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Providence #1
As Luck Would Have It
A WOMAN OF THE WORLD...
After years of wild adventures overseas, Miss Sophie Everton is in no hurry to return home to the boring strictures of the ton. But she's determined to reclaim her family's fortune--even if she has to become a spy for the Prince Regent to do it.
A MAN ON A MISSION...
Before she can get her first assignment, she lands right in the lap of the dark and dashing Duke of Rockeforte. She's faced hungry tigers that didn't look nearly as predatory. Somehow the blasted man manages to foil her at every turn--and make her pulse thrum with something more than just the thrill of danger.
AND THE FICKLE FINGER OF FATE
Both are caught in a daring dance of espionage and desire. But to make a true love match, they'll have to learn to trust in each other...and, of course, a little bit of luck.
After years of wild adventures overseas, Miss Sophie Everton is in no hurry to return home to the boring strictures of the ton. But she's determined to reclaim her family's fortune--even if she has to become a spy for the Prince Regent to do it.
A MAN ON A MISSION...
Before she can get her first assignment, she lands right in the lap of the dark and dashing Duke of Rockeforte. She's faced hungry tigers that didn't look nearly as predatory. Somehow the blasted man manages to foil her at every turn--and make her pulse thrum with something more than just the thrill of danger.
AND THE FICKLE FINGER OF FATE
Both are caught in a daring dance of espionage and desire. But to make a true love match, they'll have to learn to trust in each other...and, of course, a little bit of luck.
Audible Audio
First published January 1, 2008
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About the author
Alissa Johnson
18 books368 followersAlissa Johnson lives in the rolling hills of the Ozarks, where she is hard at work on her next romance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
July 31, 2010
I just found a new author to glom. :D
Sophie Everton is returning to London after 12 years away traveling the world with her father. On her journey home, she's approached by a Mr. Smith who tells her that her father's estate is in financial trouble and her father is basically broke (thanks to her idiot cousin, Lord Loudor, who was left in charge of running the estate 12 years ago). Mr. Smith, who's a government agent, is willing to pay her a hefty sum of money, that will save her father's estate, if she agrees to spy on her cousin and some of his unsavory friends who are suspects of treason. Sophie thinks hard... and agrees.
Alex Durmant, the Duke of Rockeforte, is approached by William Fletcher, the head of England's War Department, to do the same. But he isn't friends with Lord Loudor and his courtship, so William's plan is to have Alex to court Sophie in order to gain access to her cousin's inner circle of friends. Reluctantly, Alex agrees to the plan.
And so it begins this lovely story... Alex and Sophie meet, circle around each other without knowing they're working on the same mission, and fall in love in the process.
Oh, how I loved this book! Alex and Sophie were adorable, their banter was LOL funny and kept me entertained from beginning to end. I really enjoyed their conversations and how they spent time together and got to know each other before falling in love. There was no love at first sight, not even lust at first sight. There was only attraction at first sight and that was just right. That said, one might wonder what the book's steam level is... Let me just say that Alex's manhood didn't start throbbing and Sophie's thighs didn't get, er, moist every time they met, LOL.
Most of the secondary characters (especially Alex's friend Whit and Sophie's friend Mirabelle) were also wonderful - exception made to Lord Loudor and his friends, of course. I'm not saying they were found guilty of treason in the end - you'll have to read the book to find that out - but they were quite obnoxious.
As for the plot, I have to say that it was rather flimsy at times and the ending, while surprising, was unrealistic. But I didn't care, because I just had too much fun reading this book and decided to suspend disbelief all the way. :) A good writer can get away with anything if she gives me characters that I can't help but love and a story that makes me forget everything but the sheer enjoyment of reading the book.
In one sentence: this book was amazing!
Sophie Everton is returning to London after 12 years away traveling the world with her father. On her journey home, she's approached by a Mr. Smith who tells her that her father's estate is in financial trouble and her father is basically broke (thanks to her idiot cousin, Lord Loudor, who was left in charge of running the estate 12 years ago). Mr. Smith, who's a government agent, is willing to pay her a hefty sum of money, that will save her father's estate, if she agrees to spy on her cousin and some of his unsavory friends who are suspects of treason. Sophie thinks hard... and agrees.
Alex Durmant, the Duke of Rockeforte, is approached by William Fletcher, the head of England's War Department, to do the same. But he isn't friends with Lord Loudor and his courtship, so William's plan is to have Alex to court Sophie in order to gain access to her cousin's inner circle of friends. Reluctantly, Alex agrees to the plan.
And so it begins this lovely story... Alex and Sophie meet, circle around each other without knowing they're working on the same mission, and fall in love in the process.
Oh, how I loved this book! Alex and Sophie were adorable, their banter was LOL funny and kept me entertained from beginning to end. I really enjoyed their conversations and how they spent time together and got to know each other before falling in love. There was no love at first sight, not even lust at first sight. There was only attraction at first sight and that was just right. That said, one might wonder what the book's steam level is... Let me just say that Alex's manhood didn't start throbbing and Sophie's thighs didn't get, er, moist every time they met, LOL.
Most of the secondary characters (especially Alex's friend Whit and Sophie's friend Mirabelle) were also wonderful - exception made to Lord Loudor and his friends, of course. I'm not saying they were found guilty of treason in the end - you'll have to read the book to find that out - but they were quite obnoxious.
As for the plot, I have to say that it was rather flimsy at times and the ending, while surprising, was unrealistic. But I didn't care, because I just had too much fun reading this book and decided to suspend disbelief all the way. :) A good writer can get away with anything if she gives me characters that I can't help but love and a story that makes me forget everything but the sheer enjoyment of reading the book.
In one sentence: this book was amazing!
September 28, 2010
I closed this book with a happy sigh. I had so much fun reading this! I have to admit something... I am a total sucker for snappy dialogue. I love banter, and if I end up constantly giggling over the snappy exchanges, chances are it's going to be a winner for me. That's exactly the case here.
Sophie is an extremely lucky person. Unfortunately for her, that luck can be either good or bad. Sophie lives a life of checks and balances. For every good thing that happens to her, a bad thing is waiting in the wings. This was pretty funny in the beginning, Sophie really did seem to be disaster prone at times. It also eventually led to my biggest problem with her, but I'll get into that later.
Alex ends up with an assignment that puts him in frequent contact with Sophie. When helping Sophie after a brush with her brand of bad luck, Alex seems to fall flat on his face and never recover. He doesn't fall in love, but he falls headlong into attraction and can't seem to extract himself. No matter how many times he tells himself he's making a fool out of himself over her, he can't seem to resist chasing after her for more.
The focus in this story is very firmly on Sophie and Alex. They spend a large majority of the book together. I adored that aspect of the book. It really seemed like Alex and Sophie became familiar and comfortable with each other long before they fell in love.
The side characters in this book popped. Every time Whit was present, I have to admit he stole the show for me. He was extremely funny, and totally on to his friend's lunatic behavior toward Sophie. I loved seeing his interactions with Mirabelle! I am a sucker for frenemy stories, so I cannot wait to get a chance to read theirs!
