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The Legend of Nimway Hall #6
1888: Alexandra
Alexandra Hayden, the current guardian of Nimway Hall, is badly in need of funding to repair the crumbling estate. American Robert Curtis has just arrived to take possession of the estate next to Nimway and his newly inherited title Viscount Brynmore.
Alexandra needs money, and Robert could use a well-connected wife. Marriage would benefit both of them. But each has been having romantic dreams about the other, and a marriage of convenience could turn out to be anything but. And even on an estate filled with magic, it's not always easy to recognize love is the greatest magic of all.
Alexandra needs money, and Robert could use a well-connected wife. Marriage would benefit both of them. But each has been having romantic dreams about the other, and a marriage of convenience could turn out to be anything but. And even on an estate filled with magic, it's not always easy to recognize love is the greatest magic of all.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published March 13, 2020
33 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Alexander
65 books1,328 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander was an award winning television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real life. She turned to writing full time and is still shocked it worked out.
Since the publication of her first book in 1995, she has written thirty-one full length novels and six novellas. The Perfect Wife—originally published in 1996 and reissued in March 2008—hit #1 on the New York Times list. Sixteen of her books are bestsellers hitting the New York Times, USA Today and/or Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. With books translated into more than a dozen different languages she has readers around the world and has twice been nominated for Romance's Writers of America prestigious RITA award. In 2009 she was given a Career Achievement Award from RT Bookclub and was named Historical Storyteller of the year in 2003. In 2008 she was the keynote speaker for the Romance Writers of American annual conference in San Francisco. Victoria credits much of her writing success to her experiences as a reporter.
Her years as a broadcast journalist were spent in two radically different areas of the country: Nebraska and West Virginia. In West Virginia, she covered both natural and manmade disasters. She was on the scene when a power plant construction accident in a small town left 52 men dead. She once spent the night on a mountain waiting to learn of the fate of coal miners trapped in a mine collapse. Victoria was producing a newscast when her husband (who worked at the same television station) and several other journalists were held hostage by a disturbed Vietnam veteran. In Nebraska, she reported on the farm crisis and watched people lose land that had been in their families for generations. She covered the story that was the basis of the movie BOYS DON’T CRY and once acted as the link between police and a gunman who had barricaded himself in his home. Her investigative work exposed the trucking of New York City garbage to a small town dump in rural Nebraska.
During her journalism career, Victoria covered every president from Ford to Clinton. She knows firsthand what it feels like to be surrounded by rising floodwaters and inside a burning building. She’s interviewed movie stars including Kevin Costner, ridden an elephant and flown in a governor’s helicopter. She’s covered a national political convention and Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Denver as well as small town festivals celebrating everything from walnuts to Glen Miller. Her work was honored by numerous organizations including the Associated Press who called a feature about a firefighter’s school "story telling genius". It was the encouragement she needed to turn from news to fiction. She’s never looked back.
Victoria claims her love of romance and journalism is to due to the influence of her favorite comic book character: Lois Lane, a terrific reporter and a great heroine who pursued Superman with an unwavering determination. And why not? He was extremely well drawn.
Victoria grew up traveling the world as an Air Force brat. Today, she lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and her dogs. Victoria had two bearded collies, Sam and Louie (named from characters in one of her books). Sam (on the left), the best dog in the world for 13 ½ years, passed away in September 2010. Louie took on the position of loyal companion and did a fine job even though he doesn't understand that kitchen counter surfing is not allowed!
Now he's been joined by Reggie, also a faithful companion.
They all live happily ever after in a house under constant renovation and the accompanying parade of men in tool belts. And never ending chaos. Victoria laughs a great deal—she has to.
New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander was an award winning television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real life. She turned to writing full time and is still shocked it worked out.
Since the publication of her first book in 1995, she has written thirty-one full length novels and six novellas. The Perfect Wife—originally published in 1996 and reissued in March 2008—hit #1 on the New York Times list. Sixteen of her books are bestsellers hitting the New York Times, USA Today and/or Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. With books translated into more than a dozen different languages she has readers around the world and has twice been nominated for Romance's Writers of America prestigious RITA award. In 2009 she was given a Career Achievement Award from RT Bookclub and was named Historical Storyteller of the year in 2003. In 2008 she was the keynote speaker for the Romance Writers of American annual conference in San Francisco. Victoria credits much of her writing success to her experiences as a reporter.
