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Windham #7
Lady Eve's Indiscretion
She needed a plan. What she found was a marquis...
Lady Evie Windham has a secret to keep, and a wedding night would ruin everything. She's determined to avoid marriage as long as possible, but with her parents pushing potential partners her way from every direction, she needs a miracle. When she meets Lucas Denning, the newly titled Marquis of Deene, Evie knows he could be the answer.
Lucas Denning has a secret of his own, and he's finding it harder and harder to ward off the ladies who seem to think him a suitable husband. He doesn't think they'd be so keen if they knew of the gambling debts he inherited and can't repay.
When Lady Eve suggests that they could be each other's decoy, it seems like the perfect way to keep all eyes off of him for a while. What he didn't expect was the steamy kiss that no one was supposed to see, and that he never saw coming...
Lady Evie Windham has a secret to keep, and a wedding night would ruin everything. She's determined to avoid marriage as long as possible, but with her parents pushing potential partners her way from every direction, she needs a miracle. When she meets Lucas Denning, the newly titled Marquis of Deene, Evie knows he could be the answer.
Lucas Denning has a secret of his own, and he's finding it harder and harder to ward off the ladies who seem to think him a suitable husband. He doesn't think they'd be so keen if they knew of the gambling debts he inherited and can't repay.
When Lady Eve suggests that they could be each other's decoy, it seems like the perfect way to keep all eyes off of him for a while. What he didn't expect was the steamy kiss that no one was supposed to see, and that he never saw coming...
397 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 5, 2013
464 people are currently reading
1815 people want to read
About the author
Grace Burrowes
190 books2,913 followersGrace Burrowes started writing as an antidote to empty nest and soon found it an antidote to life in general. She is the sixth out of seven children, raised in the rural surrounds of central Pennsylvania. Early in life she spent a lot of time reading romance novels and practicing the piano. Her first career was as a technical writer and editor in the Washington, DC, area, a busy job that nonetheless left enough time to read a lot of romance novels.
It also left enough time to grab a law degree through an evening program, produce Beloved Offspring (only one, but she is a lion), and eventually move to the lovely Maryland countryside.
While reading yet still more romance novels, Grace opened her own law practice, acquired a master's degree in Conflict Transformation (she had a teenage daughter by then) and started thinking about writing.... romance novels. This aim was realized when Beloved Offspring struck out into the Big World a few years ago. ("Mom, why doesn't anybody tell you being a grown-up is hard?")
Grace eventually got up the courage to start pitching her manuscripts to agents and editors. The query letter that resulted in "the call" started out: "I am the buffoon in the bar at the RWA retreat who could not keep her heroines straight, could not look you in the eye, and could not stop blushing--and if that doesn't narrow down the possibilities, your job is even harder than I thought." (The dear lady bought the book anyway.)
To contact Grace, email her at graceburrowes@yahoo.com.
It also left enough time to grab a law degree through an evening program, produce Beloved Offspring (only one, but she is a lion), and eventually move to the lovely Maryland countryside.
While reading yet still more romance novels, Grace opened her own law practice, acquired a master's degree in Conflict Transformation (she had a teenage daughter by then) and started thinking about writing.... romance novels. This aim was realized when Beloved Offspring struck out into the Big World a few years ago. ("Mom, why doesn't anybody tell you being a grown-up is hard?")
Grace eventually got up the courage to start pitching her manuscripts to agents and editors. The query letter that resulted in "the call" started out: "I am the buffoon in the bar at the RWA retreat who could not keep her heroines straight, could not look you in the eye, and could not stop blushing--and if that doesn't narrow down the possibilities, your job is even harder than I thought." (The dear lady bought the book anyway.)
To contact Grace, email her at graceburrowes@yahoo.com.
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December 29, 2016
4.5 stars
This is the seventh book in the Windham series, and another very enjoyable read from Grace Burrowes.
The story centres around the Duke and Duchess of Moreland’s youngest child, Lady Eve who, since having a serious riding accident seven years earlier, has cut herself off emotionally from her family and from the world in general. She isn’t a recluse, she has simply lost her former joie de vivre; she continues to attend society events, make calls and do all the things expected of the daughter of a duke, but she is just going through the motions.
Her parents and siblings are all aware of the differences in Eve, but none of them knows what to do to help her; especially as Eve does not admit that there is anything wrong. In this day and age, when we are familiar with the concept of counselling, it seems strange that Eve is allowed to continue in this vein for seven years without anyone trying to do anything to help – but this is the early nineteenth century, and there is also the sense that her parents and siblings don’t want to interfere for fear of making things worse.
There is one person who starts to get through to her however, and that is Lucas Denning, newly-minted Marquis of Deene, who is a long-standing family friend and neighbour. He and Eve have rather an abrasive relationship to start with – they seem to like to annoy and argue with each other – but Deene is incredibly perceptive about Eve’s needs and is able to discern when she needs space and time to come to terms with things and when she needs pushing.
While being attentive to Eve, Deene is also struggling to come to terms with the workings of his estates and his finances, all of which have been under the stewardship of his cousin for a number of years. His cousin is strangely reluctant to hand over the reins; Deene’s preoccupation with his preparation for a custody battle over his dead sister’s child at first prevents him from being suspicious, but he eventually begins to smell a rat and enlists the help of Joseph Carrington, (Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight (The Duke's Daughters, #3)) to discover exactly what is going on.
One of the things I enjoy very much about Burrowes’ writing is the way she allows the relationships between her protagonists to develop over time. In the books of hers I’ve read so far, the hero and heroine haven’t acted hastily on their attraction to each other and in fact develop a friendship before anything further happens between them. That is the case here, too, although there are quite a few stolen kisses in the first part. Eve is actually set on a “white” marriage (i.e, one in name only) but doesn’t tell anyone exactly why – and when she and Deene are caught in a compromising situation she is adamant that she doesn’t want to marry him, despite the fact that she is more than half in love with him. She is eventually forced to capitulate (as the alternative would be her father and/or brothers calling Deene out!) and despite her fears, their marriage begins well and Eve is happy for the first time in years.
Of course, this state of affairs can’t last – and Eve’s jumping to rather an illogical conclusion is perhaps somewhat convenient for the sake of the plot. It is just about plausible, considering her previous insecurities and fears, but the way their marriage hits the rocks because of it doesn’t quite work for me.
Burrowes’ writing is, as always, a joy and her depiction of the familial relationships is excellent. The relationship between Eve and Deene is affectionate and very tender and I thought the way in which Eve gradually opens up and starts to ‘find’ her true self again – through Deene’s patience and understanding – was very well done indeed.
If, like me, you like a good, character-driven romance, then this is definitely a book to add to your TBR list!
With thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the review copy.
This is the seventh book in the Windham series, and another very enjoyable read from Grace Burrowes.
The story centres around the Duke and Duchess of Moreland’s youngest child, Lady Eve who, since having a serious riding accident seven years earlier, has cut herself off emotionally from her family and from the world in general. She isn’t a recluse, she has simply lost her former joie de vivre; she continues to attend society events, make calls and do all the things expected of the daughter of a duke, but she is just going through the motions.
Her parents and siblings are all aware of the differences in Eve, but none of them knows what to do to help her; especially as Eve does not admit that there is anything wrong. In this day and age, when we are familiar with the concept of counselling, it seems strange that Eve is allowed to continue in this vein for seven years without anyone trying to do anything to help – but this is the early nineteenth century, and there is also the sense that her parents and siblings don’t want to interfere for fear of making things worse.
There is one person who starts to get through to her however, and that is Lucas Denning, newly-minted Marquis of Deene, who is a long-standing family friend and neighbour. He and Eve have rather an abrasive relationship to start with – they seem to like to annoy and argue with each other – but Deene is incredibly perceptive about Eve’s needs and is able to discern when she needs space and time to come to terms with things and when she needs pushing.
While being attentive to Eve, Deene is also struggling to come to terms with the workings of his estates and his finances, all of which have been under the stewardship of his cousin for a number of years. His cousin is strangely reluctant to hand over the reins; Deene’s preoccupation with his preparation for a custody battle over his dead sister’s child at first prevents him from being suspicious, but he eventually begins to smell a rat and enlists the help of Joseph Carrington, (Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight (The Duke's Daughters, #3)) to discover exactly what is going on.
One of the things I enjoy very much about Burrowes’ writing is the way she allows the relationships between her protagonists to develop over time. In the books of hers I’ve read so far, the hero and heroine haven’t acted hastily on their attraction to each other and in fact develop a friendship before anything further happens between them. That is the case here, too, although there are quite a few stolen kisses in the first part. Eve is actually set on a “white” marriage (i.e, one in name only) but doesn’t tell anyone exactly why – and when she and Deene are caught in a compromising situation she is adamant that she doesn’t want to marry him, despite the fact that she is more than half in love with him. She is eventually forced to capitulate (as the alternative would be her father and/or brothers calling Deene out!) and despite her fears, their marriage begins well and Eve is happy for the first time in years.
Of course, this state of affairs can’t last – and Eve’s jumping to rather an illogical conclusion is perhaps somewhat convenient for the sake of the plot. It is just about plausible, considering her previous insecurities and fears, but the way their marriage hits the rocks because of it doesn’t quite work for me.
Burrowes’ writing is, as always, a joy and her depiction of the familial relationships is excellent. The relationship between Eve and Deene is affectionate and very tender and I thought the way in which Eve gradually opens up and starts to ‘find’ her true self again – through Deene’s patience and understanding – was very well done indeed.
If, like me, you like a good, character-driven romance, then this is definitely a book to add to your TBR list!
With thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the review copy.
January 28, 2013
*This review was first published at Book Savvy Babes blog*
4.5 of 5 Stars
I am a Grace Burrowes fan, and I have loved the Windham Daughters series. Each daughter is very much her own person, with her own issues and story to tell. I was not too sure what to expect from Lady Eve, but I loved this story, it is a very emotional and well-written story.
While each of the Windham daughters has her own story or scandal to keep hidden, I found Eve’s secrets to be the most emotionally charged. Eve was deeply hurt in her past, both physically and emotionally. After 7 years, her body may have recovered, but her spirit was still damaged. Lucas Denning knows something of the trauma Eve went through and is a family friend. He and Eve begin to connect, and Lucas pulls her step-by-step into a full recovery. The pair do not have it easy, neither of them want to marry, but they come to find a partner in each other. When they are caught in a very compromising position, their relationship moves forward, but it takes time for the pair to work out their differences and overcome their pasts.
