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Tallie's Knight
Magnus has decided to select a bride!
Miss Thalia Robinson, a destitute orphan, was fortunate that she had been allowed to look after her cousin Laetitia's three adorable children. Tallie usually spent her quiet life lost in daydreams, but the arrival of a house party to aid Magnus, Earl of d'Arenville, to find a wife, turned her world upside down.
Magnus's cold facade had been pierced by a delightful small girl, and now he'd decided he wanted children of his own. For that, he needed a wife. But things didn't go according to Laetitia's plan, for he ignored all the debutantes that were presented to him, and, taken with Tallie's loving treatment of the children in her charge, decided that she was the one he would marry...
Miss Thalia Robinson, a destitute orphan, was fortunate that she had been allowed to look after her cousin Laetitia's three adorable children. Tallie usually spent her quiet life lost in daydreams, but the arrival of a house party to aid Magnus, Earl of d'Arenville, to find a wife, turned her world upside down.
Magnus's cold facade had been pierced by a delightful small girl, and now he'd decided he wanted children of his own. For that, he needed a wife. But things didn't go according to Laetitia's plan, for he ignored all the debutantes that were presented to him, and, taken with Tallie's loving treatment of the children in her charge, decided that she was the one he would marry...
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 2000
82 people are currently reading
869 people want to read
About the author
Anne Gracie
95 books1,535 followersI've always loved stories. Family legend has it that I used to spend hours playing in the sand pit, with a dog on either side of me and Rocka the horse leaning over me, his head just touching my shoulder, while I told them stories. I have to say, dogs and horses are great audiences, apart from their tendency to drool occasionally. But people are even nicer.
In case you imagine we were a filthy rich horse-owning family, let me assure you we weren't. The horse period was a time when my parents entered a "let's-be-self-sufficient" phase, so we had a horse, but no electricity and all our water came from the rain tank.
As well as the horse and dogs, we had 2 cows (Buttercup and Daisy and one of them always had a calf), a sheep (Woolly,) goats (Billy and Nanny) dozens of ducks, chooks, and a couple of geese, a pet bluetongue lizard and a huge vegie patch. I don't know how my mother managed, really, because both she and Dad taught full time, but she came home and cooked on a wood stove and did all the laundry by hand, boiling the clothes and sheets in a big copper kettle. Somehow, we were always warm, clean, well fed and happy. She's pretty amazing, my mum.
Once I learned to read, I spent my days outside playing with the animals (I include my brother and 2 sisters here) and when inside I read. For most of my childhood we didn't have TV, so books have always been a big part of my life. Luckily our house was always full of them. Travel was also a big part of my childhood. My parents had itchy feet. We spent a lot of time driving from one part of Australia to another, visiting relatives or friends or simply to see what was there. I've lived in Scotland, Malaysia and Greece. We travelled through Europe in a caravan and I'd swum most of the famous rivers in Europe by the time I was eight.
This is me and my classmates in Scotland. I am in the second front row, in the middle, to the right of the girl in the dark tunic.
Sounds like I was raised by gypsies, doesn't it? I was even almost born in a tent --Mum, Dad and 3 children were camping and one day mum left the tent and went to hospital to have me. But in fact we are a family of chalkies (Australian slang for teachers)- and Dad was a school principal during most of my life. And I am an expert in being "the new girl" having been to 6 different schools in 12 years.The last 4 years, however, were in the same high school and I still have my 2 best friends from that time.
No matter where I lived, I read. I devoured whatever I could get my hands on -- old Enid Blyton and Mary Grant Bruce books, old schoolboys annuals. I learned history by reading Rosemary Sutcliffe, Henry Treece and Georgette Heyer. I loved animal books -- Elyne Mitchell's Silver Brumby books and Mary Patchett and Finn the Wolf Hound. And then I read Jane Austen and Dickens and Mary Stewart and Richard Llewellyn and Virginia Woolf and EF Benson and Dick Francis and David Malouf and Patrick White and Doris Lessing and PD James and...the list is never ending.
This is me posing shamelessly on a glacier in New Zealand.
This is me in Greece with my good friend Fay in our village outfits. The film went a funny colour, but you get the idea. I'm the one in the pink apron.
I escaped from my parents, settled down and went to university.To my amazement I became a chalkie myself and found a lot of pleasure in working with teenagers and later, adults. I taught English and worked as a counsellor and helped put on plays and concerts and supervised camps and encouraged other people to write but never did much myself. It took a year of backpacking around the world to find that my early desire to write hadn't left me, it had just got buried under a busy and demanding job.
I wrote my first novel on notebooks bought in Quebec, Spain, Greece and Indonesia. That story never made it out of the notebooks, but I'd been bitten by the writing bug.
My friends and I formed a band called Platform Souls a
In case you imagine we were a filthy rich horse-owning family, let me assure you we weren't. The horse period was a time when my parents entered a "let's-be-self-sufficient" phase, so we had a horse, but no electricity and all our water came from the rain tank.
As well as the horse and dogs, we had 2 cows (Buttercup and Daisy and one of them always had a calf), a sheep (Woolly,) goats (Billy and Nanny) dozens of ducks, chooks, and a couple of geese, a pet bluetongue lizard and a huge vegie patch. I don't know how my mother managed, really, because both she and Dad taught full time, but she came home and cooked on a wood stove and did all the laundry by hand, boiling the clothes and sheets in a big copper kettle. Somehow, we were always warm, clean, well fed and happy. She's pretty amazing, my mum.
Once I learned to read, I spent my days outside playing with the animals (I include my brother and 2 sisters here) and when inside I read. For most of my childhood we didn't have TV, so books have always been a big part of my life. Luckily our house was always full of them. Travel was also a big part of my childhood. My parents had itchy feet. We spent a lot of time driving from one part of Australia to another, visiting relatives or friends or simply to see what was there. I've lived in Scotland, Malaysia and Greece. We travelled through Europe in a caravan and I'd swum most of the famous rivers in Europe by the time I was eight.
This is me and my classmates in Scotland. I am in the second front row, in the middle, to the right of the girl in the dark tunic.
Sounds like I was raised by gypsies, doesn't it? I was even almost born in a tent --Mum, Dad and 3 children were camping and one day mum left the tent and went to hospital to have me. But in fact we are a family of chalkies (Australian slang for teachers)- and Dad was a school principal during most of my life. And I am an expert in being "the new girl" having been to 6 different schools in 12 years.The last 4 years, however, were in the same high school and I still have my 2 best friends from that time.
No matter where I lived, I read. I devoured whatever I could get my hands on -- old Enid Blyton and Mary Grant Bruce books, old schoolboys annuals. I learned history by reading Rosemary Sutcliffe, Henry Treece and Georgette Heyer. I loved animal books -- Elyne Mitchell's Silver Brumby books and Mary Patchett and Finn the Wolf Hound. And then I read Jane Austen and Dickens and Mary Stewart and Richard Llewellyn and Virginia Woolf and EF Benson and Dick Francis and David Malouf and Patrick White and Doris Lessing and PD James and...the list is never ending.
This is me posing shamelessly on a glacier in New Zealand.
This is me in Greece with my good friend Fay in our village outfits. The film went a funny colour, but you get the idea. I'm the one in the pink apron.
