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The Brides of Bellaire Gardens #1
The Scoundrel's Daughter
Book #1 from the series: Brides of Bellaire Gardens
When Lady Charlton is forced into becoming London's most reluctant matchmaker, sparks fly and romance ensues, from the national bestselling author of Marry in Scarlet.
Alice, Lady Charlton, is finally free of her dominating husband, but on the verge of her new life, she is trapped when a blackmailer threatens to publish letters that could ruin her. To protect the secrets of her past Alice must find a lord for his daughter, Lucy, to marry.
Alice reluctantly agrees to find the girl a noble husband but when Lucy arrives, she's difficult and uncooperative and has no interest in her father's scheme. A lord, she says, will only look down his nose at her—and she's having none of that!
Desperate to retrieve the letters, Alice enlists the aid of her handsome young nephew, Gerald, who in turn seeks the help of his former commanding officer, James, Lord Tarrant. James is soon beguiled by the marriage-averse widow and sets out to change her mind. And each time they meet, Gerald and Lucy strike sparks off each other.
To find happiness, Alice and Lucy will have to be brave and trust in each other and the men who are attempting to win their hearts.
When Lady Charlton is forced into becoming London's most reluctant matchmaker, sparks fly and romance ensues, from the national bestselling author of Marry in Scarlet.
Alice, Lady Charlton, is finally free of her dominating husband, but on the verge of her new life, she is trapped when a blackmailer threatens to publish letters that could ruin her. To protect the secrets of her past Alice must find a lord for his daughter, Lucy, to marry.
Alice reluctantly agrees to find the girl a noble husband but when Lucy arrives, she's difficult and uncooperative and has no interest in her father's scheme. A lord, she says, will only look down his nose at her—and she's having none of that!
Desperate to retrieve the letters, Alice enlists the aid of her handsome young nephew, Gerald, who in turn seeks the help of his former commanding officer, James, Lord Tarrant. James is soon beguiled by the marriage-averse widow and sets out to change her mind. And each time they meet, Gerald and Lucy strike sparks off each other.
To find happiness, Alice and Lucy will have to be brave and trust in each other and the men who are attempting to win their hearts.
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 24, 2021
About the author
Anne Gracie
91 books1,567 followersI've always loved stories. Family legend has it that I used to spend hours playing in the sand pit, with a dog on either side of me and Rocka the horse leaning over me, his head just touching my shoulder, while I told them stories. I have to say, dogs and horses are great audiences, apart from their tendency to drool occasionally. But people are even nicer.
In case you imagine we were a filthy rich horse-owning family, let me assure you we weren't. The horse period was a time when my parents entered a "let's-be-self-sufficient" phase, so we had a horse, but no electricity and all our water came from the rain tank.
As well as the horse and dogs, we had 2 cows (Buttercup and Daisy and one of them always had a calf), a sheep (Woolly,) goats (Billy and Nanny) dozens of ducks, chooks, and a couple of geese, a pet bluetongue lizard and a huge vegie patch. I don't know how my mother managed, really, because both she and Dad taught full time, but she came home and cooked on a wood stove and did all the laundry by hand, boiling the clothes and sheets in a big copper kettle. Somehow, we were always warm, clean, well fed and happy. She's pretty amazing, my mum.
Once I learned to read, I spent my days outside playing with the animals (I include my brother and 2 sisters here) and when inside I read. For most of my childhood we didn't have TV, so books have always been a big part of my life. Luckily our house was always full of them. Travel was also a big part of my childhood. My parents had itchy feet. We spent a lot of time driving from one part of Australia to another, visiting relatives or friends or simply to see what was there. I've lived in Scotland, Malaysia and Greece. We travelled through Europe in a caravan and I'd swum most of the famous rivers in Europe by the time I was eight.
This is me and my classmates in Scotland. I am in the second front row, in the middle, to the right of the girl in the dark tunic.
Sounds like I was raised by gypsies, doesn't it? I was even almost born in a tent --Mum, Dad and 3 children were camping and one day mum left the tent and went to hospital to have me. But in fact we are a family of chalkies (Australian slang for teachers)- and Dad was a school principal during most of my life. And I am an expert in being "the new girl" having been to 6 different schools in 12 years.The last 4 years, however, were in the same high school and I still have my 2 best friends from that time.
No matter where I lived, I read. I devoured whatever I could get my hands on -- old Enid Blyton and Mary Grant Bruce books, old schoolboys annuals. I learned history by reading Rosemary Sutcliffe, Henry Treece and Georgette Heyer. I loved animal books -- Elyne Mitchell's Silver Brumby books and Mary Patchett and Finn the Wolf Hound. And then I read Jane Austen and Dickens and Mary Stewart and Richard Llewellyn and Virginia Woolf and EF Benson and Dick Francis and David Malouf and Patrick White and Doris Lessing and PD James and...the list is never ending.
This is me posing shamelessly on a glacier in New Zealand.
This is me in Greece with my good friend Fay in our village outfits. The film went a funny colour, but you get the idea. I'm the one in the pink apron.
I escaped from my parents, settled down and went to university.To my amazement I became a chalkie myself and found a lot of pleasure in working with teenagers and later, adults. I taught English and worked as a counsellor and helped put on plays and concerts and supervised camps and encouraged other people to write but never did much myself. It took a year of backpacking around the world to find that my early desire to write hadn't left me, it had just got buried under a busy and demanding job.
I wrote my first novel on notebooks bought in Quebec, Spain, Greece and Indonesia. That story never made it out of the notebooks, but I'd been bitten by the writing bug.
My friends and I formed a band called Platform Souls a
In case you imagine we were a filthy rich horse-owning family, let me assure you we weren't. The horse period was a time when my parents entered a "let's-be-self-sufficient" phase, so we had a horse, but no electricity and all our water came from the rain tank.
As well as the horse and dogs, we had 2 cows (Buttercup and Daisy and one of them always had a calf), a sheep (Woolly,) goats (Billy and Nanny) dozens of ducks, chooks, and a couple of geese, a pet bluetongue lizard and a huge vegie patch. I don't know how my mother managed, really, because both she and Dad taught full time, but she came home and cooked on a wood stove and did all the laundry by hand, boiling the clothes and sheets in a big copper kettle. Somehow, we were always warm, clean, well fed and happy. She's pretty amazing, my mum.
Once I learned to read, I spent my days outside playing with the animals (I include my brother and 2 sisters here) and when inside I read. For most of my childhood we didn't have TV, so books have always been a big part of my life. Luckily our house was always full of them. Travel was also a big part of my childhood. My parents had itchy feet. We spent a lot of time driving from one part of Australia to another, visiting relatives or friends or simply to see what was there. I've lived in Scotland, Malaysia and Greece. We travelled through Europe in a caravan and I'd swum most of the famous rivers in Europe by the time I was eight.
This is me and my classmates in Scotland. I am in the second front row, in the middle, to the right of the girl in the dark tunic.
Sounds like I was raised by gypsies, doesn't it? I was even almost born in a tent --Mum, Dad and 3 children were camping and one day mum left the tent and went to hospital to have me. But in fact we are a family of chalkies (Australian slang for teachers)- and Dad was a school principal during most of my life. And I am an expert in being "the new girl" having been to 6 different schools in 12 years.The last 4 years, however, were in the same high school and I still have my 2 best friends from that time.
No matter where I lived, I read. I devoured whatever I could get my hands on -- old Enid Blyton and Mary Grant Bruce books, old schoolboys annuals. I learned history by reading Rosemary Sutcliffe, Henry Treece and Georgette Heyer. I loved animal books -- Elyne Mitchell's Silver Brumby books and Mary Patchett and Finn the Wolf Hound. And then I read Jane Austen and Dickens and Mary Stewart and Richard Llewellyn and Virginia Woolf and EF Benson and Dick Francis and David Malouf and Patrick White and Doris Lessing and PD James and...the list is never ending.
This is me posing shamelessly on a glacier in New Zealand.
This is me in Greece with my good friend Fay in our village outfits. The film went a funny colour, but you get the idea. I'm the one in the pink apron.
I escaped from my parents, settled down and went to university.To my amazement I became a chalkie myself and found a lot of pleasure in working with teenagers and later, adults. I taught English and worked as a counsellor and helped put on plays and concerts and supervised camps and encouraged other people to write but never did much myself. It took a year of backpacking around the world to find that my early desire to write hadn't left me, it had just got buried under a busy and demanding job.
I wrote my first novel on notebooks bought in Quebec, Spain, Greece and Indonesia. That story never made it out of the notebooks, but I'd been bitten by the writing bug.
My friends and I formed a band called Platform Souls a
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews
August 24, 2021
I am always really excited when a new Anne Gracie book is released, she has the power to take me back to Regency England to times when the gowns are beautiful and the men are real heroes and the heroines are strong and loving and this one, the first in a new series was just so darn good, fabulous, witty, sensual, moving and it totally rocked, truly this is a must read.
Alice, Dowager Countess of Charlton is finally free of her terrible, controlling husband, out of mourning it is time to start afresh when she is blackmailed with threats to publish letters about her marriage into finding a husband who is a noble for the blackmailer’s daughter, Lucy Bamber, Alice does not have any choice she must keep the secrets of her marriage. Meeting the sullen Lucy for the first time does not go well, but Alice is determined.
Alice decides that she is going to need some help in retrieving the letters and calls on her nephew Gerald, Viscount Thornton to help, Gerald asks his former commander, James Lord Tarrant to help as well, now James has already spotted Alice at a party and has his sights set on the beautiful widow this brings them closer together but convincing Alice that they can find happiness together is not easy, but James is not one for giving up easily.
With Gerald visiting Alice often this brings him closer to the ever stubborn Lucy, the Lucy who is determined that she will never marry a noble is soon in cahoots with Gerald and their doing everything they can to protect Alice and the spark is growing between them.
We get two romances in this wonderful story two heroes that I just fell for, two heroines who were different but so special who became the best of friends, this is a beautifully written story with characters that are so easy to make friends with, this story made me smile, laugh and cheer them all on in the fun and fabulous journey to two of the most gorgeous HEA’s. This story is romantic and lots of fun as well there are so many awesome characters that we get to meet and I am still smiling while writing this review yes it is a story that will stay with me for a long time and I am very much looking forward to book two. I do highly recommend this one, I never miss and Anne Gracie story they are charismatic and enchanting and must reads. I loved it.
My thanks to Anne Gracie for my copy to read
Alice, Dowager Countess of Charlton is finally free of her terrible, controlling husband, out of mourning it is time to start afresh when she is blackmailed with threats to publish letters about her marriage into finding a husband who is a noble for the blackmailer’s daughter, Lucy Bamber, Alice does not have any choice she must keep the secrets of her marriage. Meeting the sullen Lucy for the first time does not go well, but Alice is determined.
Alice decides that she is going to need some help in retrieving the letters and calls on her nephew Gerald, Viscount Thornton to help, Gerald asks his former commander, James Lord Tarrant to help as well, now James has already spotted Alice at a party and has his sights set on the beautiful widow this brings them closer together but convincing Alice that they can find happiness together is not easy, but James is not one for giving up easily.
With Gerald visiting Alice often this brings him closer to the ever stubborn Lucy, the Lucy who is determined that she will never marry a noble is soon in cahoots with Gerald and their doing everything they can to protect Alice and the spark is growing between them.
We get two romances in this wonderful story two heroes that I just fell for, two heroines who were different but so special who became the best of friends, this is a beautifully written story with characters that are so easy to make friends with, this story made me smile, laugh and cheer them all on in the fun and fabulous journey to two of the most gorgeous HEA’s. This story is romantic and lots of fun as well there are so many awesome characters that we get to meet and I am still smiling while writing this review yes it is a story that will stay with me for a long time and I am very much looking forward to book two. I do highly recommend this one, I never miss and Anne Gracie story they are charismatic and enchanting and must reads. I loved it.
My thanks to Anne Gracie for my copy to read
November 17, 2021
I was so excited for this book! I could not put it down throughout the first half, plus three of my favorite Romance novels of 2021 so far have purple covers so I was hopeful this one would become #4.
I absolutely loved the female leads. Both Alice and Lucy were such complex, lovable characters, and seeing their friendship grow into a sisterlike bond was so heartwarming. They learned from each other and helped one another become better, stronger people, and I would 100% argue that their relationship was the best one in the book, even with two romances woven into the story.
The male leads, on the other hand, started out well, but I disliked them more and more as the book went on. I wish James would have given Alice a little more time and space to feel comfortable turning their friendship into romance, especially after the nearly TWENTY years of trauma she went through with her previous husband. Instead he was pushy and heavy-handed, often making Alice feel uncomfortable, and this made it difficult for me to root for him. Gerald, Lucy's love interest, also raised some issues for me. I absolutely loved his banter with Lucy, especially her sass and how she was constantly able to annoy him. However, without giving anything away, he ends up manipulating her to get what he wants, and this felt uncomfortable. Also, I've said it once and I'll say it again: surprise kisses are not sexy, people! Let the person you want to kiss finish their sentence and make sure they want to kiss you before doing so.
Overall I liked this enough to consider reading the second book and other Anne Gracie books. If you're looking for a Romance with two love stories and an amazing female friendship, I'd say you might enjoy this one.
I absolutely loved the female leads. Both Alice and Lucy were such complex, lovable characters, and seeing their friendship grow into a sisterlike bond was so heartwarming. They learned from each other and helped one another become better, stronger people, and I would 100% argue that their relationship was the best one in the book, even with two romances woven into the story.
The male leads, on the other hand, started out well, but I disliked them more and more as the book went on. I wish James would have given Alice a little more time and space to feel comfortable turning their friendship into romance, especially after the nearly TWENTY years of trauma she went through with her previous husband. Instead he was pushy and heavy-handed, often making Alice feel uncomfortable, and this made it difficult for me to root for him. Gerald, Lucy's love interest, also raised some issues for me. I absolutely loved his banter with Lucy, especially her sass and how she was constantly able to annoy him. However, without giving anything away, he ends up manipulating her to get what he wants, and this felt uncomfortable. Also, I've said it once and I'll say it again: surprise kisses are not sexy, people! Let the person you want to kiss finish their sentence and make sure they want to kiss you before doing so.
Overall I liked this enough to consider reading the second book and other Anne Gracie books. If you're looking for a Romance with two love stories and an amazing female friendship, I'd say you might enjoy this one.
August 23, 2021
I always know when I dive into an Anne Gracie romance that I'm going to get a delightful, funny, touching story and The Scoundrel's Daughter is no different. What is different with this novel, however, is that we get two romances instead of just one. Longtime readers of Gracie will recall her earlier romances like The Perfect Rakuten featured both primary and secondary romances. I'd argue that here we have two equally strong romances. I found the unfolding of Lady Charlton's relationship with Lord Tarrant, especially given the unhappiness of Alice's (Lady Charlton's) previous marriage poignant and sweet. And the enemies to lovers track of Lady Charlton's nephew by marriage, Gerald, and her protégé, Lucy is fun and ultimately satisfying. I'm a sucker for a well done plot moppet and in Lord Tarrant's young daughters there are three who are funny and heartbreaking by turns. I thoroughly enjoyed this start to a new series from Gracie and I think fans of Loretta Chase, Tessa Dare and Mary Balogh will too.