Her years as a broadcast journalist were spent in two radically different areas of the country: Nebraska and West Virginia. In West Virginia, she covered both natural and manmade disasters. She was on the scene when a power plant construction accident in a small town left 52 men dead. She once spent the night on a mountain waiting to learn of the fate of coal miners trapped in a mine collapse. Victoria was producing a newscast when her husband (who worked at the same television station) and several other journalists were held hostage by a disturbed Vietnam veteran. In Nebraska, she reported on the farm crisis and watched people lose land that had been in their families for generations. She covered the story that was the basis of the movie BOYS DON’T CRY and once acted as the link between police and a gunman who had barricaded himself in his home. Her investigative work exposed the trucking of New York City garbage to a small town dump in rural Nebraska.
During her journalism career, Victoria covered every president from Ford to Clinton. She knows firsthand what it feels like to be surrounded by rising floodwaters and inside a burning building. She’s interviewed movie stars including Kevin Costner, ridden an elephant and flown in a governor’s helicopter. She’s covered a national political convention and Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Denver as well as small town festivals celebrating everything from walnuts to Glen Miller. Her work was honored by numerous organizations including the Associated Press who called a feature about a firefighter’s school "story telling genius". It was the encouragement she needed to turn from news to fiction. She’s never looked back.
Victoria claims her love of romance and journalism is to due to the influence of her favorite comic book character: Lois Lane, a terrific reporter and a great heroine who pursued Superman with an unwavering determination. And why not? He was extremely well drawn.
Victoria grew up traveling the world as an Air Force brat. Today, she lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and her dogs. Victoria had two bearded collies, Sam and Louie (named from characters in one of her books). Sam (on the left), the best dog in the world for 13 ½ years, passed away in September 2010. Louie took on the position of loyal companion and did a fine job even though he doesn't understand that kitchen counter surfing is not allowed!
Now he's been joined by Reggie, also a faithful companion.
They all live happily ever after in a house under constant renovation and the accompanying parade of men in tool belts. And never ending chaos. Victoria laughs a great deal—she has to.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 14, 2021
Hmmmmm this started out strong. I really liked the stead-fastness of the h and her backbone in holding to her own in trying to keep her charge from crumbling literary on top of her. I liked the sass she gave and even liked how they teased the H about being American. It did verge on tipping over into badgering an innocent man just for the reason of being born on a different continent and he never stood up for himself on that, even in his own cheeky playful way. I was hopeful still that he is gonna give as he got as some point annnnnd then that middle part of the book happened.
This is one of the things that irked me at the second part of the book. Not to disparage against the female gender but she turned into such a know-it-all and just expected her world to be obeyed without considering anyone else's feelings but her own. She was like that girlfriend that is convinced that she is the only one right about everything and if she is wrong then the world needs to shift till it bows down to her will. I mean who knows how she would handle even a little bit of criticism from anyone, she would buckle under the strain of that rod she got wedged in her ass.
All in all I checked out the reviews of the other books in the series and the overall consensus is not good so not sure if I will carry on with this series if I get my hands on any other books.
This is one of the things that irked me at the second part of the book. Not to disparage against the female gender but she turned into such a know-it-all and just expected her world to be obeyed without considering anyone else's feelings but her own. She was like that girlfriend that is convinced that she is the only one right about everything and if she is wrong then the world needs to shift till it bows down to her will. I mean who knows how she would handle even a little bit of criticism from anyone, she would buckle under the strain of that rod she got wedged in her ass.
All in all I checked out the reviews of the other books in the series and the overall consensus is not good so not sure if I will carry on with this series if I get my hands on any other books.
January 17, 2021
The story started out as a gripping, witty and somewhat modern fairy tale like, with well constructed chemistry between the main characters, but from a certain point in the plot it went downhill in credibility and execution. Robert goes from proposing a marriage of convenience, similar to a business merger, to having a complete change of heart towards the end of the book, insomuch as to throw a bit of tantrum for getting exactly what he asked for. Alex, the Guardian of Nimway, pines for its lost magic but then, when she imagines it may be behind her husband's attraction and love, the magic all of a sudden loses its aura; she wants the validation driven by the orb at first and then she suddenly doesn't need it anymore. The whole orb apparition as a validation of love seems forced and inconsistent: it's no longer the apparition I would have thought it'd be, by the way it's described in the book, but it materialises as a gift after it becomes irrelevant to the heroine as being the guarantee of a love match. Also, I got to the end believing that the orb appears only to the character whose love match it's validating and lo and behold, aunt Vivian gets to see it after having been happily married twice (without having seen it as validation), when Alex receives it as a gift. Well, colour me confused!
