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The London Jewels Trilogy #3
Ravish Me with Rubies
Best of friends since boarding school, three luminous ladies take on London—and love—in this sparkling series from New York Times bestselling author Jane Feather
From the spark of revenge...
Petra Rutherford is certain she isn't the first dreamy-eyed girl that devilishly handsome Baron Granville of Ashton has loved and left behind. But when her brother's political ambitions place her before him once more, she's determined to give Guy Granville his own taste of torment. What better way to best a scoundrel than by luring his interest—before bringing things to an abrupt, embarrassing end? The only flaw in her gem of a plan is her still powerful attraction to the dazzling nemesis...
To a love more precious than rubies...
Guy Granville is disarmed by Petra's bold pursuit of him, so much so that he forgets he never intended to fall in love—much less entertain thoughts of marriage. Now, if only the fiery Petra would stop sparring with him long enough to surrender to him completely—and allow him to convince her that his riches, his rubies, and his heart belong with her...
From the spark of revenge...
Petra Rutherford is certain she isn't the first dreamy-eyed girl that devilishly handsome Baron Granville of Ashton has loved and left behind. But when her brother's political ambitions place her before him once more, she's determined to give Guy Granville his own taste of torment. What better way to best a scoundrel than by luring his interest—before bringing things to an abrupt, embarrassing end? The only flaw in her gem of a plan is her still powerful attraction to the dazzling nemesis...
To a love more precious than rubies...
Guy Granville is disarmed by Petra's bold pursuit of him, so much so that he forgets he never intended to fall in love—much less entertain thoughts of marriage. Now, if only the fiery Petra would stop sparring with him long enough to surrender to him completely—and allow him to convince her that his riches, his rubies, and his heart belong with her...
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 26, 2021
108 people are currently reading
682 people want to read
About the author
Jane Feather
170 books629 followersJane Feather (born Jane Robotham) is a popular British–American writer of historical romance novels. In 1984 she wrote five contemporary romances under the pseudonym Claudia Bishop. She is a New York Times-bestselling, award–winning writer, and has more than ten million romance novels in print.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
December 30, 2020
I really have some issues with this story from the start. It is about the women's suffrogate movement and the politics around it. I find this hypocritical because the premiseof the romance is that the heroine met the hero when she was 14. They went on moonlit walks, she wasn't 'out' yet, but he kissed her and lead her on. He then left the next day to find more entertaining places to travel to. The problem with this romance, is that the hero at the time,was 24 years old! What 24 year old man, woos a 14 year old girl, who isn't even wearing womanly clothing with kisses and romance? A pedophile. And then the idea is that he thinks the suffrogate movement isn't worth anything debatable? The "hero", and I use that term loosely, is a misogynist also!!.
How can the reader have any respect for this man who woos children and then comes back 10 years later to finish the job and marry her? I have no respect for the hero at all. There were plenty of other men who would have been so much more suitable. And for the heroine to want the attentions of a creepy old man?. This type of romance makes me cringe.
I mean, couldn't he have waiting for her to be out before treating her as a potential sex partner?
This gets the lowest rating and no recommendation. I expected better if this author.
How can the reader have any respect for this man who woos children and then comes back 10 years later to finish the job and marry her? I have no respect for the hero at all. There were plenty of other men who would have been so much more suitable. And for the heroine to want the attentions of a creepy old man?. This type of romance makes me cringe.
I mean, couldn't he have waiting for her to be out before treating her as a potential sex partner?
This gets the lowest rating and no recommendation. I expected better if this author.
January 20, 2021
2.5 stars rounded up.
When Petra Rutherford’s brother Jonathan asks her to join him for tea at Westminster to help him charm a member of parliament, she is stunned to see Guy Granville, Baron Ashton – a man she met and fell in love with ten years ago. And the man who broke her schoolgirl’s heart. She is barely civil to him – much to his surprise, as he holds fond memories of the girl he spent a summer with years ago. Shaken by the encounter, Petra vows to get her long-overdue revenge on Guy – she will charm him, enchant him, and then leave him with a broken heart.
Things don’t go as planned and her vow of revenge falls to the wayside and Petra finds herself falling under his spell once more – but this time she is wiser, she knows that Guy is a rake and promises to guard her heart. But the more time they spend together, the more they want and finally, Guy realizes that she is perfect for him and asks her to marry – it seems like HEA is a given – but soon they will have to face facts – they are both stubborn and when they find themselves on opposite sides of the Women’s Suffrage Movement – their love will be put to the test.
I am torn by this book – on one hand, it was different and I liked that Guy and Petra stayed true to their differing opinions – and while it made Guy appear to be a jerk in the eyes of a 21st-century reader – he was probably one of the most historically authentic heroes I have ever read. However, on the other hand, there is a whole lotta ICK – they meet when he is 24 and she is 14 – he spends time with her, kisses her, dances with her, etc. – later when confronted about his actions to her, claims that he had no idea she had feelings for him and then he says she was just a child – OK, so why are you KISSING a child? It was introduced early in the book and honestly, I just couldn’t shake the creepiness of it out of my mind – so that was definitely not a point in the book's favor. Of the three books, this one was probably the most sexual – but the love scenes were far from steamy, they were downplayed and merely warm. The book was interesting, with misunderstandings, warm love scenes, cameos with the former “Jewels”, cameos with true historical figures, a meddling ex-mistress, and a HEA. I really wish there had been an epilogue as this is the final book and I would have liked to have a peek into their HEA, as well as Fenella and Diana’s – but overall, it was an OK read, and aside from the kind gross child molester vibe at the beginning – I think this might be the best STORY of the three books.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher. *
When Petra Rutherford’s brother Jonathan asks her to join him for tea at Westminster to help him charm a member of parliament, she is stunned to see Guy Granville, Baron Ashton – a man she met and fell in love with ten years ago. And the man who broke her schoolgirl’s heart. She is barely civil to him – much to his surprise, as he holds fond memories of the girl he spent a summer with years ago. Shaken by the encounter, Petra vows to get her long-overdue revenge on Guy – she will charm him, enchant him, and then leave him with a broken heart.
Things don’t go as planned and her vow of revenge falls to the wayside and Petra finds herself falling under his spell once more – but this time she is wiser, she knows that Guy is a rake and promises to guard her heart. But the more time they spend together, the more they want and finally, Guy realizes that she is perfect for him and asks her to marry – it seems like HEA is a given – but soon they will have to face facts – they are both stubborn and when they find themselves on opposite sides of the Women’s Suffrage Movement – their love will be put to the test.
I am torn by this book – on one hand, it was different and I liked that Guy and Petra stayed true to their differing opinions – and while it made Guy appear to be a jerk in the eyes of a 21st-century reader – he was probably one of the most historically authentic heroes I have ever read. However, on the other hand, there is a whole lotta ICK – they meet when he is 24 and she is 14 – he spends time with her, kisses her, dances with her, etc. – later when confronted about his actions to her, claims that he had no idea she had feelings for him and then he says she was just a child – OK, so why are you KISSING a child? It was introduced early in the book and honestly, I just couldn’t shake the creepiness of it out of my mind – so that was definitely not a point in the book's favor. Of the three books, this one was probably the most sexual – but the love scenes were far from steamy, they were downplayed and merely warm. The book was interesting, with misunderstandings, warm love scenes, cameos with the former “Jewels”, cameos with true historical figures, a meddling ex-mistress, and a HEA. I really wish there had been an epilogue as this is the final book and I would have liked to have a peek into their HEA, as well as Fenella and Diana’s – but overall, it was an OK read, and aside from the kind gross child molester vibe at the beginning – I think this might be the best STORY of the three books.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher. *
July 27, 2022
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (for full scenes, there were a number of very short scenes in the second half of the book)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥 (I’ll admit I struggle with telling scene length on audio...some of these might be on the short side? But definitely some open door and explicit enough scenes. After about halfway, all the sex becomes very short and vague or fade to black.)
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and Tartans Book Club )
Should I read in order?
I picked this one up alone and it was totally fine. There are a few brief scenes and mentions of her friends that are now married and living their HEAs. If you want the full character arc experience, it may be best to read the whole series. The three books center around 3 friends who meet at an English boarding school.
Basic plot:
Petra’s brother has political ambitions and he pulls her along to some social dinners and gatherings to help sway Guy Granville’s political opinion. He isn’t away that they have a history that began 10 years ago.
Give this a try if you want:
- A bit of an age gap – heroine is 24 and hero is 34 but he did share kisses with her 10 years prior when she was only 14 years old, and he was 24
- Baron hero/suffragist heroine (across the aisle romance feel)
- Medium steam – there’s a mix of open door scenes and vague/fade to black scenes (first half the book is much steamier than second half)
- Enemies to lovers feel – there’s definitely some bantering and bickering between them due to Petra being upset at her treatment 10 years prior
Ages:
- heroine is 24, hero 34 (Note: Hero did kiss the heroine when she was 14 and he was 24)
My thoughts:
Oof. This book. It had a lot I didn’t like. But I still liked some of it.
