thrown In For Good Measure... I have enjoyed what I've read so far of Julie Anne Long's Pennyroyal Green series, but Between the Devil and Ian Eversea really didn't work for me. I formed a visceral dislike of the heroine--well, both main characters, really, but mostly the heroine--very early on, and it took most of the book for me to overcome that animus enough to root for her happy ever after.
Titania "Tansy" Danforth is an orphaned American heiress who has to marry well in order to secure her inheritance (which, of course, will then not be hers at all, but rather her husband's--but that's a legal reality which the story entirely glosses over). In order to meet suitably eligible bachelors, she's come to stay with her late father's friend, the Duke of Falconbridge, whom Long's readers will recognize as the new husband of the youngest Eversea sister, Genevieve. (Falconbridge and Genevieve's story was told in Long's What I Did For a Duke.)
Tansy is seriously annoying. She is Mary Sue beautiful on the outside--blonde, blue-eyed, statuesque (snore)--and vapid and shallow on the inside. In her first scene, the newly-arrived Tansy's introduction to Falconbridge and Genevieve is interrupted by a lovesick swain crooning to Tansy outside the window. This Italian stud fell in love with her on the crossing from America and followed her to the Eversea estate, and Tansy tells Falconbridge, with wide-eyed innocence, that she has no idea why the fellow would do such a thing. Except that it turns out that she absolutely does know why: she invited Giancarlo's attentions, enjoyed his flirtations, and completely led him on, because the sea voyage was boring and Tansy likes to be the center of attention.
Once installed in Sussex, Tansy's self-absorbed coquettishness continues. She isn't happy unless everyone acknowledges that she's the prettiest girl in the room. She flirts and flatters incessantly, determined to turn the heads of every bachelor around, even if some of those bachelors aren't "eligible" (including at least two men who are already engaged to other women). Don't get me wrong: I like a confident heroine who knows how to handle herself around men, and I know it's the men, not Tansy, who are breaking their commitments, and that they don't have to return her flirtations. Yet there is a competitiveness to Tansy's behavior. She is jealous of other women, and she collects suitors in order to build herself up and "win" a competition that no one else is playing. Worse, she doesn't appear to notice or care that she's hurting people and wrecking relationships in the process.
So, who is the perfect match for this princess? Why, jaded rake Captain Ian Eversea, of course! Long's readers will know Ian from previous books in the series as an inveterate manwhore whose most notable prior accomplishment involved getting caught in bed with Falconbridge's fiancee (prior to Genevieve) and being forced to climb out of her chamber, naked, and do the ultimate walk of shame back to his lodgings. Even within the pages of this book, he sleeps with two other women before his attentions become snared by Toxic Tansy. Like Tansy's flirtations, his sexual adventures are conquests without affection or deeper emotion, so in a way, maybe these two are perfect for each other.
To be fair, neither Tansy nor Ian are as one-dimensional as this review makes them out to be, and that's why I kept reading despite my dislike of both characters. Tansy is an orphan who was never secure in her parents' love, and I suppose her flirtatious behavior can be more charitably characterized as a damaged, lonely girl's misguided attempts to secure the affection she so desperately craves. Ian is a veteran tormented by memories of war, determined to hold himself aloof because he's already suffered too much loss in life. When they finally come together, their courtship is believable, though it fell flat for me because I disliked them both too much to care very much if they found happiness together.
One quote I have to point out from this book, in the vein of WT-everlasting-F: Tansy wins a marksmanship contest and explains, "Americans. We're born knowing how to shoot things, I suppose. All those bears and wolves and Indians from which we need to defend ourselves." (page 160). Yup, she did just list "Indians," along with wild animals, in the category of "things Americans like to shoot." I'm sure Long, through Tansy, meant this as a joke, but hoo-boy, did I not find it funny.
Titania "Tansy" Danforth is an orphaned American heiress who has to marry well in order to secure her inheritance (which, of course, will then not be hers at all, but rather her husband's--but that's a legal reality which the story entirely glosses over). In order to meet suitably eligible bachelors, she's come to stay with her late father's friend, the Duke of Falconbridge, whom Long's readers will recognize as the new husband of the youngest Eversea sister, Genevieve. (Falconbridge and Genevieve's story was told in Long's What I Did For a Duke.)
Tansy is seriously annoying. She is Mary Sue beautiful on the outside--blonde, blue-eyed, statuesque (snore)--and vapid and shallow on the inside. In her first scene, the newly-arrived Tansy's introduction to Falconbridge and Genevieve is interrupted by a lovesick swain crooning to Tansy outside the window. This Italian stud fell in love with her on the crossing from America and followed her to the Eversea estate, and Tansy tells Falconbridge, with wide-eyed innocence, that she has no idea why the fellow would do such a thing. Except that it turns out that she absolutely does know why: she invited Giancarlo's attentions, enjoyed his flirtations, and completely led him on, because the sea voyage was boring and Tansy likes to be the center of attention.
Once installed in Sussex, Tansy's self-absorbed coquettishness continues. She isn't happy unless everyone acknowledges that she's the prettiest girl in the room. She flirts and flatters incessantly, determined to turn the heads of every bachelor around, even if some of those bachelors aren't "eligible" (including at least two men who are already engaged to other women). Don't get me wrong: I like a confident heroine who knows how to handle herself around men, and I know it's the men, not Tansy, who are breaking their commitments, and that they don't have to return her flirtations. Yet there is a competitiveness to Tansy's behavior. She is jealous of other women, and she collects suitors in order to build herself up and "win" a competition that no one else is playing. Worse, she doesn't appear to notice or care that she's hurting people and wrecking relationships in the process.
So, who is the perfect match for this princess? Why, jaded rake Captain Ian Eversea, of course! Long's readers will know Ian from previous books in the series as an inveterate manwhore whose most notable prior accomplishment involved getting caught in bed with Falconbridge's fiancee (prior to Genevieve) and being forced to climb out of her chamber, naked, and do the ultimate walk of shame back to his lodgings. Even within the pages of this book, he sleeps with two other women before his attentions become snared by Toxic Tansy. Like Tansy's flirtations, his sexual adventures are conquests without affection or deeper emotion, so in a way, maybe these two are perfect for each other.
To be fair, neither Tansy nor Ian are as one-dimensional as this review makes them out to be, and that's why I kept reading despite my dislike of both characters. Tansy is an orphan who was never secure in her parents' love, and I suppose her flirtatious behavior can be more charitably characterized as a damaged, lonely girl's misguided attempts to secure the affection she so desperately craves. Ian is a veteran tormented by memories of war, determined to hold himself aloof because he's already suffered too much loss in life. When they finally come together, their courtship is believable, though it fell flat for me because I disliked them both too much to care very much if they found happiness together.
One quote I have to point out from this book, in the vein of WT-everlasting-F: Tansy wins a marksmanship contest and explains, "Americans. We're born knowing how to shoot things, I suppose. All those bears and wolves and Indians from which we need to defend ourselves." (page 160). Yup, she did just list "Indians," along with wild animals, in the category of "things Americans like to shoot." I'm sure Long, through Tansy, meant this as a joke, but hoo-boy, did I not find it funny.
January 30, 2022
4.5 stars!
“I love you. So much it amazes me I’ve managed to live this long without you. I used to think that in order to find peace, I needed to keep moving, to keep searching, until I’d exhausted every corner of the world. But . . . Tansy . . . you are the world to me. You are my home, and, quite ironically, my peace, though I haven’t truly known a moment’s peace since I’ve met you. Which I quite like.” Orphaned American heiress Titania “Tansy” Danforth is the Duke of Falconbridge’s new ward. The entirety of Tansy’s fortune would only be released to her once she marries a man the Duke approves of. Preferably someone titled. That would be easy for her. Tansy is beautiful and she knows it…every gentleman she has ever encountered is enamored by her. Except for the notorious Ian Eversea who seems unaffected by her charms. Which is rather unfortunate for Tansy because he’s the only man who has ever aroused her interest. Ian Eversea sees right through Tansy’s acts. He has no intentions to be one of the men who are embarrassingly bewitched by her. But when Ian finally sees beyond Tansy’s facade, it seems that he is in great danger of falling in love with the girl he’d once perceived as satan in satin. However, a match between the two of them is inconceivable when the girl’s guardian is the very same man Ian wronged.
Between the Devil and Ian Eversea is the 9th installment to Julie Anne Long’s historical romance series, Pennyroyal Green. This book is about Captain Ian Eversea and American Heiress Titania Danforth. The day I’m writing this review is the same day I planned to read a book but I couldn’t focus because it seems I have a book hangover. So here I am writing the review for this instead. I just loved this one very much! I have only read four of Julie Anne Long's works but I have not been disappointed even once. She is such a talented writer that I’m always in awe when I finish one of her books. I’ve always wanted to read this book but thought to myself I should read “What I did for a Duke” first, but you know what I am, If I want to read a book, I do not care one bit if I’m reading out of order especially when they could be read as stand-alones.
Meet Titania “Tansy” Danforth: Her father is the Duke of Falconbridge’s cousin. When her older brother died in war, she was left alone with her parents. A year after that, her parents were killed by a carriage accident. This resulted in her being alone in the world. Tansy being orphaned is what led to her traveling back to England where she was born. She was a “virtuoso of flirtation”, she enjoyed how men paid attention to her. Simply put, she thrives on attention. And according to Ian Eversea, “She has a wit that can cut right through a man. She’s . . . oh, God, she’s gentle. She’s more forgiving than she ought to be and kinder and braver and wiser and more loyal than you’ll ever be.”
Meet Ian Eversea: He is obviously an Eversea (I have no idea if he’s the second, third or fourth son.) He’s also a captain. He’s a veteran of war. Something happened during the war that he feels responsible for and regrets everyday. Mrs Dewitt describes him better so here is a quote, “’E’s a man, and he’s been to war and back, and to London and back, and men are shaped by the things they find in both places, aye? For good or for ill. I’ve seen it time and again. Ye’ve only to look at the lad, and . . . well, my own old heart turns over when he smiles, and that’s the truth. He gets what he wants just that way. ’E’s good at heart but ’e’s a restless one, and any woman who pins her hopes to him is asking for heartbreak.” He intends to stay in Pennyroyal only for a short time because he plans to spend every last of his savings traveling around the world for many years. But obviously, his plans would be thwarted once he meets Tansy.
When Tansy’s parents pass away, she is left alone in the world. She is forced to travel to England to settle down with a gentleman whose title is grand enough for her big fortune as is stated by her father’s will. Her arrival caused a “temporary insanity”. She knows that she’s beautiful and she uses that fact to beguile every man she encounters. Which is rather unfortunate for many women in Sussex whose beaus now seem more interested in Tansy than the women they originally courted. And although there are many men who are enchanted by the American heiress, the only man who has ever piqued her interest is not one of them. Ian Eversea has his own reasons for not falling under Tansy’s spell: Besides the fact that the Duke of Falconbridge warned him off her, he’s simply not interested in the girl because she’s sheltered, innocent and inexperienced, which bores him. In addition, he sees through Tansy’s acts. He knows that she’s not the “wallflower” that she kept on telling people she is. As much as he could, he would resist the girl’s charms. But Tansy keeps on testing him at every turn, and when he finally succumbs to his desire for her, matters of the heart become complicated. It seems that after everything that has transpired, Captain Ian Eversea, a notorious rogue, will finally surrender and give in to what his heart truly desires: a life with Tansy. To hell with the Duke!
I loved the heroine very much. I have read many reviews saying how they hated the heroine and just didn’t care for her. There are many low ratings specifically for the reason that they couldn’t stand the heroine. To each their own. However, there was something about her that was utterly charming. I never hated her, never disliked her, and I was not even for once annoyed by her. I feel like people underestimate her. She was actually a really intelligent girl who knew her strength and how to use it. I also loved Cynthia from Like no other Lover (Book 2) and many people disliked her as well. It seems appropriate to bring this up because I’m noticing a pattern…It seems that I have a weakness for heroines who seem self-serving but I just know that there’s more to them than how they are seen and/or perceived by people: including the side characters and the readers. While it is true that Tansy is attention seeking, she seems to look at women as her competition, she loves playing with men’s feelings (She leads them on) and her thoughts are not always kind… I see so much more than that. I see potential. I see a woman deeply insecure, and while it is not an excuse, it explains why she is the way she is. She’s a real person, at least to me. I feel like she’s an example of a person wanting “validation” because it is the only time she ever felt like she had worth, and while that is unhealthy, it is totally human. Fictional worlds would be so boring if every character we read about are what most would deemed good. Like a real person, Tansy is not bad nor is she the kindest. She’s flawed and she’s human. And to me, she’s admirable. I loved her. I don’t pretend to have the best understanding of her character, I can’t even put into words who she really is and what you have to know about her, but just know this: If you read this book with an open mind and isn’t automatically ready to dislike characters who obviously need time to grow, you will appreciate her character arc. As the story went on, we saw a nicer side to her. E.g. She’s more thoughtful (though I think she’s always been, it just isn’t seen by people). But to me, I think if you think she’s annoying then you’re looking at her through the lens of Ian Eversea (At first) wherein he already has a preconceived notion of who she is without even truly knowing who she truly is. I always say this but sometimes words aren’t adequate, I have no idea how else to explain why I love her but I do. She’s probably one of my favorite heroines.