I escaped from my parents, settled down and went to university.To my amazement I became a chalkie myself and found a lot of pleasure in working with teenagers and later, adults. I taught English and worked as a counsellor and helped put on plays and concerts and supervised camps and encouraged other people to write but never did much myself. It took a year of backpacking around the world to find that my early desire to write hadn't left me, it had just got buried under a busy and demanding job.
I wrote my first novel on notebooks bought in Quebec, Spain, Greece and Indonesia. That story never made it out of the notebooks, but I'd been bitten by the writing bug.
My friends and I formed a band called Platform Souls a
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
October 15, 2009
I read this book during a romance novel reading renaissance several years ago, when I discovered a bounty of unread treasures and new authors. This was one of the best I read in that period. This book had been highly recommended on a romance readers group, so I wrote it down on my to be bought list and picked it up. Needless to say, I adored this book from page one to the very last sentence. I love the books with the wallflower who gets the prince, prince being a good man who loves her deeply and would do anything for her. Well that's what Tallie gets in Magnus. Initially he asked her to marry him because he felt sorry for her situation as a poorly-treated poor relation in the family of gentry he was visiting in his search for a wife. She needed a way out of that situation, and he needed a wife. This suited extremely practical Magnus very well. Soon Magnus develops quite impractical feelings for his wife that end up enriching his life in unexpected ways. I was surprised at how steamy this book was. Perfectly tasteful, but pretty sensual for a traditional regency. This is a marriage book, one in which you get to see the relationship develop and blossom between two characters who didn't really expect to find more than a comfortable marriage that suited their needs. Magnus is the duty-oriented, proper, not very spontaneous type, but with a very kind heart, who is taken by surprise by the powerful passion he feels towards his bride. Tallie's a closet romantic who has had to settle for what life has brought her. Magnus is the knight she has always dreamed about.
This book has some downright hilarious moments, such as the fact that Tallie receives some mean-spirited advice not to respond during sex because her husband wouldn't like it. Magnus is trying everything he can to get his bride to enjoy their lovemaking, and she's trying her hardest to remain unmoved. She finally tells him to "Get it over with." Imagine being a guy and hearing that from your wife. Not so good for a man's ego. It's pretty funny how that plays out, and things get worked out for them in bed. There's also a little bit of adventure as they tour through Europe, including being harassed by bandits. But this book really didn't need the intrigue, as the relationship between Tallie and Magnus make this book the wonderful read that it was. I personally think that if a person is feeling a bit jaded about the lack of romance in romance novels nowadays, this book will rekindle her love for a good romance story.
This book has some downright hilarious moments, such as the fact that Tallie receives some mean-spirited advice not to respond during sex because her husband wouldn't like it. Magnus is trying everything he can to get his bride to enjoy their lovemaking, and she's trying her hardest to remain unmoved. She finally tells him to "Get it over with." Imagine being a guy and hearing that from your wife. Not so good for a man's ego. It's pretty funny how that plays out, and things get worked out for them in bed. There's also a little bit of adventure as they tour through Europe, including being harassed by bandits. But this book really didn't need the intrigue, as the relationship between Tallie and Magnus make this book the wonderful read that it was. I personally think that if a person is feeling a bit jaded about the lack of romance in romance novels nowadays, this book will rekindle her love for a good romance story.
October 7, 2017
"Tallie's Knight" is the story of Tallie and Magnus.
Tallie lives with her distant pompous cousin Laetitia as a nanny, taking care of her kids- when the cousin's brother Magnus comes to their house to choose a bride.
Seeing her affection for the kids, instead of the belle's of the ton- he chooses Tallie- to be his wife *cough* broodmare.
Initially resisting, she is forced by circumstances to accept the offer- and thus begins their journey.
Honestly I was a bit misled by the blurb. The story sounded like how Magnus would woo or fall for Tallie, but he honestly sees her interacting with her sister's kids, decides she would be a plaint, fertile wife and marries her.
Tallie lives with her heart in her eyes- but most of her dreams are shattered when she is forced into a marriage of convinience. She however tries to make the best of things.
I really didn't like the hero. He is really self absorbed and exasperated throughout the book- until the very end when he gives that particular surprise to the heroine. Their "love" story is average- and the hero was really obtuse/heroine really naive.
Safe
2/5
P.S. Someone save Laetitia's three kids from her! SHE IS TERRIBLE!
Tallie lives with her distant pompous cousin Laetitia as a nanny, taking care of her kids- when the cousin's brother Magnus comes to their house to choose a bride.
Seeing her affection for the kids, instead of the belle's of the ton- he chooses Tallie- to be his wife *cough* broodmare.
Initially resisting, she is forced by circumstances to accept the offer- and thus begins their journey.
Honestly I was a bit misled by the blurb. The story sounded like how Magnus would woo or fall for Tallie, but he honestly sees her interacting with her sister's kids, decides she would be a plaint, fertile wife and marries her.
Tallie lives with her heart in her eyes- but most of her dreams are shattered when she is forced into a marriage of convinience. She however tries to make the best of things.
I really didn't like the hero. He is really self absorbed and exasperated throughout the book- until the very end when he gives that particular surprise to the heroine. Their "love" story is average- and the hero was really obtuse/heroine really naive.
Safe
2/5
P.S. Someone save Laetitia's three kids from her! SHE IS TERRIBLE!
June 26, 2018
Anne Gracie is a new author for me. I have only read one other book by her, Gallant Waif, which I really enjoyed. Sadly, I wasn't able to finish this one (per content). I will say, I really liked our heroine Tallie and I also thought it was refreshing that this cold rake of a hero wanted to marry for children! He actually really desired to have kids. I thought that was a unique take for a regency rake.
There was quite a bit of head jumping and a lot of scene jumping. With no smooth transition, just from paragraph to paragraph which was a little jarring and I'd sometimes have to take a moment to figure out what was going on. It was also a little wordy at times and Tallie's daydreams got a little old after awhile (I just skipped those parts). Oh, and she is basically a governess at the beginning of the book taking care of her cousins three kids, which she likes to pretend are her own, but they are forgotten early on and I couldn't see how she could leave them behind so easily and not think of them again. But, if the sexual content wasn't there I probably would have overlooked those things. So far (I stopped around 35-40%), I did enjoy the storytelling and characters.
But, I decided to stop reading when I realized this probably isnt a clean read. Not sure how I missed that when I was researching the book, so it's my fault for not checking into it more.
So, I am a bit sad to not finish since it had a lot of potential for me.
Content
Not clean, per sexual content. Other reviewers mention sex scenes (not sure how detailed), some language in the first 40% that I read.
There was quite a bit of head jumping and a lot of scene jumping. With no smooth transition, just from paragraph to paragraph which was a little jarring and I'd sometimes have to take a moment to figure out what was going on. It was also a little wordy at times and Tallie's daydreams got a little old after awhile (I just skipped those parts). Oh, and she is basically a governess at the beginning of the book taking care of her cousins three kids, which she likes to pretend are her own, but they are forgotten early on and I couldn't see how she could leave them behind so easily and not think of them again. But, if the sexual content wasn't there I probably would have overlooked those things. So far (I stopped around 35-40%), I did enjoy the storytelling and characters.
But, I decided to stop reading when I realized this probably isnt a clean read. Not sure how I missed that when I was researching the book, so it's my fault for not checking into it more.