The story had its merits, from the initial meet-cute, to various witty interactions between the characters and surprising, funny plot twists (the twin brother twist towards the end of the story was particularly enjoyable), but some consistency along the way, or better built changes of heart in the character's evolution would have helped me suspend my disbelief. I have no problem in believing that it's a kind of magic, but there needs to be a believable way in which the unbelievable is rendered, and this story loses that element at a certain point unfortunately.
The story had its merits, from the initial meet-cute, to various witty interactions between the characters and surprising, funny plot twists (the twin brother twist towards the end of the story was particularly enjoyable), but some consistency along the way, or better built changes of heart in the character's evolution would have helped me suspend my disbelief. I have no problem in believing that it's a kind of magic, but there needs to be a believable way in which the unbelievable is rendered, and this story loses that element at a certain point unfortunately.
March 5, 2022
My rating: 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
I had only read a couple of Victoria Alexander's books before this one, and that was some time ago, so I didn't really know what to expect. I found, though, that I enjoyed this book more than the others I've read from this series. The couple was likable, and their interaction was very amusing at times. The story did move a little slow at times, but it wasn't a major problem.
Since the magical properties of the moonstone orb are a large part of the overarching plot of this series, I was surprised that Alex didn't seem to understand much about how it worked. It just seemed like the legends surrounding that orb would have been passed down to her, since it had helped so many of her ancestors find love.
I liked Robert, but got a little annoyed a few times at his arrogance. I did like that he was so loyal to his family and that he was willing to help Alex pay for the repairs to Nimway Hall.
I liked Alex too, but thought she wasn't very smart with relationships. She had three failed engagements, and her last fiancee cheated her out of a lot of money. After all that, she still had trouble communicating her feelings, and was afraid to tell Robert she cared for him.
This book contained sex scenes within marriage, but they weren't really very explicit at all.
The blurb for this book was misleading. It described a marriage of convenience, so I assumed that Alex and Robert would get married early in the book. But the marriage actually occurred after I'd read almost 2/3 of the book. That did not affect my rating, but still ...
My rating system is below.
1 star -- Hated it, or did not finish. I usually only give this rating if some of the content is truly objectionable to me, like if one of the main characters does something really awful, and gets away with it.
2 stars -- Didn't like it. This rating usually means that I thought the writing wasn't very good, the editing was terrible, I didn't like the characters, or it had other major flaws.
3 stars -- I liked it, but had some minor issues with it. This rating means that there were minor editing issues, the story needed more character development, it was just too unrealistic, or had some other fairly minor issue. The majority of books I read get this rating – I do not consider it a bad rating.
4 stars -- I liked it a lot. This is a high rating for me, and I rarely give a higher one.
5 stars -- I loved it, and will probably read it again. Very few books are good enough to get this rating from me. The ones that do are usually classics.
I had only read a couple of Victoria Alexander's books before this one, and that was some time ago, so I didn't really know what to expect. I found, though, that I enjoyed this book more than the others I've read from this series. The couple was likable, and their interaction was very amusing at times. The story did move a little slow at times, but it wasn't a major problem.
Since the magical properties of the moonstone orb are a large part of the overarching plot of this series, I was surprised that Alex didn't seem to understand much about how it worked. It just seemed like the legends surrounding that orb would have been passed down to her, since it had helped so many of her ancestors find love.
I liked Robert, but got a little annoyed a few times at his arrogance. I did like that he was so loyal to his family and that he was willing to help Alex pay for the repairs to Nimway Hall.
I liked Alex too, but thought she wasn't very smart with relationships. She had three failed engagements, and her last fiancee cheated her out of a lot of money. After all that, she still had trouble communicating her feelings, and was afraid to tell Robert she cared for him.
This book contained sex scenes within marriage, but they weren't really very explicit at all.
The blurb for this book was misleading. It described a marriage of convenience, so I assumed that Alex and Robert would get married early in the book. But the marriage actually occurred after I'd read almost 2/3 of the book. That did not affect my rating, but still ...
My rating system is below.
1 star -- Hated it, or did not finish. I usually only give this rating if some of the content is truly objectionable to me, like if one of the main characters does something really awful, and gets away with it.
2 stars -- Didn't like it. This rating usually means that I thought the writing wasn't very good, the editing was terrible, I didn't like the characters, or it had other major flaws.
