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The Byrons of Braebourne #2
Seduced By His Touch
He Had to Marry Her
Everyone in London agrees the Byrons are just as "mad, bad, and dangerous to know" as their poetic non-relation. But Lord Jack Byron is facing a predicament that is scandalous . . . even for him!
Marry a young woman because he lost a bet? Unreformed rake Lord Jack Byron would do anything to get out of it. But the rich merchant who holds his debt insists Jack lead his on-the-shelf daughter to the altar . . . and make her believe it's a love match. With no options, Jack agrees, thinking he'll be shackled to a closed-in spinster.
But Grace Danvers is no milk-and-water miss. When he first encounters her in a London bookstore, Jack is struck by her tempting sensuality and soon becomes determined to bed—and wed—her (in that order!). Yet though he plans to seduce her with his touch, he never dreams he'll also want to win her with his love.
Audible Audio
First published August 25, 2009
About the author
Tracy Anne Warren
44 books794 followersTracy Anne Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of ten Regency historical romance novels, including At The Duke’s Pleasure and The Husband Trap. Her books have appeared on the USA Today Bestsellers’ list and the Borders’ Group List of Bestselling Single Title Romance Paperbacks. She has won numerous writing awards, including Romance Writers’ of America’s prestigious RITA® Award, the National Readers’ Choice Award, the HOLT Medallion, the Golden Quill, and others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 191 reviews
November 12, 2009
Just a quick summary of my thoughts:
1. I loved Jack and Grace, and their falling in love was believable and nicely done. Jack's "courtship" was the best thing in the book, even though his heart wasn't fully engaged at first.
2. The plot was nothing new in Romancelandia, but TAW's writing was enjoyable and kept me turning the pages. Even so, the pace of the story had problems: the 1st half of the book (before Jack and Grace got married) was wonderful, but the 2nd half (after Grace found out about Jack's deception) dragged a bit.
All in all, this was a good read, but I could have done without the short separation between Jack and Grace.
1. I loved Jack and Grace, and their falling in love was believable and nicely done. Jack's "courtship" was the best thing in the book, even though his heart wasn't fully engaged at first.
2. The plot was nothing new in Romancelandia, but TAW's writing was enjoyable and kept me turning the pages. Even so, the pace of the story had problems: the 1st half of the book (before Jack and Grace got married) was wonderful, but the 2nd half (after Grace found out about Jack's deception) dragged a bit.
All in all, this was a good read, but I could have done without the short separation between Jack and Grace.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2023
Well, that was a pleasure. I was actually sad it was over.
Lord Jack Byron (brother to the Duke of Clybourn) loses a ridiculous sum of money to a very wealthy cit in a card game. Although it certainly appeared to me that the cit cheated Jack, that's never actually stated. The man will erase the debt as well as provide an insanely huge dowry if Jack will meet, seduce and marry his daughter, Grace Danvers.
Cliched set-up, but very nice execution. Grace, of course is not the gorgon Jack expected. Although she's not a fashionable beauty (too tall, red hair, feminine curves hidden by dress styles, too intelligent for society, not ton), she's pretty anyway and easy to get along with. Jack finds himself hating the deception, although the amount of money he owes is so huge, he can't tell the guy to stuff-it and court the girl the 'right way'.
One funny thing is that Warren set up various moments where I felt I knew what was going to happen and then she didn't use them in the ways I predicted. So she turned some of the cliches on their heads. Jack does something TSTL in the beginning (in addition to the huge gambling loss) and felt the shoe would drop at any moment, but that particular one evolved differently. It was a nice twist.
Again, I'm really liking Warren's characters. Their chemistry is unmistakable. There is a stretch where I wanted to shake one of the characters for cutting their nose off to spite their face, but I couldn't really see where the action was inorganic. But when the book ends and we get our HEA, it's very romantic and lovely.
Tracy Anne Warren has a new fan in me. She may indulge in tried and true plot devices but I do like her characters and I'm very much looking forward to the next book due out in early 2010.
Lord Jack Byron (brother to the Duke of Clybourn) loses a ridiculous sum of money to a very wealthy cit in a card game. Although it certainly appeared to me that the cit cheated Jack, that's never actually stated. The man will erase the debt as well as provide an insanely huge dowry if Jack will meet, seduce and marry his daughter, Grace Danvers.
Cliched set-up, but very nice execution. Grace, of course is not the gorgon Jack expected. Although she's not a fashionable beauty (too tall, red hair, feminine curves hidden by dress styles, too intelligent for society, not ton), she's pretty anyway and easy to get along with. Jack finds himself hating the deception, although the amount of money he owes is so huge, he can't tell the guy to stuff-it and court the girl the 'right way'.
One funny thing is that Warren set up various moments where I felt I knew what was going to happen and then she didn't use them in the ways I predicted. So she turned some of the cliches on their heads. Jack does something TSTL in the beginning (in addition to the huge gambling loss) and felt the shoe would drop at any moment, but that particular one evolved differently. It was a nice twist.
Again, I'm really liking Warren's characters. Their chemistry is unmistakable. There is a stretch where I wanted to shake one of the characters for cutting their nose off to spite their face, but I couldn't really see where the action was inorganic. But when the book ends and we get our HEA, it's very romantic and lovely.
Tracy Anne Warren has a new fan in me. She may indulge in tried and true plot devices but I do like her characters and I'm very much looking forward to the next book due out in early 2010.
November 10, 2015
I was not impressed by this book. It got super draggy and repetitive and completely lost momentum in the second half. Grace finds out about the contract half-way through and (unsurprisingly) Jack has to make it up to her. The thing is, he doesn't really grovel...he just decides to try and seduce her as he did before. Then, around three-fourths of the way through, Grace decides she needs to forgive and forget.
Exceeeeept...she catches him with Philipa. My problem with this was that the rest of the book was just a rehash of the entire forgiveness stage that the characters had just been through. It got really tedious reading about how Grace can't forgive him for reasons a, b and c. I wish that the reader had been given more scenes from Jack's POV because the book got really redundant and boring with Grace. Every couple of paragraphs Grace felt the need to reiterate that Jack doesn't love her and he's going to leave her -- it was a constant and annoying refrain.
These two don't communicate at all so it got even annoying because, when we DID get a scene from Jack's POV, he was just reciting similar insecurities to what Grace was. I don't get why he didn't just tell her he loved her once he figured it out! Instead, he vacillates between telling her and not telling her...and she's left thinking he doesn't love her. Not fun. The only positive thing I have to say about the second half is that the second time he's in the doghouse, he makes more of an effort to win her over compared to the first.