As for the hero, I have to admit that there are so many things that I don’t know about him. I have to blame it on myself for not reading book one and three, and I still haven’t even read book five where Ian was most famous for having wronged the Duke. I knew nothing about this man when I started reading this book. I have no idea whether he was the second, third or fourth son. What the name of his parents were. Apparently, the Everseas are as famous as the Redmonds but I just don’t know their names. Simply put, I don’t know the basics about him. I just know that he’s an Eversea who’s notorious for almost sleeping with Falconbridge’s former fiancee. He’s a captain and as an Eversea, he’s a wealthy man. But that’s about it. Even when I finished the book I’m still lacking knowledge about the Eversea family and I still don’t know how old Ian is. What I do know however is that he’s a worthy man for Tansy. I get tired of rakes, they bore me because they’re almost in all HR books. Who wants to read about the same man over and over again? However, even if Ian was a rake there was more to him than that. In short, being a rake was not his only personality. He had depth. That’s what I love about Julie Anne Long’s writing. We have these common tropes and such but she puts her own spin on it and it feels like the first time you’ve ever read about it. All her characters feel so unique. They have such satisfying character arcs. Ian is fiercely loyal to the people he loves, he is willing to look stupid to some people if that means defending the person he loves, and although he had been a bit of an ass to the heroine at the start (Judgmental), when he finally got to know her personality and her heart, he proved to be a deserving man of her. There’s nothing I love more than a hero who doesn’t think twice before defending the heroine, even if it’s scandalous to do so, especially in public. He was caring and kind and he had more potential than what the people in his life gave him credit for. Just like the heroine, he had his own flaws but that did not deter me from loving him just like Tansy did.
I completely adored Tansy and Ian together. They had such a nice chemistry. This one was definitely slower than most, I think they only kissed when it hit past the 50% mark but that did not bother me. The tension was there, their banter had me really laughing and when Ian finally gave up on resisting Tansy, it was so satisfying I was practically screaming. I think they are one of the book couples I’ve read about that I feel were really perfectly made for each other. Some scenes really had me clutching my kindle and I could feel my heart squeezing (especially the parts where Tansy wrote down requirements of what she wanted for a husband: and eventually all qualities are Ian’s. Contrary to what she initially wrote and required of a husband). Also, I love how from the moment Tansy saw Ian, she was already so mesmerized by him to the point where she gets all awkward around him, which is very funny because she’s usually very flirty to the men that surround her. I really enjoyed the part where she bought a book about a historical figure because she thought Ian liked it (or that it meant something to him) and she wanted to get to know him and thought she’d get an idea if she’d read a book about said historical figure but it turned out Ian doesn’t even have an interest in it. Tansy was honestly such a cute heroine. She didn’t chase Ian. But she was practically really attracted to him. I found that endearing. I love me some heroine who isn’t in denial about her feelings towards the hero.
And as usual, this book was used to further set up the Lyon-Olivia book. And I would be lying if I say I’m not excited to read their book. However, it will be a long time before I get to their story because I never want to leave Pennyroyal Green. I would probably delay reading the books in this series I’m interested in just so I don’t have to finish it yet. The author created a really vivid world and very human characters to the point that I’m really attached to them. I find myself wanting to live in Sussex alongside these characters. If Cynthia weren’t already married to Miles, I’d marry him myself. Long wrote some of the best characters (with actual depth) and believable love stories I’ve read and this book just further proved how this author could really write heartwarming romance that would have me in tears and later on smiling because the ending is satisfying. On another note, I don’t really like Olivia Eversea in this book. But I know that when I read her book, I would probably end up loving her. The reason why I’m not very fond of her is because her activism feels very performative and it makes me cringe. I’m all for wanting the world to be a better place, but her character just doesn’t feel very fully developed yet. Fingers crossed that when I get to her book, she’d be a well-rounded character and I’ll see that she’s really passionate about the causes she’s fighting for and that it won’t feel like the author just inserted it for the sake of her and Lyon’s star-crossed-lovers-esque dynamic. I hope I’m making sense. Sometimes, I’m not the best at expressing my thoughts and opinions and I worry that I word them wrongly.
Moving back to the heroine and hero: All I have left to say is that I really loved the two of them together. I loved them individually as well. I think what makes me really root for a couple is when I love both characters, otherwise I won’t care for either of them. Thus far, in all Julie Anne Long books I’ve read, the romance development is always plausible, the characters very human (loveable albeit flawed) and her prose is remarkable. She writes so well and she knows how to make readers connect with her characters and make the readers (me) feel every emotion. I really love Pennyroyal Green and I wish I could stay in this world forever.
The only reason I’m giving this book 4.5 stars is because there was no epilogue, and if you must know, I prefer when books have an epilogue (preferably set a few years later) just to have that feel of closure. And this book did not really make me bawl like I did when I read book two from this series. (Book two is kind of the standard when it comes to me rating installments in this series) but me not crying doesn’t mean it’s not good.
Some quotes:
“Because regardless of what he thought of her, it was strangely a relief to be known.”
“and she’d strangely never felt safer or more peculiarly imperiled. And she’d wanted time to stop then, to freeze the two of them the way the entire crowd had frozen, so she could lean against him, because that’s where she’d always belonged, or so it seemed.”
“She laughed softly, and suddenly he was suffused with an admiration that was almost painful. That she should see so clearly. That she could laugh and not judge. That her heart was accepting. That she’d confronted the utter destruction of her life with relative grace and looked forward with hope, not bitterness, not regret. And there was a moment when he couldn’t breathe, because he suddenly wanted to be worthy of her, and he quite simply didn’t know how that was possible.”
“It felt strange. As though he were speaking his native language for the first time in a long time, after speaking another to everyone else. For twelve days, four hours, thirty-two minutes, and forty-one seconds. And it was a relief just to be near her. Suddenly, gravity seemed much less oppressive.” (love the way this was written.)
“Defends me in a crowded ballroom at the risk of his own dignity, because he knows me and loves me better than anyone ever has and ever will, even if he can’t say it. Yet.” (This part!!!)
“But one reckless night should not define a man for a lifetime. If you can look me in the eye and tell me your soul is stainless, I’ll leave now. And if you can look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t think I deserve happiness, I’ll leave now. And if you truly believe I cannot make Tansy happy, I will leave now. I don’t know if she loves me. But I love her. And I would die for her.”
“I love you. So much it amazes me I’ve managed to live this long without you. I used to think that in order to find peace, I needed to keep moving, to keep searching, until I’d exhausted every corner of the world. But . . . Tansy . . . you are the world to me. You are my home, and, quite ironically, my peace, though I haven’t truly known a moment’s peace since I’ve met you. Which I quite like.” Orphaned American heiress Titania “Tansy” Danforth is the Duke of Falconbridge’s new ward. The entirety of Tansy’s fortune would only be released to her once she marries a man the Duke approves of. Preferably someone titled. That would be easy for her. Tansy is beautiful and she knows it…every gentleman she has ever encountered is enamored by her. Except for the notorious Ian Eversea who seems unaffected by her charms. Which is rather unfortunate for Tansy because he’s the only man who has ever aroused her interest. Ian Eversea sees right through Tansy’s acts. He has no intentions to be one of the men who are embarrassingly bewitched by her. But when Ian finally sees beyond Tansy’s facade, it seems that he is in great danger of falling in love with the girl he’d once perceived as satan in satin. However, a match between the two of them is inconceivable when the girl’s guardian is the very same man Ian wronged.
Between the Devil and Ian Eversea is the 9th installment to Julie Anne Long’s historical romance series, Pennyroyal Green. This book is about Captain Ian Eversea and American Heiress Titania Danforth. The day I’m writing this review is the same day I planned to read a book but I couldn’t focus because it seems I have a book hangover. So here I am writing the review for this instead. I just loved this one very much! I have only read four of Julie Anne Long's works but I have not been disappointed even once. She is such a talented writer that I’m always in awe when I finish one of her books. I’ve always wanted to read this book but thought to myself I should read “What I did for a Duke” first, but you know what I am, If I want to read a book, I do not care one bit if I’m reading out of order especially when they could be read as stand-alones.
Meet Titania “Tansy” Danforth: Her father is the Duke of Falconbridge’s cousin. When her older brother died in war, she was left alone with her parents. A year after that, her parents were killed by a carriage accident. This resulted in her being alone in the world. Tansy being orphaned is what led to her traveling back to England where she was born. She was a “virtuoso of flirtation”, she enjoyed how men paid attention to her. Simply put, she thrives on attention. And according to Ian Eversea, “She has a wit that can cut right through a man. She’s . . . oh, God, she’s gentle. She’s more forgiving than she ought to be and kinder and braver and wiser and more loyal than you’ll ever be.”
Meet Ian Eversea: He is obviously an Eversea (I have no idea if he’s the second, third or fourth son.) He’s also a captain. He’s a veteran of war. Something happened during the war that he feels responsible for and regrets everyday. Mrs Dewitt describes him better so here is a quote, “’E’s a man, and he’s been to war and back, and to London and back, and men are shaped by the things they find in both places, aye? For good or for ill. I’ve seen it time and again. Ye’ve only to look at the lad, and . . . well, my own old heart turns over when he smiles, and that’s the truth. He gets what he wants just that way. ’E’s good at heart but ’e’s a restless one, and any woman who pins her hopes to him is asking for heartbreak.” He intends to stay in Pennyroyal only for a short time because he plans to spend every last of his savings traveling around the world for many years. But obviously, his plans would be thwarted once he meets Tansy.
When Tansy’s parents pass away, she is left alone in the world. She is forced to travel to England to settle down with a gentleman whose title is grand enough for her big fortune as is stated by her father’s will. Her arrival caused a “temporary insanity”. She knows that she’s beautiful and she uses that fact to beguile every man she encounters. Which is rather unfortunate for many women in Sussex whose beaus now seem more interested in Tansy than the women they originally courted. And although there are many men who are enchanted by the American heiress, the only man who has ever piqued her interest is not one of them. Ian Eversea has his own reasons for not falling under Tansy’s spell: Besides the fact that the Duke of Falconbridge warned him off her, he’s simply not interested in the girl because she’s sheltered, innocent and inexperienced, which bores him. In addition, he sees through Tansy’s acts. He knows that she’s not the “wallflower” that she kept on telling people she is. As much as he could, he would resist the girl’s charms. But Tansy keeps on testing him at every turn, and when he finally succumbs to his desire for her, matters of the heart become complicated. It seems that after everything that has transpired, Captain Ian Eversea, a notorious rogue, will finally surrender and give in to what his heart truly desires: a life with Tansy. To hell with the Duke!
I loved the heroine very much. I have read many reviews saying how they hated the heroine and just didn’t care for her. There are many low ratings specifically for the reason that they couldn’t stand the heroine. To each their own. However, there was something about her that was utterly charming. I never hated her, never disliked her, and I was not even for once annoyed by her. I feel like people underestimate her. She was actually a really intelligent girl who knew her strength and how to use it. I also loved Cynthia from Like no other Lover (Book 2) and many people disliked her as well. It seems appropriate to bring this up because I’m noticing a pattern…It seems that I have a weakness for heroines who seem self-serving but I just know that there’s more to them than how they are seen and/or perceived by people: including the side characters and the readers. While it is true that Tansy is attention seeking, she seems to look at women as her competition, she loves playing with men’s feelings (She leads them on) and her thoughts are not always kind… I see so much more than that. I see potential. I see a woman deeply insecure, and while it is not an excuse, it explains why she is the way she is. She’s a real person, at least to me. I feel like she’s an example of a person wanting “validation” because it is the only time she ever felt like she had worth, and while that is unhealthy, it is totally human. Fictional worlds would be so boring if every character we read about are what most would deemed good. Like a real person, Tansy is not bad nor is she the kindest. She’s flawed and she’s human. And to me, she’s admirable. I loved her. I don’t pretend to have the best understanding of her character, I can’t even put into words who she really is and what you have to know about her, but just know this: If you read this book with an open mind and isn’t automatically ready to dislike characters who obviously need time to grow, you will appreciate her character arc. As the story went on, we saw a nicer side to her. E.g. She’s more thoughtful (though I think she’s always been, it just isn’t seen by people). But to me, I think if you think she’s annoying then you’re looking at her through the lens of Ian Eversea (At first) wherein he already has a preconceived notion of who she is without even truly knowing who she truly is. I always say this but sometimes words aren’t adequate, I have no idea how else to explain why I love her but I do. She’s probably one of my favorite heroines.
As for the hero, I have to admit that there are so many things that I don’t know about him. I have to blame it on myself for not reading book one and three, and I still haven’t even read book five where Ian was most famous for having wronged the Duke. I knew nothing about this man when I started reading this book. I have no idea whether he was the second, third or fourth son. What the name of his parents were. Apparently, the Everseas are as famous as the Redmonds but I just don’t know their names. Simply put, I don’t know the basics about him. I just know that he’s an Eversea who’s notorious for almost sleeping with Falconbridge’s former fiancee. He’s a captain and as an Eversea, he’s a wealthy man. But that’s about it. Even when I finished the book I’m still lacking knowledge about the Eversea family and I still don’t know how old Ian is. What I do know however is that he’s a worthy man for Tansy. I get tired of rakes, they bore me because they’re almost in all HR books. Who wants to read about the same man over and over again? However, even if Ian was a rake there was more to him than that. In short, being a rake was not his only personality. He had depth. That’s what I love about Julie Anne Long’s writing. We have these common tropes and such but she puts her own spin on it and it feels like the first time you’ve ever read about it. All her characters feel so unique. They have such satisfying character arcs. Ian is fiercely loyal to the people he loves, he is willing to look stupid to some people if that means defending the person he loves, and although he had been a bit of an ass to the heroine at the start (Judgmental), when he finally got to know her personality and her heart, he proved to be a deserving man of her. There’s nothing I love more than a hero who doesn’t think twice before defending the heroine, even if it’s scandalous to do so, especially in public. He was caring and kind and he had more potential than what the people in his life gave him credit for. Just like the heroine, he had his own flaws but that did not deter me from loving him just like Tansy did.
I completely adored Tansy and Ian together. They had such a nice chemistry. This one was definitely slower than most, I think they only kissed when it hit past the 50% mark but that did not bother me. The tension was there, their banter had me really laughing and when Ian finally gave up on resisting Tansy, it was so satisfying I was practically screaming. I think they are one of the book couples I’ve read about that I feel were really perfectly made for each other. Some scenes really had me clutching my kindle and I could feel my heart squeezing (especially the parts where Tansy wrote down requirements of what she wanted for a husband: and eventually all qualities are Ian’s. Contrary to what she initially wrote and required of a husband). Also, I love how from the moment Tansy saw Ian, she was already so mesmerized by him to the point where she gets all awkward around him, which is very funny because she’s usually very flirty to the men that surround her. I really enjoyed the part where she bought a book about a historical figure because she thought Ian liked it (or that it meant something to him) and she wanted to get to know him and thought she’d get an idea if she’d read a book about said historical figure but it turned out Ian doesn’t even have an interest in it. Tansy was honestly such a cute heroine. She didn’t chase Ian. But she was practically really attracted to him. I found that endearing. I love me some heroine who isn’t in denial about her feelings towards the hero.
And as usual, this book was used to further set up the Lyon-Olivia book. And I would be lying if I say I’m not excited to read their book. However, it will be a long time before I get to their story because I never want to leave Pennyroyal Green. I would probably delay reading the books in this series I’m interested in just so I don’t have to finish it yet. The author created a really vivid world and very human characters to the point that I’m really attached to them. I find myself wanting to live in Sussex alongside these characters. If Cynthia weren’t already married to Miles, I’d marry him myself. Long wrote some of the best characters (with actual depth) and believable love stories I’ve read and this book just further proved how this author could really write heartwarming romance that would have me in tears and later on smiling because the ending is satisfying. On another note, I don’t really like Olivia Eversea in this book. But I know that when I read her book, I would probably end up loving her. The reason why I’m not very fond of her is because her activism feels very performative and it makes me cringe. I’m all for wanting the world to be a better place, but her character just doesn’t feel very fully developed yet. Fingers crossed that when I get to her book, she’d be a well-rounded character and I’ll see that she’s really passionate about the causes she’s fighting for and that it won’t feel like the author just inserted it for the sake of her and Lyon’s star-crossed-lovers-esque dynamic. I hope I’m making sense. Sometimes, I’m not the best at expressing my thoughts and opinions and I worry that I word them wrongly.
Moving back to the heroine and hero: All I have left to say is that I really loved the two of them together. I loved them individually as well. I think what makes me really root for a couple is when I love both characters, otherwise I won’t care for either of them. Thus far, in all Julie Anne Long books I’ve read, the romance development is always plausible, the characters very human (loveable albeit flawed) and her prose is remarkable. She writes so well and she knows how to make readers connect with her characters and make the readers (me) feel every emotion. I really love Pennyroyal Green and I wish I could stay in this world forever.
The only reason I’m giving this book 4.5 stars is because there was no epilogue, and if you must know, I prefer when books have an epilogue (preferably set a few years later) just to have that feel of closure. And this book did not really make me bawl like I did when I read book two from this series. (Book two is kind of the standard when it comes to me rating installments in this series) but me not crying doesn’t mean it’s not good.
Some quotes:
“Because regardless of what he thought of her, it was strangely a relief to be known.”
“and she’d strangely never felt safer or more peculiarly imperiled. And she’d wanted time to stop then, to freeze the two of them the way the entire crowd had frozen, so she could lean against him, because that’s where she’d always belonged, or so it seemed.”
“She laughed softly, and suddenly he was suffused with an admiration that was almost painful. That she should see so clearly. That she could laugh and not judge. That her heart was accepting. That she’d confronted the utter destruction of her life with relative grace and looked forward with hope, not bitterness, not regret. And there was a moment when he couldn’t breathe, because he suddenly wanted to be worthy of her, and he quite simply didn’t know how that was possible.”
“It felt strange. As though he were speaking his native language for the first time in a long time, after speaking another to everyone else. For twelve days, four hours, thirty-two minutes, and forty-one seconds. And it was a relief just to be near her. Suddenly, gravity seemed much less oppressive.” (love the way this was written.)
“Defends me in a crowded ballroom at the risk of his own dignity, because he knows me and loves me better than anyone ever has and ever will, even if he can’t say it. Yet.” (This part!!!)
“But one reckless night should not define a man for a lifetime. If you can look me in the eye and tell me your soul is stainless, I’ll leave now. And if you can look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t think I deserve happiness, I’ll leave now. And if you truly believe I cannot make Tansy happy, I will leave now. I don’t know if she loves me. But I love her. And I would die for her.”
August 26, 2022
I don’t know whether I am cursed, or this theme is intentionally plaguing my life. I’m talking about the jealousy theme, in which the heroine has to have a second potential love interest (not serious, but severe enough to arouse jealousy) that makes the hero finally act to win the heroine over. This theme is everywhere I go nowadays, one after another. I don’t mind it, but I am bored. That and the modern take on sex.
Plot
Ian Eversea is a 𝓡𝓪𝓴𝓮; a very handsome one at that. Tansy is an American. Being the most beautiful girl around, naturally, she has a line of boys who can’t get over her looks. Unfortunately, Ian Eversea is not one of them. She was too innocent to be his type. Tansy is the Duke’s ward; Ian and the Duke have an awkward past (Ian almost had sex with his ex-fiancée once), it’s no wonder that the Duke doesn’t want him near Tansy. But Tansy is attracted to Ian and she can’t help but use her charming talent to her advantage to make the feelings mutual.
This book was fun. I didn’t swoon overly much but it is entertaining. The writing is easy, though I do feel sometimes it explained too much (about side characters’ side stories, especially Olivia). I don’t usually mind background characters’ plots but sometimes it took up too much space (Especially Olivia).
Characters
Being overly critical, it’s actually surprising that I have no problem with Tansy. I felt like she fits her age. She’s young, she’s vain, she needs attention and sometimes she thinks ill of other people, but she’s never cruel. She knows how to behave.
Ian is not terrible. He’s a rake, so I don’t expect much from him. He took his time warming up to Tansy, but that’s believable. He didn’t do any rakish things in this book so much the other books in the series, and I think that’s a bit out-of-character (As if the term “rake” is just to explain how Tansy is not his type bcs she’s too innocent.) I also dislike the fact that there has to be a second guy introduced so Ian would feel jealousy and therefore force him to act. I mean, I love possessive heroes, but heroes who only act AFTER being jealous are different. It's like the sole purpose that a second guy was introduced is to tip the hero over the edge, to force him to make a move. It's as if without the jealousy, he wouldn't have gone after the girl. . That is NOT flattering to me. I literally got this trope back to back. It got old real quick. Exhausting.
Dynamics
I felt like in the end, this is just a story about two lonely people who dealt with their loneliness in different ways. Tansy with her charms and search for validation, and Ian with his number of exploits.
Tansy liked Ian first and tried to charm him, but he wasn’t impressed. When he did start taking an interest, however, it was a bit blurry for me. There is no particular scene where he found out his affection for her. Is this good or a bad decision? depends. You could see this either way.
I personally like knowing an interest is there (statement of interest) but his affection for her only came internally. So I took it as more of “a feeling of disinterest that changed when he kissed her.” He mentioned his interest in passing, internally, as an afterthought, almost. Some people are like that. That’s fine. I just like the wooing part of it.
My other problem is the modern take on sexual encounters. I don’t know if this is JAL’s theme, but the main thing I dislike from book 5 of this series is their casual take on sex. Unfortunately, this appeared here as well.
Tansy and Ian had coitus and lo and behold, it gets brushed off like a contemporary romance. Hello? Lots of people are trying to court her, there’s a possibility she will wed someone else. Tansy, the girl who cared enough about propriety to always appear picture perfect, is not worried about losing her virginity before marriage to a man who doesn’t want to propose to her. Not even a single doubt in her mind that it is inappropriate? That’s unlikely. And she went on a date the next day with a Duke as well!! The audacity. That is SO very unlike her. The fact she doesn’t worry at all about the outcome is out of character.
I'm usually forgiving to sex outside marriage- I read a few with spinster heroines or MC that don't care about propriety to begin with, but this is Tansy!!-, JAL's theme of making it inconsequential is the problem here.
Conclusion
The plot is interesting, Tansy making everyone jealous is entertaining, Tansy herself —even with flaws like being vain— I think is adorable, Ian is not really my type but he’ll do (I support him purely because Tansy chose him). Frankly, I think Tansy carried this book. She is the only thing that makes this whole book entertaining for me. The plot is similar to lots of other HRs, it’s just that Tansy is a little more unique.
I have more of a problem with Ian and Tansy’s sexual encounters than anything else. I found it truly baffling that they never addressed the seriousness of what they were doing. She could be with child, for god’s sake! It is so not accurate to the time period, the way they set the whole thing aside. But in the end, I stand by my opinions about this book. The point is to tell the story of two young people who are lonely but found love when they learned how to really care for a person, to set aside their flaws and accept them with open arms.
Plot
Ian Eversea is a 𝓡𝓪𝓴𝓮; a very handsome one at that. Tansy is an American. Being the most beautiful girl around, naturally, she has a line of boys who can’t get over her looks. Unfortunately, Ian Eversea is not one of them. She was too innocent to be his type. Tansy is the Duke’s ward; Ian and the Duke have an awkward past (Ian almost had sex with his ex-fiancée once), it’s no wonder that the Duke doesn’t want him near Tansy. But Tansy is attracted to Ian and she can’t help but use her charming talent to her advantage to make the feelings mutual.
This book was fun. I didn’t swoon overly much but it is entertaining. The writing is easy, though I do feel sometimes it explained too much (about side characters’ side stories, especially Olivia). I don’t usually mind background characters’ plots but sometimes it took up too much space (Especially Olivia).
Characters
Being overly critical, it’s actually surprising that I have no problem with Tansy. I felt like she fits her age. She’s young, she’s vain, she needs attention and sometimes she thinks ill of other people, but she’s never cruel. She knows how to behave.
Ian is not terrible. He’s a rake, so I don’t expect much from him. He took his time warming up to Tansy, but that’s believable. He didn’t do any rakish things in this book so much the other books in the series, and I think that’s a bit out-of-character (As if the term “rake” is just to explain how Tansy is not his type bcs she’s too innocent.) I also dislike the fact that there has to be a second guy introduced so Ian would feel jealousy and therefore force him to act. I mean, I love possessive heroes, but heroes who only act AFTER being jealous are different. It's like the sole purpose that a second guy was introduced is to tip the hero over the edge, to force him to make a move. It's as if without the jealousy, he wouldn't have gone after the girl. . That is NOT flattering to me. I literally got this trope back to back. It got old real quick. Exhausting.
Dynamics
I felt like in the end, this is just a story about two lonely people who dealt with their loneliness in different ways. Tansy with her charms and search for validation, and Ian with his number of exploits.
Tansy liked Ian first and tried to charm him, but he wasn’t impressed. When he did start taking an interest, however, it was a bit blurry for me. There is no particular scene where he found out his affection for her. Is this good or a bad decision? depends. You could see this either way.
I personally like knowing an interest is there (statement of interest) but his affection for her only came internally. So I took it as more of “a feeling of disinterest that changed when he kissed her.” He mentioned his interest in passing, internally, as an afterthought, almost. Some people are like that. That’s fine. I just like the wooing part of it.
My other problem is the modern take on sexual encounters. I don’t know if this is JAL’s theme, but the main thing I dislike from book 5 of this series is their casual take on sex. Unfortunately, this appeared here as well.
Tansy and Ian had coitus and lo and behold, it gets brushed off like a contemporary romance. Hello? Lots of people are trying to court her, there’s a possibility she will wed someone else. Tansy, the girl who cared enough about propriety to always appear picture perfect, is not worried about losing her virginity before marriage to a man who doesn’t want to propose to her. Not even a single doubt in her mind that it is inappropriate? That’s unlikely. And she went on a date the next day with a Duke as well!! The audacity. That is SO very unlike her. The fact she doesn’t worry at all about the outcome is out of character.
I'm usually forgiving to sex outside marriage- I read a few with spinster heroines or MC that don't care about propriety to begin with, but this is Tansy!!-, JAL's theme of making it inconsequential is the problem here.
Conclusion
The plot is interesting, Tansy making everyone jealous is entertaining, Tansy herself —even with flaws like being vain— I think is adorable, Ian is not really my type but he’ll do (I support him purely because Tansy chose him). Frankly, I think Tansy carried this book. She is the only thing that makes this whole book entertaining for me. The plot is similar to lots of other HRs, it’s just that Tansy is a little more unique.
I have more of a problem with Ian and Tansy’s sexual encounters than anything else. I found it truly baffling that they never addressed the seriousness of what they were doing. She could be with child, for god’s sake! It is so not accurate to the time period, the way they set the whole thing aside. But in the end, I stand by my opinions about this book. The point is to tell the story of two young people who are lonely but found love when they learned how to really care for a person, to set aside their flaws and accept them with open arms.
October 3, 2024
An enjoyable read. I liked the non-cliche characters/relationship building. Tansy, who moved with her family from England to America as a girl, is now back. An orphan and a very rich young lady. At first, it's quite hard for readers to come to grips with her character. Is she an innocent or a relentless flirt? Is she cunning or naive?
Tansy is underestimated by Captain Ian Eversea. He's worldly, a former soldier, a lover of (more experienced) women, and a man who has plans to shortly head off on a ship to explore the world. To him, Tansy is pretty, yes, but basically an uninteresting young lady who's just like every other bland young thing. But strangely enough, he keeps finding that she piques his interest. She says and does things he doesn't expect, and he gradually comes to see she is much deeper than he first thought.
Not a huge amount happens in the book, and it's a fairly quick read. But it's a lovely story. I really enjoyed the way the relationship developed between these two.
There are also enjoyable glimpses of other characters from the series, such as the Duke of Falconbridge and Genevieve (from What I Did For a Duke), and a bit more development in the story of Olivia, whose book is the final one.
Ms Long has demonstrated again what a talented writer she is. I recommend this one.
Tansy is underestimated by Captain Ian Eversea. He's worldly, a former soldier, a lover of (more experienced) women, and a man who has plans to shortly head off on a ship to explore the world. To him, Tansy is pretty, yes, but basically an uninteresting young lady who's just like every other bland young thing. But strangely enough, he keeps finding that she piques his interest. She says and does things he doesn't expect, and he gradually comes to see she is much deeper than he first thought.
Not a huge amount happens in the book, and it's a fairly quick read. But it's a lovely story. I really enjoyed the way the relationship developed between these two.
There are also enjoyable glimpses of other characters from the series, such as the Duke of Falconbridge and Genevieve (from What I Did For a Duke), and a bit more development in the story of Olivia, whose book is the final one.
Ms Long has demonstrated again what a talented writer she is. I recommend this one.
July 18, 2019
Heavy sigh.
This book needs a sensitivity scrubbing too cause the -what I hope was an attempt irony with the heroine saying a vapid things directed at indigenous people using her “show persona” did not land. Boo. Take it out. And a few other things.
Also, the characters weren’t well developed so even though her romancey parts are so dialed in, I just didn’t like them.
This book needs a sensitivity scrubbing too cause the -what I hope was an attempt irony with the heroine saying a vapid things directed at indigenous people using her “show persona” did not land. Boo. Take it out. And a few other things.
Also, the characters weren’t well developed so even though her romancey parts are so dialed in, I just didn’t like them.
October 8, 2025
Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers
Overall: 3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖 (there were a few parts that pulled at me though! I feel like the latter half was probably a 4 for me)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: third person from the hero and heroine (and just a touch from a prior character, the Duke from What I Did for a Duke (book 5))
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: she sees him in chapter 3 (7% in), but they don’t really interact until chapter 5 (about 17%)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after for the mains
Epilogue: No but there is a part of the last chapter that kind of wraps everything up a little bit in the future.
Format: listened to the audiobook from my library (Hoopla)
Why I chose this book: I have slowly been going through the series!
Mains: Miss Titania (Tansy) Danforth and Ian Eversea – This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
Ideally I think yes. The family dynamic and jokes evolve over the course of the series and you will get more out of it reading in order. BUT this romance does stand alone and I think you would be….okay reading out of order. But if you insist on reading out of order I think you should AT LEAST read book 5 because those relationships come into play here and you will find everything way funnier between the duke and Ian.
Basic plot:
Titania is in England to marry, but the one man she’s interested in is the one most forbidden to her.
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency?
- American / English heroine (she was born in England but has lived in America for a number of years) and English hero
- beautiful heroine
- bit of forbidden love – heroine’s guardian-ish is the hero’s enemy vibes...(The Duke from What I Did for a Duke)
- lower steam – 2ish full scenes (and a slower burn)
Ages:
- didn’t catch either
First line:
If innocence had a color, it was the rain washed silver-blue of Miss Titania Danforth’s eyes.
My thoughts:
I really thought this one was going to be a bottom of the barrel in the series for me – I was so annoyed in the beginning. The mains aren’t even talking on page together until almost 20% of the book. And then Ian is just...worried about his next lay and doesn’t really care about anything I wanted him to care about. And this heroine was hard for me to like at first – she was very ‘competitive’ with other girls and focused on her looks and making sure everyone noticed her. I was getting bored and not feeling the romance.
But, Long does it again where she just ends up grabbing my heart. I find all of her books very slow burn, but watching them fall is so good. I found myself melting for both of them – especially Titania. (there was a scene with Ian in the latter half of the book that was disappointing to me as a reader, so I still like him a bit less😂 )
There were a few scenes I really loved – like when Ian, who doesn’t get excited over much in life anymore, is absolutely thrilled to find a book that guides him on native flowers from America to gift Titania being one that so adorable.
So, overall, not a top read from the series for me but it had a good turnaround that made me like it more than a few other reads in the series.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 10
Average rating from me: 4.2 stars
Favorite book: probably What I Did for a Duke
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
Overall: 3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖 (there were a few parts that pulled at me though! I feel like the latter half was probably a 4 for me)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: third person from the hero and heroine (and just a touch from a prior character, the Duke from What I Did for a Duke (book 5))
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: she sees him in chapter 3 (7% in), but they don’t really interact until chapter 5 (about 17%)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after for the mains
Epilogue: No but there is a part of the last chapter that kind of wraps everything up a little bit in the future.
Format: listened to the audiobook from my library (Hoopla)
Why I chose this book: I have slowly been going through the series!
Mains: Miss Titania (Tansy) Danforth and Ian Eversea – This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
Ideally I think yes. The family dynamic and jokes evolve over the course of the series and you will get more out of it reading in order. BUT this romance does stand alone and I think you would be….okay reading out of order. But if you insist on reading out of order I think you should AT LEAST read book 5 because those relationships come into play here and you will find everything way funnier between the duke and Ian.
Basic plot:
Titania is in England to marry, but the one man she’s interested in is the one most forbidden to her.
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency?
- American / English heroine (she was born in England but has lived in America for a number of years) and English hero
- beautiful heroine
- bit of forbidden love – heroine’s guardian-ish is the hero’s enemy vibes...(The Duke from What I Did for a Duke)
- lower steam – 2ish full scenes (and a slower burn)
Ages:
- didn’t catch either
First line:
If innocence had a color, it was the rain washed silver-blue of Miss Titania Danforth’s eyes.
My thoughts:
I really thought this one was going to be a bottom of the barrel in the series for me – I was so annoyed in the beginning. The mains aren’t even talking on page together until almost 20% of the book. And then Ian is just...worried about his next lay and doesn’t really care about anything I wanted him to care about. And this heroine was hard for me to like at first – she was very ‘competitive’ with other girls and focused on her looks and making sure everyone noticed her. I was getting bored and not feeling the romance.
But, Long does it again where she just ends up grabbing my heart. I find all of her books very slow burn, but watching them fall is so good. I found myself melting for both of them – especially Titania. (there was a scene with Ian in the latter half of the book that was disappointing to me as a reader, so I still like him a bit less😂 )
There were a few scenes I really loved – like when Ian, who doesn’t get excited over much in life anymore, is absolutely thrilled to find a book that guides him on native flowers from America to gift Titania being one that so adorable.
So, overall, not a top read from the series for me but it had a good turnaround that made me like it more than a few other reads in the series.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 10
Average rating from me: 4.2 stars
Favorite book: probably What I Did for a Duke
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
July 7, 2016
Edit: Just as amazing as I knew it would be!!! I loved Tansy, and Ian of course.
I love the entire series and I've enjoyed every single book but here's where the books stand:
1. What I Did For a Duke
2. Like No Other Lover and How the Marquess Was Won and It Happened One Midnight and Between the Devil and Ian Eversea
3. A Notorious Countess Confesses
4. Since the Surrender
5. I Kissed an Earl
6. The Perils of Pleasure
I know I shouldn't have 4 books in 2nd place but that is a testament of the books' amazingness.
Pre reading thoughts:
WHO'S DYING FOR THIS BOOK?
I love the entire series and I've enjoyed every single book but here's where the books stand:
1. What I Did For a Duke
2. Like No Other Lover and How the Marquess Was Won and It Happened One Midnight and Between the Devil and Ian Eversea
3. A Notorious Countess Confesses
4. Since the Surrender
5. I Kissed an Earl
6. The Perils of Pleasure
I know I shouldn't have 4 books in 2nd place but that is a testament of the books' amazingness.
Pre reading thoughts:
WHO'S DYING FOR THIS BOOK?
July 31, 2021
5 Stars!
When I reached approximately 60% in this book, I was happy with a 4.5 star experience, but the last 40% convinced me that it was actually a 5-star read. My smile grew with each consecutive chapter and became unrestrained during the entire final chapter.
The pacing in this one was perfect. Once the story dug a little deeper and moved past Tansy’s flattery and Ian's suspicions, the conversations and moments between the two were magical. Beautiful and lovely moments with depth, wit, and honesty. Their backstories were nicely connected in a psychological and emotional way, opening the door for poignant discussions and revelations.
I enjoyed the different type of heroine in American Heiress Tansy, but I'm surprised how much I loved Ian. His bold introduction in book 5 set the stage for a rather frustrating rascal of a character, but his transformation from that book to the final chapter in this one was superb. I also can't discount the artful scenes with the Duke of Falconbridge. Each reminiscent of his fantastic portrayal in What I Did for a Duke and nuanced in way that showcased his true character. He was rather wily and fun in this one.
While all of the books in Pennyroyal have had a wonderful blend of humor, poignancy, angst, and romance, I found this entry more straightforward with less of that angst. It was a lovely surprise in comparison to the books with more turmoil. I loved it.