3 stars -- I liked it, but had some minor issues with it. This rating means that there were minor editing issues, the story needed more character development, it was just too unrealistic, or had some other fairly minor issue. The majority of books I read get this rating – I do not consider it a bad rating.
4 stars -- I liked it a lot. This is a high rating for me, and I rarely give a higher one.
5 stars -- I loved it, and will probably read it again. Very few books are good enough to get this rating from me. The ones that do are usually classics.
May 22, 2023
I keep reading the books in this series because I love the concept. Different authors each telling a story about a couple that comes together at Nimway Hall and the subtle magic that surrounds it. The problem is, each of these stories falls short of being great. This one, the story of Alexandra and Robert, started off promising. I liked both characters. But then Alexandra turns kind of annoying and of course there is a misunderstanding. It's very mild, and should be cleared up almost immediately but her stubbornness and refusal to admit she could be wrong is frustrating. Then in the last couple chapters, the authors throws in additional complications only to wrap things up too quickly in my opinion.
March 27, 2024
Sadly, I was not impressed with this book. The story often dragged and there was little depth to it. I sped up the listening rate which is never a good sign for me. The magic surrounding the property and house is entertaining but mostly was a quaint backdrop for the romance. There were a few odd occurrences that were highlighted to make you question what was happening.
At the point of this book, Alex had had four failed engagements for reasons ranging from infidelity to theft and has sworn off men. Robert, a newly discovered Viscount, comes to view his ancestral home and initially sees Nimway, liking it, only to discover that his home instead is a ruin. Then he tries to buy Alex's home and she will have none of it. Robert likes the home and its owner and begins plotting.
At the point of this book, Alex had had four failed engagements for reasons ranging from infidelity to theft and has sworn off men. Robert, a newly discovered Viscount, comes to view his ancestral home and initially sees Nimway, liking it, only to discover that his home instead is a ruin. Then he tries to buy Alex's home and she will have none of it. Robert likes the home and its owner and begins plotting.
April 7, 2020
The series of The Legend of Nimway Hall having been written by several different Authors, makes for an interesting read. Number 6, set in 1888, tells the story of Alexandra and Robert (who is an American who has recently inherited an English Title.
The series revolves around those who inherit the Nimway Hall, each eldest daughter inherits from her mother. Each author with her own style meshes each volume together rather well. Which I imagine is challenging, but fun to undertake. Each book starts with the story of Nimue and Merlin, and their love for each other. Nimway hall is believed to be built on a site where Nimue's cottage was.
Entertaining and interesting reading.
The series revolves around those who inherit the Nimway Hall, each eldest daughter inherits from her mother. Each author with her own style meshes each volume together rather well. Which I imagine is challenging, but fun to undertake. Each book starts with the story of Nimue and Merlin, and their love for each other. Nimway hall is believed to be built on a site where Nimue's cottage was.
Entertaining and interesting reading.
December 16, 2021
-3 stars, 3.5. it was ok. had the typical 'cant say i love you until you say it first', and then when he says it, she doesnt believe it. the orb that featured in all the other books doesn't make an appearance here until the last few pages. so i wouldn't really call this one fantasy/paranormal romance.
"you realize your arrogance tends to negate the thoughtfulness of your actions."
"it does, doesn't it."
"i'm trying to apologize. in the event that i have been the least bit rude, which i really don't think i have."
"should an apology end with a denial of the offense?"
"you realize your arrogance tends to negate the thoughtfulness of your actions."
"it does, doesn't it."
"i'm trying to apologize. in the event that i have been the least bit rude, which i really don't think i have."
"should an apology end with a denial of the offense?"
June 3, 2020
I loved this installment of Nimway Hall. I loved the characters and the plot. I couldn't have put these together the way Alexander did, not that I would even try. Not my forte. I laughed and worried and had all sorts of thoughts running through my head. Most of all I could put this tale down. Can't wait to read the next book by Alexander and the next in the series of Nimway Hall.
August 12, 2020
This was the first book I read in the series -- not initially realizing they were somewhat dated. I then read the rest chronologically; however, this worked just fine being read out of order.
I enjoyed the storyline and the intrigue, as well as the burgeoning romance between Alexandra and Robert.
I enjoyed the storyline and the intrigue, as well as the burgeoning romance between Alexandra and Robert.
June 19, 2021
Oh-oh I think I found a new good historical romance author. I definitely needed it, not going to lie. So refreshing not having five sex scenes. I thought it was a bit shallow in a few aspects, but didn't actually bother me.
November 22, 2020
Excellent humor
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews