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The Wildes of Lindow Castle #3
Born to Be Wilde
Considéré comme le plus beau parti d’Angleterre, Parth Sterling est stupéfait quand Mlle Lavinia Gray a le toupet de lui demander de l’épouser. Il a certes l’intention de se marier, mais sûrement pas avec une écervelée qui ne songe qu’aux fanfreluches. Néanmoins, après avoir poliment refusé, il promet de l’aider à trouver un époux fortuné. Ce ne devrait pas être bien difficile, car, en dépit de sa frivolité, Lavinia a bien des atouts. Atouts qui, contre toute raison, vont bientôt l’émouvoir…
369 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 31, 2018
1715 people are currently reading
2887 people want to read
About the author
Eloisa James
123 books9,537 followersNew York Times bestselling author Eloisa James writes historical romances for HarperCollins Publishers. Her novels have been published to great acclaim. A reviewer from USA Today wrote of Eloisa's very first book that she "found herself devouring the book like a dieter with a Hershey bar"; later People Magazine raved that "romance writing does not get much better than this." Her novels have repeatedly received starred reviews from Publishers' Weekly and Library Journal and regularly appear on the best-seller lists.
After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is an associate professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report.
Eloisa...on her double life:
When I'm not writing novels, I'm a Shakespeare professor. It's rather like having two lives. The other day I bought a delicious pink suit to tape a television segment on romance; I'll never wear that suit to teach in, nor even to give a paper at the Shakespeare Association of America conference. It's like being Superman, with power suits for both lives. Yet the literature professor in me certainly plays into my romances. The Taming of the Duke (April 2006) has obvious Shakespearean resonances, as do many of my novels. I often weave early modern poetry into my work; the same novel might contain bits of Catullus, Shakespeare and anonymous bawdy ballads from the 16th century.
When I rip off my power suit, whether it's academic or romantic, underneath is the rather tired, chocolate-stained sweatshirt of a mom. Just as I use Shakespeare in my romances, I almost always employ my experiences as a mother. When I wrote about a miscarriage in Midnight Pleasures, I used my own fears of premature birth; when the little girl in Fool For Love threw up and threw up, I described my own daughter, who had that unsavory habit for well over her first year of life.
So I'm a writer, a professor, a mother - and a wife. My husband Alessandro is Italian, born in Florence. We spend the lazy summer months with his mother and sister in Italy. It always strikes me as a huge irony that as a romance writer I find myself married to a knight, a cavaliere, as you say in Italian.
One more thing...I'm a friend. I have girlfriends who are writers and girlfriends who are Shakespeare professors. And I have girlfriends who are romance readers. In fact, we have something of a community going on my website. Please stop by and join the conversation on my readers' pages.
After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is an associate professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report.
Eloisa...on her double life:
When I'm not writing novels, I'm a Shakespeare professor. It's rather like having two lives. The other day I bought a delicious pink suit to tape a television segment on romance; I'll never wear that suit to teach in, nor even to give a paper at the Shakespeare Association of America conference. It's like being Superman, with power suits for both lives. Yet the literature professor in me certainly plays into my romances. The Taming of the Duke (April 2006) has obvious Shakespearean resonances, as do many of my novels. I often weave early modern poetry into my work; the same novel might contain bits of Catullus, Shakespeare and anonymous bawdy ballads from the 16th century.
When I rip off my power suit, whether it's academic or romantic, underneath is the rather tired, chocolate-stained sweatshirt of a mom. Just as I use Shakespeare in my romances, I almost always employ my experiences as a mother. When I wrote about a miscarriage in Midnight Pleasures, I used my own fears of premature birth; when the little girl in Fool For Love threw up and threw up, I described my own daughter, who had that unsavory habit for well over her first year of life.
So I'm a writer, a professor, a mother - and a wife. My husband Alessandro is Italian, born in Florence. We spend the lazy summer months with his mother and sister in Italy. It always strikes me as a huge irony that as a romance writer I find myself married to a knight, a cavaliere, as you say in Italian.
One more thing...I'm a friend. I have girlfriends who are writers and girlfriends who are Shakespeare professors. And I have girlfriends who are romance readers. In fact, we have something of a community going on my website. Please stop by and join the conversation on my readers' pages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 836 reviews
November 20, 2022
I'm not into guys with beards, but Eloisa James made it work for me.
This was cute and fluffy, and it didn't drag on and on at the end. It wasn't my favorite romance that I've ever read, but I don't have any complaints about it, either. Good stuff!
The gist is that Lavinia Gray's crackhead mom not only used her entire inheritance to buy drugs (ok, laudanum, not crack), but also stole a shitton of jewels and whatnot from Lavinia's friends (and maybe a close cousin, I'm not entirely sure) to support her habit.
Anyway. Lavinia (up till now) has been known for her stunning beauty and charming personality. When she had a sizable dowry, she was the pick of the litter. And even without it, she's so all-around awesome that guys are still falling over themselves to win her over.
So what's the problem? There's not one, actually. I mean, her friends aren't going to press charges and because of that, the likelihood of it getting out that her mom is a thief is fairly small. Also, the Wildes have had her mother put in an old-timey drug rehab center, so she's pretty much taken care of for the time being. Still, she's humiliated and wants to find a way to undo her mother's crimes.
This is where Parth comes in.
He's wealthy and powerful and all things delicious. <--except for the beard. I'm not convinced.
Regardless, Lavinia proposes to him in a moment of desperation (he's her secret crush), but he turns her down (even though he's secretly got the hots for her, too), promising to help her find a rich dude to marry. Whoever she marries needs to be (supposedly) enough of a badass to squash anything about her mom from getting out in the open.
Enter the somewhat superfluous John Wick gif:
Because anytime you can use a John Wick gif to describe badassery, you should...
Another big part of the plot is that Lavinia turns her eye for fashion into quite a thriving business for herself. That, in turn, gains her a fraction of independence. Which means that Parth is going to have to put his foot in his mouth due to his manly-manness. Bonus? He didn't come off like too big of a douche.
Things like that happen, of course. You know that rom-comish is nonsense that would never happen in real life, but makes you smile anyway?
The mistaken intentions, the misunderstandings, and finally...the overblown and overdramatic confessions of feelings?
Well, that was kind of how it all went down, and I thought it was pretty well done. Lavinia is quite likable and so is Parth. I think I'm going to have to go back and check out the other books in this series.
This was cute and fluffy, and it didn't drag on and on at the end. It wasn't my favorite romance that I've ever read, but I don't have any complaints about it, either. Good stuff!
The gist is that Lavinia Gray's crackhead mom not only used her entire inheritance to buy drugs (ok, laudanum, not crack), but also stole a shitton of jewels and whatnot from Lavinia's friends (and maybe a close cousin, I'm not entirely sure) to support her habit.
Anyway. Lavinia (up till now) has been known for her stunning beauty and charming personality. When she had a sizable dowry, she was the pick of the litter. And even without it, she's so all-around awesome that guys are still falling over themselves to win her over.
So what's the problem? There's not one, actually. I mean, her friends aren't going to press charges and because of that, the likelihood of it getting out that her mom is a thief is fairly small. Also, the Wildes have had her mother put in an old-timey drug rehab center, so she's pretty much taken care of for the time being. Still, she's humiliated and wants to find a way to undo her mother's crimes.
This is where Parth comes in.
He's wealthy and powerful and all things delicious. <--except for the beard. I'm not convinced.
Regardless, Lavinia proposes to him in a moment of desperation (he's her secret crush), but he turns her down (even though he's secretly got the hots for her, too), promising to help her find a rich dude to marry. Whoever she marries needs to be (supposedly) enough of a badass to squash anything about her mom from getting out in the open.
Enter the somewhat superfluous John Wick gif:
Because anytime you can use a John Wick gif to describe badassery, you should...
Another big part of the plot is that Lavinia turns her eye for fashion into quite a thriving business for herself. That, in turn, gains her a fraction of independence. Which means that Parth is going to have to put his foot in his mouth due to his manly-manness. Bonus? He didn't come off like too big of a douche.
Things like that happen, of course. You know that rom-comish is nonsense that would never happen in real life, but makes you smile anyway?
The mistaken intentions, the misunderstandings, and finally...the overblown and overdramatic confessions of feelings?
Well, that was kind of how it all went down, and I thought it was pretty well done. Lavinia is quite likable and so is Parth. I think I'm going to have to go back and check out the other books in this series.
August 6, 2018
I’ve never made a secret of the fact that Eloisa James’ books have generally been rather hit or miss (mostly miss) for me. I’ve read some and enjoyed them - I gave Three Weeks With Lady X a DIK at
All About Romance
, and have rated other books highly, but after Seven Minutes in Heaven, I decided it was probably time for us to part ways. There are plenty of other books out there to read, so no big loss. But... this is Eloisa James, right? One of the biggest names in historical romance. Maybe I’ve missed something? It’s that feeling that has made me go back to her books occasionally, so I decided I’d pick up Born to be Wilde, the third book in her
Wildes of Lindow Castle
series, just to see if maybe I’d got it wrong and she would wow me again.
I should have had the courage of my convictions and stayed away.
Born to be Wilde is nonsensical superficiality from start to finish. The story is pretty much non-existent, the characters are bland and unmemorable, the romance is flat and seriously underdeveloped and the eleventh-hour conflict is utterly ridiculous.
Beautiful, vivacious and wealthy, Lavinia Gray is used to having men at her feet. She’s turned down numerous proposals of marriage, secure in the knowledge that she could afford to wait for the right one – until she discovered that her mother’s spendthrift ways and gambling habits mean they’re broke and worse, that her mother resorted to stealing valuable jewellery and selling it for cash. And as if that weren’t bad enough, she’s become addicted to laudanum to such a degree that she’s sent to a sanatorium at the beginning of the book to be weaned off the drug. So – Lavinia is desperate. She needs money and she needs it quickly if she’s to prevent her mother’s being carted off to Newgate; and what’s the easiest way to obtain it? Yep – marry it. The book opens with Lavinia turning up at the hero’s room and asking him to marry her.