I liked Petra’s character. She was independent and sassy and I loved her suffragist beliefs – I wish that had been more focused on but it kind of faded to the background once she is with the hero except for the big deal at the end of the story. There was some humor here that I liked. I liked their sweetness of starting their relationship in the beginning of the story. I liked the food details – there were a lot of scenes with food haha.
But, I also struggled with a number of things. Jane Feather likes the word penis in her sex scenes and well...I just don’t find that sexy lol.
I think the age gap is pretty problematic, considering she was only 14 and he was 24 and he was kissing her. She believe he was fostering a relationship but it seems he was just taking advantage of a child. I can let this go though (I read plenty of old school romance where there are age gaps like this and I just kind of forget it’s there...definitely want to mention it for others though that will not be able to put this aspect aside.)
This book was just kind of boring. I wanted more romance. Their romance was a lot of bickering. The hero, Guy, well he just wasn’t that likable to me. He didn’t care about women’s rights. What kind of hero is that? And even if he turns around in the end, it just wasn’t super believable to me. It was like he had no idea why women would want rights but then he was like okay they do. It was just a letdown to me.
Another thing that made this book not a favorite for me was the other woman aspect. The hero’s mistress is in the book a decent amount and I am just SO TIRED of other woman/ other man drama that it had me frustrated.
I haven’t read Jane Feather in years (and years and years...like high school). Not sure if I would pick up any more from this series.
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes – I listened to the audiobook so percentages could be off a bit
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (for full scenes, there were a number of very short scenes in the second half of the book)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥 (I’ll admit I struggle with telling scene length on audio...some of these might be on the short side? But definitely some open door and explicit enough scenes. After about halfway, all the sex becomes very short and vague or fade to black.)
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and Tartans Book Club )
Should I read in order?
I picked this one up alone and it was totally fine. There are a few brief scenes and mentions of her friends that are now married and living their HEAs. If you want the full character arc experience, it may be best to read the whole series. The three books center around 3 friends who meet at an English boarding school.
Basic plot:
Petra’s brother has political ambitions and he pulls her along to some social dinners and gatherings to help sway Guy Granville’s political opinion. He isn’t away that they have a history that began 10 years ago.
Give this a try if you want:
- A bit of an age gap – heroine is 24 and hero is 34 but he did share kisses with her 10 years prior when she was only 14 years old, and he was 24
- Baron hero/suffragist heroine (across the aisle romance feel)
- Medium steam – there’s a mix of open door scenes and vague/fade to black scenes (first half the book is much steamier than second half)
- Enemies to lovers feel – there’s definitely some bantering and bickering between them due to Petra being upset at her treatment 10 years prior
Ages:
- heroine is 24, hero 34 (Note: Hero did kiss the heroine when she was 14 and he was 24)
My thoughts:
Oof. This book. It had a lot I didn’t like. But I still liked some of it.
I liked Petra’s character. She was independent and sassy and I loved her suffragist beliefs – I wish that had been more focused on but it kind of faded to the background once she is with the hero except for the big deal at the end of the story. There was some humor here that I liked. I liked their sweetness of starting their relationship in the beginning of the story. I liked the food details – there were a lot of scenes with food haha.
But, I also struggled with a number of things. Jane Feather likes the word penis in her sex scenes and well...I just don’t find that sexy lol.
I think the age gap is pretty problematic, considering she was only 14 and he was 24 and he was kissing her. She believe he was fostering a relationship but it seems he was just taking advantage of a child. I can let this go though (I read plenty of old school romance where there are age gaps like this and I just kind of forget it’s there...definitely want to mention it for others though that will not be able to put this aspect aside.)
This book was just kind of boring. I wanted more romance. Their romance was a lot of bickering. The hero, Guy, well he just wasn’t that likable to me. He didn’t care about women’s rights. What kind of hero is that? And even if he turns around in the end, it just wasn’t super believable to me. It was like he had no idea why women would want rights but then he was like okay they do. It was just a letdown to me.
Another thing that made this book not a favorite for me was the other woman aspect. The hero’s mistress is in the book a decent amount and I am just SO TIRED of other woman/ other man drama that it had me frustrated.
I haven’t read Jane Feather in years (and years and years...like high school). Not sure if I would pick up any more from this series.
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes – I listened to the audiobook so percentages could be off a bit
October 15, 2022
2.5 stars rounded up
Petra Rutherford is surprised when her brother's goals in his House of Commons legislation bring her face to face with the man she fell head over heels for as a young girl, only to have him leave without even a goodbye. Now she's determined she'll do the same to Guy Granville, now Baron Ashton, by getting him interested and then humiliating him with her lack of interest. Unfortunately, her plan is threatened by the fact that she's still very susceptible to his charms.
Guy completely loses himself in Petra's pursuit, forgetting all about the face that he's never considered love and certainly not marriage or commitment. Now he must work to make Petra see that he's sincere in his affections this time around.
I finished this a few days ago but I've struggled with writing the review because I have such mixed feelings. I think this story is probably the strongest in the series but that doesn't come without several issues. There's a 10 year age gape here, which doesn't bother me as my own parents have the same age difference. However, Petra and Guy first met when she's just 14 and he's 24 and he actively leads her on and then doesn't understand why she's still upset by his leaving when they meet again another ten years later. This was a very formative pain for her and he doesn't even remember it. The whole thing felt sleazy and I think it set the tone for him always being the dominant figure in their relationship and her always being slightly on the back foot. Guy's competence was nice but he was too arrogant and his need to control absolutely everything got old fast. Though there were a great many love scenes, they were fairly lukewarm and I never really felt like Guy and Petra had much chemistry or real connection beyond lust. I'm not sure he ever actually said "I love you" to her. Even after their marriage, everyone keeps warning her about him and basically how he'll never be loyal and that really took away from the romance for me because I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Though I think it was meant to show just how special Petra was to him, it just didn't feel very romantic to me.
Nonetheless, I still almost excused this and liked Guy a bit anyway up until he still wholeheartedly wanted Petra to wear the new and fashionable style of corset even after a doctor explained the harm it does to the body. He supposedly fell in love with Petra for marching to her own drum and then actively set about trying to change her. Petra was a staunch suffragette from the beginning and yet Guy still seems surprised at how strong she is in her convictions. I also desperately wanted to see him give his mistress a well-deserved set down, but when he supposedly did, it was all off page so who knows if he redeemed himself that way or not. Otherwise, our characters didn't really do much besides drink lots of alcohol and eat lavish dinners. Though this was actually the strongest story of the series for me, it was still not a favorite and I thought the ending was rather abrupt. I think it would've been well-served by an epilogue, but I did enjoy seeing Diana and Rupert as well as Edward and Fenella together and doing well. I also liked the side characters of Charlie and Jonathan, perhaps in fact more than the main characters. Overall, Petra and Guy were both extremely stubborn and I was glad to see them at least try for a compromise, especially Guy who was so used to having his own way. The flow was a bit jerky and quite slow in parts, but those who like the lavish Victorian setting and a rather tumultuous age-gap relationship will enjoy this.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Petra Rutherford is surprised when her brother's goals in his House of Commons legislation bring her face to face with the man she fell head over heels for as a young girl, only to have him leave without even a goodbye. Now she's determined she'll do the same to Guy Granville, now Baron Ashton, by getting him interested and then humiliating him with her lack of interest. Unfortunately, her plan is threatened by the fact that she's still very susceptible to his charms.
Guy completely loses himself in Petra's pursuit, forgetting all about the face that he's never considered love and certainly not marriage or commitment. Now he must work to make Petra see that he's sincere in his affections this time around.
I finished this a few days ago but I've struggled with writing the review because I have such mixed feelings. I think this story is probably the strongest in the series but that doesn't come without several issues. There's a 10 year age gape here, which doesn't bother me as my own parents have the same age difference. However, Petra and Guy first met when she's just 14 and he's 24 and he actively leads her on and then doesn't understand why she's still upset by his leaving when they meet again another ten years later. This was a very formative pain for her and he doesn't even remember it. The whole thing felt sleazy and I think it set the tone for him always being the dominant figure in their relationship and her always being slightly on the back foot. Guy's competence was nice but he was too arrogant and his need to control absolutely everything got old fast. Though there were a great many love scenes, they were fairly lukewarm and I never really felt like Guy and Petra had much chemistry or real connection beyond lust. I'm not sure he ever actually said "I love you" to her. Even after their marriage, everyone keeps warning her about him and basically how he'll never be loyal and that really took away from the romance for me because I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Though I think it was meant to show just how special Petra was to him, it just didn't feel very romantic to me.
Nonetheless, I still almost excused this and liked Guy a bit anyway up until he still wholeheartedly wanted Petra to wear the new and fashionable style of corset even after a doctor explained the harm it does to the body. He supposedly fell in love with Petra for marching to her own drum and then actively set about trying to change her. Petra was a staunch suffragette from the beginning and yet Guy still seems surprised at how strong she is in her convictions. I also desperately wanted to see him give his mistress a well-deserved set down, but when he supposedly did, it was all off page so who knows if he redeemed himself that way or not. Otherwise, our characters didn't really do much besides drink lots of alcohol and eat lavish dinners. Though this was actually the strongest story of the series for me, it was still not a favorite and I thought the ending was rather abrupt. I think it would've been well-served by an epilogue, but I did enjoy seeing Diana and Rupert as well as Edward and Fenella together and doing well. I also liked the side characters of Charlie and Jonathan, perhaps in fact more than the main characters. Overall, Petra and Guy were both extremely stubborn and I was glad to see them at least try for a compromise, especially Guy who was so used to having his own way. The flow was a bit jerky and quite slow in parts, but those who like the lavish Victorian setting and a rather tumultuous age-gap relationship will enjoy this.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 12, 2021
First, not much happened in this book. The heroine, Petra Rutherford, is supposed to be active in the Women's Suffrage movement, but very little dealing with the movement itself was part of the plot. Instead, Petra pines and fawns all over Baron Granville of Ashton, to the point that her thoughts and opinions become his as she swoons all over him. And he's an incredible pompous jerk. Petra wants to exact "revenge" on him for loving and leaving her years before, but she's weak at attempting this because all she does is play into his arms.
Second, well, the elephant in the room. Here's a quote from the book shortly after Petra and Guy meet after ten years apart, "She'd interested him ten years ago, as a girl on the cusp of of womanhood, with an eagerness to experience whatever came her way. He remembered how she responded to his careful lovemaking, with an openness and enthusiasm he found quite delightful."
When they first meet and have their summer love "affair," Guy was 24. Petra was 14. 14!
I understand the difference in time periods, but if the author had only made Petra 16 and Guy 20 or even 21, it wouldn't seem so wrong. From what I can tell, there was no reason the age difference except for shock value. She was 14 and impressionable. She was a child that didn't just have a schoolgirl crush on an older man, but was acting out those fantasies with him, and he was well aware how old she was. Ten years later he comes back to finish the job, and their "second chance romance" didn't seem natural or appealing.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Second, well, the elephant in the room. Here's a quote from the book shortly after Petra and Guy meet after ten years apart, "She'd interested him ten years ago, as a girl on the cusp of of womanhood, with an eagerness to experience whatever came her way. He remembered how she responded to his careful lovemaking, with an openness and enthusiasm he found quite delightful."
When they first meet and have their summer love "affair," Guy was 24. Petra was 14. 14!
I understand the difference in time periods, but if the author had only made Petra 16 and Guy 20 or even 21, it wouldn't seem so wrong. From what I can tell, there was no reason the age difference except for shock value. She was 14 and impressionable. She was a child that didn't just have a schoolgirl crush on an older man, but was acting out those fantasies with him, and he was well aware how old she was. Ten years later he comes back to finish the job, and their "second chance romance" didn't seem natural or appealing.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 21, 2020
Petra meets up with a man (ten years older than her) who she fell in love with when she was younger (14 years old). She decides to have her revenge on Guy for leading her on and then leaving her. She hopes to do the same to him now that ten years have past and she is much more mature. I liked the characters, but I felt the flow of the story was a bit uneven. Major events just happen very suddenly as if some chapters are missing in the story to lead the reader to that point. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington Books for my honest review.
February 13, 2021
Right off the bat, I was more than a little weirded out by this novel. Or more specifically the fact that when these two first met Petra was 14 to Guy's 24. Even if it was nothing more than a flirtation, this is still a grown man flirting with a child. The fact that he admits she responded well to his "gentle lovemaking" is even more concerning.
To make matters worse, while Petra seems to have grown somewhat in the intervening 10 years, it would appear that Guy is still the same overbearing arse he always was. He never takes into consideration how his words and actions may be perceived by others around him (case in point when Petra's sister invites her and her friends to join him and Guy for lunch and then Guy dominates everything about the outing, including paying for everything).
Time and again, we watch as Guy takes liberties with Petra being told how she's "unable to resist" him even though she is the one who sets out to "use" him. Even though he makes no promises to her, nor does he declare any deep feelings for her, he still lures her into his bed over and over (and can we talk about the fact that somehow even though she ends up in his bed in the middle of the afternoon not one servant ever sees her, nor one nosy neighbor ever notice a single woman of marriageable age visiting a single man daily without a chaperone?
One thing that should have been a huge element to this story was Petra's involvement in the women's suffrage movement, but even that is pushed to the side and used really no more as a conflict (seeing as how Guy could never support her in the one thing she claims to be most passionate about). I also wish that the author would have gone forward with Petra's plan of "revenge" against Guy. I think it would have been more interesting to watch them fall for each other whilst she was engaging in said plot than to have her just fall into his arms again.
All things considered, this is an author I would read more from down the road as they do have a strong writing style even when I'm not enamored with the way they go about telling their stories.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
To make matters worse, while Petra seems to have grown somewhat in the intervening 10 years, it would appear that Guy is still the same overbearing arse he always was. He never takes into consideration how his words and actions may be perceived by others around him (case in point when Petra's sister invites her and her friends to join him and Guy for lunch and then Guy dominates everything about the outing, including paying for everything).
Time and again, we watch as Guy takes liberties with Petra being told how she's "unable to resist" him even though she is the one who sets out to "use" him. Even though he makes no promises to her, nor does he declare any deep feelings for her, he still lures her into his bed over and over (and can we talk about the fact that somehow even though she ends up in his bed in the middle of the afternoon not one servant ever sees her, nor one nosy neighbor ever notice a single woman of marriageable age visiting a single man daily without a chaperone?
One thing that should have been a huge element to this story was Petra's involvement in the women's suffrage movement, but even that is pushed to the side and used really no more as a conflict (seeing as how Guy could never support her in the one thing she claims to be most passionate about). I also wish that the author would have gone forward with Petra's plan of "revenge" against Guy. I think it would have been more interesting to watch them fall for each other whilst she was engaging in said plot than to have her just fall into his arms again.
All things considered, this is an author I would read more from down the road as they do have a strong writing style even when I'm not enamored with the way they go about telling their stories.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
January 24, 2021
Petra Rutherford is certain she isn’t the first dreamy-eyed girl that devilishly handsome Baron Granville of Ashton has loved and left behind. But when her brother’s political ambitions place her before him once more, she’s determined to give Guy Granville his own taste of torment. What better way to best a scoundrel than by luring his interest before bringing things to an abrupt, embarrassing end? The only flaw in her gem of a plan is her still powerful attraction to the dazzling nemesis . Guy Granville is disarmed by Petra’s bold pursuit of him, so much so that he forgets he never intended to fall in love much less entertain thoughts of marriage.
A well written book that flowed well but whilst I liked Petra I was very lukewarm towards Guy. My twenty first century brain couldn't get past a twenty four year old man kissing & nearly seducing a fourteen year old girl, it felt like grooming to me. I also didn’t feel that there was much chemistry between them at the start, it did grow but even at the end it was still only tepid. I did enjoy that they both stuck to their beliefs even though it didn’t make for a peaceful marriage. I also wish there had been an epilogue to bring the series to a close
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
A well written book that flowed well but whilst I liked Petra I was very lukewarm towards Guy. My twenty first century brain couldn't get past a twenty four year old man kissing & nearly seducing a fourteen year old girl, it felt like grooming to me. I also didn’t feel that there was much chemistry between them at the start, it did grow but even at the end it was still only tepid. I did enjoy that they both stuck to their beliefs even though it didn’t make for a peaceful marriage. I also wish there had been an epilogue to bring the series to a close
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
October 30, 2020
Petra is a woman who is stubborn, a supporter of women's suffrage, and does not want to be under the thumb of any man. Guy is a member of Parliament, who is stuck in his ways. Both met years ago, but it left a sour taste with Petra. Now she and Guy have been reacquainted and decides to give him a dose of his own medicine. Guy has never met a woman like Petra before who intrigues him, for he is known as a rake and being with many women. He has no desire to give is heart away, but Petra is different. However, Petra and Guy are on different sides of issues. Can they work through them and will love be enough to save their growing relationship?
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 21, 2021
3.5 stars, rounded up.
So, when it comes down to it, this book was an average historical romance for me. It wasn't bad, and it didn't necessarily do anything wrong. It also didn't hold my attention very well. Maybe if I had read the other two installments in the series before reading this one, it may have held out better for me.
Petra's character was fine, but I think I may have read too many Women's Sufferage Movement books recently, for this one to catch and keep my attention. She was a young girl who took an older boy's flirtations seriously, and STILL FEELS JILTED 10 YEARS LATER!! Makes her a little hard to love from the get go, considering that she should know how to really feel about it by now.
Our hero, Guy, on the other hand, isn't really that interesting of a male lead for me. He didn't bring too much to the table as far as making him interesting. He is just average to me. I did like that he was so besotted with the heroine, but that's about it.
And the plot of this one is one that I have seen a lot. Considering the time in which it took place, using a woman's beauty to seduce someone in parliment just feels a bit off.