So, I am a bit sad to not finish since it had a lot of potential for me.
Content
Not clean, per sexual content. Other reviewers mention sex scenes (not sure how detailed), some language in the first 40% that I read.
September 12, 2014
Tallie is a poor orphan girl who lives with her rich cousin and works for her as a governess. Her cousin treats her horribly. Hero is in need of a wife and when he visits Tallie's evil cousin he is impressed by Tallie's goodness and warm heart. He believes he found the ideal wife for his children so he proposes.
Tallie however is dreaming of marrying for love, of a gallant knight and of fairytales. But when she finds herself homeless she has no choice but to accept Magnus's marriage proposal. Tallie falls hopelessly in love with her husband but will she ever melt his cold heart?
Fantastic book. Tallie is the sweetest warmest heroine I have ever read. She is compassionate brave and funny. So endearing. She keeps a secret from her husband and that causes a rift between them and some great angst.
Hero is a clueless man. He is tortured and lonely and sad. Tallie is his light and the woman who brings him to life. He loves her but he doesn't know how to show his love. The way he risks his life for her and the sacrifices he makes to keep her happy made me swoon! Dreamy hero!
Tallie however is dreaming of marrying for love, of a gallant knight and of fairytales. But when she finds herself homeless she has no choice but to accept Magnus's marriage proposal. Tallie falls hopelessly in love with her husband but will she ever melt his cold heart?
Fantastic book. Tallie is the sweetest warmest heroine I have ever read. She is compassionate brave and funny. So endearing. She keeps a secret from her husband and that causes a rift between them and some great angst.
Hero is a clueless man. He is tortured and lonely and sad. Tallie is his light and the woman who brings him to life. He loves her but he doesn't know how to show his love. The way he risks his life for her and the sacrifices he makes to keep her happy made me swoon! Dreamy hero!
March 31, 2018
While not terrible, this was not my favourite by Anne Gracie. This read like a rough draft, with a lot of formatting improvements to be made. The author changed scenes, skipped over months, and switched povs quite often, with no physical indication of any kind. A new paragraph would begin and it would a couple of weeks later or it would be from another perspective, and the reader would have to figure it out. While it wasn't a deal breaker for me, it made for a much less relaxing read as I had to be constantly on guard for those changes.
The story itself wasn't my favourite either. The H could have been so much better. He had a sad childhood, but it was nominally fleshed out at the end of the story, by which point I was already tired of him trying to not to love the h. Indeed, for me to find the romance aspect of a story romantic, the number of times the H thought about his various paramours needed to be exceeded (by some extent) by the number of times he thought about his love for the h. Unfortunately, the reverse was true in this story. While the feelings he had for the h were unprecedented and the physical intimacy that he shared with her full of undiscovered meaning, he thought more about how he couldn't love her, how he didn't know what love really meant, etc., etc. And he kept leaving her, first for two weeks when he started falling in love with her but willing himself not to do it. Then, he left for a couple of months, while she was pregnant, with a note that said he hoped he would be able to make it back for the birth of the baby.
The H was pretty stiff and domineering in the beginning of this story, which Anne Gracie used to full effect, firstly to show how disconnected he really was from emotion of any kind, and secondly to inject quite a bit of humour into an otherwise frustrating situation. The humour and lightheartedness is probably the only thing that saved this from being a one star read. Yes, the combination of everything was that annoying.
Then we had the h. The poor dear. She was so clueless and so desperate. And her cousin was so evil it wasn't even funny. I didn't like how . I enjoyed the lovely French widow who helped the h not pine away for the H while he abandoned her in a foreign city for two weeks. The scene where the H finally came back was pretty funny. Unfortunately the humour wasn't enough to make up for the constant miscommunication. The MCs never communicated, at least not until after they had a huge fight, or a passive aggressive disagreement as it usually was. I didn't like how they constantly made assumptions about each other. It was very frustrating to read. I know I said that already, but it really was. Seriously.
Overall, I enjoyed the humour and the relatively safe read. If the H had cheated on the h in order to try not to love her, this would have gotten zero stars. And had we bumped into his ex-mistresses/paramours every other chapter, this would have garnered zero stars. As it was, I still didn't like the mentions of all the OW, and I didn't like how the H couldn't help the way he felt about the h since it wasn't a conscious choice. He basically fought his feelings until almost the very end of the story. And since I had to slog through this frustrating story about two bumbling individuals, I certainly wanted to recompensed with an awesome epilogue. Unfortunately, we didn't get that either. A look into their lives twenty years down the line would have been lovely and would have soothed this grumpified soul (that's me, in case you were wondering), but the one we got was a only couple of months down the road. Fans of Anne Gracie might still enjoy this one, but I didn't really.
The story itself wasn't my favourite either. The H could have been so much better. He had a sad childhood, but it was nominally fleshed out at the end of the story, by which point I was already tired of him trying to not to love the h. Indeed, for me to find the romance aspect of a story romantic, the number of times the H thought about his various paramours needed to be exceeded (by some extent) by the number of times he thought about his love for the h. Unfortunately, the reverse was true in this story. While the feelings he had for the h were unprecedented and the physical intimacy that he shared with her full of undiscovered meaning, he thought more about how he couldn't love her, how he didn't know what love really meant, etc., etc. And he kept leaving her, first for two weeks when he started falling in love with her but willing himself not to do it. Then, he left for a couple of months, while she was pregnant, with a note that said he hoped he would be able to make it back for the birth of the baby.
The H was pretty stiff and domineering in the beginning of this story, which Anne Gracie used to full effect, firstly to show how disconnected he really was from emotion of any kind, and secondly to inject quite a bit of humour into an otherwise frustrating situation. The humour and lightheartedness is probably the only thing that saved this from being a one star read. Yes, the combination of everything was that annoying.
Then we had the h. The poor dear. She was so clueless and so desperate. And her cousin was so evil it wasn't even funny. I didn't like how . I enjoyed the lovely French widow who helped the h not pine away for the H while he abandoned her in a foreign city for two weeks. The scene where the H finally came back was pretty funny. Unfortunately the humour wasn't enough to make up for the constant miscommunication. The MCs never communicated, at least not until after they had a huge fight, or a passive aggressive disagreement as it usually was. I didn't like how they constantly made assumptions about each other. It was very frustrating to read. I know I said that already, but it really was. Seriously.
Overall, I enjoyed the humour and the relatively safe read. If the H had cheated on the h in order to try not to love her, this would have gotten zero stars. And had we bumped into his ex-mistresses/paramours every other chapter, this would have garnered zero stars. As it was, I still didn't like the mentions of all the OW, and I didn't like how the H couldn't help the way he felt about the h since it wasn't a conscious choice. He basically fought his feelings until almost the very end of the story. And since I had to slog through this frustrating story about two bumbling individuals, I certainly wanted to recompensed with an awesome epilogue. Unfortunately, we didn't get that either. A look into their lives twenty years down the line would have been lovely and would have soothed this grumpified soul (that's me, in case you were wondering), but the one we got was a only couple of months down the road. Fans of Anne Gracie might still enjoy this one, but I didn't really.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2013
Reviewed for THC Reviews
Tallie's Knight kicked off my 2013 romance reading with a bang. I read a lot of great books last year, but it's been a while since I've read one as deeply romantic and utterly perfect at this one. It is a sweet Cinderella story that had a little bit of everything. Magnus and Tallie begin with a marriage of convenience which quickly develops into a loving relationship. Once married, they embark on what becomes an adventurous bridal trip, first to Paris, and then on through the treacherous mountains into Italy. They encounter a number of missteps and misunderstandings along the way, a trope which can often become annoying and tiresome, but here, I felt like I always understood their motivations. Some even led to hilarious moments that left me chuckling and grinning from ear to ear. There were many touching moments, particularly as we learn more about both character's backgrounds. And last, but certainly not least, there were many heart-stopping and swoon-worthy romantic moments that left me finishing the book with a sigh of pure contentment.
