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The Absolutely Positively Worst Man in England, Scotland and Wales
Kit Adderley is the worst man in England, a bored libertine who’ll do anything to entertain himself, including kidnapping the strong-minded, freckled dab of a girl promised to his partner in crime.
Bryony Marton is trapped in a quiet life and looking for escape, when her awful fiance’s best friend inadvertently offers it. Everything would be fine if he hadn’t kidnapped her pretty young cousin as well. And now there’s a handsome young Bow Street Runner chasing them..!
On the road, Bryony embraces her freedom, and she’s more than willing to embrace her captor, a man who kicks over convention and isn’t nearly as bad as he and the rest of the world think he is, but now she has a new how to convince the worst man in England, Scotland and Wales that he’s the best man for her?
Bryony Marton is trapped in a quiet life and looking for escape, when her awful fiance’s best friend inadvertently offers it. Everything would be fine if he hadn’t kidnapped her pretty young cousin as well. And now there’s a handsome young Bow Street Runner chasing them..!
On the road, Bryony embraces her freedom, and she’s more than willing to embrace her captor, a man who kicks over convention and isn’t nearly as bad as he and the rest of the world think he is, but now she has a new how to convince the worst man in England, Scotland and Wales that he’s the best man for her?
333 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 14, 2020
160 people are currently reading
476 people want to read
About the author
Anne Stuart
203 books2,063 followersAnne Stuart is a grandmaster of the genre, winner of Romance Writers of America's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, survivor of more than thirty-five years in the romance business, and still just keeps getting better.
Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.
She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.
When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.
Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.
Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.
She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.
When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.
Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
October 20, 2020
3.75 STARS
This was a juicy little morsel. I love stories like these. Women falling for the ultimate bad boy, the scoundrel who always turns out to be a tortured hero, and of course, not quite as wicked as he'd like everyone to believe. I really liked the pluck of our heroine, Bryony. The plain but sensible one, with a will of iron, and a quick witted tongue to match. Her pretty cousin was mostly annoying. But I'm glad she also got her very own tormentor in the end. Kit, our hero was wonderfully delicious. Loved his character. And Ms. Stuart never disappoints with her love scenes... in fact I could seriously dog-ear those pages for future reference. ;)
My only disappointment with the book was a few incidences of writing errors, redundant terms and phrases. I don't think that she needed to keep reiterating the title over and over within the story. I counted 17 times. It was understood after it was mentioned the first time. She also had a tendency to reuse unique words, such as the word virago which she used 5 times. That is not a common word. And it becomes annoying to keep seeing it. I know these are nit-picky things. But when they start adding up they becomes more noticeable. Sadly, all of these things can usually be avoided with the use of a good editor. Rant over. :)
All in all, I really enjoyed the story. It was good enough to keep me glued to my kindle. Love these kind of heroes, and will keep going back to Anne Stuart's books for that reason alone!
If this was what seduction felt like, it was no wonder there were so many fallen women in the world.
This was a juicy little morsel. I love stories like these. Women falling for the ultimate bad boy, the scoundrel who always turns out to be a tortured hero, and of course, not quite as wicked as he'd like everyone to believe. I really liked the pluck of our heroine, Bryony. The plain but sensible one, with a will of iron, and a quick witted tongue to match. Her pretty cousin was mostly annoying. But I'm glad she also got her very own tormentor in the end. Kit, our hero was wonderfully delicious. Loved his character. And Ms. Stuart never disappoints with her love scenes... in fact I could seriously dog-ear those pages for future reference. ;)
My only disappointment with the book was a few incidences of writing errors, redundant terms and phrases. I don't think that she needed to keep reiterating the title over and over within the story. I counted 17 times. It was understood after it was mentioned the first time. She also had a tendency to reuse unique words, such as the word virago which she used 5 times. That is not a common word. And it becomes annoying to keep seeing it. I know these are nit-picky things. But when they start adding up they becomes more noticeable. Sadly, all of these things can usually be avoided with the use of a good editor. Rant over. :)
All in all, I really enjoyed the story. It was good enough to keep me glued to my kindle. Love these kind of heroes, and will keep going back to Anne Stuart's books for that reason alone!
April 9, 2022
4.5 Stars
My first Anne Stuart, and what a rollercoaster ride it was! I am struggling to string together coherent sentences that would form a suitable review of this book.
When I read stories that defy the standard HR convention, I somehow don't take them at face value. No, I have to analyse what might have prompted the author to write this kind of story. The psychologist in me does not rest easy and goes crazy at the mystery of it all. This story looked like the tossing of morality. Ms Stuart called bullshit on what people may think on the inside, the dark thoughts that we don’t say, all the while showing that we are the harbingers of light. But here, she showed, no, she flaunted the dark while hiding the luminescence.
My Thoughts
- This story is absolutely, positively, the most absurd one that I’ve read about a man from England, Scotland and Wales, let's throw in Ireland for good measure (not my finest creative moments, but I do aim to try and please).
- Let's not even comment on this highly amusing title, my God, how do you justify a hero who fits the bill so thoroughly but alludes to a turnabout towards the end? Why do anti-heroes tickle my fancy?
To misquote Chandler Bing, "What's wrong with me? Oh, don't open that door, or it's a therapist's appointment for you."
But tickle my fancy he did, and if this is the worst man the British Isles have to offer, then sign me up for one of my own, please. How did Ms Stuart dream of this totally wrong, gorgeous alpha rake, and made us fall in love with him?
- If you thought Kit was bad, then Byrony was worst, in the best god damn possible way. This girl, this brave, wonderful girl, bloody hell! Got to hand it to her, I would have broken down by the 5th ordeal.
- These two together made you feel like an addlepated moron trying to find traditional romance. A man who kidnapped her on a whim of boredom, a woman who wanted to run away from her current life, enjoying (but not quite) the ordeal of being kidnapped. A match made in heaven (but not quite). In this situation, I dare you to find a sweet simpering romance, which was there (but not quite). This tale is quite full of "not quite's", I assure you.
- This book does not let you settle down with your assumption about the characters, as they tend to surprise you with the unexpected at every turn of a page, with the exception of Latherby (but not quite). And no one gives a straight answer to any question asked by anyone. I had a constant bemused expression pasted on my face, trying to keep up.
*The Niggles...
- Why did there have to be a detailed secondary love story? It was sweet towards the end, but I couldn't have cared less about them.
- The shit AF epilogue. I want the main characters in the epilogue, not some random whatever-th generational descendants.
- And since I am an asshole stickler for proper forms of address - For the love of the Crown, a daughter of an Earl is a Lady, not a Hon Miss. Also, I swear, at one point, Kit, the Earl of Adderly was referred to as Marquis, which I am hoping is an oversight.
My Recommendation
This was a wonderfully, cleverly, and beautifully written story about the worst man in all of England, Scotland and Wales, who turned out to be the best man for this one woman in the whole wide world. Read and enjoy, folks!
My first Anne Stuart, and what a rollercoaster ride it was! I am struggling to string together coherent sentences that would form a suitable review of this book.
When I read stories that defy the standard HR convention, I somehow don't take them at face value. No, I have to analyse what might have prompted the author to write this kind of story. The psychologist in me does not rest easy and goes crazy at the mystery of it all. This story looked like the tossing of morality. Ms Stuart called bullshit on what people may think on the inside, the dark thoughts that we don’t say, all the while showing that we are the harbingers of light. But here, she showed, no, she flaunted the dark while hiding the luminescence.
My Thoughts
- This story is absolutely, positively, the most absurd one that I’ve read about a man from England, Scotland and Wales, let's throw in Ireland for good measure (not my finest creative moments, but I do aim to try and please).
- Let's not even comment on this highly amusing title, my God, how do you justify a hero who fits the bill so thoroughly but alludes to a turnabout towards the end? Why do anti-heroes tickle my fancy?
To misquote Chandler Bing, "What's wrong with me? Oh, don't open that door, or it's a therapist's appointment for you."
But tickle my fancy he did, and if this is the worst man the British Isles have to offer, then sign me up for one of my own, please. How did Ms Stuart dream of this totally wrong, gorgeous alpha rake, and made us fall in love with him?
- If you thought Kit was bad, then Byrony was worst, in the best god damn possible way. This girl, this brave, wonderful girl, bloody hell! Got to hand it to her, I would have broken down by the 5th ordeal.
- These two together made you feel like an addlepated moron trying to find traditional romance. A man who kidnapped her on a whim of boredom, a woman who wanted to run away from her current life, enjoying (but not quite) the ordeal of being kidnapped. A match made in heaven (but not quite). In this situation, I dare you to find a sweet simpering romance, which was there (but not quite). This tale is quite full of "not quite's", I assure you.