Parth Sterling was born in India to an English father and Indian mother, but was sent to live in England at the age of five where, as a ward of the Duke of Lindow, he grew up with the Wildes and is regarded by them as a member of the family. He’s a self-made man, one of the wealthiest in England, and even owns a bank. He and Lavinia have known each other for years; she thinks he thinks she’s an empty-headed hat-fetishist, he thinks she thinks he’s a prig. Based on the fact that the worst insult she can come up with for him is “Appalling Parth”, I’d tend to agree with his assessment. There’s no doubt she’s beautiful and desirable… but Parth doesn’t want to marry her. Instead, though, he’ll help her to find a husband and sets about presenting her to highly eligible men, none of whom – of course – is good enough for her.
That’s pretty much the sum of their relationship. She thinks he doesn’t like her; he’s confused about his feelings because she’s frivolous and he wants the woman in his life to have a bit more substance. (Hence his intention to court a lovely Italian contessa). But of course, Lavinia DOES have substance; when she offers to put together a trousseau for her dear friend Diana – who is marrying the heir to the Duke of Lindow – the mercer (fabric merchant) suggests that with her exquisite taste (of which he has little discernible evidence), Lavinia should set up as a kind of personal stylist to society ladies, and that he would pay her a commission for using his fabrics. Um. Essentially - a tradesman suggests that a Lady works for money. In 1780. Nope. Not buying it.
Lavinia loves the idea, and thinks she can earn enough to pay off her mother’s debts AND enough to provide herself with a decent dowry. She adores fashion, so selecting fabrics, trimmings and designs isn’t really ‘work’, but doing something she loves. She spends the next few weeks working her fingers to the bone – we’re told she often works late into the night and forgets to eat – preparing this trousseau, which seems excessive. I know making clothes by hand is very labour-intensive, but still, it’s presented as though she’s working on achieving world peace or how to feed the world, rather than on sewing gowns.
By around two-thirds of the way through, Lavinia and Parth have both realised they were wrong about each other, that they’re wildly (!) attracted to each other and have jumped into bed. Parth somehow has a condom to hand for their first time – it’s not the use of it I query, because of course they were around, it’s more than he has one so conveniently to hand in a room not his own bedroom. They didn’t come in little foil packets back in the eighteenth century.
Of course, Parth wouldn’t have taken Lavinia to bed had he not intended to marry her, something which appears to go without saying for both of them. All is going to plan until that eleventh-hour conflict I mentioned, which is shoe-horned in for the sake of it, and only provides yet another opportunity for Lavinia to bemoan her own unworthiness and conviction that Parth doesn’t respect her.
The story is basically one big trope-fest, and there is absolutely NO sense whatsoever of time or place in the novel; had it not been for the timestamps at the beginning of each chapter telling me events were taking place in 1780, I’d have had no idea when the story was set, in spite of the extremely tedious descriptions of patterns and fabrics. And the fact that the hero is Anglo-Indian is mentioned a few times in passing and has so little bearing on his character or the story that I have no idea why the author chose to give him that background. I am well aware that mixed-race relationships/marriages were not uncommon at this time and have absolutely no issues whatsoever with the hero being of mixed parentage. But in the same way as the novel having no sense of time or place, there’s no sense of what his heritage means to him or how it has shaped him.
It’s all so much froth and banal superficiality. I like a well-written piece of fluff as well as the next person, but Born to be Wilde is just DULL. The antics of the Wildes basically scream “LOOK AT US – WE’RE UNCONVENTIONAL!” the humour is forced and unfunny, Parth and Lavinia share no chemistry whatsoever and Ms. James plays fast-and-loose with the conventions of the time. There are a lot of authors out there – I won’t name names, but it’s a long list – who write stuff like this all the time; characters in pretty frocks and tight breeches who pay no attention to social convention and speak and act with twenty-first sensibilities. If that’s what you want to read – and some authors do it very well - then fine, but part of the challenge of historical romance is, surely, in creating and developing a romantic relationship between characters who would, in the real world of the period, not have been allowed to spend time together alone – and making their interactions believable.
Mission SO not accomplished. As I said before - “That’s three and a bit hours of my life I’ll never get back.”
I’m sorry Ms. James – you have a large number of fans who love your work and good luck to you and them. But I’m done
I should have had the courage of my convictions and stayed away.
Born to be Wilde is nonsensical superficiality from start to finish. The story is pretty much non-existent, the characters are bland and unmemorable, the romance is flat and seriously underdeveloped and the eleventh-hour conflict is utterly ridiculous.
Beautiful, vivacious and wealthy, Lavinia Gray is used to having men at her feet. She’s turned down numerous proposals of marriage, secure in the knowledge that she could afford to wait for the right one – until she discovered that her mother’s spendthrift ways and gambling habits mean they’re broke and worse, that her mother resorted to stealing valuable jewellery and selling it for cash. And as if that weren’t bad enough, she’s become addicted to laudanum to such a degree that she’s sent to a sanatorium at the beginning of the book to be weaned off the drug. So – Lavinia is desperate. She needs money and she needs it quickly if she’s to prevent her mother’s being carted off to Newgate; and what’s the easiest way to obtain it? Yep – marry it. The book opens with Lavinia turning up at the hero’s room and asking him to marry her.
Parth Sterling was born in India to an English father and Indian mother, but was sent to live in England at the age of five where, as a ward of the Duke of Lindow, he grew up with the Wildes and is regarded by them as a member of the family. He’s a self-made man, one of the wealthiest in England, and even owns a bank. He and Lavinia have known each other for years; she thinks he thinks she’s an empty-headed hat-fetishist, he thinks she thinks he’s a prig. Based on the fact that the worst insult she can come up with for him is “Appalling Parth”, I’d tend to agree with his assessment. There’s no doubt she’s beautiful and desirable… but Parth doesn’t want to marry her. Instead, though, he’ll help her to find a husband and sets about presenting her to highly eligible men, none of whom – of course – is good enough for her.
That’s pretty much the sum of their relationship. She thinks he doesn’t like her; he’s confused about his feelings because she’s frivolous and he wants the woman in his life to have a bit more substance. (Hence his intention to court a lovely Italian contessa). But of course, Lavinia DOES have substance; when she offers to put together a trousseau for her dear friend Diana – who is marrying the heir to the Duke of Lindow – the mercer (fabric merchant) suggests that with her exquisite taste (of which he has little discernible evidence), Lavinia should set up as a kind of personal stylist to society ladies, and that he would pay her a commission for using his fabrics. Um. Essentially - a tradesman suggests that a Lady works for money. In 1780. Nope. Not buying it.
Lavinia loves the idea, and thinks she can earn enough to pay off her mother’s debts AND enough to provide herself with a decent dowry. She adores fashion, so selecting fabrics, trimmings and designs isn’t really ‘work’, but doing something she loves. She spends the next few weeks working her fingers to the bone – we’re told she often works late into the night and forgets to eat – preparing this trousseau, which seems excessive. I know making clothes by hand is very labour-intensive, but still, it’s presented as though she’s working on achieving world peace or how to feed the world, rather than on sewing gowns.
By around two-thirds of the way through, Lavinia and Parth have both realised they were wrong about each other, that they’re wildly (!) attracted to each other and have jumped into bed. Parth somehow has a condom to hand for their first time – it’s not the use of it I query, because of course they were around, it’s more than he has one so conveniently to hand in a room not his own bedroom. They didn’t come in little foil packets back in the eighteenth century.
Of course, Parth wouldn’t have taken Lavinia to bed had he not intended to marry her, something which appears to go without saying for both of them. All is going to plan until that eleventh-hour conflict I mentioned, which is shoe-horned in for the sake of it, and only provides yet another opportunity for Lavinia to bemoan her own unworthiness and conviction that Parth doesn’t respect her.
The story is basically one big trope-fest, and there is absolutely NO sense whatsoever of time or place in the novel; had it not been for the timestamps at the beginning of each chapter telling me events were taking place in 1780, I’d have had no idea when the story was set, in spite of the extremely tedious descriptions of patterns and fabrics. And the fact that the hero is Anglo-Indian is mentioned a few times in passing and has so little bearing on his character or the story that I have no idea why the author chose to give him that background. I am well aware that mixed-race relationships/marriages were not uncommon at this time and have absolutely no issues whatsoever with the hero being of mixed parentage. But in the same way as the novel having no sense of time or place, there’s no sense of what his heritage means to him or how it has shaped him.
It’s all so much froth and banal superficiality. I like a well-written piece of fluff as well as the next person, but Born to be Wilde is just DULL. The antics of the Wildes basically scream “LOOK AT US – WE’RE UNCONVENTIONAL!” the humour is forced and unfunny, Parth and Lavinia share no chemistry whatsoever and Ms. James plays fast-and-loose with the conventions of the time. There are a lot of authors out there – I won’t name names, but it’s a long list – who write stuff like this all the time; characters in pretty frocks and tight breeches who pay no attention to social convention and speak and act with twenty-first sensibilities. If that’s what you want to read – and some authors do it very well - then fine, but part of the challenge of historical romance is, surely, in creating and developing a romantic relationship between characters who would, in the real world of the period, not have been allowed to spend time together alone – and making their interactions believable.
Mission SO not accomplished. As I said before - “That’s three and a bit hours of my life I’ll never get back.”
I’m sorry Ms. James – you have a large number of fans who love your work and good luck to you and them. But I’m done
July 27, 2018
4,5-5 stars
I loved it so much, I literally read it in one sitting!!! It was amazing, my favorite in the series!I felt so connected to Lavinia, what a journey!Born to Be Wilde was an emotional,intense and sweet story.
My heart was aching most of the time with these two.I was swooning,melting and even I cried at some points and also I was frustrated.This story touched me in so many ways!It was exactly what I needed!
What a beautiful story, one of my favorite books from Eloisa James!!
I loved it so much, I literally read it in one sitting!!! It was amazing, my favorite in the series!I felt so connected to Lavinia, what a journey!Born to Be Wilde was an emotional,intense and sweet story.
