A Wild English Rose

The Duke of Strathmore #7.5

by Sasha Cottman

Regency London’s wild child is about to meet her match…

If Lady Cecily Norris’ parents are ashamed of her, they only have themselves to blame.

As a young girl, she was sent to live at a country estate along with other unwanted children of the ton. Her upbringing could only be described as unconventional and haphazard.

Cecily has now become a young woman both beautiful and wild at heart. Returning to London, she is determined to set her own rules for how she lives her life. As far as she is concerned, the ton and all its expectations for how a young unmarried woman should behave, can all go hang.

But she cannot fully escape her future, and her dismayed parents demand that she make a suitable and sensible marriage.

When Lord Thomas Rosemount trips over Cecily in a dark garden, he falls hard. His heart quickly follows.

In Thomas, Cecily encounters a man very different from those that she has lived with all her life. He is reliable, sensible, and dare she say a little boring?

But Thomas offers her something that she has never known before. A home and a future with someone who loves her.

Thomas knows it will take more than pretty words and a kind heart to win Cecily’s hand, and he will have to look deep inside himself to discover whether he is truly the man who can tame a Wild English Rose.

Genres: Historical Romance, Regency

ebook

First published March 3, 2019

About the author

Born in England, but raised in Australia, Sasha has a love for both countries. Having her heart in two places has created a love for travel, which at last count was to over 55 countries. A travel guide is always on her pile of new books to read.
Sasha lives with her husband, her university student daughter and a cat who demands a starring role in the next book. She has found new hiding spots for her secret chocolate stash.

Reviews

[Belle Terese]

jail for when that old guy asked if she’s ever 🐓🐓

[Lori ◡̈ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made it only to the point of the heroine getting groped by the decrepit pervert that her parents were betrothing/selling her to.

I think the story telling was fine, and this was just a personal preference of me not liking the main aspects of what was going on.

I found it to be a bit gloomy and depressing, of the heroine never having been loved by her parents, how open they all were to each other about despising each other, how she was encouraged/threatened to accept her gross old man fiancee pawing all over her during a meet n' greet. It was mentioned a few times how the heroine was not a virgin, how she didn't give a crap what society thought of her, the opening scene has her drunk and barfing in the back garden of a house party... I don't know, it just wasn't a feel good story for me. Maybe it got better later on in the story, but all of the drama was a bit too close to modern society for me.

[iread · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this book is a freebie when you go to Sasha Cottman’s website. I really enjoyed it. The entire Duke of Strathmore series is wonderful. I liked the hero and heroine in this story. Cottman does a great job of very quickly hooking the reader in and of putting some unforeseen twists and turns in too. There is a steamy scene in this book. I enjoyed it even though there were a few loose ends in the story. Overall, a great read.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story. I was really on their side, and didn't want her parents to find her (which they didn't).
A freebie from Sasha Cottman's website - check it out! 5☆

[Rainelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wild English Rose, by Sasha Cottman. Oh wow! This is my thinking. For a short story, this book could stand up against any novel. From the beginning to the end, I was telling myself, I’m reading a good book.
I’m reading a terrific love story. Oh my gosh, this is really a good book! Darn, it’s over?! This is a short, simple love story that brings a young couple together at a time where they really needed one another. Sasha focused on the pure joy and the happiness of Thomas and Cecily. Of course before our loving couple are able to figure out their feelings for one another, Cecily parents reveal their dirty laundry and show their bear claws. I certainly thought during this time someone wasn’t coming back from this. Thomas, could be any woman’s hero. As a reader, I want to tell Sasha, thank you for creating this character and writing him for Cecily. As I read the story, I visualized Thomas as the most romantic, kind hearted man.
He remains this way from the moment he meets Cecily to the last page in the book. With each turn of the page, Thomas impressed me with his loving and caring heart for Cecily. I was in total awe with Cecily’s character. She’s not scared of anything. Not even her father.
She spoke as a lady with a strong mind. She had her work cut out for her, but clearly, she wasn’t going down without a fight. You go girl! You’ve got my support. I recommend this book. I definitely look forward to the next installment in this series. I give this book two snaps and a, eww, no I will not s*ck your shriveled old c*ck! Until next time my fellow readers... read on! I voluntary reviewed this ARC after receiving a free gifted copy.

[Zena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blew My Mind Away!
I love the way this story says all it really has to in the format of a short story/novella and still it has everything necessary in it to make it a really great read.
What really blew my mind was the way Cecily changed from a snarky, out of control young Miss when Thomas showed her just a bit of compassion and interest.
Nicely done, Sasha Cottman, I take my hat off to you for this one!