- This book does not let you settle down with your assumption about the characters, as they tend to surprise you with the unexpected at every turn of a page, with the exception of Latherby (but not quite). And no one gives a straight answer to any question asked by anyone. I had a constant bemused expression pasted on my face, trying to keep up.
*The Niggles...
- Why did there have to be a detailed secondary love story? It was sweet towards the end, but I couldn't have cared less about them.
- The shit AF epilogue. I want the main characters in the epilogue, not some random whatever-th generational descendants.
- And since I am an asshole stickler for proper forms of address - For the love of the Crown, a daughter of an Earl is a Lady, not a Hon Miss. Also, I swear, at one point, Kit, the Earl of Adderly was referred to as Marquis, which I am hoping is an oversight.
My Recommendation
This was a wonderfully, cleverly, and beautifully written story about the worst man in all of England, Scotland and Wales, who turned out to be the best man for this one woman in the whole wide world. Read and enjoy, folks!
August 8, 2022
I finished the book and really enjoyed it. 4-4.5* Excellent secondary love story included in the book. My thoughts on the book are spoilerish
March 1, 2022
I got this on either a free or a 99-cent day and I can absolutely positively tell you that it is the absolutely positively worst HR in England, Scotland, Wales, the USA, and any other country I can think of. Stuart has always liked to delight us with her misogynistic man-sluts but this one is either worse than usual or my ability to read about them has declined seriously. Help! I cannot find decent HRs to escape into. I'm back to rereads of Joanna Bourne, Meredith Duran, Sherry Thomas, Cecilia Grant and a few others. I can find nothing new that's worth my time.
September 27, 2020
The absolutely positively not worst man in England, Scotland and Wales.
February 9, 2022
The absolutely positively best antihero in England, Scotland and Wales 😈
He could smell the trace of a flowery soap on her flesh, in her unfashionable hair, and he considered moving his head down, breathing her in. He was far too indolent to make the effort. He simply accepted the fact that she smelled clean and pleasant. And that he would do his best to dirty her.
The hall was suddenly very quiet beyond the noise of the storm, but there was a hum beneath it, a dark energy that called to her. She would tell him no, and he would let her be. She could find an empty bedroom and sleep, alone and safe. He was terrifying. He was mesmerizing. She should run as fast and as far as she could. She reached out and took his hand.
“Liar. You’re not a meek, curious little creature, you’ve got the heart of a lioness hidden deep inside all the impeccably demure behavior, and you want to know what life is really like. You want to know what it’s like to be bad, to be selfish, to be free, and you want me to show you.” “No.” Her voice was strained. “I don’t want to be bad, and I don’t want to be selfish.” His smile was wolfish. “But you want to be free.” “Yes.” Her answer was immediate. “And you want me to show you.” It was a statement more than a question, and her answer was slower. “Yes.” “And maybe you want to be just a little bit bad?” She bit her lip.
In truth, she wanted to be very bad.
(I have to mention that the usual Anne Stuart side romance was uninspiring and I ended up skimming those parts. I love her books even with the side romances but sure wish she’d not put one in every book. The main story and MCs are always so very intriguing that I want more of them, not pages wasted on a side romance I don’t care about. So four stars instead of five).
He could smell the trace of a flowery soap on her flesh, in her unfashionable hair, and he considered moving his head down, breathing her in. He was far too indolent to make the effort. He simply accepted the fact that she smelled clean and pleasant. And that he would do his best to dirty her.
The hall was suddenly very quiet beyond the noise of the storm, but there was a hum beneath it, a dark energy that called to her. She would tell him no, and he would let her be. She could find an empty bedroom and sleep, alone and safe. He was terrifying. He was mesmerizing. She should run as fast and as far as she could. She reached out and took his hand.
“Liar. You’re not a meek, curious little creature, you’ve got the heart of a lioness hidden deep inside all the impeccably demure behavior, and you want to know what life is really like. You want to know what it’s like to be bad, to be selfish, to be free, and you want me to show you.” “No.” Her voice was strained. “I don’t want to be bad, and I don’t want to be selfish.” His smile was wolfish. “But you want to be free.” “Yes.” Her answer was immediate. “And you want me to show you.” It was a statement more than a question, and her answer was slower. “Yes.” “And maybe you want to be just a little bit bad?” She bit her lip.
In truth, she wanted to be very bad.
(I have to mention that the usual Anne Stuart side romance was uninspiring and I ended up skimming those parts. I love her books even with the side romances but sure wish she’d not put one in every book. The main story and MCs are always so very intriguing that I want more of them, not pages wasted on a side romance I don’t care about. So four stars instead of five).
April 25, 2022
I'm not sure why is Kit the worst man in 3 countries? Ms Stuart kept putting it out there, but this was not shown throughout the book. He's your average, typical rake who is now suffering from ennui (who wouldn't after participating in enough debauchery?). I think Lucien from Breathless is worst than Kit. There's always a secondary romance, and unfortunately, I couldn't be bothered with the second couple in this book. They're a dead bore (I skimmed read their parts). Ms Stuart can write anti-heroes, but this book is somehow lacking. I think she has mellowed over the years. The Americanism is somehow more apparent in this book. It's as if she couldn't be bothered anymore (I should have highlighted the quotes for reference). This was just an average read for me.
September 19, 2020
5 Stars!
It's been awhile since I immersed myself in the world of Anne Stuart, and it was great to be back! She has a way of writing heroes so awful that they are actually irresistible. She is the queen of the reforming rakes, but she doesn't turn them into lap dogs. They actually remain unreformed....to everyone but the heroine. Her unmistakable wit is clear on each page and the writing talent that ensnared me the first time I read a book of hers is still very much on display in this book.
If you are in the mood for a great deal, this book is for you. You will get two love stories for the price of one. Stuart has a secondary romance in this book that rivals the primary romance in its intensity.
This is a fun romance that will have you turning pages quickly and cheering for both of these couples.
Awesome fun!
It's been awhile since I immersed myself in the world of Anne Stuart, and it was great to be back! She has a way of writing heroes so awful that they are actually irresistible. She is the queen of the reforming rakes, but she doesn't turn them into lap dogs. They actually remain unreformed....to everyone but the heroine. Her unmistakable wit is clear on each page and the writing talent that ensnared me the first time I read a book of hers is still very much on display in this book.
If you are in the mood for a great deal, this book is for you. You will get two love stories for the price of one. Stuart has a secondary romance in this book that rivals the primary romance in its intensity.
This is a fun romance that will have you turning pages quickly and cheering for both of these couples.
Awesome fun!
February 8, 2021
If you are fan of Anne Stuart like myself, and have in all probability read most of her published books you can get your hands on, you would probably jump at the very possibility of a new book being published by a veritable master of the genre. There are very few books by Ms. Stuart that has not satisfied me on all counts, and even then, her stories tend to have that edge and quality to them that makes them memorable. Ms. Stuart is also the maestro when it comes to writing anti-heroes; her ICE series (contemporary) and The House of Rohan series (historical) are testament to this fact.
Published in August of last year, The Absolutely Positively Worst Man in England, Scotland and Wales (quite a mouthful, I know), was therefore much awaited to say the least. I had been regularly following up on Ms. Stuart’s blog to see when this baby would be published, and of course once it was, I was so excited that I couldn’t wait to dig in, even with work deadlines looming.
Christopher St. James Constant, third Earl of Adderley (Kit) is a man bored out of his mind, willing to be amused by pretty much anything. The news that his “friend” Sir George Latherby is about to get married rouses him of the boredom and lack of interest in life that plagues him, and so cooking up a nefarious plan to kidnap the betrothed to hasten the nuptials among other things, thus Adderly finds himself in the company of 25 year old Honorable Miss Bryony Marton.
Bryony wants nothing to do with her betrothed or any man for that matter. On the plain side, with scandal having eroded any means of making a good marriage match possible, Bryony has been biding her time until she could escape the confinement that is her every day life. When that “escape” comes in the form of kidnapping, while Bryony could have managed everything if it had been just herself, the fact that her cousin Cecelia is also taken alongside with her complicates matters.
Adderly, while he expects to be entertained to some extent by the events that unfold, he never would be thought it possible to be taken by surprise when it comes to Bryony. Her calm and unflappable demeanor, even under the most trying circumstances leaves him with an indescribable feeling coursing through him. Furthermore, when it would be far easier to have his way with the silly chit that is Bryony’s cousin, Adderly finds himself drawn to the plain looking thing that Bryony is, in a way that he is not at all comfortable with.
In the midst of it, Ms. Stuart also brings to life a secondary romance between Cecelia and Peter Barnes, member of the Bow Street Magistrate’s Court who is hired by Cecelia’s parents to bring her back home, leaving Bryony to her fate.