There were also quite a number of things I found quite objectionable about this book. First off, Terrance's character. I appreciated that fact that the author didn't turn him into one of those ~evil gay~ characters. I liked that he and Grace remained friends. What I didn't like? That Grace outed him to Jack. She sees Terrance with another man, runs and then immediately tells Jack about it. And this is AFTER she told Terrance that she cares about him. Um...if she cared about him so much, she wouldn't have outed him to Jack. She doesn't know how Jack feels about homosexuality and how he'd react to it, and Terrance, and the repercussions Terrance may face as a result.
Second, I am not a fan of non-con/dub-con and I did not enjoy it in this book. Real talk -- Jack fully intended to rape Grace when she was tipsy/nearly drunk (she feels dizzy, she's slurring her words and mixing up letters) because he wanted to forge a "deeper bond" between them. What he basically wanted to do was rape her in order to trap her, forcing her to accept his later proposal. She was the one that stopped him at that point. Then, instead of taking her to a guest bedroom, he takes her to his own. He starts loosening her clothing, stripping her down. She puts up no objection at this point but he finally finds a conscience and starts to put a stop to it...but she tells him to continue.
He continues because she says she "know[s] what [she's] saying." Any decent guy would've stopped because he knows she's drunk...but he doesn't. He continues just because, in her drunken state, she tells him she knows what she's consenting to. Sorry, but ten minutes and an orgasm doesn't burn off alcohol and suddenly make you undrunk.
Later on, she wakes up with a headache and is dizzy. And then in her POV:
Yeah, except that's not how it works. There's a very big difference between being drunk and not being drunk and the consenting of life-altering decisions during those two states.
Another thing I hated about the novel was the cheating. Jack feels he didn't cheated.
Except, I felt he did cheat. I'm of the opinion that even kissing someone else (while in a monogamous relationship with another person) is infidelity. As I started to read the scene, I didn't feel it was cheating because Philipa forces it on him and he notes it's done without his consent. However, it became cheating the instant he became curious about how it'll feel kissing another woman, allowing it to continue.
It was in that moment that the non-consensual action became consensual and he became an equal participant. It was in that moment it became cheating. He allows it to continue, comparing it to how it feels with Grace.
What makes this scene even more idiotic and annoys me even more is the fact that, paragraphs earlier, he just realized he loved his wife! And now he's suddenly curious about how it feels kissing Philipa? No. What the author should've done is have him turn her down out of fidelity to Grace (rather than realizing he can't do it because he loves her) and then, when she forces the kiss on him, his love for Grace should've come as a revelation. It makes absolutely no sense for him to be sucking face with another woman mere minutes after realizing he loves his wife.
The scene above (where he cheats and kisses Philipa) occurs just over three-fourths of the way through (while he's married to Grace). There is also another scene during the book that Jack has with Philipa and it's their "one last tumble" before he goes off to pursue Grace. It happens after he meets her, though before he officially begins to court her.
Exceeeeept...she catches him with Philipa. My problem with this was that the rest of the book was just a rehash of the entire forgiveness stage that the characters had just been through. It got really tedious reading about how Grace can't forgive him for reasons a, b and c. I wish that the reader had been given more scenes from Jack's POV because the book got really redundant and boring with Grace. Every couple of paragraphs Grace felt the need to reiterate that Jack doesn't love her and he's going to leave her -- it was a constant and annoying refrain.
These two don't communicate at all so it got even annoying because, when we DID get a scene from Jack's POV, he was just reciting similar insecurities to what Grace was. I don't get why he didn't just tell her he loved her once he figured it out! Instead, he vacillates between telling her and not telling her...and she's left thinking he doesn't love her. Not fun. The only positive thing I have to say about the second half is that the second time he's in the doghouse, he makes more of an effort to win her over compared to the first.
There were also quite a number of things I found quite objectionable about this book. First off, Terrance's character. I appreciated that fact that the author didn't turn him into one of those ~evil gay~ characters. I liked that he and Grace remained friends. What I didn't like? That Grace outed him to Jack. She sees Terrance with another man, runs and then immediately tells Jack about it. And this is AFTER she told Terrance that she cares about him. Um...if she cared about him so much, she wouldn't have outed him to Jack. She doesn't know how Jack feels about homosexuality and how he'd react to it, and Terrance, and the repercussions Terrance may face as a result.
Second, I am not a fan of non-con/dub-con and I did not enjoy it in this book. Real talk -- Jack fully intended to rape Grace when she was tipsy/nearly drunk (she feels dizzy, she's slurring her words and mixing up letters) because he wanted to forge a "deeper bond" between them. What he basically wanted to do was rape her in order to trap her, forcing her to accept his later proposal. She was the one that stopped him at that point. Then, instead of taking her to a guest bedroom, he takes her to his own. He starts loosening her clothing, stripping her down. She puts up no objection at this point but he finally finds a conscience and starts to put a stop to it...but she tells him to continue.
He continues because she says she "know[s] what [she's] saying." Any decent guy would've stopped because he knows she's drunk...but he doesn't. He continues just because, in her drunken state, she tells him she knows what she's consenting to. Sorry, but ten minutes and an orgasm doesn't burn off alcohol and suddenly make you undrunk.
Later on, she wakes up with a headache and is dizzy. And then in her POV:
Drunk or not, there was no pretending she hadn’t known what she was doing when she’d agreed to make love.
Yeah, except that's not how it works. There's a very big difference between being drunk and not being drunk and the consenting of life-altering decisions during those two states.
Another thing I hated about the novel was the cheating. Jack feels he didn't cheated.
“Despite what you think you saw that night with Philipa Stockton, I’ve been faithful and I’ll continue to be.”
Except, I felt he did cheat. I'm of the opinion that even kissing someone else (while in a monogamous relationship with another person) is infidelity. As I started to read the scene, I didn't feel it was cheating because Philipa forces it on him and he notes it's done without his consent. However, it became cheating the instant he became curious about how it'll feel kissing another woman, allowing it to continue.
He knew he should pull away immediately, put her from him with force, if needed. Instead, he hesitated, curious in spite of his revelation about Grace to see what he would feel.
It was in that moment that the non-consensual action became consensual and he became an equal participant. It was in that moment it became cheating. He allows it to continue, comparing it to how it feels with Grace.
What makes this scene even more idiotic and annoys me even more is the fact that, paragraphs earlier, he just realized he loved his wife! And now he's suddenly curious about how it feels kissing Philipa? No. What the author should've done is have him turn her down out of fidelity to Grace (rather than realizing he can't do it because he loves her) and then, when she forces the kiss on him, his love for Grace should've come as a revelation. It makes absolutely no sense for him to be sucking face with another woman mere minutes after realizing he loves his wife.
The scene above (where he cheats and kisses Philipa) occurs just over three-fourths of the way through (while he's married to Grace). There is also another scene during the book that Jack has with Philipa and it's their "one last tumble" before he goes off to pursue Grace. It happens after he meets her, though before he officially begins to court her.
hr-purgatory
January 10, 2016Welcome to my
HR Purgatory shelf
!