Their on page chemistry was nice, but again, I wasn't invested in the characters. I would try another Jane Feather. This one just fell flat for me.
So, when it comes down to it, this book was an average historical romance for me. It wasn't bad, and it didn't necessarily do anything wrong. It also didn't hold my attention very well. Maybe if I had read the other two installments in the series before reading this one, it may have held out better for me.
Petra's character was fine, but I think I may have read too many Women's Sufferage Movement books recently, for this one to catch and keep my attention. She was a young girl who took an older boy's flirtations seriously, and STILL FEELS JILTED 10 YEARS LATER!! Makes her a little hard to love from the get go, considering that she should know how to really feel about it by now.
Our hero, Guy, on the other hand, isn't really that interesting of a male lead for me. He didn't bring too much to the table as far as making him interesting. He is just average to me. I did like that he was so besotted with the heroine, but that's about it.
And the plot of this one is one that I have seen a lot. Considering the time in which it took place, using a woman's beauty to seduce someone in parliment just feels a bit off.
Their on page chemistry was nice, but again, I wasn't invested in the characters. I would try another Jane Feather. This one just fell flat for me.
January 20, 2021
Petra Rutherford was a suffragette, intelligent, and kind. She was meeting her brother for tea, at Parliament, on the terrace. Her brother, Jonathan had invited someone to join them. Guy Granville, Baron Ashton, He tried to make conversation and she was surprised. They had met ten years ago, she was fourteen and he was twenty-four. He had flirted, smiled, and seemed generally to enjoy her, and then the next day he was gone. She was so embarrassed, hurt, and stunned.
Guy Granville, was in the House of Lords, Jonathan, her brother was a junior member of The commons. Guy acted more like her father than a husband. He was very set in some ways but he seemed to look on her as if she was a breath of Spring. I think he tried to consider her even though she couldn't see it.
When she was 14 I believe, she was too young for a man of twenty-four. How could she understand what the whole adult thing meant. how could she act adult when she was still a child. When they met ten years later, she knew about the adult world and how to maneuver her way around. I enjoyed the book and I recommend it highly.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.
Guy Granville, was in the House of Lords, Jonathan, her brother was a junior member of The commons. Guy acted more like her father than a husband. He was very set in some ways but he seemed to look on her as if she was a breath of Spring. I think he tried to consider her even though she couldn't see it.
When she was 14 I believe, she was too young for a man of twenty-four. How could she understand what the whole adult thing meant. how could she act adult when she was still a child. When they met ten years later, she knew about the adult world and how to maneuver her way around. I enjoyed the book and I recommend it highly.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.
January 19, 2021
I had a hard time getting through this book. It just stifled me.
Petra was a good character but for the most part I couldn't like Guy. He just couldn't make up his.mind whether he wanted to be the hero or the villain.
Still I gave the book 3 stars.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and I have left this review voluntarily.
Petra was a good character but for the most part I couldn't like Guy. He just couldn't make up his.mind whether he wanted to be the hero or the villain.
Still I gave the book 3 stars.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and I have left this review voluntarily.
March 4, 2021
The story overall was ok. I kept waiting for something dramatic to happen though and was dissapointed that nothing really happened and it ended with quite a bit left unsettled for my taste.
January 27, 2022
3.5. A pretty good end to an okay series.
For full review click here
For full review click here
December 8, 2020
Jane Feather's book can be hit or miss for me. There are several I like a great deal, while others I can barely get through the first few chapters. If I had not been reading it to review, Ravish me with Rubies would have gone in the latter pile.
There are several troubling things about the book that kill any romance in it for me. The two main characters meet when Petra is fourteen, and Guy is twentyfour. While age gaps are common, this was a bit much.
There is very little chemistry between the two main characters. Any conflict between them is resolved in a moment, or never resolved at all. Petra often blames herself for any conflicts, whereas Guy is seldom held to account for anything.
Also, Guy is a huge jerk.
A huge, huge, honking jerk. A jerk even by the standards of the most annoying, insufferable romance novel alpha male you've ever read. I occasionally find the male love interests irritating. I'm pretty sure this is one of the few romance novels where I was actively rooting for the leading lady to dump her love interest. The book is quite long, and I was kind of hoping Guy was actually the antagonist. Guy is condescending, selfish, and rarely, if ever, actually looks after or takes care of Petra. He makes light of her feelings, and disregards or disapproves of most of her interests and passions. Guy repeatedly also ends up angry at her and often his goal seems to cut her down to size. At the same time he expects her to treat him well no matter what he says or does.
This is also a book in which nothing much happens. Despite being a book with a suffragette, there are few scenes about this movement. Despite being a romance, the heroine is never really swept of her feet, and the hero never really seems to be in love with her.
NetGalley provided this advance copy for me to review, and all opinions are my own.
There are several troubling things about the book that kill any romance in it for me. The two main characters meet when Petra is fourteen, and Guy is twentyfour. While age gaps are common, this was a bit much.
There is very little chemistry between the two main characters. Any conflict between them is resolved in a moment, or never resolved at all. Petra often blames herself for any conflicts, whereas Guy is seldom held to account for anything.
Also, Guy is a huge jerk.
A huge, huge, honking jerk. A jerk even by the standards of the most annoying, insufferable romance novel alpha male you've ever read. I occasionally find the male love interests irritating. I'm pretty sure this is one of the few romance novels where I was actively rooting for the leading lady to dump her love interest. The book is quite long, and I was kind of hoping Guy was actually the antagonist. Guy is condescending, selfish, and rarely, if ever, actually looks after or takes care of Petra. He makes light of her feelings, and disregards or disapproves of most of her interests and passions. Guy repeatedly also ends up angry at her and often his goal seems to cut her down to size. At the same time he expects her to treat him well no matter what he says or does.
This is also a book in which nothing much happens. Despite being a book with a suffragette, there are few scenes about this movement. Despite being a romance, the heroine is never really swept of her feet, and the hero never really seems to be in love with her.
NetGalley provided this advance copy for me to review, and all opinions are my own.
April 28, 2021
So. Lame. Not sure where to start so I’ll just recommend a hard pass.
July 11, 2021
I found this book kind of boring and the characters ininteresting.
December 18, 2023
In one word boring. The characters were boring, no chemistry between the central characters and it only got mildly interesting when they fought.
October 15, 2021
Trojdielna séria Londýnske klenoty vstupuje do finále. Po Diamantovom pokušení a Zafírovom zvádzaní nám vydavateľstvo Slovenský spisovateľ prináša preklad záverečnej časti s názvom Rubínové očarenie, v ktorej nájde svoje šťastie ďalší osudom skúšaný pár. Trilógia sa síce začala v súvislosti s drahými kameňmi, ale postupne sa dostávala do popredia ich symbolická rovina. Nie je predsa všetko zlato, čo sa blyští, a skutočné bohatstvo spočíva kdesi inde. Morálne posolstvá a ľudské práva sú totiž neoddeliteľnou súčasťou románov Jane Featherovej. Okrem ľúbostných motívov zakaždým stavia dej aj na spoločenskej tematike, nech už sa odohrávajú v ktoromkoľvek storočí. Osobne mám radšej jej staršie diela, ale neviem odolať ani jej súčasnej tvorbe z eduardovského obdobia.