Grace Burrowes did an excellent job getting me to understand Eve’s fears, actions, and motivations. Eve is hurt, angry, confused, and terrified to face her fears and hurts. As the book progresses, Eve starts taking steps to overcome her fears, but the process is not easy or quick. I love that Lucas doesn’t push Eve too hard too fast, he doesn’t treat her like a broken person. However, both Lucas and Eve have trust and communication issues, which damages their budding relationship. I was moved to tears at places in this book, the story really got to me and I was absorbed in the book, hurrying to learn how Eve and Lucas would fit together and heal each other.
Grace Burrowes has outdone herself with Lady Eve’s Indiscretion. Lady Eve’s Indiscretion deals with complex emotions and situations, but Grace Burrowes skillfully balances the seriousness with love, excitement, and passion. Lady Eve’s Indiscretion is my favorite book in the Windham Daughters series so far. I have loved this entire series, and highly recommend this series to historical romance fans. I will definitely be reading the next installment in the series and more books by Grace Burrowes very soon.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*
4.5 of 5 Stars
I am a Grace Burrowes fan, and I have loved the Windham Daughters series. Each daughter is very much her own person, with her own issues and story to tell. I was not too sure what to expect from Lady Eve, but I loved this story, it is a very emotional and well-written story.
While each of the Windham daughters has her own story or scandal to keep hidden, I found Eve’s secrets to be the most emotionally charged. Eve was deeply hurt in her past, both physically and emotionally. After 7 years, her body may have recovered, but her spirit was still damaged. Lucas Denning knows something of the trauma Eve went through and is a family friend. He and Eve begin to connect, and Lucas pulls her step-by-step into a full recovery. The pair do not have it easy, neither of them want to marry, but they come to find a partner in each other. When they are caught in a very compromising position, their relationship moves forward, but it takes time for the pair to work out their differences and overcome their pasts.
Grace Burrowes did an excellent job getting me to understand Eve’s fears, actions, and motivations. Eve is hurt, angry, confused, and terrified to face her fears and hurts. As the book progresses, Eve starts taking steps to overcome her fears, but the process is not easy or quick. I love that Lucas doesn’t push Eve too hard too fast, he doesn’t treat her like a broken person. However, both Lucas and Eve have trust and communication issues, which damages their budding relationship. I was moved to tears at places in this book, the story really got to me and I was absorbed in the book, hurrying to learn how Eve and Lucas would fit together and heal each other.
Grace Burrowes has outdone herself with Lady Eve’s Indiscretion. Lady Eve’s Indiscretion deals with complex emotions and situations, but Grace Burrowes skillfully balances the seriousness with love, excitement, and passion. Lady Eve’s Indiscretion is my favorite book in the Windham Daughters series so far. I have loved this entire series, and highly recommend this series to historical romance fans. I will definitely be reading the next installment in the series and more books by Grace Burrowes very soon.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*
October 14, 2018
3.75/5. Lovely story and writing let down by a silly ending. This story is Grace Burrowes at her most Baloghest, and I mean it in a most complimentary way. The emphasis was on character development, good dialogue and subtlety in expressions, where it was what was left unspoken, that reverberated the most.
It started with a kiss, a kiss under the mistletoe last Christmas initiated by Lady Eve Windham aided by generous sips of punch but when the kiss ended, both parties were left bit befuddled by more than the grog. She and Lucas Denning have always had a friendly antagonistic relationship. He has been in and out of her home since a youngster, being friends with her older brothers and serving with them during the war. Lucas is now the newly inherited Marquis of Deene . He is gunning for an extended and expensive legal battle against his brother in law over guardianship of his niece. He doesn't really have time for distractions, but distracted is what he is increasingly around the enticing Eve. Their long-standing verbal skirmishes have taken on a new dimension since that kiss, complicated by an underlying awareness between them not previously present. So when Lucas was told that he can maximise his chance of winning the planned lawsuit by procuring a wife in order to gain respectability (particularly one with a considerable dowry), Eve is the only sensible choice. If only sense does not have a tendency to dissipate whenever she is around.
Eve herself is highly attracted to Lucas, but she is hiding secrets of her own - past regrets and trauma that make it hard for her to accept his suit. She has been cutting her path through society over the years, indulging in light flirtations with non-threatening gentlemen who were not going to encroach on her personal space and made if her mission to deter any misguided notions of matrimony. But Lucas is not like the other mild-mannered men she has managed in the past. He will not be deterred nor is she exactly trying to resist his advances, when she herself gravitates towards him.
The story is a slow brewing romance between two friends who discover their friendship has the potential to grow into something far more potent, chemically and physically, without losing the essence of their easy and comfortable companionship. I enjoy the trust and respect they show one another. The author tackled Eve's past trauma really well and realistically. . Although her family love her unconditionally, due to the delicate and taboo nature of her ordeal in those days, none of her family members were able to refer to it directly and hence help her deal with and overcome it. Instead it remained an unspoken demon, allowed to grow and fester. Such happenings would be harrowing enough in our present time, but was likely so much worse then because of the hush hush which probably fueled her shame more and also explained her hesitancy in sharing the past with Lucas. Unfortunately, the ending was a bit of a mess. Two wealthy, intelligent and powerful men deciding the fate of a little girl, they both profess to love, by the outcome of a horse race! For shame!
It started with a kiss, a kiss under the mistletoe last Christmas initiated by Lady Eve Windham aided by generous sips of punch but when the kiss ended, both parties were left bit befuddled by more than the grog. She and Lucas Denning have always had a friendly antagonistic relationship. He has been in and out of her home since a youngster, being friends with her older brothers and serving with them during the war. Lucas is now the newly inherited Marquis of Deene . He is gunning for an extended and expensive legal battle against his brother in law over guardianship of his niece. He doesn't really have time for distractions, but distracted is what he is increasingly around the enticing Eve. Their long-standing verbal skirmishes have taken on a new dimension since that kiss, complicated by an underlying awareness between them not previously present. So when Lucas was told that he can maximise his chance of winning the planned lawsuit by procuring a wife in order to gain respectability (particularly one with a considerable dowry), Eve is the only sensible choice. If only sense does not have a tendency to dissipate whenever she is around.
Eve herself is highly attracted to Lucas, but she is hiding secrets of her own - past regrets and trauma that make it hard for her to accept his suit. She has been cutting her path through society over the years, indulging in light flirtations with non-threatening gentlemen who were not going to encroach on her personal space and made if her mission to deter any misguided notions of matrimony. But Lucas is not like the other mild-mannered men she has managed in the past. He will not be deterred nor is she exactly trying to resist his advances, when she herself gravitates towards him.
The story is a slow brewing romance between two friends who discover their friendship has the potential to grow into something far more potent, chemically and physically, without losing the essence of their easy and comfortable companionship. I enjoy the trust and respect they show one another. The author tackled Eve's past trauma really well and realistically. . Although her family love her unconditionally, due to the delicate and taboo nature of her ordeal in those days, none of her family members were able to refer to it directly and hence help her deal with and overcome it. Instead it remained an unspoken demon, allowed to grow and fester. Such happenings would be harrowing enough in our present time, but was likely so much worse then because of the hush hush which probably fueled her shame more and also explained her hesitancy in sharing the past with Lucas. Unfortunately, the ending was a bit of a mess. Two wealthy, intelligent and powerful men deciding the fate of a little girl, they both profess to love, by the outcome of a horse race! For shame!
May 9, 2016
4.50 Stars. I was happy to come back to the Windham's and at times they remind me of Kleypas's Hathaways, which makes me love it even more. GB's writing is different then LK's, but there are similarities. 7 years ago Lady Eve made a bad decision, one that not only effected her physically, but emotionally as well. She knows that she must marry, but knows that due to her past, that nothing other than a white marriage will do for her. So for sure Lucas Denning is out of the running. But once Lucas is gets it in his head that Evie is the only woman that will do for him, then Katie bar the door. I loved Lucas on one hand, but wanted to hit upside the head with the other. He was so blind where Dolan and Anthony was concerned. I wish that we would have got more ending where him and Dolan could have talked further about Lucas's sister and how Dolan truly felt about her. We read it in Dolan's head, but not where he and Lucas talked about it. I also at least wanted to see Lucas confront Anthony for what he had done. Anthony got off way to easy for that. Lucas was good for Evie though, in that he knew what she was capable of and never let her back down from her fences as it were. I love visiting this family and can't wait for the next book in the series. It was still an awesome read and my niggles are minor in comparison to the overall goodness in the book. Might we have a short coming with Dolan and his pretty governess? I hope so! If you haven't read this series, I suggest that you start with the Heir, not because you would be lost if you read this book instead, just because this is such a great series.
February 9, 2013
I think Lucas and Eve will go down in history as one of my very favorite couples. I love the way their story develops and the way her family gives just the right push to help them. Kesmore provide wonderful comic relief. And, of course, it was, as are all Grace’s stories, eloquently written.
December 29, 2016
4.5 stars overall, for story and narration.
Grace Burrowes' Windham series was published a few years back, but only in the last year have audio versions begun to appear. Books 1-7 are now available (at time of writing this) and I believe the final book, Lady Jenny's Christmas Portrait, is due out shortly.
I reviewed this book HERE, so I won't rehash it; I just wanted to add some thoughts about the audio version which is once again narrated by James Langton, who has narrated all of Ms. Burrowes' audiobooks.
There are lamentably few good male narrators around who narrate historical romance - there are more when it comes to other sub-genres, although it's still a fairly small proportion overall - and fortunately James Langton is one of that small number. I enjoy listening to him; he has a lovely voice and an affinity for Ms. Burrowes' often quirky language, although I do recognise that his voicing of the female characters can be a bit hit and miss. That's not to say he's terrible at it; just that sometimes, he pitches them a little too high and they can come perilously close to squeaky at moments of strong emotion. Fortunately, he's good enough in all other aspects of the performance for the listener to be able to get past those few occasions and enjoy his rendition as a whole. And in this case, I'm pleased to report that he's pitched the heroine pretty well, so there's no "getting past" required :)
It's a very strong performance - because of the number of recurring characters in the author's books I can imagine it might be tricky to maintain consistency across several books, but Mr. Langton seems able to do that without breaking a sweat. Moreland, Westhaven and the hero, the Marquess of Deene all sound as they do in the other books in the series I've listened to, and the variety of accents employed for the secondary characters - Scottish, Irish, English regional - are all accurate and consistent.