If you're looking for a spy book, this is not for you. That plot point is very weak, and pretty easily abandoned. I was fine with that though, because I saw right away what was going on with those "missions." Because of that, I knew that there wouldn't be much focus on the spy thing, except when it served the plot. I was pleased that all my suppositions about that convoluted farce turned out to be correct in the end.
The things that bothered me cropped up toward the end. I liked Sophie's good luck vs. bad luck philosophy until she turned neurotic over "luck" and "fate." It seemed to come out of nowhere, at least to that degree. I found it really irritating and wish it would have been dealt with earlier. I appreciated the fact that Alex didn't just blow off her concerns, he actually tried to find a solution within the bounds of her irritating neurosis.
I was also really irritated by a fear that cropped up out of nowhere near the end. What point did that really serve? The story and the relationship was going along exceedingly well (to my mind at least) without some past angst showing up just because. It was very intrusive and very unwelcome. If that would have been left out I would have been an extremely happy camper.
But even with those few irritants, I still really enjoyed the book and will definitely reread. How can I not want to laugh again over all the hilarious situations that develop whenever they try to kiss? Those cracked me up!!!
I cannot wait to read more of this series!
Sophie is an extremely lucky person. Unfortunately for her, that luck can be either good or bad. Sophie lives a life of checks and balances. For every good thing that happens to her, a bad thing is waiting in the wings. This was pretty funny in the beginning, Sophie really did seem to be disaster prone at times. It also eventually led to my biggest problem with her, but I'll get into that later.
Alex ends up with an assignment that puts him in frequent contact with Sophie. When helping Sophie after a brush with her brand of bad luck, Alex seems to fall flat on his face and never recover. He doesn't fall in love, but he falls headlong into attraction and can't seem to extract himself. No matter how many times he tells himself he's making a fool out of himself over her, he can't seem to resist chasing after her for more.
The focus in this story is very firmly on Sophie and Alex. They spend a large majority of the book together. I adored that aspect of the book. It really seemed like Alex and Sophie became familiar and comfortable with each other long before they fell in love.
The side characters in this book popped. Every time Whit was present, I have to admit he stole the show for me. He was extremely funny, and totally on to his friend's lunatic behavior toward Sophie. I loved seeing his interactions with Mirabelle! I am a sucker for frenemy stories, so I cannot wait to get a chance to read theirs!
If you're looking for a spy book, this is not for you. That plot point is very weak, and pretty easily abandoned. I was fine with that though, because I saw right away what was going on with those "missions." Because of that, I knew that there wouldn't be much focus on the spy thing, except when it served the plot. I was pleased that all my suppositions about that convoluted farce turned out to be correct in the end.
The things that bothered me cropped up toward the end. I liked Sophie's good luck vs. bad luck philosophy until she turned neurotic over "luck" and "fate." It seemed to come out of nowhere, at least to that degree. I found it really irritating and wish it would have been dealt with earlier. I appreciated the fact that Alex didn't just blow off her concerns, he actually tried to find a solution within the bounds of her irritating neurosis.
I was also really irritated by a fear that cropped up out of nowhere near the end. What point did that really serve? The story and the relationship was going along exceedingly well (to my mind at least) without some past angst showing up just because. It was very intrusive and very unwelcome. If that would have been left out I would have been an extremely happy camper.
But even with those few irritants, I still really enjoyed the book and will definitely reread. How can I not want to laugh again over all the hilarious situations that develop whenever they try to kiss? Those cracked me up!!!
I cannot wait to read more of this series!
March 28, 2017
3 1/2 rounding up.
Sophie has spent the last 12 years travelling abroad and has returned to learn that her family’s fortune and their beloved estate are now in jeopardy. For some reason that doesn’t require thinking too hard about, it was left in the hands of an unscrupulous cousin. Sophie is approached by a weird little man who updates her on the situation and asks her to spy on her shady cousin and his associates in exchange for the money she now so desperately needs.
Why not, she thinks. She’s adventurous and nearly destitute and agrees even though she has absolutely no experience in spying. Now don’t worry if you’re not a fan of spy books because I’m not either. The spying bit isn’t a big thing. Actually, don’t think about the spying and the setup and most of the plot points or your head may explode. Read this one for the refreshing connection between the characters.
Soon after becoming a newly hatched spy, Sophie meets Alex. Alex is a Duke and a sexy, sexy rake and he has plenty of secrets of his own. There is an instant and strong connection the moment they meet. No, it’s not that insta-love crapola I’m so sick of reading, this connection is the real thing. You feel it in every bit of witty dialogue they share. This is how connections should be written. Their romance development is fun, sexy and smart. They’re well matched but, alas, this is a historical romance and there must be obstacles.
The obstacles come in the way of treachery, secrets, some silliness and Sophie’s worries brought on by a tragic event in her past. She has a hang-up about luck and balancing it out. I get it. My life is very much the same way. Whenever I go to bed thinking life is pretty alright, I wake up to a puddle of pee or something even more disgusting like a beheaded mouse. This is life, is it not? Sophie takes this balancing out of the luck business so far that it quickly begins to feel contrived and truthfully it began to drive me nuts in the last act.
So what we have here is a mostly light-hearted romance with amusing characters that’s only marred by several less than mind-blowing reveals at the end. I’d give it a 3 ½.
Narration Notes:
Narrator Carmen Rose does an excellent job with this audio version by Tantor. She has a lovely accent which turns slightly snooty whenever necessary and completely fits the tone of the book and each character she portrays. There weren’t any missteps that threw me out of the story and I can easily recommend searching out her performance if you’re an audiobook fan.
FTC Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review from Tantor Media. I hope they don’t regret it!
Sophie has spent the last 12 years travelling abroad and has returned to learn that her family’s fortune and their beloved estate are now in jeopardy. For some reason that doesn’t require thinking too hard about, it was left in the hands of an unscrupulous cousin. Sophie is approached by a weird little man who updates her on the situation and asks her to spy on her shady cousin and his associates in exchange for the money she now so desperately needs.
Why not, she thinks. She’s adventurous and nearly destitute and agrees even though she has absolutely no experience in spying. Now don’t worry if you’re not a fan of spy books because I’m not either. The spying bit isn’t a big thing. Actually, don’t think about the spying and the setup and most of the plot points or your head may explode. Read this one for the refreshing connection between the characters.
Soon after becoming a newly hatched spy, Sophie meets Alex. Alex is a Duke and a sexy, sexy rake and he has plenty of secrets of his own. There is an instant and strong connection the moment they meet. No, it’s not that insta-love crapola I’m so sick of reading, this connection is the real thing. You feel it in every bit of witty dialogue they share. This is how connections should be written. Their romance development is fun, sexy and smart. They’re well matched but, alas, this is a historical romance and there must be obstacles.
The obstacles come in the way of treachery, secrets, some silliness and Sophie’s worries brought on by a tragic event in her past. She has a hang-up about luck and balancing it out. I get it. My life is very much the same way. Whenever I go to bed thinking life is pretty alright, I wake up to a puddle of pee or something even more disgusting like a beheaded mouse. This is life, is it not? Sophie takes this balancing out of the luck business so far that it quickly begins to feel contrived and truthfully it began to drive me nuts in the last act.