In Roman Catholicism, the purgatory is where the souls of the dead wander in an indefinite state. They stay in such a state unless they "become fit for heaven" at some point. Similarly, this shelf is where books that I am warned about stay—untouched and unread—unless a very compelling reason forces me to read them.
***
Reason(s) for putting Seduced By His Touch in this shelf:
Once our hero here realises that he actually loves his wife, he does what a besotted husband should do...
He lets his mistress kiss him so that he can be sure that there wasn't a spark anymore!
Hurrah for common sense! Hurrah for love!
***
Thank you, sraxe aka my fellow Rake Slayer, for your review and for warning me about this!
sraxe's Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In Roman Catholicism, the purgatory is where the souls of the dead wander in an indefinite state. They stay in such a state unless they "become fit for heaven" at some point. Similarly, this shelf is where books that I am warned about stay—untouched and unread—unless a very compelling reason forces me to read them.
***
Reason(s) for putting Seduced By His Touch in this shelf:
Once our hero here realises that he actually loves his wife, he does what a besotted husband should do...
He lets his mistress kiss him so that he can be sure that there wasn't a spark anymore!
Hurrah for common sense! Hurrah for love!
***
Thank you, sraxe aka my fellow Rake Slayer, for your review and for warning me about this!
sraxe's Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
June 20, 2026
Read: 6/15/26
Setting: Regency England
Trope: bluestocking, class differences, gambling, MOC
It started out so great...
Plot: Lord Jack lost £100,000 gambling with a rich merchant. In order to clear his debt, Jack has no choice, but to marry the man's daughter. The catch? He demands Jack court Grace properly, make her fall in love with him, and never tell her it was a setup. Jack follows Grace to Bath hoping to do his duty. He wasn't expecting this strong physical attraction he feels nor the brilliant mind behind the body. Marriage to Grace will not be a hardship!
Grace cannot believe it when the infamous Jack Byron starts courting her. It doesn't take long before Grace falls head over heels in love. It's not until 5 days before wedding, that Grace discovers Jack's true motivations. She decides to strikes a bargain with Jack. They will marry, but separate in 3 months. Jack needs to put half of her dowry in Grace's bank account and buy her a lovely cottage in the country. Jack reluctantly agrees. He will give Grace a few days to get over his betrayal before setting her straight. Grace tries to handle everything with dignity and intelligence. Though, I don't think it was the smartest idea to continue having sex with him if you're planning on leaving him in the end.
***
This story started out strong and I was really enjoying it. Jack's a selfish a** sometimes, but i loved it! Grace was a strong, kindhearted h. They were great characters and their chemistry was off the charts! My problem was how quickly Grace forgave him and welcomed him back into her bed. Jack deserved to grovel a little. He tricked her into loving him. Then there was her father. 😡 She never even confronts the manipulative prick! Grace needed to throw a fit, instead she forgives them
Conclusion: the story was interesting, but not executed well.
Setting: Regency England
Trope: bluestocking, class differences, gambling, MOC
It started out so great...
Plot: Lord Jack lost £100,000 gambling with a rich merchant. In order to clear his debt, Jack has no choice, but to marry the man's daughter. The catch? He demands Jack court Grace properly, make her fall in love with him, and never tell her it was a setup. Jack follows Grace to Bath hoping to do his duty. He wasn't expecting this strong physical attraction he feels nor the brilliant mind behind the body. Marriage to Grace will not be a hardship!
Grace cannot believe it when the infamous Jack Byron starts courting her. It doesn't take long before Grace falls head over heels in love. It's not until 5 days before wedding, that Grace discovers Jack's true motivations. She decides to strikes a bargain with Jack. They will marry, but separate in 3 months. Jack needs to put half of her dowry in Grace's bank account and buy her a lovely cottage in the country. Jack reluctantly agrees. He will give Grace a few days to get over his betrayal before setting her straight. Grace tries to handle everything with dignity and intelligence. Though, I don't think it was the smartest idea to continue having sex with him if you're planning on leaving him in the end.
***
This story started out strong and I was really enjoying it. Jack's a selfish a** sometimes, but i loved it! Grace was a strong, kindhearted h. They were great characters and their chemistry was off the charts! My problem was how quickly Grace forgave him and welcomed him back into her bed. Jack deserved to grovel a little. He tricked her into loving him. Then there was her father. 😡 She never even confronts the manipulative prick! Grace needed to throw a fit, instead she forgives them
Conclusion: the story was interesting, but not executed well.
January 8, 2010
Lord Jack Byron agrees to marry spinster-ish Grace Danvers in order to erase a large gambling debt owed to her father. However, Grace's father knows she won't agree to the situation outright. So Jack must win her heart before proposing. Jack starts to fall hard for Grace as he courts her, but will she still be in love with him if she finds out their entire courtship is based on a bet?
I liked that the focus was on the romance in this story, instead of a subplot, but the hero and heroine weren't likeable in my opinion. Jack was like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde to me. When he was good, he was so sweet-a loving and doting suitor to Grace. But when he was bad, he was so mean to her and did some really unforgiveable things. This back and forth made him unlikeable to me, I couldn't really appreciate the good things he did towards the end because I was already turned off. Poor Grace, I just felt sorry for her for most of the book. In the beginning, I felt bad because Jack was completely deceiving her. And then Jack just used her over and over again.
The writing was strong, but this book would have been better for me with a more honorable hero and a stronger heroine.
Reviewed for http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com/
I liked that the focus was on the romance in this story, instead of a subplot, but the hero and heroine weren't likeable in my opinion. Jack was like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde to me. When he was good, he was so sweet-a loving and doting suitor to Grace. But when he was bad, he was so mean to her and did some really unforgiveable things. This back and forth made him unlikeable to me, I couldn't really appreciate the good things he did towards the end because I was already turned off. Poor Grace, I just felt sorry for her for most of the book. In the beginning, I felt bad because Jack was completely deceiving her. And then Jack just used her over and over again.
The writing was strong, but this book would have been better for me with a more honorable hero and a stronger heroine.
Reviewed for http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com/
September 21, 2009
Every once in a while, I come across a book that reminds me why Historical Romance is my beloved genre of choice. Seduced By His Touch, by Tracy Anne Warren, is just such a book. The plot isn't a new one...hero amasses gambling debt and is forced into marrying debtor's daughter to clear debt...but TAW's take on the relationship that develops between the reluctant groom and the innocent bride is at times heart-wrenching, often seductive, and always engrossing. In fact, this is the first book I've ever read straight through. It was just that good!
Lord Jack Byron doesn't want to get married...he's a third son so there's no family pressure, he has a beautiful, amorous mistress who satisfies his sexual needs and he is only 28 years old...becoming "leg-shackled" isn't in his foreseeable future. However, that all changes in one night when Jack's excellent gambling skills are no match against the fate of lady luck. One bad card and he becomes indebted to the victor for 100,000 pounds. Nice guy that he is, the debtor offers to not only clear Jack's debt but will include a generous dowry if Jack will marry his spinster daughter. Yikes! Jack's conjured image of his bride-to-be likens her to a gargoyle. But the die has been cast. So begins the game of seduction with Jack - 6'3, handsome, womanizer, peer of the ton...and Grace - 5'11 (a "long Meg"), spinster (at 25 yrs old), pretty(ish), daughter of a businessman. Jack courts and woos Grace, who falls hopelessly in love. Is she dreaming? Jack is more than she ever hoped for, and she feels like a princess in a fairy tale. Grace's dream becomes a nightmare in short-order, however, when she comes across the legal documents outlining the conditions of and reasons for her marriage.
In other stories with this premise, the heroine usually becomes TSTL at this point. Grace does not. She goes through with the wedding but not before she negotiates the state of their union as she wants it to be. Sex just for sex becomes a part of that agreement. After all, why should she deny herself something so pleasurable?
I loved Grace. She didn't have a very high opinion of herself but then who could blame her? Not only did she find out Jack was forced to marry her but when she "thinks" she sees him kissing his ex-mistress, she wants to die. When he tries to explain (thru the door) she hurls shoes at the door. Yay! Let those frustrations out, sista! Now the tables turn and it is Jack who is hopelessly in love and must prove himself to his indifferent wife.
This book was a joy to read and reminded me of another personal fave, The Dangerous Gentleman by Julia London. I love it when an indifferent husband is brought to his knees. Speaking of which, Warren once again leaves the bedroom door wide open...rounding out the story rather nicely. This is the 6th book I've read by her and another worth a solid 5* rating. I'm impressed! TAW is well on her way to joining the ranks of the "big girls"!
Lord Jack Byron doesn't want to get married...he's a third son so there's no family pressure, he has a beautiful, amorous mistress who satisfies his sexual needs and he is only 28 years old...becoming "leg-shackled" isn't in his foreseeable future. However, that all changes in one night when Jack's excellent gambling skills are no match against the fate of lady luck. One bad card and he becomes indebted to the victor for 100,000 pounds. Nice guy that he is, the debtor offers to not only clear Jack's debt but will include a generous dowry if Jack will marry his spinster daughter. Yikes! Jack's conjured image of his bride-to-be likens her to a gargoyle. But the die has been cast. So begins the game of seduction with Jack - 6'3, handsome, womanizer, peer of the ton...and Grace - 5'11 (a "long Meg"), spinster (at 25 yrs old), pretty(ish), daughter of a businessman. Jack courts and woos Grace, who falls hopelessly in love. Is she dreaming? Jack is more than she ever hoped for, and she feels like a princess in a fairy tale. Grace's dream becomes a nightmare in short-order, however, when she comes across the legal documents outlining the conditions of and reasons for her marriage.
In other stories with this premise, the heroine usually becomes TSTL at this point. Grace does not. She goes through with the wedding but not before she negotiates the state of their union as she wants it to be. Sex just for sex becomes a part of that agreement. After all, why should she deny herself something so pleasurable?
I loved Grace. She didn't have a very high opinion of herself but then who could blame her? Not only did she find out Jack was forced to marry her but when she "thinks" she sees him kissing his ex-mistress, she wants to die. When he tries to explain (thru the door) she hurls shoes at the door. Yay! Let those frustrations out, sista! Now the tables turn and it is Jack who is hopelessly in love and must prove himself to his indifferent wife.
This book was a joy to read and reminded me of another personal fave, The Dangerous Gentleman by Julia London. I love it when an indifferent husband is brought to his knees. Speaking of which, Warren once again leaves the bedroom door wide open...rounding out the story rather nicely. This is the 6th book I've read by her and another worth a solid 5* rating. I'm impressed! TAW is well on her way to joining the ranks of the "big girls"!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2022
whhewww angst galore my friends, angst galore.
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book yet. I need time to reflect. I really liked how it started, but the middle could have been done differently. First half was really really good! But the second half definitely could have been shortened with BETTER COMMUNICATION, which imo is this author's flaw when it comes to her heroes. In the first book of this series it seemed the hero also could not make up his damn mind when it came to his heroine. Same here. Super frustrating but I still really liked a lot of elements in this book, i.e. the courting, their conversations, the heroine who was just a really kind and sweet person, etc. Full review to come later.
hello this is 4 years in the future. the full review never came. and i knocked down a star because I have zero recollection of reading this book lmfaoooo. it's been about 8 years since I started reading historical romances. there are always books I go back to and re-read over and over again. then there are books that i forget about within 20 minutes of finishing lmfao. this was one of them . can't be sorry for speaking the truth
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book yet. I need time to reflect. I really liked how it started, but the middle could have been done differently. First half was really really good! But the second half definitely could have been shortened with BETTER COMMUNICATION, which imo is this author's flaw when it comes to her heroes. In the first book of this series it seemed the hero also could not make up his damn mind when it came to his heroine. Same here. Super frustrating but I still really liked a lot of elements in this book, i.e. the courting, their conversations, the heroine who was just a really kind and sweet person, etc. Full review to come later.
hello this is 4 years in the future. the full review never came. and i knocked down a star because I have zero recollection of reading this book lmfaoooo. it's been about 8 years since I started reading historical romances. there are always books I go back to and re-read over and over again. then there are books that i forget about within 20 minutes of finishing lmfao. this was one of them . can't be sorry for speaking the truth
August 13, 2021
3.5 stars! Our hero was.... Annoying. He needed to marry her for her money but he didn't grovel enough for me to fall in love with him. There was sometimes he did stuff that made me go EEEEEEK and I didn't like him in some scenes. However, the romance was sweet in some scenes and the couple was good together. so what can I say LOL
May 13, 2025
Jack and Grace had a romantic steamy emotional story. minus 1 🌟 because Grace is a spoiled brat, hated her so much during multiple parts. But the good parts of the story mostly made up for it. 🤦♀️ Jack scores high on the quality and quantity scale. More than once a day yay😎🤓
July 22, 2020
This won't be a long review.
This is the second in the Byron Brothers series by Tracy Anne Warren. TAW can write excellent sex scenes, they are very steamy and smutty and I enjoy them as much as the next person but you can't base a story around sex, at least in my opinion. I don't read romance for the sex, though I don't mind it, I read romance for the romance.