This may be a Cinderella story, but Magnus is not the perfect Prince Charming, at least not at first. He had definitely earned his nickname of "The Icicle." He behaves in a rather cold and aloof manner toward practically everyone, but then a tiny tot, and a girl at that (his best friend's daughter), unwittingly finds the chink in his armor and begins the process of melting his cold, cold heart. I thought this scene was utterly charming, and a very appropriate way to begin the book. It was quite interesting that his first “human” connection was with a child, when his own childhood had been such an unhappy one. Perhaps it had something to do with subconsciously wanting to right the wrongs of the past with a family of his own. In any case, once he decides he wants children, he knows he needs a wife too, but the way he goes about trying to choose one is so ridiculously logical, it had me in stitches. Romance heroes like Magnus almost always hide a deeply passionate heart underneath the icy facade, and watching Tallie unleash it was so much fun. There are some very good reasons for Magnus's moodiness though, which made me want to wrap him up in my arms and give him lots of love just like Tallie did. He grew up with no real love or affection from his parents, which led to him believing himself to be an unlovable child, and therefore, an unlovable man as well. Unfortunately, due to his cousin, Laetitia's interference and some misunderstandings, this belief is only exacerbated when Tallie finally does accept his offer of marriage. It doesn't take long though for Magnus to develop all the earmarks of a man who protests too much. It becomes quite obvious that he's falling head-over-heels for Tallie, but he's just too logical and obstinate to realize it for a while. Magnus's jealously coupled with a stubborn refusal to acknowledge his feelings for Tallie leads to some pretty funny moments, while his reasons for it are very touching and understandable. Magnus may not be able to bring himself to say the words until the end, but he shows his love for Tallie through his every action.
Tallie is a very sweet heroine and a hopeless romantic. I loved all her little daydreams and fantasies of a handsome "prince" or “pirate” or “gentleman” carrying her off into the sunset to live happily ever after. She has quite an imagination, and it doesn't take long before the handsome prince of her dreams begins to morph into Magnus. She starts the story showing how amazing she is with kids and what a great mother she'll make, which is the main reason Magnus chose her in the first place. Tallie is definitely a woman who likes to be wooed, so she was understandably upset about the manner in which Magnus offered marriage. Although she initially has misgivings about marrying “The Icicle,” she comes around pretty quickly as she begins to see Magnus for the man he is inside. Tallie is an innocent in the extreme, which may bother some readers, but I found it utterly endearing. Not only does she have no idea what happens in the marriage bed, she has no idea how pregnancy occurs either. Some of the ideas she came up with due to lack of information or misinformation and the way she behaved the first few times Magnus made love to her had me cracking up. Once he finally sets her straight on some things, she turns into a very receptive lover who deeply desires her husband's attentions. What I loved most about Tallie is how patient she is with Magnus. If she does take something the wrong way, it doesn't last for long, before she finally realizes the truth. Tallie is just an extremely open-minded, giving and loving person, and even when Magnus missteps, she's very quick to forgive too.
I went into reading Tallie's Knight with the impression that it was written in the Traditional Regency style, and therefore, probably had little in the way of sensuality, but in some ways, I couldn't have been more mistaken. The very first love scene is the only one that had any details, and even it was relatively mild. All the rest ended in cut scenes. I was just a tad disappointed that the author didn't offer another slightly more detailed love scene after Tallie figured out that it was OK to enjoy it, but it wasn't a huge deal. Ms. Gracie more than made up for it by maintaining a high level of sexual tension and a beautiful air of romance throughout, both of which lent themselves perfectly to creating what I would call the most exquisitely sensual, “mostly clean” romance novel I've ever read. Tallie's Knight was one of those hidden gems of romance that I don't often hear much about, but which was so flawless, I wouldn't change a thing about it. I loved the hero, I loved the heroine, and I loved everything about the story. It's exactly the kind of book I would have written myself if I'd thought of it first.:-)
Tallie's Knight kicked off my 2013 romance reading with a bang. I read a lot of great books last year, but it's been a while since I've read one as deeply romantic and utterly perfect at this one. It is a sweet Cinderella story that had a little bit of everything. Magnus and Tallie begin with a marriage of convenience which quickly develops into a loving relationship. Once married, they embark on what becomes an adventurous bridal trip, first to Paris, and then on through the treacherous mountains into Italy. They encounter a number of missteps and misunderstandings along the way, a trope which can often become annoying and tiresome, but here, I felt like I always understood their motivations. Some even led to hilarious moments that left me chuckling and grinning from ear to ear. There were many touching moments, particularly as we learn more about both character's backgrounds. And last, but certainly not least, there were many heart-stopping and swoon-worthy romantic moments that left me finishing the book with a sigh of pure contentment.
This may be a Cinderella story, but Magnus is not the perfect Prince Charming, at least not at first. He had definitely earned his nickname of "The Icicle." He behaves in a rather cold and aloof manner toward practically everyone, but then a tiny tot, and a girl at that (his best friend's daughter), unwittingly finds the chink in his armor and begins the process of melting his cold, cold heart. I thought this scene was utterly charming, and a very appropriate way to begin the book. It was quite interesting that his first “human” connection was with a child, when his own childhood had been such an unhappy one. Perhaps it had something to do with subconsciously wanting to right the wrongs of the past with a family of his own. In any case, once he decides he wants children, he knows he needs a wife too, but the way he goes about trying to choose one is so ridiculously logical, it had me in stitches. Romance heroes like Magnus almost always hide a deeply passionate heart underneath the icy facade, and watching Tallie unleash it was so much fun. There are some very good reasons for Magnus's moodiness though, which made me want to wrap him up in my arms and give him lots of love just like Tallie did. He grew up with no real love or affection from his parents, which led to him believing himself to be an unlovable child, and therefore, an unlovable man as well. Unfortunately, due to his cousin, Laetitia's interference and some misunderstandings, this belief is only exacerbated when Tallie finally does accept his offer of marriage. It doesn't take long though for Magnus to develop all the earmarks of a man who protests too much. It becomes quite obvious that he's falling head-over-heels for Tallie, but he's just too logical and obstinate to realize it for a while. Magnus's jealously coupled with a stubborn refusal to acknowledge his feelings for Tallie leads to some pretty funny moments, while his reasons for it are very touching and understandable. Magnus may not be able to bring himself to say the words until the end, but he shows his love for Tallie through his every action.