My heart was aching most of the time with these two.I was swooning,melting and even I cried at some points and also I was frustrated.This story touched me in so many ways!It was exactly what I needed!
What a beautiful story, one of my favorite books from Eloisa James!!
October 26, 2020
This was SO CUUUUTE! I really loved Lavinia and Parth's romance and how slow burn and angsty it was. In the beginning of the novel, Lavinia asks Parth to marry her because she has no money and has to pay back all of her mother's debts. Parth says no, but they both undeniably like each other. Because both are so close to the Wilde family, they are around each other all of the time. It was fun watching them dance around each other and get jealous when they were courting other people. Of course, you just want them to stop being stubborn and get together already, but they won't.
I do think the last few chapters were pretty unnecessary and just dragged on the romance, but overall I really enjoyed this story! The whole cast of Wilde characters area so fun and I really love how all of the characters care for each other so much. I'm so happy I finally read the first three in this series and can't wait to get to the prequel!
I do think the last few chapters were pretty unnecessary and just dragged on the romance, but overall I really enjoyed this story! The whole cast of Wilde characters area so fun and I really love how all of the characters care for each other so much. I'm so happy I finally read the first three in this series and can't wait to get to the prequel!
August 1, 2018
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
This was fun! I knew that I would have to read Parth and Lavinia's story just as soon as I knew that it was scheduled for release. This is the third book in the Wildes of Lindow Castle series which could be read as a stand alone although I think that it really would work best if the series is read in order since a lot of this story is set up in the previous installment. I went into this book with some pretty high expectations and I am happy to report that they were met. I really enjoyed my time reading about these wonderful characters.
This is Parth and Lavinia's story. Parth became a part of the Wilde family as a young child when his family died. He had done very well for himself and is a very successful businessman. Lavinia is good friends with Diana, North's soon to be wife, and grew up with Willa, who is married to Alaric. When Lavinia learns that her family is almost out of money, she realizes that she needs to marry soon and marry well. She asks Parth to marry her but is promptly turned down.
I loved both of these characters. Lavinia was so determined to make things right. She knew that her skills were somewhat limited but she was able to use those skills to start making her own money and took a lot of pride in her work. I really loved watching Lavinia find out for herself exactly how capable she really was. Parth was a great character as well. Despite the fact that he is not biologically a Wilde, he knows that he is a part of the family. His business pursuits are important to him but not more important than the people he cares about.
I had such a good time watching these two come together. They were both attracted to each other and I thought that they had some great chemistry. Their personalities fit together very well. They were both very intelligent people that took responsibility very seriously. I actually enjoyed their dates with other individuals and thought that each of those dates just proved how perfect these two were for each other.
I would recommend this book to fans of historical romance. I found this book to be a delightful read full of wonderful characters and a few more serious topics. I cannot wait to read more from Eloisa James in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Avon Books via Edelweiss.
Initial Thoughts
I enjoyed this one. It liked Parth and Lavinia and was happy to see most of the other Wildes playing a role in the story.
This was fun! I knew that I would have to read Parth and Lavinia's story just as soon as I knew that it was scheduled for release. This is the third book in the Wildes of Lindow Castle series which could be read as a stand alone although I think that it really would work best if the series is read in order since a lot of this story is set up in the previous installment. I went into this book with some pretty high expectations and I am happy to report that they were met. I really enjoyed my time reading about these wonderful characters.
This is Parth and Lavinia's story. Parth became a part of the Wilde family as a young child when his family died. He had done very well for himself and is a very successful businessman. Lavinia is good friends with Diana, North's soon to be wife, and grew up with Willa, who is married to Alaric. When Lavinia learns that her family is almost out of money, she realizes that she needs to marry soon and marry well. She asks Parth to marry her but is promptly turned down.
I loved both of these characters. Lavinia was so determined to make things right. She knew that her skills were somewhat limited but she was able to use those skills to start making her own money and took a lot of pride in her work. I really loved watching Lavinia find out for herself exactly how capable she really was. Parth was a great character as well. Despite the fact that he is not biologically a Wilde, he knows that he is a part of the family. His business pursuits are important to him but not more important than the people he cares about.
I had such a good time watching these two come together. They were both attracted to each other and I thought that they had some great chemistry. Their personalities fit together very well. They were both very intelligent people that took responsibility very seriously. I actually enjoyed their dates with other individuals and thought that each of those dates just proved how perfect these two were for each other.
I would recommend this book to fans of historical romance. I found this book to be a delightful read full of wonderful characters and a few more serious topics. I cannot wait to read more from Eloisa James in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Avon Books via Edelweiss.
Initial Thoughts
I enjoyed this one. It liked Parth and Lavinia and was happy to see most of the other Wildes playing a role in the story.
February 13, 2020
(This book is less original than its cliched title.)
A former Eloisa James fan, I did not plan to read this third romance in James's The Wildes of Lindow Castle series. As a matter of fact, I totally ignored it when it came out in July of 2018 and went about my life with nary a twinge that I might be missing out on something. But since now (May of 2019) it is being offered at a bargain price, I broke down and decided to try it out.
Well, I'm trying. Trying to finish it. No, that's not true. I did finish but by skimming towards the halfway point and speed-reading the last third. And I've decided that instead of being sold at a bargain price, this should be free. Or better yet, James should pay us all to read it. It is just that bad. And I thought the first two were mediocre.
What on earth has happened to the author who supplied us with some very clever Desperate Duchesses books? She's MIA, to be sure. This Wildes series is a huge dumbing down of a literate author. Nothing clever. Nothing unexpected. Boring dialogue. Cliched characters. James isn't even trying anymore, now that she has a following of fans who'll buy her books just because she wrote them. Case in point: Look at me. I bought this. I read it (well, sorta). All because of my fond memories of her books from the early 2000s. Her Duke of Villiers was an excellent creation, as was the romance of Jemma and Elijah, the Duke and Duchess of Beaumont.
Now it's all dross and drivel. This BORN TO BE WILDE pairs Parth Sterling, orphaned son of a British father and Indian mother, raised by the Wilde family, and now "the richest man in England," with Lavinia Gray, friend of Willa and Diana, the heroines of the first two books of this series. That's basically what Lavinia brings to the table here. She's a friend. She's also pretty. She has also been a bit frivolous. And she has always been insulting to Parth, who tended to ignore her.
Now she's in a bind financially. Her mother is a bit of a thief and a laudanum addict. Lavinia needs money to keep her mom out of Newgate. What to do? Marry money, of course. Diana suggests Parth. Lavinia proposes to him. He, naturally, does not accept, but does offer to find her a husband.
.And so it goes. Blah, blah, blah. On and on and on. They discover love for each other but we need misunderstandings here to keep the darned book from being a short story. A shame. Maybe I could have liked this a bit more as a short story.
There's an OW. There is a huge amount of boring stuff about fashion and material and clothing. Lavinia becomes a budding businesswoman/fashion consultant, so she can become financially solvent without the need for a husband. Oh, Deadly Boredom and Holey Anachronisms, Batman!
I hope I'm the only person left who had not read this already. If not and there is still one person out there who is unsure if she wants to read it, I will feel I've done my small part for humanity if I've discouraged her with this review.
A former Eloisa James fan, I did not plan to read this third romance in James's The Wildes of Lindow Castle series. As a matter of fact, I totally ignored it when it came out in July of 2018 and went about my life with nary a twinge that I might be missing out on something. But since now (May of 2019) it is being offered at a bargain price, I broke down and decided to try it out.
Well, I'm trying. Trying to finish it. No, that's not true. I did finish but by skimming towards the halfway point and speed-reading the last third. And I've decided that instead of being sold at a bargain price, this should be free. Or better yet, James should pay us all to read it. It is just that bad. And I thought the first two were mediocre.
What on earth has happened to the author who supplied us with some very clever Desperate Duchesses books? She's MIA, to be sure. This Wildes series is a huge dumbing down of a literate author. Nothing clever. Nothing unexpected. Boring dialogue. Cliched characters. James isn't even trying anymore, now that she has a following of fans who'll buy her books just because she wrote them. Case in point: Look at me. I bought this. I read it (well, sorta). All because of my fond memories of her books from the early 2000s. Her Duke of Villiers was an excellent creation, as was the romance of Jemma and Elijah, the Duke and Duchess of Beaumont.
Now it's all dross and drivel. This BORN TO BE WILDE pairs Parth Sterling, orphaned son of a British father and Indian mother, raised by the Wilde family, and now "the richest man in England," with Lavinia Gray, friend of Willa and Diana, the heroines of the first two books of this series. That's basically what Lavinia brings to the table here. She's a friend. She's also pretty. She has also been a bit frivolous. And she has always been insulting to Parth, who tended to ignore her.
Now she's in a bind financially. Her mother is a bit of a thief and a laudanum addict. Lavinia needs money to keep her mom out of Newgate. What to do? Marry money, of course. Diana suggests Parth. Lavinia proposes to him. He, naturally, does not accept, but does offer to find her a husband.
.And so it goes. Blah, blah, blah. On and on and on. They discover love for each other but we need misunderstandings here to keep the darned book from being a short story. A shame. Maybe I could have liked this a bit more as a short story.
There's an OW. There is a huge amount of boring stuff about fashion and material and clothing. Lavinia becomes a budding businesswoman/fashion consultant, so she can become financially solvent without the need for a husband. Oh, Deadly Boredom and Holey Anachronisms, Batman!
I hope I'm the only person left who had not read this already. If not and there is still one person out there who is unsure if she wants to read it, I will feel I've done my small part for humanity if I've discouraged her with this review.
August 9, 2018
2.5 stars
For the enemies to lovers trope to work, the couple needs to be enemies for longer than a chapter. Granted, this is the third book in the series and so maybe the prior two books of arguing (well, they definitely argued in the first book, I didn't read the second one so I can't say for sure if it happened in there) should be taken into account, but, nah.