This book was a mess, neither of the main characters was likable and the absurd and ridiculous insecurities of the heroine were mindnumpingly annoying. Either forgive the hero and his shitty behavior or don't. Make a choice. The humming and hawing was fucking annoying. I can't even! I don't even know how I managed to finish the book. Oh wait! I do! It was the narrator Bianca Amato, who must be a saint for narrating this nonsense with a straight face.
I won't bother with the next book in the series, which I hear is terrible.
This is the second in the Byron Brothers series by Tracy Anne Warren. TAW can write excellent sex scenes, they are very steamy and smutty and I enjoy them as much as the next person but you can't base a story around sex, at least in my opinion. I don't read romance for the sex, though I don't mind it, I read romance for the romance.
This book was a mess, neither of the main characters was likable and the absurd and ridiculous insecurities of the heroine were mindnumpingly annoying. Either forgive the hero and his shitty behavior or don't. Make a choice. The humming and hawing was fucking annoying. I can't even! I don't even know how I managed to finish the book. Oh wait! I do! It was the narrator Bianca Amato, who must be a saint for narrating this nonsense with a straight face.
I won't bother with the next book in the series, which I hear is terrible.
July 2, 2024
4.3 stars
And another from my 'old' stockpile read and done with... finally! Well, well, my advice to aspiring HR authors is that this book is a must-read because it neatly covered the bases of Historical Romance 101, or even proved to be a top student of a Historical Romance Masterclass. This book had it all: good and comfortable prose (and non too wordy), solid plot that was nicely developped, believable characters with depth, well dosed romance moves, sound editing, and even higher level steam. At first glance, these seem no brainer ingredients for a successful book, but in practice not all authors adroitly manage them. TAW did it, and very well.
What was only lacking from my personal pov is that sense of epic. But that I know is not for every story. This particular romance between not-so-rake Jack and not-so-spinster Grace was very enjoyable to read. It followed nicely the Like - Lust - Love route in that order (or not quite 😅, with lots of criss cross in between ☺!). They took lots of roundabouts before getting to their HEA but TAW's pen made it work.
Both leads had charm and I got invested in them. I understood how the particular circumstances that brought them together provided ample obstacles for them to trust each other with their insecurities. But at times, both leads maddened me with their thorough incapacity to really communicate instead of silently ascribing labels to the other's actions. By the end, I was still waiting for them to have a heart to heart conversation on what really happened during their courtship before she discovered the settlement papers, but nope that was never meant to happen. Instead, I came to accept that their preferred mode of communication was 'needing to internally digest alone the info before moving on with hope and faith' 😅 - still, they were sweet and hot together, so that worked for them and it was rather period appropriate, no 😉?
Now, I am definitely curious on checking the backlist of TAW, esp. the other Byrons.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2016
Hero loses a big sum of money in a card game to heroine's father. Heroine's father promises he will erase the debt if Jack marry his daughter Grace. Jack seduces and deceives Grace but he falls in love with her. Grace finds out about his betrayal and decides to marry him but never forgive him because she feels she can never trust him.
I loved this couple. I think hero grovelled too hard to win heroine's forgiveness. Grace and Jack were sweet and sexy together! Off to read next book in the series to see if Grace had a boy or a girl.
I loved this couple. I think hero grovelled too hard to win heroine's forgiveness. Grace and Jack were sweet and sexy together! Off to read next book in the series to see if Grace had a boy or a girl.
not-for-me
July 15, 2020Started reading this book but soon realized that it’s not for me. Not only does the hero fuck his mistress in the beginning, after meeting the heroine, but he apparently also cheats by kissing the same mistress later in the book once they are married. I’m not a fan of infidelity and I can’t imagine myself enjoying this story.
August 19, 2026
Warning: Hero sleeps with his mistress (some details) before he begins courting the heroine.
June 25, 2021
I will be the first to admit this is by the numbers. But hey. This is my kind of by the numbers.
If you have chemistry, the hero and heroine meet in the first chapter, and there are multiple sex scenes, I am really not going to complain. Especially as I haven't been able to finish a romance for the past few weeks.
Seduced By His Touch is my first read by Tracy Anne Warren and it is worth the favourable reviews on here. I started to read My Fair Mistress but started to get bored by the sex scenes since Warren didn't take the time to establish their relationship besides that they want to bone each other.
Not so here. We get to learn more about the characters. Jack Byron is a charmer (seems like a lot of heroes named Jack are like this), and it is fun when he gets into the spirit of romancing Grace, a tall bookworm. He was also needy in the bed (needs the praise lol), and I liked that too.
The big conflict is that Jack initially pursues Grace so that his gambling debt to her father is forgiven, as her father demands he do. Despite the fact that Jack and Grace do get along, Grace is upset at him for deceiving her about why they met. Grace even forgives her dad for cooking up this scheme before she forgives Jack.
Side note: Wasn't the wording awkward when Grace's dad was like, oh and don't you please all the women in your bed? I want you to do that for my daughter too!
Like, Mr. Danvers really looking out for his daughter in all the ways. 💀
If you are going for a charmer hero with an overlooked heroine, Mary Balogh's Dancing With Clara is one of the best stories on this, particularly the charmer hero romancing the heroine for economic reasons. The tension is so good because the heroine is aware that she is being charmed for her dowry.
If you have chemistry, the hero and heroine meet in the first chapter, and there are multiple sex scenes, I am really not going to complain. Especially as I haven't been able to finish a romance for the past few weeks.
Seduced By His Touch is my first read by Tracy Anne Warren and it is worth the favourable reviews on here. I started to read My Fair Mistress but started to get bored by the sex scenes since Warren didn't take the time to establish their relationship besides that they want to bone each other.
Not so here. We get to learn more about the characters. Jack Byron is a charmer (seems like a lot of heroes named Jack are like this), and it is fun when he gets into the spirit of romancing Grace, a tall bookworm. He was also needy in the bed (needs the praise lol), and I liked that too.
The big conflict is that Jack initially pursues Grace so that his gambling debt to her father is forgiven, as her father demands he do. Despite the fact that Jack and Grace do get along, Grace is upset at him for deceiving her about why they met. Grace even forgives her dad for cooking up this scheme before she forgives Jack.
Side note: Wasn't the wording awkward when Grace's dad was like, oh and don't you please all the women in your bed? I want you to do that for my daughter too!
Like, Mr. Danvers really looking out for his daughter in all the ways. 💀
If you are going for a charmer hero with an overlooked heroine, Mary Balogh's Dancing With Clara is one of the best stories on this, particularly the charmer hero romancing the heroine for economic reasons. The tension is so good because the heroine is aware that she is being charmed for her dowry.
September 8, 2009
I thought the beginning held promise of a 5 star story. Something slightly disingenuous happened once Grace found out about her father's proposal to Jack. A heartbroken Grace is still erotically attracted to Jack and can separate sex from emotional need??? It would have been more understanding if it was a one time thing but not in this case... it went on and on. Then the sequence of events back in London had the story slip even further into a misunderstanding without the characters having the good sense to stop the peril. Maybe I've been reading some great stories where the H&H were forthcoming with each other but this wore thin as they were still unable to tell each other how they felt.
Although I still enjoyed the story, especially the ending, the shallowness detracted from a potentially wonderful full love story.
Although I still enjoyed the story, especially the ending, the shallowness detracted from a potentially wonderful full love story.
August 5, 2023
Ik heb de Nederlands talige uitgave gelezen : Bedrogen bruid - Candlelight Historische roman 968
Jack Byron heeft een enorm geldbedrag verloren tijdens een spelletje kaart . De winnaar waar hij nu een voor hem onbetaalbare schuld bij heeft is een rijke koopman , hij stelt Jack voor om de schuld kwijt te schelden en hem zelfs een hoger bedrag uit te keren wanneer Jack zijn dochter Grace het hof gaat maken en uiteindelijk met haar trouwt . Jack heeft geen andere keus dan akkoord te gaan en ziet met angst en beven zijn eerste ontmoeting met Grace tegemoet , een ongetrouwde vrouw van 25 jaar moet wel een lelijk eendje zijn toch !?
Ondertussen weet Grace natuurlijk niks van dit handeltje tussen Jack en haar vader en wordt zij verliefd op de knappe Jack en wanneer hij haar ten huwelijk vraagt zegt zij dan ook volmondig ja . Helaas komt zij enkele weken voor het huwelijk achter het handeltje van Jack en haar vader .
Een ietwat cliché verhaal met toch wel verrassende wendingen , ik zou het een rapportcijfer 7 geven .
Jack Byron heeft een enorm geldbedrag verloren tijdens een spelletje kaart . De winnaar waar hij nu een voor hem onbetaalbare schuld bij heeft is een rijke koopman , hij stelt Jack voor om de schuld kwijt te schelden en hem zelfs een hoger bedrag uit te keren wanneer Jack zijn dochter Grace het hof gaat maken en uiteindelijk met haar trouwt . Jack heeft geen andere keus dan akkoord te gaan en ziet met angst en beven zijn eerste ontmoeting met Grace tegemoet , een ongetrouwde vrouw van 25 jaar moet wel een lelijk eendje zijn toch !?
Ondertussen weet Grace natuurlijk niks van dit handeltje tussen Jack en haar vader en wordt zij verliefd op de knappe Jack en wanneer hij haar ten huwelijk vraagt zegt zij dan ook volmondig ja . Helaas komt zij enkele weken voor het huwelijk achter het handeltje van Jack en haar vader .
Een ietwat cliché verhaal met toch wel verrassende wendingen , ik zou het een rapportcijfer 7 geven .
July 26, 2014
I loved this book!This was finally a fortune hunting hero and spinster heroine that I adored. In spite of the hero's less than chivalrous actions in trying to get his gaming debt pardoned by seducing a 25 year old spinster ( spinster' s wealthy but untitled father's idea) he ends up liking her and deciding it's not such a hardship after all . Jack ( our hero) is a scoundrel but you can't help but like him and know that Grace (heroine) won't stand a chance . The best Part of the book, aside from Jack's courtship, is Grace' s reaction when she realizes she was duped by her fiance and her father, is that she uses it yo he advantage. She is devastated to learn of the lie but instead of calling off the wedding and embarrassing herself , her father, and Jack she decides to go through with it. Grace tells Jack she wants a sizable portion of her dowry and a house under her name only, to live in peace . FINALLY, a smart heroine that did not run away crying nor readily forgive her husband after he apologizes. Jack realizes he will have to court her all over again for Grace to forgive him. All in all a great read and I highly recommend .
May 8, 2025
Suze, smijeh i ljubav – knjiga koja ostavlja trag!
Završila sam knjigu 7.5. 2025. u 23:35 i pustila suze. Srce mi je drhtalo, odbijalo je prihvatiti kraj. Bile su to suze radosnice.
Autorica piše tako da vas njezine riječi potpuno obuzmu. Likovi vas ne puštaju ni kada zatvorite korice. Sve djeluje stvarno – balovi, haljine, glazba i ljudi puni života i topline.
Zamislite svijet gdje su i muškarci cijenili takve priče... A današnji? Eh, bolje da ne govorimo. 🤣
Preokreti vas iznenade, istine zabole, ali u svakoj boli pronađete nadu. I uvijek, baš uvijek, povjerujete da prava ljubav postoji. 🤍
Topla preporuka od mene ❣️
Danica 😊🩷
Završila sam knjigu 7.5. 2025. u 23:35 i pustila suze. Srce mi je drhtalo, odbijalo je prihvatiti kraj. Bile su to suze radosnice.
Autorica piše tako da vas njezine riječi potpuno obuzmu. Likovi vas ne puštaju ni kada zatvorite korice. Sve djeluje stvarno – balovi, haljine, glazba i ljudi puni života i topline.
Zamislite svijet gdje su i muškarci cijenili takve priče... A današnji? Eh, bolje da ne govorimo. 🤣
Preokreti vas iznenade, istine zabole, ali u svakoj boli pronađete nadu. I uvijek, baš uvijek, povjerujete da prava ljubav postoji. 🤍
Topla preporuka od mene ❣️
Danica 😊🩷
November 14, 2024
I had hope for the end of the book that they will fall in a ditch together and die
![Profile Image for ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1572968006i/3840999._UX200_CR0,33,200,200_.jpg)
July 12, 2011
My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book. This one's got 3 parts.
Well, Jack is beginning to sound like Tony (including the 'mistress' scene, ugh!!), so have to see what he's got for me and I don't mean the obvious ... ahemm ... lmao
Grace, well, she has to show more spirit and fire, as she isn't 17 but a 25 yrs old. So far I like her but not exactly impressed. Read 4 chps so its far too early to say anything else and the rating is quite good. Lets see...
PS: There's a mention of Tony and Rafe sometimes later in the book and Tony, Adam, Jack are from the same circle ... peas from the same pod ... Rakehell of the first water that is! ... Hmmph!!
***************
Well, I like Grace. Poor girl, Jack's simply wreacking havoc on her, both physically (read "sexually") and emotionally. So, when she found out about his debts and settlements with her father, although at first I thought she should kick him outta her bed, later on I had to agree with her ways. Why not have the fun, since they're already married? I mean Jack is REALLY good there, the only thing he is good for so far in my eyes (if I leave the lying and deception behind!). And then they did just that (and man, what a honeymoon!). Initially I would've said, "Hold on girl, give him his comeuppance...". But I guess her way is good as well. I can so understand her standing, loving a man who doesn't deserve that kinda love and devotion. I really feel for her. I'm waiting to see what happens next now that they've returned from their honeymoon.