Tallie is a very sweet heroine and a hopeless romantic. I loved all her little daydreams and fantasies of a handsome "prince" or “pirate” or “gentleman” carrying her off into the sunset to live happily ever after. She has quite an imagination, and it doesn't take long before the handsome prince of her dreams begins to morph into Magnus. She starts the story showing how amazing she is with kids and what a great mother she'll make, which is the main reason Magnus chose her in the first place. Tallie is definitely a woman who likes to be wooed, so she was understandably upset about the manner in which Magnus offered marriage. Although she initially has misgivings about marrying “The Icicle,” she comes around pretty quickly as she begins to see Magnus for the man he is inside. Tallie is an innocent in the extreme, which may bother some readers, but I found it utterly endearing. Not only does she have no idea what happens in the marriage bed, she has no idea how pregnancy occurs either. Some of the ideas she came up with due to lack of information or misinformation and the way she behaved the first few times Magnus made love to her had me cracking up. Once he finally sets her straight on some things, she turns into a very receptive lover who deeply desires her husband's attentions. What I loved most about Tallie is how patient she is with Magnus. If she does take something the wrong way, it doesn't last for long, before she finally realizes the truth. Tallie is just an extremely open-minded, giving and loving person, and even when Magnus missteps, she's very quick to forgive too.
I went into reading Tallie's Knight with the impression that it was written in the Traditional Regency style, and therefore, probably had little in the way of sensuality, but in some ways, I couldn't have been more mistaken. The very first love scene is the only one that had any details, and even it was relatively mild. All the rest ended in cut scenes. I was just a tad disappointed that the author didn't offer another slightly more detailed love scene after Tallie figured out that it was OK to enjoy it, but it wasn't a huge deal. Ms. Gracie more than made up for it by maintaining a high level of sexual tension and a beautiful air of romance throughout, both of which lent themselves perfectly to creating what I would call the most exquisitely sensual, “mostly clean” romance novel I've ever read. Tallie's Knight was one of those hidden gems of romance that I don't often hear much about, but which was so flawless, I wouldn't change a thing about it. I loved the hero, I loved the heroine, and I loved everything about the story. It's exactly the kind of book I would have written myself if I'd thought of it first.:-)
April 22, 2011
I was hooked from the first chapter; the toddler was described charmingly. It was realistic to see the heroine accept the proposal of marriage instead of stomping off down the road, which I doubt would rarely happen in the Regency era. I mean, she was destitute and knew nobody. It’s nice to read a story were the couple is married. I loved the travel and the storyline twisted and turned, keeping me interested. And, low and behold, in this story the h&h had issues - one after the other - that they resolved with talking instead of having one misunderstanding that runs the whole book and could have been resolved with honest communication. Well, there is a secret Tallie is holding on to; however, it comes out well before the last chapter. Very well written.
September 28, 2021
Regency taking place in England, France and Italy.
I skimmed the last third. This was a re-issue of a book
published in 2000.
Tallie was portrayed as naive, uninformed (about men,
sex and babies) & TSTL. At one point she offered herself
as a hostage, to bandits, in lieu of her ailing spouse.
Her spouse, Magnus, an earl, was icy, stiff, & controlled
folks w/ his temper. He displayed emotional constipation,
immaturity, & poor communication. I detested him.
Tallie daydreamed about a knight. This added nothing to
the story. The immature MCs deserved each other. I
no longer cared about anyone in this story.
Ms Gracie has written better books. This one was lacking.
I skimmed the last third. This was a re-issue of a book
published in 2000.
Tallie was portrayed as naive, uninformed (about men,
sex and babies) & TSTL. At one point she offered herself
as a hostage, to bandits, in lieu of her ailing spouse.
Her spouse, Magnus, an earl, was icy, stiff, & controlled
folks w/ his temper. He displayed emotional constipation,
immaturity, & poor communication. I detested him.
Tallie daydreamed about a knight. This added nothing to
the story. The immature MCs deserved each other. I
no longer cared about anyone in this story.
Ms Gracie has written better books. This one was lacking.
February 18, 2024
The hero, Magnus can be a douchebag and the heroine, Tallie can be a bit too naive at times. However, the plot is different enough with a lot of twists and turns. It was an enjoyable read.
April 13, 2024
(May 2021) Just finished re-reading Anne Gracie's first two published books. When I first read them, I gave "Tallie's Knight" 5 stars and "Gallant Waif" 4. This time around, I would reverse the ratings - I definitely enjoyed "Gallant Waif" more, with its spirited, sassy heroine, than "Tallie's Knight", which left a few loose ends, such as the nasty Laetitia not getting the comeuppance she deserved. But both books are great reads if you love Regency romance, and both have excellent historical details describing how people actually lived at that time.
(April 2024) Read this one again and loved it so much it's going into my DIK list.
(April 2024) Read this one again and loved it so much it's going into my DIK list.
June 15, 2015
DNF at 43%. I get that the heroine is a daydreamer, but there were way too many of her perpetually cheesy fantasies in the book, and it made her come off as a silly ass. Also, constant miscommunication and jumping to conclusions between the hero and heroine brought it to the point of absurdity.
Characterization isn't very good and their actions felt arbitrary and forced at times. Probably one of author's earlier novels (haven't checked).
Characterization isn't very good and their actions felt arbitrary and forced at times. Probably one of author's earlier novels (haven't checked).
September 17, 2017
2 | 2.5 stars
June 18, 2018
This book used to be one of my favorites, even if the sex is too detailed for my taste. Unfortunately, this time around I didn't really feel like it stood the test of time. The thoughtful ending is still nice but Magnus spends most of the book being unbearably horny and Tallie's daydreams are more annoying than cute.
I think I'm getting old and cynical.
I think I'm getting old and cynical.
November 5, 2020
3,5 - Anne Gracie figura senza dubbio tra le autrici che amo e, se non le avete ancora lette, consiglio di recuperare due sue serie molto divertenti, quella delle Merridew Sisters e quella delle Chance sisters. Il conte "Ghiacciolo", invece mi mancava e quindi ne ho approfittato per leggerlo.
Non me ne voglia la CE, ma io queste cover "history" le trovo abbastanza scialbe: se non avessi voluto leggere la Gracie, proprio non mi sarei lasciata tentare.
In ogni caso, veniamo al romanzo, piuttosto corto.
Diciamo che, a causa del titolo italiano (in originale è "Tallie's Knight", il cavaliere di Tallie), rischia di finire messo in ombra dal più famoso "Duca" della Balogh, ma si tratta di una storia del tutto diversa e abbastanza gradevole.
Troviamo il solito gentiluomo titolato (e algido) che decide sul più bello di voler accasarsi e procreare discendenza (attratto dall'idea di circondarsi di bimbi teneri e allegri come ha visto a casa di un amico). Purtroppo per organizzare un ricevimento/selezione candidate, si rivolge all'odiosa lady Laetitia che gli propina ragazzine viziate e frivole.
L'unica, paradossalmente, che dimostra di avere propensione alla maternità (sì, Magnus giudica le donne dai fianchi e non è proprio un simpaticone...), oltre a incuriosirlo per un certo carattere peperino, è la cugina povera e sciatta che vive in casa, tenuta per lavorare come tata dai parenti.
Questa è la scintilla.