Long story short - I enjoyed this one and would recommend to other fans of HR in audio.
Grace Burrowes' Windham series was published a few years back, but only in the last year have audio versions begun to appear. Books 1-7 are now available (at time of writing this) and I believe the final book, Lady Jenny's Christmas Portrait, is due out shortly.
I reviewed this book HERE, so I won't rehash it; I just wanted to add some thoughts about the audio version which is once again narrated by James Langton, who has narrated all of Ms. Burrowes' audiobooks.
There are lamentably few good male narrators around who narrate historical romance - there are more when it comes to other sub-genres, although it's still a fairly small proportion overall - and fortunately James Langton is one of that small number. I enjoy listening to him; he has a lovely voice and an affinity for Ms. Burrowes' often quirky language, although I do recognise that his voicing of the female characters can be a bit hit and miss. That's not to say he's terrible at it; just that sometimes, he pitches them a little too high and they can come perilously close to squeaky at moments of strong emotion. Fortunately, he's good enough in all other aspects of the performance for the listener to be able to get past those few occasions and enjoy his rendition as a whole. And in this case, I'm pleased to report that he's pitched the heroine pretty well, so there's no "getting past" required :)
It's a very strong performance - because of the number of recurring characters in the author's books I can imagine it might be tricky to maintain consistency across several books, but Mr. Langton seems able to do that without breaking a sweat. Moreland, Westhaven and the hero, the Marquess of Deene all sound as they do in the other books in the series I've listened to, and the variety of accents employed for the secondary characters - Scottish, Irish, English regional - are all accurate and consistent.
Long story short - I enjoyed this one and would recommend to other fans of HR in audio.
May 22, 2013
By 50 pages in the book, I was so bored, there was nothing going on at all.
The whole Windham clan makes an appearance, so many of them I can hardly keep my head from spinning. For me, this book feels like a grand family reunion/gathering of the Windham clan rather than the sweet, tender romance with two people as the main character trying to escape their past. It feels like the entire family is butting in. I hardly feel the need to go back and read most of the previous installments in the series; so much background information is given on every couple.
I wasn't drawn in by the romance with Deene and Eve. I understand that they have been friends a long time, and as such, it might take feelings a little longer to develop from platonic friendship to true love and passion...but for me, the passion, the spark that's supposed to singe the air as the readers delve deeper into their romance, was simply nonexistent. There's probably more ardor between me and my Pillow Pet.
The trauma that caused Eve's subsequent injuries and emotional grief were so briefly mentioned, I missed it completely the first time I read the book. Yes, I skimmed it. The book itself wasn't engrossing enough and the writing not on par enough to maintain my interest, so when I felt myself drifting off the the land of Nod, I'd just skim a few pages, and so I missed the retelling of The Big Trauma completely. Afterwards, I was left with a sense of discombobulation...I knew the blurb often lies, but all that trauma caused by a horse fall? After the second reading, I finally figured it out. It might be a good idea to have more than a mild hint of the trauma that became such a big, encompassing part of a young and sheltered woman's life, just saying. There's no need to mention the horse so often. As such, the first time around, I thought the horse was the cause of the trauma.
The story was dull and formulaic, the writing was not terrible, but nowhere on the par with truly excellent romance writers that redefine the genre. It's just a sweet, dull story with a Secret Past thrown in to liven things up. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who wishes to stay awake throughout the entire book.
The whole Windham clan makes an appearance, so many of them I can hardly keep my head from spinning. For me, this book feels like a grand family reunion/gathering of the Windham clan rather than the sweet, tender romance with two people as the main character trying to escape their past. It feels like the entire family is butting in. I hardly feel the need to go back and read most of the previous installments in the series; so much background information is given on every couple.
I wasn't drawn in by the romance with Deene and Eve. I understand that they have been friends a long time, and as such, it might take feelings a little longer to develop from platonic friendship to true love and passion...but for me, the passion, the spark that's supposed to singe the air as the readers delve deeper into their romance, was simply nonexistent. There's probably more ardor between me and my Pillow Pet.
The trauma that caused Eve's subsequent injuries and emotional grief were so briefly mentioned, I missed it completely the first time I read the book. Yes, I skimmed it. The book itself wasn't engrossing enough and the writing not on par enough to maintain my interest, so when I felt myself drifting off the the land of Nod, I'd just skim a few pages, and so I missed the retelling of The Big Trauma completely. Afterwards, I was left with a sense of discombobulation...I knew the blurb often lies, but all that trauma caused by a horse fall? After the second reading, I finally figured it out. It might be a good idea to have more than a mild hint of the trauma that became such a big, encompassing part of a young and sheltered woman's life, just saying. There's no need to mention the horse so often. As such, the first time around, I thought the horse was the cause of the trauma.
The story was dull and formulaic, the writing was not terrible, but nowhere on the par with truly excellent romance writers that redefine the genre. It's just a sweet, dull story with a Secret Past thrown in to liven things up. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who wishes to stay awake throughout the entire book.
February 26, 2013
Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.com/bo...
Lady Eve, pretty, petite, with phenomenal inner strength and awareness of who she is as an individual, is the youngest of the Duke and Duchess of Moreland’s children.
The marvelous Morelands with all their scandals, familial loyalty, and love rally around their little Evie as she begins to live again after seven years of struggling back from a horrible accident and an even more horrible experience with a crude, deceiving cad. She worked long and hard to regain her physical good health and has tried to do the same with her heart but it still has deep wounds that refuse to heal. The family’s humor, honesty, and protectiveness is amazing to see as they set in to see that she has a chance to become sparkling, mischievous, happy person she had once been.
Lucas Dennning, the new Marquis of Deene is a longtime friend and neighbor of the Morelands and served on the peninsula with two of Eve’s brothers. He and Eve shy away from each other because of a kiss under the mistletoe in an uninhibited moment when Eve was quite young. He has always been like another brother, but little by little, even though both of them vow they are just protecting each other from the social “hunters”, they find a unique connection that begins to smolder, sizzle then flame into a breathtaking love.
As Marquis of Deene, Lucas has a load of responsibility to deal with, something quite new to him. Also, he is determined to gain custody of his dead sister’s child to honor his sister’s wish and to give the darling little Georgina a home and place in society that befits her heritage on her mother’s side. Lucas also has Anthony, his cousin, to deal with. Anthony has supervised the stewards over the Deene lands for years. He will inherit the title should Lucas die before producing an heir.
The conflicts that ensue create intriguing, often heart-pounding moments. But the most captivating and sparking moments are the ones that Eve and Lucas share as their love grows with the various members of the Moreland family giving it a nudge every chance they get.
Grace Burrowes’ stories about each of the Duke and Duchess’ of Moreland offspring as they find true love are all magical and Lady Eve’s story is one of the best of them. Even though the reader is immersed in Lucas and Eve’s story, we also get glimpses of how Eve’s siblings are faring and how they all still secretly maneuver to influence events, to protect their own, and nurture each other as well as their own young families.
Ms. Burrowes’ well-researched historical settings, her exquisite writing style, her talent to develop riveting characters, her skill in sprinkling humor in at just the right time, and her delectable, sensual, compelling love scenes make Lady Eve’s Indiscretion a spellbinding, vicarious experience for the reader.
If you enjoy Regency historical, I recommend the entire series of books about the Morelands. Each book is quite different from the other yet they join in such ways as to show the strong, unbreakable ties that bind the family into a cohesive unit that will stand against the world to protect their own. The stories are replete with conflicts, rich with humor, and sizzle with love. They are like a set of jewels that go together with each of them uniquely cut to make them sparkle in their own special way.
I’m looking forward to Jenny’s story that will be the eighth book.
Lady Eve, pretty, petite, with phenomenal inner strength and awareness of who she is as an individual, is the youngest of the Duke and Duchess of Moreland’s children.
The marvelous Morelands with all their scandals, familial loyalty, and love rally around their little Evie as she begins to live again after seven years of struggling back from a horrible accident and an even more horrible experience with a crude, deceiving cad. She worked long and hard to regain her physical good health and has tried to do the same with her heart but it still has deep wounds that refuse to heal. The family’s humor, honesty, and protectiveness is amazing to see as they set in to see that she has a chance to become sparkling, mischievous, happy person she had once been.
Lucas Dennning, the new Marquis of Deene is a longtime friend and neighbor of the Morelands and served on the peninsula with two of Eve’s brothers. He and Eve shy away from each other because of a kiss under the mistletoe in an uninhibited moment when Eve was quite young. He has always been like another brother, but little by little, even though both of them vow they are just protecting each other from the social “hunters”, they find a unique connection that begins to smolder, sizzle then flame into a breathtaking love.
As Marquis of Deene, Lucas has a load of responsibility to deal with, something quite new to him. Also, he is determined to gain custody of his dead sister’s child to honor his sister’s wish and to give the darling little Georgina a home and place in society that befits her heritage on her mother’s side. Lucas also has Anthony, his cousin, to deal with. Anthony has supervised the stewards over the Deene lands for years. He will inherit the title should Lucas die before producing an heir.
The conflicts that ensue create intriguing, often heart-pounding moments. But the most captivating and sparking moments are the ones that Eve and Lucas share as their love grows with the various members of the Moreland family giving it a nudge every chance they get.
Grace Burrowes’ stories about each of the Duke and Duchess’ of Moreland offspring as they find true love are all magical and Lady Eve’s story is one of the best of them. Even though the reader is immersed in Lucas and Eve’s story, we also get glimpses of how Eve’s siblings are faring and how they all still secretly maneuver to influence events, to protect their own, and nurture each other as well as their own young families.
Ms. Burrowes’ well-researched historical settings, her exquisite writing style, her talent to develop riveting characters, her skill in sprinkling humor in at just the right time, and her delectable, sensual, compelling love scenes make Lady Eve’s Indiscretion a spellbinding, vicarious experience for the reader.
If you enjoy Regency historical, I recommend the entire series of books about the Morelands. Each book is quite different from the other yet they join in such ways as to show the strong, unbreakable ties that bind the family into a cohesive unit that will stand against the world to protect their own. The stories are replete with conflicts, rich with humor, and sizzle with love. They are like a set of jewels that go together with each of them uniquely cut to make them sparkle in their own special way.
I’m looking forward to Jenny’s story that will be the eighth book.
March 11, 2013
4. 5 Rating
Lady Eve loved horses and the stable as a young girl. She soaked up knowledge about horses and developed a touch for them. Her family recognized her special gift with the horses but they realize that a scoundrel stablehand was romancing her. The demeaning experience at age sixteen left her feeling ruined. To make matters worse she suffered a terrible tumble from her horse as she escaped the rogue. The doctors said she wouldn’t walk again but Eve proved them wrong. However, she hasn’t touched a horse since and she is determined that she can never marry because of the secret she has never revealed.
Eve’s parents have set their sights to find good mates for Eve and her younger sister. Eve has always had attentive suitors but has managed to dodge them. Now she may have to select an appropriate, suitable, but disinterested mate.
Lucas, the new Marquis of Deene, is the last of his line except for an older cousin who has served as the family steward for years. Neither of them is particularly interested in siring heirs but the duty must be done. Lucas is resigned to marrying but his real interest is on thwarting his low brow, Irish brother-in-law, Dolan, and getting custody of his niece. Lucas believes that his sister was forced into an unwanted marriage and that Dolan is responsible for her death.
Lucas has always been friends with Eve’s brothers and is inclined to keep an eye out for her welfare. He steps in to deflect a few arduous suitors and offers a deal to Eve. He’ll help her find an appropriate mate and she can fill him in on the suitability of the marriageable ladies. They begin to spend time together, both trying to forget, but actually wondering, about the delicious kiss they once shared under the mistletoe.
Surprisingly Lucas abruptly gets Evie to take the reins of his curricle. Then he lures her to his stable to meet his prize stallion. Eve helps to deliver a foal and Lucas’ admiration for the petite, strong woman grows. Eve initially refuses Lucas’ kind proposal of marriage. She wants a ‘white’ marriage with no intimacy and he needs an heir.
An unexpected visit catches them in a compromising situation and forces marriage on them. Once they are together Eve’s feelings begin to grow but she fears that Lucas will reject her if he discovers her secrets. Meanwhile Lucas is keeping secrets of his own and the discovery will cause trouble for their budding marriage.
I enjoyed the reluctant romance of these two characters. It is hard to fully appreciate Eve’s trauma but it makes sense from her societal view. Lucas is an absolute gem in his handling of Eve. Their biggest obstacle is failing to be truthful as they enter into the marriage. There is a bit of intrigue and wonderful horse racing to flush out the plot. I loved the wealth of horse knowledge shared through the story. Ms. Burrowes’ writing is as lively, warm and delightful as always. If you love horses and are a fan of historical romance I encourage you to read this story and more in the series.
I received this book from Sourcebooks for an honest review.
Lady Eve loved horses and the stable as a young girl. She soaked up knowledge about horses and developed a touch for them. Her family recognized her special gift with the horses but they realize that a scoundrel stablehand was romancing her. The demeaning experience at age sixteen left her feeling ruined. To make matters worse she suffered a terrible tumble from her horse as she escaped the rogue. The doctors said she wouldn’t walk again but Eve proved them wrong. However, she hasn’t touched a horse since and she is determined that she can never marry because of the secret she has never revealed.
Eve’s parents have set their sights to find good mates for Eve and her younger sister. Eve has always had attentive suitors but has managed to dodge them. Now she may have to select an appropriate, suitable, but disinterested mate.
Lucas, the new Marquis of Deene, is the last of his line except for an older cousin who has served as the family steward for years. Neither of them is particularly interested in siring heirs but the duty must be done. Lucas is resigned to marrying but his real interest is on thwarting his low brow, Irish brother-in-law, Dolan, and getting custody of his niece. Lucas believes that his sister was forced into an unwanted marriage and that Dolan is responsible for her death.
Lucas has always been friends with Eve’s brothers and is inclined to keep an eye out for her welfare. He steps in to deflect a few arduous suitors and offers a deal to Eve. He’ll help her find an appropriate mate and she can fill him in on the suitability of the marriageable ladies. They begin to spend time together, both trying to forget, but actually wondering, about the delicious kiss they once shared under the mistletoe.
Surprisingly Lucas abruptly gets Evie to take the reins of his curricle. Then he lures her to his stable to meet his prize stallion. Eve helps to deliver a foal and Lucas’ admiration for the petite, strong woman grows. Eve initially refuses Lucas’ kind proposal of marriage. She wants a ‘white’ marriage with no intimacy and he needs an heir.
An unexpected visit catches them in a compromising situation and forces marriage on them. Once they are together Eve’s feelings begin to grow but she fears that Lucas will reject her if he discovers her secrets. Meanwhile Lucas is keeping secrets of his own and the discovery will cause trouble for their budding marriage.
I enjoyed the reluctant romance of these two characters. It is hard to fully appreciate Eve’s trauma but it makes sense from her societal view. Lucas is an absolute gem in his handling of Eve. Their biggest obstacle is failing to be truthful as they enter into the marriage. There is a bit of intrigue and wonderful horse racing to flush out the plot. I loved the wealth of horse knowledge shared through the story. Ms. Burrowes’ writing is as lively, warm and delightful as always. If you love horses and are a fan of historical romance I encourage you to read this story and more in the series.
I received this book from Sourcebooks for an honest review.
April 11, 2014
I've now read all of the Windham books/novellas and plan to review them as a group. Don't know when I'll have time, though! Sneak preview: although I hated The Heir (Duke's Obsession, #1)for reasons stated in my review, I've enjoyed the rest of the series immensely. Recommended.
13 May 2012
See my review of the series at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
13 May 2012
See my review of the series at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
February 10, 2016
I'm having Burrowes Brain Freeze
Now it is time for the next to the youngest Windham daughter, Evie/Eve, to take center stage. As with all of the other Windham siblings, Evie doesn't want to get married. You know after reading seven books in this series in a row I have to confess I am puzzled. Yes puzzled. I don't understand why these children don't want to get married. In every book it is made abundantly clear that their parents Percy and Esther have a loving relationship. Furthermore they are great parents, even with all the schemes and butt-in times, they are still a great example of a family which is built on love. So, I have to ask why the children are so resistant to the idea of finding someone they could build a great relationship with. In fact, that could have been one of the tension building moments in the books - trying to find a mate who could live up to the standards set by their parents. But I am not the writer.
Anyway, we have Evie/Eve. Evie has a secret (don't they all). This secret turns out to be quite a good secret as opposed to some of the silly secrets from the previous books. As with most of Ms. Burrowes books, if you read some of the fine print closely enough you will be able to decipher just what the secret is. We know in the beginning of the story that Evie was thrown from her horse a number of years prior to this story, we also know that she was terribly hurt and had problems walking. She also is a little leery of getting back onto a horse - but there is another darker secret, one that makes her feel unworthy of marriage. As the tale develops we find out that her eldest brother Bart knew the full extent of her disaster. Spoiler. We also find out later in the story that before Bart died, he imparted this information to his friend Lucas.
Lucas and Evie/Eve have been delightful secondary characters in the previous books. One could always count on there being some bickering, bantering and insults between these two when they were in a scene. Their chemistry worked really well in the other books, and I was looking forward to seeing it in this book. As often happens when interesting secondary characters get their own book, sometimes what made them so enjoyable is lost. Lucas and Evie both suffered in the move from secondary to main character. I didn't see as much bantering in this one as I expected, so I didn't enjoy Lady Eve's Seduction as much as I wanted to.
Lucas' blind spot. Lucas may be one of the slower heroes I've seen in a while. It was very obvious from the beginning of this story that his cousin Anthony was up to no good. Anthony used delaying tactics all the time when Lucas would ask for something. He was evasive in his answers. He said disparaging things about Evie. He also seemed to lead a rather rakish life with a boatload of illegitimate children. Lucas' attitude toward all of these illegitimate offspring was a little cavalier. Lucas didn't seem to care whether Anthony was spreading his joy all over, nor did he view this as morally corrupt. I expect at least a frowny face from my heroes when confronted with such behavior. Especially since Lucas' character wasn't written as a degenerate. There were warning bells all over the place that pointed to Anthony as the villain, but Lucas just never caught on. He believed everything Anthony told him. When the ending came I wondered why there was even a villain. There was no retribution, Anthony just disappeared off the pages and ended up on the Island of Misplaced Villains.
On the other hand, I did like the way Ms. Burrowes handled Evie's big secret. Evie's emotional baggage was truly something which would scar a lot of women. Her struggles with this dark trauma were realistic and Lucas' handling of it was gentle and kind. In fact most of the book did an excellent job of painting Evie and Lucas as friends first, lovers second. When Evie and Lucas are the main focus this story really worked; where the story lost some of its momentum was with the secondary plots of taking the niece away from her father, Dolan, and Anthony's villainy. I didn't understand the necessity for either of these plot-lines and thought that they were a distraction from the main focus of the story, Evie and Lucas.
The horse race. Groan - not the good kind. I don't know if this ever happens to you, but sometimes I become embarrassed by things around me that don't have anything to do with me. Maybe there is a character in a book, in a play or a movie who does something silly - or should I say something is written for that character to do which is ridiculous. I have found myself embarrassed for that character. It's an odd feeling, being embarrassed for something which isn't real but there it is. Well, it happened in this story. This embarrassment surrounded a horse race. A horse race involving Lucas, Dolan, Anthony and Evie. I found the whole thing so idiotic I finally had to skip over it. That caused me to bypass a couple of chapters. I don't like to skim over parts of the book I'm reading, you just never know what you might miss. Anyway, the whole Dolan, Anthony, Lucas thing had me grinding my teeth every time they were in a scene together, then they are thrown together for a race/duel/bet with bad guys drugging horse jockey's and then Evie getting into the race. It was just really silly and I wish that there hadn't been any outside plot-line going on.
Overall, I think if I had allowed more time to pass between each book in the series I probably would have liked Lady Eve's Seduction better. As it is, one takes a chance when one gloms an author; not only does one spot patterns, one also sees a sameness in the characters. When characters become interchangeable they also become less exciting as a series progresses. That is/was what is/was happening for me with the Windham series. While I liked Lucas and Evie, I didn't care for the secondary sub plots. I also think in the case of the Windham's, there needs to be a little bit of a space between each book. While I may not recommend this book with a resounding wow, I give it a "decent" recommendation; I also recommend you not glom this series.
KaysBlog
Now it is time for the next to the youngest Windham daughter, Evie/Eve, to take center stage. As with all of the other Windham siblings, Evie doesn't want to get married. You know after reading seven books in this series in a row I have to confess I am puzzled. Yes puzzled. I don't understand why these children don't want to get married. In every book it is made abundantly clear that their parents Percy and Esther have a loving relationship. Furthermore they are great parents, even with all the schemes and butt-in times, they are still a great example of a family which is built on love. So, I have to ask why the children are so resistant to the idea of finding someone they could build a great relationship with. In fact, that could have been one of the tension building moments in the books - trying to find a mate who could live up to the standards set by their parents. But I am not the writer.
Anyway, we have Evie/Eve. Evie has a secret (don't they all). This secret turns out to be quite a good secret as opposed to some of the silly secrets from the previous books. As with most of Ms. Burrowes books, if you read some of the fine print closely enough you will be able to decipher just what the secret is. We know in the beginning of the story that Evie was thrown from her horse a number of years prior to this story, we also know that she was terribly hurt and had problems walking. She also is a little leery of getting back onto a horse - but there is another darker secret, one that makes her feel unworthy of marriage. As the tale develops we find out that her eldest brother Bart knew the full extent of her disaster. Spoiler. We also find out later in the story that before Bart died, he imparted this information to his friend Lucas.
Lucas and Evie/Eve have been delightful secondary characters in the previous books. One could always count on there being some bickering, bantering and insults between these two when they were in a scene. Their chemistry worked really well in the other books, and I was looking forward to seeing it in this book. As often happens when interesting secondary characters get their own book, sometimes what made them so enjoyable is lost. Lucas and Evie both suffered in the move from secondary to main character. I didn't see as much bantering in this one as I expected, so I didn't enjoy Lady Eve's Seduction as much as I wanted to.
Lucas' blind spot. Lucas may be one of the slower heroes I've seen in a while. It was very obvious from the beginning of this story that his cousin Anthony was up to no good. Anthony used delaying tactics all the time when Lucas would ask for something. He was evasive in his answers. He said disparaging things about Evie. He also seemed to lead a rather rakish life with a boatload of illegitimate children. Lucas' attitude toward all of these illegitimate offspring was a little cavalier. Lucas didn't seem to care whether Anthony was spreading his joy all over, nor did he view this as morally corrupt. I expect at least a frowny face from my heroes when confronted with such behavior. Especially since Lucas' character wasn't written as a degenerate. There were warning bells all over the place that pointed to Anthony as the villain, but Lucas just never caught on. He believed everything Anthony told him. When the ending came I wondered why there was even a villain. There was no retribution, Anthony just disappeared off the pages and ended up on the Island of Misplaced Villains.
On the other hand, I did like the way Ms. Burrowes handled Evie's big secret. Evie's emotional baggage was truly something which would scar a lot of women. Her struggles with this dark trauma were realistic and Lucas' handling of it was gentle and kind. In fact most of the book did an excellent job of painting Evie and Lucas as friends first, lovers second. When Evie and Lucas are the main focus this story really worked; where the story lost some of its momentum was with the secondary plots of taking the niece away from her father, Dolan, and Anthony's villainy. I didn't understand the necessity for either of these plot-lines and thought that they were a distraction from the main focus of the story, Evie and Lucas.
The horse race. Groan - not the good kind. I don't know if this ever happens to you, but sometimes I become embarrassed by things around me that don't have anything to do with me. Maybe there is a character in a book, in a play or a movie who does something silly - or should I say something is written for that character to do which is ridiculous. I have found myself embarrassed for that character. It's an odd feeling, being embarrassed for something which isn't real but there it is. Well, it happened in this story. This embarrassment surrounded a horse race. A horse race involving Lucas, Dolan, Anthony and Evie. I found the whole thing so idiotic I finally had to skip over it. That caused me to bypass a couple of chapters. I don't like to skim over parts of the book I'm reading, you just never know what you might miss. Anyway, the whole Dolan, Anthony, Lucas thing had me grinding my teeth every time they were in a scene together, then they are thrown together for a race/duel/bet with bad guys drugging horse jockey's and then Evie getting into the race. It was just really silly and I wish that there hadn't been any outside plot-line going on.
Overall, I think if I had allowed more time to pass between each book in the series I probably would have liked Lady Eve's Seduction better. As it is, one takes a chance when one gloms an author; not only does one spot patterns, one also sees a sameness in the characters. When characters become interchangeable they also become less exciting as a series progresses. That is/was what is/was happening for me with the Windham series. While I liked Lucas and Evie, I didn't care for the secondary sub plots. I also think in the case of the Windham's, there needs to be a little bit of a space between each book. While I may not recommend this book with a resounding wow, I give it a "decent" recommendation; I also recommend you not glom this series.
KaysBlog
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2013
A new Season is about to begin and there are only two unmarried Windhams left: Eve and Jenny. Eve isn't really looking forward to another round of proposals and rejection. She wants to settle down but, on her own terms. Eve wants a husband she can manage -- preferably one with heirs already so Evie can enjoy a white marriage.
Lucas Denning, Marquis of Deene isn't looking forward to the Season as well. Because of his title, he is considered one of the catches of the Season and he's tired of dodging marriage-minded mamas and misses. He finds a very good companion in Lady Eve, who saves him on several occasions from such awkward encounters.
Lucas has been friends with Eve and her family for many years -- but this is the first time that Lucas is looking at Evie and seeing something ... more.
Which is what Evie is afraid of. She wants a man who will fawn over her petiteness and appreciate the dowry and connections she brings to a marriage. She doesn't want a man wo is interested in her and her life -- for Evie hides a terrible secret from her past, which no one -- not even her own family talks about.
Two events in Evie's past has changed her life forever: A riding accident has left Evie forever wary of horses and riding -- and the other incident has left her forever wary of men. There are hints about the second incident as seen through Eve's reaction to certain sights, smells and experiences -- but she never names it. It is a shadow that rules over Eve's life and dictates what she can and cannot do.
This story is Evie's journey of healing. She is fine in body but not in spirit and hasn't been in a while -- her family doesn't know how else to help her and all they can do is give her their love and support. And stand quietly by her side through her ordeal.
This story is also a tale of two families: one seemingly whole, one seemingly broken. The Windhams are an amazingly close, congenial and very symbiotic family. There doesn't seem to be any friction or tension between the siblings or their parents. But they are not perfect -- one could see how burdened Eve feels, how badly she pretends to be "fine" for the sake of her family.
Lucas, his cousin and his niece are the last of the Dennings and he is trying to repair his family by gaining custody of his sister's only child but Georgie's father is making things very difficult for Lucas, who is forced to consider less legal, more forceful means.
This is the major sub-plot: Lucas and Patrick (Georgie's father) have a difficult history together -- Lucas believes his sister was unhappy in her marriage to Patrick and Lucas was powerless to ensure his sister's happiness. Now Lucas is determined to protect his niece, Georgie -- but he and Patrick couldn't seem to agree on how to do so. I wondered how this fit into the main story and I think Burrowes wanted to show this side of Lucas. He is a man intent in protecting those he feels responsible for. It also shows both his gentle and ruthless side: Lucas isn't an idle aristocrat with nothing in his brain. He is actually quite intelligent and very, very relentless.
Grace Burrowes writes Lucas and Eve very well. They are a wonderful pair and this is, perhaps, the first time that hero and heroine seem to be on equal ground -- but Marcus and Eve do face troubles and theirs are felt and not seen. Which leads one to reflect, would one prefer an outright villain to battle with? Or prefer to battle one's own demons?
As with all Grace Burrowes stories, there is a distinct rhythm to Lucas and Eve's courtship: they dance, they talk, they kiss and they engage in light flirtations -- lyrical and elegant are two words that I would use to describe their dialogues and encounters. Like a minuet, there is a deliberate slowness in Burrowes' pace -- and her characters get to know each other not in haste but in a very natural way. Love comes not on a high speed but on a leisurely promenade.
Finally, I have also come to appreciate the thoughtful humor that I find in Burrowes' stories and I love how they come at just the right time for both the characters and the readers.
Lucas Denning, Marquis of Deene isn't looking forward to the Season as well. Because of his title, he is considered one of the catches of the Season and he's tired of dodging marriage-minded mamas and misses. He finds a very good companion in Lady Eve, who saves him on several occasions from such awkward encounters.
Lucas has been friends with Eve and her family for many years -- but this is the first time that Lucas is looking at Evie and seeing something ... more.
Which is what Evie is afraid of. She wants a man who will fawn over her petiteness and appreciate the dowry and connections she brings to a marriage. She doesn't want a man wo is interested in her and her life -- for Evie hides a terrible secret from her past, which no one -- not even her own family talks about.
Two events in Evie's past has changed her life forever: A riding accident has left Evie forever wary of horses and riding -- and the other incident has left her forever wary of men. There are hints about the second incident as seen through Eve's reaction to certain sights, smells and experiences -- but she never names it. It is a shadow that rules over Eve's life and dictates what she can and cannot do.
This story is Evie's journey of healing. She is fine in body but not in spirit and hasn't been in a while -- her family doesn't know how else to help her and all they can do is give her their love and support. And stand quietly by her side through her ordeal.
This story is also a tale of two families: one seemingly whole, one seemingly broken. The Windhams are an amazingly close, congenial and very symbiotic family. There doesn't seem to be any friction or tension between the siblings or their parents. But they are not perfect -- one could see how burdened Eve feels, how badly she pretends to be "fine" for the sake of her family.
At services, Eve had volunteered to attend the children in the nursery, and this time -- this time -- she'd looked at all those boisterous, healthy children with their clean faces and broad smiles, and considered that her life would be devoid of the blessings of motherhood. For the rest of her life, while her sisters were raising up children, and her brothers were raising up children, and her cousins were raising up children, she would be ... childless.
That was infuriating too.
And now, Louisa and Jenny would hop into the gig and tool over to Kesmore's without a backward thought for their safety, their nerves, their ability to cope with a darting hare or approaching storm.
Eve loved her family, but still, there was much to be angry about.
- p. 104
Lucas, his cousin and his niece are the last of the Dennings and he is trying to repair his family by gaining custody of his sister's only child but Georgie's father is making things very difficult for Lucas, who is forced to consider less legal, more forceful means.
This is the major sub-plot: Lucas and Patrick (Georgie's father) have a difficult history together -- Lucas believes his sister was unhappy in her marriage to Patrick and Lucas was powerless to ensure his sister's happiness. Now Lucas is determined to protect his niece, Georgie -- but he and Patrick couldn't seem to agree on how to do so. I wondered how this fit into the main story and I think Burrowes wanted to show this side of Lucas. He is a man intent in protecting those he feels responsible for. It also shows both his gentle and ruthless side: Lucas isn't an idle aristocrat with nothing in his brain. He is actually quite intelligent and very, very relentless.