September 3, 2021
Alice Paton, the widowed Countess of Charlton, is finally free of her vile husband and after a year and a half, she has finally paid off his debts and is looking forward to a quiet life, one that does not include remarrying, one husband was more than enough! But when Octavius Bramber calls and produces letters her late husband wrote to his mistress about Alice, letters that will make her a laughingstock if they are made public, which is exactly what he is threatening to do if she doesn’t agree to his terms and sponsor his daughter Lucy for the season and marry her off to a titled man!
Alice agrees under distress, and it is soon clear that Lucy Bramber is no happier about the arrangement than Alice is, but Lucy is not aware of the blackmail. Since her mother died she has been shipped from one school to another and when those options were exhausted, her father sent her to live with women who he coerced into taking her in. She thinks Alice is just another one of her father’s “women” and treats her accordingly, making it clear what she thinks of the nobility and will not marry a titled man. But they both soon realize how wrong they were about the other and a true friendship blooms. Alice assumes Lucy’s father just wants her to be happy and that a titled man isn’t necessary, so she asks her young nephew Gerald, Viscount Thornton to introduce Lucy to eligible men. He agrees, but after meeting Lucy, he realizes he knows her and that she cost him a race, a fact she denies, repeatedly and hilariously.
Gerald then proceeds to fulfill his promise to Alice, but the men he introduces to Lucy leave much to be desired. And these two start to dance around each other. When Gerald learns that Alice is being blackmailed, he asks James, Baron Tarrant, his former army commander to help track down Lucy’s father, who has not been seen since leaving Lucy with Alice. Like Alice, James is widowed, but unlike her, he loved his wife and has three young daughters, whom he hasn’t seen in years – one he has never seen. But now that the war is over and he is back in England after inheriting his brother’s title, he is ready to settle down with his girls, he too has no desire to remarry – until he meets Alice and soon he will do anything to win her heart and slay her dragons.
This was such a great read – I would give it 10 stars if I could. Normally, I am not a fan of multiple primary romances, but this was done perfectly – I felt that both couples were represented and neither romance felt rushed. This book was well-written, perfectly paced, had great characters, secrets, a bit of intrigue, mild love scenes, witty banter, laugh-out-loud moments, absolutely wonderful characters, great secondary characters, and two HEAs! I really loved this book and I cannot wait for the next installment!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*
Alice agrees under distress, and it is soon clear that Lucy Bramber is no happier about the arrangement than Alice is, but Lucy is not aware of the blackmail. Since her mother died she has been shipped from one school to another and when those options were exhausted, her father sent her to live with women who he coerced into taking her in. She thinks Alice is just another one of her father’s “women” and treats her accordingly, making it clear what she thinks of the nobility and will not marry a titled man. But they both soon realize how wrong they were about the other and a true friendship blooms. Alice assumes Lucy’s father just wants her to be happy and that a titled man isn’t necessary, so she asks her young nephew Gerald, Viscount Thornton to introduce Lucy to eligible men. He agrees, but after meeting Lucy, he realizes he knows her and that she cost him a race, a fact she denies, repeatedly and hilariously.
Gerald then proceeds to fulfill his promise to Alice, but the men he introduces to Lucy leave much to be desired. And these two start to dance around each other. When Gerald learns that Alice is being blackmailed, he asks James, Baron Tarrant, his former army commander to help track down Lucy’s father, who has not been seen since leaving Lucy with Alice. Like Alice, James is widowed, but unlike her, he loved his wife and has three young daughters, whom he hasn’t seen in years – one he has never seen. But now that the war is over and he is back in England after inheriting his brother’s title, he is ready to settle down with his girls, he too has no desire to remarry – until he meets Alice and soon he will do anything to win her heart and slay her dragons.
This was such a great read – I would give it 10 stars if I could. Normally, I am not a fan of multiple primary romances, but this was done perfectly – I felt that both couples were represented and neither romance felt rushed. This book was well-written, perfectly paced, had great characters, secrets, a bit of intrigue, mild love scenes, witty banter, laugh-out-loud moments, absolutely wonderful characters, great secondary characters, and two HEAs! I really loved this book and I cannot wait for the next installment!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*
April 13, 2023
3.5 stars. I really enjoy Anne Gracie's writing style, but the content of this book just didn't work all that well for me. I loved some parts, and others were just uncomfortable.
This story featured two couples. First and the main focus are an older couple, James and Alice, who were both widowed. James was married with three daughters, and loved his first wife dearly. He wasn't looking to get remarried and instead wanted to focus on raising his girls. It was a great surprise then, when upon seeing Alice from a distance, he immediately changed his tune. The way that he changed his mind so quickly felt jarring and off-putting to me. On top of all this, he was in the army, and he had not seen his daughters in four years (since the death of his wife), so his story of being a devoted father was a little hard to swallow. His first wife is also described as being nearly saint-like, and there's definitely a feeling of the heroine being somewhat second best up until the end when he makes it known that he loves them differently but equally as strongly. Meanwhile, Alice was married to a horrible man who kept a mistress for their entire relationship, who made sex unbearable for her, criticized her, belittled her, and just generally made her life a misery for the nearly 20 years of their marriage. The contrast in James' and Alice's married lives is stark and frustrating - since it's always the woman who gets the shit end of the stick.
The second couple in this book are Gerald and Lucy. Personally, I preferred the story that centered around them. Their storyline contained quite a bit of humor, which really helped to break up some of the more somber aspects of the book. They are younger, Gerald holding a title is very sought after and desired by all the eligible young ladies and their mothers. Lucy is the daughter of an obscure nobody (the scoundrel in the title) and at 18 years old is experiencing her first season. Lucy's horrible father has blackmailed Alice (from couple 1) to bring her out in society and find her a titled husband. Lucy, a girl who has lived with so much uncertainty and disappointment for her entire life, is surprisingly resilient and exceptionally strong. I really loved her character - and wish that more of the book was devoted to telling her story.
Ultimately though, as much as I liked the parts of the story that were focused on Gerald and Lucy, I just couldn't quite get behind the relationship of Alice and James. I hated how unbalanced their former married lives had been, I hated that James hadn't made an effort to see his daughters in four years, and I hated that the minute he left the army he immediately found a woman to take over in his life as wife and mother to his daughters. That just doesn't scream romance to me.
Safe for me.
Couple 1:
Both widowed, 18 months for heroine, 4 years for hero
H has three kids from first marriage
h considered barren and never got pregnant
h's late husband kept a mistress for their entire relationship
no om/ow drama but H's late wife is always remembered as being perfect
no scenes with om/ow
no cheating between MCs
Couple 2:
heroine virgin
hero no details given
slight om drama from admirers of the heroine
no ow drama
no scenes with om/ow and no steamy scenes with this couple
no cheating
This story featured two couples. First and the main focus are an older couple, James and Alice, who were both widowed. James was married with three daughters, and loved his first wife dearly. He wasn't looking to get remarried and instead wanted to focus on raising his girls. It was a great surprise then, when upon seeing Alice from a distance, he immediately changed his tune. The way that he changed his mind so quickly felt jarring and off-putting to me. On top of all this, he was in the army, and he had not seen his daughters in four years (since the death of his wife), so his story of being a devoted father was a little hard to swallow. His first wife is also described as being nearly saint-like, and there's definitely a feeling of the heroine being somewhat second best up until the end when he makes it known that he loves them differently but equally as strongly. Meanwhile, Alice was married to a horrible man who kept a mistress for their entire relationship, who made sex unbearable for her, criticized her, belittled her, and just generally made her life a misery for the nearly 20 years of their marriage. The contrast in James' and Alice's married lives is stark and frustrating - since it's always the woman who gets the shit end of the stick.
The second couple in this book are Gerald and Lucy. Personally, I preferred the story that centered around them. Their storyline contained quite a bit of humor, which really helped to break up some of the more somber aspects of the book. They are younger, Gerald holding a title is very sought after and desired by all the eligible young ladies and their mothers. Lucy is the daughter of an obscure nobody (the scoundrel in the title) and at 18 years old is experiencing her first season. Lucy's horrible father has blackmailed Alice (from couple 1) to bring her out in society and find her a titled husband. Lucy, a girl who has lived with so much uncertainty and disappointment for her entire life, is surprisingly resilient and exceptionally strong. I really loved her character - and wish that more of the book was devoted to telling her story.
Ultimately though, as much as I liked the parts of the story that were focused on Gerald and Lucy, I just couldn't quite get behind the relationship of Alice and James. I hated how unbalanced their former married lives had been, I hated that James hadn't made an effort to see his daughters in four years, and I hated that the minute he left the army he immediately found a woman to take over in his life as wife and mother to his daughters. That just doesn't scream romance to me.
Safe for me.
Couple 1:
Both widowed, 18 months for heroine, 4 years for hero
H has three kids from first marriage
h considered barren and never got pregnant
h's late husband kept a mistress for their entire relationship
no om/ow drama but H's late wife is always remembered as being perfect
no scenes with om/ow
no cheating between MCs
Couple 2:
heroine virgin
hero no details given
slight om drama from admirers of the heroine
no ow drama
no scenes with om/ow and no steamy scenes with this couple
no cheating
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2025
⭐⭐⭐💫
3½ stars.
➕ What I liked :
The older couple/ main characters ( Alice and James) were both 35+.
Older heroine (Alice) is a tall/tallish heroine.
The great friendship between Alice and Lucy.
Found family.
Somewhat interesting main characters and side characters.
Some funny parts.
How strong and resilient the younger heroine (Lucy) was… even with her past and her horrible father.
➖ What I disliked:
Anachronistic.
(How the older heroine (Alice) talked about personal and intimate things rather nonchalantly and openly with another woman that she was not close friends with etc. …. but also many other things.)
Two romance stories in one.
(The side story/dual romance with the side characters/other couple made the plot/story a bit disjointed… and it took away depth and focus etc. from both couples… but especially from the older couple.)
In the younger couple the hero ( Gerald) was a little too wishy-washy and did turnabouts with his feelings towards the heroine a little too all over the place.
The younger hero in the younger couple was a little too arrogant and nonchalant…. And the romance between the younger couple felt rushed and disjointed.
The older heroine was experienced… but still for a married woman/widow
she was just a little too naive and ignorant about many things and not just sexual things but other things as well.
Main characters and side characters (second couple) needed more depth.
Both couples were somewhat lacking in the romantic-build up and chemistry.
Repetitive.
(About many things… but mainly about the overuse of the word tall and handsome.)
No real comeuppance for the heroines father for what he did and everything with that situation was solved a little too easily/quickly.
Problems and issues was resolved/solved too easily and quickly.
Too many clichés and platitudes.
A little too slow-paced and verbose.
Plot-holes.
(Why did the older hero (James) not make an effort to see his daughters in four years?… there would have been time for him do that in one way or another even during war time or/and active service. Etc.)
Sensitive issues are glossed over and are written/handled in a rather dismissive and downplayed way.
(Emotional abuse, verbal abuse, neglect, emotional bullying, bullying,child abandonment etc.)
Formulaic in the character description/visual appearance/character choice of both heroes and both heroines (heroes: Tall, muscular, handsome… heroines: one is slender… one is subtly curvaceous/slender and pretty/beautiful.)
The ending felt a little bit abrupt.
⚠️Spoilers ! Spoiler! About ending !⚠️
⚠️Spoilers ! Spoiler! About ending !⚠️
⚠️Spoilers ! Spoiler! About ending !⚠️
⚠️Spoilers ! Spoiler! About ending !⚠️
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
That the heroine deals with “infertility issues”…. Thinks she is “barren” because she had no children with her late husband.
But of course there is a miracle baby in the end of the story/epilogue. 🙄
Very formulaic and unimaginative/unoriginal ending!👎
The book/story would have been much much more interesting and original if the heroine actually was barren!
And a missed opportunity to have a story that was entirely about found family and/or having step-children.
3½ stars.
➕ What I liked :
The older couple/ main characters ( Alice and James) were both 35+.
Older heroine (Alice) is a tall/tallish heroine.
The great friendship between Alice and Lucy.
Found family.
Somewhat interesting main characters and side characters.
Some funny parts.
How strong and resilient the younger heroine (Lucy) was… even with her past and her horrible father.
➖ What I disliked:
Anachronistic.
(How the older heroine (Alice) talked about personal and intimate things rather nonchalantly and openly with another woman that she was not close friends with etc. …. but also many other things.)
Two romance stories in one.
(The side story/dual romance with the side characters/other couple made the plot/story a bit disjointed… and it took away depth and focus etc. from both couples… but especially from the older couple.)
In the younger couple the hero ( Gerald) was a little too wishy-washy and did turnabouts with his feelings towards the heroine a little too all over the place.
The younger hero in the younger couple was a little too arrogant and nonchalant…. And the romance between the younger couple felt rushed and disjointed.
The older heroine was experienced… but still for a married woman/widow
she was just a little too naive and ignorant about many things and not just sexual things but other things as well.
Main characters and side characters (second couple) needed more depth.
Both couples were somewhat lacking in the romantic-build up and chemistry.
Repetitive.
(About many things… but mainly about the overuse of the word tall and handsome.)
No real comeuppance for the heroines father for what he did and everything with that situation was solved a little too easily/quickly.
Problems and issues was resolved/solved too easily and quickly.
Too many clichés and platitudes.
A little too slow-paced and verbose.
Plot-holes.
(Why did the older hero (James) not make an effort to see his daughters in four years?… there would have been time for him do that in one way or another even during war time or/and active service. Etc.)
Sensitive issues are glossed over and are written/handled in a rather dismissive and downplayed way.
(Emotional abuse, verbal abuse, neglect, emotional bullying, bullying,child abandonment etc.)
Formulaic in the character description/visual appearance/character choice of both heroes and both heroines (heroes: Tall, muscular, handsome… heroines: one is slender… one is subtly curvaceous/slender and pretty/beautiful.)
The ending felt a little bit abrupt.
⚠️Spoilers ! Spoiler! About ending !⚠️
⚠️Spoilers ! Spoiler! About ending !⚠️
⚠️Spoilers ! Spoiler! About ending !⚠️
⚠️Spoilers ! Spoiler! About ending !⚠️
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
That the heroine deals with “infertility issues”…. Thinks she is “barren” because she had no children with her late husband.
But of course there is a miracle baby in the end of the story/epilogue. 🙄
Very formulaic and unimaginative/unoriginal ending!👎
The book/story would have been much much more interesting and original if the heroine actually was barren!
And a missed opportunity to have a story that was entirely about found family and/or having step-children.
July 4, 2022
I took a chance on this because I’m being sent the second in the series by Berkley and I wanted to test the waters! I’m so happy I requested book 2 because I actually really loved this!! I’ve never heard of the author before and the cover looks rather tame but the story was very fun and there was a wee bit of steam, well enough to appease me since I liked the cast of characters.
I love prickly children in books and I swear the narrator understood Debo perfectly. I was cackling! In general, the audiobook was also just superbly done. I love how there were two main romances and how I was connected to both!! Um into yum and goose girl respectively. There was humor and charm and a little bit of angsty scandal.
I do just wish her dead husband was still alive so he could get kicked in the balls before promptly kicking the can. I also wish Lucy’s father got a swift kick in the jimmies too because he was my only final unresolved qualm. It was resolved but not truly satisfying for a bloodthirsty bitch hellbent on revenge like me.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶/5
I love prickly children in books and I swear the narrator understood Debo perfectly. I was cackling! In general, the audiobook was also just superbly done. I love how there were two main romances and how I was connected to both!! Um into yum and goose girl respectively. There was humor and charm and a little bit of angsty scandal.
I do just wish her dead husband was still alive so he could get kicked in the balls before promptly kicking the can. I also wish Lucy’s father got a swift kick in the jimmies too because he was my only final unresolved qualm. It was resolved but not truly satisfying for a bloodthirsty bitch hellbent on revenge like me.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶/5
August 10, 2021
Barbara’s Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Series: The Brides of Bellaire Gardens #1
Publication Date: 8/24/21
Number of Pages: 336
This delightfully romantic and entertaining book has it ALL! Wonderful characters, wit, laugh-worthy humor, a despicable, shrewish harpy who definitely gets her comeuppance, TWO swoon-worthy romances, three adorable little girls, and it is all set a very realistic and well-described Regency London. I can hardly wait to see what the other books in the series bring.
Widowed Lady Alice Thornton, dowager Countess of Charlton, had a hard childhood and was then thrust into an abusive marriage to a man who didn’t want to marry her. She suffered for eighteen long years before her wretch of a husband finally kicked-the-bucket while in his mistress’s bed. However, more shame and strife were to come. Her husband left nice bequests for his mistress and his baseborn son, but all he left her was debts. If it weren’t for her wonderful grandmother having left her a home, she wouldn’t even have a place to live. Finally, she is almost through paying off his debts and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Until … a blackmailer, Octavius Bamber, appears and makes demands – demands Alice must accommodate. She has no choice.
Lucy Bamber has been left to fend for herself almost her entire life. Her father is a scoundrel of the first order – a con man, a blackmailer, a card sharp, you name it and it applies to him. He arrives at wherever she is staying, whisks her off to someplace new, and then leaves her – to make her own way. Then, he does it again – and again – and again. She never knows where he is or even how to contact him. This last caper he has pulled is beyond the pale though. He has blackmailed a beautiful, kind, caring woman into sponsoring Lucy for a London Season. She MUST marry a lord of some sort, or he will execute his threat with the blackmail. Lucy hates the aristocracy – with good reason – and has no intention of marrying anyone with a title. She was resentful of Alice and thought she was just another in the long line of women with whom her father left her – until she learned the truth – and learned what a lovely, lovely person Alice was.
Gerald Paton, Viscount Thornton, is Alice’s nephew. His father inherited Alice’s husband’s earldom. His entire family is a scurvy lot – except for Gerald himself. His mother, Almeria, has always hated Alice and takes great delight in belittling and treating her with disdain. Gerald, on the other hand, loves his aunt Alice and will do all in his power to help her when she asks. Can Gerald track down the blackmailer and steal the letters from him? He’ll do his best, but he’s sure he’ll need help and he knows just who to ask.
Lord Tarrant has been a widower for the last four years. His marriage was a loving and happy one that produced three wonderful little girls. Tarrant hasn’t seen those little girls in over four years – he’s never even met the youngest one because his wife died while giving birth. Now that he’s sold his commission and inherited a title, it is his intention to collect his children and make a home with them. He’ll never marry again, but he can provide plenty of love for his girls. He fully believes that until he sees the most elegant, beautiful woman across a ballroom. Oh! It turns out she is the aunt of his friend Gerald – who served in the wars with him.
I absolutely adored these characters. I loved watching Alice loosen up and come to realize that Lord Tarrant wasn’t at all like her now-deceased husband. Can she come to trust? Lucy and Gerald dance around each other – neither liking nor trusting the other – yet they are strangely attracted. Can they overcome that distrust?
I hope you’ll love this book as much as I did. It has some of the best put-downs I’ve ever read. If you want to learn how to handle a verbal bully, just pay attention to Alice and Almeria. The girls are delightful and you’ll love getting to know them. I can hardly wait for the next book!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Series: The Brides of Bellaire Gardens #1
Publication Date: 8/24/21
Number of Pages: 336
This delightfully romantic and entertaining book has it ALL! Wonderful characters, wit, laugh-worthy humor, a despicable, shrewish harpy who definitely gets her comeuppance, TWO swoon-worthy romances, three adorable little girls, and it is all set a very realistic and well-described Regency London. I can hardly wait to see what the other books in the series bring.
Widowed Lady Alice Thornton, dowager Countess of Charlton, had a hard childhood and was then thrust into an abusive marriage to a man who didn’t want to marry her. She suffered for eighteen long years before her wretch of a husband finally kicked-the-bucket while in his mistress’s bed. However, more shame and strife were to come. Her husband left nice bequests for his mistress and his baseborn son, but all he left her was debts. If it weren’t for her wonderful grandmother having left her a home, she wouldn’t even have a place to live. Finally, she is almost through paying off his debts and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Until … a blackmailer, Octavius Bamber, appears and makes demands – demands Alice must accommodate. She has no choice.
Lucy Bamber has been left to fend for herself almost her entire life. Her father is a scoundrel of the first order – a con man, a blackmailer, a card sharp, you name it and it applies to him. He arrives at wherever she is staying, whisks her off to someplace new, and then leaves her – to make her own way. Then, he does it again – and again – and again. She never knows where he is or even how to contact him. This last caper he has pulled is beyond the pale though. He has blackmailed a beautiful, kind, caring woman into sponsoring Lucy for a London Season. She MUST marry a lord of some sort, or he will execute his threat with the blackmail. Lucy hates the aristocracy – with good reason – and has no intention of marrying anyone with a title. She was resentful of Alice and thought she was just another in the long line of women with whom her father left her – until she learned the truth – and learned what a lovely, lovely person Alice was.
Gerald Paton, Viscount Thornton, is Alice’s nephew. His father inherited Alice’s husband’s earldom. His entire family is a scurvy lot – except for Gerald himself. His mother, Almeria, has always hated Alice and takes great delight in belittling and treating her with disdain. Gerald, on the other hand, loves his aunt Alice and will do all in his power to help her when she asks. Can Gerald track down the blackmailer and steal the letters from him? He’ll do his best, but he’s sure he’ll need help and he knows just who to ask.
Lord Tarrant has been a widower for the last four years. His marriage was a loving and happy one that produced three wonderful little girls. Tarrant hasn’t seen those little girls in over four years – he’s never even met the youngest one because his wife died while giving birth. Now that he’s sold his commission and inherited a title, it is his intention to collect his children and make a home with them. He’ll never marry again, but he can provide plenty of love for his girls. He fully believes that until he sees the most elegant, beautiful woman across a ballroom. Oh! It turns out she is the aunt of his friend Gerald – who served in the wars with him.
I absolutely adored these characters. I loved watching Alice loosen up and come to realize that Lord Tarrant wasn’t at all like her now-deceased husband. Can she come to trust? Lucy and Gerald dance around each other – neither liking nor trusting the other – yet they are strangely attracted. Can they overcome that distrust?
I hope you’ll love this book as much as I did. It has some of the best put-downs I’ve ever read. If you want to learn how to handle a verbal bully, just pay attention to Alice and Almeria. The girls are delightful and you’ll love getting to know them. I can hardly wait for the next book!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 28, 2021
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
The Scoundrel's Heart is a story that I have been highly intrigued by and it was on the top of my list of the top releases that came out this past week that I wanted to get to but it was a book that took me a bit longer to get through. I will admit that the beginning does start slow, maybe if it hadn't been an audiobook it might have gone by faster, but I really wanted to listen to this one since it was available in the AnyPlay subscription that I have. I have always been impressed by Anne Gracie, and she writes such authentic regency tales, and you can really tell that she does her research and I respect that especially in the face of the evolvement of historical romance currently.
The Scoundrel's Heart features two main couples:
Alice (Lady Charleton)-a widow, destitute, blackmailed and James, Lord Tarrant-military officer retired, single father of three daughters and widower -Mature Pairing Lucy and Gerald-Younger Pairing -Lucy a scoundrel's daughter, a goose girl, but trained in the arts of a lady. Gerald-Young lord and nephew to Alice, Lady Charleton
The Scoundrel's Heart begins with Alice. She is a widow and is in her late thirties. She is confronted by a man who holds letters from her late husband to his mistress, scandalous ones that demean Alice in the worst of ways. He threatens her that if she won't get his daughter a titled lord for a husband, he will send them to be printed and the whole Ton would know of the reality of her marriage and what her husband thought of her. So Alice agrees, knowing she has no other choice. When she meets Lucy, she sees a girl that is completely withdrawn, bitter and angry. But soon Alice is able with her warm demeanor and kind heart, to bring Lucy out of her shell and they make a pact and build a friendship. As Alice shows Lucy around to the Ton, she knows that Lucy doesn't want a titled lord but neither of them have a choice right now of their circumstances. Lucy and the nephew of Alice, Gerald, have some entangled bantering. On the surface they don't care for each other, but underneath their bantering is a passion they are holding back from each other. Gerald is aware he will have to be crafty and cunning to capture Lucy's heart. He is determined to turn that animosity into love. But while Lucy and Gerald are working through their issues, so are Alice and James. James is a single father now, having lost his wife while he was away at war. And now he is claiming his children and he is drawn to Alice. But to dig into her secrets, he will have to show he is trustworthy and that he wants her more than just to be his mistress....that he wants to show her passion yes but also what love between a man and a woman can truly become.
The Scoundrel's Heart is a story that features two couples and at first, I was reluctant and I almost walked away from the book because I really have to know this beforehand and to just walk blindly in the book (why oh why I didn't read reviews for it before reading/listening I have no clue) but I chugged through it and then it CLICKED. After that, I was so addicted to this book and I honestly couldn't put it down. I had so much fun with this one and seeing these two couples find their way together. It definitely starts with a rocky beginning for them, but through some alliances that are made, and some fun antics with three little girls and an obsession over cats....these alliances turn into affairs of the heart. I was really drawn into the humor and sweet tones of this book. Now, this is what I love my regency to be. I wanted to take a break from historical's for a bit, but nope now I have a more burning need to read more of the genre and I thank Anne Gracie for firing me up in her novel. This was exactly what I needed. Her writing can sometimes be a hit or miss for me, however, this book turned out to be a beautiful yet charming read.
I will admit that I was supremely nervous at first with the two couples, but I found that it was really well balanced throughout the story. I was so intrigued in seeing how it would play out, especially the blackmail portion of the plot and it does turn out so well. What I really love about Anne Gracie's style of writing, is that it may start out slow and rocky but once it builds momentum, then you are hooked into it and you don't want to let go of the story. If it hadn't been for the slow beginning, then I would have rating this a five blossom rating.
Overall I found The Scoundrel's Daughter to be stunning, authentically historic, realistically portrayed in the culture f the Regency era, and a romance that fit my mood in such a perfect way. It's a story that will captivate the hearts of its reader with each page and touch the soul with its strength and sweetness.
The Scoundrel's Heart is a story that I have been highly intrigued by and it was on the top of my list of the top releases that came out this past week that I wanted to get to but it was a book that took me a bit longer to get through. I will admit that the beginning does start slow, maybe if it hadn't been an audiobook it might have gone by faster, but I really wanted to listen to this one since it was available in the AnyPlay subscription that I have. I have always been impressed by Anne Gracie, and she writes such authentic regency tales, and you can really tell that she does her research and I respect that especially in the face of the evolvement of historical romance currently.
The Scoundrel's Heart features two main couples:
Alice (Lady Charleton)-a widow, destitute, blackmailed and James, Lord Tarrant-military officer retired, single father of three daughters and widower -Mature Pairing Lucy and Gerald-Younger Pairing -Lucy a scoundrel's daughter, a goose girl, but trained in the arts of a lady. Gerald-Young lord and nephew to Alice, Lady Charleton
The Scoundrel's Heart begins with Alice. She is a widow and is in her late thirties. She is confronted by a man who holds letters from her late husband to his mistress, scandalous ones that demean Alice in the worst of ways. He threatens her that if she won't get his daughter a titled lord for a husband, he will send them to be printed and the whole Ton would know of the reality of her marriage and what her husband thought of her. So Alice agrees, knowing she has no other choice. When she meets Lucy, she sees a girl that is completely withdrawn, bitter and angry. But soon Alice is able with her warm demeanor and kind heart, to bring Lucy out of her shell and they make a pact and build a friendship. As Alice shows Lucy around to the Ton, she knows that Lucy doesn't want a titled lord but neither of them have a choice right now of their circumstances. Lucy and the nephew of Alice, Gerald, have some entangled bantering. On the surface they don't care for each other, but underneath their bantering is a passion they are holding back from each other. Gerald is aware he will have to be crafty and cunning to capture Lucy's heart. He is determined to turn that animosity into love. But while Lucy and Gerald are working through their issues, so are Alice and James. James is a single father now, having lost his wife while he was away at war. And now he is claiming his children and he is drawn to Alice. But to dig into her secrets, he will have to show he is trustworthy and that he wants her more than just to be his mistress....that he wants to show her passion yes but also what love between a man and a woman can truly become.
The Scoundrel's Heart is a story that features two couples and at first, I was reluctant and I almost walked away from the book because I really have to know this beforehand and to just walk blindly in the book (why oh why I didn't read reviews for it before reading/listening I have no clue) but I chugged through it and then it CLICKED. After that, I was so addicted to this book and I honestly couldn't put it down. I had so much fun with this one and seeing these two couples find their way together. It definitely starts with a rocky beginning for them, but through some alliances that are made, and some fun antics with three little girls and an obsession over cats....these alliances turn into affairs of the heart. I was really drawn into the humor and sweet tones of this book. Now, this is what I love my regency to be. I wanted to take a break from historical's for a bit, but nope now I have a more burning need to read more of the genre and I thank Anne Gracie for firing me up in her novel. This was exactly what I needed. Her writing can sometimes be a hit or miss for me, however, this book turned out to be a beautiful yet charming read.
I will admit that I was supremely nervous at first with the two couples, but I found that it was really well balanced throughout the story. I was so intrigued in seeing how it would play out, especially the blackmail portion of the plot and it does turn out so well. What I really love about Anne Gracie's style of writing, is that it may start out slow and rocky but once it builds momentum, then you are hooked into it and you don't want to let go of the story. If it hadn't been for the slow beginning, then I would have rating this a five blossom rating.
Overall I found The Scoundrel's Daughter to be stunning, authentically historic, realistically portrayed in the culture f the Regency era, and a romance that fit my mood in such a perfect way. It's a story that will captivate the hearts of its reader with each page and touch the soul with its strength and sweetness.
dnf-too-early-to-mark-it-read
July 22, 2024All the stars for an older heroine, but...
I was listening to the audiobook when I heard that she'd been miserably married for 18 years. That number depressed me so much I was tempted to DNF there. But it was that plus the horrible letters that did me in.
Too much misery and humiliation for one person. She was literally raped on and off by her husband for 18 years! I don't have the mental capacity to process that right now. Maybe I'll try it at another time?
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬
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I was listening to the audiobook when I heard that she'd been miserably married for 18 years. That number depressed me so much I was tempted to DNF there. But it was that plus the horrible letters that did me in.
Too much misery and humiliation for one person. She was literally raped on and off by her husband for 18 years! I don't have the mental capacity to process that right now. Maybe I'll try it at another time?
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬
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August 12, 2023
I sincerely don't know what to say about this book. Just that it is two romances wrapped up in one story, that many things happen, that it has many emotional moments and the story was good enough. Nothing wow, but good enough.
3.5 stars.
3.5 stars.
August 20, 2021
This is a very fun, low-angst romance with a double couple. Alice is blackmailed by a scoundrel to bring out his daughter and find her a noble husband. If she doesn't, he'll publish cruel and revealing letters written by her husband to his mistress. Alice is a great character who has been through a lot in her life. At 36, she's on the older side for a romance heroine. Although her marriage was a misery and her only remaining family is indifferent-to-unpleasant, she never takes the opportunity to strike back. Her love interest, James, is a widower himself with three daughters. As a foil, Lucy, the titular scoundrel's daughter, is good-natured and kind, despite her own difficult upbringing. She finds her own romantic match in Gerald, Alice's nephew. Both romances are quite enjoyable, with no 3rd-act breakup or Big Misunderstandings to bring down the mood, and the writing flows really well.
Note that Alice's first marriage was unhappy and her husband was abusive, and her new relationship is often contrasted to the first. It's great that James is a wonderful person, but it's sometimes difficult to read about how Alice knows he is a catch because she's lived through the opposite.
Check this one out if you love traditional Regencies but wouldn't mind a little more steam!
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
Note that Alice's first marriage was unhappy and her husband was abusive, and her new relationship is often contrasted to the first. It's great that James is a wonderful person, but it's sometimes difficult to read about how Alice knows he is a catch because she's lived through the opposite.
Check this one out if you love traditional Regencies but wouldn't mind a little more steam!
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
September 16, 2021
This story was special. Maybe it was the fact that it featured someone closer to my age, or that the heroine was such an admirable character. Maybe it was the amazingly wonderful hero, or the lovely younger couple. Whatever it was, this story touched my heart. What the heroine endured in her first marriage was terrible. Yes, it could've been worse, but the fact that she emerged from it still a kind person it nothing short of miraculous.
The hero (and secondary hero) were pretty fantastic too. Neither of them came across as rakes (at all), and there wasn't one mention of OW. The author made sure to let the reader know that the hero had never had a mistress and was faithful to his wife. What a breath of fresh air.
And the humour. Oh, I laughed out loud at some of the dialogue. Lucy, the younger heroine, was so funny. And the scene with the bore. Boor. Boar. Oh my goodness. So funny. If you read this, you'll know what I mean. If you love historical romance that's heartwarming and doesn't belittle women, read this immediately. You won't regret it.
The hero (and secondary hero) were pretty fantastic too. Neither of them came across as rakes (at all), and there wasn't one mention of OW. The author made sure to let the reader know that the hero had never had a mistress and was faithful to his wife. What a breath of fresh air.
And the humour. Oh, I laughed out loud at some of the dialogue. Lucy, the younger heroine, was so funny. And the scene with the bore. Boor. Boar. Oh my goodness. So funny. If you read this, you'll know what I mean. If you love historical romance that's heartwarming and doesn't belittle women, read this immediately. You won't regret it.
August 3, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up
August 2, 2021
The first of a new series, the Brides of Bellaire Gardens, The Scoundrel’s Daughter is classic Gracie, only twice as good—with two wonderful couples! Just sink into the beautifully drawn Regency setting, enjoy meeting the distinct and charming characters, laugh at the humor (this has one of the best set-down of a harpy scenes I’ve ever read), swoon at the delightful romance, and escape reality for a few wonderful hours!
March 24, 2023
BOTM for April in HRBC. My first by Anne Gracie. Her writing had a Canadian feel to it. It reminded me of Anne of Green Gables. It was a sweet down home kind of story. A two in one romance with duo HEA. The h Alice Dowager Lady Charlton and Lord Tarrant (Colonel James Tarrant) both widowed. Second young couple Lucy Bamber and Gerald Paton, Viscount Thornton ( ex army Captain ).
October 9, 2021
I love Anne Gracie's books and Scoundrel 's daughter is a wonderful read, 2 romances for the price of one. For those who like an older heroine, Alice, Lady Charlton is 38 and had endured 18 years of a terrible marriage. She is blackmailed into bringing Lucy out and finding her a Lord for a husband. The way these 2 woman become friends and find happiness unfolds with humor and kindness and also how each of the characters must be true to her and himself. Also,there are 3 adorable little girls,especially a 4 year old who wants a kitten.There is a very satisfying ending.
September 4, 2021
This is a wonderful story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are two romances in it but I think the older couple are the main romantic story. Lucy's father is a truly despicable person and even though we only have a short visit with him you can feel the slime radiating from him. The blackmail was done very well.
Alice and Lucy were a perfect foil for each other and the development of their friendship was lovely.
James, Lord Tarrant, was the perfect hero. A mixture of the ex soldier but with a soft side which appears when dealing with his three lovable daughters and Alice of course.
The initial byplay between Lucy and Gerald was highly entertaining. Gerald starts out a bit stuffy but Lucy soon sorts that out.
I loved the humor and laughed out loud several times. It's very well done.
It did start a little slow but when it picked up I powered through it.
If you enjoy sweet romances with plenty of humor and lovely characters, then this is the book for you.
Alice and Lucy were a perfect foil for each other and the development of their friendship was lovely.
James, Lord Tarrant, was the perfect hero. A mixture of the ex soldier but with a soft side which appears when dealing with his three lovable daughters and Alice of course.
The initial byplay between Lucy and Gerald was highly entertaining. Gerald starts out a bit stuffy but Lucy soon sorts that out.
I loved the humor and laughed out loud several times. It's very well done.
It did start a little slow but when it picked up I powered through it.
If you enjoy sweet romances with plenty of humor and lovely characters, then this is the book for you.
July 2, 2022
Odd, author seemed eager to regurgitate social mores she may have just read up on that most readers are already familiar with, you dont have to tell us what is allowable behaviour for the time ad nauseam, just have your characters behave realistically for the era. Entertaining enough, despite the jerky set ups.
October 23, 2022
Grace is a new author for me, and I quite enjoyed this book! The multiple romances and relationships (the widow & widower with a second chance at love, the saucy young miss and her reluctantly enamored beau, the 30-something childless widow who befriends a sullen teen, the stubborn 4-year-old and her equally stubborn kitten) added a dimension to this book that I found refreshing. I will happily add this author to my list of Sue-approved romance writers. (-:
July 2, 2023
Great light romance!
February 22, 2023
3.75 stars
There were two main couples. From the title, it should be Lucy's story as she was the scoundrel's daughter, literally. But it turned out Alice's story was more focused on and stole the show. The main couple became the secondary after half of the book.
As usual, Anne Gracie would not not stick to the ordinary theme. Her heroes and heroins always have some unique personality which would stand them out. I am not really a fan of these 'modern' theme historical romance. I preferred a more traditional HR, where the H/h would have characters that feels true to the timeframe, not these wallpapers HR where the characters were more advance in their thinking or actions. But Anne Gracie's excellent writing always took me in.
There were two main couples. From the title, it should be Lucy's story as she was the scoundrel's daughter, literally. But it turned out Alice's story was more focused on and stole the show. The main couple became the secondary after half of the book.
As usual, Anne Gracie would not not stick to the ordinary theme. Her heroes and heroins always have some unique personality which would stand them out. I am not really a fan of these 'modern' theme historical romance. I preferred a more traditional HR, where the H/h would have characters that feels true to the timeframe, not these wallpapers HR where the characters were more advance in their thinking or actions. But Anne Gracie's excellent writing always took me in.
July 23, 2022
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
For Alice, Lady Charlton, discovering that her dominating husband has left her a penniless widow, and one of whom is vulnerable to blackmail was enough to make her a reluctant matchmaker. When her blackmailer threatens to release letters to the press which will completely humiliate her, unless she sponsors his daughter, Lucy, and find her a good, and noble match. On Lucy's arrival, it's clear she is not a part of her father's scheme, and she has no wish to be paraded around on the marriage mart. But meeting Alice's nephew, Gerald, makes her reconsider, and Alice finds herself starting to wonder whether love is in the cards too.