In men che non si dica, Magnus si decide a impalmare "Cenerentola" Tally (lei, in effetti, sogna spesso ad occhi aperti, come in una favola) nonostante la contrarietà di tutti: da lì è un susseguirsi di incomprensioni e equivoci (anche divertenti) perché lei pensa che Magnus sia un gelido calcolatore, mentre lui pensa che Tally sia un'arrivista finta-ingenua, salvo scoprire che è una vera strabiliante ingenua.
La brevità del canovaccio non gioca a favore della narrazione; tutto accade molto velocemente, con Tally che si adegua alla vita da contessa a furia di fare errori con il marito: un intermezzo a Parigi, un passaggio in Italia, tra guerra e briganti (e un prete che vuol fare pratica d'inglese con il povero Magnus), e una parte conclusiva un po' raffazzonata.
Per chi cerca un sicuro lieto fine, può regalare un pomeriggio rilassante.
Però, come detto, l'autrice ha scritto cosine più corpose.
Non me ne voglia la CE, ma io queste cover "history" le trovo abbastanza scialbe: se non avessi voluto leggere la Gracie, proprio non mi sarei lasciata tentare.
In ogni caso, veniamo al romanzo, piuttosto corto.
Diciamo che, a causa del titolo italiano (in originale è "Tallie's Knight", il cavaliere di Tallie), rischia di finire messo in ombra dal più famoso "Duca" della Balogh, ma si tratta di una storia del tutto diversa e abbastanza gradevole.
Troviamo il solito gentiluomo titolato (e algido) che decide sul più bello di voler accasarsi e procreare discendenza (attratto dall'idea di circondarsi di bimbi teneri e allegri come ha visto a casa di un amico). Purtroppo per organizzare un ricevimento/selezione candidate, si rivolge all'odiosa lady Laetitia che gli propina ragazzine viziate e frivole.
L'unica, paradossalmente, che dimostra di avere propensione alla maternità (sì, Magnus giudica le donne dai fianchi e non è proprio un simpaticone...), oltre a incuriosirlo per un certo carattere peperino, è la cugina povera e sciatta che vive in casa, tenuta per lavorare come tata dai parenti.
Questa è la scintilla.
In men che non si dica, Magnus si decide a impalmare "Cenerentola" Tally (lei, in effetti, sogna spesso ad occhi aperti, come in una favola) nonostante la contrarietà di tutti: da lì è un susseguirsi di incomprensioni e equivoci (anche divertenti) perché lei pensa che Magnus sia un gelido calcolatore, mentre lui pensa che Tally sia un'arrivista finta-ingenua, salvo scoprire che è una vera strabiliante ingenua.
La brevità del canovaccio non gioca a favore della narrazione; tutto accade molto velocemente, con Tally che si adegua alla vita da contessa a furia di fare errori con il marito: un intermezzo a Parigi, un passaggio in Italia, tra guerra e briganti (e un prete che vuol fare pratica d'inglese con il povero Magnus), e una parte conclusiva un po' raffazzonata.
Per chi cerca un sicuro lieto fine, può regalare un pomeriggio rilassante.
Però, come detto, l'autrice ha scritto cosine più corpose.
May 13, 2019
"Per quanto riusciva a ricordare, era sempre stato solo. Solo in un mondo che lo considerava con indifferenza, incerto su quale futuro fosse in serbo per lui.
Ma ora per la prima volta era responsabile di altre due creature, due creature che per lui contavano più di ogni altra cosa. Quel pensiero lo sopraffaceva talmente da impedirgli perfino di parlare. Affondò il volto tra i capelli di Tallie, e insieme attesero la mezzanotte."
Questo titolo mi era stato consigliato da più di una persona e devo dire che è stata proprio una bella lettura, molto dolce e divertente *ç* Certo, non mancano i soliti cliché (in fondo già si parte da un matrimonio di convenienza XD) e alcune cose mi sono sembrate buttate lì in maniera superficiale e incoerente (il caso della famiglia di Tallie su tutto....ma almeno si rivela il pretesto perfetto per la grande prova d'amore del nostro Ghiacciolo XD) ma in generale ho adorato la coppia Tallie&Magnus, lui con la sua apparente corazza di ghiaccio e altezzosità ma che nasconde sotto sotto una grande tenerezza e gentilezza (che spesso vengono fraintese XD) e lei, decisamente una di noi! Infatti non solo Tallie non è certo una bellezza nel senso classico del termine per l'epoca, ma sopratutto è una sognatrice amante delle storie d'amore e spesso si lascia andare a pindarici voli di fantasia sconcertando il suo marito terra-terra che la riporta senza nemmeno rendersene conto alla realtà XD Tra consigli poco saggi, parenti maligni e scomparsi e viaggi tra mal di mare e impervie montagne si arriva alla fine con il sorriso sulle labbra!
Ma ora per la prima volta era responsabile di altre due creature, due creature che per lui contavano più di ogni altra cosa. Quel pensiero lo sopraffaceva talmente da impedirgli perfino di parlare. Affondò il volto tra i capelli di Tallie, e insieme attesero la mezzanotte."
Questo titolo mi era stato consigliato da più di una persona e devo dire che è stata proprio una bella lettura, molto dolce e divertente *ç* Certo, non mancano i soliti cliché (in fondo già si parte da un matrimonio di convenienza XD) e alcune cose mi sono sembrate buttate lì in maniera superficiale e incoerente (il caso della famiglia di Tallie su tutto....ma almeno si rivela il pretesto perfetto per la grande prova d'amore del nostro Ghiacciolo XD) ma in generale ho adorato la coppia Tallie&Magnus, lui con la sua apparente corazza di ghiaccio e altezzosità ma che nasconde sotto sotto una grande tenerezza e gentilezza (che spesso vengono fraintese XD) e lei, decisamente una di noi! Infatti non solo Tallie non è certo una bellezza nel senso classico del termine per l'epoca, ma sopratutto è una sognatrice amante delle storie d'amore e spesso si lascia andare a pindarici voli di fantasia sconcertando il suo marito terra-terra che la riporta senza nemmeno rendersene conto alla realtà XD Tra consigli poco saggi, parenti maligni e scomparsi e viaggi tra mal di mare e impervie montagne si arriva alla fine con il sorriso sulle labbra!
January 11, 2016
This is a classic Marriage of Convenience Regency romance. It had everything I like in a marriage of convenience. A virginal heroine, a cold on the outside hero, just enough sensuality to show the growth of the romance. There was even some adventures and a nice dash of humour.
I really liked Tallie, the heroine. She was a bit downtrodden and had no real hope of a future apart from caring for her selfish cousins children. But she wasn't a wimp and while she was naive, it was sweet rather than Too Stupid Too Live.
Magnus was adorable and it was lovely watching him have his life turned upside down by this girl he'd expected to be a doormat.
For a short story there was a lot happening, including some travel adventures and a little mystery from Tallie's side of things. Overall it was a lovely little read. Ideal as a Prozac read.
I really liked Tallie, the heroine. She was a bit downtrodden and had no real hope of a future apart from caring for her selfish cousins children. But she wasn't a wimp and while she was naive, it was sweet rather than Too Stupid Too Live.
Magnus was adorable and it was lovely watching him have his life turned upside down by this girl he'd expected to be a doormat.
For a short story there was a lot happening, including some travel adventures and a little mystery from Tallie's side of things. Overall it was a lovely little read. Ideal as a Prozac read.