In this book Lavinia just focuses on fashion, A LOT, and that's kind of the point of this entire book: that you can be into fashion and still be intelligent and worthy of respect, but it didn't exactly make for interesting reading. Parth meanwhile spends most of the book alternately seducing and insulting Lavinia. The last chapter is used only to setup the next book in this series and I've already read that kind of story several times (girl wants to dress up as a guy so she can experience the freedom that men have, guy is horrified by this but still falls into infatuation with her), so I'll pass on reading that.
For the enemies to lovers trope to work, the couple needs to be enemies for longer than a chapter. Granted, this is the third book in the series and so maybe the prior two books of arguing (well, they definitely argued in the first book, I didn't read the second one so I can't say for sure if it happened in there) should be taken into account, but, nah.
In this book Lavinia just focuses on fashion, A LOT, and that's kind of the point of this entire book: that you can be into fashion and still be intelligent and worthy of respect, but it didn't exactly make for interesting reading. Parth meanwhile spends most of the book alternately seducing and insulting Lavinia. The last chapter is used only to setup the next book in this series and I've already read that kind of story several times (girl wants to dress up as a guy so she can experience the freedom that men have, guy is horrified by this but still falls into infatuation with her), so I'll pass on reading that.
July 10, 2020
Borne to be Wilde by Eloisa James
3rd book in the Wildes of Lindow Castle series. Historical romance with humor and joy.
Strong independent women run circles around the men in this series. And while it make take the men a while to acknowledge their love, they do step up fully in the end.
Wonderful romance, entertaining situations and sexy encounters make this book a must. It can be read as a stand-alone but better if you’ve read the priors simply for the family dynamics.
3rd book in the Wildes of Lindow Castle series. Historical romance with humor and joy.
Strong independent women run circles around the men in this series. And while it make take the men a while to acknowledge their love, they do step up fully in the end.
Wonderful romance, entertaining situations and sexy encounters make this book a must. It can be read as a stand-alone but better if you’ve read the priors simply for the family dynamics.
February 5, 2022
3.5 stars!
“The day I stop looking for you, the day I stop waiting for you, will be the day that I die,” he said, meeting her eyes. “And then I’ll just wait for you to join me again.” Lavinia Grey seemed to have the perfect life of an English Lady. She is beautiful and an heiress…but then she learned that her mother is a thief and has squandered away her dowry. To fix things, Lavinia needs Mr. Parth Sterling, the richest bachelor and the only man who can fix the problems created by her mother. It was mortifying to ask Parth to marry her, but even more so to be rejected by him! Unfortunately for Lavinia, Parth already has his eyes on someone he thinks is a suitable bride for him. Although Parth won’t marry Lavinia himself, he offered to help resolve her desperate circumstances. He will find her a wealthy husband who can afford the lifestyle she is used to living. But as Parth gets to know Lavinia who he always thought was a shallow and fashion-obsessed woman, he finds himself wanting her as his bride. But will Lavinia have him?
Born to be Wilde is the third book from Eloisa James historical romance series, The Wildes of Lindow Castle. This book tells the story of Parth Sterling and Lavinia Grey. Well, here it is! My Eloisa James cherry has been popped. I actually planned to have A kiss at Midnight as my first ever Eloisa James read but I was more in the mood for this. Just from the blurb it seemed like the type of book I would enjoy, so I decided to read it. I thought I found another book worthy of five stars but it seems not. While I wasn’t overly disappointed, I am somehow upset that this didn’t live up to my initial feelings and expectations.
Meet Lavinia Grey: She is an aristocratic lady who has a penchant for fashion. Lavinia is beautiful, she had many suitors and is an heiress…or was. But it seems everything she knew about her life was nothing but a lie. Her dowry is gone and her mother is a thief. How would she ever marry should the truth about her mother’s crimes come out? Although she is seen as shallow as a puddle by Parth, she is actually smarter than he gives her credit for. She is a kind lady, and hard-working when needed.
Meet Parth Sterling: Ever since Parth was a five years old boy, his family had been the Wildes. His parents had sent him from India to England, and from then on, he had been the Duke of Lindow’s ward. They loved him and he loved them. Now, Parth is, if not the richest, one of the richest bachelors in all of England. His bank was successful and he has many other businesses. And he fixes things? Which is why he’d be the perfect husband for Lavinia.
Parth and Lavinia had known each other for more than two years. Lavinia had called Parth many names including: the most popular one “Appalling Parth”, Fiendish Sterling, Proper Parth and many others. But all along, Mr. Parth Sterling had been Lavinia’s secret crush. But the man showed no interest in Lavinia. He was always scorning her. When Lavinia found out about the truth regarding her dowry and her mother’s theft, she and Diana came up with the plan to ask Parth’s hand for marriage. And when she did, it was embarrassing. The man turned her down. Of course he did, for he never found her interesting. Lavinia is even more ashamed when she found out Parth already has someone whom he’d like to marry. Mr. Parth Sterling is bewildered when Lavinia basically asks him to marry her; if not for pregnancy, then it might be because of her dire straits. Although he does not want to marry her himself, he will try his best to find a suitable husband for the Lady. One who is neither reckless or impulsive and of course he had to be wealthy. But of course, what hides behind his scorn is passion and interest for Lavinia. And suddenly he realized that the only man Lavinia must marry is him…some necessary conflict to make things interesting and finally a happily ever after.
I really liked the heroine. I love heroines who are unapologetically themselves. She liked fashion and she had a passion for it. She loves her dresses, her bonnets and everything a fashionable young lady likes. I think she was really cute. I do not like the “I’m not like other girls” trope where the heroine prefers breeches to dresses and such so I really enjoyed a heroine who embraced her femininity. She was such an endearing character. I really enjoy characters like her who are an accurate representation of how a Lady ought to act back in their time period. I do not think she was shallow, she just enjoyed dressing up and as a lady of her caliber, it isn’t her fault she enjoyed what was expected of her. I can’t seem to put it into words but her mother said it better, “We ladies are all frivolous. One could argue, I suppose, that we do spend too much money, inasmuch as we earn none at all. But society does not permit us to do anything of substance other than adorn ourselves.” She was really cute. I liked her banter with the hero. I find it adorable how she tried to be really witty with Parth and instead what she did was call him names just because she didn’t know how to act towards him. I also like how she at least tried to solve her own problems by doing something that she’s really passionate about. Though I do not like how there were so many scenes about fashion, it was understandable since it is ingrained in her character. I can’t say anything else but I really enjoyed her character. I think in some ways I understood the conflict even if it seemed trivial. I, too, wouldn’t want to marry a man who thought me silly for being passionate about the things I enjoy.
As for the hero, I liked his character as well. I always like heroes who wrongly judge the heroines and fall hard for them instead. It’s my favorite thing to read about. He was a caring man who showed his care in all the wrong ways. For example, whenever he saw Lavinia, he always commented about the fact that she looked sick. He was worried, and yet his comment was so rude and unnecessary. Nevertheless, I found it cute. I also like how he wasn't like most heroes who only realize their love for the heroine when they are in a near death situation. In this book, he realized that he wanted to Marry Lavinia himself around the 55% mark or so? I always enjoy a hero who isn’t afraid of his feelings for the heroine. Also, it’s refreshing to see a self-made man whose business is not a gambling club (Don’t get me wrong, I love those) but I liked the fact that Parth was wealthy because of his banking business. He was always there for Lavinia when she needed him. He was dependable. He was a man deserving of her. Although he had been an ass at times, making her feel shallow for liking what she liked, soon enough he made up for his behavior. I can’t say anything more. I did not fall in love with these characters, but I liked them well enough to care about what would happen to them.
I was really excited to read this one because the blurb was so interesting! It reminded me of Like No Other Lover by Julie Anne Long which is one of my favorite books so I was expecting to love this one. I did not love this book but I enjoyed it well enough. Eloisa James is one of the most popular Historical romance writers and the reason I haven’t given her a chance before is because I was scared her books would be too modern? I don’t know why I ever thought of that but that was the vibe I was getting whenever I looked at her books. And I’ve seen many reviews saying she was a hit or miss. I was afraid my first read by her would be an immediate miss. Thankfully, it isn’t. I am open to giving her other work a chance in case I like it better than this one.
This book wasn’t bad. But there was something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on. I really liked the first four chapters and It had such a potential to be a five stars read but as it went on, the next chapters seemed to be fillers until the hero and heroine meet each other again. I must admit I skimmed a few especially as some descriptions and events did not seem to help move the plot forward. There was so much fashion talk that at one point I was thinking the title should have been: A Lady’s Guide to being a Modiste. But then again, it is understandable since the heroine is very fond of fashion. It seemed to go from a well paced first four chapters and then from that it was slow with many unnecessary details and events, then it was fast, and then it got dull and finally the last 30% was interesting again. I think that was the problem. I wasn’t fully invested, sure I liked it enough, but not to the point where I was fully immersed.
I was not overly impressed with my first Eloisa James. I think she writes well enough but I just wasn’t that captivated and convinced to continue on with this series. Also, when I started the book, I was so confused because it seemed that Parth and Lavinia had some past and sure enough, based on the reviews, the two of them had been going at it since book one. I probably should’ve read the books in order to feel the build up between Parth and Lavinia but I’m sure if I did, I wouldn’t even reach this book. Nevertheless, I am somehow glad I started with this one because both the hero and heroine were likeable enough and they made this book bearable. I was only ever excited when they had scenes together and the other scenes wherein they weren’t interacting felt unnecessary to me.
Some Quotes:
“I want to be sure.” “Of me?” “Of us. I love you too much for peace of mind.” “Parth Sterling, are you saying that you’re afraid to kiss me?” “Only if you’re going to break my heart.”
“The humiliating thing was that the mere sight of him made her heart pound. Never mind that he was monstrously arrogant and would make a terrible husband. From the moment she’d first seen him, two summers before, he’d done something to her. He aggravated her. He infuriated her. He intrigued her. She hated that the most because he had made it clear from the first time he saw her that he considered her trivial, silly, and intellectually inferior.”
“The things that interest me are considered frivolous. I do love bonnets, Parth. I always will.” “I love your bonnets. I love every bonnet. I will listen to you talk about bonnets all the days of my life and count myself the luckiest man on earth.”