I hope Jack eats his words. Man, apart from sex, he pisses me off sometimes so much, I wanna break something, preferably on his head! Grrr! His thought: "I get tired of all my lovers so why should Grace be any different? ... Sadly, she wont be ... Let's enjoy while it lasts ..." blah blah blah blah ... MORON!!
Really, have to admit that TAW writes hot hot love scenes and sexual tension between the characters. Her books would be 5 stars if it played out just like that in other areas, too.
**************
Well, what can I say? I've thought of many things while finishing the book but have to say, Jack did make me cry in the end. I mean, seeing what an idiot he was throughout the book, have to admit that's a big feat! I LOVED that speech to Grace where he says he's going to fight for her (and her love) if it takes the rest of his life. He stayed with her when he heard she was pregnant, he was faithful and celibate when she was sick ... Big feat indeed! Even Grace was amazed! Gotta say he improved (to take it by heart to prove himself and his love to an indifferent Grace) and even if it was a gamble, he impressed me as well. I did see vulnerabilities in him, emotional ones, that given to his thick head ahemm, I didn't expect him to feel. Funny, huh?
Grace, hmm, she coped well enough given the fact that she saw him kissing his ex-mistress. Here Jack didn't really initiate the kiss but was kissing back just to see if his new found feeling for Grace was real or not and man, I wanted to strangle him! I thought she should've thrown those shoes to his face instead of the closed door! He deserved no less. I don't blame her a bit for not trusting him, even when he confessed he loved her. And, she did the right thing by going away IMO.
Now, I wish in between the narratives, lots of time didn't pass by ie: 3 weeks, 5 weeks, 7 weeks passed etc. TAW tends to do that and then the narrative kinda becomes lose, feels like she's jumping. Nevertheless, I liked that she used less first person monologues then her earlier books, which sometimes proved to be quite irritating. I really loved the love scenes, even the ones where they didn't talk but let their bodies talk instead. A 4 for me. :)
Well, Jack is beginning to sound like Tony (including the 'mistress' scene, ugh!!), so have to see what he's got for me and I don't mean the obvious ... ahemm ... lmao
Grace, well, she has to show more spirit and fire, as she isn't 17 but a 25 yrs old. So far I like her but not exactly impressed. Read 4 chps so its far too early to say anything else and the rating is quite good. Lets see...
PS: There's a mention of Tony and Rafe sometimes later in the book and Tony, Adam, Jack are from the same circle ... peas from the same pod ... Rakehell of the first water that is! ... Hmmph!!
***************
Well, I like Grace. Poor girl, Jack's simply wreacking havoc on her, both physically (read "sexually") and emotionally. So, when she found out about his debts and settlements with her father, although at first I thought she should kick him outta her bed, later on I had to agree with her ways. Why not have the fun, since they're already married? I mean Jack is REALLY good there, the only thing he is good for so far in my eyes (if I leave the lying and deception behind!). And then they did just that (and man, what a honeymoon!). Initially I would've said, "Hold on girl, give him his comeuppance...". But I guess her way is good as well. I can so understand her standing, loving a man who doesn't deserve that kinda love and devotion. I really feel for her. I'm waiting to see what happens next now that they've returned from their honeymoon.
I hope Jack eats his words. Man, apart from sex, he pisses me off sometimes so much, I wanna break something, preferably on his head! Grrr! His thought: "I get tired of all my lovers so why should Grace be any different? ... Sadly, she wont be ... Let's enjoy while it lasts ..." blah blah blah blah ... MORON!!
Really, have to admit that TAW writes hot hot love scenes and sexual tension between the characters. Her books would be 5 stars if it played out just like that in other areas, too.
**************
Well, what can I say? I've thought of many things while finishing the book but have to say, Jack did make me cry in the end. I mean, seeing what an idiot he was throughout the book, have to admit that's a big feat! I LOVED that speech to Grace where he says he's going to fight for her (and her love) if it takes the rest of his life. He stayed with her when he heard she was pregnant, he was faithful and celibate when she was sick ... Big feat indeed! Even Grace was amazed! Gotta say he improved (to take it by heart to prove himself and his love to an indifferent Grace) and even if it was a gamble, he impressed me as well. I did see vulnerabilities in him, emotional ones, that given to his thick head ahemm, I didn't expect him to feel. Funny, huh?
Grace, hmm, she coped well enough given the fact that she saw him kissing his ex-mistress. Here Jack didn't really initiate the kiss but was kissing back just to see if his new found feeling for Grace was real or not and man, I wanted to strangle him! I thought she should've thrown those shoes to his face instead of the closed door! He deserved no less. I don't blame her a bit for not trusting him, even when he confessed he loved her. And, she did the right thing by going away IMO.
Now, I wish in between the narratives, lots of time didn't pass by ie: 3 weeks, 5 weeks, 7 weeks passed etc. TAW tends to do that and then the narrative kinda becomes lose, feels like she's jumping. Nevertheless, I liked that she used less first person monologues then her earlier books, which sometimes proved to be quite irritating. I really loved the love scenes, even the ones where they didn't talk but let their bodies talk instead. A 4 for me. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2013
Lord Jack Byron, is wild and scandalous at times, but when he loses a bet of a amount he can't afford, he agrees to marry the gamblers daughter, but he has to convince her to marry him and make her fall in love with him. Grace, upon meeting the handsome Jack Byron, is flattered that he would want to be with her over how many other beautiful women, when she has never considered herself beautiful, however she feels herself starting to fall in love with Jack. Jack, even though in the beginning this ruse was all about getting Grace to marry him, but he never though that he would find her everything he would desire in a wife, and knows he is starting to fall in love with her, hoping that when the truth comes out she will still realize how much his feelings for her are sincere...Seduced By His Touch is the second installment in the Byrons of Braebourne series. Even though I have read the books out of order, I have just loved this series....Its one of my favorite regency historical series. Seduced By His Touch at times were a emotional rollercoaster, and the characters were so vivid from the very beginning that you couldn't help but love them both, there was such a endearing quality, about Jack and Grace, who have led different lives, but there is such a powerful chemistry that develops between them, and a powerful love that will carry you away in the story. From the very beginning Tracy Anne Warren has seduced me in a way that she has done with each and every one of her books!!!
February 10, 2020
I’m torn on this story because by the end I was happy with how it all played out. But in the beginning I found Jack to be a bit creepy with his advances. Especially when she was drunk. But after they got to know each other I liked him... for a little while. I started to get a little bored and kind of wanted the story to end. It seemed really long and drawn out.
