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Effingtons #2
The Husband List
alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780380806317
An Unexpected Husband
Against her better judgment, Lady Gillian Marley needs to find herself a husband—and quickly. To claim her uncle's unexpected bequest she must marry by her next birthday, which leaves only two months to find a malleable mate. Topping her list of eligible candidates is the honorable Earl of Shelbrooke, yet one look at the very handsome but enigmatic nobleman and Gillian knows that cajoling him into a marriage of convenience will be hardly convenient at all.
A Marriage of Inconvenience
Far from immune to Gillian's entrancing charms, the last thing Richard Shelton is about to bind himself into is a chaste marriage. Though the inheritance is more than and tempting, Richard knows the lady herself is the real prize and isn't about to allow Gillian to deny the burning fervor that sparks between them. Now he has only two months to convince her to be his wife in full… before his mysterious secret is revealed and their lives explode irrevocably into scandal.
An Unexpected Husband
Against her better judgment, Lady Gillian Marley needs to find herself a husband—and quickly. To claim her uncle's unexpected bequest she must marry by her next birthday, which leaves only two months to find a malleable mate. Topping her list of eligible candidates is the honorable Earl of Shelbrooke, yet one look at the very handsome but enigmatic nobleman and Gillian knows that cajoling him into a marriage of convenience will be hardly convenient at all.
A Marriage of Inconvenience
Far from immune to Gillian's entrancing charms, the last thing Richard Shelton is about to bind himself into is a chaste marriage. Though the inheritance is more than and tempting, Richard knows the lady herself is the real prize and isn't about to allow Gillian to deny the burning fervor that sparks between them. Now he has only two months to convince her to be his wife in full… before his mysterious secret is revealed and their lives explode irrevocably into scandal.
370 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
84 people are currently reading
1110 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Alexander
64 books1,324 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander was an award winning television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real life. She turned to writing full time and is still shocked it worked out.
Since the publication of her first book in 1995, she has written thirty-one full length novels and six novellas. The Perfect Wife—originally published in 1996 and reissued in March 2008—hit #1 on the New York Times list. Sixteen of her books are bestsellers hitting the New York Times, USA Today and/or Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. With books translated into more than a dozen different languages she has readers around the world and has twice been nominated for Romance's Writers of America prestigious RITA award. In 2009 she was given a Career Achievement Award from RT Bookclub and was named Historical Storyteller of the year in 2003. In 2008 she was the keynote speaker for the Romance Writers of American annual conference in San Francisco. Victoria credits much of her writing success to her experiences as a reporter.
Her years as a broadcast journalist were spent in two radically different areas of the country: Nebraska and West Virginia. In West Virginia, she covered both natural and manmade disasters. She was on the scene when a power plant construction accident in a small town left 52 men dead. She once spent the night on a mountain waiting to learn of the fate of coal miners trapped in a mine collapse. Victoria was producing a newscast when her husband (who worked at the same television station) and several other journalists were held hostage by a disturbed Vietnam veteran. In Nebraska, she reported on the farm crisis and watched people lose land that had been in their families for generations. She covered the story that was the basis of the movie BOYS DON’T CRY and once acted as the link between police and a gunman who had barricaded himself in his home. Her investigative work exposed the trucking of New York City garbage to a small town dump in rural Nebraska.
During her journalism career, Victoria covered every president from Ford to Clinton. She knows firsthand what it feels like to be surrounded by rising floodwaters and inside a burning building. She’s interviewed movie stars including Kevin Costner, ridden an elephant and flown in a governor’s helicopter. She’s covered a national political convention and Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Denver as well as small town festivals celebrating everything from walnuts to Glen Miller. Her work was honored by numerous organizations including the Associated Press who called a feature about a firefighter’s school "story telling genius". It was the encouragement she needed to turn from news to fiction. She’s never looked back.
Victoria claims her love of romance and journalism is to due to the influence of her favorite comic book character: Lois Lane, a terrific reporter and a great heroine who pursued Superman with an unwavering determination. And why not? He was extremely well drawn.
Victoria grew up traveling the world as an Air Force brat. Today, she lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and her dogs. Victoria had two bearded collies, Sam and Louie (named from characters in one of her books). Sam (on the left), the best dog in the world for 13 ½ years, passed away in September 2010. Louie took on the position of loyal companion and did a fine job even though he doesn't understand that kitchen counter surfing is not allowed!
Now he's been joined by Reggie, also a faithful companion.
They all live happily ever after in a house under constant renovation and the accompanying parade of men in tool belts. And never ending chaos. Victoria laughs a great deal—she has to.
New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander was an award winning television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real life. She turned to writing full time and is still shocked it worked out.
Since the publication of her first book in 1995, she has written thirty-one full length novels and six novellas. The Perfect Wife—originally published in 1996 and reissued in March 2008—hit #1 on the New York Times list. Sixteen of her books are bestsellers hitting the New York Times, USA Today and/or Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. With books translated into more than a dozen different languages she has readers around the world and has twice been nominated for Romance's Writers of America prestigious RITA award. In 2009 she was given a Career Achievement Award from RT Bookclub and was named Historical Storyteller of the year in 2003. In 2008 she was the keynote speaker for the Romance Writers of American annual conference in San Francisco. Victoria credits much of her writing success to her experiences as a reporter.
Her years as a broadcast journalist were spent in two radically different areas of the country: Nebraska and West Virginia. In West Virginia, she covered both natural and manmade disasters. She was on the scene when a power plant construction accident in a small town left 52 men dead. She once spent the night on a mountain waiting to learn of the fate of coal miners trapped in a mine collapse. Victoria was producing a newscast when her husband (who worked at the same television station) and several other journalists were held hostage by a disturbed Vietnam veteran. In Nebraska, she reported on the farm crisis and watched people lose land that had been in their families for generations. She covered the story that was the basis of the movie BOYS DON’T CRY and once acted as the link between police and a gunman who had barricaded himself in his home. Her investigative work exposed the trucking of New York City garbage to a small town dump in rural Nebraska.
During her journalism career, Victoria covered every president from Ford to Clinton. She knows firsthand what it feels like to be surrounded by rising floodwaters and inside a burning building. She’s interviewed movie stars including Kevin Costner, ridden an elephant and flown in a governor’s helicopter. She’s covered a national political convention and Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Denver as well as small town festivals celebrating everything from walnuts to Glen Miller. Her work was honored by numerous organizations including the Associated Press who called a feature about a firefighter’s school "story telling genius". It was the encouragement she needed to turn from news to fiction. She’s never looked back.
Victoria claims her love of romance and journalism is to due to the influence of her favorite comic book character: Lois Lane, a terrific reporter and a great heroine who pursued Superman with an unwavering determination. And why not? He was extremely well drawn.