So what we have here is a mostly light-hearted romance with amusing characters that’s only marred by several less than mind-blowing reveals at the end. I’d give it a 3 ½.
Narration Notes:
Narrator Carmen Rose does an excellent job with this audio version by Tantor. She has a lovely accent which turns slightly snooty whenever necessary and completely fits the tone of the book and each character she portrays. There weren’t any missteps that threw me out of the story and I can easily recommend searching out her performance if you’re an audiobook fan.
FTC Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review from Tantor Media. I hope they don’t regret it!
December 25, 2016
3.5
You know there isn't anything new to say when it comes to historical romances. All I can do is explain why I liked it (or disliked it).
There are a couple of reasons I liked As Luck Would Have It.
The first is simple enough. It's a great story. Yes, it is a bit farfetched, but if you aren't able to suspend your disbelief, what are you doing reading historical romances? These types of stories can always be nitpicked for one thing or another, but again, what are you doing reading them then?
Next, it has great characters. I loved both Sophie and Alex and most other characters with the exception of the villain(s), of course.
Too often an author creates a heroine so annoying (to me, at least) trying to make her independent; too often it goes overboard. Not the case here. Sophie is truly extraordinary. She is well-travelled with a couple of very interesting talents picked along the way. However, she is still a young woman who has her own insecurities (don't worry, this is not the case of I am not beautiful enough) and very realistic fears, which are explained and justified later in the story.
Alex is wonderful too. Now, he may annoy some readers at certain moments of the story, which brings us back to the question of reading historical romances.
Other characters are as entertaining.
Another reason to read this is humour. Sophie shines here, but Alex and his reactions are not far behind.
The story is well-written. What I mean by that is the events progress at just the right pace. After they meet for the first time, everything happens at just the right moment. Nothing lasts too long and the highlight of their relationship happens in the last fifth of the book, so you don't get to squirm waiting for something horrible to happen.
As I said, you can always find something to nitpick in a story like this, but in this case I enjoyed it too much for that. Suspend your disbelief and have fun with this.
You know there isn't anything new to say when it comes to historical romances. All I can do is explain why I liked it (or disliked it).
There are a couple of reasons I liked As Luck Would Have It.
The first is simple enough. It's a great story. Yes, it is a bit farfetched, but if you aren't able to suspend your disbelief, what are you doing reading historical romances? These types of stories can always be nitpicked for one thing or another, but again, what are you doing reading them then?
Next, it has great characters. I loved both Sophie and Alex and most other characters with the exception of the villain(s), of course.
Too often an author creates a heroine so annoying (to me, at least) trying to make her independent; too often it goes overboard. Not the case here. Sophie is truly extraordinary. She is well-travelled with a couple of very interesting talents picked along the way. However, she is still a young woman who has her own insecurities (don't worry, this is not the case of I am not beautiful enough) and very realistic fears, which are explained and justified later in the story.
Alex is wonderful too. Now, he may annoy some readers at certain moments of the story, which brings us back to the question of reading historical romances.
Other characters are as entertaining.
Another reason to read this is humour. Sophie shines here, but Alex and his reactions are not far behind.
The story is well-written. What I mean by that is the events progress at just the right pace. After they meet for the first time, everything happens at just the right moment. Nothing lasts too long and the highlight of their relationship happens in the last fifth of the book, so you don't get to squirm waiting for something horrible to happen.
As I said, you can always find something to nitpick in a story like this, but in this case I enjoyed it too much for that. Suspend your disbelief and have fun with this.
March 30, 2017
It could be that this is not a perfect moment to read HR, it could be that I'm not in right frame of mind, but I was bored to tears with this book... I kept rolling my eyes at the sheer stupidity of the heroine and hero both!!!
OK, so Sophie was young and I can forgive her, but Alex??? WTF???? He should have been nearing 30 but his brain lapsed to 12!!!
And don't let me start with the story!!! It was.... was... was...
I don't have enough words... Beyond stupid... beyond incredible... beyond contrieved... beyound everything!!!
OK, so Sophie was young and I can forgive her, but Alex??? WTF???? He should have been nearing 30 but his brain lapsed to 12!!!
And don't let me start with the story!!! It was.... was... was...
I don't have enough words... Beyond stupid... beyond incredible... beyond contrieved... beyound everything!!!
March 17, 2009
Well that settles it, Alissa Johnson's books go on my 'auto buy' list. After my first read by her, I went out and got her other book and it's every bit as humorous and funny and well written as the first one I read. And even though I read them out of order, it didn't affect my enjoyment one little bit...they're both going on my keeper shelf!
Sophie's got luck--both sides of it. It seems like for everything good that happens to her something bad happens--and vice versa. After years of traveling the world with her father, she's on her way 'home' to England to have a 'season'. So when just hours from shore, a strange man accosts her with a request 'from the Regent' for her help on a 'secret mission' for England, well...she just figures that's luck. Whether it's good or bad is yet to be seen. But she's faced tigers, so really...how bad can it be?
Alex is a Duke. He's also occasionally an agent for the Crown. But when he's asked to keep an eye on an old-maid debutante? Darn his sense of honor, he'll figure something out. And when he lays eyes on Sophie? He's still fighting his sense of honor, but now it's because he wants Sophie...in every way he shouldn't!
Wonderfully funny, very sexy, zippy dialogue--I even enjoyed the bit of scheming/mystery by the dastardly cousin! Alissa Johnson hits it on all counts and reading this one just made me want to go back and re-read "Tempting Fate" which is connected by characters to this one. If you've been looking for an author who can do 'humorous regency' with passion, then look no further. Alissa Johnson's got it covered. I already pre-ordered her next book, "Mcalistair's Fortune" even though it doesn't hit the shelves until May. She needs to write faster.
Sophie's got luck--both sides of it. It seems like for everything good that happens to her something bad happens--and vice versa. After years of traveling the world with her father, she's on her way 'home' to England to have a 'season'. So when just hours from shore, a strange man accosts her with a request 'from the Regent' for her help on a 'secret mission' for England, well...she just figures that's luck. Whether it's good or bad is yet to be seen. But she's faced tigers, so really...how bad can it be?
Alex is a Duke. He's also occasionally an agent for the Crown. But when he's asked to keep an eye on an old-maid debutante? Darn his sense of honor, he'll figure something out. And when he lays eyes on Sophie? He's still fighting his sense of honor, but now it's because he wants Sophie...in every way he shouldn't!
Wonderfully funny, very sexy, zippy dialogue--I even enjoyed the bit of scheming/mystery by the dastardly cousin! Alissa Johnson hits it on all counts and reading this one just made me want to go back and re-read "Tempting Fate" which is connected by characters to this one. If you've been looking for an author who can do 'humorous regency' with passion, then look no further. Alissa Johnson's got it covered. I already pre-ordered her next book, "Mcalistair's Fortune" even though it doesn't hit the shelves until May. She needs to write faster.
September 22, 2018
***4.0 "Just what I needed Stars"***
Miss Sophie Everton
This book was just what I needed after a string a lukewarm historical romances!!
Smart, Sassy, Heroine with impressive skills...Check!!
Sexy, Possessive, Arrogant Duke...Check!!
Espionage, Kidnapping and a bit of Action...Double Check!!
Secondary Characters whose love stories I can't wait to read...Check!!
I'm so looking forward to continuing this series.
Miss Sophie Everton
This book was just what I needed after a string a lukewarm historical romances!!
Smart, Sassy, Heroine with impressive skills...Check!!
Sexy, Possessive, Arrogant Duke...Check!!
Espionage, Kidnapping and a bit of Action...Double Check!!
Secondary Characters whose love stories I can't wait to read...Check!!
I'm so looking forward to continuing this series.
August 13, 2010
This is the first in the "Providence" series which focuses on the HEAs of a group of people who grew up together (as a result of being orphaned or related). I've read two of them and so far I've been consistently impressed.
I read the second book, "Tempting Fate", before this one and I kind of wish I hadn't. There are a few things that make more sense if you read in order. Especially because there is a "spy" through line. It doesn't ruin the experience, I just think it's probably better going in order.
Alex and Sophie are a great couple. They spark immediately, the chemistry soars and there's a lot of humor involved. My only real problem is that the "obstacle" was contrived and, the longer it went on, the less I believed it. Because you often have to deal with these tropes when you're reading HR, it's not a deal breaker. But the surrounding plotting is nice enough that the contrivance sticks out like a sore thumb.
Johnson is an excellent writer. She has two more books available in this series and I've already bought them. I highly recommend her as a new-to-you author to fans of light historical romance. It does have it's angst and some of the backstories are terribly sad, but ultimately the stories are delightful.
I read the second book, "Tempting Fate", before this one and I kind of wish I hadn't. There are a few things that make more sense if you read in order. Especially because there is a "spy" through line. It doesn't ruin the experience, I just think it's probably better going in order.
Alex and Sophie are a great couple. They spark immediately, the chemistry soars and there's a lot of humor involved. My only real problem is that the "obstacle" was contrived and, the longer it went on, the less I believed it. Because you often have to deal with these tropes when you're reading HR, it's not a deal breaker. But the surrounding plotting is nice enough that the contrivance sticks out like a sore thumb.
Johnson is an excellent writer. She has two more books available in this series and I've already bought them. I highly recommend her as a new-to-you author to fans of light historical romance. It does have it's angst and some of the backstories are terribly sad, but ultimately the stories are delightful.
September 27, 2010
Sorry, but I just didn’t like it.
STORY BRIEF:
Sophie and her father have been traveling the world for 12 years. Sophie returns to England for a short stay. She has certain skills like knife throwing and lock picking. A government agent tells her that her family’s estate is in financial trouble, and he will pay her a large sum of money if she will spy on a specific group of men in London. She agrees. Alex is single and plans not to marry until age 40. A government agent asks him to spy on some people in London. Alex’s family has always been loyal to the king and would do this kind of thing when asked. Alex agrees. Sophie’s and Alex’s paths cross during their spying activities.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
The plot and characters were ok and similar to those in so many romance novels, but the author didn’t bring them to light for me. I wasn’t emotionally pulled in. I felt like I was going through the motions of reading a book. I wasn’t charmed. I wanted it to be over.
I noticed other reviewers mentioned witty conversation and verbal sparring. I didn’t find it that entertaining. My view of the sparring was Alex asking questions and Sophie either not answering or being evasive and giving him half answers. Because she was raised outside of England, she had an independent mind and liked to talk about topics that interested men as opposed to women. There was one scene in which Sophie bested an obnoxious man in a verbal debate. All of this might sound good, but the actual conversations didn’t do anything for me.
I did enjoy the interaction and fighting between Mirabelle and Whit, friends of Sophie and Alex. Their story is told in the sequel Tempting Fate, which I have not read.
DATA:
Story length: 301 pages. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: one, 7 pages long. Setting: 1796 and 1811 England. Copyright: 2008. Genre: regency romance.
CAUTION SPOILERS:
I hated Sophie’s thinking and actions. She is forced to marry anyone before she turns 25, in order to legally keep her family’s estate. She is in love with Alex but won’t marry him because she thinks he won’t love her back. Instead, she plans to find and marry someone else who does not love her. Later, when Alex tells her he loves her, she runs away from him. Her thinking is that she doesn’t want to be happy because karma will make her pay for it by causing something bad to happen. She must leave him because she is too happy. These weak conflict devices annoyed me.
I also did not like that the events surrounding the capture and punishment of the bad guys was told rather than shown. I also never learned and I wanted to know what was going on with Heransly all this time. I was frustrated that the epilogue was stopped prematurely. It stopped in the middle of a conversation. I thought some pages must be missing from my book.
STORY BRIEF:
Sophie and her father have been traveling the world for 12 years. Sophie returns to England for a short stay. She has certain skills like knife throwing and lock picking. A government agent tells her that her family’s estate is in financial trouble, and he will pay her a large sum of money if she will spy on a specific group of men in London. She agrees. Alex is single and plans not to marry until age 40. A government agent asks him to spy on some people in London. Alex’s family has always been loyal to the king and would do this kind of thing when asked. Alex agrees. Sophie’s and Alex’s paths cross during their spying activities.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
The plot and characters were ok and similar to those in so many romance novels, but the author didn’t bring them to light for me. I wasn’t emotionally pulled in. I felt like I was going through the motions of reading a book. I wasn’t charmed. I wanted it to be over.
I noticed other reviewers mentioned witty conversation and verbal sparring. I didn’t find it that entertaining. My view of the sparring was Alex asking questions and Sophie either not answering or being evasive and giving him half answers. Because she was raised outside of England, she had an independent mind and liked to talk about topics that interested men as opposed to women. There was one scene in which Sophie bested an obnoxious man in a verbal debate. All of this might sound good, but the actual conversations didn’t do anything for me.
I did enjoy the interaction and fighting between Mirabelle and Whit, friends of Sophie and Alex. Their story is told in the sequel Tempting Fate, which I have not read.
DATA:
Story length: 301 pages. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: one, 7 pages long. Setting: 1796 and 1811 England. Copyright: 2008. Genre: regency romance.
CAUTION SPOILERS:
I hated Sophie’s thinking and actions. She is forced to marry anyone before she turns 25, in order to legally keep her family’s estate. She is in love with Alex but won’t marry him because she thinks he won’t love her back. Instead, she plans to find and marry someone else who does not love her. Later, when Alex tells her he loves her, she runs away from him. Her thinking is that she doesn’t want to be happy because karma will make her pay for it by causing something bad to happen. She must leave him because she is too happy. These weak conflict devices annoyed me.
I also did not like that the events surrounding the capture and punishment of the bad guys was told rather than shown. I also never learned and I wanted to know what was going on with Heransly all this time. I was frustrated that the epilogue was stopped prematurely. It stopped in the middle of a conversation. I thought some pages must be missing from my book.
June 28, 2024
Not entirely smooth sailing, but pleasantly surprised
This isn't my first book about an English lady with a peculiar upbringing, but she was one of the most pleasant. Usually, they behave a bit barbarically, completely denying the supposedly on-voyage education they received, or it's underused and their atypical upbringing doesn't play any significant part in the story.
✴ The Characters
By far the best part of this book were all the characters, main and side ones. I even liked the overly formal butler.
↠ The FMC
Sophie is polite with a (mostly) steel spine. She isn't afraid to defend herself and others and she always puts the hero in his place
(patting myself on the back with this quote, since I listened to the audiobook. I had some dictation school times flashbacks)
What rounded the heroine was, however, not her wit, but her weakness. She's afraid of the dark. And for good reason, IMHO.
Sadly, the author wasn't happy with that and gave her also an irrational believe that she is a perfectly balanced human (fate-wise) and that every bad thing that happens is balanced by an equally good thing, and vice versa. It was entertaining... until it affected the plot too much. The fact the the book ended with her still firmly believing in it was also a big turn off.
I disliked it enough to take a star for it.
↠ The MMC
As a character, I think he wasn't as charming or as likable as the heroine, but he was a solid male lead. A rakish past, but not a dishonorable man. Commanding in the way you'd expect from a duke, but not unbendable.
His pursuit of the heroine was hilarious to witness.
(again, big pat on the back since I had to replay it like three times lol)
↠ The side characters
There was an obvious pair in the hero's best friend and said best friend's little sister's childhood friend. Their hilarious animosity sold me on the enemies to lovers and I will definitely be reading their book.
The best friend's clumsy little sister is fun to read as a side character, though I'm skeptical of enjoying a whole book of her spilling her tea and bumping into things, but I'm not opposed to it.
✴ The Plot
Much, much weaker than the characters. It was dubious from the beginning, but the 'big reveal' made it that much dumber. Another star lost there.
✴ Final Thoughts
This is a fairly good one-time read sort of book. I think the audiobook made it that much easier to swallow since it wasn't me having to read that convoluted plot.
I don't regret it and will definitely try the enemies to lovers book, but probably won't read this again.
This isn't my first book about an English lady with a peculiar upbringing, but she was one of the most pleasant. Usually, they behave a bit barbarically, completely denying the supposedly on-voyage education they received, or it's underused and their atypical upbringing doesn't play any significant part in the story.
✴ The Characters
By far the best part of this book were all the characters, main and side ones. I even liked the overly formal butler.
↠ The FMC
Sophie is polite with a (mostly) steel spine. She isn't afraid to defend herself and others and she always puts the hero in his place
"I apologize if you felt insulted."
"But you’re not sorry for the actual insulting," she scoffed, turning her head to glare at him.
His forehead furrowed in a combination of frustration and confusion. "I fail to see the difference."
"You just apologized to me for the way I felt, not for what you said. There is a world of difference, I assure you. Your version of an apology implies that you are in no way responsible for my feelings."
(patting myself on the back with this quote, since I listened to the audiobook. I had some dictation school times flashbacks)
What rounded the heroine was, however, not her wit, but her weakness. She's afraid of the dark. And for good reason, IMHO.
Sadly, the author wasn't happy with that and gave her also an irrational believe that she is a perfectly balanced human (fate-wise) and that every bad thing that happens is balanced by an equally good thing, and vice versa. It was entertaining... until it affected the plot too much. The fact the the book ended with her still firmly believing in it was also a big turn off.
I disliked it enough to take a star for it.
↠ The MMC
As a character, I think he wasn't as charming or as likable as the heroine, but he was a solid male lead. A rakish past, but not a dishonorable man. Commanding in the way you'd expect from a duke, but not unbendable.
His pursuit of the heroine was hilarious to witness.
He’d give her another hour or two to come to him, and failing that, he would devise a way to throw the two of them together, accidentally of course. He saw no reason for her to know the full extent of his mental decline.
He wasn’t on the damnable, bloody, god-awful list.
(again, big pat on the back since I had to replay it like three times lol)
↠ The side characters
There was an obvious pair in the hero's best friend and said best friend's little sister's childhood friend. Their hilarious animosity sold me on the enemies to lovers and I will definitely be reading their book.
The best friend's clumsy little sister is fun to read as a side character, though I'm skeptical of enjoying a whole book of her spilling her tea and bumping into things, but I'm not opposed to it.
✴ The Plot
Much, much weaker than the characters. It was dubious from the beginning, but the 'big reveal' made it that much dumber. Another star lost there.
✴ Final Thoughts
This is a fairly good one-time read sort of book. I think the audiobook made it that much easier to swallow since it wasn't me having to read that convoluted plot.
I don't regret it and will definitely try the enemies to lovers book, but probably won't read this again.
dnf
July 30, 2024DNF after chapter 11 on the audiobook.
October 13, 2010
I really wanted to like this, and some parts of the dialogue did sparkle, especially at the beginning, but overall I found it forgettable/irritating. There were a few errors in editing, mistaking "epitaph" for "epithet", for example, and using "fall" instead of "autumn" (this is set in England, for heaven's sake), but mainly I just couldn't really get interested in any of the characters beyond the hero and his best buddy. It's a real shame, because the basic premise, and also the twists and turns of the plot are really quite good. For a start, all the female characters have really unimaginative names - Sophie, Kate, Evie... oh please. Can't we have something a bit more creative? Not every woman in Regency England had one of those three names..
My biggest problem, however, was the heroine, who completely exasperated me. I liked the idea of her having an unconventional education, and a bizarre couple of travelling companions, and I also liked that she was clearly smart and a great wit, but at every level I felt something was missing. For example, she has this knife-throwing thing, which is fabulous and pretty handy for self-defence, but it consistently bugged me that she would use the knife and then not retrieve it. I mean, she'd throw them and then walk away, when everyone can figure out that you'd have to pull it out of the wall or body or whatever, give it a quick wipe and then put it back so you can use it again. I spent most of the book wandering how many of these knives she owns if she's throwing them around the country and not getting them back. Does she get them delivered every month? Or does she have a servant that goes around and gets them back for her? Likewise, she has this whole problem with luck, which is supposed to be the theme behind the title, which has got to be one of the daftest things I've ever read in an HR, and just didn't work for me with her being as smart and savvy as she is.
So 2 stars, which is a shame, because it could have been great.
My biggest problem, however, was the heroine, who completely exasperated me. I liked the idea of her having an unconventional education, and a bizarre couple of travelling companions, and I also liked that she was clearly smart and a great wit, but at every level I felt something was missing. For example, she has this knife-throwing thing, which is fabulous and pretty handy for self-defence, but it consistently bugged me that she would use the knife and then not retrieve it. I mean, she'd throw them and then walk away, when everyone can figure out that you'd have to pull it out of the wall or body or whatever, give it a quick wipe and then put it back so you can use it again. I spent most of the book wandering how many of these knives she owns if she's throwing them around the country and not getting them back. Does she get them delivered every month? Or does she have a servant that goes around and gets them back for her? Likewise, she has this whole problem with luck, which is supposed to be the theme behind the title, which has got to be one of the daftest things I've ever read in an HR, and just didn't work for me with her being as smart and savvy as she is.