Jack made me mad a couple of times because I didn’t think he really took responsibility for his actions. He didn’t fight for Grace when I thought he should have. But it did make the ending all the more sweeter when he finally spoke honestly with Grace about his feelings and was firm about his intentions to stay and be a part of her life.
So like I said even though I was annoyed throughout a lot of this story, I really liked how it all came together in the end. And I kind of hate that this author doesn’t write epilogues.
Jack made me mad a couple of times because I didn’t think he really took responsibility for his actions. He didn’t fight for Grace when I thought he should have. But it did make the ending all the more sweeter when he finally spoke honestly with Grace about his feelings and was firm about his intentions to stay and be a part of her life.
So like I said even though I was annoyed throughout a lot of this story, I really liked how it all came together in the end. And I kind of hate that this author doesn’t write epilogues.
September 14, 2009
Maybe my hopes were a little too high for this book. While Warren writes with her usual aplomb and accuracy there was something off in this high stakes regency tale.
For me, I think it comes down to Grace Danvers our spinster heroine. In the first part of the book she seemed like a strong, feisty, determined woman - the kind of person who I'd want to befriend - but towards the end of the story I wasn't sure what happened to her or where her personality went. Yes what happened was a shocking blow and she had every reason to loose confidence and faith in her man but it felt like someone else wrote the character towards the end of the book.
As for Lord John "Jack," well he did grow in the book and toward the end stepped up to the plate but I would have liked to see more of the couple after their reconciliation and to learn how they handled Grace's well meaning but high handed father.
I also missed the rest of the Byron clan in this book - in the first book they offered a great backdrop of care, concern, reaction, and humor - and found the brief five pages we spent with them on Christmas morning not nearly enough. (Oh, and is anyone else worried for Lady Mallory's love?)
Overall, it's a solid book and better than 95% of everything else that's out there but falls a little flat when compared to Warren's other works.
For me, I think it comes down to Grace Danvers our spinster heroine. In the first part of the book she seemed like a strong, feisty, determined woman - the kind of person who I'd want to befriend - but towards the end of the story I wasn't sure what happened to her or where her personality went. Yes what happened was a shocking blow and she had every reason to loose confidence and faith in her man but it felt like someone else wrote the character towards the end of the book.
As for Lord John "Jack," well he did grow in the book and toward the end stepped up to the plate but I would have liked to see more of the couple after their reconciliation and to learn how they handled Grace's well meaning but high handed father.
I also missed the rest of the Byron clan in this book - in the first book they offered a great backdrop of care, concern, reaction, and humor - and found the brief five pages we spent with them on Christmas morning not nearly enough. (Oh, and is anyone else worried for Lady Mallory's love?)
Overall, it's a solid book and better than 95% of everything else that's out there but falls a little flat when compared to Warren's other works.
September 24, 2011
This book was just so blah.
The plot was good enough to have ensured atleast an above average read. But, unfortunately it didn't turn out that way.
First of all, we don't see a genuine love build between these two people. He's chasing her (obviously because of the debt etc), and every now and then, the author puts in a perfunctory line about how she is not as unattractive he thought she would be and we're supposed to understand that he's developing real feelings for her. It's almost as if, since its a romance novel, the author expects us to assume that these two people have to obviously be falling in love.
More importantly, my biggest problem with this book is the fact that the guy doesn't really feel too guilty even after his secret is out. Sure, he drinks one brandy one whole night, and has bloodshot eyes the next day. But,beyond that, there was no down on the knees, begging for forgiveness, being unable to forgive oneself kind of grovelling.
Given the circumstances, I really couldn't give this book more than two stars.
The plot was good enough to have ensured atleast an above average read. But, unfortunately it didn't turn out that way.
First of all, we don't see a genuine love build between these two people. He's chasing her (obviously because of the debt etc), and every now and then, the author puts in a perfunctory line about how she is not as unattractive he thought she would be and we're supposed to understand that he's developing real feelings for her. It's almost as if, since its a romance novel, the author expects us to assume that these two people have to obviously be falling in love.
More importantly, my biggest problem with this book is the fact that the guy doesn't really feel too guilty even after his secret is out. Sure, he drinks one brandy one whole night, and has bloodshot eyes the next day. But,beyond that, there was no down on the knees, begging for forgiveness, being unable to forgive oneself kind of grovelling.
Given the circumstances, I really couldn't give this book more than two stars.
June 3, 2011
I thought this book started out interesting with the heroines father blackmailing the H to marry his daughter.Its an old plot as far as regencies go but done well it can be good. H starts to pop up wherever the h goes,and I could really symphatize with her confusion at suddenly being chased by such an eligible bachelor. Up to this point I was enjoying the book.
Then things got racy...I felt he fell a little to conveniently for her and after she agreed to marry him they did little but have sex and nothing else.I mean a little steaminess is good in a romance,but the H got me wondering if he was some kind of sex-addict...hrm Since everytime the h wanted to talk with the H,he initiated sex. Thats not the sign of a healthy relationship IMO
Ive read worse and Ive read better...but this book just becomes kind of "meh" halfway through.
Then things got racy...I felt he fell a little to conveniently for her and after she agreed to marry him they did little but have sex and nothing else.I mean a little steaminess is good in a romance,but the H got me wondering if he was some kind of sex-addict...hrm Since everytime the h wanted to talk with the H,he initiated sex. Thats not the sign of a healthy relationship IMO
Ive read worse and Ive read better...but this book just becomes kind of "meh" halfway through.
April 4, 2012
I tried. I tried so hard to not DNF this book. But the problem with this book is just that it's so emotionless - I feel nothing for these characters, I feel nothing with these characters, etc. Even at the parts where there was supposed to be great angst (when she finds out that he's been lying to her about the money all along), I felt nothing.
The writing was dry/average, and the characters easily turned bland. There were shitloads of cliches, not enough groveling from the main hero - I also couldn't feel like this was much of a historical. The setting was not well described at all (or just described at all).
So to sum it up, I pushed myself until about halfway through the book where I just gave up.
The writing was dry/average, and the characters easily turned bland. There were shitloads of cliches, not enough groveling from the main hero - I also couldn't feel like this was much of a historical. The setting was not well described at all (or just described at all).
So to sum it up, I pushed myself until about halfway through the book where I just gave up.
December 31, 2015
A good read. Hero falls in like, then in love with heroine. Heroine shows backbone and when the deception is revealed, doesn't let hero walk all over her. Good love scenes.
October 19, 2020
Jack Byron got stuck between a rock and a hard place. He lost a HUGE bet and has to marry the man's daughter. He's not happy until he actually meets her, she's terrific. Grace and Jack are lovely characters so it was easy to get involved in the storyline. This is book 2 in the Byrons of Braebourne series. I found a couple of them at a used bookstore and am working my way through what I have. Seduced was published in 2009 and it's still a good story in 2020.
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