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short and entertaining story set in the Regency era.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story raises the issues of the many children born from the liaisons of the men and women of the ton. Whilst most by-blows of the men were tolerated and ignored by their wives, and raised by their mistresses, they were also illegitimate, and carried the shame of their birth. Cecily is born to an Earl's wife and an unknown father and, although legitimized by the Earl, is unwanted, unloved and shunted to live in the country with other by-blows of the ton before being sent to Ireland to her grandmother as a teenager. She develops a love of horses and, although it is brushed over, was loved by her grandmother. I would have liked to learn how it benefitted her father to betroth her to an elderly, nasty man, other than to simply get rid of her. I wondered if getting control of the Marquis' holdings, through his daughter, was his greedy motivation. She may be slightly scandalous, but sending her to soirees unchaperoned would reflect on the parents, so is not realistic. She may still get drunk at a party, but there would at least have been a maid or footman to escort her.
Thomas is a lovely country gentleman and finds a woman who shares his love of horses. Escaping the betrothal is in keeping with her previous behaviour, but the story is unfinished. There is scope here to introduce Thomas' parents, and their reactions, and also to have her father find her. It wouldn't have been hard. This would have added a bit more depth to the story. All in all, a nice little story that is well written, but it misses its potential.

[Scishellgmail.Com · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, charming, unconventional and romantic

Cecily has been ignored her whole life by her family. Sent from one home to another, they see her as nothing more than a nuisance. So it is not surprising that she has grown up to despise the rules of the ton. However when her father decided it's time she was married to a man of his choosing, she does what any sensible lady would do. Run.
Thomas is a good man from a good family. When he literally falls over Cecily one night in a garden at a party he quickly realises she is very different from the other young ladies of the ton. After meeting her a few more times he quickly realises he could be very happy spending the rest of his life with Cecily. Now he just has to convince her. But after a lifetime of mistrust, and being thrown away, will Cecily learn to trust Thomas and find her happily ever after?

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook: This was my first experience with this author's work, and it was a fun and quick read. I enjoyed the Regency England setting. I liked Lord Thomas Rosemount as he handled Lady Cecily Norris with tact and care after finding her in the garden. I liked Cecily as she was determined to follow her own path. I was rooting for the couple as they made their way through the rock-strewn path of love. I thought the dual narrations provided by Christopher Teste and Billie Fulford-Brown were great, and their performances enhanced the story's entertainment. I won a copy of the audiobook. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this audiobook.

[Stella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was cute! I definitely wouldn’t jump to recommending it and it didn’t have a lot of depth but it definitely filled the ‘Bridgerton gap’ before season 4’s release. I liked the beginning, but then about half way why was so much happening so quickly???? I originally found the audiobook on Spotify and thought it would be a cute listen - not realizing what it was about or even that is technically part of a series, which thankfully it could be read as a standalone. But boy was I in for a shocker…not only did they meet a few days ago and start having ‘feelings’ for each other, but she ran away to his estate, he confessed that he loves her, and then PROPOSES! Kinda crazy if you ask me…but it was also only a two hour listen so what can you expect!

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this is a funny and amusing story in many respects, in others it is silly and wholly ridiculous. Her behaviour is beyond the bounds of acceptable, and as for the threat from the patronesses of Almacks ? Nonsense! They would have cut her without hesitation.
The supposed romance is negligible.
More time building the characters and their relationship would make this a much better book.

[S K · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only read this book because it was free and I’m sampling different authors. I’m sad to say I was disappointed. It felt like it was trying too hard to be Bridgerton (which isn’t even that good), but the quickness of their romance was ridiculous. It might’ve been a bit better had the old creep she was betrothed to been cut as well as the ending, and instead focused more on their connection.

[Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, free, novella. Classic romance set in the Regency period. I liked the characters, and although imperfect, they were refreshingly honest with each other. True love is too quickly discovered, but the characters were compatible enough to make it somewhat believable.

[Lana Birky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short read given free on Sasha Cottman website. It was a fun & entertaining short read that had an unwanted daughter's parents sending her off to a home for unwanted children of the Ton. Lady Cecily Norris has been raised unconventionally & has grown to be a beautiful but a bit wild & has been summoned to London by her parents to marry her off to a man older than her father. Cecily is determined to live her time as she pleases & then Lord Thomas Rosemount trips over Cecily in a dark garden - she is casting up her accounts & he falls hard (his body & his heart)! It doesn't take long for Cecily to fall also when she realizes how much they have in common & he is different in a good way. Thomas offers her a future & a belonging with him as his wife but can he tame this Wild English Rose?

[Carole-Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really quite nice and fun - for a freebie :) Cecily and Thomas really DO work!! Although the ending was a bit OTT, it was really enjoyable!

[Bev Bridges · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed listening to this book via epub for sight impaired people.
This my first time listening to this author.
I enjoyed listening to this book, no Spoilers.
I would recommend this book.

[Briahna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, quick audiobook. Reminded me of Kate and Anthony from Bridgerton!

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

[Myla Grengs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good time piece

[˚₊‧꒰ა Nayse’s Bookshelf ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and cute read. My only issue is that it wasn’t longer 😅