So 2 stars, which is a shame, because it could have been great.
October 31, 2022
The first half of this book is one of the best historical romances I have ever read. Light and lively, full of inventiveness and wit, populated by interesting and attractive characters, it sped along and swept me up in its path. Shortly after the halfway point, however, the author TIED HERSELF IN KNOTS inventing obstacles to keep the main characters apart. Ridiculous, convoluted knots: Sophie realized she loved Alex so she ABSOLUTELY MUST: (1) avoid him, (2) while finding herself a dandified or old or gay husband in a marriage of convenience, (3) because Alex would, of course, not return her love in spite of all evidence to the contrary or, if they were to be happy together, then (4) her “luck curse” would ensure they they were unhappy. OMG. I have never seen a heroine in a book turn into a blithering idiot so quickly and determinedly. And yada, yada, yada, she continued threatening to leave a perfectly good hero to negate the bad luck curse right up to the end of the book and I was left with only one question: why would Alex even WANT to tie himself to such a blithering dunderhead?
No, two questions: why would an author who can write this well not fashion a believable plot upon which to hang all her lovely words?
No, two questions: why would an author who can write this well not fashion a believable plot upon which to hang all her lovely words?
April 4, 2014
I've been sitting here for five minutes clicking back-and-forth from the second to third star. Because it's Friday, though, BAVR is being nice. (And honestly, 3 stars is my go-to default when I can't make up my mind about something.)
September 5, 2017
This rating is primarily a reflection of the audiobook. Seems likely to be a 4 star read. Carmen Rose has a nice voice, but she reads fast. Combine that with a fast plot, and I was getting lost. I kept asking myself "wait, what just happened?" Or "who is this character and where did we meet them?" This has an amusing farcical style to it that I think I would have enjoyed in print, but I am not sure enough to give it a higher rating. I will try this author again, but in print next time.
April 5, 2017
This was my first Alissa Johnson book and it was about average in my opinion. I liked both the hero and heroine, which is a good start, but the plot was a let-down.
Sophie has spent the last 12 years of her life traveling the world. She speaks several languages, knows some martial arts, can pick locks and throw knives. That's a pretty solid start to a heroine. On the boat back to England she's approached by a man who claims to be an agent for the crown and tells her that her cousin is a suspected Napoleon sympathizer and asks her to spy on him and his friends. He also lets her in on the secret that her cousin has been squandering her family's fortune all these years she and her father have been away and their money is nearly gone, then offers her an exorbitant sum of money if she agrees to get the goods on him.
Alex comes from a long line of men who performed whatever tasks the crown required of them, up to and including spying. He too is given the task of spying on Sophie's no-account cousin, but with the twist that he is specifically to try to woo Sophie as a cover for his constant presence. Then a carriage accident is contrived so that the two can meet and Alex more or less falls instantly in love with the unconscious Sophie.
From that point on the book is split between Alex pursuing Sophie and being extremely territorial of her, and both of them attempting to get their spying done and not succeeding in the least. Sophie manages to break into several of her cousin's friends' studies and riffle through their papers but she doesn't find anything incriminating. Alex's spying is limited to taking her cousin out a couple of times and getting him drunk in the hopes that he'll say something traitorous. The spying thing really takes a back seat to the romance and at the end we find out why.
Sophie has spent the last 12 years of her life traveling the world. She speaks several languages, knows some martial arts, can pick locks and throw knives. That's a pretty solid start to a heroine. On the boat back to England she's approached by a man who claims to be an agent for the crown and tells her that her cousin is a suspected Napoleon sympathizer and asks her to spy on him and his friends. He also lets her in on the secret that her cousin has been squandering her family's fortune all these years she and her father have been away and their money is nearly gone, then offers her an exorbitant sum of money if she agrees to get the goods on him.
Alex comes from a long line of men who performed whatever tasks the crown required of them, up to and including spying. He too is given the task of spying on Sophie's no-account cousin, but with the twist that he is specifically to try to woo Sophie as a cover for his constant presence. Then a carriage accident is contrived so that the two can meet and Alex more or less falls instantly in love with the unconscious Sophie.
From that point on the book is split between Alex pursuing Sophie and being extremely territorial of her, and both of them attempting to get their spying done and not succeeding in the least. Sophie manages to break into several of her cousin's friends' studies and riffle through their papers but she doesn't find anything incriminating. Alex's spying is limited to taking her cousin out a couple of times and getting him drunk in the hopes that he'll say something traitorous. The spying thing really takes a back seat to the romance and at the end we find out why.
September 18, 2013
This was such a supremely delightful, spirit-boosting, sharply written charmer. Until about the halfway point, this was an A+ (++++...!) read for me. Alas, my admittedly limited patience and I then encountered an all too familiar problem: the plot and pacing started to lag, and some of the dialogue, characterization and themes started to lose their power to enchant as they became more and more "yes, yes, we get it already!" repetitive.
There's a wealth of wit and humor here---so much so, in fact, that even a wit and humor lover like I am found myself wishing that a LITTLE of the snark was cut in favor of a dash more emotional substance, but that's a minor nitpick. A slightly less minor nitpick is that the hero's characterization felt somewhat inconsistent. Alex is depicted initially as a very serious, reclusive loner who's obsessed with honor and duty----except, no, wait, he's actually a smooth, slickly charming and super-snarky rogue with tons of experience with, er, the wrong sort of women. I started off adoring him, and while he remained moderately likable throughout, I ended up more confused by him than enamored.
Our heroine's characterization struck me as sharper and more consistent. On paper, Sophie sounds like just the sort of Mary Sue who makes my eyes roll right out of my poor head: spunky and smart and independent and charitable and fantastic at a zillion little things that most women of her time had no exposure to and all-around awesome. So why did I find myself loving her? Because the book wisely pokes some gentle, self-aware fun at Sophie's unique experiences and skills, which succeeds in making her more amusing than irritating. And, fortunately, Sophie is just impatient and restless enough to seem realistically flawed.
The plot includes some convoluted, rather randomly resolved spying and intrigue. The good news is that this provides a fun diversion for those of us who sometimes want our romances to be about more than just the romance. The not as good news? This element of the book is something of a mess, haphazardly plotted and weirdly paced. Still, I'm a sucker for thrillers and mysteries---(even the sloppily executed ones!)---so this facet of the book probably bugged me less than many of my fellow readers.
I know this review has contained its share of criticisms, but I can't emphasize enough just how much I enjoyed this writer's style and the book's overall tone. I've already bought nearly everything else she's written, and am confident that my minor complaints about plot, pacing and even characterization will continue to be overshadowed by the fabulously sharp dialogue, clever prose and smile-eliciting, mood-lifting charm.
Objective quality: 3.75/5
Subjective enjoyment: 4.5/5
There's a wealth of wit and humor here---so much so, in fact, that even a wit and humor lover like I am found myself wishing that a LITTLE of the snark was cut in favor of a dash more emotional substance, but that's a minor nitpick. A slightly less minor nitpick is that the hero's characterization felt somewhat inconsistent. Alex is depicted initially as a very serious, reclusive loner who's obsessed with honor and duty----except, no, wait, he's actually a smooth, slickly charming and super-snarky rogue with tons of experience with, er, the wrong sort of women. I started off adoring him, and while he remained moderately likable throughout, I ended up more confused by him than enamored.