"Bola sama so sebou spokojná. Presne takto si to predstavovala. Charlie Aldershot určite spadne z nôh od úžasu. Niežeby som zvlášť túžila vikomta očariť, uvažovala cestou dolu schodmi. Poznali sa takmer celý život a v jeho spoločnosti sa cítila dobre, no občas si Charlie namýšľal, že má u nej nádej na čosi viac. Zakaždým, keď si trúfol prekročiť hranicu letmého priateľského bozku, mu jemne pripomenula, ako ho kedysi Joth sotil do kačacieho rybníka - bol to trest za to, že mu zlomil obľúbený luk. Zvyčajne to Charliemu pomohlo uvedomiť si, kde je jeho miesto." (str. 58)
Keď sa do nejakej série pustím, mám tendenciu prečítať ju do konca, aj keď nemusí ísť o extra žiaduci zážitok. Londýnske klenoty sa v podstate pohybujú kvalitatívne okolo priemeru, no priaznivci romantiky si určite prídu na svoje. A najmä tí, ktorí dávajú prednosť pokojnejšie plynúcim príbehom bez dramatických zvratov. V tomto smere by som Jane Featherovú prirovnal k Mary Baloghovej, iba s tým rozdielom, že Jane výraznejšie pracuje so ženskými než s mužskými postavami. Nie je to na škodu, napokon, vzhľadom na dobu, v ktorej sa daný román odohráva, je snaha zdôrazniť ženské práva prirodzená. V centre deja stojí lady Petra Rutherfordová, ktorá sa usiluje vymaniť z konzervatívnych okov svojej rodiny. Keď ju jej brat Jonathan pozve na čaj, aby mu pomohla očariť člena parlamentu, Petra sa po desiatich rokoch znovu stretáva s Guyom, lordon Ashtonom, do ktorého sa ako štrnásťročná zamilovala, no on jej zlomil srdce. Teraz sa jej naskytla skvelá príležitosť oplatiť sa mu rovnakou mincou. Je odhodlaná poblázniť ho, odzbrojiť ho svojím šarmom a potom ho zanechať v smútku, keď na ňom vykoná svoju vytúženú pomstu. Samozrejme, ako to už býva zvykom, plán Petre vôbec nevychádza podľa jej predstáv a musí čeliť nečakaným komplikáciám. Tie plynú predovšetkým z toho, že sama opäť podľahne Guyovej príťažlivosti, lenže už je múdrejšia ako kedysi. Čim viac času však spolu strávia, tým viac po sebe túžia, až napokon Guy naberie odvahu spraviť celoživotný krok. Petra odrazu čelí dileme - má nasledovať hlas svojho srdca, alebo tvrdohlavo dosiahnuť stanovený cieľ? Odložiť bokom desaťročnú frustráciu nie je také ľahké a chvíľkové uspokojenie by nemalo mať prednosť pred zvyškom života. V každom príbehu sa však skrýva určité "ale" a Rubínové očarenie nie je výnimkou. Najväčšou prekážkou v ich vzťahu sa ukáže hnutie sufražetiek, keďže sa v celej záležitosti ocitnú na opačných stranách. Obaja majú pritom svoju pravdu, no ani jeden nie je ochotný zľaviť zo svojich nárokov či presvedčenia. To je zdrojom niekoľkých briskných rozhovorov, ktoré skvele demonštrujú opačné postoje a sú dôkazom, že nič nie je čierno-biele. Páčilo sa mi, že Guy sa netvári ako demokratický zástanca ženských práv ako iní dokonalí hrdinovia, čo ho robí omnoho realistickejším a uveriteľnejším predstaviteľom svojej vrstvy. Čo mi sadlo menej, bol vekový rozdiel medzi hlavnými postavami, najmä v rámci ich minulosti - keď sa Petra do Guya zamilovala, ona mala štrnásť, on dvadsaťštyri. Zahrávajúc sa s citmi dospievajúceho dievčaťa nevyznieva práve pozitívne...
"Predošlý večer sa otvorene vyjadril proti tomu, aby ženy získali volebné právo, a jej komornej zakázal chodiť na mítingy, ale rozhodné slovo nepadlo. Bolo nad slnko jasnejšie, že akákoľvek debata na túto pálčivú tému bude ostrá a Petra netušila, či je na to pripravená. Dopila čaj a uvažovala nad ďalším krokom. Niektorí muži podporovali ženy v ich úsilí získať volebné právo, ba dokonca sa zúčastňovali na protestných pochodoch spolu so sufražetkami. Možno by aj ona dokázala Guyovi pokojným tónom vysvetliť, prečo je to pre ženy také dôležité." (str. 192)
Záverečný diel série disponuje pútavými scénami, nutnými nedorozumeniami, horúcimi ľúbostnými pasážami aj objavením sa protagonistov z predošlých častí. Koniec sa mi síce zdal trochu unáhlený, ale v porovnaní so zvyškom série sa mi tento príbeh javil ako najzapamätateľnejší. Či už pre iskrenie spôsobené kontrastmi medzi hrdinami, alebo výraznými vedľajšími postavami, ktoré si neraz pre seba kradli všetku moju pozornosť. Jane Featherová sa v modernejšej dobe zjavne cíti dobre, poskytuje jej to priestor otvárať mnohé citlivejšie témy presahujúce bežný rámec historickej romance. Je však otázne, či nájdu silnú odozvu aj u nás...
"Bola sama so sebou spokojná. Presne takto si to predstavovala. Charlie Aldershot určite spadne z nôh od úžasu. Niežeby som zvlášť túžila vikomta očariť, uvažovala cestou dolu schodmi. Poznali sa takmer celý život a v jeho spoločnosti sa cítila dobre, no občas si Charlie namýšľal, že má u nej nádej na čosi viac. Zakaždým, keď si trúfol prekročiť hranicu letmého priateľského bozku, mu jemne pripomenula, ako ho kedysi Joth sotil do kačacieho rybníka - bol to trest za to, že mu zlomil obľúbený luk. Zvyčajne to Charliemu pomohlo uvedomiť si, kde je jeho miesto." (str. 58)
Keď sa do nejakej série pustím, mám tendenciu prečítať ju do konca, aj keď nemusí ísť o extra žiaduci zážitok. Londýnske klenoty sa v podstate pohybujú kvalitatívne okolo priemeru, no priaznivci romantiky si určite prídu na svoje. A najmä tí, ktorí dávajú prednosť pokojnejšie plynúcim príbehom bez dramatických zvratov. V tomto smere by som Jane Featherovú prirovnal k Mary Baloghovej, iba s tým rozdielom, že Jane výraznejšie pracuje so ženskými než s mužskými postavami. Nie je to na škodu, napokon, vzhľadom na dobu, v ktorej sa daný román odohráva, je snaha zdôrazniť ženské práva prirodzená. V centre deja stojí lady Petra Rutherfordová, ktorá sa usiluje vymaniť z konzervatívnych okov svojej rodiny. Keď ju jej brat Jonathan pozve na čaj, aby mu pomohla očariť člena parlamentu, Petra sa po desiatich rokoch znovu stretáva s Guyom, lordon Ashtonom, do ktorého sa ako štrnásťročná zamilovala, no on jej zlomil srdce. Teraz sa jej naskytla skvelá príležitosť oplatiť sa mu rovnakou mincou. Je odhodlaná poblázniť ho, odzbrojiť ho svojím šarmom a potom ho zanechať v smútku, keď na ňom vykoná svoju vytúženú pomstu. Samozrejme, ako to už býva zvykom, plán Petre vôbec nevychádza podľa jej predstáv a musí čeliť nečakaným komplikáciám. Tie plynú predovšetkým z toho, že sama opäť podľahne Guyovej príťažlivosti, lenže už je múdrejšia ako kedysi. Čim viac času však spolu strávia, tým viac po sebe túžia, až napokon Guy naberie odvahu spraviť celoživotný krok. Petra odrazu čelí dileme - má nasledovať hlas svojho srdca, alebo tvrdohlavo dosiahnuť stanovený cieľ? Odložiť bokom desaťročnú frustráciu nie je také ľahké a chvíľkové uspokojenie by nemalo mať prednosť pred zvyškom života. V každom príbehu sa však skrýva určité "ale" a Rubínové očarenie nie je výnimkou. Najväčšou prekážkou v ich vzťahu sa ukáže hnutie sufražetiek, keďže sa v celej záležitosti ocitnú na opačných stranách. Obaja majú pritom svoju pravdu, no ani jeden nie je ochotný zľaviť zo svojich nárokov či presvedčenia. To je zdrojom niekoľkých briskných rozhovorov, ktoré skvele demonštrujú opačné postoje a sú dôkazom, že nič nie je čierno-biele. Páčilo sa mi, že Guy sa netvári ako demokratický zástanca ženských práv ako iní dokonalí hrdinovia, čo ho robí omnoho realistickejším a uveriteľnejším predstaviteľom svojej vrstvy. Čo mi sadlo menej, bol vekový rozdiel medzi hlavnými postavami, najmä v rámci ich minulosti - keď sa Petra do Guya zamilovala, ona mala štrnásť, on dvadsaťštyri. Zahrávajúc sa s citmi dospievajúceho dievčaťa nevyznieva práve pozitívne...
"Predošlý večer sa otvorene vyjadril proti tomu, aby ženy získali volebné právo, a jej komornej zakázal chodiť na mítingy, ale rozhodné slovo nepadlo. Bolo nad slnko jasnejšie, že akákoľvek debata na túto pálčivú tému bude ostrá a Petra netušila, či je na to pripravená. Dopila čaj a uvažovala nad ďalším krokom. Niektorí muži podporovali ženy v ich úsilí získať volebné právo, ba dokonca sa zúčastňovali na protestných pochodoch spolu so sufražetkami. Možno by aj ona dokázala Guyovi pokojným tónom vysvetliť, prečo je to pre ženy také dôležité." (str. 192)
Záverečný diel série disponuje pútavými scénami, nutnými nedorozumeniami, horúcimi ľúbostnými pasážami aj objavením sa protagonistov z predošlých častí. Koniec sa mi síce zdal trochu unáhlený, ale v porovnaní so zvyškom série sa mi tento príbeh javil ako najzapamätateľnejší. Či už pre iskrenie spôsobené kontrastmi medzi hrdinami, alebo výraznými vedľajšími postavami, ktoré si neraz pre seba kradli všetku moju pozornosť. Jane Featherová sa v modernejšej dobe zjavne cíti dobre, poskytuje jej to priestor otvárať mnohé citlivejšie témy presahujúce bežný rámec historickej romance. Je však otázne, či nájdu silnú odozvu aj u nás...
January 28, 2021
If you want to read a romance book, with some drama, humor, a bit of action, perhaps a mystery or conflict to resolve -all set in a historical period that you learn a bit about- then move on. However, if you wish to read a fictional biography into the life of upper-class English society in the early 1900s, then this book is perfect.