August 7, 2015
Unfortunately, I don't have time to write a review, but JAL is such a great author! I'll never stop saying that. I've said in the past that I have a special rating for Lisa Kleypas's books, which means that a 4-star LK book is like a 5-star book by any other author. I realise that it's the same with JAL. This has been such a lovely book and a really wonderful reading experience! But I know JAL can do -and has, in fact, done- even better than this, hence the 4-star rating. Now I have no books left to read in the Pennyroyal Green series. All that's left to do now is wait patiently for The Legend of Lyon Redmond, my most anticipated read of all time, which, as it happens, comes out on my birthday! Isn't that the best birthday present ever? JAL this better be good!
March 22, 2021
Tansy and Ian aren’t terribly likable people when we meet them, which seems to be some of the critique leveled at this story. To me, however, their character “flaws” are powerful lessons in how people may seem “fine” when they are anything but, “functional” when they’re barely staying alive. Sticking with their unlikableness is a lesson in both empathy and patience, an exercise I felt deeply rewarded for as a reader. Both Tansy and Ian have undergone loss and trauma, and they don’t handle it like angels, but that only renders them more human and their character growth more profound. I read this whole story with a lump in my throat. I frequently teared up. They felt so real, and the manner in which they figured each other out and by the same token gave each other permission to be their imperfect selves was so emotionally satisfying. By the end of this story, I loved Tansy and Ian as much as they loved each other.
On a final note: I want to see more romance novels that normalize people who are struggling—to heal, to be sincere, to trust, to believe—and show that with the right person, with honesty and understanding, trust and laughter, they can find their happy ending, too.
On a final note: I want to see more romance novels that normalize people who are struggling—to heal, to be sincere, to trust, to believe—and show that with the right person, with honesty and understanding, trust and laughter, they can find their happy ending, too.
May 2, 2014
For the first half of the book I really didn't like the heroine. Of course I knew she'd been through terrible loss and there should be sympathy, but her POV was so shallow. She puts forth a vapid personality to others, but we don't get much better from her inner thoughts. Later we see more of the real her and she's much more likable, but it's a tough slog if you don't trust this author. I do happen to trust Julie Anne Long, so it was ultimately worth it.
This book reminded me a lot of book two in this series: "Like No Other Lover". Miles Redmond and Cynthia Brightly's story featured two leads that were mercenary and at odds. This one has two leads who hide behind devil-may-care, selfish personas and they are also at odds. It's a template I haven't really seen other authors try, but Long does pull it off. I ultimately liked both books.
Titania AKA Tansy is so beautiful she's almost difficult to look at. She knows it and uses it to gain all the male attention in the room. She's a big flatterer and men find her sincere while everything else about her is stunning as well. Naturally, she has no real friends. What woman would want to become friends with someone who could -- and would -- easily steal the attention of your man?
Ian Eversea is a rake with a bad reputation. His worst infraction was to climb into bed naked (but invited!) with the Duke of Falconridge's fiance. He was busted before anything could happen, by theduke himself -- and was sent out into the black night with no clothes and only one shoe. This all happened in "What I Did For a Duke" where said Duke fell deeply in love with Ian's sister, Genevieve, but never "thanked" Ian for helping him dodge a bullet. In fact, he seems to truly love torturing Ian with the threat of death when he least expects it. Why am I talking so much about the duke? Because he's Tansy's cousin and her guardian. Not a good situation for Ian, to say the least. But he can't stand Tansy when he first meets her, so it's not a problem. Or is it?
Anyway, this book had some good laughs, some frustrating moments and a very nice HEA by the end. Both leads redeemed themselves admirably and I closed the book with a smile -- as I usually do with a Pennyroyal Green book. :)
This book reminded me a lot of book two in this series: "Like No Other Lover". Miles Redmond and Cynthia Brightly's story featured two leads that were mercenary and at odds. This one has two leads who hide behind devil-may-care, selfish personas and they are also at odds. It's a template I haven't really seen other authors try, but Long does pull it off. I ultimately liked both books.
Titania AKA Tansy is so beautiful she's almost difficult to look at. She knows it and uses it to gain all the male attention in the room. She's a big flatterer and men find her sincere while everything else about her is stunning as well. Naturally, she has no real friends. What woman would want to become friends with someone who could -- and would -- easily steal the attention of your man?
Ian Eversea is a rake with a bad reputation. His worst infraction was to climb into bed naked (but invited!) with the Duke of Falconridge's fiance. He was busted before anything could happen, by theduke himself -- and was sent out into the black night with no clothes and only one shoe. This all happened in "What I Did For a Duke" where said Duke fell deeply in love with Ian's sister, Genevieve, but never "thanked" Ian for helping him dodge a bullet. In fact, he seems to truly love torturing Ian with the threat of death when he least expects it. Why am I talking so much about the duke? Because he's Tansy's cousin and her guardian. Not a good situation for Ian, to say the least. But he can't stand Tansy when he first meets her, so it's not a problem. Or is it?
Anyway, this book had some good laughs, some frustrating moments and a very nice HEA by the end. Both leads redeemed themselves admirably and I closed the book with a smile -- as I usually do with a Pennyroyal Green book. :)
October 28, 2019
Maybe 3 or 3.25/5? Downgraded from original 4 stars upon reread. Beautiful American heroine flirting up a storm upon her arrival in England following the death of her parents. Tansy Danforth falls hard for the attractive rakish brother-in-law of her guardian. Ian Eversea knows a thing or ten about flirting himself, having had dalliances with various eligible and ineligible ladies. He initially dismisses her as yet another uninteresting innocent - pretty and shallow. He slowly changes his mind about her as they get to know each other better. Unfortunately, while he becomes slowly more susceptible to Tansy's charms, I was completely unmoved by her and in my opinion, she remained immature and too desperate for universal adolation. Insecurity is not an attractive trait.
Ian fared better as a character. He had done less than noble deeds since returning from the war, but that was all before the start of the book. His behaviour was almost exemplary throughout the book, but I really didn't find him all that interesting.
As for the chemistry between them, I didn't feel it. The bantering did not really take off, because she was so infatuated by him at first sight that she couldn't string an intelligent sentence around him for a while. JAL's prose elevated the book and the appearances of the formidable Duke of Falconbridge (Tansy's guardian and hero of book 5) were the highlights of the book for me.
Ian fared better as a character. He had done less than noble deeds since returning from the war, but that was all before the start of the book. His behaviour was almost exemplary throughout the book, but I really didn't find him all that interesting.
As for the chemistry between them, I didn't feel it. The bantering did not really take off, because she was so infatuated by him at first sight that she couldn't string an intelligent sentence around him for a while. JAL's prose elevated the book and the appearances of the formidable Duke of Falconbridge (Tansy's guardian and hero of book 5) were the highlights of the book for me.
October 16, 2021
I only got about 20% into this book before deciding to call it quits. The hero and the heroine are both truly awful. The hero is a manwhore of the highest order - just disgusting. We start the book with him in bed with an actress. She may have started to catch feelings for him so he escapes away from her to give her poor heart time to heal. 🐸🐍 A couple of chapters later, he tries to make arrangement with a widow too. This start just reinforced what i already knew about the hero… he’s an awful POS who should have died of the pox several books back.
The heroine is a brat who needs to be the prettiest and most adored. She flirts with everyone, including engaged and married men. She’s truly awful, and I don’t think that being an orphan is a good excuse for her shitty behavior.
I might have continued on to see if things improved eventually, but after reading a few reviews, realized I would just be wasting my time.
This book is so extremely disappointing after several good ones in this series. I can only say that the hero and heroine clearly belong together since they are both horrible.
The heroine is a brat who needs to be the prettiest and most adored. She flirts with everyone, including engaged and married men. She’s truly awful, and I don’t think that being an orphan is a good excuse for her shitty behavior.
I might have continued on to see if things improved eventually, but after reading a few reviews, realized I would just be wasting my time.
This book is so extremely disappointing after several good ones in this series. I can only say that the hero and heroine clearly belong together since they are both horrible.
September 24, 2015
3 1/2 stars (rounded down to 3 stars, because I couldn't stand Tansy for the first 2/3 of the story)
May 24, 2022
Though she was born in England, American raised heiress Titania “Tansy” Danforth now very much feels her displaced orphan status. She arrives in Sussex hoping to find many suitors, enough to secure marriage to a title. Unfortunately for those plans, the only man she finds remotely interesting has no title, only a notorious reputation and apparently zero interest in her.
Ian Eversea returned from war a bit changed in ways no one seems to appreciate. Sure, he’s capable of charming multitudes of women, but he lets none near his heart and makes no promises that could potentially tie him down.
Given Tansy’s status as his brother-in-law’s ward, Ian inevitably spends a good deal of time with her and is surprised to find that the real Tansy is someone he’d like to know. She’s also incredibly tempting to him and may just be the one to cause him to lay down his guard for once.
I’m not entirely sure what happened here. I started this book thoroughly disliking the heroine, who came off as shallow and vapid. Ian was okay, sympathetic since even his family didn’t seem to think much of him, but he also seemed a bit shallow at the start. Then JAL manipulated my feelings in the way that she does so well, and I couldn’t help but root for these two to be together. I felt like I was getting to know Tansy and Ian at the same time as they were getting to know each other, seeing beneath the facades that each presented to the other. Tansy seemed vain and shallow and had me rolling my eyes so much at her antics, but really, she just sought stability and a strong connection to someone else, someone to whom she could belong, and I think that is definitely something that resonates with everyone. While this isn’t exactly a new favorite of the series for me, I very much enjoyed this couple and their journey to HEA, and I especially liked the reconciliation between Ian and the duke. Somehow, Ian and Tansy wound up being very sweet together and each wound up being basically the first person to see the other for who they truly were beneath the surface; Ian recognized Tansy’s grief and she recognized the painful memories he’d brought home from war. The other men around Tansy were certainly exasperating, but I did appreciate that it was always pretty clear to the reader that she was basically well-intentioned and had no true designs on any of them. Overall, I think this was a great addition to the series and I was happy to see Ian, as the oft-overlooked Eversea, get his HEA with someone who appreciated him for who he was beyond just his handsome face and effusive charm.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
Ian Eversea returned from war a bit changed in ways no one seems to appreciate. Sure, he’s capable of charming multitudes of women, but he lets none near his heart and makes no promises that could potentially tie him down.
Given Tansy’s status as his brother-in-law’s ward, Ian inevitably spends a good deal of time with her and is surprised to find that the real Tansy is someone he’d like to know. She’s also incredibly tempting to him and may just be the one to cause him to lay down his guard for once.
I’m not entirely sure what happened here. I started this book thoroughly disliking the heroine, who came off as shallow and vapid. Ian was okay, sympathetic since even his family didn’t seem to think much of him, but he also seemed a bit shallow at the start. Then JAL manipulated my feelings in the way that she does so well, and I couldn’t help but root for these two to be together. I felt like I was getting to know Tansy and Ian at the same time as they were getting to know each other, seeing beneath the facades that each presented to the other. Tansy seemed vain and shallow and had me rolling my eyes so much at her antics, but really, she just sought stability and a strong connection to someone else, someone to whom she could belong, and I think that is definitely something that resonates with everyone. While this isn’t exactly a new favorite of the series for me, I very much enjoyed this couple and their journey to HEA, and I especially liked the reconciliation between Ian and the duke. Somehow, Ian and Tansy wound up being very sweet together and each wound up being basically the first person to see the other for who they truly were beneath the surface; Ian recognized Tansy’s grief and she recognized the painful memories he’d brought home from war. The other men around Tansy were certainly exasperating, but I did appreciate that it was always pretty clear to the reader that she was basically well-intentioned and had no true designs on any of them. Overall, I think this was a great addition to the series and I was happy to see Ian, as the oft-overlooked Eversea, get his HEA with someone who appreciated him for who he was beyond just his handsome face and effusive charm.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
March 25, 2023
3,5 stars
Good fun and I appreciated the simplicity of it! 2 more to go!
Ian:Do you believe in destiny Colin?
Colin:Certainly
Ian:I think my destiny might be to be murderered by the Duke of Falconbridge 🤣🤣🤣 Ahaha I am still laughing so hard.
Colin:He can't murder you,he is family
I loved the humor between Ian and the Duke in book number 5. Nice reminder"
Good fun and I appreciated the simplicity of it! 2 more to go!
Ian:Do you believe in destiny Colin?
Colin:Certainly
Ian:I think my destiny might be to be murderered by the Duke of Falconbridge 🤣🤣🤣 Ahaha I am still laughing so hard.
Colin:He can't murder you,he is family
I loved the humor between Ian and the Duke in book number 5. Nice reminder"
February 19, 2016
UGH.
It took everything in me to finish this book. I just could not find one honest to good thing I liked about it. Julie Anne Long’s prose and the appearances of past characters were not enough to save me from utter boredom.
I knew Ian would be a self centered douche due to his previous actions in What I Did For a Duke and he was utterly unchanged here. Tansy wasn’t much better. I just could not connect with her. Their supposed motivations and reasons behind their actions were so paper thin that they were practically nonexistent. Tansy played around with other people's emotions because she was lonely and wanted attention which pretty much equated her to that of a spoiled child. Ian bedded everything that moved in a highly unoriginal attempt to forget the pains of his past. Pains that were only elaborated upon ONCE which therefore made them totally redundant and not the least bit sympathetic. Obviously none of these facts endeared either of them as characters to me.
And don't even get me started on their supposedly epic, written in the stars romance. BLEH. Tansy's attraction to Ian was so superficial and disingenuous that again, there was no reason for me to care about it or believe that they'd even made any sort of believable emotional connection, let alone fell in love. I wish negative stars existed because that's what this book deserves, IN MY OPINION.
It took everything in me to finish this book. I just could not find one honest to good thing I liked about it. Julie Anne Long’s prose and the appearances of past characters were not enough to save me from utter boredom.
I knew Ian would be a self centered douche due to his previous actions in What I Did For a Duke and he was utterly unchanged here. Tansy wasn’t much better. I just could not connect with her. Their supposed motivations and reasons behind their actions were so paper thin that they were practically nonexistent. Tansy played around with other people's emotions because she was lonely and wanted attention which pretty much equated her to that of a spoiled child. Ian bedded everything that moved in a highly unoriginal attempt to forget the pains of his past. Pains that were only elaborated upon ONCE which therefore made them totally redundant and not the least bit sympathetic. Obviously none of these facts endeared either of them as characters to me.
And don't even get me started on their supposedly epic, written in the stars romance. BLEH. Tansy's attraction to Ian was so superficial and disingenuous that again, there was no reason for me to care about it or believe that they'd even made any sort of believable emotional connection, let alone fell in love. I wish negative stars existed because that's what this book deserves, IN MY OPINION.
February 16, 2015
It took me a while to finish this book as I wasn't enjoying it as much in the beginning. The heroine came off as being too immature for my taste and I couldn't see a man like Ian falling for her. I gave it a break for a while and just decided to pick it back up.Luckily it all came together nicely and their relationship and banter started growing on me. I appreciated the fact that Ian also took time to fall for Tansy and wasn't smitten by her right away like all the other men. It made the coming together worth the wait. When all was said and done, this turned out to be a pretty good read.
February 22, 2021
I gave it a 3 was an okay read, which got better near the end. So 3.5 not quite a 4.
February 21, 2023
Another captivating Pennyroyal Green book. This entire series is absolutely addictive. Cheeky arrogant Hero who meets his match in a charming 🇺🇸 heroine who uncovers his well hidden depths. Some heartsoaring gestures in this one. The steam is 👌... As usual JAL balances angst with well placed humour...she just nails it. Highly recommend this series to anyone starting off in HR...this is the real deal!
December 19, 2014
Utterly sigh worthy. Made me laugh and cry. Definitely worth the wait.
March 24, 2014
Dabney and I did a Pandora's Box at All About Romance on this one here.
I haven’t read all the books in this series (so far) but I really enjoyed the one before this (It Happened One Midnight) and gave it 4.5 stars.
I was looking forward to a similar experience with Between the Devil and Ian Eversea, but unfortunately, I came away from it feeling a little disappointed.
That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the book – I did. There is plenty of humour in the exchanges between the hero and heroine and between the hero and his numerous siblings, the principals are very attractive characters; it’s sexy and sweet and romantic, and all the secondary characters (who have presumably already featured in their own stories) are well drawn.
Tansy is an interesting and complex heroine, and I was impressed with the way Ms Long gradually peeled away the layers of her personality to reveal the truth of the emotionally bruised young woman beneath the shallow, flirtatious outer shell.
I was less convinced by Ian, however. He’s handsome, sexy and tortured by memories of his experiences in the war, but he wasn’t as well developed a character as Tansy, and isn’t one of those heroes that’s going to stick in my mind in the way some of them do.
I think that part of the reason for my disappointment with this book may be because I felt almost as though I had read two books that had been sandwiched together around the half-way point. For the first part of the book, Ian is very wary of Tansy – wary to the point of dislike – because he can see all too well what she’s up to, and Tansy, while she is absolutely knocked flat by Ian’s gorgeousness, is aware of his distrust of her. So they spend the first part of the story watching and circling each other and when they do meet, they are far from pleasant.
When things change, they change abruptly. The sudden détente comes as the result of a shared concern for a missing girl (who, luckily, is soon found unharmed) and after that, they begin to open up to each other and Ian finds himself telling Tansy things he’s never told anyone else and vice versa. While I was pleased that Ian and Tansy were at last warming up to each other, it felt almost as though the book had done a sudden handbrake turn and set off along a side-turning with little or no warning - hence what I said before about feeling as though two different books had been sandwiched together.
The pair certainly have had a difficult time of it, and I did enjoy the parallels Ms Long drew between their experiences and their reactions to them. I liked the fact that they were both honest enough with themselves to admit that some of the things they had seen in the other’s disposition also applied to them.
And then later, there’s a point at which Ian realises that what Tansy had to deal with following the death of her parents and brother wasn’t too different to what he had to face when returning from war.
Both characters were likeable and almost refreshingly straightforward – inwardly. Of course, outwardly, they were just presenting a façade to the world – their coping mechanism - but the author got into both their heads sufficiently for the reader to know that there was much more to Tansy than a man-eating husband-hunter, and to Ian than an inveterate womaniser.
The ending felt rather rushed, too, and the resolution was just a little too convenient. I suppose one could argue that Ian’s actions speak to the depth of his feelings for Tansy, but I thought it was just a little too perfect.
Overall, I did like the book and will certainly be reading the next in the series – and also hope to find the time to read the earlier books I haven’t got around to yet. The writing and characterisation are excellent, I like Ms Long’s way with the humour and I think she’s built up a really superb set of familial relationships between her characters. Even though I’m not up to date with the series, I know that fans are eagerly awaiting Olivia and Lyon’s story (which I believe will be the next book but one), so I think it’s safe to say that there’s a bit of a shocker in store at the end of this one for everyone who’s waiting for the big reunion!
One final aside – the cover model looks far more mature than I imagine Tansy to be. She also reminds me very strongly of Kiri te Kanawa. I did a double-take the first time I saw the image!
I haven’t read all the books in this series (so far) but I really enjoyed the one before this (It Happened One Midnight) and gave it 4.5 stars.
I was looking forward to a similar experience with Between the Devil and Ian Eversea, but unfortunately, I came away from it feeling a little disappointed.
That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the book – I did. There is plenty of humour in the exchanges between the hero and heroine and between the hero and his numerous siblings, the principals are very attractive characters; it’s sexy and sweet and romantic, and all the secondary characters (who have presumably already featured in their own stories) are well drawn.
Tansy is an interesting and complex heroine, and I was impressed with the way Ms Long gradually peeled away the layers of her personality to reveal the truth of the emotionally bruised young woman beneath the shallow, flirtatious outer shell.
I was less convinced by Ian, however. He’s handsome, sexy and tortured by memories of his experiences in the war, but he wasn’t as well developed a character as Tansy, and isn’t one of those heroes that’s going to stick in my mind in the way some of them do.
I think that part of the reason for my disappointment with this book may be because I felt almost as though I had read two books that had been sandwiched together around the half-way point. For the first part of the book, Ian is very wary of Tansy – wary to the point of dislike – because he can see all too well what she’s up to, and Tansy, while she is absolutely knocked flat by Ian’s gorgeousness, is aware of his distrust of her. So they spend the first part of the story watching and circling each other and when they do meet, they are far from pleasant.
When things change, they change abruptly. The sudden détente comes as the result of a shared concern for a missing girl (who, luckily, is soon found unharmed) and after that, they begin to open up to each other and Ian finds himself telling Tansy things he’s never told anyone else and vice versa. While I was pleased that Ian and Tansy were at last warming up to each other, it felt almost as though the book had done a sudden handbrake turn and set off along a side-turning with little or no warning - hence what I said before about feeling as though two different books had been sandwiched together.
The pair certainly have had a difficult time of it, and I did enjoy the parallels Ms Long drew between their experiences and their reactions to them. I liked the fact that they were both honest enough with themselves to admit that some of the things they had seen in the other’s disposition also applied to them.
“I think you come at everyone before they can come after you, Tansy. You’re afraid to be – “ He stopped abruptly.
Vulnerable, she comnpleted silently in her head, astonished. Certain that’s what he meant.
And then later, there’s a point at which Ian realises that what Tansy had to deal with following the death of her parents and brother wasn’t too different to what he had to face when returning from war.
“And for quite some time it has felt like… I’ve been to school and learned everything there is to learn, and nothing has the power to surprise me anymore. Or scare me.”
[...]
He remembered returning… it was as if he’d used up every emotion he ever had, because he’d felt nearly everything there was to feel at such a pitch for so long that ordinary life felt rather flat and muted and painfully slow. He’d been willing to do nearly anything to feel something. And to forget.”
Both characters were likeable and almost refreshingly straightforward – inwardly. Of course, outwardly, they were just presenting a façade to the world – their coping mechanism - but the author got into both their heads sufficiently for the reader to know that there was much more to Tansy than a man-eating husband-hunter, and to Ian than an inveterate womaniser.
The ending felt rather rushed, too, and the resolution was just a little too convenient. I suppose one could argue that Ian’s actions speak to the depth of his feelings for Tansy, but I thought it was just a little too perfect.
Overall, I did like the book and will certainly be reading the next in the series – and also hope to find the time to read the earlier books I haven’t got around to yet. The writing and characterisation are excellent, I like Ms Long’s way with the humour and I think she’s built up a really superb set of familial relationships between her characters. Even though I’m not up to date with the series, I know that fans are eagerly awaiting Olivia and Lyon’s story (which I believe will be the next book but one), so I think it’s safe to say that there’s a bit of a shocker in store at the end of this one for everyone who’s waiting for the big reunion!
One final aside – the cover model looks far more mature than I imagine Tansy to be. She also reminds me very strongly of Kiri te Kanawa. I did a double-take the first time I saw the image!
March 10, 2025
she has a list of requirements for a husband a mile long and he changes every single one
and he provides her a place for her to transplant her favorite flowers from america and brings nothing but a pistol when asking his brother in law for his blessing (so he can shoot him if he’s deemed unworthy)
aka soulmatism
we need a man that eats his words (he calls her dull and instantly regrets it)
Bookstagram | Blog
and he provides her a place for her to transplant her favorite flowers from america and brings nothing but a pistol when asking his brother in law for his blessing (so he can shoot him if he’s deemed unworthy)
aka soulmatism
we need a man that eats his words (he calls her dull and instantly regrets it)
Bookstagram | Blog
May 9, 2014
Did not finish book. The heroine is described as being so beautiful that men fall over themselves to do anything for her. Men meet her and are awestruck by her beauty.
She spends her time "batting her eyelashes" and pouting that Ian doesn't seem to notice her. The one man who isn't obsessed with her. Boo hoo.
I stopped reading.
She spends her time "batting her eyelashes" and pouting that Ian doesn't seem to notice her. The one man who isn't obsessed with her. Boo hoo.
I stopped reading.
April 25, 2018
Glimpses of Falconbridge and Genevieve? A++
The rest? Meh. I start to glaze over when literally everyone in town is instantly besotted by a beautiful stranger.
And Ian? You are truly my least favorite Eversea. I mean, it's possible I am permanently prejudiced on Alex's behalf. Just maybe. Nevertheless. I still feel like Tansy deserved better.
The rest? Meh. I start to glaze over when literally everyone in town is instantly besotted by a beautiful stranger.
And Ian? You are truly my least favorite Eversea. I mean, it's possible I am permanently prejudiced on Alex's behalf. Just maybe. Nevertheless. I still feel like Tansy deserved better.
Read
December 24, 2021I skimmed a lot of this because I was bored. For me this book wasnt necessary to the series at all. Just because Ian is an Eversea sibling doesn't mean he needs a book. Both he and Tansy were awful and selfish people. I honestly couldn't care less about their relationship. Others have reviewed it better but good lord. What a mess.
December 2, 2019
4.0 stars Tansy and Ian's story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2014
Disclosure: I received this ARC through Edelweiss. Thank you to Julie Anne Long and to Avon for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.
* * *
I had to rewrite this review because I wasn't quite satisfied with what I had written the first time. There was one question that stayed with me when I was reading Julie Anne Long's latest instalment in her Pennyroyal Green series: Who is Tansy Danforth?
It amazes me how well Julie Anne Long has maintained the "freshness" of her series by injecting it with very interesting and very unique characters. Still, with nine stories out and a host of established characters in play, it becomes more and more of a challenge to make sure that each heroine stands out as individuals. Tansy Danforth is the ninth heroine and she's a new addition to Pennyroyal Green.
Who is Tansy Danforth? It is a question that plagues even the minds of the Eversea sisters, Genevieve and Olivia. Tansy acts with perfect timidity and coquettishness and claims to be a wallflower, and the sisters know that it is exactly that: an act. So, why? Why does Tansy instinctively, yet needlessly, flatter and bat her eyelashes and gain the attention of the men around her? In the first few chapters, when her chaperone hands her over to the Duke of Falconridge, her parting words were, "Good Luck Yer Grace." and then we read about the Italian gentleman whom Tansy charmed during the ship voyage. I get the impression that flirting and gaining attention is a compulsion for her. But, why?
I honestly could not peg down her character, so I decided that the only way I could approximate who Tansy was was to compare her to the other women of Pennyroyal Green. The inevitable comparison is between Tansy and Olivia, the last unmarried Eversea female -- and Julie Anne Long has pitted them against each other in this novel. When Tansy is introduced to local society in Sussex, she immediately receives bouquets of flowers -- more flowers, in fact, than Olivia (and both ladies are keeping quiet count of the number). Tansy even receives flowers from Olivia's beau, the very patient Lord Landsdowne -- and, for the first time in a very, very long time, we see a reaction from Olivia. Could she be a bit jealous of the attention Tansy is getting? While they are both beautiful, I much preferred Olivia who has more depth: she is known for her civic works and charity in Sussex. She's a bit of a crusader and it is something that she has devoted her time to -- and was partially the cause of her fight with Lyon Redmond. Tansy, on the other hand, has no occupation -- granted, she only just arrived in Sussex, but I get the impression that, even when she was in New York, she was a social butterfly.
I could go on comparing Tansy to Tommy, Evie, Cynthia, Rosalind, Madeleine, Phoebe, and Violet and the conclusion would be the same: Tansy isn't as accomplished or as rounded or as deep or as complicated as the other Pennyroyal Green heroines -- the only thing that makes Tansy interesting is that she is very, very beautiful -- and this is not a bad thing. It's actually interesting to have Tansy living in the same house as Genevieve, who was considered "the plain, sensible one" and no one thought she merited a second look either, but that was what made Genevieve's story so interesting: hers was a very quiet, very hidden beauty and it took the Duke of Falconridge to discover that and love that about her.
Tansy's situation is different: she is obviously beautiful. My instinct was to dismiss her as a flat character, because that's all I saw in her: her beauty. I knew her outward behaviour was just a facade, and I knew there was some deeper reason to justify her actions. I did like her small acts of kindness and revealed her gentle spirit -- I thought it was endearing how she would place flowers on the long-forgotten graves in the cemetery and how she planted flowers from her home to remind her of her parents. What's amazing about her is that she never calls attention to those aspects of herself. I realised, then, that she is also a woman of substance: Tansy shows us that a heroine doing small good deeds is just as worthy of a story and a happy ending.
In that, I am guilty of objectifying Tansy and I am sorry for it.
I realized I was looking at her from the same perspective as all the people who are welcoming her to Sussex: only seeing her beauty and never trying to see beyond it. It's also because Tansy doesn't bother to show it or to change anyone's perception of her. She knows who she is and what makes her happy: she's content with her small night-time rituals in the privacy of her room. I thought it was odd that Tansy and Ian's rooms were close to each other and they unwittingly witnessed each other's private practices: he stretches the tight muscles from his injury; she rolls and sniffs (and smokes) her late father's brand of cigars.
And it all happens when there are less prying eyes, when the world is stripped off of all fineries and artifices -- when we are not lord or lady, or heiress or captain and not concerned with keeping up appearances -- when we break wind, burp, scratch whatever's itchy and perform our ablutions. It's Tansy at her least attractive -- but, it was that Tansy that Ian became fascinated with and eventually fell in love with.
So, why Tansy for Ian? Ian's been to war and back, has been in and out of ladies' bedrooms and lives and he's about to see the world as a newly-appointed captain of the East India Company. The only thing they have in common is that they are both so teeth-achingly attractive and it is easy for them to get anyone -- anyone -- they want simply because they can. When Tansy arrives, everyone is wary because Ian is also in the vicinity. They never mention his name and try their best to steer them away from each other. When their meeting becomes inevitable, the Duke of Falconridge intercepts Ian and warns him away from Tansy. Was it necessary? I didn't think so, because, when Ian first sees Tansy, he didn't like what he saw: another debutante who was all-too aware of her beauty and appeal to people. And Ian actually wasn't interested in her at all -- in fact, Ian is initially annoyed by Tansy and her act. But, being a man constantly defined as "trouble" by everyone around him, Ian inwardly knows that there needs to be more to Tansy than what she presents.
Admittedly, Tansy was also taken with Ian's good looks but, when Ian started to rebuff and dismiss Tansy, she set her sights elsewhere -- but there was something else about Ian that called to Tansy and, when she found it, she knew there wouldn't be any other man for her except Ian.
Why "Between the Devil and Ian Eversea?" It is clear that Julie Anne Long is borrowing the idiom "between the devil and the deep blue sea" and implies that Ian is faced with a dilemma. Was the dilemma caused by the Duke of Falconridge's warning? Or is the dilemma between Ian's plans to see the world and Tansy?
I can understand Ian's reluctance to go against the Duke's warning. For one, the Duke is married to his sister, Genevieve. And, there is also the matter of Ian dallying with the Duke's former fiancee ( What I Did for a Duke ). He needs to maintain harmony for the sake of his sister's happiness -- and it becomes a bit sad when it becomes clear that his own happiness might possibly lead to a falling out with the Duke.
I also get the sense that Ian is tired of bouncing back and forth between London and Sussex, trying to avoid people who are trying to pin him down into matrimony and the position with the East India company would afford him with the chance to escape that. But Tansy offers him a glimpse at a different future -- a future with her. Can she really settle the restlessness in his soul? Can he be satisfied staying in one place ... with her?
This story is about finding the hidden beauty of the beautiful -- there is always more to every person, and it takes that special person to discover it. Beyond Ian and Tansy's story, I liked that the author also pointed the spotlight at Olivia (and Lyon in absentia) and Lord Landsdowne. It's great that Olivia's story intertwines a bit with Tansy's story and the contrast in their love stories really shed more light on Olivia's tragic history. (I've said it in previous reviews for the Pennyroyal Green series, but I am really, really excited to read Lyon and Olivia's love story.)
Between the Devil and Ian Eversea is book 9 in Julie Anne Long's Pennyroyal Green series. It will be released on March 25, 2014.
* * *
I had to rewrite this review because I wasn't quite satisfied with what I had written the first time. There was one question that stayed with me when I was reading Julie Anne Long's latest instalment in her Pennyroyal Green series: Who is Tansy Danforth?
It amazes me how well Julie Anne Long has maintained the "freshness" of her series by injecting it with very interesting and very unique characters. Still, with nine stories out and a host of established characters in play, it becomes more and more of a challenge to make sure that each heroine stands out as individuals. Tansy Danforth is the ninth heroine and she's a new addition to Pennyroyal Green.
Who is Tansy Danforth? It is a question that plagues even the minds of the Eversea sisters, Genevieve and Olivia. Tansy acts with perfect timidity and coquettishness and claims to be a wallflower, and the sisters know that it is exactly that: an act. So, why? Why does Tansy instinctively, yet needlessly, flatter and bat her eyelashes and gain the attention of the men around her? In the first few chapters, when her chaperone hands her over to the Duke of Falconridge, her parting words were, "Good Luck Yer Grace." and then we read about the Italian gentleman whom Tansy charmed during the ship voyage. I get the impression that flirting and gaining attention is a compulsion for her. But, why?
... But Tansy could not stop. She was a virtuous of flirtation who'd been denied an opportunity to practice her art for far too long, and the whole episode had acquired the momentum of a driverless carriage rolling downhill.
It was probably a good thing the ship had docked when it did.
- loc 267
I honestly could not peg down her character, so I decided that the only way I could approximate who Tansy was was to compare her to the other women of Pennyroyal Green. The inevitable comparison is between Tansy and Olivia, the last unmarried Eversea female -- and Julie Anne Long has pitted them against each other in this novel. When Tansy is introduced to local society in Sussex, she immediately receives bouquets of flowers -- more flowers, in fact, than Olivia (and both ladies are keeping quiet count of the number). Tansy even receives flowers from Olivia's beau, the very patient Lord Landsdowne -- and, for the first time in a very, very long time, we see a reaction from Olivia. Could she be a bit jealous of the attention Tansy is getting? While they are both beautiful, I much preferred Olivia who has more depth: she is known for her civic works and charity in Sussex. She's a bit of a crusader and it is something that she has devoted her time to -- and was partially the cause of her fight with Lyon Redmond. Tansy, on the other hand, has no occupation -- granted, she only just arrived in Sussex, but I get the impression that, even when she was in New York, she was a social butterfly.
I could go on comparing Tansy to Tommy, Evie, Cynthia, Rosalind, Madeleine, Phoebe, and Violet and the conclusion would be the same: Tansy isn't as accomplished or as rounded or as deep or as complicated as the other Pennyroyal Green heroines -- the only thing that makes Tansy interesting is that she is very, very beautiful -- and this is not a bad thing. It's actually interesting to have Tansy living in the same house as Genevieve, who was considered "the plain, sensible one" and no one thought she merited a second look either, but that was what made Genevieve's story so interesting: hers was a very quiet, very hidden beauty and it took the Duke of Falconridge to discover that and love that about her.
Tansy's situation is different: she is obviously beautiful. My instinct was to dismiss her as a flat character, because that's all I saw in her: her beauty. I knew her outward behaviour was just a facade, and I knew there was some deeper reason to justify her actions. I did like her small acts of kindness and revealed her gentle spirit -- I thought it was endearing how she would place flowers on the long-forgotten graves in the cemetery and how she planted flowers from her home to remind her of her parents. What's amazing about her is that she never calls attention to those aspects of herself. I realised, then, that she is also a woman of substance: Tansy shows us that a heroine doing small good deeds is just as worthy of a story and a happy ending.
In that, I am guilty of objectifying Tansy and I am sorry for it.
I realized I was looking at her from the same perspective as all the people who are welcoming her to Sussex: only seeing her beauty and never trying to see beyond it. It's also because Tansy doesn't bother to show it or to change anyone's perception of her. She knows who she is and what makes her happy: she's content with her small night-time rituals in the privacy of her room. I thought it was odd that Tansy and Ian's rooms were close to each other and they unwittingly witnessed each other's private practices: he stretches the tight muscles from his injury; she rolls and sniffs (and smokes) her late father's brand of cigars.
And it all happens when there are less prying eyes, when the world is stripped off of all fineries and artifices -- when we are not lord or lady, or heiress or captain and not concerned with keeping up appearances -- when we break wind, burp, scratch whatever's itchy and perform our ablutions. It's Tansy at her least attractive -- but, it was that Tansy that Ian became fascinated with and eventually fell in love with.
..."I can't go home looking like I've been ravished."
She slid him a tentatively minx like sidelong look.
He just shook his head slowly.
"Leave it be, Miss Danforth. I like it this way. It makes you as wild and disreputable as you truly are."
"At least you like something about me."
- loc 2935
So, why Tansy for Ian? Ian's been to war and back, has been in and out of ladies' bedrooms and lives and he's about to see the world as a newly-appointed captain of the East India Company. The only thing they have in common is that they are both so teeth-achingly attractive and it is easy for them to get anyone -- anyone -- they want simply because they can. When Tansy arrives, everyone is wary because Ian is also in the vicinity. They never mention his name and try their best to steer them away from each other. When their meeting becomes inevitable, the Duke of Falconridge intercepts Ian and warns him away from Tansy. Was it necessary? I didn't think so, because, when Ian first sees Tansy, he didn't like what he saw: another debutante who was all-too aware of her beauty and appeal to people. And Ian actually wasn't interested in her at all -- in fact, Ian is initially annoyed by Tansy and her act. But, being a man constantly defined as "trouble" by everyone around him, Ian inwardly knows that there needs to be more to Tansy than what she presents.
...Why in God's name would Miss Danforth give him a bloody book? And blush scarlet while doing it? In all likelihood for the same reasons Landsdowne had given her one. Perhaps she had a cat's talent for crawling into the lap of the one person who could scarcely tolerate it. Miss Danforth was likely the sort who couldn't rest until everyone worshipped her. It was wearisome and irritating, yet admittedly faintly amusing.