“If I stop looking for Lavinia, if I stop waiting for Lavinia, what is the use of it all?” Parth asked. “Did you tell her?” “Tell her what?” “That you’re hopelessly in love,” North said, taking another swallow. “You’re sitting around with tears streaming down your cheeks at the thought of not seeing her again.”
“From the moment I met you, I wanted you so much that I couldn’t be civil, which made no sense at all,” she said, the calmness in her voice masking a dizzy happiness in her heart. “You have to understand that I am civil to everyone.” “I assumed the worst,” Parth admitted. “Appalling Parth,” she said ruefully, “Proper Parth.” She came up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. “I couldn’t say what I really meant: Ravishing Parth. Seductive Sterling. Fascinating man. Love of my life.”
“The day I stop looking for you, the day I stop waiting for you, will be the day that I die,” he said, meeting her eyes. “And then I’ll just wait for you to join me again.” Lavinia Grey seemed to have the perfect life of an English Lady. She is beautiful and an heiress…but then she learned that her mother is a thief and has squandered away her dowry. To fix things, Lavinia needs Mr. Parth Sterling, the richest bachelor and the only man who can fix the problems created by her mother. It was mortifying to ask Parth to marry her, but even more so to be rejected by him! Unfortunately for Lavinia, Parth already has his eyes on someone he thinks is a suitable bride for him. Although Parth won’t marry Lavinia himself, he offered to help resolve her desperate circumstances. He will find her a wealthy husband who can afford the lifestyle she is used to living. But as Parth gets to know Lavinia who he always thought was a shallow and fashion-obsessed woman, he finds himself wanting her as his bride. But will Lavinia have him?
Born to be Wilde is the third book from Eloisa James historical romance series, The Wildes of Lindow Castle. This book tells the story of Parth Sterling and Lavinia Grey. Well, here it is! My Eloisa James cherry has been popped. I actually planned to have A kiss at Midnight as my first ever Eloisa James read but I was more in the mood for this. Just from the blurb it seemed like the type of book I would enjoy, so I decided to read it. I thought I found another book worthy of five stars but it seems not. While I wasn’t overly disappointed, I am somehow upset that this didn’t live up to my initial feelings and expectations.
Meet Lavinia Grey: She is an aristocratic lady who has a penchant for fashion. Lavinia is beautiful, she had many suitors and is an heiress…or was. But it seems everything she knew about her life was nothing but a lie. Her dowry is gone and her mother is a thief. How would she ever marry should the truth about her mother’s crimes come out? Although she is seen as shallow as a puddle by Parth, she is actually smarter than he gives her credit for. She is a kind lady, and hard-working when needed.
Meet Parth Sterling: Ever since Parth was a five years old boy, his family had been the Wildes. His parents had sent him from India to England, and from then on, he had been the Duke of Lindow’s ward. They loved him and he loved them. Now, Parth is, if not the richest, one of the richest bachelors in all of England. His bank was successful and he has many other businesses. And he fixes things? Which is why he’d be the perfect husband for Lavinia.
Parth and Lavinia had known each other for more than two years. Lavinia had called Parth many names including: the most popular one “Appalling Parth”, Fiendish Sterling, Proper Parth and many others. But all along, Mr. Parth Sterling had been Lavinia’s secret crush. But the man showed no interest in Lavinia. He was always scorning her. When Lavinia found out about the truth regarding her dowry and her mother’s theft, she and Diana came up with the plan to ask Parth’s hand for marriage. And when she did, it was embarrassing. The man turned her down. Of course he did, for he never found her interesting. Lavinia is even more ashamed when she found out Parth already has someone whom he’d like to marry. Mr. Parth Sterling is bewildered when Lavinia basically asks him to marry her; if not for pregnancy, then it might be because of her dire straits. Although he does not want to marry her himself, he will try his best to find a suitable husband for the Lady. One who is neither reckless or impulsive and of course he had to be wealthy. But of course, what hides behind his scorn is passion and interest for Lavinia. And suddenly he realized that the only man Lavinia must marry is him…some necessary conflict to make things interesting and finally a happily ever after.
I really liked the heroine. I love heroines who are unapologetically themselves. She liked fashion and she had a passion for it. She loves her dresses, her bonnets and everything a fashionable young lady likes. I think she was really cute. I do not like the “I’m not like other girls” trope where the heroine prefers breeches to dresses and such so I really enjoyed a heroine who embraced her femininity. She was such an endearing character. I really enjoy characters like her who are an accurate representation of how a Lady ought to act back in their time period. I do not think she was shallow, she just enjoyed dressing up and as a lady of her caliber, it isn’t her fault she enjoyed what was expected of her. I can’t seem to put it into words but her mother said it better, “We ladies are all frivolous. One could argue, I suppose, that we do spend too much money, inasmuch as we earn none at all. But society does not permit us to do anything of substance other than adorn ourselves.” She was really cute. I liked her banter with the hero. I find it adorable how she tried to be really witty with Parth and instead what she did was call him names just because she didn’t know how to act towards him. I also like how she at least tried to solve her own problems by doing something that she’s really passionate about. Though I do not like how there were so many scenes about fashion, it was understandable since it is ingrained in her character. I can’t say anything else but I really enjoyed her character. I think in some ways I understood the conflict even if it seemed trivial. I, too, wouldn’t want to marry a man who thought me silly for being passionate about the things I enjoy.
As for the hero, I liked his character as well. I always like heroes who wrongly judge the heroines and fall hard for them instead. It’s my favorite thing to read about. He was a caring man who showed his care in all the wrong ways. For example, whenever he saw Lavinia, he always commented about the fact that she looked sick. He was worried, and yet his comment was so rude and unnecessary. Nevertheless, I found it cute. I also like how he wasn't like most heroes who only realize their love for the heroine when they are in a near death situation. In this book, he realized that he wanted to Marry Lavinia himself around the 55% mark or so? I always enjoy a hero who isn’t afraid of his feelings for the heroine. Also, it’s refreshing to see a self-made man whose business is not a gambling club (Don’t get me wrong, I love those) but I liked the fact that Parth was wealthy because of his banking business. He was always there for Lavinia when she needed him. He was dependable. He was a man deserving of her. Although he had been an ass at times, making her feel shallow for liking what she liked, soon enough he made up for his behavior. I can’t say anything more. I did not fall in love with these characters, but I liked them well enough to care about what would happen to them.
I was really excited to read this one because the blurb was so interesting! It reminded me of Like No Other Lover by Julie Anne Long which is one of my favorite books so I was expecting to love this one. I did not love this book but I enjoyed it well enough. Eloisa James is one of the most popular Historical romance writers and the reason I haven’t given her a chance before is because I was scared her books would be too modern? I don’t know why I ever thought of that but that was the vibe I was getting whenever I looked at her books. And I’ve seen many reviews saying she was a hit or miss. I was afraid my first read by her would be an immediate miss. Thankfully, it isn’t. I am open to giving her other work a chance in case I like it better than this one.
This book wasn’t bad. But there was something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on. I really liked the first four chapters and It had such a potential to be a five stars read but as it went on, the next chapters seemed to be fillers until the hero and heroine meet each other again. I must admit I skimmed a few especially as some descriptions and events did not seem to help move the plot forward. There was so much fashion talk that at one point I was thinking the title should have been: A Lady’s Guide to being a Modiste. But then again, it is understandable since the heroine is very fond of fashion. It seemed to go from a well paced first four chapters and then from that it was slow with many unnecessary details and events, then it was fast, and then it got dull and finally the last 30% was interesting again. I think that was the problem. I wasn’t fully invested, sure I liked it enough, but not to the point where I was fully immersed.
I was not overly impressed with my first Eloisa James. I think she writes well enough but I just wasn’t that captivated and convinced to continue on with this series. Also, when I started the book, I was so confused because it seemed that Parth and Lavinia had some past and sure enough, based on the reviews, the two of them had been going at it since book one. I probably should’ve read the books in order to feel the build up between Parth and Lavinia but I’m sure if I did, I wouldn’t even reach this book. Nevertheless, I am somehow glad I started with this one because both the hero and heroine were likeable enough and they made this book bearable. I was only ever excited when they had scenes together and the other scenes wherein they weren’t interacting felt unnecessary to me.
Some Quotes:
“I want to be sure.” “Of me?” “Of us. I love you too much for peace of mind.” “Parth Sterling, are you saying that you’re afraid to kiss me?” “Only if you’re going to break my heart.”
“The humiliating thing was that the mere sight of him made her heart pound. Never mind that he was monstrously arrogant and would make a terrible husband. From the moment she’d first seen him, two summers before, he’d done something to her. He aggravated her. He infuriated her. He intrigued her. She hated that the most because he had made it clear from the first time he saw her that he considered her trivial, silly, and intellectually inferior.”
“The things that interest me are considered frivolous. I do love bonnets, Parth. I always will.” “I love your bonnets. I love every bonnet. I will listen to you talk about bonnets all the days of my life and count myself the luckiest man on earth.”
“If I stop looking for Lavinia, if I stop waiting for Lavinia, what is the use of it all?” Parth asked. “Did you tell her?” “Tell her what?” “That you’re hopelessly in love,” North said, taking another swallow. “You’re sitting around with tears streaming down your cheeks at the thought of not seeing her again.”
“From the moment I met you, I wanted you so much that I couldn’t be civil, which made no sense at all,” she said, the calmness in her voice masking a dizzy happiness in her heart. “You have to understand that I am civil to everyone.” “I assumed the worst,” Parth admitted. “Appalling Parth,” she said ruefully, “Proper Parth.” She came up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. “I couldn’t say what I really meant: Ravishing Parth. Seductive Sterling. Fascinating man. Love of my life.”
April 13, 2019
Audio: 5 STARS!
Story: 3.75 STARS!
Eagerly awaiting the next installment! :D
Story: 3.75 STARS!
Only now was she cobbling together a sense of pride in herself and she could not allow that precious part of her heart to be trampled.After a bit of a rocky start, Lavinia and Parth's story turned out to be a wonderful addition to the Wilde series. I love this family and Susan Duerden's narration really brings them to life.