Our heroine's characterization struck me as sharper and more consistent. On paper, Sophie sounds like just the sort of Mary Sue who makes my eyes roll right out of my poor head: spunky and smart and independent and charitable and fantastic at a zillion little things that most women of her time had no exposure to and all-around awesome. So why did I find myself loving her? Because the book wisely pokes some gentle, self-aware fun at Sophie's unique experiences and skills, which succeeds in making her more amusing than irritating. And, fortunately, Sophie is just impatient and restless enough to seem realistically flawed.
The plot includes some convoluted, rather randomly resolved spying and intrigue. The good news is that this provides a fun diversion for those of us who sometimes want our romances to be about more than just the romance. The not as good news? This element of the book is something of a mess, haphazardly plotted and weirdly paced. Still, I'm a sucker for thrillers and mysteries---(even the sloppily executed ones!)---so this facet of the book probably bugged me less than many of my fellow readers.
I know this review has contained its share of criticisms, but I can't emphasize enough just how much I enjoyed this writer's style and the book's overall tone. I've already bought nearly everything else she's written, and am confident that my minor complaints about plot, pacing and even characterization will continue to be overshadowed by the fabulously sharp dialogue, clever prose and smile-eliciting, mood-lifting charm.
Objective quality: 3.75/5
Subjective enjoyment: 4.5/5
September 7, 2019
3.5 stars
I like this author's writing and voice. Sophie was nice, but I didn't like how she kept pushing Alex away and wouldn't tell him why she was behaving differently.
I like this author's writing and voice. Sophie was nice, but I didn't like how she kept pushing Alex away and wouldn't tell him why she was behaving differently.
November 14, 2013
Hmmm. This is a tricky one. Normally I give two stars to books where there are serious issues that really make me dislike the story. This two star review is a bit different. The book was okay. It really was. But it was just okay. I can't give it more praise than that. It was heading toward a three star review until the last several chapters, and then it fell apart enough that I had to drop it one star and only say that it was an okay story.
Sophie and Alex are both working as spies ... or agents ... or whatever you want to label it. They think they are looking for evidence of treason, but neither of them realize that the other is a spy. Being thrown into each others company because of this mission, they end up forming an attachment that runs from hot to cold depending on the moment.
Alex and Sophie are okay characters ... nothing great, nothing awful ... just okay. Their banter and chemistry is okay ... nothing extraordinary. The plot itself is okay. Just okay.
The big thing that kept me from rating this book higher was the conclusion of this story. The reason for the employment of Alex and Sophie was ridiculous. It took away any bit of heart that this story may have had. It was just convoluted. The conclusion seemed rushed and unsatisfactory. But I think my biggest issue with this story was with Sophie and her ridiculous thought process. I never could get behind her choice to withhold information from Alex at critical moments in the story. She loved him, and yet ... she was just an idiot when it came to making choices regarding him. Her crazy notion that there had to be an equal amount of bad to balance out any good in her life made her decisions at the very end of this book EXTREMELY frustrating to read. Instead of finishing the book feeling satisfied, I was irritated. That is never good.
Having said that, this isn't a bad book. I believe I got it on sale on amazon, and it was worth that sale price, for the most part. It just isn't a story that is going to stay with me for any amount of time at all. Two stars. It was okay.
Sophie and Alex are both working as spies ... or agents ... or whatever you want to label it. They think they are looking for evidence of treason, but neither of them realize that the other is a spy. Being thrown into each others company because of this mission, they end up forming an attachment that runs from hot to cold depending on the moment.
Alex and Sophie are okay characters ... nothing great, nothing awful ... just okay. Their banter and chemistry is okay ... nothing extraordinary. The plot itself is okay. Just okay.
The big thing that kept me from rating this book higher was the conclusion of this story. The reason for the employment of Alex and Sophie was ridiculous. It took away any bit of heart that this story may have had. It was just convoluted. The conclusion seemed rushed and unsatisfactory. But I think my biggest issue with this story was with Sophie and her ridiculous thought process. I never could get behind her choice to withhold information from Alex at critical moments in the story. She loved him, and yet ... she was just an idiot when it came to making choices regarding him. Her crazy notion that there had to be an equal amount of bad to balance out any good in her life made her decisions at the very end of this book EXTREMELY frustrating to read. Instead of finishing the book feeling satisfied, I was irritated. That is never good.
Having said that, this isn't a bad book. I believe I got it on sale on amazon, and it was worth that sale price, for the most part. It just isn't a story that is going to stay with me for any amount of time at all. Two stars. It was okay.
September 2, 2010
First of all, I don’t like spy/espionage historical romances. They are always too contrived and kinda lame even during the first time you read one. Which is why I didn’t expect to like this book. I wanted to read it simply because everyone else on my friends list seems to have enjoyed this book.
Obviously, it did end up having some merit, though none of it came from the highly contrived spy/espionage situation. The couple, Sophie and the Duke of Rocke__, or Alex, had great chemistry and constantly said and thought the darnedest things. Sophie, titled lady, yet well traveled, newly initiated into the Ton, is a magnet for trouble – with equal amounts of good and bad luck. Through some highly contrived plot, she in immersed into espionage. While this is all happening, she meets Alex, through weird contrived circumstance, and their attraction for each other starts rolling at the get go. Of course, there has to be some type of crazy misunderstanding, that allows a 25 year old debutante and a 31 year old bachelor Duke’s friendship to blossom and lead to love before the rest of the Ton gets a whiff of all the action.
I enjoyed the dialogue between all the characters and it looks like AJ is prepping us for some really nice sequels. All the heroines are well into their 20’s which doesn’t seem very likely, but I ain’t complaining. Their age helps to spice up the situations they are likely to fall into.
Obviously, it did end up having some merit, though none of it came from the highly contrived spy/espionage situation. The couple, Sophie and the Duke of Rocke__, or Alex, had great chemistry and constantly said and thought the darnedest things. Sophie, titled lady, yet well traveled, newly initiated into the Ton, is a magnet for trouble – with equal amounts of good and bad luck. Through some highly contrived plot, she in immersed into espionage. While this is all happening, she meets Alex, through weird contrived circumstance, and their attraction for each other starts rolling at the get go. Of course, there has to be some type of crazy misunderstanding, that allows a 25 year old debutante and a 31 year old bachelor Duke’s friendship to blossom and lead to love before the rest of the Ton gets a whiff of all the action.
I enjoyed the dialogue between all the characters and it looks like AJ is prepping us for some really nice sequels. All the heroines are well into their 20’s which doesn’t seem very likely, but I ain’t complaining. Their age helps to spice up the situations they are likely to fall into.
October 27, 2010
AJ is a NTM author and this won't be my last. This was a fun read and the verbal play between Sophie and Alex made the book. We got to really see their romance bloom. For the most part of the book Sophie and Alex had to deal with one another only. There was a small mystery, but didn't detract from the over all feel of the book. We also got a glimpse of our next couple.
May 8, 2013
There was nothing distinctly bad about this book, I mean it must have gotten so many high ratings for a reason. However for me it was just that after a while I realized that I didn't really care what happened at the end of the book. Whatever it was, it just didn't really grab me.
June 21, 2018
As Luck Would Have It was a true delight from the beginning. It made me straight laugh out loud God knows how many times and it felt like a breath of fresh air. It isn't very often that you find a book that is so much fun to read, or that has such unique and entertaining characters.
There was, however, a major drawback in the book, but I'll get to that in a moment.
Alex, though a bit over-protective and possessive -some may even say bossy-, was a great Hero. I just loved the way he pursued Sophie and the way he treated her, and how they gradually fell in love. The dialogues, the banter and the chemistry between them is incredible.
Sophie was also an incredibly likeable character. I understood from the start why Alex was falling for her. She was witty, charming, smart and funny. BUT this is a description of the Sophie we are introduced to at the beginning of the story. Sadly, Sophie at some point towards the last part of the book starts transforming into someone less likeable. And that was my main issue with the story.
There were two big reasons why I didn't like her as much in the end:
1) She was so incredibly and annoyingly stubborn! I just couldn't get why she couldn't be straight out honest with Alex and tell him what was going on. I understand that she was afraid, even of her own feelings, but I was still unconvinced. How many times did Alex have to literally beg her to answer a simple question? It became exhausting to read. I just wanted to throttle her.
2) What the hell was that all about in the end? Where did that come from? At the beginning of the book we do read about Sophie's good and bad luck, and how one always comes with the other, or some nonsense, but the author transformed that into a major issue in the end, when everything had already worked out just perfectly fine. What a way to ruin a perfectly well constructed ending! She should've just written 'The End' and saved us those last few pages.
And those are the reasons I'm giving the book 4 stars instead of 5. I contemplated maybe even lowering it to 3, but I just loved the good parts so much I couldn't. In my mind I'll just pretend Sophie was acting a bit crazy from all the bumps in her head.
Note: Looking forward to reading Whit and Mirabelle's story.
There was, however, a major drawback in the book, but I'll get to that in a moment.
Alex, though a bit over-protective and possessive -some may even say bossy-, was a great Hero. I just loved the way he pursued Sophie and the way he treated her, and how they gradually fell in love. The dialogues, the banter and the chemistry between them is incredible.
Sophie was also an incredibly likeable character. I understood from the start why Alex was falling for her. She was witty, charming, smart and funny. BUT this is a description of the Sophie we are introduced to at the beginning of the story. Sadly, Sophie at some point towards the last part of the book starts transforming into someone less likeable. And that was my main issue with the story.
There were two big reasons why I didn't like her as much in the end:
1) She was so incredibly and annoyingly stubborn! I just couldn't get why she couldn't be straight out honest with Alex and tell him what was going on. I understand that she was afraid, even of her own feelings, but I was still unconvinced. How many times did Alex have to literally beg her to answer a simple question? It became exhausting to read. I just wanted to throttle her.
2) What the hell was that all about in the end? Where did that come from? At the beginning of the book we do read about Sophie's good and bad luck, and how one always comes with the other, or some nonsense, but the author transformed that into a major issue in the end, when everything had already worked out just perfectly fine. What a way to ruin a perfectly well constructed ending! She should've just written 'The End' and saved us those last few pages.
And those are the reasons I'm giving the book 4 stars instead of 5. I contemplated maybe even lowering it to 3, but I just loved the good parts so much I couldn't. In my mind I'll just pretend Sophie was acting a bit crazy from all the bumps in her head.
Note: Looking forward to reading Whit and Mirabelle's story.
dnf
June 7, 2018I liked the heroine A LOT but the hero felt like two different people. He was charming and funny, and then he pulled macho possessive crap out of nowhere. I liked that the heroine called him out, but the thing is, he still kept doing it and pulling the YOUR MINE card, to tell the her not to see or dance with other men. WTF! I wanted to finish it to see if it go better, but I got frustrated with the hero after too many kisses and pulling the heroine in his lap, after she told him REPEATEDLY not to it. Don't care if she liked the kisses in the end. Yes, it's HR but I must not be in the mood, or this writer has reached my limit of arrogant heroes.
September 30, 2019
It was okay. I didn’t really get the feels for the couple. The way everything wrapped up at the end was terrible. Everyone’s a spy and the whole thing was a farce! That’s just lazy, crAppy writing. Otherwise, I liked the writing, and will probably read another in the series.
October 25, 2010
That was hilarious!!!!! I recommand it to every romance lover!
Alex was so cute when jealousy ate him over!!!! Here is a small apetizer:
"Enough was enough, he decided. He’d shown the patience of Job these last few weeks, stifling every instinct that screamed at him to set himself between Sophie and her admirers and yell, “Mine!” Maybe even thumping his chest once or twice. Certainly, he’d wanted to thump their chests a few times, and what he ached to do with her chest didn’t bear pondering in public."
Alex was so cute when jealousy ate him over!!!! Here is a small apetizer:
"Enough was enough, he decided. He’d shown the patience of Job these last few weeks, stifling every instinct that screamed at him to set himself between Sophie and her admirers and yell, “Mine!” Maybe even thumping his chest once or twice. Certainly, he’d wanted to thump their chests a few times, and what he ached to do with her chest didn’t bear pondering in public."
July 10, 2010
The first book in the Providence series by Alissa Johnson. Sophie Everton returns to London after traveling for many years and is contacted by Mr. Smith who persuades her to spy on her cousin and his friends who are suspected of treason. Meanwhile Alex Durmant, the Duke of Rockeforte, is recruited to spy also by pretending to court Sophia.
Absolutely delightful and I recommend to anyone who enjoys Regency romances.
Absolutely delightful and I recommend to anyone who enjoys Regency romances.
July 26, 2010
This is the kind of book I love. A total riot. I loved the characters, the action, all of it. It reminded me a lot of Charade with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn (only one of the best films EVER) but set in Regency London (er, and without anyone actually getting killed). I was laughing out loud several times, especially at Alex's thoughts/internal dialogue. The dialogue was brilliant. Light-hearted but not overly fluffy. I hope the rest of her books are just as good.
August 21, 2013
Humorous with very clever and witty dialogue in the style of Julia Quinn with charming main and supportive characters. Great new discovery and definitely will be reading more of her novels.
May 27, 2018
There was nothing earth-shattering about this book, but it was cute and bicker-y and had a spy plot that was possibly the least frustrating I've ever read. What I loved most about this book was the fact that the heroine was both likeable and a strong character - often a heroine is portrayed as constantly angry or disagreeing or just plain annoying in the aim of making her a strong or confident character, and that often makes her unlikeable to me. There are all manner of strong and confident characters that don't need to verbally show their qualities. And Sophie was one of them: she was interesting and unapologetic and she was incredibly likeable. Plus, now I'm actually looking forward to reading the other books in this series.
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