All in all, however, the very notion of her made him tired. The girl wasn't quite who she wanted everyone to think she was, and that troubled him.
- loc 2015 to 2026
Admittedly, Tansy was also taken with Ian's good looks but, when Ian started to rebuff and dismiss Tansy, she set her sights elsewhere -- but there was something else about Ian that called to Tansy and, when she found it, she knew there wouldn't be any other man for her except Ian.
Why "Between the Devil and Ian Eversea?" It is clear that Julie Anne Long is borrowing the idiom "between the devil and the deep blue sea" and implies that Ian is faced with a dilemma. Was the dilemma caused by the Duke of Falconridge's warning? Or is the dilemma between Ian's plans to see the world and Tansy?
I can understand Ian's reluctance to go against the Duke's warning. For one, the Duke is married to his sister, Genevieve. And, there is also the matter of Ian dallying with the Duke's former fiancee ( What I Did for a Duke ). He needs to maintain harmony for the sake of his sister's happiness -- and it becomes a bit sad when it becomes clear that his own happiness might possibly lead to a falling out with the Duke.
I also get the sense that Ian is tired of bouncing back and forth between London and Sussex, trying to avoid people who are trying to pin him down into matrimony and the position with the East India company would afford him with the chance to escape that. But Tansy offers him a glimpse at a different future -- a future with her. Can she really settle the restlessness in his soul? Can he be satisfied staying in one place ... with her?
He did want her.
But that was neither here nor there. And while he normally got what he wanted when it came to women, he was sensible enough to know that the danger here wasn't in the getting of the women but in the woman herself.
- loc 3180
This story is about finding the hidden beauty of the beautiful -- there is always more to every person, and it takes that special person to discover it. Beyond Ian and Tansy's story, I liked that the author also pointed the spotlight at Olivia (and Lyon in absentia) and Lord Landsdowne. It's great that Olivia's story intertwines a bit with Tansy's story and the contrast in their love stories really shed more light on Olivia's tragic history. (I've said it in previous reviews for the Pennyroyal Green series, but I am really, really excited to read Lyon and Olivia's love story.)
Between the Devil and Ian Eversea is book 9 in Julie Anne Long's Pennyroyal Green series. It will be released on March 25, 2014.
August 27, 2014
NOTE: This is more a detailed plot summary than a review. I write these so I can remember what happened in any given book, especially those in a series. But if anyone else finds this helpful - awesome.
This is the ninth in the Pennyroyal Green series. It features Ian Eversea and Tatania “Tansy” Danforth.
“Tansy” was born in Sussex at Lilymont, but moved to New York at age 8. Her older brother became a soldier in the War of 1812 and was killed; both parents died in a carriage accident shortly thereafter. Though she’d come out in NY, prolonged mourning had kept her away from society; in her father’s will it was dictated that her inheritance would only be received upon a marriage approved by the Duke of Falconbridge (from “What I Did for a Duke” - Pennyroyal Green #5), Tansy’s father's best friend. So after the formal mourning periods, closing all of her parents’ accounts, and selling their NY properties, Tansy crosses the ocean back to Sussex, to stay with the Duke and Genevieve.
Turns out Tansy’s room is adjacent to Ian’s. She admires him. He thinks she’s annoying. I’d have to agree.
And just a reminder on Ian Eversea: he’s the one the Duke caught naked in bed with his finance. But on the upside, this is of course how he met Genevieve and the basis for the fifth Pennyroyal Green book. But suffice it to say, it is awkward for Ian to being living under the Duke’s roof. And like so many romances from this era: Ian has war wounds and bad dreams that result in Tansy climbing from her balcony to his to comfort him through night terrors. And then eventually they do get to know each other, Ian learning about Tansy’s tragic past and resulting loneliness (the justification for her attention-craving) and Tansy about Ian’s war memories, how he got his bayonet scar saving a child but losing the child’s mother, the wife of his mate. The Duke casually observes their increasing affections, noticing that Ian’s pursuing books on wildflowers of N.America, visiting her childhood home, etc. Meanwhile, when Tansy and the Duke first conversed on finding her a husband, she presented him a list of five attributes she desired in a husband. If there’s any redeeming value to this book, its insipid characters, or lack-luster plot, I do like that after each interaction Tansy has with Ian - pleasurable, miserable, or infuriating - she amends her list; a clever mechanism to maintain rhythm in an otherwise unclever story.
Ultimately, while Tansy & Ian are falling in love in secret - save the Duke’s perceptive observations - another suitor is courting Tansy, ironically at Ian’s suggestion, from earlier when Ian was desperately looking for diversions from her attentions. But at some culminating ball, the courter relies to Ian that Tansy will suit his purposes in a manner Ian finds insulting - since now he’s elevated her to his highest regards, and he nearly throws a public tantrum. Realizing the spectacle, he apologies and leaves to take action.
The next morning several things happen in rapid succession: Ian buys Lilymont (Tansy’s childhood home) with the money he saved to sail around the world; Tansy boldly supplies the Duke with her finalized list of ‘must have’ attributes; the final entry reads - “defends me in a crowded ballroom at the risk of his own dignity because he knows me and loves me better than anyone ever has or ever will, even if he can’t say it … yet;” and Ian visits the Duke to ask for his permission to ask Tansy’s hand in marriage (of course, playing up the historical tensions.) Perhaps the most charming moment in this book is when the Duke hands Ian Tansy’s list.
The book closes with Genevieve whisking Tansy away for a ride in the country only to deposit her at Lilymont where Ian is waiting with a marriage proposal. HEA.
Other interesting character / plot developments:
1) Viscount Landsdowne also proposes to Olivia Eversea in the closing pages of the book; the proposal is something like “I know you don’t love me, but I hope one day you will; and until then, I will devote my life to making you very happy,” She accepts. Well, I suppose now we know an additional hurdle Olivia and Lyon will have to overcome when/if they ever get their book.
2) Polly, her unrelenting love for the Everseas, and her elfin-features are once again described in this book in some detail. Will Polly ever get her own book? Meanwhile Annie (Tansy/Genvieve’s maid) and James (from Pig & Thistle) get engaged. Or married? Something about how when Polly sprained her ankle (and then Tansy found her because they were both haunting the same woods to think/plant, and Ian found Tansy .. a plot point for Ian to learn more about the ‘real’ Tansy), then James had to take over waiting tables at the Pig & Thistle, allowing him to make enough money to buy a house? Maybe this isn’t important...
Off all of Ms.Long’s books, I think this was the most disappointing. Specifically I am disappointed that:
Tansy is such a vapid character. And frankly a whole plot line around a character that is so beautiful that everyone around her acts stupid is vapid. Yes she donates her bouquets, plants bulbs in remembrance of her mother, fires a musket, rolls a smoke, swigs liquor and gifts her brothers old toys to the chimney sweep, but the other 99% of the book is devoted to her fluttering her eyelashes while speaking coyly. And as if that wasn’t bad enough...
Was it supposed to be intellectually interesting that Ian is as beautiful to her and she is to everyone else? Cause it’s not. It’s superficialness and vapidness squared.
And as if it wasn’t bad enough to have a character so swept up in her own image and perception, to damage the reputations of other great characters… Would the Colins and Adams of this world really be so dumb-struck given their love-matches to their wives in the preceding books. Seemed like Ms. Long sacrificed her previous characters in an attempt to underscore just how pretty Tansy was. But why? Why does it really matter? It’s not like the book delved greatly into perception, self-imagery as self-worth, etc. Just superfluous detail that compromised the story and series.
This is the ninth in the Pennyroyal Green series. It features Ian Eversea and Tatania “Tansy” Danforth.
“Tansy” was born in Sussex at Lilymont, but moved to New York at age 8. Her older brother became a soldier in the War of 1812 and was killed; both parents died in a carriage accident shortly thereafter. Though she’d come out in NY, prolonged mourning had kept her away from society; in her father’s will it was dictated that her inheritance would only be received upon a marriage approved by the Duke of Falconbridge (from “What I Did for a Duke” - Pennyroyal Green #5), Tansy’s father's best friend. So after the formal mourning periods, closing all of her parents’ accounts, and selling their NY properties, Tansy crosses the ocean back to Sussex, to stay with the Duke and Genevieve.
Turns out Tansy’s room is adjacent to Ian’s. She admires him. He thinks she’s annoying. I’d have to agree.
And just a reminder on Ian Eversea: he’s the one the Duke caught naked in bed with his finance. But on the upside, this is of course how he met Genevieve and the basis for the fifth Pennyroyal Green book. But suffice it to say, it is awkward for Ian to being living under the Duke’s roof. And like so many romances from this era: Ian has war wounds and bad dreams that result in Tansy climbing from her balcony to his to comfort him through night terrors. And then eventually they do get to know each other, Ian learning about Tansy’s tragic past and resulting loneliness (the justification for her attention-craving) and Tansy about Ian’s war memories, how he got his bayonet scar saving a child but losing the child’s mother, the wife of his mate. The Duke casually observes their increasing affections, noticing that Ian’s pursuing books on wildflowers of N.America, visiting her childhood home, etc. Meanwhile, when Tansy and the Duke first conversed on finding her a husband, she presented him a list of five attributes she desired in a husband. If there’s any redeeming value to this book, its insipid characters, or lack-luster plot, I do like that after each interaction Tansy has with Ian - pleasurable, miserable, or infuriating - she amends her list; a clever mechanism to maintain rhythm in an otherwise unclever story.
Ultimately, while Tansy & Ian are falling in love in secret - save the Duke’s perceptive observations - another suitor is courting Tansy, ironically at Ian’s suggestion, from earlier when Ian was desperately looking for diversions from her attentions. But at some culminating ball, the courter relies to Ian that Tansy will suit his purposes in a manner Ian finds insulting - since now he’s elevated her to his highest regards, and he nearly throws a public tantrum. Realizing the spectacle, he apologies and leaves to take action.
The next morning several things happen in rapid succession: Ian buys Lilymont (Tansy’s childhood home) with the money he saved to sail around the world; Tansy boldly supplies the Duke with her finalized list of ‘must have’ attributes; the final entry reads - “defends me in a crowded ballroom at the risk of his own dignity because he knows me and loves me better than anyone ever has or ever will, even if he can’t say it … yet;” and Ian visits the Duke to ask for his permission to ask Tansy’s hand in marriage (of course, playing up the historical tensions.) Perhaps the most charming moment in this book is when the Duke hands Ian Tansy’s list.
The book closes with Genevieve whisking Tansy away for a ride in the country only to deposit her at Lilymont where Ian is waiting with a marriage proposal. HEA.
Other interesting character / plot developments:
1) Viscount Landsdowne also proposes to Olivia Eversea in the closing pages of the book; the proposal is something like “I know you don’t love me, but I hope one day you will; and until then, I will devote my life to making you very happy,” She accepts. Well, I suppose now we know an additional hurdle Olivia and Lyon will have to overcome when/if they ever get their book.
2) Polly, her unrelenting love for the Everseas, and her elfin-features are once again described in this book in some detail. Will Polly ever get her own book? Meanwhile Annie (Tansy/Genvieve’s maid) and James (from Pig & Thistle) get engaged. Or married? Something about how when Polly sprained her ankle (and then Tansy found her because they were both haunting the same woods to think/plant, and Ian found Tansy .. a plot point for Ian to learn more about the ‘real’ Tansy), then James had to take over waiting tables at the Pig & Thistle, allowing him to make enough money to buy a house? Maybe this isn’t important...
Off all of Ms.Long’s books, I think this was the most disappointing. Specifically I am disappointed that:
Tansy is such a vapid character. And frankly a whole plot line around a character that is so beautiful that everyone around her acts stupid is vapid. Yes she donates her bouquets, plants bulbs in remembrance of her mother, fires a musket, rolls a smoke, swigs liquor and gifts her brothers old toys to the chimney sweep, but the other 99% of the book is devoted to her fluttering her eyelashes while speaking coyly. And as if that wasn’t bad enough...
Was it supposed to be intellectually interesting that Ian is as beautiful to her and she is to everyone else? Cause it’s not. It’s superficialness and vapidness squared.
And as if it wasn’t bad enough to have a character so swept up in her own image and perception, to damage the reputations of other great characters… Would the Colins and Adams of this world really be so dumb-struck given their love-matches to their wives in the preceding books. Seemed like Ms. Long sacrificed her previous characters in an attempt to underscore just how pretty Tansy was. But why? Why does it really matter? It’s not like the book delved greatly into perception, self-imagery as self-worth, etc. Just superfluous detail that compromised the story and series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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