The Absolutely Positively Worst Man in England, Scotland and Wales is a story that brings an abundance of joy to to the expectant fans of Ms. Stuart. It has the hero whose reluctance to accept his feelings towards the heroine prevents him from giving in, and the heroine who at first, with her survival instincts kicking in, knows that the hero heralds the end of her life as she had known it.
While both Bryony and Adderly may not want to accept the heat that is very much alive between them, especially Adderly who knows better, there is no denying nor resisting what is inevitable. Their coming together is explosive in the way only Ms. Stuart can deliver scenes of passion, and the aftermath giving you that ton of angst to keep your adrenaline pumping. While Adderly tries (he truly does), to leave Bryony behind and get on with his life (though there is not much to it without her by his side), towards the end, it is Bryony who musters up the strength required to get them to their happily ever after.
I did love the story as it unfolded, with the main protagonists being endearing in their own unique ways. When it comes to the secondary romance, at first, I did not mind much for Cecelia’s character – I just found her to be a “convenient distraction” from what was springing to life between Adderly and Bryony. I felt quite annoyed by the time Ms. Stuart dedicated to Cecelia at that point in time. But once Peter Barnes came into the picture, I somehow found myself eagerly waiting for the bits and pieces to their story as well, finding Peter to be a hero I would have loved reading about more!
Adderly is an addictive hero – there is no doubt about that. He is lethal to your heart in a way that you foresee, but at the same time, you are unable to prevent him from piercing through and staking his claim on it. Bryony, with her calm and at times motherly nature, is exactly what Adderly needs but resists up till the very last minute. Adderly hides his scars behind the mask of indifference and boredom that assails his life and there is a darkness to his past that he has never really recovered from. The tantalizing bits and pieces to his past that Ms. Stuart dangles is just enough to draw your own conclusions and that is somehow enough to understand where Adderly is coming from.
At the cost of repeating myself, I loved the scenes of passion; they were certainly decadent. Though there was an epilogue to the story (readers deserved one after all the upheavals that we went through), it was a strange one to say the least. But nevertheless, it did serve its purpose, leaving the reader wanting more, and at the same time wondering whether Ms. Stuart would write a story about finding the modern day equivalent of Adderly. As an avid fan of Ms. Stuart, I can only hope!
Definitely recommended for fans of anti heroes, fans of Ms. Stuart, and those who love historical romances!
Final Verdict: Ms. Stuart does it yet again, delivering a delectably phenomenal read, with characters who tug at your heart and incite every sort of emotion conceivable.
Rating = 4.5/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit A Maldivian's Passion for Romance
Published in August of last year, The Absolutely Positively Worst Man in England, Scotland and Wales (quite a mouthful, I know), was therefore much awaited to say the least. I had been regularly following up on Ms. Stuart’s blog to see when this baby would be published, and of course once it was, I was so excited that I couldn’t wait to dig in, even with work deadlines looming.
Christopher St. James Constant, third Earl of Adderley (Kit) is a man bored out of his mind, willing to be amused by pretty much anything. The news that his “friend” Sir George Latherby is about to get married rouses him of the boredom and lack of interest in life that plagues him, and so cooking up a nefarious plan to kidnap the betrothed to hasten the nuptials among other things, thus Adderly finds himself in the company of 25 year old Honorable Miss Bryony Marton.
Bryony wants nothing to do with her betrothed or any man for that matter. On the plain side, with scandal having eroded any means of making a good marriage match possible, Bryony has been biding her time until she could escape the confinement that is her every day life. When that “escape” comes in the form of kidnapping, while Bryony could have managed everything if it had been just herself, the fact that her cousin Cecelia is also taken alongside with her complicates matters.
Adderly, while he expects to be entertained to some extent by the events that unfold, he never would be thought it possible to be taken by surprise when it comes to Bryony. Her calm and unflappable demeanor, even under the most trying circumstances leaves him with an indescribable feeling coursing through him. Furthermore, when it would be far easier to have his way with the silly chit that is Bryony’s cousin, Adderly finds himself drawn to the plain looking thing that Bryony is, in a way that he is not at all comfortable with.
In the midst of it, Ms. Stuart also brings to life a secondary romance between Cecelia and Peter Barnes, member of the Bow Street Magistrate’s Court who is hired by Cecelia’s parents to bring her back home, leaving Bryony to her fate.
The Absolutely Positively Worst Man in England, Scotland and Wales is a story that brings an abundance of joy to to the expectant fans of Ms. Stuart. It has the hero whose reluctance to accept his feelings towards the heroine prevents him from giving in, and the heroine who at first, with her survival instincts kicking in, knows that the hero heralds the end of her life as she had known it.
While both Bryony and Adderly may not want to accept the heat that is very much alive between them, especially Adderly who knows better, there is no denying nor resisting what is inevitable. Their coming together is explosive in the way only Ms. Stuart can deliver scenes of passion, and the aftermath giving you that ton of angst to keep your adrenaline pumping. While Adderly tries (he truly does), to leave Bryony behind and get on with his life (though there is not much to it without her by his side), towards the end, it is Bryony who musters up the strength required to get them to their happily ever after.
I did love the story as it unfolded, with the main protagonists being endearing in their own unique ways. When it comes to the secondary romance, at first, I did not mind much for Cecelia’s character – I just found her to be a “convenient distraction” from what was springing to life between Adderly and Bryony. I felt quite annoyed by the time Ms. Stuart dedicated to Cecelia at that point in time. But once Peter Barnes came into the picture, I somehow found myself eagerly waiting for the bits and pieces to their story as well, finding Peter to be a hero I would have loved reading about more!
Adderly is an addictive hero – there is no doubt about that. He is lethal to your heart in a way that you foresee, but at the same time, you are unable to prevent him from piercing through and staking his claim on it. Bryony, with her calm and at times motherly nature, is exactly what Adderly needs but resists up till the very last minute. Adderly hides his scars behind the mask of indifference and boredom that assails his life and there is a darkness to his past that he has never really recovered from. The tantalizing bits and pieces to his past that Ms. Stuart dangles is just enough to draw your own conclusions and that is somehow enough to understand where Adderly is coming from.
At the cost of repeating myself, I loved the scenes of passion; they were certainly decadent. Though there was an epilogue to the story (readers deserved one after all the upheavals that we went through), it was a strange one to say the least. But nevertheless, it did serve its purpose, leaving the reader wanting more, and at the same time wondering whether Ms. Stuart would write a story about finding the modern day equivalent of Adderly. As an avid fan of Ms. Stuart, I can only hope!
Definitely recommended for fans of anti heroes, fans of Ms. Stuart, and those who love historical romances!
Final Verdict: Ms. Stuart does it yet again, delivering a delectably phenomenal read, with characters who tug at your heart and incite every sort of emotion conceivable.
Rating = 4.5/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit A Maldivian's Passion for Romance
January 11, 2021
I am a huge Anne Stuart fan, love her historical romances and her gamma heroes, but I think this was written by an AI robot who inserted Anne Stuart-style wording like “absolutely positively worst hero albeit very rich and beautiful” and “redhed and freckled i.e. ugly heroine unfortunately very poor” plus added a little kidnapping, a villain, some dubious consent and rape threats, and a secondary romance that was just a filler and this is what came out.
Sorry very harsh but cannot recommend this. Or maybe Anne Stuart is just not my thing anymore.
Sorry very harsh but cannot recommend this. Or maybe Anne Stuart is just not my thing anymore.
February 20, 2022
Kit is a classic Anne Stuart anti hero. Completely devoid of conscience, utterly selfish and arrogant and heartbreakingly beautiful. Kit has done and seen it all and now he's bored. So bored he decides it would be great fun to kidnap his good for nothing friend's betrothed (the friend is in on it 😬) and drag her to Gretna Green. The idiot kidnappers they send to do the deed find two women and figure the gorgeous one must be the bride and plump readhead is the governess so they take them both. Briony, is the plump freckled faced fiancee of Kit's broke friend. The marriage was arranged and she wants nothing to do with her groom to be. Unfortunately for her she's an heiress so she's doomed to her fate until Kit lays eyes on her. He's baffled by his attraction to the practical, stern sassy mouthed freckled face Bryony and completely immune to her cousin's many charms. So in typical romance hero fashion he decides the best way to get her out of his system is to bang it out.
I love Anne Stuart. Even the books I don't love, I still enjoy. This one is one of those I enjoyed but didn't love. I think she has written this story before in Ruthless and Reckless with much better results. Even so I loved Kit and while Bryony was too uneven as a character I loved her sass and the way she stood up to Kit's assholery. There was also a secondary love story with the vapid beautiful cousin which was okay but I side eyed because it took up too much space and I wanted more Kit and Bryony and their ragey foreplay.
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🔥🔥/5
I love Anne Stuart. Even the books I don't love, I still enjoy. This one is one of those I enjoyed but didn't love. I think she has written this story before in Ruthless and Reckless with much better results. Even so I loved Kit and while Bryony was too uneven as a character I loved her sass and the way she stood up to Kit's assholery. There was also a secondary love story with the vapid beautiful cousin which was okay but I side eyed because it took up too much space and I wanted more Kit and Bryony and their ragey foreplay.
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🔥🔥/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2022
3.75 stars
March 13, 2025
Kit and Bryony met during her kidnapping. Orchestrated by her fiancée, George,
assisted by the mean violent coachman. George has advanced syphillus and likes bdsm and Bjs. uhh yuck to every time I had read his parts. Kit is guilty by association, hanging out with George is a self destructive behavior. Kit has a tragic past. Bryony also has some unresolved emotional wounds. But she had a loving father who encouraged her education. I feel the side story with the cuz and her bow street runner kept me from closure of Bry and Kits story. It annoyed me so badly, I felt bitter toward the end when the plot was dropped
off next to the absolute worst epilogue in england scotland and wales bahahaha 💀💀💀 also hated the mention of ugly freckles on every other page.
The good ☀️ 🌞sexy times are well written, characters are super interesting and well formed, road trip with horses, evil guys are evil AF, Bry is self contained and strong personality
assisted by the mean violent coachman. George has advanced syphillus and likes bdsm and Bjs. uhh yuck to every time I had read his parts. Kit is guilty by association, hanging out with George is a self destructive behavior. Kit has a tragic past. Bryony also has some unresolved emotional wounds. But she had a loving father who encouraged her education. I feel the side story with the cuz and her bow street runner kept me from closure of Bry and Kits story. It annoyed me so badly, I felt bitter toward the end when the plot was dropped
off next to the absolute worst epilogue in england scotland and wales bahahaha 💀💀💀 also hated the mention of ugly freckles on every other page.
The good ☀️ 🌞sexy times are well written, characters are super interesting and well formed, road trip with horses, evil guys are evil AF, Bry is self contained and strong personality
September 27, 2022
3 1/2 stars (rounded up to 4 stars thanks to the absolutely positively wonderfully unredeemable worst man in England, Scotland and Wales)
November 6, 2022
Oh dear - what a disappointment. You know when everyone seems to recommend a book and tell you it’s the best thing since sliced bread? And you get all excited to read it? And then - it’s the most boring, unromantic, repetitive nonsense about two couples - not the one, and neither couple come out if it well because they are so underdeveloped?
When you’re no wiser about the hero by the end of the book than at the beginning? When the heroine is such an abject ninny and quite frankly the story is beyond unbelievable. Sorry, but that is this book.
I literally couldn’t finish this book and eventually, I skimmed it and finished up utterly frustrated that I’d wasted so much of my time.
I’ll not be reading any more by this author. Simply not my cup of tea. Give me Lisa Kleypas, Eloisa James, Stella Riley and Mary Balogh instead.
When you’re no wiser about the hero by the end of the book than at the beginning? When the heroine is such an abject ninny and quite frankly the story is beyond unbelievable. Sorry, but that is this book.
I literally couldn’t finish this book and eventually, I skimmed it and finished up utterly frustrated that I’d wasted so much of my time.
I’ll not be reading any more by this author. Simply not my cup of tea. Give me Lisa Kleypas, Eloisa James, Stella Riley and Mary Balogh instead.
March 10, 2021
Loved this!! Excellent writing, steamy and beautifully written sex scenes and there was a secondary romance as well. The Historical details were great and there was drama as well as many fun scenes. Great entertainment. (The only thing I'm not sure of is the time line re distance travelled, seems a bit quick to me for 200 years ago.) 4.5 stars.
October 6, 2020
No one writes Anne Stuart alpha assholes like THE Anne Stuart.
Though Elizabeth Hoyt nailed it (Duke of Sin).
Bliss.
Though Elizabeth Hoyt nailed it (Duke of Sin).
Bliss.
August 24, 2020
You know what I really love about Anne Stuart? Every single time she comes >thisclose< to convincing me that the rake in question can’t be reformed, and every single time she successfully convinces me he has been. She understands the difference between a bad boy and a bad person, and she wins her arguments because she know how to articulate that on the page. Bless her. She came the closest with this one to making me think oop, how is she going to fix it? And she did. She knows where the line is.
December 28, 2021
Oh, man. Conflicted isn’t the word. So I bought this on a whim as the reviews seemed mainly positive, but I was...very, very surprised by the book as a whole. I liked the writing style. It’s very engaging and easy to follow, and there are some nice turns of phrase. I can’t fault the writing at all.
I really liked the main character, Bryony. She was very entertaining to read and I liked how she stood up for herself, and how she managed Adderley. The sex scenes were actually really good, which...really surprised me. I also enjoyed the side plot around Cecilia and Barnes, it was quite cute and I liked their chemistry.
The epilogue was a nice touch and made an interesting change from the usual types.
That said, there are a lot of flaws with this book as a whole, and that’s where the conflict begins. Adderley, the hero, genuinely is a terrible person for the majority of the book. I guess I admire the commitment to keeping him thoroughly detestable for as long as possible, but it was hard to stomach and, never having read any Anne Stuart before, was a bit hard to stomach (I understand now, having read it and looked her up, that this is common in her books.)
The beginning genuinely took me by surprise - by how horrible he was, how horrible his friends were, and how mean-spirited the kidnap was.
Over the course of the book, Adderley does, or considers doing, some pretty bad things.
There was a genuinely casual attitude towards sexual violence throughout the book that was rough.
I found this book a really odd experience. On one hand - I can’t lie, I did enjoy reading it. It was engaging and exciting and well-paced and a lot happened, and despite how genuinely awful Adderley was, I found myself warming to his character despite it as the story went on. And I did think that he and Bryony had good chemistry and I enjoyed a lot of their dynamic. But the elements of sexual violence in it were too much, for me, and left a bad taste in my mouth. Still, as I said - I sort of admire the commitment to actually having Adderley be a bad person. There are a lot of libertine-type heroes in historical romance, but this was the first time I actually felt that he was as bad as they said...I just don’t think it was for me.
Content Warnings:
I really liked the main character, Bryony. She was very entertaining to read and I liked how she stood up for herself, and how she managed Adderley. The sex scenes were actually really good, which...really surprised me. I also enjoyed the side plot around Cecilia and Barnes, it was quite cute and I liked their chemistry.
The epilogue was a nice touch and made an interesting change from the usual types.
That said, there are a lot of flaws with this book as a whole, and that’s where the conflict begins. Adderley, the hero, genuinely is a terrible person for the majority of the book. I guess I admire the commitment to keeping him thoroughly detestable for as long as possible, but it was hard to stomach and, never having read any Anne Stuart before, was a bit hard to stomach (I understand now, having read it and looked her up, that this is common in her books.)
The beginning genuinely took me by surprise - by how horrible he was, how horrible his friends were, and how mean-spirited the kidnap was.
Over the course of the book, Adderley does, or considers doing, some pretty bad things.
There was a genuinely casual attitude towards sexual violence throughout the book that was rough.
I found this book a really odd experience. On one hand - I can’t lie, I did enjoy reading it. It was engaging and exciting and well-paced and a lot happened, and despite how genuinely awful Adderley was, I found myself warming to his character despite it as the story went on. And I did think that he and Bryony had good chemistry and I enjoyed a lot of their dynamic. But the elements of sexual violence in it were too much, for me, and left a bad taste in my mouth. Still, as I said - I sort of admire the commitment to actually having Adderley be a bad person. There are a lot of libertine-type heroes in historical romance, but this was the first time I actually felt that he was as bad as they said...I just don’t think it was for me.
Content Warnings:
December 1, 2020
This book seemed like the author was drunk while writing it...😳
Not solid at all.It tangled two love stories,which by the way was uncalled for,and,none of them was good enough.The MCs were not well developed and it left many unanswered questions...I mean huh?A bit of waste read🙄
Not solid at all.It tangled two love stories,which by the way was uncalled for,and,none of them was good enough.The MCs were not well developed and it left many unanswered questions...I mean huh?A bit of waste read🙄
October 7, 2020
Bodice Ripper Time
Man, it was like reading a book from the Wayback Machine, except The Absolutely Positively Worst Man in England, Scotland and Wales wasn't a book written a long time ago. It's brand new! This book is here, now, in all its offensive glory. If you have never read an Anne Stuart book, you might be a little shocked when you read this one. On the other hand, if you've read her books, then you won’t be surprised. And, depending on your mood when you read it, you might even like it. Or, maybe you will become offended and throw it against the wall. I think it all may boil down to your mood. Sort of. If you are in the mood to read a book about a disreputable rake/hero who is really immoral, unscrupulous, unethical, (I'm running out of descriptions), then this book will hit the spot. I guess I was in the mood, because I liked the book, or at least the parts with Christopher St. James Constant, Earl of Adderley and his heroine Byrony Marton. There is a big “if only” coming. I wish the author had left the secondary romance out, and focused entirely on Christopher and Bryony. If only she had concentrated on just one couple, this book would have received a higher rating from me.
First of all, let's talk about the title of this book. The Absolutely Positively Worst Man in England, Scotland and Wales. I loved the title, I thought it was fun. I also thought it was a great nod to the romance genre. I was excited when I saw the title, and happy to see Anne Stuart write a historical romance again.
In the first few chapters of the story, we are introduced to Christopher, and he lived up to all of my "Stuart" expectations. He was a rotter. It opens up with him, and his friend, George Latherby, drunk. They were both really, really wasted. Being the hero of the book, Christopher is of course not a drooling drunk, but a handsome, sleepy-eyed, arrogant drunk. Well, it seems that his "pox-ridden" friend Latherby has lost a large sum of money to him in a game of cards. The problem arises when George asks for an extended time to pay, and Christopher refuses. You see, George is about to walk down the aisle and marry a boring, unattractive woman who has a large dowry. The dowry is why he is marrying her. He’s going to do that in just a couple of weeks, so he doesn’t quite see the problem with getting an extension. But, Christopher doesn't really care, he's bored. He, like me, was in a mood. He suggest they kidnap George's bride, go to Scotland and force her to marry George. George doesn’t care. In fact, he agrees that Christopher can “have” her first. It also makes no difference to George whether Christopher leaves any seed behind. As you can tell, these guys are not anywhere close to being hero material. But yet, according to Ms. Stuart one of them is. Anyway, George and Christopher/Kit are off to kidnap a bride. Of course, there is a slight problem.
Neither George nor Christopher are capable of doing the dirty work, so they hire a couple of blockhead goons. The low-life guys have never seen George’s bride, so when they break into her room they find two women. What’s a thug to do but grab both women? Now, there are two women, Cecilia the beautiful, and Bryony the ugly freckled one. Bryony is the bride. We are off on a road trip.
Road trip. So, the kidnappers and kidnap-pees are in a coach on their way to Scotland. George falls asleep, and Cecilia faints, which leaves the other two combatants staring at each other. Christopher/Kit is immediately attracted to the so-called plain Bryony. It must be the freckles. He is entranced with them. Do you know how I know that? Because my little Petunia's, he mentions those freckles 500 gazillion times in the book. Bryony is also intrigued with Christopher/Kit. She has twitching parts. Oh how I wish Cecilia wasn’t in the carriage with them, she was a distraction. Following behind is the handsome Bow street runner who was hired to find Cecilia. He is also a distraction. Which leads me to my “if only” pondering.
If only. There were so many times in this book when Christopher/Kit and Bryony are dialoging, or bantering. Throughout the book we get many glimpses of Christopher, and we really need to see those glimpses. There are so many questions when it comes to this man. But, we never actually see what makes him into the awful man that he is. Bryony, on the other hand, is a typical ugly, freckled, red-head aka gorgeous woman-but-doesn’t-know-it heroine. She falls in love with him, she sees him differently than the rest of us. We are never given the chance to see into his mind. Why is that? Well my little Petunia’s, every single time there is some insight into his character, the secondary romance between Cecilia and the Bow Street interrupts. If only more time was given to the main couple, maybe we would have been able to see for ourselves what Bryony saw in Christopher/Kit. As it is, I didn’t see any redeeming quality in Christopher/Kit, and I really wanted to.
If only number two. This book had so much going for it. Christopher/Kit had all the makings of a wonderful Stuart hero. But it seemed to me that the same things kept happening over and over again. As I said earlier, he mentioned her freckles 500 gazillion times. A lot of the dialog was repetitive, as if the author wrote it one week, came back, forgot where they were, and wrote the same thing again. Christopher/Kit also left Bryony twice, broke her heart twice, and each time she was ready to take him back. If only I had been allowed to see why he was doing what he was doing. He was a complex character, but none of that complexity was explained, or maybe it was so subtle I couldn’t get it.
Epilogue. The Absolutely Positively Worst Man in England, Scotland and Wales has an interesting epilogue. We find out what happens to our characters through one of their descendants. We are flipped into modern days. One of Kit and Bryony’s female descendants, Mary, is taking her fiancé Richard Latherby through the estate. While Richard is commenting on how much the paintings would bring in auction, Mary is wondering whether she and Richard are suited. Is there a sequel in the air?
Overall. I liked parts of this story. I actually liked Christopher/Kit; I just wish I could have been given more insight into why Bryony loved him. As I said, this reminded me of older romances. I remember when I started reading romances a long, long, long time ago, it was rare to get any look into the mind of the male characters. That is what happened in this book. This is a middle of the road recommendation, accompanied by a warning: watch what mood you’re in when you read it.
Man, it was like reading a book from the Wayback Machine, except The Absolutely Positively Worst Man in England, Scotland and Wales wasn't a book written a long time ago. It's brand new! This book is here, now, in all its offensive glory. If you have never read an Anne Stuart book, you might be a little shocked when you read this one. On the other hand, if you've read her books, then you won’t be surprised. And, depending on your mood when you read it, you might even like it. Or, maybe you will become offended and throw it against the wall. I think it all may boil down to your mood. Sort of. If you are in the mood to read a book about a disreputable rake/hero who is really immoral, unscrupulous, unethical, (I'm running out of descriptions), then this book will hit the spot. I guess I was in the mood, because I liked the book, or at least the parts with Christopher St. James Constant, Earl of Adderley and his heroine Byrony Marton. There is a big “if only” coming. I wish the author had left the secondary romance out, and focused entirely on Christopher and Bryony. If only she had concentrated on just one couple, this book would have received a higher rating from me.
First of all, let's talk about the title of this book. The Absolutely Positively Worst Man in England, Scotland and Wales. I loved the title, I thought it was fun. I also thought it was a great nod to the romance genre. I was excited when I saw the title, and happy to see Anne Stuart write a historical romance again.
In the first few chapters of the story, we are introduced to Christopher, and he lived up to all of my "Stuart" expectations. He was a rotter. It opens up with him, and his friend, George Latherby, drunk. They were both really, really wasted. Being the hero of the book, Christopher is of course not a drooling drunk, but a handsome, sleepy-eyed, arrogant drunk. Well, it seems that his "pox-ridden" friend Latherby has lost a large sum of money to him in a game of cards. The problem arises when George asks for an extended time to pay, and Christopher refuses. You see, George is about to walk down the aisle and marry a boring, unattractive woman who has a large dowry. The dowry is why he is marrying her. He’s going to do that in just a couple of weeks, so he doesn’t quite see the problem with getting an extension. But, Christopher doesn't really care, he's bored. He, like me, was in a mood. He suggest they kidnap George's bride, go to Scotland and force her to marry George. George doesn’t care. In fact, he agrees that Christopher can “have” her first. It also makes no difference to George whether Christopher leaves any seed behind. As you can tell, these guys are not anywhere close to being hero material. But yet, according to Ms. Stuart one of them is. Anyway, George and Christopher/Kit are off to kidnap a bride. Of course, there is a slight problem.
Neither George nor Christopher are capable of doing the dirty work, so they hire a couple of blockhead goons. The low-life guys have never seen George’s bride, so when they break into her room they find two women. What’s a thug to do but grab both women? Now, there are two women, Cecilia the beautiful, and Bryony the ugly freckled one. Bryony is the bride. We are off on a road trip.
Road trip. So, the kidnappers and kidnap-pees are in a coach on their way to Scotland. George falls asleep, and Cecilia faints, which leaves the other two combatants staring at each other. Christopher/Kit is immediately attracted to the so-called plain Bryony. It must be the freckles. He is entranced with them. Do you know how I know that? Because my little Petunia's, he mentions those freckles 500 gazillion times in the book. Bryony is also intrigued with Christopher/Kit. She has twitching parts. Oh how I wish Cecilia wasn’t in the carriage with them, she was a distraction. Following behind is the handsome Bow street runner who was hired to find Cecilia. He is also a distraction. Which leads me to my “if only” pondering.
If only. There were so many times in this book when Christopher/Kit and Bryony are dialoging, or bantering. Throughout the book we get many glimpses of Christopher, and we really need to see those glimpses. There are so many questions when it comes to this man. But, we never actually see what makes him into the awful man that he is. Bryony, on the other hand, is a typical ugly, freckled, red-head aka gorgeous woman-but-doesn’t-know-it heroine. She falls in love with him, she sees him differently than the rest of us. We are never given the chance to see into his mind. Why is that? Well my little Petunia’s, every single time there is some insight into his character, the secondary romance between Cecilia and the Bow Street interrupts. If only more time was given to the main couple, maybe we would have been able to see for ourselves what Bryony saw in Christopher/Kit. As it is, I didn’t see any redeeming quality in Christopher/Kit, and I really wanted to.
If only number two. This book had so much going for it. Christopher/Kit had all the makings of a wonderful Stuart hero. But it seemed to me that the same things kept happening over and over again. As I said earlier, he mentioned her freckles 500 gazillion times. A lot of the dialog was repetitive, as if the author wrote it one week, came back, forgot where they were, and wrote the same thing again. Christopher/Kit also left Bryony twice, broke her heart twice, and each time she was ready to take him back. If only I had been allowed to see why he was doing what he was doing. He was a complex character, but none of that complexity was explained, or maybe it was so subtle I couldn’t get it.
Epilogue. The Absolutely Positively Worst Man in England, Scotland and Wales has an interesting epilogue. We find out what happens to our characters through one of their descendants. We are flipped into modern days. One of Kit and Bryony’s female descendants, Mary, is taking her fiancé Richard Latherby through the estate. While Richard is commenting on how much the paintings would bring in auction, Mary is wondering whether she and Richard are suited. Is there a sequel in the air?
Overall. I liked parts of this story. I actually liked Christopher/Kit; I just wish I could have been given more insight into why Bryony loved him. As I said, this reminded me of older romances. I remember when I started reading romances a long, long, long time ago, it was rare to get any look into the mind of the male characters. That is what happened in this book. This is a middle of the road recommendation, accompanied by a warning: watch what mood you’re in when you read it.
October 3, 2020
I've been a fan of Stuart for decades, I feel old saying that, but it's the truth. The past few years she's fallen off my radar, but I was excited to check out this new historical by her.
Sadly, I immediately remembered something that was my least favorite thing about some Anne Stuart books. The novella mashup. It's basically two novellas shoved into one book. There's usually the two main characters that have a slight bit more pages dedicated to them, and then there's the secondary romance that usually bores and annoys me and I end up completely skipping their part after a while. And I as the reader, feel like I paid a full novel price for two half stories. I rarely buy novellas because they usually don't have much depth and I always finish feeling unsatisfied.
And that's how I felt after reading this. I barely learn anything about anyone and while I enjoyed Kit and Bryony's story, I feel there was a lot that needed to be fleshed out. The younger cousin's secondary romance, I could live without; the insta-love there was ridiculous. Two stars may seem harsh, but I finished this feeling angry because I wasted my money on this.
Sadly, I immediately remembered something that was my least favorite thing about some Anne Stuart books. The novella mashup. It's basically two novellas shoved into one book. There's usually the two main characters that have a slight bit more pages dedicated to them, and then there's the secondary romance that usually bores and annoys me and I end up completely skipping their part after a while. And I as the reader, feel like I paid a full novel price for two half stories. I rarely buy novellas because they usually don't have much depth and I always finish feeling unsatisfied.
And that's how I felt after reading this. I barely learn anything about anyone and while I enjoyed Kit and Bryony's story, I feel there was a lot that needed to be fleshed out. The younger cousin's secondary romance, I could live without; the insta-love there was ridiculous. Two stars may seem harsh, but I finished this feeling angry because I wasted my money on this.
October 27, 2020
Lovely as always
Dropped a star because I wasn't too interested in the other romantic subplot but that's merely personal taste. Such a fun read!
Dropped a star because I wasn't too interested in the other romantic subplot but that's merely personal taste. Such a fun read!
September 30, 2021
I struggled with this book. On one hand, it's another Anne Stuart style darkish romance with lovely antihero, strong heroine, and great chemistry. On the other, it's Anne Stuart style romance with secondary couple, that being completely honest - I didn't care for.
I wholeheartedly enjoyed Bryony and Kit's romance. They had awesome chemistry; their banter was hot and electric and from their first conversation they were equals in wit and strength of character.
Adderley, in true Anne Stuart’s fashion, was an antihero through and through; he had some questionable behaviors and lines, was stubborn and possessive, maybe even insensitive, but all of those things made him interesting and infuriating (in the best of ways), and made his redemption arc that more compelling. Obviously he wasn't AS bad as the book's title suggested. He even thought of himself that way, but in the end most of his actions proved otherwise.
The heroine, Bryony, was perfect match for him. She was passionate, yet reserved, resourceful and smart. She only for a brief moment truly felt intimidated by Kit, and never really allowed him to constantly fall back to this “worst man in England, Wales, and Scotland” persona. As with other Stuart’s heroines, she was insecure and maybe too selfless – seeing herself as weak, but really being incredible strong. The only thing that got on my nerves, was her unwavering loyalty to her cousin, Cecelia.
The romance worked, because they fit together so well. Both she and Adderley were quite matter of fact about certain things, I especially enjoyed how he maybe harshly reassured Bryony of how strongly he desired and cared for her. There was also a lot of heat and tension between them. After reading an older book by this author, I felt the heat level could be higher, and this book provided that. Their story was entreating and exciting, and I really enjoyed it.
This book would be a solid 5 stars if it was only about Kit and Bryony.
Unfortunately, there was the second couple – Cecelia and Peter Barnes, the Bow Street Runner (but don’t call him that!). They were both ok characters, even if I didn’t like Cecelia and didn’t care for Peter. Cecelia constantly insulting her cousin in annoyingly casual manner was maybe a little funny first couple of times, but got old really quickly. I know it was made to emphasized how mistreated Bryony was, but how can I root for such a mean character. On top of that, she was described as incredible beautiful and attractive. Desired by almost everyone, but perceived as stupid and shallow, which she used to her advantage. Or said she did, because the story didn’t really show that. She just seemed really one-dimensional, and even if there was some potential for an interesting character development, it didn’t happen.
Peter - her love interest - was just kind of… there. He was mostly annoyed and harassed by Cecelia and helped Kit rescue Bryony (quite familiar plot point in most of Anne Stuart’s books). Although, he had some really good lines and served as voice of reason when confronted with Cecelia’s announcement she’s in love with him and they’re going to get married. The scene when he patiently explained to her she’s in lust and not in love with him was pretty entertaining. He was all for them having sex, but marriage? Nah. I even hoped that maybe their ending would be more open-ended, but Peter quickly fell into the instant love trope, and they did marry.
At first I didn’t care for Cecelia or Peter, but when their relationship started to take up more and more space in the story, I started to dislike them. This whole secondary romance mostly disturbed the flow of the main story, and seemed almost like commercial breaks between Bryony and Kit’s scenes. Anne Stuart really likes to structure her stories like that, so I wasn’t really surprised there were two romances happening simultaneously. I remember it didn’t bother me previously, but in this book something felt off, like maybe the stories weren’t supposed to be put together and were written as separate novellas.
One last thing, I liked the epilogue.
I’d give this one 5 stars if the story was only about Bryony and Kit. Cecelia and Peter’s secondary romance dampened my enjoyment to maybe 4 stars.
~4/5 stars
I wholeheartedly enjoyed Bryony and Kit's romance. They had awesome chemistry; their banter was hot and electric and from their first conversation they were equals in wit and strength of character.
Adderley, in true Anne Stuart’s fashion, was an antihero through and through; he had some questionable behaviors and lines, was stubborn and possessive, maybe even insensitive, but all of those things made him interesting and infuriating (in the best of ways), and made his redemption arc that more compelling. Obviously he wasn't AS bad as the book's title suggested. He even thought of himself that way, but in the end most of his actions proved otherwise.
The heroine, Bryony, was perfect match for him. She was passionate, yet reserved, resourceful and smart. She only for a brief moment truly felt intimidated by Kit, and never really allowed him to constantly fall back to this “worst man in England, Wales, and Scotland” persona. As with other Stuart’s heroines, she was insecure and maybe too selfless – seeing herself as weak, but really being incredible strong. The only thing that got on my nerves, was her unwavering loyalty to her cousin, Cecelia.
The romance worked, because they fit together so well. Both she and Adderley were quite matter of fact about certain things, I especially enjoyed how he maybe harshly reassured Bryony of how strongly he desired and cared for her. There was also a lot of heat and tension between them. After reading an older book by this author, I felt the heat level could be higher, and this book provided that. Their story was entreating and exciting, and I really enjoyed it.
This book would be a solid 5 stars if it was only about Kit and Bryony.
Unfortunately, there was the second couple – Cecelia and Peter Barnes, the Bow Street Runner (but don’t call him that!). They were both ok characters, even if I didn’t like Cecelia and didn’t care for Peter. Cecelia constantly insulting her cousin in annoyingly casual manner was maybe a little funny first couple of times, but got old really quickly. I know it was made to emphasized how mistreated Bryony was, but how can I root for such a mean character. On top of that, she was described as incredible beautiful and attractive. Desired by almost everyone, but perceived as stupid and shallow, which she used to her advantage. Or said she did, because the story didn’t really show that. She just seemed really one-dimensional, and even if there was some potential for an interesting character development, it didn’t happen.
Peter - her love interest - was just kind of… there. He was mostly annoyed and harassed by Cecelia and helped Kit rescue Bryony (quite familiar plot point in most of Anne Stuart’s books). Although, he had some really good lines and served as voice of reason when confronted with Cecelia’s announcement she’s in love with him and they’re going to get married. The scene when he patiently explained to her she’s in lust and not in love with him was pretty entertaining. He was all for them having sex, but marriage? Nah. I even hoped that maybe their ending would be more open-ended, but Peter quickly fell into the instant love trope, and they did marry.
At first I didn’t care for Cecelia or Peter, but when their relationship started to take up more and more space in the story, I started to dislike them. This whole secondary romance mostly disturbed the flow of the main story, and seemed almost like commercial breaks between Bryony and Kit’s scenes. Anne Stuart really likes to structure her stories like that, so I wasn’t really surprised there were two romances happening simultaneously. I remember it didn’t bother me previously, but in this book something felt off, like maybe the stories weren’t supposed to be put together and were written as separate novellas.
One last thing, I liked the epilogue.
I’d give this one 5 stars if the story was only about Bryony and Kit. Cecelia and Peter’s secondary romance dampened my enjoyment to maybe 4 stars.
~4/5 stars
August 18, 2025
“The Absolutely Positively Worst Man in England, Scotland and Wales” is the story of Bryony and Kit/ Cecelia and Peter.
We get two love stories in one!
The main story focuses on our redhead orphaned heroine who has a dowry, her forced marriage to her syphilitic fiancé and how the aforementioned fiancé’s deplorable best friend takes a liking to her. The second story is about her air headed but kind cousin; and her interactions with the bow street runner hero. Both the stories intertwine to make a sexy, funny and an engaging read- with an adorable ending and a satisfying epilogue.
Safe
4/5
We get two love stories in one!
The main story focuses on our redhead orphaned heroine who has a dowry, her forced marriage to her syphilitic fiancé and how the aforementioned fiancé’s deplorable best friend takes a liking to her. The second story is about her air headed but kind cousin; and her interactions with the bow street runner hero. Both the stories intertwine to make a sexy, funny and an engaging read- with an adorable ending and a satisfying epilogue.
Safe
4/5
April 14, 2025
This is the first Anne Stuart novel I've read, and I guess I'll have to read more, because this was good.
Of course, Kit isn't REALLY the worst man in England, let alone in Great Britain, but he is a classic example of a selfish, hedonistic rake, and his redemption is lots of fun to watch.
Like many bad boy heroes, Kit has reasons for his seeming heartlessness. Interestingly, though, Stuart doesn't explore his past losses and sufferings as much as some authors would. She is more focused on the decisions Kit makes in the present as he struggles with feelings he doesn't want to acknowledge.
I really enjoyed the beta couple, too. I did not expect Bryony's selfish younger cousin to turn out being so likeable.
Minor gripes: although the ending was good, I really would have liked to see a confrontation between Cecilia and her parents. Conversely, I'd kind of hoped for a glimpse of Peter's adopted father, purely because I think he would be delighted to see Peter bring home a wife.
If Goodreads allowed half stars, it would be a 4.5; as it is, I rounded up.
Of course, Kit isn't REALLY the worst man in England, let alone in Great Britain, but he is a classic example of a selfish, hedonistic rake, and his redemption is lots of fun to watch.
Like many bad boy heroes, Kit has reasons for his seeming heartlessness. Interestingly, though, Stuart doesn't explore his past losses and sufferings as much as some authors would. She is more focused on the decisions Kit makes in the present as he struggles with feelings he doesn't want to acknowledge.
I really enjoyed the beta couple, too. I did not expect Bryony's selfish younger cousin to turn out being so likeable.
Minor gripes: although the ending was good, I really would have liked to see a confrontation between Cecilia and her parents. Conversely, I'd kind of hoped for a glimpse of Peter's adopted father, purely because I think he would be delighted to see Peter bring home a wife.
If Goodreads allowed half stars, it would be a 4.5; as it is, I rounded up.
might-read
March 12, 2023Sunday, March 12, 2023 -- currently on sale for 99 cents on USA Amazon Kindle
July 21, 2022
This is one of four novels chosen as BOTM in August trope- Proximity by the HRBC on Goodreads. This was a Rom Com. The H character was truly outrageous and fits the title to a T. The h was told her freckles made her ugly and she was a little plump so everyone treated her like she was unattractive and un desirable. She was a bluestocking and knew how to handle herself with people. I gave this four stars. I liked the sex scenes. I liked Kits thoughts about Bryony. Kit after meeting Bryony came alive and human again. Bryony finally felt loved and needed.
The H Christopher St.James Constant the Earl of Adderly along with his friend George Latherby kidnap two cousins- Miss Bryony Marton and Miss Cecilia Ellison from their home in London. George Latherby is already engaged to Bryony but desperate for money he decides to speed up the process by eloping to Gretna Green in Scotland. Adderley likes Bryony and would like to know if she has freckles all over her body. They end up stopping at one of Christopher (Kit) country estates on the way to Scotland. He takes Bryony to his bed chamber and she is asleep. He is so turned on by her naked body after undressing her he jacks off and spills his seed on her leg. She thinks he slept with her and she is pregnant. He told her he didn’t have intercourse with her. She asked the cook Mrs. Sulley to explain the birds and the bees to her. She knew she didn’t have relations with him then. Kit wanted to bed her. He had been extremely bored the last year and she was the first thing that interested him. He wanted her cuddling up to him in bed. He wanted to teach her about the art of lovemaking. He usually grew tired of a woman after a month. He thought she might interest him for two. His feelings for her scared him. He was considered the absolutely positively the worst man in England Scotland and Wales. He needed to be that instead of having real feelings for a woman.
Kit retired to his hunting lodge Waverley near the Scottish Border. He had worked out with Peter Barnes that he would take back Cecilia and Bryony to the Ellistons saying he would smooth it out with the Ellistons. Meanwhile George awoke from his drunken stupor and he and his groom kidnapped Bryony tying her up and putting her in the carriage towards Gretna Green. The horses needed resting so they stopped at Waverley. Adderley was upset at the way Bryony had been treated. He knew enough to keep his cool and pretend he had no feelings of anger. He played cards with George to win a night with his Bryony. She was angry at him for abandoning her. He gave her a choice him George or her cousins. She chose him. They made love many times in different positions. She knew she loved him. He knew he needed her. Adderley and Latherby fought over her. George was aiming to shoot Bryony and Kit went in front of her to save her being shot. He was hit in the arm but not seriously. Peter and Cecilia showed up just in time. The Bow Street tied up George Latherby and Mr. Coombs and left them for the magistrate to attend.
Kit and Bryony marry and have seven children. They die with in a few days of one another in old age.
Ellistons asked the Bow Street investigators to find Cecilia and bring her home. Peter Barnes found them after a couple of days. He rescued Cecilia after she got stuck in some mud when she was out walking. He told her he was taking her home to her parents. They both thought the other to be physically attractive. She wanted to save Bryony and asked him to help. He knows his job is to just bring her home not her cousin. There is a bad rain storm and there are no carriages available. George is away at an inn. The more time Cecilia is missing her parents feel she is ruined and tell the Bow Street Runners that they don’t want her back. Cecilia knows she loves Peter. He resists her because he believes she wouldn’t be happy with him. Finally she convinced him she loves him and truly wants to be with him. They marry having four children.
A century and a half an Adderley descendant marries a Latherby.