"Allow me to say, Hooker, that you will not be paid for all this painstaking research -- which I do appreciate, of course -- until such time as I have pleadings in my hand, suitable for submission to a court of appropriate jurisdiction. I bid you good day."
He had the satisfaction of seeing Hooker's brows crash down.
"And, Hooker? One more thing. I dipped my toe in the law at university, at least to the extend a man likely some day to serve as magistrate ought to. Those cases listed on your precious paper relate to trade agreements and civil contracts. While not a lawyer, I'm hard put to understand how custody of a girl child involves those aspects of the law."
- p. 80
Grace Burrowes writes Lucas and Eve very well. They are a wonderful pair and this is, perhaps, the first time that hero and heroine seem to be on equal ground -- but Marcus and Eve do face troubles and theirs are felt and not seen. Which leads one to reflect, would one prefer an outright villain to battle with? Or prefer to battle one's own demons?
As with all Grace Burrowes stories, there is a distinct rhythm to Lucas and Eve's courtship: they dance, they talk, they kiss and they engage in light flirtations -- lyrical and elegant are two words that I would use to describe their dialogues and encounters. Like a minuet, there is a deliberate slowness in Burrowes' pace -- and her characters get to know each other not in haste but in a very natural way. Love comes not on a high speed but on a leisurely promenade.
..."Did you enjoy our kiss, Evie?"
Evie. Only her family called her that -- and him. He said it with a particular intimate inflection her family never used though.
She sat up very straight. "Your question has no proper answer. If I say no, then I am dishonest -- I flew at you, after all, and you had to peel me off of you -- and if I say yes, then I am wicked."
- p. 23
Finally, I have also come to appreciate the thoughtful humor that I find in Burrowes' stories and I love how they come at just the right time for both the characters and the readers.
April 28, 2013
Lady Eve is the baby of the large and vibrant Windham family. As all of Polite Society knows, at the age of 16 she suffered a very Bad Fall from a Fast Horse, resulting in a long and complicated recovery.
What Polite Society doesn’t know, however, is that just prior to her Bad Fall, she had eloped with - and been raped by - a scoundrel. I found this treatment of rape fascinating - no one talks about it, of course, and the heroine herself often dances around even the thought of what has happened to her. Yet in their own way, the family is highly supportive of Eve, and thrilled when she begins to show interest in horse - and men again, if not necessarily in that order. Lady Eve resolves, so as not to shame her family by not marrying, to enter into a “white” (sexless) marriage, if only she can find an obliging candidate who’s not a drunkard, desperately in debt, or liable to be hung for his left-handed preferences (homosexuality).
Lucas Denning, aka Deene, has been a longtime family friend, if sometimes at odds with Lady Eve. Though he understands his duty is to marry and beget heirs, he’d prefer to avoid those charming debutantes where “nerves” (mental illness) run on the female side of the family, or who have gambling brothers, and other undesirables. He and Evelyn enter into an agreement to help save one another from bad marital choices by sharing the behind-the-scenes gossip that each knows of her/his own gender.
Of course, when healthy, good-looking young people are put in close proximity, we know what’s going to happen next.
I was tremendously moved by the scene where Lady Eve decides to revisit the scene of her rape, and Deene goes with her for moral support.
For more on the subject of rape, I've blogged about it extensively here.
Things I really liked about this novel:
• Lady Evelyn had been an amazing equestrienne, and horses had been linked with her physical and emotional trauma. It was great to see her slowly reclaiming that love and contact.
• The love and concern of the siblings, the way they were there, and took turns supporting her in different ways, without being overbearing or bossy.
• The hints of the love affair between the Duke and Duchess. *I* want “Chocolate at Midnight.”
• This book is very “horsey, and the details are wonderful, right down to the shedding of excess hair when Eve scratches Meteor in his favorite spot.
Things that were problematic for me:
• It seems like surely Deene would have figured out why Eve was so fearful on their wedding night, and eased her spirits by letting her know that he knew about her past, and that it made no difference to him. (Of course, this would have blown the tension of “when is she going to tell him?”)
• Likewise, Eve should have known that she’d given the game away in a thousand different ways, and just ‘fessed up about her “indiscretion.”
• The business with Deene’s niece and brother-in-law felt a bit contrived - surely one of them would have opened up a bit more and the common ground could’ve been found, earlier.
I have really enjoyed all the Windham family novels I’ve read, but this book is my favorite.
What Polite Society doesn’t know, however, is that just prior to her Bad Fall, she had eloped with - and been raped by - a scoundrel. I found this treatment of rape fascinating - no one talks about it, of course, and the heroine herself often dances around even the thought of what has happened to her. Yet in their own way, the family is highly supportive of Eve, and thrilled when she begins to show interest in horse - and men again, if not necessarily in that order. Lady Eve resolves, so as not to shame her family by not marrying, to enter into a “white” (sexless) marriage, if only she can find an obliging candidate who’s not a drunkard, desperately in debt, or liable to be hung for his left-handed preferences (homosexuality).
Lucas Denning, aka Deene, has been a longtime family friend, if sometimes at odds with Lady Eve. Though he understands his duty is to marry and beget heirs, he’d prefer to avoid those charming debutantes where “nerves” (mental illness) run on the female side of the family, or who have gambling brothers, and other undesirables. He and Evelyn enter into an agreement to help save one another from bad marital choices by sharing the behind-the-scenes gossip that each knows of her/his own gender.
Of course, when healthy, good-looking young people are put in close proximity, we know what’s going to happen next.
I was tremendously moved by the scene where Lady Eve decides to revisit the scene of her rape, and Deene goes with her for moral support.
For an interminable moment while he could only guess her thoughts, Eve looked about the room. Her gaze lingered on the bed then went to the window.
“Think God for the window.” She spoke quietly but with a particular ferocity. And yet she stood there until Deene felt her hand cover his own.
Her fingers were ice cold.
“Thank you, Deene. We can leave.”
She made no move to return below stairs, so Deene turned her into his embrace. “We’ll stay right here until you’re ready to leave, Eve Windham.”
For more on the subject of rape, I've blogged about it extensively here.
Things I really liked about this novel:
• Lady Evelyn had been an amazing equestrienne, and horses had been linked with her physical and emotional trauma. It was great to see her slowly reclaiming that love and contact.
• The love and concern of the siblings, the way they were there, and took turns supporting her in different ways, without being overbearing or bossy.
• The hints of the love affair between the Duke and Duchess. *I* want “Chocolate at Midnight.”
• This book is very “horsey, and the details are wonderful, right down to the shedding of excess hair when Eve scratches Meteor in his favorite spot.
Things that were problematic for me:
• It seems like surely Deene would have figured out why Eve was so fearful on their wedding night, and eased her spirits by letting her know that he knew about her past, and that it made no difference to him. (Of course, this would have blown the tension of “when is she going to tell him?”)
• Likewise, Eve should have known that she’d given the game away in a thousand different ways, and just ‘fessed up about her “indiscretion.”
• The business with Deene’s niece and brother-in-law felt a bit contrived - surely one of them would have opened up a bit more and the common ground could’ve been found, earlier.
I have really enjoyed all the Windham family novels I’ve read, but this book is my favorite.
March 1, 2013
I think most of my blog readers know how much I love this series and this installment is one of the best! The author has created two unique leads who care about each other so much. The addition of the rest of the fantastic Windham clan is icing on the cake!
I loved that Lucas wasn't your regular tortured hero. Yes, he had an issue that needed working out with gaining custody of his niece. But he was just a really sweet guy. The author uses adjectives like "doting" and "affectionate" a lot to describe Lucas, and he is exactly that. It was wonderful to read about such a caring hero.
Evie was more of the tortured character in this book, and my heart broke for her at times. She had two life changing events on the same day, one was more emotional, the other physical. It has taken seven years, for her to heal. While her family is wonderful and supportive, it takes Lucas' unconditional faith in her to help her believe in herself again.
I also really liked the storyline that involved the horses. It was very fun to read about and the ending was so exciting without any kind of an absurd murder or kidnapping plot! So refreshing for historical romance!
I love this series, and this, the 7th book about the Windhams is really one of the best!
ARC sent by publisher in exchange for an honest review
reviewed for http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com
I loved that Lucas wasn't your regular tortured hero. Yes, he had an issue that needed working out with gaining custody of his niece. But he was just a really sweet guy. The author uses adjectives like "doting" and "affectionate" a lot to describe Lucas, and he is exactly that. It was wonderful to read about such a caring hero.
Evie was more of the tortured character in this book, and my heart broke for her at times. She had two life changing events on the same day, one was more emotional, the other physical. It has taken seven years, for her to heal. While her family is wonderful and supportive, it takes Lucas' unconditional faith in her to help her believe in herself again.
I also really liked the storyline that involved the horses. It was very fun to read about and the ending was so exciting without any kind of an absurd murder or kidnapping plot! So refreshing for historical romance!
I love this series, and this, the 7th book about the Windhams is really one of the best!
ARC sent by publisher in exchange for an honest review
reviewed for http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com
July 27, 2022
Another one cultivating the reader's sense of dread. And the horsiness charmed me. I wanted to be sure and leave myself a clue for when I later forget what I thought. Took me back to my years in thrall to Dick Francis and steeplechase racing.
Library copy
Library copy
February 7, 2020
3.75 starts!
Too much horse talk for me.
Too much horse talk for me.
October 19, 2013
Grace Burrowes continues her amazing Windham series with another stellar romance found in her latest novel LADY EVE'S INDISCRETION. Emotionally captivating and uniquely exciting, this novel should not be missed!
Lady Eve Windham has a secret. Such a thing isn't unheard of for a member of the Windham family but still, if revealed, it would devastate those she loves. It is also the reason she can not marry, but at the very least she must consider a white marriage to a willing suitor. Lucas Denning, Marquis of Deene, is also looking for a spouse, but one of the last people he would consider would be Eve Windham. Yet the more time they spend together, the more he realizes how promising marriage to the beautiful young Windham could be. Unfortunately, Lucas can't be a part of Eve's dream of a white marriage. They are far too attracted to each other, which is made perfectly clear when they are caught in a scandalous embrace. Now it will be far too difficult to avert matrimony. If both Eve and Lucas can come clean about their hidden secrets, they stand a chance at their ‘happily ever after.'
Like most novels in the Windham series, LADY EVE'S INDISCRETION is a character driven novel that packs an emotional punch. Lady Eve deals with some very difficult demons, and most of this novel is watching her escape a painful past. I easily became wrapped up in this story, finding it hard to put it down for too long. Not only because I fell in love with the characters, but also because the novel is so eloquently written it garners your full attention. This author has a unique way with words which elicits all your emotions and leaves you breathless.
The development of Lucas and Eve's relationship is one of the reasons I adored this novel. They are quite familiar with one another at the beginning of this novel, so there is a deep friendship already established. There is also an abundance of playful banter, yet Eve is a terribly troubled woman struggling to survive her traumatic past. Her tortured soul is what prevents her from fully experience life and all its joys.
Lucas, on the other hand, is the kind and considerate gentleman that wants nothing more than to help Eve find her strength in order to move on with her life. Above all, he becomes exactly what Eve needs...someone to trust and believe in her. His compassion towards Eve will easily bring tears to your eyes. Mainly because this historical romance doesn't contain a hero which shelters or protects his heroine from the evil things in the world, but rather encourages her to love and live again.
Experiencing their ups and downs is what centers this novel. You have two separate people with their own trials, somewhat unwilling to lean on the other for support. Although it was difficult to read, you have a great amount of angst and drama following this couple as they break through their own difficult baggage. Yet even without the heavy dramatic antics, the pace of the story still moves quickly. There is a slight amount of external drama that the characters need to deal with, but their greatest struggle is with each other. They have to work through plenty of trust issues and complications in order to see if their marriage can work. I feel this is where the true beauty of their romance shines. This is where you actually get to see the characters work for something they want and not just for their own benefit. As a reader, you don't have to start accepting their happily ever after, you can start to believe in its promise of their undying love.
While I have most likely said it before, it bears repeating...if you haven't read a Burrowes historical romance it is best to start at the beginning. This large family that keeps growing with every installment is best understood if read in order. Each sibling and in-law is drastically different from one another and the quips and qualities of each character are much more enjoyable if you know them better and have read their story. This is a wonderful family to know and seeing how they interact and protect one another makes each story more than a great romance. On the same vein, if you haven't read a historical romance by Grace Burrowes, you are truly missing out. Even if you do not read the novels in order, you are still in for a delightful read.
Intelligent, well written and fabulously passionate, LADY EVE'S INDISCRETION is a great novel. This has what every historical romance fan could want and then some. With stunning sensuality between realistic characters, the simple truth is that Grace Burrowes always delivers a delectable story. LADY EVE'S INDISCRETION continues to confirm that legacy.
Lisa Jo @ The Romance Reviews
Lady Eve Windham has a secret. Such a thing isn't unheard of for a member of the Windham family but still, if revealed, it would devastate those she loves. It is also the reason she can not marry, but at the very least she must consider a white marriage to a willing suitor. Lucas Denning, Marquis of Deene, is also looking for a spouse, but one of the last people he would consider would be Eve Windham. Yet the more time they spend together, the more he realizes how promising marriage to the beautiful young Windham could be. Unfortunately, Lucas can't be a part of Eve's dream of a white marriage. They are far too attracted to each other, which is made perfectly clear when they are caught in a scandalous embrace. Now it will be far too difficult to avert matrimony. If both Eve and Lucas can come clean about their hidden secrets, they stand a chance at their ‘happily ever after.'
Like most novels in the Windham series, LADY EVE'S INDISCRETION is a character driven novel that packs an emotional punch. Lady Eve deals with some very difficult demons, and most of this novel is watching her escape a painful past. I easily became wrapped up in this story, finding it hard to put it down for too long. Not only because I fell in love with the characters, but also because the novel is so eloquently written it garners your full attention. This author has a unique way with words which elicits all your emotions and leaves you breathless.
The development of Lucas and Eve's relationship is one of the reasons I adored this novel. They are quite familiar with one another at the beginning of this novel, so there is a deep friendship already established. There is also an abundance of playful banter, yet Eve is a terribly troubled woman struggling to survive her traumatic past. Her tortured soul is what prevents her from fully experience life and all its joys.
Lucas, on the other hand, is the kind and considerate gentleman that wants nothing more than to help Eve find her strength in order to move on with her life. Above all, he becomes exactly what Eve needs...someone to trust and believe in her. His compassion towards Eve will easily bring tears to your eyes. Mainly because this historical romance doesn't contain a hero which shelters or protects his heroine from the evil things in the world, but rather encourages her to love and live again.
Experiencing their ups and downs is what centers this novel. You have two separate people with their own trials, somewhat unwilling to lean on the other for support. Although it was difficult to read, you have a great amount of angst and drama following this couple as they break through their own difficult baggage. Yet even without the heavy dramatic antics, the pace of the story still moves quickly. There is a slight amount of external drama that the characters need to deal with, but their greatest struggle is with each other. They have to work through plenty of trust issues and complications in order to see if their marriage can work. I feel this is where the true beauty of their romance shines. This is where you actually get to see the characters work for something they want and not just for their own benefit. As a reader, you don't have to start accepting their happily ever after, you can start to believe in its promise of their undying love.
While I have most likely said it before, it bears repeating...if you haven't read a Burrowes historical romance it is best to start at the beginning. This large family that keeps growing with every installment is best understood if read in order. Each sibling and in-law is drastically different from one another and the quips and qualities of each character are much more enjoyable if you know them better and have read their story. This is a wonderful family to know and seeing how they interact and protect one another makes each story more than a great romance. On the same vein, if you haven't read a historical romance by Grace Burrowes, you are truly missing out. Even if you do not read the novels in order, you are still in for a delightful read.
Intelligent, well written and fabulously passionate, LADY EVE'S INDISCRETION is a great novel. This has what every historical romance fan could want and then some. With stunning sensuality between realistic characters, the simple truth is that Grace Burrowes always delivers a delectable story. LADY EVE'S INDISCRETION continues to confirm that legacy.
Lisa Jo @ The Romance Reviews
October 12, 2019
I realized that I had started this book months ago and didn't finish it. I started over and read the whole thing this time. It still me 4 days because I set it aside again.
This is my least favorite of the Windham siblings books. I can't even say exactly why except that it seemed rather plodding and difficult to keep my attention. I believe part of that was that it took too long for each of their secrets to unfold for the reader. I get having the characters keep them from each other, but usually Burrowes reveals things to the reader at better timed and faster pace.
Too much time dragging things out makes just not care anymore what the Big Secret or motivator. (BTW, that's also why I don't read slow burn romances. I usually lose interest way before the romantic couple finally gets together.) This book was more of a slow burn than usual for this author.
This is my least favorite of the Windham siblings books. I can't even say exactly why except that it seemed rather plodding and difficult to keep my attention. I believe part of that was that it took too long for each of their secrets to unfold for the reader. I get having the characters keep them from each other, but usually Burrowes reveals things to the reader at better timed and faster pace.
Too much time dragging things out makes just not care anymore what the Big Secret or motivator. (BTW, that's also why I don't read slow burn romances. I usually lose interest way before the romantic couple finally gets together.) This book was more of a slow burn than usual for this author.
January 15, 2013
“Lady Eve’s Indiscretion” by Grace Burrowes is an impressive addition to her lovely historical romance novels that feature the Windham family. Eve Windham’s living siblings have almost all found their soulmates and she and her younger sister Jennie are the only ones remaining single. Eve has changed greatly from the expert horsewoman and vivacious young woman that Lucas Denning, the Marquis of Deene, remembers from their youth. He does not expect to learn that she has no plans to marry or engage in intimate relations but when circumstances force them to reconsider their respective expectations of matrimony, each of them must decide whether the rumors which seem to swirl around both of them will outweigh the benefits of relaxing their guard with each other and bestowing upon each other the ultimate gift of trust.
A touching and hypnotic historical romance that combines a heartwrenching set of events with a beautifully unfolding love story. The Windham siblings and their respective mates are all intriguingly eccentric and it is wonderful to get glimpses of the various couples and their blissful relationships. Watching the emotionally scarred Eve blossom under the careful approach used by Lucas who displays such wonderful sensitivity is a beautiful journey and the unwavering support offered by her family is a delight. There is a rather obvious villain but the overall story is exquisitely rendered and an emotional read. This was a story that I did not want to put down until I finished even though I required a few tissues before I was done. The secondary characters are also intriguing and I look forward to reading their stories as well since one of the things I am most impressed by with the books in this series is how different all of these stories are, each with memorable characters which aren’t necessarily human. I look forward to reading many more stories by this talented author.
© Night Owl Reviews
I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.
September 6, 2014
Lady Eve is the second youngest daughter of the Duke of Windham, but at age 23 she is dangerously close to being declared a spinster. In fact, she's decided she doesn't want to marry at all, because of an "indiscretion" when she was much younger that ruined her for marriage (according to her). She is also a fabulously talented horsewoman who hasn't ridden a horse in seven years, after a riding accident that almost crippled her permanently. So our hero Lucas Denning's task is to convince Eve that she can ride and that she can fall in love and marry (him, of course), and he does this just splendidly. Along the way there is a nail-biter of a steeplechase horse race (a horse race that involves not just running down a track, but also clearing the types of obstacles that you would associate with show jumping) between Lucas' champion stallion and Lucas brother-in-law's fine horse. And a villain to defeat, although this aspect of the plot was pretty ho-hum and the villain was easy to spot.
Grace Burrowes has written another delightful romance with this book. Great romantic chemistry between Eve and Lucas. The horse racing aspects were very interesting to read (because they were actually about the horses, not the "stud book" that bored me to sleep in a book by another author) and Grace Burrowes obviously knows her stuff in this area.. So this one's a keeper for me.
Grace Burrowes has written another delightful romance with this book. Great romantic chemistry between Eve and Lucas. The horse racing aspects were very interesting to read (because they were actually about the horses, not the "stud book" that bored me to sleep in a book by another author) and Grace Burrowes obviously knows her stuff in this area.. So this one's a keeper for me.
February 13, 2013
Eve a young woman, whom after an accident secluded herself. Eve stops riding and working with horse. Living a half life compared to the life she used to live.
Lucas after returning from war, starts trying to gain custody of his niece. Feeling that is what his sister wanted him to do after her death.
Eve and Lucas have known each other for awhile. as their family estates border each other. They become closer and closer their attraction to each growing. Both are also to afraid to admit that they care for each other. The plot was well written and flows very smoothly. I enjoyed all the twists and turns in the plot. The interactions between characters was very well written, I enjoyed the characters closeness with each other. Character development was very interesting . I felt very drawn in to Lady Eve's
Indiscretion, with what happened to Eve and how she hid it trying to avoid scandal not wanting people to know what mistake she made as a teenager. I enjoyed how the end Lucas helped get over what had happened to her. Lady Eve's Indiscretion was an awesome read.
I give Lady Eve's Indiscretion five cocktails.
Lucas after returning from war, starts trying to gain custody of his niece. Feeling that is what his sister wanted him to do after her death.
Eve and Lucas have known each other for awhile. as their family estates border each other. They become closer and closer their attraction to each growing. Both are also to afraid to admit that they care for each other. The plot was well written and flows very smoothly. I enjoyed all the twists and turns in the plot. The interactions between characters was very well written, I enjoyed the characters closeness with each other. Character development was very interesting . I felt very drawn in to Lady Eve's
Indiscretion, with what happened to Eve and how she hid it trying to avoid scandal not wanting people to know what mistake she made as a teenager. I enjoyed how the end Lucas helped get over what had happened to her. Lady Eve's Indiscretion was an awesome read.
I give Lady Eve's Indiscretion five cocktails.
February 19, 2013
2.5/5
This book was in a way hard for me to read. It started off really well and was thoroughly engaging with the romance between Evie Windhan and Lucas Dennning but around two thirds of the way through, I simply lost interest.
It was shame but I ended up just skimming the rest of the book after putting it down for a week or two. I found there to be little character development for Evie in the second half of the book which was a shame because I really liked her at the start. Her objections to Lucas' plans to pursue a lawsuit to take custody of his niece in my opinion weren't strong enough to warrant her almost childlike anger. As the hero, Lucas Denning didn't really stand out as much for me following the marriage either. He was intriguing when courting Evie but once the two were married the basis for the tension between the two didn't really work for me.
Overall it was merely an okay read for me. Writing wise, Burrowes has a nice clean style but in wrapping up the plot I was rather disappointed and thought it was lacking in substance.
This book was in a way hard for me to read. It started off really well and was thoroughly engaging with the romance between Evie Windhan and Lucas Dennning but around two thirds of the way through, I simply lost interest.
It was shame but I ended up just skimming the rest of the book after putting it down for a week or two. I found there to be little character development for Evie in the second half of the book which was a shame because I really liked her at the start. Her objections to Lucas' plans to pursue a lawsuit to take custody of his niece in my opinion weren't strong enough to warrant her almost childlike anger. As the hero, Lucas Denning didn't really stand out as much for me following the marriage either. He was intriguing when courting Evie but once the two were married the basis for the tension between the two didn't really work for me.
Overall it was merely an okay read for me. Writing wise, Burrowes has a nice clean style but in wrapping up the plot I was rather disappointed and thought it was lacking in substance.
March 3, 2013
How can you not like a book about a Windham? Grace Burrowes delivers once again in "Lady Eve's Indiscretion".
Eve and Lucas are a perfect duo. I really enjoyed how sweet Lucas was to Eve. He just wanted to love and cherish her and most importantly make her feel safe.
Eve overcoming her tragedy and fears was wonderful.
As always when reading about the Windham'ss you're always sad to see it end.
Well done Grace Burrowes, well done!
Eve and Lucas are a perfect duo. I really enjoyed how sweet Lucas was to Eve. He just wanted to love and cherish her and most importantly make her feel safe.
Eve overcoming her tragedy and fears was wonderful.
As always when reading about the Windham'ss you're always sad to see it end.
Well done Grace Burrowes, well done!
May 12, 2017
Another sweet read in this series. I liked both H and h. The story did become a bit convoluted towards the end, and in the last 20% or so I found myself starting to skim a little. However Deene and Eve are a good match and I wanted to keep going and read the whole thing. Now I only have one sibling's story left to read - Lady Jenny.
February 4, 2013
Received an ARC of this book through Goodreads. This was my first book by Grace Burrowes and I really enjoyed it. Loved the way that the relationship between the main characters developed and grew. It was a truly beautiful story and I would definitely recommend the book.
August 9, 2017
We have watched Deene through the other 6 books, and I have been eagerly awaiting his story. Lady Eve, the youngest Windham sister has a secret, of course, that has caused her to be miserable for the past 7 years. They are a perfect match, but resist it, until the horses intervene. Yes, this book centers around horses, and has a PARTICULARLY happy ending. This is the only book in the series that really made me cry. Over a horse!
January 9, 2019
Tender, sweet, beautiful. Lucas and Eve’s story is a must read.
May 15, 2013
Some of the problems I wrote about with Darius are in fact still here in her latest book, so I'll stop complaining about them. Be forewarned that there will be times that a) there will be disconnects in the action, like a stutter-step, b) the villains will be dispatched off-screen and in no more than a couple of sentences and c)though the internal conflict for one of the main characters rings true and is almost astonishing, this comes at the cost of the other's inner turmoil, which seems forced, even fake.
But I quibble.
I will still read her books because the language is so beautiful, and the love story deep and compelling. Because of the sheer number of her books coming out (there are now more novellas, added just this week, I think) Burrowes has to be the most prolific author working at the highest writing level in romance. Therefore, phrases repeat. The rhythm, the exact wording--I become aware I've read them before.
Still, she shocks me sometimes with something new and literary. A description, usually, or an original and true observation or insight.
There's little action in this book, though all Burrowes' books are pretty contained. There's a horse race in this one--that doesn't make much sense. I objected to it right from the minute I sensed it coming on. It is an extreme solution to a sticky plot point that made everyone involved look dumb.
Plotting and action are not Burrowes' suits.
I would advise anyone who hasn't read prior books that regardless of what anyone says, you have to. Maybe even re-read them if it's been a while. Otherwise dry remarks like "One notices this." or "I find that impossible to believe" lose their considerable smile-punch.
These are great, great characters, and the way the book gave me pleasure, even when I was annoyed with the plot details, is a gift I accept from this author. With only a grumble, or two about the packaging.
But I quibble.
I will still read her books because the language is so beautiful, and the love story deep and compelling. Because of the sheer number of her books coming out (there are now more novellas, added just this week, I think) Burrowes has to be the most prolific author working at the highest writing level in romance. Therefore, phrases repeat. The rhythm, the exact wording--I become aware I've read them before.
Still, she shocks me sometimes with something new and literary. A description, usually, or an original and true observation or insight.
There's little action in this book, though all Burrowes' books are pretty contained. There's a horse race in this one--that doesn't make much sense. I objected to it right from the minute I sensed it coming on. It is an extreme solution to a sticky plot point that made everyone involved look dumb.
Plotting and action are not Burrowes' suits.
I would advise anyone who hasn't read prior books that regardless of what anyone says, you have to. Maybe even re-read them if it's been a while. Otherwise dry remarks like "One notices this." or "I find that impossible to believe" lose their considerable smile-punch.
These are great, great characters, and the way the book gave me pleasure, even when I was annoyed with the plot details, is a gift I accept from this author. With only a grumble, or two about the packaging.
February 14, 2013
LADY EVE'S INDISCRETION by Grace Burrowes is an exciting Victorian Historical Romance. Book 7 of the Windham Family series,but can be read as a stand alone,with re-appearing characters. See,"The Heir","The Soldier","The Virtuoso", "Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight""Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal",and "Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish". *May not be in order*
What a wonderful story that shows the trauma Lady Eve endured seven years prior to this story,her insecurities,her lost innocence and how her family rallies around her. Follow,Lady Eve Windham,the youngest Windham daughter, and Lucas Denning, Marquis of Deene as they navigate their desire for each other,secrets,family love,misunderstandings,horse racing,and love. Ms. Burrowes characters are engaging and likable,their chemistry ,sensuality,and witty banter jumps off the page. "Lady Eve's Indiscretion" is captivating and full of honest emotions. The Windham family is a pleasure to follow,I can hardly wait to see Jenny's story come to life.If you enjoy historical romance,Victorian England,drama,emotional characters,and a plain great read than "Lady Eve's Indiscretion" is the story for you. Received for an honest review from the publisher.
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: MILD
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, My Book Addiction and More/My Book Addiction Reviews
What a wonderful story that shows the trauma Lady Eve endured seven years prior to this story,her insecurities,her lost innocence and how her family rallies around her. Follow,Lady Eve Windham,the youngest Windham daughter, and Lucas Denning, Marquis of Deene as they navigate their desire for each other,secrets,family love,misunderstandings,horse racing,and love. Ms. Burrowes characters are engaging and likable,their chemistry ,sensuality,and witty banter jumps off the page. "Lady Eve's Indiscretion" is captivating and full of honest emotions. The Windham family is a pleasure to follow,I can hardly wait to see Jenny's story come to life.If you enjoy historical romance,Victorian England,drama,emotional characters,and a plain great read than "Lady Eve's Indiscretion" is the story for you. Received for an honest review from the publisher.
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: MILD
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, My Book Addiction and More/My Book Addiction Reviews
February 6, 2013
Lady Eve, the youngest child of the Duke and Duchess of Moreland, has been avoiding matrimony for years now but only she knows of a past indiscretion that may affect her prospects. Lucas Denning, one of her brothers' friends and Marquis of Deene, has long been avoiding marriage too but now needs to secure his title. As Lady Eve and Deene keep finding each other in each other's company, their "friendship" grows and soon they are caught in an unacceptable situation. Lady Eve reluctantly agrees to a wedding but wants it to be a "white marriage." Unknown to her, her dowry allows Deene to pursue a lawsuit against his late sister's husband over custody of his niece until Eve discovers the paperwork in a desk and forbids it. Now the outcome depends on a horserace, his horse against the brother-in-law's. The night before the race, someone tries to drug the horse and the jockey and Lady Eve must step in as the jockey, this after not riding for seven years. Can she do it? Who is responsible? What is the outcome?
I loved the story; I didn't even cheat and look at the end. It was complex and had several subplots with a few different bad guys, one you wouldn't believe. I'd like to read the rest of the series now!
I loved the story; I didn't even cheat and look at the end. It was complex and had several subplots with a few different bad guys, one you wouldn't believe. I'd like to read the rest of the series now!
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