Eagerly awaiting the next installment! :D
August 1, 2018
A tummy-tingling 4.5 stars. And for an author whose books I have either loved or hated- nothing in between for me with her! (Apologies in advance- so many gifs, but it is a very gif-able book)
What is the yardstick for a good romance for me? If I get tingly feelings in my tummy. If my heart stutters and I can't stop reading it. If I feel compassion for the MCs, even while I may be impatient or cross with them. If I actually care about their happiness.
Well I got all those feels from this book.
It really helped to have read the first two in this series, as the Wilde family is a kooky, lovable and complex patchwork bunch. Number 1 was a lot of fun, number 2 a bit more angsty and the heroine was a tad annoying at times. But we got to know the MCs, Parth and Lavinia, from the very beginning of the series, so their behaviour and conflicted relationship made sense to me in this book. Not sure if many would really understand Lavinia without the background.
Let me say at the outset that I am not a fashion tragic. Sure, I like clothes and enjoy shopping, but I am not into the designs, the textiles and colours, all the details. I am not always on trend let alone ahead of trend. I can see how those who are into this might seem superficial and not especially bright, intellectually. Yet this is a part of who our heroine, Lavinia, is.
What I did love in this book was how EJ made an important point: nobody has the right to put you down or make you feel ashamed of the stuff that you enjoy, just because it is not their thing. Yet that is how Lavinia was made to feel by our hero, Parth, who regularly commented that she was as deep as “a puddle” and made gross assumptions about her lack of intelligence and supposedly mercenary character. He saw her as frivolous and extravagant and could not see what lay past that.
I can’t remember how many times she overheard him say things like that, or how often he told her that yes, she was wasteful and frivolous, but he had enough money to indulge her acquisitive and shallow needs, so she needn’t worry. Thanks for nothing! He was so judgemental it hurt, and my heart often ached for Lavinia, whose closest friend, Willa, book 1) was intellectual, yet who also saw all Lavinia’s good points, namely that she was one hell of an organiser, a terrific people-manager and a woman with a great head for commerce. She also has personal integrity, and I was very proud of the dignified way Lavinia conducted herself throughout the book, under very trying circumstances (that were not at all her fault). It was wonderful watching her get to know herself and learn to stop comparing herself with other people. Instead, she accepted herself for who she was, refusing to apologise for it anymore, and finally acknowledged that there were actually things she was good at. And for which she would not apologise.
Best of all, I was so proud of her when she refused to accept Parth as her husband after realising that he would never believe in her or respect her accomplishments and skills. Rather, she would be forced to try and be something else and lose her sense of self in the process. Lavinia saw her own shortcomings, acknowledged that she had been living a fairly superficial life up to that point, and determined to take charge of her own destiny. This, instead of having Parth “solve” her problems, something she had initially hoped he would do.
In other words, she grew up.
Parth was more problematic for me. He was really a bit of a pig for a lot of the book, in the way he displayed his contempt for Lavinia, and it took him a lot longer than it took her to realise what an arse he had been and that his assumptions about Lavinia were wrong. Perhaps he, too, only saw the ”old” Lavinia and didn’t give her any credit for the efforts she was making in her life. He came good in the end, but his own shaky self-belief (he grew up without his family but was adopted into the Wilde family as one of their own) had him constantly doubting Lavinia’s motives, which became very frustrating.
Perhaps that is why I enjoyed the story- who we were 10 years ago is not who we are today. We need to allow for people to change, mature and develop instead of hanging on to what we knew of them. We also need to be able to look at ourselves and love who we are, even if I may not be someone deemed ”worthy” or “clever” or “important” by society at large.
I know HR is mostly about entertainment and some warm, fuzziness, but it’s always a bonus when I get to take away a bit more from the story. Here, it was about not devaluing other people’s skills or talents just because they do not align with mine.
Lesson learned!
What is the yardstick for a good romance for me? If I get tingly feelings in my tummy. If my heart stutters and I can't stop reading it. If I feel compassion for the MCs, even while I may be impatient or cross with them. If I actually care about their happiness.
Well I got all those feels from this book.
It really helped to have read the first two in this series, as the Wilde family is a kooky, lovable and complex patchwork bunch. Number 1 was a lot of fun, number 2 a bit more angsty and the heroine was a tad annoying at times. But we got to know the MCs, Parth and Lavinia, from the very beginning of the series, so their behaviour and conflicted relationship made sense to me in this book. Not sure if many would really understand Lavinia without the background.
Let me say at the outset that I am not a fashion tragic. Sure, I like clothes and enjoy shopping, but I am not into the designs, the textiles and colours, all the details. I am not always on trend let alone ahead of trend. I can see how those who are into this might seem superficial and not especially bright, intellectually. Yet this is a part of who our heroine, Lavinia, is.
What I did love in this book was how EJ made an important point: nobody has the right to put you down or make you feel ashamed of the stuff that you enjoy, just because it is not their thing. Yet that is how Lavinia was made to feel by our hero, Parth, who regularly commented that she was as deep as “a puddle” and made gross assumptions about her lack of intelligence and supposedly mercenary character. He saw her as frivolous and extravagant and could not see what lay past that.
I can’t remember how many times she overheard him say things like that, or how often he told her that yes, she was wasteful and frivolous, but he had enough money to indulge her acquisitive and shallow needs, so she needn’t worry. Thanks for nothing! He was so judgemental it hurt, and my heart often ached for Lavinia, whose closest friend, Willa, book 1) was intellectual, yet who also saw all Lavinia’s good points, namely that she was one hell of an organiser, a terrific people-manager and a woman with a great head for commerce. She also has personal integrity, and I was very proud of the dignified way Lavinia conducted herself throughout the book, under very trying circumstances (that were not at all her fault). It was wonderful watching her get to know herself and learn to stop comparing herself with other people. Instead, she accepted herself for who she was, refusing to apologise for it anymore, and finally acknowledged that there were actually things she was good at. And for which she would not apologise.
Best of all, I was so proud of her when she refused to accept Parth as her husband after realising that he would never believe in her or respect her accomplishments and skills. Rather, she would be forced to try and be something else and lose her sense of self in the process. Lavinia saw her own shortcomings, acknowledged that she had been living a fairly superficial life up to that point, and determined to take charge of her own destiny. This, instead of having Parth “solve” her problems, something she had initially hoped he would do.
In other words, she grew up.
Parth was more problematic for me. He was really a bit of a pig for a lot of the book, in the way he displayed his contempt for Lavinia, and it took him a lot longer than it took her to realise what an arse he had been and that his assumptions about Lavinia were wrong. Perhaps he, too, only saw the ”old” Lavinia and didn’t give her any credit for the efforts she was making in her life. He came good in the end, but his own shaky self-belief (he grew up without his family but was adopted into the Wilde family as one of their own) had him constantly doubting Lavinia’s motives, which became very frustrating.
Perhaps that is why I enjoyed the story- who we were 10 years ago is not who we are today. We need to allow for people to change, mature and develop instead of hanging on to what we knew of them. We also need to be able to look at ourselves and love who we are, even if I may not be someone deemed ”worthy” or “clever” or “important” by society at large.
I know HR is mostly about entertainment and some warm, fuzziness, but it’s always a bonus when I get to take away a bit more from the story. Here, it was about not devaluing other people’s skills or talents just because they do not align with mine.
Lesson learned!
August 13, 2020
Pleasant read— didn’t really carry me away but maybe because it was ridiculously conflict free.
I don’t expect major life revelations or philosophical musings— but it can’t be that easy. But a book needs some drama before the lovers unite. Hey, if you need a happy ending (and who doesn’t these days?), then this book will definitely deliver!
Gotta say the teaser chapter for the next book seems more conflicted!
I don’t expect major life revelations or philosophical musings— but it can’t be that easy. But a book needs some drama before the lovers unite. Hey, if you need a happy ending (and who doesn’t these days?), then this book will definitely deliver!
Gotta say the teaser chapter for the next book seems more conflicted!
May 12, 2018
ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Rating 3.5
Slow start, very slow. Writing was good but found the characters lacking and missing something (still trying to put my finger on it).
Review to come closer to publication.
Rating 3.5
Slow start, very slow. Writing was good but found the characters lacking and missing something (still trying to put my finger on it).
Review to come closer to publication.
July 29, 2018
This is my favorite of the three Wilde books so far. It made me smile and tear up a little bit, especially near the end.
I usually love the heroes more than the heroines in my favorite books, but in Born to be Wilde, I prefer Lavinia. Her journey to self-actualization is fascinating and I couldn’t help but cheer her on.
Parth is a typical arrogant male with his reluctance to admit his feelings for Lavinia. I liked that he’s great with his friends and was indulgent with Lady Knowe. I also appreciated his growth from Appalling Parth to Perfect Parth.
He made me laugh with this line:
“Damn, I wonder if other men realize how effective this smoldering business is.”
And, he also made me cry with his grand gesture: (from Lavinia’s POV).
“Like snow and love. Because it turned out that love had a scent. It smelled of fresh wood, of bolts of silk and wool, of boxes of buttons.”
EJ is hitting her stride with this series. The Wildes are an immensely enjoyable family and I cannot wait to read Betsy and Jeremy’s story.
*Thanks to Avon through Edelweiss for providing me with an advance copy to review.
I usually love the heroes more than the heroines in my favorite books, but in Born to be Wilde, I prefer Lavinia. Her journey to self-actualization is fascinating and I couldn’t help but cheer her on.
Parth is a typical arrogant male with his reluctance to admit his feelings for Lavinia. I liked that he’s great with his friends and was indulgent with Lady Knowe. I also appreciated his growth from Appalling Parth to Perfect Parth.
He made me laugh with this line:
“Damn, I wonder if other men realize how effective this smoldering business is.”
And, he also made me cry with his grand gesture: (from Lavinia’s POV).
“Like snow and love. Because it turned out that love had a scent. It smelled of fresh wood, of bolts of silk and wool, of boxes of buttons.”