Victoria grew up traveling the world as an Air Force brat. Today, she lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and her dogs. Victoria had two bearded collies, Sam and Louie (named from characters in one of her books). Sam (on the left), the best dog in the world for 13 ½ years, passed away in September 2010. Louie took on the position of loyal companion and did a fine job even though he doesn't understand that kitchen counter surfing is not allowed!
Now he's been joined by Reggie, also a faithful companion.
They all live happily ever after in a house under constant renovation and the accompanying parade of men in tool belts. And never ending chaos. Victoria laughs a great deal—she has to.
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April 27, 2023Archived: I remember enjoying the story, that's it
July 23, 2021
A re-read from June 2017.
A virile yet vulnerable man gave up his rogue-ish
ways to rebuild his family estate. He engaged in
physical labor IE roofing, harvesting. He assumed
the persona of an artist with the heroine & became
his own competition for her regard & affection.
A virile yet vulnerable man gave up his rogue-ish
ways to rebuild his family estate. He engaged in
physical labor IE roofing, harvesting. He assumed
the persona of an artist with the heroine & became
his own competition for her regard & affection.
September 19, 2018
Rahat okunan bir tarihi aşk romanıydı. Klişe yerleri olsa da bir günde bitiveren bir kitap daha doğrusu. Güzel vakit geçirdim diyebilirim.
August 14, 2015
Reviewed for THC Reviews
"3.5 stars" Like it's predecessor in the Effington Family & Friends series, The Husband List is a light-hearted Regency romance. It didn't tickle my funny bone quite as well, but it did have it's moments. It basically takes place concurrently with the first book of the series, with the same family gathering for the Roxborough Ride coming into play. In this one, we have Gillian, cousin to Pandora from the previous book, who is a widow. She loved her husband dearly and hasn't been with any man since his death. She finds herself named heiress to a large fortune, but it comes with the condition that she must marry before her thirtieth birthday. In order to claim it, she enlists the help of her two best guy friends to make a list of potential husbands. The only one who appeals and seems suitable is Richard, Earl of Shelbrooke. His father frittered away all their money at the gaming tables, so ever since the man died, Richard has been struggling to get by. His family estate is in disrepair and he has four younger sisters to clothe, feed, and come up with dowries for. Gillian wants a marriage in name only, planning to split the inheritance with her groom to be, but when Gillian proposes to Richard, he surprises her by saying that he'll only go along with it if she agrees to share his bed. From there much back and forth ensues as she tries to figure out whether she can comply with his terms. Also unbeknownst to her, he's living a double life as a reclusive French artist to pay the bills and fears what she might think if she discovers the truth.
I would say that for the most part I liked Richard, although he did a couple of things that kind of irritated me. I admired him for wanting more from Gillian than a marriage in name only. Even though he was pretty desperate for money, I felt like that showed from the start that he was genuinely interested in her and not just the inheritance. I also like that he was willing to seduce Gillian to convince her it would work between them. However, using his French artist alter ego in an attempt to accomplish that seemed like a poorly thought out plan right from the beginning. It simply didn't make much sense from a logical standpoint and my assessment was born out in spades as the ruse continued. The other thing that I greatly admired about Richard is that he could have taken the easy road by selling his sisters out, when his father died. After all, he already had a reputation close to matching his father's and his father had already arranged a betrothal of the oldest sister to a man old enough to be her grandfather. Instead though, Richard was willing to do whatever it took, including manual labor, to take care of his sisters and keep the manor house from falling down around their ears, as well as to see them married to suitable matches. However, on the downside, I didn't really care much for Richard's high-handed, chauvinistic manner toward female artists. In this way, he did follow in his father's footsteps by refusing to even entertain the notion of his oldest sister becoming a serious artist, simply because she was a woman. Now granted that may have been how things were back then and he could simply be said to be a product of the times, but as someone who also wouldn't have been taken seriously if his true identity was known, I felt like he should have had more empathy. So, overall, I'd say that Richard definitely had his good points, but he also had a few not so good points too.
IMHO, Gillian's characterization was somewhat underdeveloped. We know that she's a widow who loved her husband and hasn't really been interested in any other men since is death. We also know that her two best friends are male, but they're only friends, childhood acquaintances of both Gillian and her husband. She's a lover of the arts, who enjoys throwing salon parties to promote art and artists. The one thing I really liked about Gillian is that she prefers deep conversation to inane chit-chat, and for that reason, she engineers her salons to encourage this type of discussion. However, it's little more than a mention, and we don't really get to see this side of her in action much. I can't recall any particularly deep discussions she had with anyone, except maybe one with Richard's sister, Emma, about how the work of a certain painter really called out to her when she was in the depths of despair, following the death of her husband. Other than that, her conversation pretty much seemed the opposite of what she purportedly preferred, just light-hearted banalities. Gillian was also a creature who didn't seem to know her own mind to a near frustrating degree, although I suppose the same could be said of Richard. I did like her innovative idea of helping female artists by giving them a place to practice their craft and helping them make a name for themselves. I also liked that she was smart enough to figure out Richard's secret identity and the way she got back at him was pretty cute, although I felt maybe she took the ruse a bit too far. In general, Gillian was sweet and likable, but I felt like there were opportunities to build her character a little more fully that weren't realized.
One of the main reasons I marked this book down one and a half stars is that I felt the connection between Richard and Gillian was rather shaky most of the time. His masquerade as the French painter muddied the waters quite a bit, because it only served to confuse Gillian when she experienced feelings for both men. What really bothered me though, is that neither character even knows their own mind. Them constantly questioning their own feelings or how the other person feels or what their actions might mean diluted their connection. It made me feel like their emotions weren't strong enough to know anything for certain until very late in the story. Not to mention, the roundabout reasoning which passes for most of the conflict in the story seemed rather forced and overblown. It was just flat-out confusing to me most of the time and made my head hurt. The secrets, game playing, uncertainties, and inability to face or admit their feelings for one another drug on a little too long, also dampening that all-important emotional connection.
From a technical standpoint, I found a few additional issues. First of all, Gillian's proposed inheritance of 600,000 pounds, plus land in America, plus a fleet of eight ships (more or less – ugh! I could have played a drinking game with that phrase.;-)) seemed like overkill for the Regency era. The money alone would be worth more than 20 million dollars in today's economy, and while it's not outside the realm of possibility for someone to be that wealthy back then, it did seem a bit unbelievable, especially for a male relative to leave that much to a woman, particularly one he barely knew. The author does give a brief explanation for this, but I felt like it was a rather weak one. If the author had left out the land and ships and made the amount more reasonable, perhaps $50,000 pounds, which still would have been a veritable fortune and more than enough for them to live on comfortably and still have plenty left over for charitable causes, especially if invested wisely, then this part of the story would have been more palatable for me. Outside of that, the story seemed a little dialogue heavy at times. As I demonstrated above, the author uses some repetition and some rather meandering discussions that I think were meant to be funny and/or cute, but mostly just annoyed me. However, nothing grated more than the plethora of questions these two constantly ask themselves in their introspections regarding their doubts, fears, insecurities, and simply what's going on in the other person's head. For the most part, it boiled down to passive narration (telling), when it would have been much more effective to “show” their emotions in a more active way.
Overall, The Husband List was a readable enough book that wasn't a chore to finish. I mostly liked the characters, and it had some cute and sweet moments. However, I felt the narrative and the emotional connection were both sufficiently bogged down by all the questioning of feelings, as to take something away from the story, while also making me do a lot of eye-rolling. Therefore, it didn't quite make it over the hump to reach that four-star mark for me. I still plan to continue on with the series though. Richard's sisters were pretty adorable, and two of them, Marianne and Jocelyn, become the heroines of the next two books in the series. Marianne is a bookish sort and Jocelyn dreams of a Cinderella-style romance, both things that I can relate to, so that appeals. Also Gillian's brother and Richard's best friend, Thomas, who was a fairly likable guy as well, is paired with Marianne in the next book, The Marriage Lesson. I think these two could make an interesting pairing, so I look forward to giving their book a try.
"3.5 stars" Like it's predecessor in the Effington Family & Friends series, The Husband List is a light-hearted Regency romance. It didn't tickle my funny bone quite as well, but it did have it's moments. It basically takes place concurrently with the first book of the series, with the same family gathering for the Roxborough Ride coming into play. In this one, we have Gillian, cousin to Pandora from the previous book, who is a widow. She loved her husband dearly and hasn't been with any man since his death. She finds herself named heiress to a large fortune, but it comes with the condition that she must marry before her thirtieth birthday. In order to claim it, she enlists the help of her two best guy friends to make a list of potential husbands. The only one who appeals and seems suitable is Richard, Earl of Shelbrooke. His father frittered away all their money at the gaming tables, so ever since the man died, Richard has been struggling to get by. His family estate is in disrepair and he has four younger sisters to clothe, feed, and come up with dowries for. Gillian wants a marriage in name only, planning to split the inheritance with her groom to be, but when Gillian proposes to Richard, he surprises her by saying that he'll only go along with it if she agrees to share his bed. From there much back and forth ensues as she tries to figure out whether she can comply with his terms. Also unbeknownst to her, he's living a double life as a reclusive French artist to pay the bills and fears what she might think if she discovers the truth.
I would say that for the most part I liked Richard, although he did a couple of things that kind of irritated me. I admired him for wanting more from Gillian than a marriage in name only. Even though he was pretty desperate for money, I felt like that showed from the start that he was genuinely interested in her and not just the inheritance. I also like that he was willing to seduce Gillian to convince her it would work between them. However, using his French artist alter ego in an attempt to accomplish that seemed like a poorly thought out plan right from the beginning. It simply didn't make much sense from a logical standpoint and my assessment was born out in spades as the ruse continued. The other thing that I greatly admired about Richard is that he could have taken the easy road by selling his sisters out, when his father died. After all, he already had a reputation close to matching his father's and his father had already arranged a betrothal of the oldest sister to a man old enough to be her grandfather. Instead though, Richard was willing to do whatever it took, including manual labor, to take care of his sisters and keep the manor house from falling down around their ears, as well as to see them married to suitable matches. However, on the downside, I didn't really care much for Richard's high-handed, chauvinistic manner toward female artists. In this way, he did follow in his father's footsteps by refusing to even entertain the notion of his oldest sister becoming a serious artist, simply because she was a woman. Now granted that may have been how things were back then and he could simply be said to be a product of the times, but as someone who also wouldn't have been taken seriously if his true identity was known, I felt like he should have had more empathy. So, overall, I'd say that Richard definitely had his good points, but he also had a few not so good points too.
IMHO, Gillian's characterization was somewhat underdeveloped. We know that she's a widow who loved her husband and hasn't really been interested in any other men since is death. We also know that her two best friends are male, but they're only friends, childhood acquaintances of both Gillian and her husband. She's a lover of the arts, who enjoys throwing salon parties to promote art and artists. The one thing I really liked about Gillian is that she prefers deep conversation to inane chit-chat, and for that reason, she engineers her salons to encourage this type of discussion. However, it's little more than a mention, and we don't really get to see this side of her in action much. I can't recall any particularly deep discussions she had with anyone, except maybe one with Richard's sister, Emma, about how the work of a certain painter really called out to her when she was in the depths of despair, following the death of her husband. Other than that, her conversation pretty much seemed the opposite of what she purportedly preferred, just light-hearted banalities. Gillian was also a creature who didn't seem to know her own mind to a near frustrating degree, although I suppose the same could be said of Richard. I did like her innovative idea of helping female artists by giving them a place to practice their craft and helping them make a name for themselves. I also liked that she was smart enough to figure out Richard's secret identity and the way she got back at him was pretty cute, although I felt maybe she took the ruse a bit too far. In general, Gillian was sweet and likable, but I felt like there were opportunities to build her character a little more fully that weren't realized.
One of the main reasons I marked this book down one and a half stars is that I felt the connection between Richard and Gillian was rather shaky most of the time. His masquerade as the French painter muddied the waters quite a bit, because it only served to confuse Gillian when she experienced feelings for both men. What really bothered me though, is that neither character even knows their own mind. Them constantly questioning their own feelings or how the other person feels or what their actions might mean diluted their connection. It made me feel like their emotions weren't strong enough to know anything for certain until very late in the story. Not to mention, the roundabout reasoning which passes for most of the conflict in the story seemed rather forced and overblown. It was just flat-out confusing to me most of the time and made my head hurt. The secrets, game playing, uncertainties, and inability to face or admit their feelings for one another drug on a little too long, also dampening that all-important emotional connection.
From a technical standpoint, I found a few additional issues. First of all, Gillian's proposed inheritance of 600,000 pounds, plus land in America, plus a fleet of eight ships (more or less – ugh! I could have played a drinking game with that phrase.;-)) seemed like overkill for the Regency era. The money alone would be worth more than 20 million dollars in today's economy, and while it's not outside the realm of possibility for someone to be that wealthy back then, it did seem a bit unbelievable, especially for a male relative to leave that much to a woman, particularly one he barely knew. The author does give a brief explanation for this, but I felt like it was a rather weak one. If the author had left out the land and ships and made the amount more reasonable, perhaps $50,000 pounds, which still would have been a veritable fortune and more than enough for them to live on comfortably and still have plenty left over for charitable causes, especially if invested wisely, then this part of the story would have been more palatable for me. Outside of that, the story seemed a little dialogue heavy at times. As I demonstrated above, the author uses some repetition and some rather meandering discussions that I think were meant to be funny and/or cute, but mostly just annoyed me. However, nothing grated more than the plethora of questions these two constantly ask themselves in their introspections regarding their doubts, fears, insecurities, and simply what's going on in the other person's head. For the most part, it boiled down to passive narration (telling), when it would have been much more effective to “show” their emotions in a more active way.
Overall, The Husband List was a readable enough book that wasn't a chore to finish. I mostly liked the characters, and it had some cute and sweet moments. However, I felt the narrative and the emotional connection were both sufficiently bogged down by all the questioning of feelings, as to take something away from the story, while also making me do a lot of eye-rolling. Therefore, it didn't quite make it over the hump to reach that four-star mark for me. I still plan to continue on with the series though. Richard's sisters were pretty adorable, and two of them, Marianne and Jocelyn, become the heroines of the next two books in the series. Marianne is a bookish sort and Jocelyn dreams of a Cinderella-style romance, both things that I can relate to, so that appeals. Also Gillian's brother and Richard's best friend, Thomas, who was a fairly likable guy as well, is paired with Marianne in the next book, The Marriage Lesson. I think these two could make an interesting pairing, so I look forward to giving their book a try.
August 20, 2021
Ik heb de Nederlands talige uitgave gelezen : Boven aan haar lijstje - Candlelight Historische roman 674
3,5 sterren .
Ik heb eigenlijk geen idee waarom de 2 hoofdpersonen verliefd werden op elkaar . Niet erg romantisch geschreven verhaal maar wel sexy 😉 dus toch ruim 3 sterren verdiend .
3,5 sterren .
Ik heb eigenlijk geen idee waarom de 2 hoofdpersonen verliefd werden op elkaar . Niet erg romantisch geschreven verhaal maar wel sexy 😉 dus toch ruim 3 sterren verdiend .
December 20, 2018
3,5 keyifliydi ..
January 2, 2020
Cum să alegi soțul potrivit este o comedie romantică ce își are locul în ploioasa Anglie e secolului XVIII.
Gillian, văduva de aproape 30 de ani, are la dispoziție numai 2 luni pentru a-și găsi un soț. Nu-și dorește unul, dar moștenirea substanțială o face sa ia in calcul acest lucru.
Richard este un conte falit, care înafară de numele său, nu are mare lucru de oferit.
Acesta este și unul dintre motivele pentru care el s-a aflat pe lista de potențiali soți, scrisă de cei mai buni prieteni ai ei, mai degrabă în glumă. Cine s-ar fi gândit că ea va lua de bun acea listă?
E, a facut-o! Și de aici iau naștere o grămadă de răsturnări de situație, una mai amuzantă ca cealaltă.
Ea vrea o căsătorie falsă, de conveniență... el una din dragoste, sau mai degrabă una unde sa împartă patul... Cum nimic nu este usor însă, cei doi au parte de aventura vieții lor.
Dialogurile dintre personaje sunt amuzante si antrenante. Personajele în sine sunt super simpatice si ușor de plăcut. Tachinarile si felul în care se joacă precum pisica si șoarecele, sunt de-a dreptul hazli.
Dacă e ceva ce nu mi-a plăcut, e faptul că a lungit prea mult farsa cu pictorul, (când veți citi, veti intelege, chiar dacă acum n-are nicio noima ce zic), dar totul e bine când se termină cu bine.
Povestea este una clasică cu fuste, cum zic eu cărților din seria iubiri de poveste, simpatică și usor de citit.
A fost o lectură plăcută, chiar dacă tot timpul am avut impresia că am mai citit cartea... Posibil să o fi facut și să fi uitat, mi s-a mai întâmplat. 😂😂😂 (Batranetile... când zic că fără goodreads sunt terminată, nimeni nu crede)😂.
Oricum, nu consider că ar fi fost pierdere de timp, chiar si asa. M-am amuzat si m-am relaxat cu o poveste simpatică. 4⭐⭐⭐⭐
Gillian, văduva de aproape 30 de ani, are la dispoziție numai 2 luni pentru a-și găsi un soț. Nu-și dorește unul, dar moștenirea substanțială o face sa ia in calcul acest lucru.
Richard este un conte falit, care înafară de numele său, nu are mare lucru de oferit.
Acesta este și unul dintre motivele pentru care el s-a aflat pe lista de potențiali soți, scrisă de cei mai buni prieteni ai ei, mai degrabă în glumă. Cine s-ar fi gândit că ea va lua de bun acea listă?
E, a facut-o! Și de aici iau naștere o grămadă de răsturnări de situație, una mai amuzantă ca cealaltă.
Ea vrea o căsătorie falsă, de conveniență... el una din dragoste, sau mai degrabă una unde sa împartă patul... Cum nimic nu este usor însă, cei doi au parte de aventura vieții lor.
Dialogurile dintre personaje sunt amuzante si antrenante. Personajele în sine sunt super simpatice si ușor de plăcut. Tachinarile si felul în care se joacă precum pisica si șoarecele, sunt de-a dreptul hazli.
Dacă e ceva ce nu mi-a plăcut, e faptul că a lungit prea mult farsa cu pictorul, (când veți citi, veti intelege, chiar dacă acum n-are nicio noima ce zic), dar totul e bine când se termină cu bine.
Povestea este una clasică cu fuste, cum zic eu cărților din seria iubiri de poveste, simpatică și usor de citit.
A fost o lectură plăcută, chiar dacă tot timpul am avut impresia că am mai citit cartea... Posibil să o fi facut și să fi uitat, mi s-a mai întâmplat. 😂😂😂 (Batranetile... când zic că fără goodreads sunt terminată, nimeni nu crede)😂.
Oricum, nu consider că ar fi fost pierdere de timp, chiar si asa. M-am amuzat si m-am relaxat cu o poveste simpatică. 4⭐⭐⭐⭐
January 29, 2016
3.5 stars
This book started slow but towards the end I got pulled into the story and wasn't able to put the book down. I liked Gillian a lot, she's a terrific character. Richard was ok too although I really wanted to slap him in some parts of the story. The secondary characters were very likable too.
It was fluffy, quick read, nothing exceptional about it, but not bad either.
This book started slow but towards the end I got pulled into the story and wasn't able to put the book down. I liked Gillian a lot, she's a terrific character. Richard was ok too although I really wanted to slap him in some parts of the story. The secondary characters were very likable too.
It was fluffy, quick read, nothing exceptional about it, but not bad either.
November 22, 2013
Another boring historical lacking in depth and steam... I really hope Victoria Alexander's other books don't follow the same patterns as this one does... Although I kept suspect they will. How disappointing.
November 9, 2018
Serinin ilk kitabını okumadan buna atladım ama çok da şey kaybetmedim sanırım. Ne yani hep yayın evlerimi sıralama atlayacak. Birazda biz yapalım ne olacak? Ayrıca kitapta çok hoşuma gitti. Özellikle son sayfalarda Gillian'ın kurnazlığını taktir ettim 🤗
March 20, 2019
When I picked up this book I did so because it was the blandest synopsis I had ever read. I’ve read books by Ms. Alexander before and found them quite fun so I was intrigued by this one to see what she would bring to the trope. And yes, I am an idiot!
Thankfully, this turned out to be a comedy of (deliberately) mistaken identity which was a zany read which was quite a lot of fun. Ms. Alexander continues to write breezy romances in the vein of comedy but she draws character with relatable issues. For example, the heroine deeply loved her first husband and was scared of moving on.
The plot the hero hatches is a bit ridiculous but Ms. Alexander knows that, as do we; which leads to some fun moments and eye rolls at the silliness of people in love. I liked the hero though at points he was a little too conveniently clueless. It came across as irritating in parts but only in small parts so no stars docked for that.
Ignore the historical silliness of two characters giving up a lot of money for love. It’s like if someone won the Jackpot lottery and then decided to give it up to prove something. That part I am conveniently expunging - as it was ridiculous and not believable. It also prevented this book from getting a higher rating as the fundamental premise left something to be desired.
Still this is a fun, light read which is better than the blurb suggests.
Thankfully, this turned out to be a comedy of (deliberately) mistaken identity which was a zany read which was quite a lot of fun. Ms. Alexander continues to write breezy romances in the vein of comedy but she draws character with relatable issues. For example, the heroine deeply loved her first husband and was scared of moving on.
The plot the hero hatches is a bit ridiculous but Ms. Alexander knows that, as do we; which leads to some fun moments and eye rolls at the silliness of people in love. I liked the hero though at points he was a little too conveniently clueless. It came across as irritating in parts but only in small parts so no stars docked for that.
Ignore the historical silliness of two characters giving up a lot of money for love. It’s like if someone won the Jackpot lottery and then decided to give it up to prove something. That part I am conveniently expunging - as it was ridiculous and not believable. It also prevented this book from getting a higher rating as the fundamental premise left something to be desired.
Still this is a fun, light read which is better than the blurb suggests.
March 26, 2012
This is the first book by this author that I've read. It was a completely random selection, and as a result, I'll definitely be seeking out more of her books. I thought that the characters were well-drawn, even the minor ones, although I felt that sometimes, the motives of the H&H were somewhat muddled and their decisions rather hurried.
All in all though, it was a good read. The sex scenes weren't especially graphic, but that didn't diminish their impact, and there was definitely a lot of heat coming off the page between Richard and Gillian.
All in all though, it was a good read. The sex scenes weren't especially graphic, but that didn't diminish their impact, and there was definitely a lot of heat coming off the page between Richard and Gillian.
January 12, 2013
Gillian proposes to Lord Slelbrook (Richard) to meet the requirements of her inheritance. She needs a husband with a title and he needs her money to restore his family's wealth that was squandered away by his father. In the beginning, it all seems like a simple business arrangement until they both realize their hearts are involved. I liked the premise of this story, and overall enjoyed the book. I only gave it three stars, because the theme of "Does he/she love me in return" was very repetitive throughout the storyline and slowed down the forward momentum of the plot.
July 8, 2012
A slow read.
November 3, 2018
https://birumuthayal.blogspot.com/201...
Önce şunu belirtmeliyim ki okurken tereddüt içindeydim çünkü serinin ilk kitabı vasattı benim için.
Önce şunu belirtmeliyim ki okurken tereddüt içindeydim çünkü serinin ilk kitabı vasattı benim için.
November 18, 2018
A delightful and enjoyable read - would be perfect if last three chapters were rewritten
Gillian is an almost-30 year old widow and is a wonderful heroine - intelligent, witty, strong-minded, and compassionate. Richard is an endearing hero - for five years he's been working hard to pull his family back from the brink of financial disaster that his father brought them to. He's mysterious, reserved, brooding, but also sweet, straightforward (usually), and friendly. Both characters were well-written and are very real and accessible; the sexual tension between them was great. There was wonderful dialogue and Alexander wrote great secondary characters. I really liked Richard's sisters (though Jocelyn, the self-centered one, was slightly annoying) and I absolutely loved the friendship Robin and Kit had with Gillian - they were so sweet and I'm looking forward to reading Robin's story.
CRITICISMS:
When questions about love started coming up between Gillian and Richard I didn't feel they had interacted enough (especially since before the time when the book starts, they don't really know each other socially). Also, the constant obsessing about "Do I love him/her? Does she/he love me?" was a little excessive in my opinion. Also, Richard's opinion that the idea of a serious female artist was laughable really grated on my nerves and seemed incongruent with his personality.
My main complaint is that the ending of the book wasn't as satisfying as I would have liked, especially since the rest of the book was so great - Richard wasn't jealous that Gillian had seduced Toussaint (his artist alter-ego) and the unveiling/all truths coming to light could have been done SO MUCH better!
BOTTOM LINE:
A definite read and I look forward to the rest of the family's stories. I would categorize this book a sure re-read, if only the ending were reworked a little.
Gillian is an almost-30 year old widow and is a wonderful heroine - intelligent, witty, strong-minded, and compassionate. Richard is an endearing hero - for five years he's been working hard to pull his family back from the brink of financial disaster that his father brought them to. He's mysterious, reserved, brooding, but also sweet, straightforward (usually), and friendly. Both characters were well-written and are very real and accessible; the sexual tension between them was great. There was wonderful dialogue and Alexander wrote great secondary characters. I really liked Richard's sisters (though Jocelyn, the self-centered one, was slightly annoying) and I absolutely loved the friendship Robin and Kit had with Gillian - they were so sweet and I'm looking forward to reading Robin's story.
CRITICISMS:
When questions about love started coming up between Gillian and Richard I didn't feel they had interacted enough (especially since before the time when the book starts, they don't really know each other socially). Also, the constant obsessing about "Do I love him/her? Does she/he love me?" was a little excessive in my opinion. Also, Richard's opinion that the idea of a serious female artist was laughable really grated on my nerves and seemed incongruent with his personality.
My main complaint is that the ending of the book wasn't as satisfying as I would have liked, especially since the rest of the book was so great - Richard wasn't jealous that Gillian had seduced Toussaint (his artist alter-ego) and the unveiling/all truths coming to light could have been done SO MUCH better!
BOTTOM LINE:
A definite read and I look forward to the rest of the family's stories. I would categorize this book a sure re-read, if only the ending were reworked a little.
January 5, 2011
Ms Alexander is a comfort author and I'm slowly reading through her backlist :) The Husband List was not her best work, but an enjoyable read nonetheless. I liked the characters and their maturity. I liked that Gillian thought long and hard before considering a marriage of convenience and that ultimately, the lure of independence was irresistible. It's no secret that it was hard to be a woman in those time and therefore wanting to be independent is totally understandable. As for Richard, I liked how he figured so quickly that he wanted a real marriage with Gillian. I also admire Richard a lot for the way he stepped up after his father's death, dealing with the debts, his four younger sisters... I liked that he thought outside the box and worked, even though anonymously, to come up with income. Something else I enjoyed was Richard's friendship with Gillian's brother and Gillian's friendship with her two childhood friends. It's just fun to see characters interact with their friends :P
I thought the romance was okay. I enjoyed it, but hoped for more. I think it's unfortunate that Ms Alexander had to resort to a "secret identity" to move the romance along. I just wished the characters would have interacted more as themselves and work through their issues. However, like I said, an enjoyable read :)
I thought the romance was okay. I enjoyed it, but hoped for more. I think it's unfortunate that Ms Alexander had to resort to a "secret identity" to move the romance along. I just wished the characters would have interacted more as themselves and work through their issues. However, like I said, an enjoyable read :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2011
I wish I had tried to remember this book a little bit more before I bought it. This was never one of my favorites in the Effington series though it is a perfectly serviceable read.
The very beginning of the book has Gillian proposing marriage to Richard Shelton, Earl of Shelbrooke. She has been left an inheritance of magnificent proportions but can only receive it if she is married before she turns 30, which is in two months.
Richard is astonished, but intrigued. Gillian is his best friend's sister, a widow (who refreshingly, seems to have had a quite normal sex life with her husband)who he has never been interested in. Actually, Richard has spent the last several years trying to recoup his family fortunes by painting under an assumed name (selling paintings, of course, being beneath the dignity of an earl). By marrying Gillian, he could get half of her fortune, save his family's crumbling home, pay off his father's debts and give his four sisters dowries. But neither is particularly interested in marrying without love. The story that ensues is fun but, as I mentioned in the beginning, not one of my favorite Alexander reads.
The very beginning of the book has Gillian proposing marriage to Richard Shelton, Earl of Shelbrooke. She has been left an inheritance of magnificent proportions but can only receive it if she is married before she turns 30, which is in two months.
Richard is astonished, but intrigued. Gillian is his best friend's sister, a widow (who refreshingly, seems to have had a quite normal sex life with her husband)who he has never been interested in. Actually, Richard has spent the last several years trying to recoup his family fortunes by painting under an assumed name (selling paintings, of course, being beneath the dignity of an earl). By marrying Gillian, he could get half of her fortune, save his family's crumbling home, pay off his father's debts and give his four sisters dowries. But neither is particularly interested in marrying without love. The story that ensues is fun but, as I mentioned in the beginning, not one of my favorite Alexander reads.
August 2, 2015
This book is happening simultaneously with The Wedding Bargain. Book 2 in the Effington saga, Lady Gillian, a widow for 8 years finds she must marry in 2 months to receive a very large inheritance . The man at the top of the list is an impoverished Earl. There are many interesting facts to this story, all centered around artists. Nobles aren't supposed to be artists and neither are women. Many must keep their secrets. The best one is that the Earl pretends to be a French Artist and then gets jealous of himself when he thinks Gillian is in love with the artist. I gave these books a 4 rating because I enjoyed the stories, the writing style, the dialogue and the way Alexander uses italics for interior dialogue. I hope to get the next book soon.
April 16, 2011
Lady Gillian Effington Marley has been a widow for 8 years. She had no plans on remarrying until she found an Uncle left her a fortune, but she had 2 months to be married.
Her two best friends, men, helped put a list together. She did not know they were not serious. She chose the one man on the list who seemed she could marry, Richard Shelton, a reformed rake.
She approached him on the idea of a business marriage but he wanted the full marriage.
Etienne, an up and coming french painter, makes her feel the same as Richard when he touches her. Quite confusing.
Great story line and characters.
Her two best friends, men, helped put a list together. She did not know they were not serious. She chose the one man on the list who seemed she could marry, Richard Shelton, a reformed rake.
She approached him on the idea of a business marriage but he wanted the full marriage.
Etienne, an up and coming french painter, makes her feel the same as Richard when he touches her. Quite confusing.
Great story line and characters.
October 30, 2014
Seduction? or courting? Pages of wiffle waffle, his and hers, skip. He didn't even smile in public, now they chuckle wildly together. And more. "And looked forward as well to a little hard work and a good deal of practice" p 366. Effington series means many friends and relations visit and chitchat.
He fakes a French accent, so his painting is done under alter ego. But when she exercises her continental lessons, he goofs, replies "Huh?". A little mask can never hide appearance, walk. Of course Richard kisses the same in any costume. Stretch belief and reading is fun.
He fakes a French accent, so his painting is done under alter ego. But when she exercises her continental lessons, he goofs, replies "Huh?". A little mask can never hide appearance, walk. Of course Richard kisses the same in any costume. Stretch belief and reading is fun.
September 22, 2015
I really like Victoria Alexander's writing. I am enjoying reading the Effington series, but a lot of the books seem to center around the "does he/doesn't he?" theme and after a while it all seems very high school-ish. I'd love to give the books more stars since I love all the witty banter and humor, but the themes are becoming redundant and less enjoyable as the series goes on.
February 2, 2017
I really did not like the characters. There was no chemistry and the dialogue between them was silly. It was painful to read.
June 16, 2023
Dnf'ed about a fifth of the way in. The main characters are both kind of annoying and I'm bored by all the cliches about "needing his touch" etc -- you and every other romance virgin.
January 20, 2024
1.5/2 Stars - DNF @ 29%
I considered putting this down and trying to pick it up again later but honestly what I managed to read was rather one dimensional and boring. So, I'm gonna call it.
Theoretically, this plot could have been fabulous, and I'm rather disappointed another author didnt write it.
In the early chapters I found myself immediately wary because nowhere in the book blurb did it mention the heroine Gillian was a widow of nearly ten years, and coming up on her thirteen birthday. I was SO not happy about her being a widow, only because one, I wasn't prepared to read the heroine acting as if she was still very much in love with her dead husband or her worrying over betraying him. And two, because it's not a trope/plot I enjoy overly much for the exact reasons this book utilized.
Gillian was rather unremarkable. Other than her need to be independent, her love and loyalty for her dead husband and her two childhood friends, she didn't have much in the way of a personality. What I did read didn't offer anything of interest, any insight into her personality or anything memorable about her.
Richard was actually pretty interesting, and I found his past as a reformed rake different than most HR. Particularly, that he stepped up to take care of his sisters and had been working diligently, albeit in secret, to earn the money to take care of his family and renovate his estate.
Sadly, that's about all that was of interest with him though. I truly didn't care about him being an artist. It's a trope in HR's I've read more times than I care for, and in this one's case I didn't find it interesting at all. I DO think the author did a decent job of getting Richard's love and passion for painting across to the reader. That's probably the only time his character ever felt like it came to life.
Also, why was Richard's age not mentioned? Perhaps it was mentioned later in the book but I kept expecting it to be brought up early on and got nada.
Anyway, it had been slow going reading this one, which is unusual for me, which it is what led me to finally accept that I was forcing interest where there wasn't any by trying to continue reading this one.
The death knell, however, came when Richard decided on a whim to confront Gillian in a mask and costume (stolen from a waiter at the masquerade they were at) as his artist alter ego, Etienne. At first it wasn't immediately obvious where this was leading but once it did I wanted to toss my phone across the room. Having Richard decide to flirt and seduce Gillian as his alter ego while also attempting to do the same as himself was the height of absurdity. And so incredibly predictable because of the impending disaster and inevitable feelings of betrayal that will come when the truth comes out. It honestly didn't make any sense WHY he would decide to do such a impulsive and ridiculous thing.
Richard seemed to genuinely like Gillian and was attracted to her. He wanted to get to know her and to make her want him, so hopefully they could have a real marriage. And I understand the artist in him was desperate to hear her thoughts of the portrait he painted of her and had secretly gifted to her, but to go through all that and then impulsively decide to play another man entirely to get to know the woman he wants to marry? Come on!
All because she treated Richard with a reserved distance between them and with his alter ego she was open and flirty in a way a woman might be when she knows its harmless and is in no danger, or so he said.
And the fool had the audacity to think that once he had her affections he'd simply reveal the truth and they could laugh about it and tell their grandchildren in the future. Hah. Yeah, no.
Because of that the author made Richard look like a utter idiot with no sense. And from there I could just imagine how the rest of the book plays out with him seducing her as his alter ego and causing a big mess of everything. Especially because Gillian was already keeping the portrait he sent her a secret and her meeting with his alter ego.
Why couldn't both MCs get to know one another without an alter ego being introduced? It's not like the alter ego was introduced FIRST before the relationship man like some books have done. It literally made NO sense to introduce this and was frankly a disservice to whatever potential romance the MCs could have had.
And to think I skipped book one because it didn't interest me but turns out, neither did this one. The writing was too simplistic and the characters had no life to them at all.
I considered putting this down and trying to pick it up again later but honestly what I managed to read was rather one dimensional and boring. So, I'm gonna call it.
Theoretically, this plot could have been fabulous, and I'm rather disappointed another author didnt write it.
In the early chapters I found myself immediately wary because nowhere in the book blurb did it mention the heroine Gillian was a widow of nearly ten years, and coming up on her thirteen birthday. I was SO not happy about her being a widow, only because one, I wasn't prepared to read the heroine acting as if she was still very much in love with her dead husband or her worrying over betraying him. And two, because it's not a trope/plot I enjoy overly much for the exact reasons this book utilized.
Gillian was rather unremarkable. Other than her need to be independent, her love and loyalty for her dead husband and her two childhood friends, she didn't have much in the way of a personality. What I did read didn't offer anything of interest, any insight into her personality or anything memorable about her.
Richard was actually pretty interesting, and I found his past as a reformed rake different than most HR. Particularly, that he stepped up to take care of his sisters and had been working diligently, albeit in secret, to earn the money to take care of his family and renovate his estate.
Sadly, that's about all that was of interest with him though. I truly didn't care about him being an artist. It's a trope in HR's I've read more times than I care for, and in this one's case I didn't find it interesting at all. I DO think the author did a decent job of getting Richard's love and passion for painting across to the reader. That's probably the only time his character ever felt like it came to life.
Also, why was Richard's age not mentioned? Perhaps it was mentioned later in the book but I kept expecting it to be brought up early on and got nada.
Anyway, it had been slow going reading this one, which is unusual for me, which it is what led me to finally accept that I was forcing interest where there wasn't any by trying to continue reading this one.
The death knell, however, came when Richard decided on a whim to confront Gillian in a mask and costume (stolen from a waiter at the masquerade they were at) as his artist alter ego, Etienne. At first it wasn't immediately obvious where this was leading but once it did I wanted to toss my phone across the room. Having Richard decide to flirt and seduce Gillian as his alter ego while also attempting to do the same as himself was the height of absurdity. And so incredibly predictable because of the impending disaster and inevitable feelings of betrayal that will come when the truth comes out. It honestly didn't make any sense WHY he would decide to do such a impulsive and ridiculous thing.
Richard seemed to genuinely like Gillian and was attracted to her. He wanted to get to know her and to make her want him, so hopefully they could have a real marriage. And I understand the artist in him was desperate to hear her thoughts of the portrait he painted of her and had secretly gifted to her, but to go through all that and then impulsively decide to play another man entirely to get to know the woman he wants to marry? Come on!
All because she treated Richard with a reserved distance between them and with his alter ego she was open and flirty in a way a woman might be when she knows its harmless and is in no danger, or so he said.
And the fool had the audacity to think that once he had her affections he'd simply reveal the truth and they could laugh about it and tell their grandchildren in the future. Hah. Yeah, no.
Because of that the author made Richard look like a utter idiot with no sense. And from there I could just imagine how the rest of the book plays out with him seducing her as his alter ego and causing a big mess of everything. Especially because Gillian was already keeping the portrait he sent her a secret and her meeting with his alter ego.
Why couldn't both MCs get to know one another without an alter ego being introduced? It's not like the alter ego was introduced FIRST before the relationship man like some books have done. It literally made NO sense to introduce this and was frankly a disservice to whatever potential romance the MCs could have had.
And to think I skipped book one because it didn't interest me but turns out, neither did this one. The writing was too simplistic and the characters had no life to them at all.
May 30, 2017
The Husband List was published in August 2000 and is in the Effington Family & Friends Series. I pulled her list of books from her website and found I have read seventeen of her forty-two books and novellas. Of course now I have found some more good books from her list to read. I ordered this book on Paperback swap and was delighted to find that it was a hard copy book with the original cover... see picture with pink roses. The new cover is a little more racey...Guy with open shirt.
In The Husband List Lady Gillian Marley, a widow, needs a husband as her deceased uncle has left her a huge inheritance with one condition that she has to be married by her next birthday only two months away. Her friends Lords Weston and Cummings came up with a list of potential husbands for her. Thinking this was a great joke all the men on the list were really not acceptable except for Richard Shelton, the Earl of Shelbrooke who was a reformed rake and gambler and now very boring. They both didn't like him but thought Gillian would think it funny and put him at the top of the list. What they didn't think of was that he was entirely too handsome.
When she asked him to marry her, she stipulated that she wanted a marriage in name only. Even though he really needed the money, Lord Shelbrooke told her that he wants to marry her in full-and get ALL the benefits of marriage.
The story goes on with how he tries to show her how compatible they are and it doesn't hurt that when they are together the sparks fly. I found myself breaking out into laughter at the many hilarious things said and done. Victoria Alexander has a great sense of humor. If you want a little joy in your reading life, pick up this book. Great fun!
There is something else I would like to share with you about Victoria Alexander. While on her website I found a section where she answers questions from her readers. People had asked her why she seems to have so many dead husbands named Charles. ( Lady Gillian's dead husband's name was Charles). She answered with this:
"My husband, Chuck, has never read one of my books. That's why, in about my third book, I started naming dead husbands 'Charles', after my husband. I have dead Charles' now in most of my books. Sometimes they die quickly, and painlessly. Sometimes they die slowly, with a great deal of pain & suffering. It really all depends on how my life is going."
There is more to her answer so to read the full answer go to www.victoriaalexander.com and look into her "extra" section.
In The Husband List Lady Gillian Marley, a widow, needs a husband as her deceased uncle has left her a huge inheritance with one condition that she has to be married by her next birthday only two months away. Her friends Lords Weston and Cummings came up with a list of potential husbands for her. Thinking this was a great joke all the men on the list were really not acceptable except for Richard Shelton, the Earl of Shelbrooke who was a reformed rake and gambler and now very boring. They both didn't like him but thought Gillian would think it funny and put him at the top of the list. What they didn't think of was that he was entirely too handsome.
When she asked him to marry her, she stipulated that she wanted a marriage in name only. Even though he really needed the money, Lord Shelbrooke told her that he wants to marry her in full-and get ALL the benefits of marriage.
The story goes on with how he tries to show her how compatible they are and it doesn't hurt that when they are together the sparks fly. I found myself breaking out into laughter at the many hilarious things said and done. Victoria Alexander has a great sense of humor. If you want a little joy in your reading life, pick up this book. Great fun!
There is something else I would like to share with you about Victoria Alexander. While on her website I found a section where she answers questions from her readers. People had asked her why she seems to have so many dead husbands named Charles. ( Lady Gillian's dead husband's name was Charles). She answered with this:
"My husband, Chuck, has never read one of my books. That's why, in about my third book, I started naming dead husbands 'Charles', after my husband. I have dead Charles' now in most of my books. Sometimes they die quickly, and painlessly. Sometimes they die slowly, with a great deal of pain & suffering. It really all depends on how my life is going."
There is more to her answer so to read the full answer go to www.victoriaalexander.com and look into her "extra" section.
August 24, 2024
Penso di poter dire con abbastanza sicurezza che il filo conduttore di tutta la serie è, oltre ovviamente alla famiglia Effington, il matrimonio d'amore.
Ovviamente in ogni romanzo storico, l'epilogo è quasi sempre un bel matrimonio, ma lo è in quanto coronamento della storia d'amore che abbiamo letto.
In questo libro, come anche nel libro precedente, sposarsi per amore è l'argomento cardine, tutto il resto è contorno.
Una trama devo dire abbastanza monotona, leggere per oltre 200 pagine dei dubbi dei 2 protagonisti, se sono o non sono amati, o se quello che provano è amore o meno, credetemi, ad un certo punto annoia un pò.
Il libro risulta un pò una commedia degli equivoci, o meglio ancora, delle cose non dette, che in alcuni casi potrebbe essere interessante, ma in questo caso non lo è stato particolarmente.
E' una serie che penso ancora abbia del potenziale, ma al momento non ho intenzione di andare avanti.
Ovviamente in ogni romanzo storico, l'epilogo è quasi sempre un bel matrimonio, ma lo è in quanto coronamento della storia d'amore che abbiamo letto.
In questo libro, come anche nel libro precedente, sposarsi per amore è l'argomento cardine, tutto il resto è contorno.
Una trama devo dire abbastanza monotona, leggere per oltre 200 pagine dei dubbi dei 2 protagonisti, se sono o non sono amati, o se quello che provano è amore o meno, credetemi, ad un certo punto annoia un pò.
Il libro risulta un pò una commedia degli equivoci, o meglio ancora, delle cose non dette, che in alcuni casi potrebbe essere interessante, ma in questo caso non lo è stato particolarmente.
E' una serie che penso ancora abbia del potenziale, ma al momento non ho intenzione di andare avanti.
November 22, 2022
La protagonista mi piace per la sua visione del mondo femminile e del fatto che cerchi di fare qualcosa per aiutare le donne, peccato che questo aspetto si concluda solo a poche righe e che non avvenga poi effettivo nulla di fatto. Per il resto è la storia di una donna che per entrare in possesso di un'eredità si deve sposare entro il compimento dei suoi trent'anni e allora stila una lista di mariti e scegli un conte in disgrazia che si mantiene dipingendo quadri. In generale è una storia carina anche se un po' noiosa e manca di verve: i due protagonisti sono cocciuti e orgogliosi per non parlare di tutte le volte che l'autrice ci ha detto che fossero confusi, anche meno eh. Troppa carne al fuoco per i miei gusti. Non ci sono gran che sottotrame e il resto dei personaggi al momento è un po' all'oscuro.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2018
Müstakbel Koca Listesi
Victoria Alexander
Yeni bir kitapla Merhaba
Victoria yi severim ama bu kitabında eksik bir şeyler vardı. Özelikle aşk konusunda okudukça bir şeylerin yerli yerine oturmasını bekledim yazara göre de oturdu sanırım ama beni tatmin etmedi. Bir liste ve listenin başında bir Kont babasının borçlarını ödeyen ve kendine bağlı üç kız kardeşe sahip.
Karşısında kendini isteyen bir kadın ama sırf paraya ve mirasa sahip olmak için. Formaliteden evlenmek hiç ona göre değil ve girdiği oyunda farklı beklentileri var. Kısacası ikisinin uyumunu bir kaç cümlede yakaladım geri kalan yerlerde çok cezbetmedi. Orta derece bir romandı diyebilirim
Victoria Alexander
Yeni bir kitapla Merhaba
Victoria yi severim ama bu kitabında eksik bir şeyler vardı. Özelikle aşk konusunda okudukça bir şeylerin yerli yerine oturmasını bekledim yazara göre de oturdu sanırım ama beni tatmin etmedi. Bir liste ve listenin başında bir Kont babasının borçlarını ödeyen ve kendine bağlı üç kız kardeşe sahip.
Karşısında kendini isteyen bir kadın ama sırf paraya ve mirasa sahip olmak için. Formaliteden evlenmek hiç ona göre değil ve girdiği oyunda farklı beklentileri var. Kısacası ikisinin uyumunu bir kaç cümlede yakaladım geri kalan yerlerde çok cezbetmedi. Orta derece bir romandı diyebilirim
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