Jane feathers is always a hit or miss with me. She writes well and I don’t expect the same mold of characters or situations from her that one finds in most novels of this genre.
Therefore, I was expecting something to happen in this book. Sadly, there was nothing.
The story starts with Petra the heroine encountering the hero, Guy, at a luncheon with her brother. We learn that he was flirtatious and attentive with her ten years ago one summer, when she was 14 years old and then abruptly left her to attend other house parties in Europe. And she has disliked him ever since. Ok, right, childish reason for a ten-year grudge but we need some conflict and perhaps she’s that sensitive a character, so I read on. She even tells her friends that she will encourage his attentions and then drop him as he broke her heart in revenge. Though that plan doesn’t work out- because she does nothing about it. They meet, they kiss, they have sex and then start an affair. And why should she? Over their earliest meetings she confronts him about the past, (nice. No hidden misunderstandings later to wish they’d get out of the way) he apologizes immediately claiming youthful recklessness as an excuse ( well done to him) and they move on to get to know one another in between lunches, dinners and the odd dancing- but mostly while eating.
He’s a wealthy, titled, handsome Edwardian man prominent in parliament and behaves like one. She’s the daughter of wealthy upper-class parents and lives a surprisingly unrestrictive independent life for a woman of her time. She’s 24 but still unmarried with no rush from her negligent parents to change her status. She is always out and about town with her friends eating at restaurants and cafes and taking walks with her male friends unchaperoned. Not to mention that she visits Guy at his house at all times of the day alone (?!) where they conduct their affair that spanned a few weeks- while the servants are still around- though never see her in his bed (!!)! How was she getting away with it?
There were many such conflicting scenes. He won’t let her walk alone a few blocks to her house, but he doesn’t thinks twice about sleeping with an innocent.
This is a book that starts with hinting that the heroine is heavily involved in the Women’s Suffrage movement. Yet there’s not much focus on it besides one incident that causes a minor conflict between the couple. Guy was opposed to it and Petra knew that from the beginning. Yet for a strong stubborn and forthright woman she was like an ostrich with her head in the sand.
My biggest issue with the book was that nothing happened. I cannot recommend it as it was boring. They get married and their life is quite normal. Only when Petra attends one controversial meeting that she and Guy have a fight, but they talk that through between themselves as well within a week. There’s an ex-mistress that is catty and annoying but, on that note, too there is no issue. Guy is emphatic she is out of his life, Petra can hold her own with her and even helps her out in the end over a silly beach incident.
Jane feathers is always a hit or miss with me. She writes well and I don’t expect the same mold of characters or situations from her that one finds in most novels of this genre.
Therefore, I was expecting something to happen in this book. Sadly, there was nothing.
The story starts with Petra the heroine encountering the hero, Guy, at a luncheon with her brother. We learn that he was flirtatious and attentive with her ten years ago one summer, when she was 14 years old and then abruptly left her to attend other house parties in Europe. And she has disliked him ever since. Ok, right, childish reason for a ten-year grudge but we need some conflict and perhaps she’s that sensitive a character, so I read on. She even tells her friends that she will encourage his attentions and then drop him as he broke her heart in revenge. Though that plan doesn’t work out- because she does nothing about it. They meet, they kiss, they have sex and then start an affair. And why should she? Over their earliest meetings she confronts him about the past, (nice. No hidden misunderstandings later to wish they’d get out of the way) he apologizes immediately claiming youthful recklessness as an excuse ( well done to him) and they move on to get to know one another in between lunches, dinners and the odd dancing- but mostly while eating.
He’s a wealthy, titled, handsome Edwardian man prominent in parliament and behaves like one. She’s the daughter of wealthy upper-class parents and lives a surprisingly unrestrictive independent life for a woman of her time. She’s 24 but still unmarried with no rush from her negligent parents to change her status. She is always out and about town with her friends eating at restaurants and cafes and taking walks with her male friends unchaperoned. Not to mention that she visits Guy at his house at all times of the day alone (?!) where they conduct their affair that spanned a few weeks- while the servants are still around- though never see her in his bed (!!)! How was she getting away with it?
There were many such conflicting scenes. He won’t let her walk alone a few blocks to her house, but he doesn’t thinks twice about sleeping with an innocent.
This is a book that starts with hinting that the heroine is heavily involved in the Women’s Suffrage movement. Yet there’s not much focus on it besides one incident that causes a minor conflict between the couple. Guy was opposed to it and Petra knew that from the beginning. Yet for a strong stubborn and forthright woman she was like an ostrich with her head in the sand.
My biggest issue with the book was that nothing happened. I cannot recommend it as it was boring. They get married and their life is quite normal. Only when Petra attends one controversial meeting that she and Guy have a fight, but they talk that through between themselves as well within a week. There’s an ex-mistress that is catty and annoying but, on that note, too there is no issue. Guy is emphatic she is out of his life, Petra can hold her own with her and even helps her out in the end over a silly beach incident.
January 24, 2021
Good book. When Petra meets Guy Granville again, she remembers how he broke her fourteen-year-old heart and decides to give him a taste of his own medicine. She's ten years older now and confident that she can resist his well-known charm. The grown-up Petra intrigues Guy, and he quickly forgets his usual love them and leave them attitude.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Petra and Guy. They met when she was fourteen, and he was twenty-four and spent a great deal of time together. (Okay, yes, the age difference at that point is perhaps a little questionable.) Even then, Petra was different from other girls, and Guy enjoyed her company. Petra's schoolgirl heart fell hard for him, and she was devastated when he left without a word. Their first meeting ten years later was a bit awkward. Petra was quite cool to him, while Guy was thoroughly entranced. Petra comes up with a plan to get even by drawing him in and then dumping him the way he did to her. She didn't count on her old feelings coming back even stronger.
The sparks between Guy and Petra were intense, and not just the sparks of attraction. Both of them are strong-willed and clash frequently. Guy tends to be high-handed, taking control of situations without considering other's feelings. Petra, who is protective of her friends and family, has no trouble calling him out when he does so. She also has to work hard to keep him from running over her wishes when they are together. This sets up some interesting confrontations. It isn't long before Petra gives up her plans for revenge and enjoys the time she spends with him. Guy also finds himself more entranced by her than he expected. With the time they spend together, the attraction between them soon burns out of control. I loved Guy's "aha" moment when he realized that he wants it all with Petra and impulsively proposes.
However, neither Petra nor Guy quite realizes what marriage will require from them. Clashes begin immediately over wedding plans. Both Petra and Guy had good reasons for their wishes, and it took some effort for them to find a compromise. Fortunately, they do, and the wedding and honeymoon proceed on schedule and with rave reviews from both of them. But Petra and Guy stand on opposite sides of one significant issue - women's suffrage. Guy had no idea how deeply involved in the movement Petra is at first, and it comes as quite a shock when he finds out. I ached for Petra as she realized that, unlike her friends Diana and Fenella's husbands, hers does not support her views and work. I wanted to shake Guy over his attitude toward her thoughts. This sets up a devastating confrontation when her involvement in a suffrage event clashes with his position in the House of Lords. While I empathized somewhat with Guy, he could have handled things much better. Petra, too, was not entirely blameless. I liked the ending, as Guy discovered he could change given the right motivation, and Petra also learned the art of compromise.
I liked seeing Diana and Fenella from the first two books and getting a glimpse of their happy marriages. I love the close friendship between the three women and how they support each other. I think the story would have benefitted from an epilogue, maybe a few years on, to see how all three couples have turned out.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Petra and Guy. They met when she was fourteen, and he was twenty-four and spent a great deal of time together. (Okay, yes, the age difference at that point is perhaps a little questionable.) Even then, Petra was different from other girls, and Guy enjoyed her company. Petra's schoolgirl heart fell hard for him, and she was devastated when he left without a word. Their first meeting ten years later was a bit awkward. Petra was quite cool to him, while Guy was thoroughly entranced. Petra comes up with a plan to get even by drawing him in and then dumping him the way he did to her. She didn't count on her old feelings coming back even stronger.
The sparks between Guy and Petra were intense, and not just the sparks of attraction. Both of them are strong-willed and clash frequently. Guy tends to be high-handed, taking control of situations without considering other's feelings. Petra, who is protective of her friends and family, has no trouble calling him out when he does so. She also has to work hard to keep him from running over her wishes when they are together. This sets up some interesting confrontations. It isn't long before Petra gives up her plans for revenge and enjoys the time she spends with him. Guy also finds himself more entranced by her than he expected. With the time they spend together, the attraction between them soon burns out of control. I loved Guy's "aha" moment when he realized that he wants it all with Petra and impulsively proposes.