EJ is hitting her stride with this series. The Wildes are an immensely enjoyable family and I cannot wait to read Betsy and Jeremy’s story.
*Thanks to Avon through Edelweiss for providing me with an advance copy to review.
February 17, 2019
Glad to finally get to read Lavinia & Parth’s love story!
July 18, 2018
Series: The Wildes of Lindow Castle #3
Publication Date: 7/31/18
This is a wonderfully entertaining and romantic book. It is excellently written, well plotted and filled with wonderfully lovable and relatable characters. Now, the Wilde’s seem a little over the top, but they are such a joyful, happy family. This is the first book I have read in the series and I had absolutely no trouble at all keeping up. However, I can say that reading this one just made me want to go back and read the earlier books.
The hero and heroine from the second book are heavily featured in this book and they are a delight. I definitely want to go back and read their story.
Lady Lavinia Gray is the toast of London – a diamond of the first water. She is a rich heiress and receives proposals on a daily basis. Well – except she isn’t a rich heiress anymore. Her mother has not only lost Lavinia’s dowry, she’s stolen from friends and family to support an addiction to laudanum. Lavinia is desperate! Somehow she has to find the money to repay the friends and family her mother stole from, she also has to find someone powerful enough to keep her mother from going to jail. She has but one choice – marry a powerful and rich man.
Parth Sterling is obscenely rich, a much-loved ward of the Wilde’s and a fixer of problems. Imagine his shock when Lady Lavinia Gray appears at his door one evening and proposes marriage. Why in the world would she be there? While she smiles at and charms everyone else she meets, she derides him and calls him names. Heaven help him – he likes it – but he’ll never admit that. So, he very promptly refuses her offer and she flees his lodgings quickly.
Parth has already found the woman he intends to marry. An Italian countess who is bright, funny, beautiful, and she certainly doesn’t need his money. They will have a companionable, amicable marriage. He certainly has no desire to saddle himself with a termagant like Lavinia Gray.
Parth decides to help her find a husband and, to his dismay, is very successful at it. He introduces her to a Norwegian prince – and the prince immediately falls head-over-heels for Lavinia. Lavinia really wants Parth, she’s always wanted him, but every time she’s around him she’s tongue-tied and can’t think of anything to say that isn’t an insult. However, she may have to let him go and marry the prince instead.
It is a fun romp to watch these two dance around each other. Each wants the other, but neither is able to own up to it. Throw a wedding for North and Diana in the mix and things are busy and about as mixed up as they can get.
I can highly recommend this fun read and I’m really looking forward to going back and reading the previous books in the series.
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
Publication Date: 7/31/18
This is a wonderfully entertaining and romantic book. It is excellently written, well plotted and filled with wonderfully lovable and relatable characters. Now, the Wilde’s seem a little over the top, but they are such a joyful, happy family. This is the first book I have read in the series and I had absolutely no trouble at all keeping up. However, I can say that reading this one just made me want to go back and read the earlier books.
The hero and heroine from the second book are heavily featured in this book and they are a delight. I definitely want to go back and read their story.
Lady Lavinia Gray is the toast of London – a diamond of the first water. She is a rich heiress and receives proposals on a daily basis. Well – except she isn’t a rich heiress anymore. Her mother has not only lost Lavinia’s dowry, she’s stolen from friends and family to support an addiction to laudanum. Lavinia is desperate! Somehow she has to find the money to repay the friends and family her mother stole from, she also has to find someone powerful enough to keep her mother from going to jail. She has but one choice – marry a powerful and rich man.
Parth Sterling is obscenely rich, a much-loved ward of the Wilde’s and a fixer of problems. Imagine his shock when Lady Lavinia Gray appears at his door one evening and proposes marriage. Why in the world would she be there? While she smiles at and charms everyone else she meets, she derides him and calls him names. Heaven help him – he likes it – but he’ll never admit that. So, he very promptly refuses her offer and she flees his lodgings quickly.
Parth has already found the woman he intends to marry. An Italian countess who is bright, funny, beautiful, and she certainly doesn’t need his money. They will have a companionable, amicable marriage. He certainly has no desire to saddle himself with a termagant like Lavinia Gray.
Parth decides to help her find a husband and, to his dismay, is very successful at it. He introduces her to a Norwegian prince – and the prince immediately falls head-over-heels for Lavinia. Lavinia really wants Parth, she’s always wanted him, but every time she’s around him she’s tongue-tied and can’t think of anything to say that isn’t an insult. However, she may have to let him go and marry the prince instead.
It is a fun romp to watch these two dance around each other. Each wants the other, but neither is able to own up to it. Throw a wedding for North and Diana in the mix and things are busy and about as mixed up as they can get.
I can highly recommend this fun read and I’m really looking forward to going back and reading the previous books in the series.
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
August 7, 2018
Eloisa James writes beautifully crafted historical romances and Born to be Wilde is no exception.
Lavina Gray and Parth Sterling have been quarreling with each other for years. She finds him appalling... condescending... rude... while he considers her to be shallow. The last thing either of them want is an attachment with each other, but when Lavinia realizes that marrying Parth would save both herself and her mother from ruin, she determines to swallow her pride and propose.
Parth is completely taken aback by Lavinia's insistence they marry. He cannot for the life of him understand why she'd suggest such a preposterous thing and offers an alternative: to find her another fiancé while he romances a widow. The plan seems perfect, the potential outcome less so, for the more time Parth spends in Lavinia's company, the more he realizes that he wants her for himself.
This was a wonderfully written romance. Watching the hero and heroine argue with each other in the most creative ways imaginable was thoroughly entertaining. A story to be savored and one I would highly recommend.
Originally posted on https://sophie-barnes.blogspot.com/
Lavina Gray and Parth Sterling have been quarreling with each other for years. She finds him appalling... condescending... rude... while he considers her to be shallow. The last thing either of them want is an attachment with each other, but when Lavinia realizes that marrying Parth would save both herself and her mother from ruin, she determines to swallow her pride and propose.
Parth is completely taken aback by Lavinia's insistence they marry. He cannot for the life of him understand why she'd suggest such a preposterous thing and offers an alternative: to find her another fiancé while he romances a widow. The plan seems perfect, the potential outcome less so, for the more time Parth spends in Lavinia's company, the more he realizes that he wants her for himself.
This was a wonderfully written romance. Watching the hero and heroine argue with each other in the most creative ways imaginable was thoroughly entertaining. A story to be savored and one I would highly recommend.
Originally posted on https://sophie-barnes.blogspot.com/
February 7, 2020
What a fun, romantic, lighthearted read! I skipped to this one out of order because I've been seeking out historical romances featuring main characters of color. I'm glad I did. Parth is one of my favorite types of heroes: somber and serious, but turned into a complete marshmallow by love. Lavinia was an interesting character and I loved the tension between her and Parth that enhanced their sexual tension. At first they seemed like a terrible match ... but by the end it was clear how perfect they are for each other.
Now I have to start from book one to read the rest of the series. I'm intrigued by the introduction I had to the rest of the Wildes!
Now I have to start from book one to read the rest of the series. I'm intrigued by the introduction I had to the rest of the Wildes!
August 1, 2020
This was a good romance except I could rarely see the chemistry between the hero and heroine. Only intimate scenes were smoking and really hot. Apart from that I was doubtful about their marriage.
The story was supposed to be smoking hot , it was in some parts but mostly it felt like a family drama due to the extra involvement of Wildes.
⚫ Character building was good. I got to know about every member in the family very closely though this was my first book of this series.
⚫ Plotting was excellent. I had so much expectations from this cool and romantic plotting but ....
⚫ Writing style wasn't upto the mark. I've read so much about Eloisa James's writing but I was kinda disappointed. Maybe I'll be lucky in the next books of hers.
The novel had a good story, good content, nice twists but it still wasn't that good because of lack of connection between protagonists and the writing style.
The story was supposed to be smoking hot , it was in some parts but mostly it felt like a family drama due to the extra involvement of Wildes.
⚫ Character building was good. I got to know about every member in the family very closely though this was my first book of this series.
⚫ Plotting was excellent. I had so much expectations from this cool and romantic plotting but ....
⚫ Writing style wasn't upto the mark. I've read so much about Eloisa James's writing but I was kinda disappointed. Maybe I'll be lucky in the next books of hers.
The novel had a good story, good content, nice twists but it still wasn't that good because of lack of connection between protagonists and the writing style.
January 8, 2019
5 ☆ 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
The Wildes of Lindow Castle series just gets better and better with each new book. I felt so much love for Lavinia and Parth, they’re my most favorite pairing of all. Their love-hate intense arguments were so creative and entertaining you couldn’t help but laugh at how adorably witty they are. Can’t wait for the next book Say No to the Duke out 6/25/19.
The Wildes of Lindow Castle series just gets better and better with each new book. I felt so much love for Lavinia and Parth, they’re my most favorite pairing of all. Their love-hate intense arguments were so creative and entertaining you couldn’t help but laugh at how adorably witty they are. Can’t wait for the next book Say No to the Duke out 6/25/19.
October 25, 2024
There are authors who are auto-buys for me, they include Loretta Chase, Ilona Andrews, Georgette Heyer, Nalini Singh, then there are those who are hits and misses so I approache them with caution, like Jeanine Frost, Lisa Kleypas, J.T. Geissinger, and then are those who are never-buys, I have many, many, many never-buys in my black list of doom and right at the very top resides Eloisa James. My Never-buy books including hers, annoy me, anger me, frustrate me, irritate me and raise my hackles. So don’t ask me why I even opened the first page of this one, I just needed an audiobook to help me mindlessly go through some daily chores, and this one was sitting on Scribd, plus the blurb sounded almost promising enough for me to give it a try.