When I first started reading this book, I couldn't get into it at all, so put it down and left it for a few months. However, the second time around, I couldn't put it down once I was past the first few pages. I loved Alice, and though she wasn't the 'scoundrel's daughter' mentioned in the title, she was the main character. Her marriage, and now life as a widow with her overbearing in laws nearby, had been dreadful, and when she thought she had freedom, she was burdened with debt after debt, and a blackmailer. Her only real ally was her nephew, Gerald, who was wary of Lucy, and asked his old friend, and former commanding officer, James, Lord Tarrant, to help investigate. And James is smitten from the first moment, and does everything he can to woo Alice, and prove that marriage doesn't have to be such a chore. I liked the way that Lucy and Gerald first met, and the way in which they grew closer and fell in love. There story was somewhat secondary to that of Alice and James, but still enjoyable, and a great way to start off the series.
For Alice, Lady Charlton, discovering that her dominating husband has left her a penniless widow, and one of whom is vulnerable to blackmail was enough to make her a reluctant matchmaker. When her blackmailer threatens to release letters to the press which will completely humiliate her, unless she sponsors his daughter, Lucy, and find her a good, and noble match. On Lucy's arrival, it's clear she is not a part of her father's scheme, and she has no wish to be paraded around on the marriage mart. But meeting Alice's nephew, Gerald, makes her reconsider, and Alice finds herself starting to wonder whether love is in the cards too.
When I first started reading this book, I couldn't get into it at all, so put it down and left it for a few months. However, the second time around, I couldn't put it down once I was past the first few pages. I loved Alice, and though she wasn't the 'scoundrel's daughter' mentioned in the title, she was the main character. Her marriage, and now life as a widow with her overbearing in laws nearby, had been dreadful, and when she thought she had freedom, she was burdened with debt after debt, and a blackmailer. Her only real ally was her nephew, Gerald, who was wary of Lucy, and asked his old friend, and former commanding officer, James, Lord Tarrant, to help investigate. And James is smitten from the first moment, and does everything he can to woo Alice, and prove that marriage doesn't have to be such a chore. I liked the way that Lucy and Gerald first met, and the way in which they grew closer and fell in love. There story was somewhat secondary to that of Alice and James, but still enjoyable, and a great way to start off the series.
January 27, 2022
4,5 - Un inizio di serie accattivante, con ben due storie principali, una con personaggi giovani e una con personaggi più maturi, che si mantengono bilanciate nello sviluppo.
Da un lato una "plebea" peperina e simpatica che viene piazzata sul mercato delle debuttanti dal padre truffatore, alle prese con un neo visconte annoiato dalla vuota vita aristocratica; dall'altro, troviamo invece una giovane vedova, reduce da un matrimonio doloroso e opprimente, alle prese con un ex-ufficiale a sua volta vedovo e con tre adorabili bimbe.
Il collegamento? Per introdurre la ragazza nel ton, il truffatore individua e ricatta proprio la giovane vedova Alice, che vorrebbe solo riprendersi la sua libertà.
Così Alice deve cercare corteggiatori come una specie di madrina poco fiabesca...
Apprezzo lo stile di Anne Gracie che unisce garbo e ironia, senza edulcorare troppo però i limiti e gli obblighi che gravavano sulle donne dell'epoca, per quanto in grado di condurre una vita agiata. Sempre legate ai voleri del marito e sempre nel terrore di restare private di tutto dalla mattina alla sera per non poter subentrare in titolo ed eredità.
Ho riso più volte perché Lucy e tremenda, ma anche i siparietti con la quattrenne Deb "voglioungatto" sono deliziosi. E poi ho adorato come James tampina Alice sino alla capitolazione amorosa, mentre Gerald è un burbero gelosone da premio.
Da un lato una "plebea" peperina e simpatica che viene piazzata sul mercato delle debuttanti dal padre truffatore, alle prese con un neo visconte annoiato dalla vuota vita aristocratica; dall'altro, troviamo invece una giovane vedova, reduce da un matrimonio doloroso e opprimente, alle prese con un ex-ufficiale a sua volta vedovo e con tre adorabili bimbe.
Il collegamento? Per introdurre la ragazza nel ton, il truffatore individua e ricatta proprio la giovane vedova Alice, che vorrebbe solo riprendersi la sua libertà.
Così Alice deve cercare corteggiatori come una specie di madrina poco fiabesca...
Apprezzo lo stile di Anne Gracie che unisce garbo e ironia, senza edulcorare troppo però i limiti e gli obblighi che gravavano sulle donne dell'epoca, per quanto in grado di condurre una vita agiata. Sempre legate ai voleri del marito e sempre nel terrore di restare private di tutto dalla mattina alla sera per non poter subentrare in titolo ed eredità.
Ho riso più volte perché Lucy e tremenda, ma anche i siparietti con la quattrenne Deb "voglioungatto" sono deliziosi. E poi ho adorato come James tampina Alice sino alla capitolazione amorosa, mentre Gerald è un burbero gelosone da premio.
August 26, 2021
SPOILERS GALORE
Ugh! I found it incredulous that the heroine's husband bum that he was spent 20 years of his life writing love letters to his mistress telling her what a lousy wife he had and describing their abysmal love life.
The blackmailer would have been more believable if he was of the same class. Making his daughter's blood lines more acceptable for his purpose. His acquisition of the letters more plausable somehow.
The women in this were not particularly likable. The men unexceptional. The story one dimensional. Not one of Anne Gracie's best.
Ugh! I found it incredulous that the heroine's husband bum that he was spent 20 years of his life writing love letters to his mistress telling her what a lousy wife he had and describing their abysmal love life.
The blackmailer would have been more believable if he was of the same class. Making his daughter's blood lines more acceptable for his purpose. His acquisition of the letters more plausable somehow.
The women in this were not particularly likable. The men unexceptional. The story one dimensional. Not one of Anne Gracie's best.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2021
This is the first book in a new Regency series and I absolutely loved it! You get not just one, but two fabulous love stories, and each one is delightful. I really empathised with widowed Alice, who had endured a hellish marriage for years, resulting in mental scars so deep the reader wonders if she’ll ever overcome them. The man who courts her is just the sort of hero I adore – strong, yet sensitive and understanding, forceful in the best possible way, and of course, gorgeous. Then there is Lucy – a wonderful minx who is just the sort of thing young Lord Thornton needs, even if she annoys him like no one else. Sparks definitely fly between those two and I so enjoyed watching them spar. This book has everything you want in a perfect Regency – romance, humour, sizzling chemistry and a "villain" you love to hate. Highly recommended!
April 6, 2024
Charming!
June 21, 2025
There’s something just so relaxing about a regency romance
August 26, 2023
Good read, a bit slow pacing for what I have been reading lately. But characters are all well developed, children, pets, grief, dysfunctional parents etc. Husband and sister in law were mustache twirling villains.
The best part was at the end. HEA was wrapped up in a bow…the dead husband’s illegitimate son was the BUTLER’s 😀
Sadly there was only a few steamy moments. Because both Male leads were worthy of long drawn out sexy times.
The best part was at the end. HEA was wrapped up in a bow…the dead husband’s illegitimate son was the BUTLER’s 😀
Sadly there was only a few steamy moments. Because both Male leads were worthy of long drawn out sexy times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2023
J'ai été surprise de constater que l'histoire suis le cheminement de 2 couples et non un comme on a plutôt l'habitude.
Lecture très douce, peut-être trop pour moi.
Lecture très douce, peut-être trop pour moi.
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