However, neither Petra nor Guy quite realizes what marriage will require from them. Clashes begin immediately over wedding plans. Both Petra and Guy had good reasons for their wishes, and it took some effort for them to find a compromise. Fortunately, they do, and the wedding and honeymoon proceed on schedule and with rave reviews from both of them. But Petra and Guy stand on opposite sides of one significant issue - women's suffrage. Guy had no idea how deeply involved in the movement Petra is at first, and it comes as quite a shock when he finds out. I ached for Petra as she realized that, unlike her friends Diana and Fenella's husbands, hers does not support her views and work. I wanted to shake Guy over his attitude toward her thoughts. This sets up a devastating confrontation when her involvement in a suffrage event clashes with his position in the House of Lords. While I empathized somewhat with Guy, he could have handled things much better. Petra, too, was not entirely blameless. I liked the ending, as Guy discovered he could change given the right motivation, and Petra also learned the art of compromise.
I liked seeing Diana and Fenella from the first two books and getting a glimpse of their happy marriages. I love the close friendship between the three women and how they support each other. I think the story would have benefitted from an epilogue, maybe a few years on, to see how all three couples have turned out.
January 15, 2021
I had a few issues with this book. For starters, when reading the synopsis, one of the main subjects of the book is not even hinted at anywhere. I would have liked to know that the suffrage movement would be address in this book before going in; it would encourage a lot more people to read than to simply believe this is one more cliche historical romance.
That being said, I was disappointed that everything happened so fast, and the main characters simply "forgot" everything about the other up until the middle of the book, only to remember they have different opinions to become the conflict when they knew they had a different view on something and choose to ignore and marry anyway, like the other's believes would just disappear because they are now husband and wife.
Another issue is that they meet when the heroine was 14 years old and the "hero" was 24 years old. They were together unchaperoned, kissed, and he leads her on. That is not the problem, but the age is. She was very young and it felt wrong. There was no need to include something that would not even matter for half of the book because the heroine just forgot she was angry at him for leading her on in the very begging. Also, the fact he likes to call her "girl" throughout the entire book like he wants her to be the girl he first met and not the woman she is. It is just creepy.
To speak of the suffrage since the description doesn't, it is very present in the book and it is probably what I like the most about the book. And the fact the heroine does not back down from it since the "hero" doesn't support her is what marked her for me because her making excuses for the guy was not.
That being said, I was disappointed that everything happened so fast, and the main characters simply "forgot" everything about the other up until the middle of the book, only to remember they have different opinions to become the conflict when they knew they had a different view on something and choose to ignore and marry anyway, like the other's believes would just disappear because they are now husband and wife.
Another issue is that they meet when the heroine was 14 years old and the "hero" was 24 years old. They were together unchaperoned, kissed, and he leads her on. That is not the problem, but the age is. She was very young and it felt wrong. There was no need to include something that would not even matter for half of the book because the heroine just forgot she was angry at him for leading her on in the very begging. Also, the fact he likes to call her "girl" throughout the entire book like he wants her to be the girl he first met and not the woman she is. It is just creepy.
To speak of the suffrage since the description doesn't, it is very present in the book and it is probably what I like the most about the book. And the fact the heroine does not back down from it since the "hero" doesn't support her is what marked her for me because her making excuses for the guy was not.
January 31, 2021
2.5 stars
It's difficult to like a H who adamantly opposes women's right to vote. He's so against it that he's known for being an opponent to the suffragist movement and he's written articles about it.
It's difficult to like an H who kissed the h and flirted with her when she was 14 and he was 24. Ew. What a weird history for this couple to share. He didn't think much of it but she was devastated when it didn't lead to anything more serious.
It's difficult to like an H who tells his wife he prefers her sexy shape with a corset even after she's explained its negative effect on internal organs.
It's difficult to like an H who is a bad boi who does what he wants outside of society and at the same time is so worried about what others think of his wife and therefore of him and his blasted name.
Besides that, this book featured the most underwhelming "losing her v-card" sex scene I've ever read. It was so boring and bland I had to go back and re-read it to confirm that they had sex, she was a virgin, and now he's leaving the library. The sex scenes got a litter better later in the book but this v-card scene was a 2/10. And for someone so concerned about reputation, this bad boi sure did boink this innocent ingenue all over the place, all over town....
The book was bland except the parts where I hated the H for being a traditional, controlling man. There were many times when he was nice and kind but then the bad parts would sneak up on you.
It's difficult to like a H who adamantly opposes women's right to vote. He's so against it that he's known for being an opponent to the suffragist movement and he's written articles about it.
It's difficult to like an H who kissed the h and flirted with her when she was 14 and he was 24. Ew. What a weird history for this couple to share. He didn't think much of it but she was devastated when it didn't lead to anything more serious.
It's difficult to like an H who tells his wife he prefers her sexy shape with a corset even after she's explained its negative effect on internal organs.
It's difficult to like an H who is a bad boi who does what he wants outside of society and at the same time is so worried about what others think of his wife and therefore of him and his blasted name.
Besides that, this book featured the most underwhelming "losing her v-card" sex scene I've ever read. It was so boring and bland I had to go back and re-read it to confirm that they had sex, she was a virgin, and now he's leaving the library. The sex scenes got a litter better later in the book but this v-card scene was a 2/10. And for someone so concerned about reputation, this bad boi sure did boink this innocent ingenue all over the place, all over town....
The book was bland except the parts where I hated the H for being a traditional, controlling man. There were many times when he was nice and kind but then the bad parts would sneak up on you.
March 9, 2021
This third book in The London Jewels Trilogy is about Petra Rutherford, who is feeling a bit like an outsider with her two best friends since they were schoolgirls, since Fenella and Diana are now married. AS their parents were never really engaged with their children, she is very close with her brother Jonathan (Joth). Joth, now a young member of Parliament, is very earnest about representing his constituents and asks Petra to join him for tea to charm Guy Granville, Lord Ashton, whom he seeks to aid him to support his bill. Little does Joth know, that Petra and Guy have history, when she was an innocent 14 and Granville a bit of a lecherous 24. She had a crush on him and he broke her heart, not that he was aware of it. Now he is enchanted with the grown up Petra and she seeks maybe a bit of revenge.
The author uses the movement of the Suffragists to add interest to the characters. All three women are supporters. Guy never gave it much thought. There is a villainess, Granville's on again off again mistress. And Petra seems to totally eschew the idea of having a maid along to keep her reputation, even falling into Guy's bed, without any promises. This part just doesn't fit the time period. So I have mixed feelings about the story, but the writing is excellent.
I read an ARC from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
The author uses the movement of the Suffragists to add interest to the characters. All three women are supporters. Guy never gave it much thought. There is a villainess, Granville's on again off again mistress. And Petra seems to totally eschew the idea of having a maid along to keep her reputation, even falling into Guy's bed, without any promises. This part just doesn't fit the time period. So I have mixed feelings about the story, but the writing is excellent.
I read an ARC from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
July 10, 2021
Two stars for a book I didn't finish? Well, that just represents my very confusing feelings for the book before making that decision-- and my feeling that the rest of the book, had I finished would've been fine. I just can't get over the little things that annoy me-- mainly the pacing and the misleading summary.
I picked up this book expecting the past relationship/meeting of these two to be a much bigger deal that in was. I know I didn't read the whole thing, but it was painfully obvious that the past was no longer going to play a larger role beyond the 'hey, me met before...once'. Which leads me to something I both found confusing, but oddly enjoyable (initially), and that is Petra's interpretation of that past meeting in her youth. Being young she greatly misjudged Guy's attention on her believing it to be love until he unceremoniously disappears from the country party without a word to her. When she mentions this pretty early on to Guy upon meeting him again because she's angry, he is shocked and adamantly tells her he never led her on, he just enjoyed her company and was certainly not obligated to tell her about a planed trip. I agree, he was totally within his rights and she was in the wrong for thinking otherwise-- she even admits it-- but still wanted revenge...ummm...ok? I just didn't get that, but I did kind of like how self righteous Petra was about it and thought it would be fine, but as early as she comes up with the plan to get him and drop him as revenge it is practically never mentioned again-- unless he friends ask, which she never responds. I just think the past bits needed to be played up WAY more WAY early on in the relationship if this aspect of the storyline was going to make sense-- in fact the past needed to be a part of the story as we are told it is.
I enjoyed the characters. I found them simple but seemingly complex (again, perhaps more so had I read more that 140 pages). The first time they sleep together is so highly...unromantic and lacking any intimacies and yet she suddenly loves him...when did that happen?
Yet, I still liked the characters, at least Guy, I found him a bit mysterious and interesting. But Petra's character began to lose a little luster.
What it came down to...pacing...I liked the writing, the plot ideas and what I got to were overall fun, and the characters were good. I'll read another Jane Feather, but this one-- I was promised a past trop and did not receive. I will be skimming the rest.
I picked up this book expecting the past relationship/meeting of these two to be a much bigger deal that in was. I know I didn't read the whole thing, but it was painfully obvious that the past was no longer going to play a larger role beyond the 'hey, me met before...once'. Which leads me to something I both found confusing, but oddly enjoyable (initially), and that is Petra's interpretation of that past meeting in her youth. Being young she greatly misjudged Guy's attention on her believing it to be love until he unceremoniously disappears from the country party without a word to her. When she mentions this pretty early on to Guy upon meeting him again because she's angry, he is shocked and adamantly tells her he never led her on, he just enjoyed her company and was certainly not obligated to tell her about a planed trip. I agree, he was totally within his rights and she was in the wrong for thinking otherwise-- she even admits it-- but still wanted revenge...ummm...ok? I just didn't get that, but I did kind of like how self righteous Petra was about it and thought it would be fine, but as early as she comes up with the plan to get him and drop him as revenge it is practically never mentioned again-- unless he friends ask, which she never responds. I just think the past bits needed to be played up WAY more WAY early on in the relationship if this aspect of the storyline was going to make sense-- in fact the past needed to be a part of the story as we are told it is.
I enjoyed the characters. I found them simple but seemingly complex (again, perhaps more so had I read more that 140 pages). The first time they sleep together is so highly...unromantic and lacking any intimacies and yet she suddenly loves him...when did that happen?
Yet, I still liked the characters, at least Guy, I found him a bit mysterious and interesting. But Petra's character began to lose a little luster.
What it came down to...pacing...I liked the writing, the plot ideas and what I got to were overall fun, and the characters were good. I'll read another Jane Feather, but this one-- I was promised a past trop and did not receive. I will be skimming the rest.
September 1, 2023
I had hopes that this would be an improvement over the previous book in the series and it is, marginally, but not enough to give it another star. I didn't care for Petra or Guy very much. Guy is manipulating, selfish and controlling, just shy of being a bully. He has the pattern of - get angry and do something close to abusive, then apologize profusely and have makeup sex. Petra . . . once again, I can't decide if she's naive or stupid. I didn't feel any love between the characters at all. It felt more like each was using the other for whatever reasons. The story was both boring and tedious. One last "nit" - star rubies are not faceted. There are faceted rubies, but *star* rubies, which are more rare, have a cabochon 'cut' to facilitate sowing off the star.
This bit is going to speak to not only this book, but includes the previous two in the series as well. The author likes "big words," and while it's not overdone, it is enough to notice. The stories also include a lot of detail - clothes, food, settings, carriages, and so on. I didn't really notice when reading the first book. In the second book, it dawned on me and the third book confirmed it. All that detail covers the lack of substance. Take away the details and there's not a lot left. All in all it means, for me, this author is going on my DNB (Do Not Buy) list. It's just not a good fit.
This bit is going to speak to not only this book, but includes the previous two in the series as well. The author likes "big words," and while it's not overdone, it is enough to notice. The stories also include a lot of detail - clothes, food, settings, carriages, and so on. I didn't really notice when reading the first book. In the second book, it dawned on me and the third book confirmed it. All that detail covers the lack of substance. Take away the details and there's not a lot left. All in all it means, for me, this author is going on my DNB (Do Not Buy) list. It's just not a good fit.
October 18, 2021
This is the third and last book of this series and while I found it an ok read, it really is not quite interesting. It shows how boring life of high society is, how uninteresting and superficial.
The heroine and her friends supported the women’s suffrage movement in a somewhat superficial way, it seemed, which made this aspect of the book an unimportant side-element. It seemed to be just a hobby, because they did not have something else to do. Because of this, the heroine and her friends seemed rather color-less and feeble.
I did not like the hero at all. He met the heroine the first time when he was 24 and she was 14. At that time he only „played“ with her: going out with her, dancing and kissing her and quickly dropping her, when his friends invited him to go abroad. When they meet again he behaves in an overbearing and self-centered way.
I didn’t see how the heroine could fall in love with the hero. And I also failed to see how he could fall in love with her, meaning the romantic part of the story felt flat. It wasn’t so much the age difference than the difference in character and life experience. I know opposites attract, but differences?
There was no Epilog, which is a shame really, as it is the last book of the series.
The heroine and her friends supported the women’s suffrage movement in a somewhat superficial way, it seemed, which made this aspect of the book an unimportant side-element. It seemed to be just a hobby, because they did not have something else to do. Because of this, the heroine and her friends seemed rather color-less and feeble.
I did not like the hero at all. He met the heroine the first time when he was 24 and she was 14. At that time he only „played“ with her: going out with her, dancing and kissing her and quickly dropping her, when his friends invited him to go abroad. When they meet again he behaves in an overbearing and self-centered way.
I didn’t see how the heroine could fall in love with the hero. And I also failed to see how he could fall in love with her, meaning the romantic part of the story felt flat. It wasn’t so much the age difference than the difference in character and life experience. I know opposites attract, but differences?
There was no Epilog, which is a shame really, as it is the last book of the series.
January 24, 2021
Ravish Me with Rubies by Jane Feather is the third book in her The London Jewels Trilogy. We are brought into a place with famous jewels, beautiful dresses and a world removed from our own. The book highlights some of the issues around the suffragist movement and how women were seen.
Petra Rutherford is a woman trying to live an independent life. She is part of the suffragist movement and is willing to help her brother move forward in his political career. So when he asked her for help, she was stunned when the help was the young man who she fell in love with when she was but 14. Guy Granville is surprised at how Petra seems to be interested in him as he is not interested in marriage with anyone and Petra is as prickly as they come.
I have always enjoyed Jane Feather books, but this series was not one of my favorites. This particular novel was just okay. However, knowing my love for reading historical romance, I will still keep Jane Feather in my to be read author’s list and hope her future books become more than okay. Ravish Me with Rubies by Jane Feather was an okay read.
Petra Rutherford is a woman trying to live an independent life. She is part of the suffragist movement and is willing to help her brother move forward in his political career. So when he asked her for help, she was stunned when the help was the young man who she fell in love with when she was but 14. Guy Granville is surprised at how Petra seems to be interested in him as he is not interested in marriage with anyone and Petra is as prickly as they come.
I have always enjoyed Jane Feather books, but this series was not one of my favorites. This particular novel was just okay. However, knowing my love for reading historical romance, I will still keep Jane Feather in my to be read author’s list and hope her future books become more than okay. Ravish Me with Rubies by Jane Feather was an okay read.
January 27, 2021
I like this author and I liked almost everything about this book.
Petra Rutherford fancied herself in love with Baron Granville of Ashton when she was 14 years old. Now her brother's political ambitions place her before him once more, and she's determined to put this rake, who broke her heart, in his place.
Guy Granville is disarmed by Petra's bold personality and soon find himself in love and entertaining thoughts of marriage. Now, if only the fiery Petra would stop sparring with him long enough to surrender to him completely--and allow him to convince her that his riches, his rubies, and his heart belong with her...
I think is really interesting the way the right of women to vote is approached. I also enjoy reading about cars and more comfortable clothes in a modern era that we usually see in HR. There are great dialogs, her friends are funny and smart, and there are sexy times. The only thing I didn´t feel comfortable about was how young Petra was when Guy almost seduced her the first time. She seemed too young even for that period of time.
But mostly is an interesting book, easy to read and enjoyable.
Petra Rutherford fancied herself in love with Baron Granville of Ashton when she was 14 years old. Now her brother's political ambitions place her before him once more, and she's determined to put this rake, who broke her heart, in his place.
Guy Granville is disarmed by Petra's bold personality and soon find himself in love and entertaining thoughts of marriage. Now, if only the fiery Petra would stop sparring with him long enough to surrender to him completely--and allow him to convince her that his riches, his rubies, and his heart belong with her...
I think is really interesting the way the right of women to vote is approached. I also enjoy reading about cars and more comfortable clothes in a modern era that we usually see in HR. There are great dialogs, her friends are funny and smart, and there are sexy times. The only thing I didn´t feel comfortable about was how young Petra was when Guy almost seduced her the first time. She seemed too young even for that period of time.
But mostly is an interesting book, easy to read and enjoyable.
November 26, 2020
Ravish Me with Rubies was the least favourite of the three regency romance that I've recently read. My pet hate is that it didn't give the time period that it's set in. I managed to figure out it was set about a decade pre-Downton Abbey era but I should not have had to look for clues.
The novel was not memorable. Petra was a so-so heroine but there wasn't any chemistry. I don't see why she wanted Guy, their ideologies were worlds apart and she believed he wronged her when she was a girl. Guy was a terrible hero. He was domineering with no redeeming characteristics. He was very much a 'my way or the highway' type of guy. He showed no vulnerability and I felt no empathy for him whatsoever. Ravish Me with Rubies was a forgettable novel, the only thing I'll remember about it over the next few weeks is that it made we want to re-watch Downton Abbey from beginning.
Many thanks to the publisher who provided an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The novel was not memorable. Petra was a so-so heroine but there wasn't any chemistry. I don't see why she wanted Guy, their ideologies were worlds apart and she believed he wronged her when she was a girl. Guy was a terrible hero. He was domineering with no redeeming characteristics. He was very much a 'my way or the highway' type of guy. He showed no vulnerability and I felt no empathy for him whatsoever. Ravish Me with Rubies was a forgettable novel, the only thing I'll remember about it over the next few weeks is that it made we want to re-watch Downton Abbey from beginning.
Many thanks to the publisher who provided an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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