April 25, 2011
5+ stars!
Love the story, the character development are well done.The h/h each have their own personality which I really like. They all have their inner struggles which made them vulnerable and likable. I love the h/h constant bickering at each other, it was fun seeing them arguing then come to an understanding later on. And Lord Magnus d'Arenville just seem perfect!
Love the story, the character development are well done.The h/h each have their own personality which I really like. They all have their inner struggles which made them vulnerable and likable. I love the h/h constant bickering at each other, it was fun seeing them arguing then come to an understanding later on. And Lord Magnus d'Arenville just seem perfect!
May 12, 2020
I couldn't finish the book, the heroine was too irritating. This was like reading an love story between two ten year olds. They were both stupid but the heroine was really annoying and over the top naive.
Love stories between infantile people is just not my thing.
Love stories between infantile people is just not my thing.
April 12, 2024
Loved every moment of it
January 17, 2020
Fun story, awful formatting
I liked the story and the characters, very enjoyable. But the formatting is very bad. There are no line breaks, so sometimes you'll finish one paragraph then end up in a new scene months later.
I liked the story and the characters, very enjoyable. But the formatting is very bad. There are no line breaks, so sometimes you'll finish one paragraph then end up in a new scene months later.
June 7, 2015
Soooooo frothy. The sea of froth. Froth Mountain. So saccharine, so sentimental. Phew. Looking back on other Anne Gracie books I've read, I now realize that frothy sentimentality is really her thing! (Which is fine.)
Premise: aristocrat Magnus is one of those "nobody loved him when he was little so now he's extremely cold and incapable of love" types, but then a toddler falls asleep on him and his ovaries all switch on at once: HE MUST MARRY AND HAVE HIS OWN BABIES. BAAAAAAABIES. GIVE THEM TO ME NOW. Tallie is a poor orphan of good family who lives in the household of her terrible cousin Laeticia (who is also a cousin of Magnus - also, has there ever been a Laeticia in historical romance who is not a huge bitch?) and takes care of her neglected children. Tallie spends a lot of time imagining herself as a tragic/Gothic/downtrodden heroine who is always getting rescued by handsome knights. Magnus asks Laeticia for help finding a wife, but doesn't like any of her candidates. However, he does see Tallie defending one of the children from Laeticia's Mean Historical Romance Mother, and instantly decides that this is the meek heir-producing bride of his dreams.
I think Anne Gracie is a pretty good writer, but I don't think I can finish this book. It's so frothy and silly and the characters are so implausible. Tallie is simultaneously one of those heroines in very difficult circumstances (orphaned, no money of her own, entirely dependent on the kindness of her cousin Leticia for room and board) but she's also pretty sassy at times. It just seemed almost too naive to be real that Tallie would be completely without other options for support but also so eager to stand up to her cousin and tell her off in such a public way when it came to the children. Had it literally never occurred to Tallie that her position in life was extremely precarious?
I'm a sucker for the "he's cold because no one loved him!" trope, but I didn't find Magnus to be a great execution of it. I made it through the house party non-courtship section, the arguing over taking a bride trip to the Continent for vague plot reasons (more unbelievable naivete from Tallie over the realization that travel, circa 1803, is quite difficult), the arrival in Paris, the obligatory shopping pr0n scenes where the rich man outfits the poor young woman, and the Big Misunderstandings about sex. (The latter was so-so: Tallie had been told by her evil cousin that gentlemen expect a lady to be absolutely silent and still in bed, but the misunderstanding doesn't last very long.) All of that takes you through about half of the book, and then I think there's a secondary plot about Tallie trying to find her long-lost brother or something.
Some of this is cute, but it's just so sugary and frothy and silly. I don't think I care enough to keep going. I'm disappointed! The reviews are so good!
Premise: aristocrat Magnus is one of those "nobody loved him when he was little so now he's extremely cold and incapable of love" types, but then a toddler falls asleep on him and his ovaries all switch on at once: HE MUST MARRY AND HAVE HIS OWN BABIES. BAAAAAAABIES. GIVE THEM TO ME NOW. Tallie is a poor orphan of good family who lives in the household of her terrible cousin Laeticia (who is also a cousin of Magnus - also, has there ever been a Laeticia in historical romance who is not a huge bitch?) and takes care of her neglected children. Tallie spends a lot of time imagining herself as a tragic/Gothic/downtrodden heroine who is always getting rescued by handsome knights. Magnus asks Laeticia for help finding a wife, but doesn't like any of her candidates. However, he does see Tallie defending one of the children from Laeticia's Mean Historical Romance Mother, and instantly decides that this is the meek heir-producing bride of his dreams.
I think Anne Gracie is a pretty good writer, but I don't think I can finish this book. It's so frothy and silly and the characters are so implausible. Tallie is simultaneously one of those heroines in very difficult circumstances (orphaned, no money of her own, entirely dependent on the kindness of her cousin Leticia for room and board) but she's also pretty sassy at times. It just seemed almost too naive to be real that Tallie would be completely without other options for support but also so eager to stand up to her cousin and tell her off in such a public way when it came to the children. Had it literally never occurred to Tallie that her position in life was extremely precarious?
I'm a sucker for the "he's cold because no one loved him!" trope, but I didn't find Magnus to be a great execution of it. I made it through the house party non-courtship section, the arguing over taking a bride trip to the Continent for vague plot reasons (more unbelievable naivete from Tallie over the realization that travel, circa 1803, is quite difficult), the arrival in Paris, the obligatory shopping pr0n scenes where the rich man outfits the poor young woman, and the Big Misunderstandings about sex. (The latter was so-so: Tallie had been told by her evil cousin that gentlemen expect a lady to be absolutely silent and still in bed, but the misunderstanding doesn't last very long.) All of that takes you through about half of the book, and then I think there's a secondary plot about Tallie trying to find her long-lost brother or something.
Some of this is cute, but it's just so sugary and frothy and silly. I don't think I care enough to keep going. I'm disappointed! The reviews are so good!
June 3, 2023
Cute story about an Earl who just wants a marriage of convenience so he can have children and the family he never had.
The heroine gives him everything and more, and turns his cold well ordered life upside down. 😊
❤️
The heroine gives him everything and more, and turns his cold well ordered life upside down. 😊
❤️
September 25, 2012
Magnus, the Earl of d'Arenville, had but one goal: to have children. He is determined to find a wife that will suit his needs. Raised by some hellish parents of nobility, he has never loved anyone. Nicknamed 'The Icicle', he is one tough nut to crack.
Thalia 'Tallie' Robinson was an orphan that lived in her cousin's household so she could take care of her relative's children. She loved them as her own. Appreciated by the household staff but treated shabbily by her cousin, she made do.
She was apprised of a house party that would introduce the earl to numerous bride candidates. She tried to keep to herself while watching her charges. Little did she know that Magnus would be drawn to her. Even though they saw each other only a few times, he became aware of her patience and tender affections towards the little ones. He decided she was 'the one'.
Friction and misunderstandings between the two begin their new life together. Tallie is naive in many ways and Magnus comes across as a bully at times. I understood why he acted the way he did; he was insecure but covered it up with curt words and 'the look'. And yet he was very gentle in many ways. To put it simply, he was a conundrum.