The H Christopher St.James Constant the Earl of Adderly along with his friend George Latherby kidnap two cousins- Miss Bryony Marton and Miss Cecilia Ellison from their home in London. George Latherby is already engaged to Bryony but desperate for money he decides to speed up the process by eloping to Gretna Green in Scotland. Adderley likes Bryony and would like to know if she has freckles all over her body. They end up stopping at one of Christopher (Kit) country estates on the way to Scotland. He takes Bryony to his bed chamber and she is asleep. He is so turned on by her naked body after undressing her he jacks off and spills his seed on her leg. She thinks he slept with her and she is pregnant. He told her he didn’t have intercourse with her. She asked the cook Mrs. Sulley to explain the birds and the bees to her. She knew she didn’t have relations with him then. Kit wanted to bed her. He had been extremely bored the last year and she was the first thing that interested him. He wanted her cuddling up to him in bed. He wanted to teach her about the art of lovemaking. He usually grew tired of a woman after a month. He thought she might interest him for two. His feelings for her scared him. He was considered the absolutely positively the worst man in England Scotland and Wales. He needed to be that instead of having real feelings for a woman.
Kit retired to his hunting lodge Waverley near the Scottish Border. He had worked out with Peter Barnes that he would take back Cecilia and Bryony to the Ellistons saying he would smooth it out with the Ellistons. Meanwhile George awoke from his drunken stupor and he and his groom kidnapped Bryony tying her up and putting her in the carriage towards Gretna Green. The horses needed resting so they stopped at Waverley. Adderley was upset at the way Bryony had been treated. He knew enough to keep his cool and pretend he had no feelings of anger. He played cards with George to win a night with his Bryony. She was angry at him for abandoning her. He gave her a choice him George or her cousins. She chose him. They made love many times in different positions. She knew she loved him. He knew he needed her. Adderley and Latherby fought over her. George was aiming to shoot Bryony and Kit went in front of her to save her being shot. He was hit in the arm but not seriously. Peter and Cecilia showed up just in time. The Bow Street tied up George Latherby and Mr. Coombs and left them for the magistrate to attend.
Kit and Bryony marry and have seven children. They die with in a few days of one another in old age.
Ellistons asked the Bow Street investigators to find Cecilia and bring her home. Peter Barnes found them after a couple of days. He rescued Cecilia after she got stuck in some mud when she was out walking. He told her he was taking her home to her parents. They both thought the other to be physically attractive. She wanted to save Bryony and asked him to help. He knows his job is to just bring her home not her cousin. There is a bad rain storm and there are no carriages available. George is away at an inn. The more time Cecilia is missing her parents feel she is ruined and tell the Bow Street Runners that they don’t want her back. Cecilia knows she loves Peter. He resists her because he believes she wouldn’t be happy with him. Finally she convinced him she loves him and truly wants to be with him. They marry having four children.
A century and a half an Adderley descendant marries a Latherby.
September 17, 2020
Ok. I think I might be finished with Anne Stuart's books. I loved the 'House of Rohan' series and have recently read through the first 5 books of the 'Ice' series. All the books are generally pretty well written, but suffer from repetitive dialogue and themes.
The heroines of the 'Ice' series were, without exception, infuriating. This was for largely the same reasons each time, namely their pathetic determination to throw themselves at a hero, despite poor treatment and their own insistent belief in said hero's lack of interest and their own belief in their lack of desirability (for some unknown reason, they all seemed to be very tall as well - not sure why that was a common theme, but it repeatedly resulted in feeling physically inferior).
It's frustrating to read a heroine constantly whine that they are ugly/automatically undeserving of love, yet trail insipidly after a man (who sometimes shows interest and sometimes does not - heroine's perspective remains unaffected), desperate for any scraps of attention or ideally some sex, after which they will generally be insulted or disregarded and the whining will resume.
The historical heroines were previously vastly better, but Bryony seems to be written in the same vein as those in the 'Ice' series, more's the pity. The problems begin with Bryony (per her Ice predecessors) not being 'conventionally' attractive. Seems a common theme in a lot of books today, but, if I can (som what egotistically, I freely admit!) speak on behalf of the human race for a moment, this is a scenario many of us are familiar with, given that supermodels tend to be the exception rather than the rule.
Freckles are apparently not only undesirable (fair enough, given the time period in which the book is set), but totally disgusting and an insurmountable barrier to love and/or desire. As one of the freckled, hey. Not cool.
A far greater source of frustration (and again, one that had my Kindle at risk of colliding with a wall, per my experience with the 'Ice' heroines), was Bryony's frankly pathetic self pity, declarations of her knowledge of her own unattractiveness to the hero (which came off as compliment-seeking. He repeatedly declared this to be tedious. And it was! Constantly, to the reader as well as the hero! If the author acknowledges the tedium, why continue to have your heroine repeat ad nauseum?) and her desperation to be loved/seen as attractive by the hero, regardless of his own foibles or unattractive character traits. He's beautiful, and that is apparently all that really matters!
Frankly, it's an exercise in depression to read of a character that, despite an early show of backbone, persists in insisting (out loud, repeatedly) that, due to primarily the terrible terrible freckles of dooooom, the hero could absolutely never be attracted to a goblin such as herself, with a constant and obvious undertone of longing for the reverse, ready to hurl any semblance of self-respect out the nearest window, should he click his fingers.
It comes across as very sad and, just per my experience with the last few Stuart books read, makes me cringe constantly on behalf of the heroines, all of whom now feel interchangeable, time period and particular physical 'defect' notwithstanding.
The heroines of the 'Ice' series were, without exception, infuriating. This was for largely the same reasons each time, namely their pathetic determination to throw themselves at a hero, despite poor treatment and their own insistent belief in said hero's lack of interest and their own belief in their lack of desirability (for some unknown reason, they all seemed to be very tall as well - not sure why that was a common theme, but it repeatedly resulted in feeling physically inferior).
It's frustrating to read a heroine constantly whine that they are ugly/automatically undeserving of love, yet trail insipidly after a man (who sometimes shows interest and sometimes does not - heroine's perspective remains unaffected), desperate for any scraps of attention or ideally some sex, after which they will generally be insulted or disregarded and the whining will resume.
The historical heroines were previously vastly better, but Bryony seems to be written in the same vein as those in the 'Ice' series, more's the pity. The problems begin with Bryony (per her Ice predecessors) not being 'conventionally' attractive. Seems a common theme in a lot of books today, but, if I can (som what egotistically, I freely admit!) speak on behalf of the human race for a moment, this is a scenario many of us are familiar with, given that supermodels tend to be the exception rather than the rule.
Freckles are apparently not only undesirable (fair enough, given the time period in which the book is set), but totally disgusting and an insurmountable barrier to love and/or desire. As one of the freckled, hey. Not cool.
A far greater source of frustration (and again, one that had my Kindle at risk of colliding with a wall, per my experience with the 'Ice' heroines), was Bryony's frankly pathetic self pity, declarations of her knowledge of her own unattractiveness to the hero (which came off as compliment-seeking. He repeatedly declared this to be tedious. And it was! Constantly, to the reader as well as the hero! If the author acknowledges the tedium, why continue to have your heroine repeat ad nauseum?) and her desperation to be loved/seen as attractive by the hero, regardless of his own foibles or unattractive character traits. He's beautiful, and that is apparently all that really matters!
Frankly, it's an exercise in depression to read of a character that, despite an early show of backbone, persists in insisting (out loud, repeatedly) that, due to primarily the terrible terrible freckles of dooooom, the hero could absolutely never be attracted to a goblin such as herself, with a constant and obvious undertone of longing for the reverse, ready to hurl any semblance of self-respect out the nearest window, should he click his fingers.
It comes across as very sad and, just per my experience with the last few Stuart books read, makes me cringe constantly on behalf of the heroines, all of whom now feel interchangeable, time period and particular physical 'defect' notwithstanding.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2022
*3.5 stars*
This book was both entertaining and incredibly frustrating. On one hand, Anne Stuart gave us Adderley, the cold-hearted yet incredibly magnetic and intense antihero we've grown used to when it comes to her male leads. Dare I even say he was the biggest antihero I have ever read from her? I mean, the man was truly cold and insufferable. He did not make it any easier for the poor heroine, Bryony. Not a whit, even when he was already having feelings for her and knew she was suffering because of something he said or did. This made for quite a few moments of angst, which I love to the extreme. Also, the man sure as hell knew his seduction tricks and once again I found myself gasping for breath due to sheer intensity of feeling.
On the other hand, I wish Adderley had softened a bit more because I was more than a bit bothered with the fact he never thought or explicitly said he loved Bryony. I can understand him wanting to deny it and running away from it, but Bryony and I both needed those words. Moreover, I wish the author had only focused on Adderley and Bryony, without adding the sidestory of Cecilia, Bryony's cousin, and Peter Barnes, the Bow Street runner. I won't say their journey wasn't interesting in itself, but it took quite a bit of space and I found myself annoyed because I just wanted Adderley and Bryony. I got fed up eventually and just skimmed their chapters in order to get to the good stuff.
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