It is not the fact that Eloisa James is simply incapable of writing a proper historical romantic book, because it’s an obvious fact that she really can’t, she writes her books as if they are taking place in modern day America where people, by some fluke of insanity, wear period customs and ride horses instead of cars, for example in this book which is taking place in 18th century England, in one scene the aunt tells the hero that he “gives the best hugs”! this phrase is just so jarringly out of context that I think they should take her historical-writer card away from her, but obviously no one cares except for me, I mean my golden standard for 18th century romance is These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer. But it’s blasphemy to even compare E. J with her so there’s that, then there’s the part which I personally find rather patronising and offensive she invariably (at least in the 3 or 4 books of hers that i’ve Read) makes the characters spout some Shakespeare, albeit sprinkled scarcely and far in between, so that unsuspecting readers may think they are in fact reading something that happened in “the past” and in “ye olde England” but I can even get past these scenes, they make the whole thing somewhat a bit gaudy for lack of a kinder word but who cares. Then she customizes everything from the dynamics, and interactions between the characters to the factors which drive the plot forward to cater to the taste of her target market. Which is so commercial but still to be expected. Honestly if someone told me they were a fan of Eloisa James I think I probably could guess which T.V. Shows they liked, but I guess that’s a given and applies to everyone. I’m digressing; what I mean to say is that my biggest problem with Eloisa James, isn’t any of the above.
My problem with her books is that they are just so mind numbingly boring!
It is not the fact that Eloisa James is simply incapable of writing a proper historical romantic book, because it’s an obvious fact that she really can’t, she writes her books as if they are taking place in modern day America where people, by some fluke of insanity, wear period customs and ride horses instead of cars, for example in this book which is taking place in 18th century England, in one scene the aunt tells the hero that he “gives the best hugs”! this phrase is just so jarringly out of context that I think they should take her historical-writer card away from her, but obviously no one cares except for me, I mean my golden standard for 18th century romance is These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer. But it’s blasphemy to even compare E. J with her so there’s that, then there’s the part which I personally find rather patronising and offensive she invariably (at least in the 3 or 4 books of hers that i’ve Read) makes the characters spout some Shakespeare, albeit sprinkled scarcely and far in between, so that unsuspecting readers may think they are in fact reading something that happened in “the past” and in “ye olde England” but I can even get past these scenes, they make the whole thing somewhat a bit gaudy for lack of a kinder word but who cares. Then she customizes everything from the dynamics, and interactions between the characters to the factors which drive the plot forward to cater to the taste of her target market. Which is so commercial but still to be expected. Honestly if someone told me they were a fan of Eloisa James I think I probably could guess which T.V. Shows they liked, but I guess that’s a given and applies to everyone. I’m digressing; what I mean to say is that my biggest problem with Eloisa James, isn’t any of the above.
My problem with her books is that they are just so mind numbingly boring!
August 25, 2018
For an author who has always been on my "go to" list I've frankly been shocked at how bad her last two novels have been. Rather than review I'm going to post a short snippet of one of several scenes in this novel that bothered me:
"''For goodness' sake, she bit out. "We both know you don't find me attractive, Parth, but you needn't harp on the subject. Many, many people have told me that I look more beautiful than I did when I debuted!"
"They are wrong," he said flatly.
Her stomach knotted. "Just what a woman wants to hear," she managed.
"What do you mean I don't find you attractive?" he roared..."
Not the worst composition in the English language... but awkward... right? First of all, he roared. Which felt completely out of character for a man who is supposed to be all repressed and conservative and cold. Secondly, he's roaring over something she said two statements ago. It felt... awkward. Clunky. Which was basically my reading experience for the entire novel.
From the way the mother's opium addiction was presented and treated (completely off screen) to the ridiculous speediness with which our heroine became a successful Georgian era fashion shopper (a la Rachel Green from "Friends") to the convenient Norweigian prince and the "naughty" (ridiculously on the nose) Italian countess and the stupid (oh so, so, so stupid) "witty" nicknames our heroine created for the hero- this story was just clunky and in nearly every chapter I came across something so poorly written or plotted that I just got removed from the story and had to remind myself this is the same author who wrote the Essex Sisters and Fairy Tale series that I loved.
It felt as if maybe the author was shooting for an aura of whimsical silliness with this novel, but it fell totally flat.
I never thought I'd say this but, maybe slow down and stop publishing so fast? I'd rather wait longer in between books than have to be disappointed a third time.
"''For goodness' sake, she bit out. "We both know you don't find me attractive, Parth, but you needn't harp on the subject. Many, many people have told me that I look more beautiful than I did when I debuted!"
"They are wrong," he said flatly.
Her stomach knotted. "Just what a woman wants to hear," she managed.
"What do you mean I don't find you attractive?" he roared..."
Not the worst composition in the English language... but awkward... right? First of all, he roared. Which felt completely out of character for a man who is supposed to be all repressed and conservative and cold. Secondly, he's roaring over something she said two statements ago. It felt... awkward. Clunky. Which was basically my reading experience for the entire novel.
From the way the mother's opium addiction was presented and treated (completely off screen) to the ridiculous speediness with which our heroine became a successful Georgian era fashion shopper (a la Rachel Green from "Friends") to the convenient Norweigian prince and the "naughty" (ridiculously on the nose) Italian countess and the stupid (oh so, so, so stupid) "witty" nicknames our heroine created for the hero- this story was just clunky and in nearly every chapter I came across something so poorly written or plotted that I just got removed from the story and had to remind myself this is the same author who wrote the Essex Sisters and Fairy Tale series that I loved.
It felt as if maybe the author was shooting for an aura of whimsical silliness with this novel, but it fell totally flat.
I never thought I'd say this but, maybe slow down and stop publishing so fast? I'd rather wait longer in between books than have to be disappointed a third time.
May 13, 2018
I read the 2nd and 3rd books in The Wildes of Lindow Castle series back to back – I couldn't put them down. First I fell for North and Diana, then for Lavinia and Parth. This one had more of an enemies-to-lovers feel, and was much angstier than the previous Wildes books, which was perfect for Lavinia and Parth! I'm already dying for more Wildes.
Review to come!
Thanks to the publisher for generously providing me an ARC to review.
Review to come!
Thanks to the publisher for generously providing me an ARC to review.
May 9, 2022
absolutely delightful!!
the first two books in the series were just okay for me, this one was an unexpected and pleasant surprise..
loved these two and their chemistry..
the first two books in the series were just okay for me, this one was an unexpected and pleasant surprise..
loved these two and their chemistry..
June 8, 2022
Je zou denken dat de focus van dit verhaal op Lavinia en Parth zou liggen maar eigenlijk hebben zij een ondergeschikte rol wat kleding en mode betreft uit die tijd . E.J heeft duidelijk voor het schrijven van dit boek eerst een studie daarover gedaan .
September 24, 2018
During the last few days I've had the pleasure of reading the much-anticipated book in two different series. My experiences were vastly different.
Scandalous had the usual result. Too much build up. The hero (upon whom I'd been wildly crushing) ended up letting me down. I was so afraid it was going to happen again.
Eloisa James did not disappoint. She's one of my favorite authors for a reason. (Have you read her Fairy Tale series???? Perfection.)
I still think the first book in this series (my review here) was frivolous. But the second (my review here) was on point. And this one nailed it. I'm going to preorder the fourth bc I'm practically salivating at the thought of it.
Scandalous had the usual result. Too much build up. The hero (upon whom I'd been wildly crushing) ended up letting me down. I was so afraid it was going to happen again.
Eloisa James did not disappoint. She's one of my favorite authors for a reason. (Have you read her Fairy Tale series???? Perfection.)
I still think the first book in this series (my review here) was frivolous. But the second (my review here) was on point. And this one nailed it. I'm going to preorder the fourth bc I'm practically salivating at the thought of it.
July 28, 2018
I had read and enjoyed the other two books, so this was definitely a story I was excited for.
I loved Lavinia in the other stories. In this book, we learn there’s a lot more going on and instead of her previous cheerfulness, she’s tired and worn down. Yes, it makes sense in the plot of this story; however, with the incessant descriptions of her losing weight, having dark circles under her eyes, and never eating, I fully expected her to have a terminal illness. Parth was just as I expected: stoic, cocky, and constantly speaks before he thinks.
Plot wise it’s all about Diana’s wedding. There is a lot of push and pull and an entire thread with a countess that didn’t make any sense. I loved the entire family being together and Lavinia choosing what she wanted instead of being told.
Overall, it was a good story and I enjoy these characters, but something kept me from loving it, as I expected to.
**Huge thanks to Avon Books for providing the arc free of charge**
I loved Lavinia in the other stories. In this book, we learn there’s a lot more going on and instead of her previous cheerfulness, she’s tired and worn down. Yes, it makes sense in the plot of this story; however, with the incessant descriptions of her losing weight, having dark circles under her eyes, and never eating, I fully expected her to have a terminal illness. Parth was just as I expected: stoic, cocky, and constantly speaks before he thinks.
Plot wise it’s all about Diana’s wedding. There is a lot of push and pull and an entire thread with a countess that didn’t make any sense. I loved the entire family being together and Lavinia choosing what she wanted instead of being told.
Overall, it was a good story and I enjoy these characters, but something kept me from loving it, as I expected to.
**Huge thanks to Avon Books for providing the arc free of charge**
March 10, 2020
I think I’ve read a different book or two by Eloisa James in the past, but it was ages ago and to be honest I don’t remember anything about that experience… but I’ve been hearing about this author from time to time so I finally decided to give one of her books I already owned a go… it was an audiobook version that I got on one of those Audible sales once upon a time and unfortunately, I decided to abandon it 15% in… there was nothing particularly wrong with it, it’s just that… I was sooooooo bored… I didn’t really like either of the main characters, the writing style was just ok and I wasn’t really interested in what’s gonna happen next, so instead of wasting a few more hours to finish this book, I decided to pick something else that will interest me… I highly encourage you to check out some of the other reviews for this one, because just cause it didn’t really work for me, it doesn’t mean that you won’t fall in love with it ;) and that’s ok :)
XOXO
A
XOXO
A
January 12, 2019
Read for some excellent low-key drama and excellent grovelling. The book was perfectly paced and each stage of the romance was satisfying. There is also some great lessons in being non judgemental and appreciating oneself.
P.S The grovelling really was soul satisfying.
P.S The grovelling really was soul satisfying.
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