I would have loved to give this romance another star but there were too many communication problems and anger. Self-doubt seemed to influence all of Magnus's thoughts. Instead of learning from his mistakes he continued to repeat them for about two-thirds of the story. I liked this mismatched couple who deserved each other. I just wanted Magnus to come to terms with his love a little sooner.
Thalia 'Tallie' Robinson was an orphan that lived in her cousin's household so she could take care of her relative's children. She loved them as her own. Appreciated by the household staff but treated shabbily by her cousin, she made do.
She was apprised of a house party that would introduce the earl to numerous bride candidates. She tried to keep to herself while watching her charges. Little did she know that Magnus would be drawn to her. Even though they saw each other only a few times, he became aware of her patience and tender affections towards the little ones. He decided she was 'the one'.
Friction and misunderstandings between the two begin their new life together. Tallie is naive in many ways and Magnus comes across as a bully at times. I understood why he acted the way he did; he was insecure but covered it up with curt words and 'the look'. And yet he was very gentle in many ways. To put it simply, he was a conundrum.
I would have loved to give this romance another star but there were too many communication problems and anger. Self-doubt seemed to influence all of Magnus's thoughts. Instead of learning from his mistakes he continued to repeat them for about two-thirds of the story. I liked this mismatched couple who deserved each other. I just wanted Magnus to come to terms with his love a little sooner.
December 19, 2015
Who doesn't love a knight in Shining Armour and Tallie's is just the best he is known as The Icicle he is cold hearted with not a drop of warm blood in his body so everyone says but can Tallie melt that ice and warm him up?
This is one of those beautiful stories of two people who have been through so much but still show strength and courage to make us all smile along this magical journey to the most wonderful HEA. It starts when Lord d'Arenville decides he needs a wife so as he can have children but this female must meet his standards so he asks his cousin Laetitia to organize a house party with some candidates for Magnus to meet, but there is someone else there that takes his fancy so he organizes the marriage of himself and Laetitia's poor relative Tahlia Robinson of course the start of this relationship does not run smoothly Magnus is amazed at Tallie's strength and courage and sheer determination.
You will be laughing smiling and shedding some tears as Magnus and Tallie journey through Europe on their wedding trip with many ups and downs and such a sensual trip it is as they learn to love and talk and learn how to please each other and as The Icicle melts you will be cheering Tallie on.
MS Gracie does write such magical stories that bring the characters the setting and the regency time period to life on the pages they are stories that you will not want to put down as you lose yourself in the joy of romance and love I highly recommend this one it really is one not to be missed.
This is one of those beautiful stories of two people who have been through so much but still show strength and courage to make us all smile along this magical journey to the most wonderful HEA. It starts when Lord d'Arenville decides he needs a wife so as he can have children but this female must meet his standards so he asks his cousin Laetitia to organize a house party with some candidates for Magnus to meet, but there is someone else there that takes his fancy so he organizes the marriage of himself and Laetitia's poor relative Tahlia Robinson of course the start of this relationship does not run smoothly Magnus is amazed at Tallie's strength and courage and sheer determination.
You will be laughing smiling and shedding some tears as Magnus and Tallie journey through Europe on their wedding trip with many ups and downs and such a sensual trip it is as they learn to love and talk and learn how to please each other and as The Icicle melts you will be cheering Tallie on.
MS Gracie does write such magical stories that bring the characters the setting and the regency time period to life on the pages they are stories that you will not want to put down as you lose yourself in the joy of romance and love I highly recommend this one it really is one not to be missed.
March 3, 2014
It was very kind of book that I like to read. An hero who beleive that incapable of love and lovable person. But he wants to have childeren so he wants help from his cousin. Of course she's not a kind person who has other plans for herself. And she has another female cousin who take care of her children, Tallie.
Tallie is a lonely girl. She hasn't have any family and depend on her cousin. When she invites lots of guests to find a bride her cousin Magnus, she doesn't like to being in that crowded. But then Magnus, the ice man, witnesses her love and kindness toward children, he decided to choose her. So they live lots of things, know with each other and building a love with passion.
One of the most striking point about the book is that ther're lots of things in the story. The hust not meet and try to trust and love each other. They experience many things, they have some issues try to solve and they need love very much.
I like the bok very much and I loved another books of this author like The Perfect Rake (The Merridew Sisters, #1), The Gallant Wife... So I'll read her other books too because I know that I like this author writing style and narratives...
Tallie is a lonely girl. She hasn't have any family and depend on her cousin. When she invites lots of guests to find a bride her cousin Magnus, she doesn't like to being in that crowded. But then Magnus, the ice man, witnesses her love and kindness toward children, he decided to choose her. So they live lots of things, know with each other and building a love with passion.
One of the most striking point about the book is that ther're lots of things in the story. The hust not meet and try to trust and love each other. They experience many things, they have some issues try to solve and they need love very much.
I like the bok very much and I loved another books of this author like The Perfect Rake (The Merridew Sisters, #1), The Gallant Wife... So I'll read her other books too because I know that I like this author writing style and narratives...
December 9, 2015
A fairly cute story. Tallie's parents died when she was young and she avoided destitution by becoming the governess of a wealthy relation's children. That wealthy relation has a cousin named Magnus, an extremely rich Earl who is lonely but doesn't know it. Magnus decides he wants children and asks his cousin to select ten young women for a house party in the country; he'll pick one of them to be his wife. He's moved by Tallie's devotion to the children and ends up choosing her.
The story was a bit too comedic for me but all right. Tallie isn't into marrying Magnus but has to do it because refusing him will get her fired. Magnus is cold and aloof but desperate to be loved. Considering the great setup though, watching him fall for Tallie wasn't as enjoyable as it should've been. I guess I like a little more drama than this. I would've liked more focus on Tallie's austere upbringing, especially contrasted to Magnus's privileged yet painful childhood. It was kind of a lukewarm read, even though the love scenes were surprisingly intense.
The story was a bit too comedic for me but all right. Tallie isn't into marrying Magnus but has to do it because refusing him will get her fired. Magnus is cold and aloof but desperate to be loved. Considering the great setup though, watching him fall for Tallie wasn't as enjoyable as it should've been. I guess I like a little more drama than this. I would've liked more focus on Tallie's austere upbringing, especially contrasted to Magnus's privileged yet painful childhood. It was kind of a lukewarm read, even though the love scenes were surprisingly intense.
May 14, 2016
ponovno 14.5.'16.
Terrible. Main characters are idiots.
Marcus suddenly wants children because one spoke to him and fell asleep on him- great. The smart man then does not think about the wife like a person he will have to spend the time with, just a device for popping babies that he oh so much wants.
Tallie is such an irritating caharacter- can't stand her. Don't know where to start writing about her idiotism, so I won't- it would take too much time.
Terrible. Main characters are idiots.
Marcus suddenly wants children because one spoke to him and fell asleep on him- great. The smart man then does not think about the wife like a person he will have to spend the time with, just a device for popping babies that he oh so much wants.
Tallie is such an irritating caharacter- can't stand her. Don't know where to start writing about her idiotism, so I won't- it would take too much time.
August 15, 2020
Loved it .
Upon rereading in 2020: liked it. four stars.
Upon rereading in 2020: liked it. four stars.
September 3, 2013
The book is really sentimental and saccharine. The heroine is almost too innocent and naive to be believable.
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